Arden was just heading to his university before things got out of hand and he disappeared. And now he finds himself in a different reality.
Arden is your regular run of the mill student. Until some weird guy tossed a package to him and ran away. Now he is another world and has to learn how to survive there...in a new body and a weird ability that allows him to see the hearts into inhabitants of the said world. Now...how does one fight again?
Say hello to my editor: Kobolum. We just started this, so we still need to go over the previous chapters and figure out how to edit stuff together. Also, check out his stories.
Thanks to this person this story gained a huge expansion, so I consider this story a collab with:Metordragon. This person has great ideas if you want help in a story, contact him. This person is AWESOME!!
Actually, I consider this story to be the result of the comments, my ideas, Kobolum, Metordragon, and the people who actually read this. THANK YOU ALL!
Dropping by as a new editor is mustangdrew4 thank you all for the support!
Arden Sila, 21 years old, med student. If you're waiting for some sad story about a depressed guy with no friends and multiple traumas...then leave. He has his own circle of friends and a regular life. No big events, no special talents. He is smart though, book-smart. A nerd with a lot of imagination, if anyone ever noticed him spacing out, he would actually be in the new world he came up with in his head. He also was a creature of habits, figure out his routine and you have his entire day schedule ready.
He was heading to his university's building, just another day. 'Ok...if I'm not mistaken today's classes start with surgical abilities. My stuff is back in the locker...I take about two minutes to reach the floor where the labs are. I'll have time to spare to look over the materials again." He thought to himself while walking down the street, he was so focused that he didn't notice a weird teenager running towards him with a big package that was tightly wrapped up.
"Catch!" the teenager said while he forced the package on Arden and ran away like a maniac.
"What the?" Arden asked as he held the package, it was heavy. And based on the shape he could swear the package was a sword.
"HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!" A bunch of guys yelled at Arden when they saw him holding the pack. He looked at the thing and then back at them, 'Ok...I'll just-?!'
Before he could finish his thought the solid ground beneath his feet made a cracking sound like it was made of glass and he fell through it. As he fell down he heard the pursuers say "Dammit! We lost the package! We better try to get the guy to make another one."
As Arden fell through the weird tunnel, he felt his skin being torn from his body. He heard and felt his bones twist, bend, and break as they tore through his muscles. In addition to all the excruciating pain, he also felt his eyes being twisted and squished. He grunted and yelled while clinging to the package for his dear life. Arden looked down the tunnel and the last thing he saw was a golden sun in front of a bunch of pure white clouds...before he crashed into them and blacked out.
(A few hours later)
"I hate Mondays," Arden mumbled to himself as he woke up. Opening his eyes he saw a bland looking white ceiling, and smelled a familiar scent...he recognized this kind of ceiling and scent due to his med school, that meant one thing: 'hospital'. He felt his head throbbing as the light got through to his eyes. He reached out to the spot where the pain was and he noticed something strange.
"My hand...is blue." The student said as he moved it around.
Arden sat up and looked at the opposite side of the room. The wall was a mirror from one side of the room to the next. His reflection revealed a different body. He looked like a horse with big black and blue eyes and on his forehead...a horn. 'Ok...pain check, perfect control of my body check, all of my senses present check. I'm awake and I'm a horse with big eyes and a horn. Great!' He concluded. Now, normally you would expect someone to freak out at this scenario, and with good reason. But Arden had a very particular way of thinking. To him, the impossible was just something people had yet to master. Therefore, him being transported somewhere else and transformed into another creature wasn't that difficult a concept for him to accept.
After getting over that fact he was now an anthropomorphic equine creature, Arden got on his hooves so he could fully see himself in the mirror. Using them was exactly the same thing as walking with his feet so keeping his balance was easy. Once on his hooves, he noticed that whoever put him there was nice enough to leave him with his underwear, but not nice enough to leave any of his other belongings near him. 'Of course my stuff wouldn't be here. I look like an alien so I'm probably in some research facility. Therefore this *mirror* is just hiding a bunch of scientists monitoring me, annoying but I can't actually blame them.'
Looking around the room, the young stallion noticed that there was no door to enter or leave. Another thing that caught his attention was the lack of any furniture in the room, only a bed that seemed to be bolted to the ground. 'Is that...the package that kid forced on me?' Arden thought as he approached the thing, the once carefully wrapped object simply laid bare.
'It really was a sword.' The weapon was in its scabbard. A simple leather scabbard with no details or any decorations, the handle and guard were pitch black. But the handle had some sort of emerald green material wrapped around it. Arden reached out to the blade with his left hand. The moment he grabbed it by the handle he felt his hand start to burn. He tried to let go of the blade but his hand wouldn't respond. Then suddenly the pain stopped. As he opened his hand he saw some sort of symbol he didn't recognize on his coat. The symbol was a darker shade of blue when compared to the fur surrounding it. 'What was that for?! Was it registering me as a user or something?'
Since he already had his hand on the weapon, he pulled it out of its scabbard and inspected the actual blade. It was a simple ordinary blade, although it actually looked a bit fragile. No engravings...but the metal was slightly darker than any metal he had ever seen. 'Maybe a different alloy, or maybe they didn't give the alloy the proper treatment. I don't think the gray should be this dark. This looks like it belongs to the middle ages...European? It's about the size of a one-handed sword, though it seems more ceremonial than an actual blade...' He loved tales about knights so he had actually studied about their gear, but he never had the chance to learn how to use one these things.
"Better put this back in the scabbard before one of them decides I'm a threat" the stallion muttered to himself as he reached for the scabbard and looked around again before placing the weapon back inside. "Just to be sure though..." Arden said as he went to the side opposite to where his bed was, and placed the blade there before he returned to the bed and sat on it. After a few seconds of silence, a voice caught his attention.
"State your name and intentions." The voice came from a white-coated and blue-eyed stallion donning a golden armor with purple details. Like Arden, he had a horn. His mane was a dark blue with a single stripe of light blue running through it. He had his hand on a blade placed around his hip. The thing was...he came out of the mirror, it looked like the mirror turned from solid to liquid around the area where the stallion came.
"Man, that's an awesome armor! Whoever did this was really careful when forging it." Arden said jumping from the bed and starting to analyze the armor. "That helmet of yours seems to be fashioned like one from the centurions in ancient Rome! Awesome! Can I tr-?!" Arden was cut mid-sentence by a blade placed on his throat. "Gulp...okay. N-name is Arden Sila, i-it means 'strong bond'. T-the first name means strong and the second can be interpreted as link or bond." He said, trying to smile a bit as he stuttered. The blade retreated to the scabbard.
"As for my intentions...I have none since I don't know where I am. But I imagine that won't cut it so I can tell you how I got here, but I do not know who, why or what sent me." The stallion didn't answer, he just made a gesture telling Arden to proceed. "Okay, I was back in my world being human when a kid came out of nowhere and pushed that onto me. That thing was wrapped up like some sort of package so I didn't know what it was." Arden said pointing to the weapon at the edge of the room, the stallion's face didn't help him much since there was no reaction to it. "After that, a group of humans came by chasing the kid. They started yelling at me when they saw the package in my hands. When they got closer the solid ground beneath me cracked like it was made out of glass and I fell into a weird tunnel." He explained keeping his eyes locked onto the soldier's eyes.
"Then I felt my entire body being shredded into pieces, my arteries and veins popped like balloons. My body burned and twisted while I was conscious. I imagine that was due to my body changing into what you're seeing now. After a few seconds in that hell, I saw a big golden sun on a white background." The soldier started to pay more attention when Arden said that. "Then I was tossed at it and blacked out, only to wake up here. And that's it." The soldier looked at Arden for a few seconds before retreating to the mirror without saying a word, but before he finished phasing through it he peeked out of the mirror and said.
"My name is Shining Armor. We're gonna check if your story adds up."
"...Okay?" Arden said while tilting his head. 'I am soooooooooooooooo screwed. Not much I can do though.' He thought to himself as he sat back down on his bed.
"This is sooooo boring," Arden said while he sat down staring at his reflection. Two hours had passed since the Shining soldier had left. In the meantime, Arden noticed something that made him slap himself really hard for not noticing earlier since it was probably the reason for his current situation. On his forearm and on the side of his legs he saw tattoos that were identical: a black and white heart with an evil looking eye on its center. The eye had a crimson sclera, a bright blue iris, and a black pupil. This is the sort of thing a gang member would have or maybe a villain from a cartoon. In other words, Arden could be in deeper trouble than he had initially thought. But the damage had already been done so he would just need to endure whatever came at him now. However, since he actually told the truth, he should be safe. "After all I really did-?!" He stopped his mumbling realizing he found himself remembering the events he had told the soldier about, again and again without reason. The flash-backs stopped as suddenly as they came. 'What was that all about?'
Sometime after, he grew tired of waiting without anything to do, so he sat up and mumbled to himself. "I can sing to myself, right?"
Shining Armor was returning to check on the progress of verifying the accused's story. 'He ought to be lying, no way he could have broken through the castle defenses without some sort of intent. But...what is he made of? He hit that wall really hard, and not a single broken bone? And if you add that to his zodiac...he should have died on impact.' He kept pondering about the events, that unfortunately for him, happened a few days after his nomination to become captain of the royal guard. As he proceeded towards the holding cell that the princess herself had prepared for the prisoner, he heard a melody coming from its direction.
Shining picked up the pace and got through the door. What he found inside confused him. The mare soldier assigned to protect the wizard in charge of checking ponies memories when they were accused of crimes, were sharing an embrace as they kissed each other. It had been obvious to most of the guard and the other wizards that they had some sort of connection, especially since they were always fighting each other without any reason, but whenever they did it they were always locked into each other's eyes. The only ones that didn't seem to notice their feelings were themselves. Then he realized that there was a melody playing without any instruments and a voice singing.
"If today was your last day..." The prisoner finished, it wasn't the sort of voice to make you go like: you're amazing! In fact, it was just a decent voice not exactly good nor bad. It was at this point, that Shining Armor realized it: the prisoner was the only one singing...and the melody stopped when he stopped.
'No way...did he just do a...'
"If today was your last day..." Arden finished the first song that came to his head, not usually the first thing he would sing but his chest seemed to influence his head on this decision, 'If today was your last day' from Nickelback. "Well...I think I have a built-in auto-tune. Because I should sound like a dying cat...compared to that which was angelical just now!" Arden said smiling at his own reflection.
"How did you do that?!" Said a floating head that appeared out of nowhere through the mirror.
"WHOA!" Arden exclaimed as he fell to the side of the bed with a loud thud. "Ouch." The stallion looked back at the mirror and realized it was the soldier that interrogated him earlier. The soldier had a dumbfounded expression with his eyes open wide, staring straight at Arden.
"HOW. DID. YOU. DO. THAT?"
"Do what?"
"How did you trigger a harmonious heart on your own?"
"A what now?"
"The melody playing out of nowhere. The effect on ponies in synch with feelings that matched the song. It usually takes up to six ponies with perfectly synchronized emotions and complete domain over the lyrics! Yet you triggered one all by yourself! Only one other pony ever did that!"
"Oh...so you're a pony not a horse...and I just wanted to do something to pass the time. I didn't mean to cause any trouble." Shining just left out a sigh.
"Okay...we checked your story. Now it is going to be presented as evidence in your trial." Arden blinked twice at that with a blank expression. "Along with your belongings and that weapon." Arden's eye twitched at that.
"Did you just say trial?" The stallion nodded in a positive manner. "What am I being accused of?"
"Attempt of the murder of the Solar princess, Ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia. And attempted sexual assault on the same pony." Arden stopped moving and appeared to have turned into a statue. After a few moments the soldier tossed him a white shirt and an orange jumpsuit. The number 0001 was inscribed on the back. "Put those on. Your trial will begin as soon as you get before the princess."
Arden entered auto-pilot with his mind lost in a storm of thoughts, his body just followed the request and dressed. Soon after, Shining Armor created chains made out of magic and bound Arden's hands and hooves. The sensation of something around his wrists made Arden wake up. Looking at his hands, Arden saw that the soldier had chained him with his hands in front of him.
"Wouldn't it be better to have my hands bound behind my back?"
"...that's true." The soldier said while raising an eyebrow. He then proceeded to make the change. "Escaping won't be harder with your hands like this?"
"I'm already with enough trouble in them right now. Don't want to add to that. Especially with those kinds of accusations." Arden said with his ears hanging and his eyes now focused on the ground. "Let's get this over with."
The soldier created a door before placing a bag on Arden's head and then guiding him through the darkness. 'I am so fucked...what happened while I was out?' He thought to himself as he continued to be pulled by the soldier.
"Shining!" A female voice came out of nowhere and Arden's march came to a halt. Whoever it was made the soldier stop in his tracks. "And who is this?"
"Cadance don't!" Arden heard before getting blinded by the brightness from the outside of the bag. After his eyes adjusted he saw a pink coated unicorn with a mane that was purple, yellow, and pink and she had bright blue eyes. Said unicorn also had wings, a crown and a dress fit for royalty. After analyzing that much, Arden just proceeded to close his eyes again and ignored the mare. The soldier had placed the bag on his head for a reason, so he decided not to tempt fate and closed his eyes in order to prevent himself from seeing more than he was allowed to.
"Um...what is he doing?" The mare asked silence followed before a gasp came from her and she said. "Shining, come with me for a bit. Chain him to the wall." Once she finished saying that Arden felt the sack return to his head and a sudden pull followed by the sound of hooves getting further away from him.
"Shining." The princess of love started. "Why are you walking him around with so little restraints?! Did you even check his magic level?!"
"No. Actually, I didn't." He answered before powering his horn and checking the prisoner's magical potential. After a few seconds, she watched the soldier reactivate the spell about three times. "H-he...b-but...h-he is a-about..."
"See what I mean?! He could have set himself free at any given moment!" She exclaimed making the shocked soldier look her in the eyes. "Where are you going with him?"
"I'm taking him to his trial." He answered, after shaking his head a few times. "I'll reinforce the restraints. Thanks for the heads up Cadance."
"I'm coming with you, just to be sure." The stallion frowned at her after the comment. "Your shields are very sturdy but it won't help you if he does something before you can summon one." His frown deepened.
"Very well..." He resigned, for as stubborn as he was, the stallion could never beat her in that aspect and he knew that.
"Anything else?"
"He actually..." He seemed to be reluctant to mention this which made her frown and stare at him until he actually said it. "He triggered a harmonious heart...by himself. He made Mind Walker and Walkyre Heart...I found them kissing each other as he finished to singing a weird song."
Her jaw dropped at that. "That unicorn managed to find a song to match those two up? By himself?!" The soldier nodded positively again. "I am so watching his trial. Is he the one that..."
"That's him." She scratched her chin as she observed the prisoner that was staying put as a statue.
"Let's take him to Tia." She said walking towards the prisoner. She heard the captain pick up the pace to be by her side.
The sound of hooves returned and Arden felt the chains around his wrists and legs get heavier. He also felt new chains around his neck and torso. The ones on his torso forced his arms to stay glued to his sides. The final addition was something that was preventing him from talking. 'Extra measures...they must know something I don't. That or the mare cares too much for that soldier and doesn't want me to pose a threat...'
Arden felt a pull on the chain around his neck, so he started to move again. Several minutes later, Arden bumped into something or someone.
"Sorry." It was the voice he heard from the one Arden believed was called Cadance.
"I-it was my fault!" The soldier stuttered, his behavior had changed a bit after Cadance started to walk with them. "I should have told him to halt. Anyway, prisoner, we are going to enter the throne room now. Once inside you are supposed to bow and stay like that until you are told to get up. Understood?" Arden nodded positively. "Very well. You are to answer the princesses questions. Once she considers that every aspect of the case has been clarified, she will hand out the verdict." Arden nodded again.
The sound of something heavy moving reached Arden's ears. 'Here it goes...time to meet the solar princess and maybe die.'
As the soldier started to pull Arden again, he was forced to walk for quite a while before he heard the soldier start. "Princess Celestia. Before you stands the accused Arden Sila. Unicorn. Male. Unregistered cutie mark. Unknown talent. Supposedly born under the zodiac of Virgo. Age...supposedly 2000 years. No previous register in any of our archives." Arden got on his knees and bowed placing his head on the floor while the soldier said all that.
'Two thousand years? I think they might have misread my birth date. And why is my zodiac important?' Arden thought to himself.
"You can release the heavier restraints captain." A new voice spoke, her voice was calm and soothing, yet something about it made a chill go down Arden's spine. It was like a mother talking to her child, even if they sound calm their voices carry a lot of power.
'Wait...that Shining guy is a CAPTAIN?! Oh god...I hope I didn't do anything to piss him off.' Arden suddenly felt the chains around his neck and torso disappear and whatever was preventing him from speaking was gone.
"You may stand up little one." Arden followed the command with a bit of help from an unknown source as he stepped up to what he believed to be a witness stand. Suddenly the bag that was covering his head got lifted and light once again assaulted his eyes. After the initial impact, Arden saw in front of him various steps that led to a throne where a figure sat with her gaze fixed upon him.
The figure was a white-coated mare, much like the previous one she had wings and a horn. Her crown was way bigger than the other mare, her mane was green, pink and blue and it seemed to be moving in the wind...in a closed room. 'An ethereal mane? Cool. And...she looks familiar.' Her eyes were pink...and so bright. He got lost in them for a few moments before his head started to hurt again and something else caught his attention: her dress. The thing was fashioned similarly to the sky of a summer day; a bright blue sky with a few clouds and a brilliant shining sun. The thing was...
"It's moving..." he whispered to himself, the clouds on the dress were moving. Then Arden looked up at the wall behind her, the material looked like the one he saw when he fell through the hole. Several feet towards the ceiling he saw the golden sun symbol. The symbol was cracked in the shape of..."So that's what I hit. That explains the headache."
"Since you already finished taking in the sights..." The princess said making Arden jump a little in surprise. "Tell me: Why did you come here?"
"Straight to the point. I didn't come here from my own volition your majesty." Arden answered keeping his eyes fixed on the bottom stairs as if the princess was there and not on the top.
"Captain does this match with the memory check?" The captain nodded in agreement.
"What are you?"
"What I am or what I was?" Arden asked with a serious tone.
"Are you being a comedian?"
"No your majesty. I was a human living in another reality where none of your species existed." He answered keeping his expression neutral. "Now it would appear I am a male unicorn."
"Captain?" Shining once again supported Arden's assertion. "Why do you have this weapon on your person?" She said making the sheathed blade float in front of him.
"An unknown party forced the blade upon me before I got thrown at a portal. I do not own it nor do I know who made it."
"What do you recall after being swallowed by said portal?" Her voice was getting colder...maybe she did not find the fact Arden had so little answers to her questions amusing.
"I remember feeling my body being torn into pieces and burning as I rocketed through a tunnel. Eventually, the pain stopped right before I saw a golden sun in a white sky. Only that it was a wall...not a sky. I discovered that because I hit it and blacked out. After that, I do not know what happened."
"Captain..." Her voice got even colder before the soldier answered.
"The accused was unconscious after he hit the wall."
"Look, I do not know what happened but I have no ill intent towards you or any...pony? Here. The only thing I know about this place is that I'm not in my reality." Arden said this forcing himself to look her in the eyes. His head began to hurt again, but it was worse than before.
"That is yet to be seen. Now answer me: Who sent you here?" Arden could not hear her, a high pitched sound was muffling all the other sounds in the room. His head started to throb, the pain was way worse than the one he felt when he woke up and it was getting worse by the second. "Did you not hear me? Answer the question!"
'What is this sound?! Make it stop!'
'This one isn't helping me in any way.' The princess thought to herself as heard the young stallion answer each one of her questions without even flinching. 'He passed through all of our defenses and knocked me out by hitting me with the sheathed blade when he fell on top of me. And above all else, he remained on top of me during the entire time I was out, so he stayed with me for about forty minutes...but according to his memory he really was out cold during the event. Which might explain why the only pain I felt upon waking up was the spot where he hit me on the head with the sword.' She thought to herself. Remembering the event made her feel embarrassed. She was the keeper of harmony and a fierce warrior, none of the guards could best her in magical or physical combat. Yet this little scrawny stallion caught her by surprise and knocked her out, and to rub salt on the wound he had no memory of the event meaning it was not intentional. The mighty ruler of Equestria was knocked out cold by a clumsy little stallion.
"That is yet to be seen. Now answer me: Who sent you here?" She asked while keeping her glare locked at him, the stallion didn't answer but his face changed from a composed expression to one of what looked like worry. 'Struck a nerve? Good, maybe I'll get some answers now. And maybe he isn't so innocent after all.'
However the accused did not answer. He just kept his expression and reached out to his head. "Did you not hear me? Answer the question!" She asked using the royal Canterlot voice, something she hadn't used in at least one hundred years.
"Urgh...AAAAARRRGGH!" The Stallion started to grunt and move his head around as if he seemed to be in pain. Shining Armor reached for his sword and prepared in case the accused tried something. What happened however caused all of the ponies to wince at it. "PAIN STOP!" He shouted before bashing his head against the witness stand, which was made out of stone, at full force. The stone stand broke at the point of impact, just as suddenly as he did that the accused raised his head with both of his eyes closed and showing a large cut on his forehead that was bleeding considerably. "Ooookay...pain stopped," he said with a drowsy and comical voice.
Then he opened his eyes, Celestia felt a chill when she saw his eyes. The black one was glowing just like hers when she used the royal Canterlot voice while the other...the other had its sclera turned crimson and his iris turned from a regular blue to a bright blue.
"What are you doing?!" She inquired while getting up and enveloping the stallion with her magic and freezing all of his body except for his mouth in place.
"W-what do you mean?" The stallion stuttered, this time he seemed to be really scared. Then he started to cry as he gazed upon Celestia.
"Why are you crying?!" She questioned making him sob even more. "WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!"
"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!"
Arden couldn't help but cry even harder as he looked at the princess. Her entire body went dark, it had turned almost transparent and only a red light remained. From this light, Arden could hear another voice much like the princesses' voice.
"Why couldn't I save you, sister?! Why must I be alone and praised for hurting you?! Why? WHY?"
"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!" The princess yelled again at him while he could still hear the other one.
"Why must I stay untouched by time while everypony around me ages and dies?! Why must I be alone?!"
"Y-you're *sob* crying..." Arden finally spoke to the enraged princess that was in front of him with a magical spear ready and pointed at his heart. He couldn't tell her expression due to the change in his vision the entire world was a bunch of different shades of red but her body had now disappeared and only the red light remained.
"I am not crying. What are you talking about?" He heard her.
"Y-you're...*sob* sad. A-and c-crying so much."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"
"YOU FEEL GUILTY FOR HURTING YOUR SISTER!" Arden yelled at her, the light backed away a bit.
"How...HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!" Her voice shot at him, as Arden finally managed to stop crying before he spoke again.
"I..heard you...you're still going on about it. And...I'm sorry about your condition." The light backed away, even more, tripping on the steps and falling down and no more was heard from the voice. The grip that held Arden in place disappeared, however, he did not move since there was floating sword in front of his throat.
"DO. NOT. MOVE." It was Shining's voice. Arden turned his head towards the voice and saw another red light.
"Why does all of this have to happen right after I achieved my dream?! And right in front of Cadance and the princess! I'm going to be demoted and all my dreams are going down the hole."
"I'm sorry sir," Arden said, that made the blade tremble a little. "I did not mean to put your dreams at risk. I am so sorry." The sword trembled even more.
"What? H-how did you...?" The voice stuttered as it tried to keep the blade steady.
"STOP!"
"STOP!" The princess of love cried out in order to prevent the captain's attack on the prisoner's neck. "I think I know what is happening!" She proceeded to step to the front of the prisoner. She forced the stallion to look at her, he still had tears streaming out of his eyes. But as soon as he looked at her, a small simple smile formed on his face, more tears came but no sobbing.
"You are so happy...you love him so very much." He said with his voice still cracking due to his crying but it was slowly returning to its old self. "You carry and bring so much joy. I'm so happy for you." Cadance smiled back at the prisoner, in the end, he could really see it.
"Just as I thought." The alicorn said before making her way to the captain and forcing him to lower his weapon and then proceeded towards her aunt that now had tears forming in her eyes but she seemed to refuse to let them flow. Once Celestia was back on her feet, Cadance turned back to the prisoner and ordered. "Close your eyes and focus on the color you are seeing. After ten seconds, open your eyes again." The prisoner obliged and closed his eyes, after ten seconds his eyes re-opened she saw his eyes slowly returning to normal. The left eye losing its crimson sclera and bright blue iris while the right eye lost its glow and returned to its black iris and white sclera. "Can you see us again?"
"Yes, thank you." The prisoner said lowering his head. "What happened to me?"
"I believe that you were looking straight into our hearts and listening to the emotions we keep inside. Or the emotion that is currently ruling it." She explained while keeping her calm smile. "I can do something similar, but my changes are less noticeable. Just a faint glow at the center of my pupils. Another difference is the fact I can only hear one emotion in other ponies hearts: love." Cadance said while walking back to her original position from before these events transpired: to the stallion's left side.
"But...I heard her sadness. I felt her sadness." The stallion stated looking back at the princess of the sun before turning back to the captain. "And the same happened with him. I felt his despair. His regret." Finally, he turned back to her and continued. "And I also felt your happiness."
"My guess is that you're more sensible than me. I am limited to seeing their hearts and listening to the heart I am focusing on. You can actually feel their emotions as intensely as their feel it, which could also explain how you could trigger a harmonious heart by yourself." She said with a bit of envy. After all, that was her talent. Having somepony else who could do the same thing as you but with more variety of outcomes was somewhat unpleasant. But the stallion didn't mean any harm and he seemed completely oblivious to what he had just done.
"I...see." He said before going down the stand and placing himself in front of the princess. Shining Armor tried to reach him but Cadance made a gesture to let the prisoner be. Once he was before the princess he reached to the blade that was presented as evidence. He drew the blade and presented it to the sun princess, the princess took the blade into her hands with a confused expression. The stallion turned his back to her, got on his knees, and lowered his head. "Let's end this judgment. You can end me if you so desire and then I'll have paid for these crimes."
'What is he doing?!' Cadance thought to herself when she heard the convict. The she saw a barely noticeable grin on the stallion's face. 'What is he up to?'
"What?" The sun princess said. "You were answering my questions truthfully. So far there isn't anything to convict you." Her voice had changed. Cadance could feel something was off. Celestia's voice after Cadance had explained what the convict probably had done appeared to have something else added to it. "You were fighting for your life up until now! You didn't mean to knock me out! You didn't mean to stay on top of my unconscious body! You didn't even mean to use your special ability on us!"
'That's...a bit scandalous Tia...' Cadance was processing the words she had just heard until she looked back at the prisoner. The she saw his smile grow bigger. 'He did this on purpose...'
"So that's what happened...heh," The convict smiled as he looked over his shoulder, he had a mischievous smile on his face. From Cadance's point of view, he was already aware of his chances of being declared guilty so he decided to be dramatic. And as a bonus, he actually got to hear what happened. "Well...right now I feel too tired to think straight. So I'll accept your choice." He said in a playful voice. "After al-?! Ouch!"
The princess hit him with her fist making him rub the spot after the blow. "That was your punishment for the crime of being a nuisance and poking around my heart! You're declared innocent of all the other charges. If you meet certain conditions. This is the end of your trial Arden Sila."
'That's it?' Candance thought to herself after hearing the verdict, but her brain lit up the moment she remembered the *certain conditions* part. 'What are you up to Tia?'
"That was your punishment for the crime of being a nuisance and poking around my heart! You're declared innocent of all the other charges. If you meet certain conditions. This is the end of your trial Arden Sila." Arden heard after feeling the princesses' hand hit him on the back of the head.
'Maybe I shouldn't have done that. I thought it would be theatrical and maybe get her to object judging me before she got through the rest of the trial...I didn't expect her to straight clear me of all charges. I guess it's a win for me! I get to keep my life. WHOOHOO!' The stallion thought to himself as he rubbed the sore spot where he got hit.
"Now as to the conditions for your record clearance..." Arden's mind stopped for a moment, the word *conditions* sent a chill down his spine. "...you will have to live at a specific location for the next four years." Arden gulped as a smile formed on the sun princess' face.
"W-what?" He stuttered turning to look at the sun princess.
"Yes little one," She said getting on eye level with him and her grin getting wider. "You are going to help me fix something." She got even closer focusing her glare straight at his eye. "You and that little eye are going to help me."
'Ok...I think I should have gone through the entire trial...I think I got in an even worse scenario than before.'
"Now we need to get you some decent travel clothes and we need to fill you in about our world Mr. Sila." She said with a giggle as she got up and started to leave.
"...I. Am. Screwed. Please...restart my judgment."
Arden was still in his mind break as Celestia walked away. In fact, he was in such a daze he didn't even notice she had actually lifted him with her magic and was carrying him through the castle while Shining Armor and Cadance stayed back in the throne room.
"Now, little one." The princess' voice brought him back from his haze.
"WHA?!" Arden yelled as he noticed he was no longer in the throne room also acknowledging the fact he was floating around the castle.
"Finally back from dream-land?" She said laughing at Arden's reaction, though after the initial shock he suddenly started to spin in the air while she stared at him having fun with her magic. "You're a weird one aren't you? I'm feeling really silly for being so on edge with you."
"Speaking of edge," Arden said as he sat on the air still spinning around. "What was up with all the threats to my life?" Celestia let out a sigh after she heard the question.
"In the last 20 years, the seal that has kept my sister in her prison on the moon has been weakening." Arden raised a brow at that piece of information. "As a result, the entity that has taken over her body has been able to influence some of my subjects that have had bad dreams. She managed to manipulate them to make attempts on my life multiple times."
"How does that relate to me?"
"The only common trait between the attackers were their eyes. They changed, different colors, different pupils, and so forth. When you first appeared a doctor was called to check on you. When he opened your eyes he informed us about the unusual aspect of your left eye. So we assumed you had been taken over. But since all of the victims recovered after they lost consciousness, we were going to check if you had any recollection of how Nightmare Moon took over you. But you saw how well that worked out."
"So, I guess when I started to see your heart my eye changed again," Arden said finally as she ceased spinning him around. The princess nodded positively at his statement. "Therefore, you assumed I was possessed and threatened me because my behavior was different from the previous assailers?" Another nod from the princess. "And that captain, Shining Armor, he must have stopped quite a few of those attempts. I never saw anypony reach such a high ranking position in the military at such a young age. How old is he? 28?"
"Something along those lines," The princess answered smiling. "Now, I have a few questions of my own. What was up with the theatrics back at the throne room?" The stallion let out an awkward laugh as he scratched the back of his head.
"Well...It's kinda stupid actually." He said trying to keep his smile. "You know how different individuals deal with emotions in their own way, right?" The sun princess just stared at him while he tried to keep his poker face. "When I am scared I tend to change into a persona from characters in stories I read, heard or saw. I kinda shifted into a character from an adventure story that is a bit over the top with the drama. He was always so sure of himself and he always had a plan to get out of any situation. He would come up with the most insane plans and beat his opponent, even if he had to get himself into trouble. I believe his catch-phrase when he was about to beat his opponent was: Now you're going to say..." Arden said striking a dramatic pose like he was about to give out a speech.
"Something similar happened in a play I was part of once. I was a villain, and I was so afraid I kinda impersonated an antagonist from a movie I saw and ended up improvising on multiple scenes. The play ended up being a drag because of me. Since I didn't stick to my lines, I lost the rest of the participants. But I ended with being praised a bit because of my acting though."
"Pfft...I-I'm sorry." The princess said trying to contain her laughter. "But...you actually changed your personality because you were scared. That is quite unique."
"Yup, I'm a nerd, a dork, and a coward." He said proudly, earning a giggle from the princess. "But this is me being myself and I met wonderful individuals as well as bad ones because of it. So, I am pretty happy with how I am right now."
"Very well, next question: Why didn't you oppose my conditions?" He let out the same laugh from before, which caused Celestia to raise her eyebrow.
"I was once told I tend to go with the flow too much, not to mention following rules down to the letter." He said blushing. "Soooo...I'm simply being myself right now. Just following the rules of your country, if you say I need to fulfill some conditions to be declared innocent, then I'll do it."
"I'm referring to wanting to return your home or something along those lines."
"Oh...it's because I'm having a blast right now," His answer made the princess drop the spell, which resulted in him falling to the ground with a thud. "Ouch! I mean...a world with magic and creatures of myth that are sentient. I'll take this reality over mine any time."
"What about your family? Your friends?"
"My guess is that I can probably get in contact with them with your help so... I don't see any problems. Not to mention, that they are the ones that told me to do what I wanted not what I was told. That's the reason I tried to become a doctor, and that's why I’m choosing to inhabit of your world, not to mention choosing to help you," Arden would often dream about living in a fantasy world, this was his chance to do so.
"Just like that?"
"Just like that," Arden said getting back on his hooves smiling. "Another question: What was the deal with my zodiac? I mean, why is it important?"
"Ok, are you really from the Virgo zodiac?" Arden let out a sigh before giving her a thumbs up. "The zodiacs in our reality have direct connections to certain capabilities of those born under them. For example, those under the Taurus zodiac have greater physical strength."
"That is awesome," Arden said with sparkling eyes, he now had the smile of a child on an amusement park. "What about Virgo?"
"All stallions born under that zodiac die after a few months of birth. Mares, on the other hand, have the capabilities of their species strengthened considerably." Arden frowned at *species* she must have noticed it because she extended the explanation. "Earth ponies have their physical strength. Pegasi have their speed. And unicorns have their magic."
"Are there any theories about the cause of death?"
"Our bodies are vessels for the magical energy of our world. Each species channels them in a specific manner. As far as we know, mares are stronger vessels that can wield more power. And since the Virgo zodiac strengthens the natural magical abilities of the individual," She said with a different tone to her voice, now she sounded more like a teacher than a mother. "The current theory is that the surplus energy damages the stallion's body, causing their deaths."
"So, I'm an anomaly. Cool." Arden said without a care.
"Yes, indeed you are." She said with a discreet laugh. "Well, since you'll be staying in our world. You'll need to know how things work here."
"Sure thing, Your Highness."
"Call me Celestia," She said smiling. "So, our kingdom is known as Equestria. Pegasi are responsible for controlling the weather. Earth ponies are especially good at handling produce, they are also amazing foot soldiers, and are splendid athletes. Unicorns, on the other hand, are good at developing technology based on the talents of the other species as to facilitate their jobs. There are even some who can look into the future and write prophecies as well. We used to be a diarchy. Although now, after my sister's banishment, I'm the only one in power. Therefore, I'm the one who's been handling her duties as well as mine."
"So, you're basically a goddess," Arden said looking at her. "I am talking to a deity! May this brilliant star never die!" He said in a dramatically bowing to her, he looked back at her, only to see her rolling her eyes at him.
"I guess so." She said dismissing his antiques. "Due to a difference in the birth ratio between males and females herds are formed. There aren't any rules to determine a max number of participants of said herds. Now, what else?"
"What are these tattoos?"
"Oh! Silly me, those are called cutie marks. They tell us about a pony's talent as well as serving to identify our citizens."
"So, your's indicates control over the sun. While mine is seeing into hearts. Neat."
"You seem to be taking all of this fairly well, may I ask why?"
"Different world, different culture. Who am I to judge? Besides, you guys have magic. Everything I know can be tossed out the window to a certain extent," He said while he scratched his chin. "I'll have to start from scratch. But I eager to learn everything I can about your...no, our world."
"Our?" Celestia asked.
"I'll be staying here until the end of my days. So yeah, our world. The world we share."
"So it seems...now let's get back to getting you some clothes. If I remember anything else I'll tell you on our way."
Celestia continued to walk the young ex-convict through the halls of the palace. She had used her magic to heal the wound on his face and he had used his shirt to clean the blood. Their destination, the royal seamstress workshop. The sun princess came up with a plan after hearing about the stallion’s ability from her niece. The little one would check somepony very specific to determine if there was any chance of saving that pony. The thought of still having a chance to save that pony filled her with hope, the likes of which she had never felt since that dreadful day. But at the same time, if he said it wasn't possible to save this individual...that thought sends shivers down her spine and crushed her heart. Celestia was so deep in these thoughts that she didn't notice the stallion walking backward in front of her.
“So,” Arden said making her snap back into reality “Are you going to fill me in on the details of your plan or am I to guess?”
“About a thousand years ago I was forced to banish my sister Luna to the moon using the most powerful magic our kind had, the Elements of Harmony. She lost control of her body to an entity known as Nightmare Moon. As I said before the seal that keeps her in the moon is weakening. When we hit the turning point of the millennia at the Summer Sunset Celebration in four years, she will be able to return.”
“Summer Sunset Celebration?“
“It’s the longest night of the year and celebrates my “victory" over Nightmare Moon,” she said with a defeated sigh. It didn't matter how long ago it has happened, she still hated that event. “Your role is to determine if there is anything left of my sister once she returns in four years. They are two separate entities, therefore, two separate hearts. You’ll need to do that before my plan to deal with her is completed. If there is anything left I am sure my plan will save her. But...if there isn’t...”
“She’s a goner, as well as Nightmare moon, correct?” Celestia gave out a positive nod as a response while she tried to keep her composure. “I won't say that there isn’t a chance that she will disappear. But if your sister had a strong enough heart you can bet she still there. I guess it all comes down to how much you believe in her.”
“Thank you for your words.”
“By the way...” Arden said squinting his eyes at her as if he was looking for something. “...did you ever sing a song called Lullaby for a Princess?” Celestia frowned at that. She didn't recognize that name at all.
“Do you know any of the lyrics?”
“I believe, BELIEVE, it starts with: Fate has been cruel and order unkind. How can I have sent you away? The blame was my own the punishment yours, the harmony silenced today.” Arden sang as if trying to match a rhythm.
“Where did you hear that song?” Celestia asked confused as she heard the lyrics.
“I love animations. So one day I found this video which had Lullaby for a Princess as its title. You resemble the character that sings the song. But the character walked on four legs and didn't wear any sort of clothes. I didn't look into any details of the animation or the story behind it, but from what I gathered from the video itself the story told by Lullaby is very similar to your story. VERY similar." Celestia's eyes lit up with curiosity and an idea popped into her head.
“Have you seen any other of this videos?” Arden nodded positively. “Have any of them pointed out the outcome of the story?”
“I think I saw two different outcomes. One had the sister being saved and the other had the “evil” one taking over.” That left her without any sort of answer. It would appear she would have to wait. Then she realized that they finally arrived at their destination.
“It would appear we arrived,” Celestia said halting her march while the stallion turned around only to faceplant into the door. “He-he...you should look at where you are going.”
“Perhaps I should,” he said pulling his face off the door. Then he tried to lean on it, but as he tried to do so the door opened and he once again fell to the ground. “I should not lean on doors either.” Celestia giggled.
‘He certainly is an odd one.’
“Your Highness,” said a pony coming out of the chamber. It was a light gray mare with white and lavender mane wearing jeans, a white shirt, and a black waistcoat. This mare was appointed as the royal seamstress due to her ability in making amazing clothes for others, not for the taste of her own clothing.
“It is good to see you again Velvet,” Celestia said before looking down and seeing that she had walked over the stallion that had now disappeared.
“To what do I owe the pleasure? Has something happened to my daughter?”
“No, nothing of the sort,” Celestia said as she looked around the hallway looking for the stallion. “I actually came here because I need to have some traveling clothes done for somepony.”
“And who might that be? You don't mean to send my little boy out on a mission do you?” The captains’ mother tried to hide her concern.
“No. It’s a stallion that I seem to have lost in these hallways somehow.” Celestia continuing to search for the stallion. Her search came to an end when she heard his voice coming from inside the workshop.
“These designs are amazing!” Celestia entered the workshop accompanied by the seamstress that hid behind her once she saw the stallion in an orange jumpsuit that was destined for convicts. “Did you do this Ms.? You really know your stuff!"
“That is the stallion I need you to make those clothes for,” Celestia said trying to calm down her friend. “He was considered innocent and has actually agreed to help me with some problems.”
“I-is that so?” Velvet said from behind the princess while looking at the stallion. After taking a deep breath she spoke. “My name is Twilight Velvet. A pleasure to meet you.”
“Pleasure is mine. I'm Arden Sila.” As he offered his hand, Celestia saw Velvet hesitate a little before shaking his hand.
“Well, let’s take your measurements. Take off your clothes but keep the underwear.” Velvet used her magic to pull a stool for him to stand on.
Aredn obliged, Celestia watched him take off his clothes. He was very slim, barely any muscles. No scars and nothing actually worthy of attention, in fact...he looked so light. Celestia started to question how did he not turn into a bloody splatter on the wall when he first appeared. Suddenly Velvet stood up. “I got them, return in two hours and I’ll have them ready for you,” she said turning her back on them and headed to her designing table.
Celestia watched the stallion put his clothes back on before he said, “Now what do we do?”
Celestia scratched her chin pondering the possibilities. “How about we see what you can do?”
“You mean...like a test?” the little one asked with a raised eyebrow. Celestia nodded positively.
“Lead-” before he could finish his sentence Celestia teleported them to the training yard. The stallion stood still with his mouth agape. “Show me the ways of the magic master!”
Celestia rolled her eyes with a smile. “Try to levitate that rock,” she said pointing to a small rock, when she looked back at him she saw him staring blankly at her. “What?”
“How does one levitate rocks?”
“Oh...world without magic,” Celestia said with an awkward smile. “Focus on the rock, then imagine a force great enough to keep it afloat.”
Celestia watched the young one try his best to make the rock float. He managed to channel magical energy around his horn on the first try but...no matter how much he tried no aura would manifest itself around the rock. After several minutes he left out a defeated sigh before turning back to face her.
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“That’s odd. That’s one of the most basic ones.” Celestia frowned and scratched her chin. “Let me check something.” Celestia then proceeded to check his magical potential. Casting a spell that allowed the caster to verify somepony else’s ability to manipulate magical energy to use it according to their species talent. From what she could see he had the same magical level of her student. Yet he was unable to cast the simplest of spells.
“Let’s try something else. Maybe I can’t do everyday stuff.” Arden said making her blink and cancel the spell.
“Then try to create an energy beam,” Celestia said. “Focus your energy on the palm of your hand then imagine it blasting away in a straight line.” The result was the same as before. “Try elemental.” Nothing again. “Illusion.” Zero. “Then try to make a shield. Focus your energy anywhere and then give it the shape of a shield and imagine how sturdy you want it to be.”
She watched a round shield made out of blue energy materialized itself attached to his arm, the stallions arms were sparkling as he stared at the creation. “Now let’s see how durable it is.” The stallion agreed excitedly and raised the shield. Celestia charged a small beam and shot at him, not a crack. Another blast, this time stronger, once again no damage. Then a constant beam, the stallion was pushed back but nothing happened to the shield.
“Brace yourself, this is the strongest blast I ever used against the best defensive magic user we have,” she said before shooting another beam. Arden flew upon impact and hit the wall causing it to crack.
“Oh no!” Celestia rushed to the stallion and found him getting up and brushing off dust. The shield was still there and not a single scratch on it.
“That was a strong one, glad I had something between me and the beam,” Arden said once he noticed her standing there.
“Shining Armor’s shield withstood that blast but broke soon after...yours is still intact. That’s impressive.” She walked around him to look for wounds due to his impact on the wall. None were there.
‘This is the durability of an earth pony...what is going on here?’
He left out a giggle before making the shield disappear. “I’m okay if that's what you're checking. It seems I can only use defensive magic though.”
“Let's test something else,” Celestia said channeling her magic and making a machine intended to measure the strength of an earth pony. ”Punch the red spot with everything you have.”
Celestia paid close attention to the display as the stallion prepared to hit the designated area. He swung his fist and the machine produced the number one thousand two hundred. ‘That’s the minimum strength of an earth pony. Their maximum value goes up to three thousand five hundred. or at least that's the maximum ever registered. I am at four thousand five hundred due to my duties preventing me from training...given his species, he should be at six hundred, that’s the unicorn’s max. If he was a pegasus he that would be acceptable since they can reach up to two thousand.’
“Is that a good number?” the stallion asked looking at the display.
‘Maybe...since his world doesn’t have magic he was supposed to become an earth pony when he came here. But that would mean something either went wrong with the transformation or something about him made him turn into a unicorn.’
“Princess?" Arden said waving his hand in front of her, Celestia woke up and shook her head before answering him.
“That is an astonishing number.” The stallion blushed as he let out a laugh and scratched the back of his head when she said that. “You said you didn’t have magic in your world. Did you ever wish to be able to use it?”
“Of course! Having magic meant being able to protect other people back in my world. Or at least...that’s how I saw it when I saw heroes using magic in the stories I loved.”
“Did those heroes have to channel magic through spells?”
“Yes!”
‘Maybe that could be it? His desire to use magic combined with how he saw it...a way to protect others. Maybe that desire twisted the transformation allowing him to become a being able to use magic that required channeling spells. But...I think his desire could only influence the change partially, so the end result was a unicorn only capable to use defensive magic with the strength of an earth pony.’
“Is something wrong?” he asked making Celestia come back from her thoughts once again.
“You are.” The stallion frowned at that. “Your traits are all over the place. You can only use defensive magic and you have the strength of an earth pony.”
“I am too crazy for this world, I’m breaking all of your rules!” He exclaimed striking a pose.
“You are indeed an odd one,” Celestia said giggling.
‘And maybe you could be a good sparring partner...if you got stronger.’
'My back hurts. How much force did she put into that blast? I also think I hurt my hand with that punch.' Arden thought to himself as he rubbed his knuckles. Due to his way of living, fighting wasn't exactly something he knew how to do. In fact, he only knew how to throw a punch because his father showed him how to do it. And the only instance where he had to do it was when a dumbass kept annoying him to the point he punched the guy in the chest, making said guy fall inside a trash can that was right behind him. The two jackasses that were with the guy ignored Arden as he left the scene. Luckily those guys never came back for payback. Especially since Arden didn't like to deal with people that way. Arden would much prefer to deal with people like that by using the rules to turn their lives into a living hell until said people would leave him alone. In other words, he had literally zero experience as a fighter, no martial arts of any kind.
"Do you know how to use that sword you appeared here with?" Celestia asked as they went back to the seamstress workshop. That little magic test had taken more than a few hours. And the end result was as he feared. He was only able to create that shield. He could change its shape and size but anything more than that...he was screwed.
"No, I don't. I don't even know how to defend myself, to be honest. Never had to." Arden said as he walked the hallways with the sun princess. He noticed the princess had was pouting after he said that. "What?"
"I am a very proud fighter. And I was knocked out by a complete amateur! That hurts my pride, I won't lie." She answered as she massaged her temples.
"Then just hit me on the head and knock me out." He said nonchalantly. "As for the sword...and the rest of my stuff. What happened to it?" He said remembering he had a backpack with his computer where he stored all of his study material for his classes, a notebook with his personal notes on the subjects he studied, a stethoscope, his lab coat, a sketchbook for his anatomy classes, his phone, and a wallet. "Those things have some of my notes and research."
"About the items..." Celestia said biting her lip and averting her eyes, he knew the bad news was inbound. "...We managed to salvage some of the data from your computer, but it was damaged beyond repair with the impact. The same can be said about the phone. Your notebook was taken over to be studied by some doctors. The same can be said about the sketchbook. We have never seen anatomic parts like those, so they were having a blast due the number of details. How did you do those?" Arden just let out a sigh as he heard all of that 'At the very least somepony was having fun with my work. I bet they were talking about the shape of the legs and the feet as well as the face shape. It must look quite weird to have toes at the end of your lower limbs, and to have a nose, and not have a muzzle.'
"Placed the page over the drawing and copied it." He answered without hesitation, which made the princess almost trip due to the honesty. "I made those so I could study at home without having to carry the anatomy books around. Those are heavy. What about the wallet with my documents? And my clothes?"
"We barely managed to salvage the documents you were carrying, since both your clothes and anything inside was scorched except for your underwear. Actually, you were covered in burnt rags when you arrived." Arden just shrugged at that, it wasn't like he could actually use those here. "A question: When were you born?"
"Oh, back in my world I was born on September 13 of 1996. If I am not mistaken it was a Friday. So back in that world, I am 21 years old." Arden said without a care, he explained that too many times before when he was asked to introduce himself to college and other places. "What year are we in?"
"2996." She answered in a heartbeat, 'I guess she's been counting the years for her plan to come into action. And holy shit if this is actually my earth a millenium in the future I'll be depressed. '
"It seems we arrived," Arden said when he saw the seamstress' door at the end of the hallway. "I wonder how they turned out," Arden said knocking on the door.
"Coming." Velvet's voice came from inside, she opened the door and as soon as she saw the two she let out a sigh. "How did you get yourself covered in dirt like that?"
"Got blasted against a wall while testing my shield's resilience." The seamstress made her eyes dart from the stallion to the princess multiple times before she actually gestured them to come inside.
Once inside he saw a mannequin with a pair of teal pants that looked very light with a dark teal belt that had some pockets attached to it as well as some details that looked like the wearer could hold vials on them for easy access. The top part was composed of a dark blue shirt and a dark purple part that looked like some sort of long sleeved tunic that belonged to the middle ages...it looked just as light but very sturdy as well. On the end of both sleeves of the purple part, there was a very small sun sewed with a golden thread while the blue part had a very small silver moon placed over the heart. Both of these details only caught Arden's attention when he got closer.
"They look very nice," Arden said with while he kept circling around the clothes with his eyes scanning the whole thing. "They look from around the middle ages from where I come from...but they also remind me of clothes used by adventurers I learned about in stories. I like them!"
"Well thank you." Velvet said with a smile. "Now try them on. They should be a perfect fit."
"What's with the sun and moon insignias though?" Arden said looking back at the seamstress, that now had a frowning Celestia glaring at her.
"Why indeed Mrs. Velvet?" the prin
"W-well...you said he agreed to help you so...I-I thought he was going out on an official mission. So the symbol of the day and night you rule over seemed to be adequate." She stuttered trying to explain her reasoning.
"I like them," Arden said manipulating the sun emblem with his hand. "Where is the dressing room?" Velvet pointed to a small door on the side of the room. Arden headed towards it when he was about to enter he heard from behind him.
"I'll return in a few moments, I need to send a few letters and attend to my duties. As soon as I'm done I'll be back." It was the princess talking, he just gave her a thumbs up and went into the dressing room.
The clothes were lighter than he thought and they did fit him perfectly. As soon as he was ready, he left the dressing room and found the seamstress. She was at her table working on some sort of belt, or so Arden thought. But upon closer inspection it was actually attached to the scabbard Arden saw with the blade. 'A quillon eh? It's better than having to carry it around in my hands.' The quillon had a shoulder pad made out of some sort of material that resembled leather and appeared to have been made to cover the left shoulder and the immediate area above the heart.
"That's an awesome design, Mrs. Velvet." He said from behind the mare making her jump on her seat. "S-sorry," Arden said getting back to give her some space. As he did he also noticed a pair of bracers made of the same material and on the ground some metal greaves that resembled silver. "Are all of these for me?"
"Y-yes." She stuttered, she was having a real hard time getting used to him. "The bracers came from the armory for the ancient night guards as well as the metal greaves. They supposedly were part of the royal guard a long time ago serving the princess of the night, but they were disbanded after she became Nightmare Moon and was banished to the moon. So their equipment and materials have been kept in storage. Just in case the princess decides to form them back again. And the princess said 'traveling clothes' so you need some protection." Even if she had her guard up, she was still looking over all the details to ensure the clothing served its purpose.
"Thank you, I appreciate it," Arden said lowering his head in a half bow. "And this is very comfortable by the way." His answer to the compliment was a mild smile before Velvet went back to her work.
"Princess, you need to see this data!" Arden heard from behind the door to the workshop. "All of this is research about diseases, organic systems. There is also has data on laws and medical procedures that are way different from our own! Whoever possessed this cannot be from our realm!"
'Somepony is excited with the stuff on my computer.' He thought to himself as he looked back at a window, it had become night time already.
"I am well aware Twilight. There is no need to worry though, all has been taken care of." He recognized the princess' voice through the door, her voice carried a joyful tone. 'It would seem Celestia enjoys this pony's company.'
The room's door suddenly opened and Celestia came in accompanied by a lavender unicorn wearing jeans with a light purple long sleeved shirt. Her mane was dark purple with a single line of a lighter shade of purple and by its side a pink line. Her eyes were the same color of her coat and she was carrying a little blue satchel that looked empty. Based on what she said, she was the nerd type just like himself. 'Maybe she can lend me some notes about history and such. I literally know nothing about this place other than what Celestia told me.'
"But princess, we need to talk to this pony and learn how he got here and what he knows!" The unicorn said as she kept walking by the princess' side, she immediately stopped as soon as she saw Arden. "Who's this?"
"I'm the owner of the data you're so excited about," Arden said with an awkward smile and waving a little, the unicorn didn't respond she just froze in place and her eye started to twitch a little. Arden turned to the princess and said. "Celestia, I think I broke her...or she’s going to arrest me in order to interrogate me."
"WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!" The mare suddenly shot with her eyes widening as she dashed closer to the stallion that walked backward due to both the scream and the sudden approach, then she looked straight into his eyes and stopped.
"..." Both of them just stood there for a little while, Arden started to feel a bit uneasy so he decided to see if any word from him would make her at the very least back away. "A-another reality?"
A huge smile suddenly sprouted at the mare's face and she jumped back making a scroll appear accompanied by a quill. Grabbing both in her hands she started to write on the scroll, Arden leaned sideways to look past the little author to find Celestia. Once she was in sight he saw that the princess was laughing at the entire situation.
"So what're the dominant species of your reality?!" Her eyes were beaming as she asked, Arden was starting to get a little worried. 'Is she going to dissect me if she finds out I was human?'
"...h-humans."
"So there is a world where humans exist!" She said hopping around as she continued to take notes.
"Twilight," The princess said, as soon as the mare heard her voice she came to a halt and turned back into her state from when she walked into the room. "This one is going on a little errand for me. So he can't stay here to keep answering you. Did you bring the items I requested?"
"Yes!" She said pulling the unsheathed blade from the satchel, Arden's jaw fell flat on the floor. "This blade is heavier than it looks, one can easily lift this blade with magic, but holding it with your own hands reveals another weight entirely, and it also appears to be enchanted. But what the enchantment does we couldn't determine." Celestia picked up the blade and then turned towards velvet who was standing by her side holding the scabbard along with the finished quillon. Celestia sheathed the blade and gave it to Arden, who proceeded to secure it on his person.
"And the other two items" Once again Twilight reached to the satchel and pulled out a small silver ring with a white stone embedded in it along with a necklace that had some sort of little crude white stone attached to it. With the items in hand, she handed them to the princess. "I assume you don't have control over your ability yet?"
"Guilty as charged," Arden said scratching the back of his head, in the corner of his eye he saw Twilight frowning at him when he said that. "I can reset the state but as for activating it..."
"It would be problematic if it were to suddenly activate without you wanting it to happen. So this necklace will suppress your talent. It is usually destined to prisoner's whose talents can make keeping them inside their cells rather problematic. Keep it on you at all times." The princess explained as she placed the necklace around the stallion's neck, the trinket gave out a small glow and the stone shifted its color from white to a rainbow stone. "That's a unique color...well the ring will allow you to send letters directly to me and vice versa. Just hold the letter above the ring and a flame will burn the letter turning it into a magical smoke that will be restored into its original form once it reaches its destination."
"Is it like mine Princess?" Twilight asked looking curiously at the princess. Arden looked at the mare's hand and saw a silver ring on her index finger with a pink crystal on it.
"Yes, my student. Now, Arden, you are only to contact me if absolutely necessary. I arranged for you to work at the Golden Oak Library in Ponyville as it's keeper. Not as a librarian as a keeper, you are to replace the books at their proper places at the end of each day. The pay is small but you will have the entirety of the day free to do as you please. So you can find other sources of income." The princess said while walking around the room, once she walked away from Twilight and Velvet, Arden saw them hug each other and he heard them greeting each other and asking how they were doing. "You will stay there for the next four years waiting, once everything starts to move I'll contact you to share more information."
"Why send him to a well-known location four years before whatever it is he is going to be involved happens?" Twilight asked. "Why not send him when the time comes? While keeping him sheltered at the castle. So you can learn more about his world."
'She's just making excuses to keep me here isn't she? Good god, she really wants to interrogate me. At least she hasn't asked about my talent, I'll probably never hear the end of it if she learns about it.'
"Well, I intend for him to learn how to live here on his own. As well as I intend for him to be well acquainted with the place where his mission will transpire. Four years will give him plenty of time to prepare." Celestia explained, Twilight tried to come up with a retort but gave up after a few moments...then her ears fell flat and she started to rub her arm and started to look at the princess with puppy eyes. 'That's...unexpected. Maybe...'
"Celestia, could you be so kind as to send some of your student's questions to me once a week?" Arden asked with a small bow as he clapped his hands together. "That way both you and her can understand more about my original world." The unicorn shifted from moping to beaming in a heartbeat. Celestia looked at her student and let out a sigh as a smile formed on her face.
"Very well, once a week I'll send some questions about your home. You can answer them at your convenience though. No deadline. But..." Celestia smirked as she proceeded to walk over to the stallion that gulped as she started to make the same face she made at the throne room earlier that day.
"B-but...?"
"I'll warp you there. You won't be taking the train." Arden let out a sigh and grabbed his chest as he started to breathe normally again. "Why are you relieved?"
"If it's just that then I think I'm okay," Arden said looking at the princess, that still had the smile from before then he looked at Twilight and saw her frowning and biting her lip. "That has a catch doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does. You end up in a random location at the outskirts of the town. So you'll need to make your way to the town from there."
"Is this payback?"
"Indeed it is."
"Oh, boy."
"Hand the pockets in your belt to Twilight she'll pack up all you'll need to make your trip to Ponyville." Arden did as requested. "Now then, first thing in the morning you will be sent to your new residence. I Hope you have a strong stomach."
Arden found himself surrounded by a thick forest after he managed to recover from the insanity drive that was the warp spell. The trip was similar to the one he experienced in his first arrival in this world, without all the pain and burning...and the face planting into a wall, knocking out a princess, and ending up being arrested for it. But it was replaced by a strong sensation of nausea and the urge to vomit.
"Al-urp...uhg. Alright, I get the 'I hope I you have a strong stomach' part now." He said as once again he felt the urge to vomit. "Now I get why she had the cooks prepare such a great breakfast this morning. She is devious...I better get some payback ready. Now-?!" Arden froze in place as he felt the sensation of being observed. He realized he might look a bit suspect if he just froze there, so he tried his best to loosen up as he looked around.
Arden turned his head around he saw with the corner of his eye a pair of glowing green eyes with pupils that looked like the eyes of a feline. Arden was stood in front of such eyes so that he would be standing sideways from the watcher's point of view. 'God that's creepy. I hope it works.'
Arden got closer to the ground and started to draw on the ground with his index finger, after a few strokes he placed his palm on the dirt and grabbed a good amount of dirt while keeping his attention to the pair of eyes on that were following his every move. With dirt in his clenched fist, he stood up while staring at his fist, and then he proceeded to slowly move towards the eyes until he was facing them. Their eyes met and they just stood like that for a little while, until suddenly Arden tossed all the dirt straight toward the eyes. A hiss came from the eyes and Arden had already started to run in the opposite direction.
'Thank the lord it worked. Wait what is that sound?' Arden thought to himself as he heard something that sounded like a bug's wings buzzing behind him. He forced himself to run even faster. 'Please don't let it be a giant bee! Please don't let it be a giant bee!'
The sound got louder and louder as Arden continued to run, but as he ran he noticed out of the corner of his eye he had passed a small hut with some sort of tribal mask at the door. The sound of wings died down before the sound of flames took over. It was followed by the sound of steps. 'I don't know what is chasing me but I don't wanna look!' A few moments later Arden saw a clearing in the distance he made one last effort to go even faster as the sound of steps got louder.
Arden emerged out of the forest running like a mad stallion into what looked to be a town square. Stumbling around as he ran, Arden finally landed on his butt and turned around. Whatever it was that had been chasing him did not follow him into the town. 'Talk about a close shave.' He thought to himself as he got back on his hooves and brushed off the dust. However, as he was doing it he felt his entire body freeze as a voice echoed in the back of his mind.
"Aren't you clever? The little act, looking straight into my eyes..." The voice was somewhat unsettling. It sounded female and from what he could hear, it seemed as if two voices were overlapping as it spoke. "...then tossing dirt in them. And then finally running to cower in the village. I'll be keeping an eye on you, little one huhu...a VERY close eye." The voice made a chill run down Arden's spine before he could start moving again. The stallion kept staring into the forest as his breathing slowly returned to normal.
"A new face around town and our party organizer is visiting her family. What a shame." Said a voice from behind Arden. The voice made him snap back from his search of the forest. "Those are some magnificent clothes, my dear. Might I ask you where you acquired them?" The voice sounded female. When the stallion turned around, he saw a lot of ponies staring straight at him. He then noticed a white coated mare with a purple mane and blue eyes. She was wearing a black sleeved white shirt and a pair of jeans. As she stood there in front of the crowd, He realized she was waiting for an answer.
"Er..." As Arden tried to come up with an explanation, he scanned the crowd. There were way more mares than stallions there. Until that moment he had thought that Celestia was exaggerating on the birth ratio difference, but this was solid proof about it. "...Canterlot?" The white mare gasped and her pupils started to sparkle.
"You've been in Canterlot?! You need to tell me all about it!" She said while shaking the stallion's shoulders making the urge to vomit return once again.
"I-I would love to, but I want to find my workplace and home first." Arden finally managed to say once she stopped shaking him like a maraca.
"Oh, my stars! Where are my manners?! My name is Rarity Belle. I am the local seamstress and I run the shop known as Carousel Boutique." She said while brushing her mane.
"Well, you got the Belle part covered," Arden said without thinking. "I am Arden Sila. It means 'strong bond' I...I'm a kind of a wanderer but recently accepted a job proposal to work as this town's library keeper. But the warp spell ended up sending me into that forest over there instead of the town's entrance." He said, extending his hand to her as a greeting. As he did though, he noticed that he was talking to a unicorn 'How did I overlook the horn? Jesus! I need to get it together.'
"Pleasure to meet you." The mare answered accepting the greet. When her eyes locked on the ring placed on his middle finger. "My, my! Are you perhaps in a relationship with a special somepony? That is quite the ring! I have never seen any jewel with all of the rainbow's colors on it!" She was practically eating the ring with her eyes.'DAMN IT CELESTIA! I THOUGHT YOU SAID NOPONY WOULD CARE ABOUT SUCH A TINY JEWEL!' The mare then looked up and her eyes now locked onto the stallion's chest, during his escape the necklace he hid inside his clothes came out and the crude colorful stone was exposed.
"MY WORD! You have more of these stones?! Wherever did you get these??! I simply must know!" She said blinking rapidly as she stared into Arden's eyes and got closer. 'Is she really trying to use that on me? Sorry, but I won't fall for that.'
"Sorry, both of these were a gift. I don't know where they came from." The mare let out a sigh as she started to pout a little. Arden noted that the crowd that had been watching both of them had already begun to disperse and soon they were alone. "Can you point me to the library? I really want to settle in." Arden said rubbing the back of his head. "I also need to look for extra income so...do you know about any places that are hiring Mrs. Belle?"
"I could always use an extra pair of hands for running errands and cleaning the boutique." She said scratching her chin. "I wouldn't exactly be able to hire you since I just started the shop but I could pay you back with some clothing. And there is also the Apple family. Those ponies have some of the largest farms in Equestria and every so often they have positions available with good pay."
"Thank you so very much!" Arden said bowing to her. "How can I pay you back?"
"There is no need darling." She answered with a soft smile.
"How about I work cleaning and running errands for a while for free?"
"That simply won't do!" She shot back at his offer. "If you work for me you'll get paid! I insist, and besides. If you go around with my beautiful creations, my shop's popularity might increase!" She said clapping her hands together rapidly as she giggled. "Oh, yes! The library, it's over there past the fountain." She said pointing towards a fountain made out of pink stone that had a statue of a pony on top of it.
"Thank you. Both the offer and the help were very generous on your part. Especially to a total stranger that came out of the woods running like a maniac, as I did." Arden said smiling at her.
"Well, thank you, dear. I'll be heading back to my shop. Please come by once you settled in so we can discuss the details of your job as well as your working hours." She said before turning around and walking away.
'That was lucky...I hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the ass later. Karma is one nasty bitch.' He thought to himself as he watched the mare walk away, first he manages to escape a random creature with a stupid plan. Then he meets a mare that is offering him a job in exchange for some clothes...things were going way too well for him. 'Anyway, time to set up shop.'
The stallion headed towards the library following the mare's instructions. After he got past the fountain, he saw a huge tree with windows and a balcony. 'I didn't think that this was literally going to be an oak. This is AWESOME! If I go in and there is a fairy in there, I am going to scream like a little girl!' He thought to himself as he opened the library's door, sadly there were no fairies inside the place, only a lot of dust.
"*Cough**Cough* Okay...I’ll need to clean this place up." He said looking around the place, there were sections that were in fairly good shape, probably due to being more used. While others seemed to be a complete mix of dust and paper. Once inside he closed the door and started to look for cleaning tools. "This will take a while."
'That was an interesting encounter.' She thought to herself while scratching her eyes. 'Not the most elaborate of plans but a plan nonetheless. Not to mention he actually looked into my eyes, not many ponies actually look into our eyes like that. This oughta be fun.' She thought to herself as she made her way back to the local caves where she decided to reside due to her fair share of problems back at her home.
'That stallion is holding something back. I just know it!' The seamstress thought to herself while she got through the town heading back to her shop that also functioned as her home. 'I'll tell Applejack about it later so she can try to get something out of him. That mare can see a twitch from a mile away. Not to mention they could actually use some help at that farm of theirs. Maybe she can find out where he got those stones as well.' She thought as she opened the door to her workshop and saw all the leftover cloth from all of her designs resting everywhere, which resulted in her letting out a sigh.
'And I also really need a helping hand here.' She was very caring about her home, but when she was struck by inspiration there was no stopping her. Before she realized it everything she had just cleaned up was covered in rags and leftover threads and ribbons.
"That took waaaay longer than I thought," Arden said finally placing the mop and duster down. He had arrived in town that morning, but cleaning everything up and placing the books back took the entire day. It was already dark outside so he decided not to disturb Rarity at this hour and simply fell on the couch that was on the lower floor after he locked up the place. It didn't take long for him to black out.
"Aren't you an interesting one?" A voice echoed in his head, it wasn't the same he heard earlier that day. This one sounded different.
"A bad dream? Seriously?" Arden said opening his eyes to see dark hallways leading to a humongous silver door with a silver moon engraved on it. These hallways were illuminated by both the moon and torches with blue flames, the carpet on the floor was blue with silver drawings. "Listen, if you're trying to make an entrance don't identify yourself in such a manner. Try to be more subtle."
No response came, so Arden let out a sigh. "Okay, I'm either dreaming or once again I've been teleported somewhere else. My money is on the first. Let's meet this visitor." He said to himself, Arden's voice echoed through the halls just like the sound of his steps. When he reached the door it opened by itself, revealing a throne room where there was a huge banner with the image that looked like the profile of a unicorn with blue eyes. Beneath such a banner there was a black thone decorated with sapphires.
"Welcome, our little subject. We are the rightful ruler of Equestria, Nightmare Moon. Bow before our might!" The black alicorn with feline sapphire colored eyes said while keeping her position on the throne. "Now please introduce yourself. We have never seen a creature such as yourself, please tell us what you are."
"What do you...oh..." Arden said looking at himself, his blue body was gone. He now looked like some sort of creature made out of the black smoke with white forearms and white hooves, he also noticed that the necklace he promised himself not to take off under any circumstance was gone. "Can't I just have a stable body?! Moon, I have no idea as to what I am right now and I don't feel like introducing myself since I think you just want to turn me into a puppet." Arden said crossing his arms and staring straight into her eyes, the mare was wearing some sort of black and blue battle dress.
"A brave one. Aside from looking strange, it has some guts. So...what should we do with you?" She said scratching her chin as she inspected Arden from top to bottom. "From what I can see you've been with that detestable princess wannabe. So you should be an incredible pawn once I break you." She said with a grin that sent shivers down Arden's soul.
"B-before you do that I want to try something." The Nightmare raised an eyebrow at the request. " So please tell me if this story rings a bell," Arden said stepping forward and reaching the center of the room. Once there he focused on another video he seen heard before. If he recalled correctly, it was made by a group of animators known as Duo Cartoonist. If what he remembered was right, the video's name was inspired by a song of the same name made by an independent musician called Ponyphonic. The song's and video's name was 'The moon rises.'
"Just listen to this." He said closing his eyes. Focusing on his memories, the melody started to play. Opening his eyes, Arden saw his memory of the animation had begun to materialize in front of him. 'Heh...I'm good then.' Then the voice of the figure constructed started to echo through the room.
Once the song finished Arden turned back to the dark mare and saw her mouth agape, "Thank you! Thank you! I'll be here all week folks." Arden said making a bow as if he was saluting an audience. The black mare shook her head at that before glaring at Arden.
"I don't know how you could even know of such a representation of our tale but...congratulations. You have officially angered us. Now we are going to create your worst nightmare right here and now."
"But aren't you the ruler of nightmares? Doesn't that place you at the top of all nightmares?" Arden said with a smirk which made Nightmare scoff and charged a magical beam. She then proceeded to shoot him with it. Arden didn't even bother to dodge as the beam went straight through him. The smoke that composed his torso had moved out of the way letting the beam pass through. "Oh...it seems I’m an ethereal being right now. So I guess I can do whatever I want."
"You think that's all we can do?! You arrogant fool!" She said making her mane made out of stars expand and give form to a hydra, a manticore, and a pack of wolves made out of wood. "Get him!"
When the creatures rushed towards him, Arden's body dispersed and enveloped all of the creatures. As his body reformed, leaving the creatures behind, they were replaced by adorable little critters. The dark mare stared at the dark mist creature that just undid her illusions. "What are you?"
"I'm something you created," The mare stared at him with her pupils shrinking. "I am a dreamer made lucid, therefore I control this place. Now, you've shown me how you dream. Let me show you how I dream."
Saying that as he opened a smile Arden snapped his fingers and the entirety of the world that surrounded them disappeared leaving only them alone in an empty dark realm. "Now let me begin!" Arden said bowing to her.
"Now let me begin!" She heard from the creature before her that was now bowing. Whatever it was, it had control over its dreamscape once again, which could pose a threat to her and her host now. Nightmare took a defensive stance and prepared her magic in case it decided to attack her. The problem is, that in this place, an attack could come from any direction. "A bit too dark for me, let's balance this shall we?"
With that, the creature raised its head and reached forward almost as if grabbing something unseen by her. Then it brought its hand near its head, took a deep breath and blew the clenched fist. A golden light began to pour out from between its fingers, it took a weird stance and tossed whatever it was on its hands. A small sphere of light flew through the empty space before it blew up taking the shape of a dragon made out of golden light. The entire space was taken over by the light.
"Every single thing has its counterpart, to light...darkness. Look behind you." The fog creature said to her, she slowly turned back and saw a pitch black dragon with white eyes staring at the golden dragon. "When two opposites collide there are two possibilities: the first is conflict." With that, both dragons started to fight each other, tearing at each other's flesh and using their elemental breaths of light and darkness at each other.
The clash produced new elements to the scenery. The dark dragon's blood created the dark night's sky while the blood from the golden one created its stars. The torn flesh from both beings combined created comets and galaxies, as the clashes between their elemental attacks created planets.
"The other possibility is coexistence." The creature said as both dragons got away from each other. From her point of view both dragons were at a stalemate, but of course, she was just waiting for the usual outcome to come by. 'Of course the light is going to win...it's typical for every single pony in this kingdom.' She thought to herself waiting for the creature to continue whatever it was doing. 'But we have to say...this is rather beautiful.'
"Another thing that can emerge from these possibilities is something very special. Something unique, something that only manifests to those who actually seen all the facades from one another, in times of peace and conflict." She heard as both dragons appeared to approach each other, Nightmare was waiting for the golden one attack and finish the heavily wounded dark one. However, both of them stopped once only a few inches was between them and stared at each other. Suddenly both of them opened their wings and took flight, as she braced herself for another fight between the two.
What she witnessed however confused her, they soared through the air in synch in what could only be described as an aerial dance. "That is love." The voice from the fog creature said from her side making Nightmare jump away from it. "And this can lead to something new: life." As he said that both dragons collided and mixed up into a sphere of light and darkness, from it beams shot in all directions hitting the planets that suddenly grew vegetation, water, animals and so forth. Suddenly she saw that both she and the creature were no longer among the stars, but on the ground.
"Look up." It said to her pointing to the sky, hesitant she glanced at the sky to see enormous ponies made out of stars dancing through the skies. 'What is this thing?! Why is he showing us this?!'
"Now..." The creature said snapping his fingers once again and returning to the scenery from before his demonstration. "...what do you think?"
"...what do you think?" Arden asked with a smirk on his face. 'Hopefully she learned something from this.'
The mare turned at him glaring daggers. "You think you can scare us? You are more arrogant than we thought!" She said once again taking her place on the throne and assuming the pose of a queen. 'Er...I don't think she learned anything from that...but that aside...how can she be so beautiful yet called a nightmare?' Arden thought to himself as he sighed due to her attitude.
"You may have regained control of the dreamscape, but you will not wake up until we say so. Therefore, You will be trapped here until you die!" Hearing that Arden started to think as he scratched his chin. 'Now that's a problem...she said she’s a Nightmare. Maybe I can call a Baku? That would either scare her off or kill her. It's worth a try.
"Then I'll just call a Baku and make it devour you," Arden said with a smile, the reaction he got from the mare made his suspicions be confirmed.
"D-don't you dare bring t-those things close to her! I-I won't let them hurt her!" The dark mare stuttered. 'Is she referring to Celestia's sister? Is she trying to protect her host and protect herself? No...she wouldn't cry if that was the case...huh...I wonder...' The mare began to charge a beam once again. Arden raised his hand and her magic was dispelled. "What?!"
"This is my kingdom," Arden said with a serious tone. His mind was his domain therefore here he was king. "So off my chair jester. The king sits there." The mare let out a horrifying scream as she disappeared into the moon. Soon after he woke up.
Arden opened his eyes and saw the familiar library still in the dark. Looking up at the clock he saw that it was around five AM in the morning. 'Well, my internal clock still works as usual. I should contact Celestia.' Arden said picking himself up, then he headed to the kitchen and lit up a candle. Then he headed to a desk that had a bunch of quills and parchment placed on top of it.
"Dear Celestia,
I am sorry to contact you so soon but I fear I might need some help. For you see Nightmare Moon tried to take me over last night, but luckily I drove her away. But I fear she might try to do this again since I seemed to have angered her. So I would really appreciate it if you could send somepony to maybe put some mental wards on me or something of the sort. Because according to what Nightmare said she needs to break the victim before forcing her will into the victim's mind.
Another topic I would like to discuss is Nightmare's motives for taking over your sister, do you have theories? Because I believe to have stumbled into something. But in order to see if it holds I need to know if there is any written record or tale about a creature called Baku. I would also like to see them if at all possible.
There is no need to worry though, it would seem that in my mind, I am still king.
Thank you for the patience and for your time.
Your Friend Arden Sila."
With that Arden folded the piece of paper and held it on top of his ring, as a colorful flame appeared and burned it to cinders. Then he went to the couch and sat down to wait until the letter was answered or dawn came and he could visit Rarity for the job offer.
(Two hours later)
*Rattle, Rattle*
The sound of the doorknob twisting woke Arden up, he fell asleep while waiting for the response, "Coming." He said yawning and putting his shirt back on. The rattling got worse, as he approached the door, "I said I am coming. Sheesh."
When he unlocked the door the ratling stopped but it didn't open. 'What the?' Arden then opened the door. The last he saw was a blue canon placed right at his doorstep and the last thing he heard was this:
Arden felt something hit his chest, 'Why is everything in this world either trying to subdue me or kill me? I bet this is Karma coming back for me after that good luck streak from yesterday.' He thought to himself as he felt his back hitting the wall.
"SURPRISE! Welcome to Ponyville! IamPinkiepie..." He heard a happy voice singing, but his ears were still ringing too much for him to understand what the pony was saying beyond the first scream. 'What the heck is going on?' He then opened his eyes and saw a pink coated and maned pony wearing a white T-shirt with a yellow shirt and some blue pants. On her forearm, there was a mark of some balloons, her eyes were a cyan blue, she didn't have a horn or wings so she was probably an earth pony. She was bouncing around like she was made out of rubber.
"HEY!" The stallion screamed since his ears were still ringing. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU! THE CANON SHOT IS MAKING MY EARS RING! CAN YOU WAIT FOR A WHILE UNTIL IT COMES BACK TO NORMAL?" The pink one looked back at him after she stopped in mid-air making the cartoon sound of brakes. "DO YOU HAVE BUILT IN AIR BRAKES?!" The pony touched the ground while she kept looking at him, then her mane lost the puffy aspect it had and fell flat. Her entire coat changed into a grayish pink. 'That's a sudden change...'
The ringing stopped and he could finally hear again. "There, now I can hear you. I'm not mad just confused. Please repeat everything you said after surprise? I kinda lost everything after that." Then the pink mare bounced and the color returned to her. Arden then raised his hand and said. "I know you are excited but please talk in regular speed. If you're anything like me when excited you're gonna talk fast like a rapper." She giggled and then took a deep breath before starting to speak.
"Welcome to Ponyville! I am Pinkie Pie. The local party organizer, I throw parties for every single event that happens in town! This time I am throwing you a..." She said reaching into something behind a unicorn head statue that was on top of a table in the library. Arden had cleaned that yesterday, so there wasn't anything there. Or that's what he thought since she pulled out a box with a cake inside. "...WELCOME TO PONYVILLE PARTY!"
"TEACH ME HOW TO DO MAGIC!" Arden said falling on his knees after the little stunt, the mare looked at him with her head tilted to the side.
"I'm an earth pony. I'm just strong, silly." She said giggling and smiling.
"Thenhowdidyoumakethecakeappearoutofthinair?! Youcan'texpectmetobelievethattherewasacakesittingonthetable!" Arden said running out of breath. "Icleanedityesterday!"
"You said I should speak normally but you're talking really fast. No fair!" She said pouting. He was still breathing a little heavy, so he tried to calm down and recollect himself.
"Sorry..." Arden said after pulling himself together. "...forget about that. Thanks for the welcome. But right now I need to find a pony named Rarity. She offered to hire me yesterday, but due to the fact this place was covered in dust and is going to be my new home, I had to clean it up which took the rest of the day. So I kinda left her hanging." The mare blinked at him a few times. "What?"
"You can talk to her during the party. I invited the whole town! They are waiting outside!" Arden just gave her a blank stare, then his eye twitched a little.
"You invited the whole town?" She moved her head up and down so fast that Arden just saw a blur. "It's 7:00 AM." She repeated the movement. "Rarity said that the local organizer was out visiting her family. So you got back and organized this like what...one or two hours?" The same move happened, again his eye twitched a little. "You're something else, aren't ya?" Her answer was a mild smile before trying to pull him out of the house.
"Wait! I'm still all dirty and sweaty because of the cleaning yesterday!" He said resisting the pull, which surprised the mare. "I'll just take a bath, and use the cleaning thingy an acquaintance of mine has given to me to clean my clothes. Be right outside with you." The mare was still pulling him while he kept resisting. She was frowning while she kept pulling, her eyes fixated on his scrawny arms.
"Ok...are you using doping magic?" She asked while keeping her gaze fixated on him. "That shortens your lifespan. Don't do that."
"Er...what is doping magic?" He asked while raising an eyebrow.
"Magic that can be used by unicorns to gain strength that goes beyond their capabilities. Earth ponies channel magic to make ourselves more resistant so we can use our full force. Unicorns channel their magic to use spells, in this case, they use their magic on their bodies to increase their strength. But that isn't good since your bodies aren't made for that kind of strength." She explained with a rather serious tone, she looked quite different with that voice...it seemed off. But he was glad that he heard about that kind of magic, that's the sort of thing he wanted to stay away from. 'I like my life too much to do that!'
"Don't worry, I am not using that magic." He said going to the stairs that led to the second floor. "I can only use defensive magic. So no worries there Mrs. Pie." She frowned a little while staring at him before opening a smile and going outside.
"Okay! See you in a bit!" She said leaving through the front door. 'I think I should pretend to be weak...I don't think she bought that.' He then proceeded to go to the bathroom to clean himself.
'That guy is weird. I wasn't using my full force but I shoulda been able to pull him out. He is a unicorn for Celestia sake! They aren't that strong! He is weird! And his mark was scary looking.' The mare thought to herself as she waited outside with the rest of the guests.
"Hang on everypony! Our new friend just went to wash before coming to meet us! Once he comes out it's party time!" She said gaining a lot of cheers from the crowd. Then an old friend of her approached her, Rarity. "Hi, there!"
"So, what do you think of the current library keeper?" Rarity asked after giving her a hug.
"He is weird. I tried to pull him out but he didn't budge." The white mare frowned at that. "I know weird! Then he didn't know about doping magic and said he could only use defensive magic. His cutie mark was weird looking too." Rarity's eyes widened at that, while a small blush came to her cheeks. "It was on his forearm. He was dressed Rarity. It was a black and white heart with a weird looking eye on its center. Freaaaaakyyyyy. But I don't think he's a bad guy." She said happily. "By the way thanks for the heads-up about a new pony in town! It would have taken waaaaay longer to know about him if you hadn't told me."
"Do you think he is hiding something dear?" Rarity asked after checking if there was anypony paying attention.
"Oh! That's for sure!" She said looking around trying to see what her friend was looking for, then she gasped. "OH! OH! Maybe he is a spy! Or, or a ninja! Or a spy-ninja!" Pinkie said hopping around. When she turned, Pinkie saw Rarity rolling her eyes and giving a small smile to her. "Oh yeah! He also said he needed to find you." Rarity raised an eyebrow at her. "Something about a job offer that you made him."
"Oh...that. I thought he gave up since he didn't come by yesterday."
"Sorry for the wait!" Pinkie turned around to see the stallion standing by the door with the same shirt she saw him with a few moments ago. "Thanks for the party!"
"Thanks for the party!" Arden said with a big smile. The townsfolk came by to greet him one by one, the stallions looked at him with a bit of pitty on their eyes. The same could be said from the mares, they all looked at him like he was sick or something of the sort. 'Uh...maybe I look too scrawny? Even the stallion unicorns have some muscles on them...I look like a stick person compared to them. I'm pretty sure that with all the exercise I'll get some weight in no time.' Then another pony came to greet him, but this one he knew. "WHAT?!" He screamed at the sight of the pony in question. "?!" Before he could continue his mouth was forced shut with magic.
"Please don't make a scene." The mare said looking around seeing that the other ponies were looking at them, then she whispered in his ear. "We'll talk after you finish greeting everypony." Then Arden felt his lips going back to normal. 'Why is she here and how come nopony is noticing her with that stupid disguise?!'
"Arden dear," Another voice made him look away from the pony disguised with an overcoat and sunglasses, that made said pony look like a secret agent in old spy movies, the voice came from the mare he was supposed to meet the previous day. "Are you okay?"
"Uh? Oh! Yeah, yeah I'm okay. Just a bit confused with that mare over there." He said pointing at the *spy* mare.
"She seems quite close to you. She got real close to you." Rarity said looking at the mare he pointed out, surprisingly to him she didn't react to the clothes or the mane. "Oooh, is she the one that gave you that ring?! Oh my! You do have a marefriend! You have to introduce her to me!" Arden stared at Rarity for a few seconds before he burst into laughter.
"pfft...HAHAHAHHAHA! Do you think that I? HAHAHAAAA! Oh, my god! You, you...HAHA!" He kept laughing non-stop, earning a frown from her and the attention of the other ponies. "Haha...oh god. Okay...sorry to break it to you but I don't think anypony would want anything with me right now. And that lady is way out of my league."
"My, what makes you say that?" Rarity said staring at him, Arden noticed that she was eyeing his mark. Before she tried to make any other questions he decided to respond and change the subject.
"I look scrawny as shit for starters. Then there is my current job that pays very little. I don't think anypony would date a deadbeat." Arden said with certainty making the ponies that were watching shrug and Rarity look away. "Anyway, is there anypony else I should meet?"
"Oh yes! Allow me to introduce you to my other friends. Aside from Pinkie that you already met." The white mare said pulling him by the arm, Arden pretended to trip after she pulled him. Almost as if she was applying to much force on her grip and pull. "S-sorry darling. Didn't mean to do that." She said when she noticed that she was dragging him through the dirt. Arden raised his head and spat out dirt before responding.
"It's okay. I'm not very strong so...not your fault." He noticed that the mare gave him a suspicious glare before helping him up, then she gestured him to follow her. Near the fountain there were a group of mares that waved at Rarity, Arden recognized Pinkie Pie but the other he did not.
"Howdy there, partner!" An orange coated, blond pony said. She was wearing jeans and a flannel red shirt over a white T-shirt. She also had a cowboy hat, her eyes were green and she had a mark on her forearm that had the shape of three apples. "I'm Applejack. Rarity told me you're looking for a job?"
"Arden Sila," He said offering a handshake that she complied, her grip was strong...but it didn't hurt, however, he pretended to wince at it. "Ouch. That's quite a grip. And yes I am looking for a job." The mare gave him a weird look before a blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane with pink purple eyes poked him on the shoulder. This one was wearing a dark blue jacket with a cloud letting out a lightning strike that was also rainbow colored. She also had a Bright blue T-shirt and some jeans.
"Hey! I'm Rainbow Dash. The best flyer in Equestria! I'm part of the weather team here in Ponyville." She said in a confident tone. "I'm also the coolest pony around." Arden rolled his eyes at that.
"Pleasure." Then he felt another hand on his shoulder, turning around he saw a yellow coated pegasus with a pink mane and bright blue eyes. She was being pushed by Rarity to get closer, while she tried to hide her face behind her mane. "Hi." The mare jumped a bit with just that, Arden began looking around trying to understand what was going on. "Did I do that?"
"She's a bit on the shy side." Rarity said. "Go on, introduce yourself."
"I-I'm F-Fluttershy." She said before she flew away.
"Oooooooooooookay. She is shy, and her name reinforces the idea. Got it." Arden said looking at the empty space once occupied by the pegasus. "Is this the whole gang?" They nodded at him. "Okay, now I'm gonna walk around this party for a bit," Arden said walking away. "Pleasure meeting all of you."
'Okay time to see why the heck she's here. And ask how in hell she isn't being recognized.' Arden thought to himself as walked back to the spy-mare.
"Okay, time to explain what are you doing here," Arden said to the spy mare. "As far as I remember, you were a bit on the defensive with me around. Also, why isn't anypony recognizing you?"
"I'm not the royal seamstress without a reason. Enchantments are something I can do very well when it comes to clothing." Twilight Velvet said with pride. "Why do you think your clothes are so light even though they are made of very resistant cloth?" Arden tried to come up with a rebuttal but he ended up pulling a blank. "In my case I made myself look like somepony else, except for those I want to recognize me. Just as long as I am wearing this overcoat." She said while slightly lowering her sunglasses before she placed then back on the right place.
"Right, that explains the hows, now come up with the why," Arden said while they walked around the city, the ponies at the party were enjoying themselves way too much to notice him leaving the festivities. "Cause you're the last pony I expected to come by after I sent the letter."
"Well, I made it me concerned given how much distress the Celestia went through after she remembered that the surrounding forest that covers most of the outskirts of this town is infested by Timberwolves." Arden gave her a blank stare while in his head he thought. 'Wait...what? What are those?!'
"Care to explain about the timber-thingy, please? And the part where the princess was concerned. Because I'm kinda at a loss here." The stallion said while keeping his blank expression. "I'm literally a stranger here, there should be no reason for concern. Besides, I did contact her today so that should be a sign that I was okay."
"She passed the entire day waiting for confirmation that you reached the library safely. And the Timber-wolves are basically wolves made out of wood." The blue unicorn's eye was twitching at the last statement. 'Wolves made out of wood...' He thought to himself. "Mr. Sila? Are you okay?" Arden didn't answer her he just stood there in silence for a bit.
"I'm gonna catch one of those and make it my pet!" Arden said suddenly making Velvet jump. "Okay, that part was covered. So please elaborate on the concern because I still don't think she should be so distressed over a stranger." He said while slowly stepping away from her due to the fact she was glaring daggers after he scared her accidentally.
"You are a citizen of her country and you're doing her a favor. She suddenly sent you to an unknown place with no training on how to defend yourself." Velvet explained, her glare was slowly fading as she continued to talk. "Basically she could have sent one of her citizens to their doom."
"Okay, but that doesn't explain why the heck you, in particular, came all the way out here or why would there be any need for a visit after the letter." He said crossing his arms while he stared at her.
"The princess stayed up all night, I found her walking around after I received a request for a special dress from Walkyre Heart." She explained as her eyes started to light up a little. "So I asked if she wanted somepony to wait for the letter with while I worked my magic for the first dress that mare has ever asked me to design. While waiting for it, Walkyre learned about your current situation from the princess herself. And since she recently decided to take a vacation with her new special other Mind Walker, she contacted him and both agreed to help you out."
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh...okay? When does my letter come into play?" He asked.
"When your letter arrived the princess felt quite the relief. But as soon as she finished reading it. Celestia kinda went into a blind panic after she read something about a Baku." Velvet said earning a look from Arden that meant: 'And you know what was written because?'
"She has this really bad habit of reading letters she receives out loud. So I got all the details as she read it." Arden frowned at that but gestured her to continue. "She started to talk about how you were in a bigger danger and that she should have thought things through before sending you on your way. I decided to take a look into the Baku subject, so I sent word for my husband, Night Light, to see if he knew about any documents containing information about them." She continued to explain.
"Is he a soldier or something?"
"No, he works at the department of the restoration of historical documents. He is part of the reason Twilight is so obsessed with books." Arden felt a little surprised about that part. "His answer was that all the documents about the subject were destroyed during a special operation called 'Dream eater's demise'. So the only pony that still has any knowledge about the subject is Princess Celestia. So she would need to deliver the information directly since it was sensitive data. Something she can't do without putting you in the spotlight. Seeing as she and I are friends, I offered myself to go explain everything except for the Baku part."
"You gave me an entire story about how you ended up here," Arden said looking away from her. "Now, let me see if I got all that: Mind Walker and Walkyre Heart agreed out of nowhere, to help the guy that was accused of an attempt of murder. Then, the princess basically went into a spiral of panic because she was worried about me being in danger. And finally, you, the pony who was scared of me to the point of hiding behind the princess, decided to leave the castle to relay a message that she could simply write down and send to me through the ring. Did I get all of that?" Arden said, while keeping his tone and posture neutral, as he was looking away from her.
"Uh...yeah. That's the entire situation. What about it?" Velvet said tilting her head.
"Do you really expect me to believe that?! That's gotta be the most convoluted story I ever heard! From what I've seen Celestia is way smarter than that! She would probably be able to use some other method to see if I was okay, and she would also think of a way of getting me to learn how to defend myself. Not to mention I am certain she would send me a letter telling me about the current predicament with the information." Arden said turning around and glaring at the mare. "So please stop with the lies."
"I am not lying Mr. Sila!" Velvet shot back while placing her hand on her chest. "I am a concerned friend, trying to help out my distressed friend that hasn't been thinking straight after she met you! What did you do to make her worry about you like that?!"
"I didn't do anything!" Arden said in a serious tone. "What I can do gave her hope of seeing somepony again. That's the story! I won't go into any further details than that! If you want the story, ask your friend." He stated while crossing his arms and looking at the mare, her eyes widened as he made his speech. "Now, since I already know what you came here to inform me about, you are free to return and stay away from me since I scare you that much. Thank you for relaying the message. Tell the princess that I'll be sending her another letter very soon. Also please do ask her to tell me when Walkyre and Mind are going to come by. I want to make my home presentable for their visit." He said starting to walk away from the confused mare.
"Why..." The mare started making Arden stop. "...why are you helping? Why are keeping this a secret? She is basically forcing you to work for her for the next four years!" He turned around with a simple smile on his face and said.
"Because I chose to help her." The mare's jaw dropped when he said that. "And because ponies do stupid things when they love other ponies or are desperate. I can't blame Celestia for being desperate for answers. I know I would do the same thing. So if you're waiting for some sort of catch, sorry. There is none."
"You truly are an odd one, just like she said."
"And I don't intend to change. Especially since I kinda grew fond of her after she welcomed me here." He heard Velvet gasp at that statement. "I intend to help her since I consider her my friend. And I hold every single one of my friends right here." Arden said pointing to his heart. "So...the actual reason for me to do all this is that I care about her. I'll ask Celestia to send me your travel expenses once you're back. I won't have her expending money of the royal treasury because she was worried about stupid little me." He said turning his back to Velvet once again and waving before he said. "Have a safe trip! And tell Celestia she can drop by anytime she wants! I'll come up with something, so tell her not to worry!"
"Have a safe trip! And tell Celestia she can drop by anytime she wants! I'll come up with something, so tell her not to worry!" The mare heard as she watched the stallion walk away. 'So that's how it is huh? He truly is an odd one. I really like that.' She thought to herself before taking off the overcoat and breaking the spell and making the figure of Twilight Velvet visible to anypony who could be around.
'Looks like the sun princess has a new friend. And he doesn't expect anything in return for his help apparently.' She said taking off the sunglasses and revealing her white coat, three colored mane, golden ornaments, and pink eyes. 'He actually knew how I would have acted under normal circumstances. However, everything I told him was true...except for my identity...
"Hehehe..." The white mare giggled a little as she came up with a plan. "I guess I can take his invitation and come by. Just hope he really can come up with an explanation, if he can't...I guess I'll have a good laugh at the very least." She said before letting out a small sigh as her smile widened a bit. "It would seem that the real *concerned friend* here is him. After all, he is doing this just because he cares about me. That's adorable, I must say. And I truly wonder what will come out of his training after these four years finally come to pass." The princess said to herself before teleporting away.
(Meanwhile, watching the entire transformation.)
'OH. MY. STARS. That was Princess Celestia! Arden was casually speaking to her! He called her his friend! And she seems to see him in the same light! I knew he was hiding something! But this is way beyond everything I imagined!' The designer thought to herself while trying to keep her composure. She saw Arden walking away from the party and decided to follow him since she didn't buy his statement of the mysterious mare not being his lover. She always did like some gossip, unfortunately, she had to stay away from them since she wasn't the sneaky type.
She managed to tail them, but as for listening what they were talking about...she didn't have such luck. However, after they stopped walking she slowly got closer. But in the end, she caught the part about him considering the princess his friend, her taking off her disguise once he had left and the part where she said she wondered about the outcome of his training. 'Training for what? How did he meet her? How did he get her to care about him? How did he come to care about her? Is he a noble? Maybe a prince?!' Or maybe a small knight?! Is this about forbidden love?!' All those questions boiled in her mind as she began to imagine some sort of novel about the possible scenarios. The curiosity was taking the better of her, she had to know!
'That's it! I'm gonna uncover everything I can about that stallion! Or my name isn't Rarity!' She thought before picking up the pace to return to the party. 'I'll find out what you're hiding! Just you wait, Arden Sila!' And with that, she set her sights upon a goal: Discovering just who was that newcomer and what his story was with the Ruler of Equestria!
Arden was back at the party after his little chat with the royal seamstress, the entire thing took about an hour. He made his way back without any problems and just as he presumed nopony noticed that he left for an entire hour, or at least...that's what he thought. Once he reappeared in the crowd a pink blur tackled him knocking him down.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! YOU HAVE BEEN LOSING ALL YOUR PARTY!" Pinkie yelled at him while was still trying to process what just had happened. "What have you been doing?! Did you not like the party?" Her color was starting to drain again when she asked that.
"No, I love it!" Arden said making the color rush back into her. "I just saw a familiar face and went to talk with her. So I went to talk with her in a quieter place since all the partying made it difficult to talk since she speaks in a very low tone." He explained, making Pinkie blink twice before she got back on her hooves and helped him up, once both were back on their hooves she grabbed his wrist and started to lead him around the ponies towards the buffet.
"You gotta try these! They're from the bakery where I work. And live. And sleep. It's called Sugar Cube Corner!" She said presenting a table filled from one side to the next with cakes, flowers, bread and so many other baked goods. Arden picked a piece of a cake that was already sliced and took one small bite from it to see how it tasted. After the bite, he stood still frozen for a few moments. "You okay? Did you like it?" Suddenly the blue unicorn shoved the rest of the slice into his mouth and started chewing. "No need to rush! You're gonna choke like that."
"Sorry! This is delicious! My compliments to the chef!" Arden exclaimed after he finished to swallow the rest of the cake that was in his mouth. Then he remembered the breakfast he had with Celestia before coming to the town, she seemed to have a sweet-tooth. 'Maybe she would like these...too bad she's back at the castle. She did look like the type who likes to be outside...I bet being in that throne room all the time is like hell to her. At least she'll have a reason to go outside since she can transmit the data.' He thought to himself not even noticing that he had picked up another treat from the table and was eating it until Pinkie pulled him away once again.
"We need to get you to the games! Pin the tail on the pony! Karaoke! You have to try them all!" She said while bouncing around and pulling him to the places where the games were.
"Did you eat the Gum-Gum fruit to become made of rubber? I don't think ponies are supposed to bounce like that!" Arden said having a hard time keeping on his hooves since her bouncing made him go up and down with her.
"Nah! If did that I wouldn't be able to swim anymore!" She said stopping the bouncing, Arden stared at her with his eyes wide open and twitching. 'How in bloody hell did she get that reference? Do the devil fruits exist here?' He questioned while he kept staring at her. "But those things don't exist. Especially since they come from the One Piece universe." Silence proceeded after that phrase.
"What?" He asked blinking and shaking his head.
"What, what?" She answered tilting her head.
"What were we talking about?" Arden said rubbing his temples, that conversation was giving him a headache.
"I don't know..." The mare answered rubbing her chin as if she was trying to remember what they were talking about, then she started to walk away before continuing. "Let's just-?! HUUUUUUUUUUUHHHH!" Pinkie exclaimed before rushing off leaving behind a statue of pink smoke where she once stood.
Suddenly every single pony in the party started to gasp and bow, except for Arden that was at a complete loss as to what the heck was happening. So he turned around and saw a familiar figure. "SAY WHAT?! AGAIN!" He yelled earning many surprised looks from the crowd. "Again, somepony that I wouldn't expect to see after I finally settled in, folk. A visit from a friend and one from the Sun Princess? Somepony pinch me to see if I'm awake." As he said the last part he felt something twisting his skin. "Ouch!" He exclaimed, looking at the pain's origin point he saw a golden aura that suddenly disappeared. Then he looked back up to see a sun princess standing a few inches from his face with a mischievous little smile on her muzzle.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, your Majesty?" He said making a bow and stepping back. "You're certainly the last pony I expected to see considering all your duties." He said starting to make an excuse.
"Well, I had to see the new pony I had assigned as the new library keeper to keep the records in a safe condition." She continued. "I did not expect to see a party though."
"It would seem the ponies here are really friendly. It's a nice change of pace from being a nomad." He said with a shrug. "Since you're already here, why not join in the festivities? I know a certain pony who will be very happy to see another participant here." He said smiling at her. She let out a small laugh before coming up with an answer.
"My, you are an-"
"An odd one? Yeah, I get that a lot more than you think." Arden said cutting her off mid-sentence, which threw off both her and the other ponies WHO WERE STILL BOWING! "But nevertheless I guess that we should start the party again!" Arden said pulling the princess to the buffet where he tasted the baked goods. "An acquaintance of mine showed me these. You should try them." He said pointing the table filled with sweets, looking back at her he noticed Celestia's eyes were darting from one cake to the other. Once she noticed he was looking at her she stopped and recomposed herself.
"T-thank you. But I already ate." She said with a small smile, Arden looked at her thinking 'Are you serious? You seemed to love these things yesterday. Are you really denying yourself a treat to keep an image?'
Then a sudden pink blur appeared and took the Princess and him to participate in multiple games. "Let's have some fun!" The blur shot while she guided them around. Before both of them could realize, they had spent about three hours playing around and interacting with all the townsfolk. The entirety of the fun stopped when a grumble started to sound off from the two. 'Celestia...I'm pretty sure your stomach should not sound like that. When did you eat last?' He thought to himself trying to ignore the fact she looked adorable due to her turning red as a tomato due to the sound.
"I guess I should get myself something to eat to stop this roaring right? Sorry about that Princess, do you want to go get some of those cakes?" He said making her give a relieved sigh.
"I'll accept." She said with a smile. "Let us go back to the buffet." And then they went back to the table. 'I'm not even hungry...but she seemed like she was going to pass out...she should not do that...IDEA!'
Once Celestia got distracted he ran off and grabbed a chair, then he asked for help from Pinkie to move another table. When Celestia got to the buffet he had a table set up with a plate set and had a napkin on his arm like some sort of butler. "Princess Celestia, please take a seat to relax and be our guest." Then a song started to play, and he began to walk around.
As the song played he moved around and served her cakes and did what the lyrics described. He tied up the napkin around her neck and then continued to dance around and pull off some tricks like juggling some cakes which ended up with some unfortunate victims. Including himself, the entirety of the performance made Celestia giggle and laugh mildly while the other guests had their jaws on the ground.
"That was quite the performance." She said after having her fill with the baked goods. Thanks to the dancing around and moving like crazy he had kept the spotlight off of her, so she had managed to eat as much as she needed. "Thank you. Now I'm afraid I have to ask to talk with you alone." She said getting up and using a spell to clean up both him and the unfortunate guests that were hit during the performance. That last part Celestia said made the townsfolk look at each other and start to whisper.
"Be my guest, your highness! My home is always open to you and all of the citizens of Equestria." He said in a dramatic bow before making way for her and asking her to follow him towards the library.
(meanwhile)
Did...did that stallion really just trigger a harmonious heart by himself?' The white unicorn thought to herself watching the princess and the blue one walk away. 'I didn't even know that was possible!'
'Just as I thought...he is a very curious one. I'm going to have to try and approach him and see what he is hiding. And maybe try to understand why that idiot stared right into my eyes for so long as well' The mare thought to herself. She had been watching him since the party had started but had to hide since the sun princess decided to show up. 'Things are getting interesting...what do you know? You little idiot.'
Aredn locked the door behind the princess once she was inside the library, now he had walls between them and the peering eyes of the townsfolk. Being out of their sight made him feel at ease to go back to acting how he usually acted around her, feeling the stress melt away due to the lack of prying eyes he let out a sigh. "Okay...what are you doing?" He asked once he noticed the princess' spell starting to cover all of the walls, then he facepalmed realizing what that was about. "The sensitive data." He said with his eyes closed.
"That is correct my little jester." The princess said in the middle of a mild laugh, which made the stallion blush while an awkward smile formed on his face. "However, before I can share any information about it I need to know how are you acquainted with those creatures." Her tone shifted from playful to serious with the snap of a finger.
"Fair enough," Arden said walking to a bookshelf, he had noticed that they were being watched by Rarity by catching a glimpse of her before she hid again. The unicorn was hiding in the bushes right beneath the window, so he decided to come up with an act. He would act like he was consulting a specific book the princess asked about, and he knew just the tome. 'The Elements of Harmony, A Reference Guide.' He found it the previous day while organizing the books, once in his hands, he turned back to the princess which had an eyebrow raised while she kept looking at him. His answer was a quick movement of his eyes towards the window, Celestia looked at it then back at him with an expression that could be understood as 'Got it.'
"Okay," He started taking a seat on a couch facing the princess. "I like to write and come up with stories, so I researched some things about ancient myths back in my world. Nothing too deep, just the basics so I could find some inspiration. That's when I stumbled upon the Baku legend, also known in my world as dream eater." He explained while he acted like he searching for something within the pages.
"I see, and what do you know about them?" The princess asked while crossing her arms and tapping her fingers like she was getting impatient.
"Back in my world, they were seen as neutral creatures. Neither good nor bad. One could summon them by chanting something like: 'Baku please some devour my nightmare.' Or something along those lines, it also required a charm." He said getting up and taking a seat beside her to show a specific part of the book. "Once summoned the Baku would eat the bad dream and leave. If the person that summoned him did not do it so often, because in that case the Baku's hunger would increase and it would not restrain itself to devouring the bad dream. he would devour everything the person's mind created. Which would result in negative repercussions I never got around to discovering due to my other studies." The stallion explained while tracing his finger on the book that was positioned as to allow the princess to see the transcript.
"Oh..." She said looking at the pointed areas on the page as she moved slightly away to get some distance between them. "They seem to be more docile in your worlds myths than in our reality. Originally they entered ponies dreams and ate only the vile thoughts that corrupted them, however...their behavior changed. They started to invade every single one of our subjects dreams and ate away every single thought they had, may it be generated by the mind or the heart. Those afflicted turned mad and attacked anypony who came int their line of sight." She explained with a tone that made Arden feel bad about asking for information about these creatures.
"I-I'm sorry if don't want to talk about this anymore..." He said closing the book and getting up.
"It's okay," she said regaining her composure. "Luna was yet to be born when our parents discovered that the Baku can only enter the dreams of those who know about their existence in detail. Hence, operation: Dream eater's demise, a complete eradication of all written records were made to prevent any other victims. And in order to protect those who already knew about the Baku they created special counterparts to protect the minds of their subjects and their daughter." Arden placed the book back on its shelf and started to scratch his chin.
"What were these counterparts?" He asked while he started to move his hand around the other books on the shelf.
"They were spirits created by magic that protected the mind and heart of their host." She further explained, her voice was getting darker and her breathing changed. "The spell was discovered after Luna's birth, so both I and she received the protection. My counterpart is called Daybreaker. Luna's..." Celestia did not continue, and he could hear her starting to sob.
"Nightmare Moon," Arden said turning around and seeing the proud ruler crying her eyes were closed shut as she tried to hide her face in her hands. "Listen, you can stop, I get the picture. No need to go any further." He said getting closer to her as she continued to weep. Then he sat by her side and tried to reach his hand to place on her shoulder...'Sould I? I'm not used to this...I can't even say that I know how she feels. What can I do now? My questions brought this up.' He thought to himself as his hand approached her shoulder. Once it came in contact with her fur the princess looked to the side as she lunged at him. Which threw the stallion into a panic, mainly because of the risk of being impaled by her horn.
"IT'S MY FAULT!" She cried. "I told her stories about the Baku! I ignored my parent's warnings. I ignored how much she was afraid of not being loved by her subjects! I must have weakened the counterpart and she was corrupted!" She shouted crying, even more, Arden finally got over the shock and started to think about what to do. He then hesitantly placed his hand on top of her head and started to brush her mane with his hand.
"Shhhhh...It's okay. You can't change the past. But the future isn't set in stone." He said in a soft voice he had used on very few occasions...occasions that usually involved sad news. He started to cry. "*sob* You know *sob*...when Nightmare tried to take over me and I scared her off. She was afraid of the Baku reaching somepony she referred to as 'her'." He said feeling more tears roll up his face when the princess heard that part she got up really fast and locked her eyes on his, they were a few inches from each other. 'There I go again...the one thing I was told again and again to be careful with: Stop making the pains of others your own, there is only so much one can endure. It's good to feel empathy towards your patients, but you cannot take it to the point it clouds your judgment.' He thought to himself remembering the advice from his teachers after the simulation classes.
"*sob* Y-you...you think that..." The stallion was still crying while he did not avert his eyes from hers, he then moved his head up and down with a smile on his face. Celestia gasped as she got back and covered her mouth, Arden felt his chest get warmer as he saw the smile taking over the princess' face. Then she hugged him again, but this time he knew she wasn't searching for help in the gesture. No, this time she was showing her gratitude. "T-THANK YOU! T-THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
"It's okay," Arden said returning the hug. "I'm just helping my friend. Do you need anything else?" Arden stated breaking the hug and looking back at the princess' face.
"I-I need to place the protective ward on you to protect you from the Baku." She said slowly going back to her usual self. "Then there is the mental wards to keep you safe from mind control spells. Mind Walker will make them more specific to protect you in your dreams." She further explained still wiping her tears from her red eyes.
"Okay, do your thing." He said closing his eyes, his voice still in its soft tone. The princess charged her magic and reached his forehead, Arden felt a shock where the princess touched his skin.
"The wards are placed. Now for the counterpart." Celestia said Arden could hear the magic charging up. Then he felt something soft touch his forehead...he felt something like it before...but he couldn't remember what it was. Once again a shock, but this time the princess' voice followed instead of silence. "Y-you...already have one? You have protection against them."
"What are you talking about?" Arden said opening his eyes, he saw that the princess had a faint blush on her cheeks that was fading. "How's that possible?" He asked trying to ignore the blush that had disappeared.
"I don't know." She answered, which made Arden raise an eyebrow and tilt his head. "You never cease to surprise do you."
"I guess." He answered scratching the back of his head.
"In this case I guess...I guess I better head back." The princess said getting up still facing some of the aftermaths of that much crying.
"Get some rest okay?" He said looking at her as he got back on his hooves. "I know I feel like crap every time I cry like that. And before I forget, thanks for the wards. You're saving my life here." He said offering his hand. A warm smile formed on the princess' face 'That's the face I want to see. She looks better when she is smiling.' Arden thought to himself when she took his hand and pulled him into a strong and warm embrace.
"I'm the one that should be thanking you." She said in a whisper, then he felt the same thing from when she tried to cast the spell on him, but this time on his cheek. Those were her lips...the spell was activated by a kiss on the forehead. Like when a mother sends her child to sleep and wishes them goodnight. If the spell was originally created by her mother to protect them...then it would make sense. Otherwise...that could mean...'Nope! You're reading this wrong Arden, she's just grateful about the help. Don't do that stupid mistake of misreading things, again.' Then she got back, a very slight blush could be seen on her face. Then she charged a spell and vanished.
"That's magic for you..." Arden said a little bit sad, he was still bothered by the 'only defensive magic' thing. Then he noticed the spell the princess cast dispelled itself, so he went to the front door. With one hand on the doorknob and the other on the key. He twisted both at the same time opening the door, which revealed two mares who faceplanted on the ground.
"You know ladies..." Arden said looking at the two mares, Applejack and Rarity. "...I always wanted to fall for somepony and have somepony fall for me, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind." He continued as he helped the two mares to get back on their hooves. "To what do I owe the pleasure of having you two eavesdropping?"
"Ha-ha..." Rarity awkwardly laughed as Applejack lowered her hat as to cover her face. "I'm sorry, but the princess dropping to visit isn't something that happens very often soooo...you can't blame us for being curious about what the two of you were talking."
"Ah was just curious about the reason Rarity was sneaking around yer house." Applejack said making Rarity glare daggers at her. All the while Arden was laughing at the conversation. 'Those two seem to be very close, they remind me of some friends of mine.'
"Anyway..." The stallion said making the white mare stop trying to melt the orange one with her death-glare. "I actually wanted to talk with you two." The mares looked at each other. "The job offers? I want to talk about my work hours with you two." They let out an 'Oooh...' in synch after he explained. "As well as ask a favor from you Rarity."
"What is it darling?" She asked tilting her head at the sudden request.
"Do you think you can come up with some clothes by tomorrow so I can work on the farm? That way I won't have to use these all the time?" Arden said pointing at his garments. "They are made for traveling, not for working."
"I would need your measurements to do that darling." She answered. "And all of my things are back at the shop."
"Got you covered," Arden said pulling one of his pockets out of his pocket and fitting his entire arm into it. "The pony who gave me these wrote down my measurements and gave a copy of them to me." He said pulling out a scroll that contained his measurements. "This should have everything you'll need." He said handing the piece of paper to the seamstress.
"O-okay." Rarity said while keeping her eyes locked on the pocket the stallion placed back on his belt. "I-I will work something out for you...for tomorrow at 12:00 PM." Arden gave out a smile once he heard that.
"Alright! Now, how can we work this schedule out? I'll need to have everything sorted out before the end of the day."
"See you two tomorrow!" The stallion shouted at them as they left. "And thanks for the jobs!" In the end, the arrangement was that he would work alternating between the two places from Monday to Friday having the other two days of the week free. He would work from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, stopping only for lunch or when the two of them told him to do so. His job would be whatever the hay they wanted as long as he wasn't humiliated or placed in harm's way by doing them. Something rather odd for a male to settle for those conditions without much resistance.
"What the heck is up with that stallion?" Aj asked her, the seamstress shrugged at her before starting to scratch her chin. "There isn't a single guy in this town that would take a job with those terms."
"I don't know." Rarity said biting her lip. 'There is something really off about that guy. He acts like he is nopony special, yet the princess comes to check on him and throws herself at him after she started to cry uncontrollably...this is one gossip I got to get to the bottom of.'
"What do you think we should do?" Aj asked making her snap back.
"Let's have all the girls to keep an eye on him." Rarity said firmly. "Fluttershy can use her animals to check on him during his free time or when he gets out of our line of sight. Rainbow can keep track of what he does during any errands we sent him off to. And Pinkie...we better leave her out since she would probably dress up as a spy and start to stalk him. In a non-discreet way." Rarity explained, earning a confused look from her friend.
"You really want to figure out what he's hiding, don't ya?" Aj said pulling her hat down as to cover her face, Rarity turned towards her and nodded. "Ah can't say I completely trust the stallion. So Ah'm with ya. Let dig out what he buried in his backyard." Rarity let out a sigh of relief as she reached out to shake her friend's hand, Aj accepted.
"It's a deal then!" She exclaimed before they parted ways. 'Very well Mr. secrets, let's see what you're hiding in your closet!'
'He was really kind...and he certainly did give me hope to see my sister once more. I wonder...what would he think if I assigned him to be a soldier? Nah...I'll have to think about something else. At the very least...I know I can drop by anytime. I wonder what we can talk about next time?' The princess thought to herself as she continued to hear the complaints from other nobles about petty things, then she remembered a message from Candace to the stallion. 'Damn it! I completely forgot about the advice to help him control his talent! Oh! I got a reason to go back now! If it helps...I might be able to see what made him trigger his abilities for the first time!'
The sun Princess got on her hooves with a smile on her face, leaving behind her a bunch of confused nobles that were surprised to hear her humming to herself as she walked away.
"Soo...the princess is waiting for her sister to return and that project of a male actually got the better of the mare in the moon..." The lonely creature said to herself as she entered her cave once more. "...that idiot might make a decent pawn for getting the princess to aid me. The only problem is the mental wards...I will have to work my way around them. And there is only one way to do so." She continued her mumbling as she lit a crystal from her former kingdom with magic revealing a large underground pool with crystal clean water that reflected her image on its surface.
Her black chitin body reflected on the surface, as well as her once grand emerald green royal dress that was now ragged pieces of clothing that exposed parts of her belly and back. Her eyes glowed in the dark and were fixed on her reflection, her wings twitching from time to time. Her green unkept mane fell in front of her face, living in these conditions had its downsides. Not being able to take better care of herself was one of them. "I wonder whose form will I have to take to manipulate that idiot. Maybe Celestia? Or maybe...somepony else entirely?" she said looking at her image shifted from one form to another as green flames engulfed her between each of her transformations. "There is yet to be born a pony who can resist the charms of the Changeling Queen! And since I already know his schedule...I can prepare to approach him in so many ways." She exclaimed producing an echo before she started to laugh a maniacally. "After all, I can be anypony he so desires!"
The sound of somepony trying to take down the door forced a very grumpy unicorn to get out of bed. Looking at the clock he saw that it was still 4:27 AM, way too early for the library to be open or for anypony to be up for that matter.
*KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK*
"I AM COMING DOWN! JUST DON'T BREAK THE FREAKING DOOR!" He shouted getting up and dressing in the same clothes for the THIRD day in a row. 'I really need those new clothes.' He thought to himself as he got downstairs. Once there, he unlocked the door and opened it. Before he stood a unicorn he didn't recognize. Green coat, yellow eyes, green and white mane, a golden harp on her forearm, blue T-shirt and black pants. "What can I help you with at...*yawn* sorry. What can I do for you at this hour?"
"I'm sorry!" The mare said realizing Arden's state. "I just need to find a book that is very requested here."
"Then you could wait until the library is open," Arden said closing his eyes and trying to remember the working hours of the place. "In one hour and thirty-three minutes."
"Can you please make an exception?" The mare begged and tried to win him over with puppy eyes, he just raised a brow at her. "*sigh* Please? I've been trying to get this book for ages but other ponies beat me to it. And whenever it's available I'm away in Canterlot. Please?" Arden examined her again.
"*sigh* Okay, the name is Arden Sila. Come in Mrs...?" He said opening the door and gesturing her to come inside.
"Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings." She said quickly getting into the library.
"Ok. Mrs. Heartstrings, don't say a word about this to anypony ok?" He said closing the door again. "Now, what exactly are you looking for?"
"Theories about creatures of myth." She said in a heartbeat searching the place. "I want to continue my studies on humans and to the few researchers that actually look into them. That book is a reference guide." She said looking at the wrong shelves. "Especially since it was supposedly written by a human that visited our world. There are only a handful of copies throughout Equestria. And most of them are in possession of nobles that only showcase them."
"Then you should be looking over here," Arden said browsing through the books, once he found the tome he pulled it out. "Here it is written by...Jack Reacher?" Arden tried to contain his laugh, which was pointless. "HAHAHA! My god, for real?!" He exclaimed as his laughing got worse.
"What?! He is a great author don't you dare laugh at him." She said taking the book out of his hands.
"I-I'm sorry...haha...It's just..." Arden tried to explain while trying to stop his laughter. "That's got to be a fake name! No way in bloody hell that is the guy's name. That's actually the title of a-" After starting that sentence he covered his mouth and took a deep breath. "Sorry about that, you got your book. Now you can leave." Arden looked at the mare that was looking at him wide-eyed. He literally slapped himself. "Sorry about that. I'm sort of a human fanatic as well. Traveling around I got to see a lot of different representations of them so..."
"Y-you said: My god. T-then you acted like you knew the writer's name." Her eyes were twitching Arden tried to keep his cool. "D-don't tell me...that you...you're..." At this point, he started to panic.
"PLEASE DON'T TELL OTHERS THAT I WAS A HUMAN!/YOU'RE ACQUAINTED WITH HUMANS!" They both shouted at the same time. Both of them just stared at each other for a few moments, Arden let out a sigh after punching himself. Then he walked towards a wall and bashed his head in it, after that he walked back to her and groveled to her.
"Like I said: Please don't tell anypony I was a human." Once he looked up he noticed the mare was but a few inches from his face staring straight into his eyes. Her eyes were twitching and her muzzle had a terrifying smile. "M-Mrs Heartstrings?"
"You...you...you...youwereahuman! DearCelestiadearCelestia! Pleaseyouneedtotellmeeverythingyouknow!" Arden was trying to understand what she said while slowly crawling away.
"I'll tell what I know. I'll even get you some of the notes I have on anatomy. But please keep this under the wraps!" The mare stopped her rambling and fell on her but once she heard that. "Do we have a deal?"
"Yes! YESYESYES!" She said getting up and starting to hop around with the book on her hands.
"Okay, now please take the book and leave. I'm free after 6:00 PM. I'll answer what I can then. So please try to keep this locked up. Otherwise, I'll disappear and you can forget about answers." He said in a serious tone which made the mare stop hoping and assume a military pose.
"Yes! Sir! These lips will remain sealed!" She said before heading towards the exit like she was marching. When she reached the door she turned back and said. "I'm looking forward to our Q&A." Then she winked and left.
'Thank Celestia she bought that. Time write to Celestia and see if there are any mind-erasing spells.' The stallion thought to himself as he cursed his existence for being such an open book at situations when big secrets like that were on the line. Keeping his connection to the princess was different because he felt the responsibility he bore because of the hope he gave her. Him being human was nothing compared to that, so he would go above and beyond to keep that part. However, having that secret out could make his life harder so making Lyra forget about that was the best way out. So he went to the table and wrote down a letter explaining the entire situation and sent it.
"With that out of the way..." He muttered getting up. "...time to try to learn how to fucking cook."
'Too easy.' The mare thought to herself as she carried the book outside and then used her magic to send it back to its original place. She then proceeded to hide away.
Once it was 5:45 Arden was placed in front of the carousel boutique. The shop wasn't exactly something easy to miss, a huge round building with fancy looking windows and decor. The entire place screamed 'FANCY CLOTHING' or 'HIGH SOCIETY'. Then he knocked on the door.
"Coming!" The door opened revealing Rarity, wearing a white and pink robe. Arden just focused on her eyes, they looked like sapphires. "Oh! You're early dear."
"Sorry. I'm kind of an early bird." He said closing his eyes and tilting his head. "Can I come in?" The mare gave him passage and Arden walked in.
"Rarity! Who's at the door?" A high pitched voice asked it sounded like it came from what looked like the kitchen, then a little unicorn popped out. Her mane was pink and purple, green eyes, white coat. She was wearing a baby-pink t-shirt with a baby blue skirt that went all the way to her knees. Once she saw Arden she looked at Rarity. "I didn't know you got a special somepony!"
"Sweetie Belle!" The seamstress glared at the little one without blushing or anything of the sort. Meanwhile, Arden just chuckled before he walked up to the filly and said.
"Hey, little one. The name is Arden Sila." He said getting on eye-level with the filly, she backed away from him before he continued. "No, I am not your sister's special somepony. I doubt she would settle for a stallion like me. I'm just a new employee here at the boutique." The stallion stated while giving her a smile and tilting his head.
"Are you a noble?" She asked fidgeting.
"No."
"Are you a knight?"
"No?"
"Do you know royalty?"
"I'm met Princess Celestia yesterday and had a conversation about ancient tales."
"Then you have a chance." Arden tried o muffle his laugh while Sweetie ran off as her older sister started to chase her. This time, however, Rarity was blushing as she chased the little filly through the house. Eventually, the filly returned and hid behind Arden. "Please control your marefriend!"
"SWEETIE BEEELLE!" The seamstress yelled as she heard that.
"Calm down honey," Arden said while trying to suppress his laugh, the mare was glaring at him the same way she did with the orange pony from the previous day, she was also turning into a tomato while she started to pout. "Okay...listen, Belle. How about you stop teasing your sister and apologize? Messing around with that subject never ends well with any of the parties involved." His voice shifted to a firm tone as he said that.
"Okay..." The filly said while coming out of hiding. "Sorry for teasing you, big sis." The unicorn started with the puppy eyes thing, her older sister eventually caved in and offered a hug.
"Okay now go to your room do your homework." The little filly smiled and ran up the stairs giggling. Now Arden was sure the mare was going to exact her revenge. "As for you sir..." Arden just braced himself for a slap or some sort of weird punishment. "Thank you for being so nice to my little sister."
"Uh...you're welcome?" He said tilting his head as the mare walked by him into the kitchen, 'That was an awfully generous pardon...I was sure she would gut me right then and there.' He thought to himself before shaking his confusion. "So where do I begin?"
"You can start by cleaning this mess I made while working on my next designs," she said pointing to a bunch of materials scattered around the entire workplace.
Arden stretched and started to collect all of the materials and discard the ones that were unusable. That took about two hours of cleaning and choosing the usable things that she left. Once he finished he noticed that the filly had returned downstairs and was pouting over a notebook.
"Everything alright there kiddo?" Arden asked startling the little one, looking at her notebook he saw some basic first-degree equations.
"I can't solve this one..." She said pointing a pencil at the problem she was stuck. Arden looked at what she had done and noticed she forgot to add a two while transcribing the problem.
"Here, you forgot to add this to the equation. So that's why you're getting a negative answer." Arden said pointing his index finger at the missing number. The filly looked at the number, then she did the entire thing again and arrived at the answer written in the book.
"Finally! Thanks, Mr. Arden sir!" She said closing the notebook and then pulling another one from her backpack. "I'm not good with numbers...but I'm really good with grammar!"
"Fair enough," Arden said with a smile. "I'm pretty decent at multiple subjects...but I'm a bit slower with numbers. And please call me Arden. Or you can come up with a nickname." He said petting her head before walking away.
Soon after he heard the entrance bell ringed and Rarity practically darted all the way to the door to greet a customer. Arden recognized the customer, it was Lyra. She was talking to the seamstress about needing a dress for a special date for that night.
"No problem dear!" The seamstress exclaimed clapping her hands. "But I got to say I'm surprised to see you away from your studies in Canterlot. I thought the break wasn't going to begin until next week!" Arden was hiding while they talked. 'Really now...she must have been desperate for that book.'
"I-I actually got a few days off." She stuttered while giving a nervous laugh. 'She is lying isn't she?' Arden thought to himself as the seamstress also gave the mint mare a weird look. "A-anyway, I really need this dress! I-I'll pay extra!"
"Nonsense dear!" Rarity shot back. "I'll do it with a discount! First time special!"
"O-okay. Thanks rarity."
Then the white unicorn led her to the fitting room and stayed there for about half an hour. Coming out of the room she told the customer to wait while she worked with the fabric to make the dress. "MR. SILA!" She called out.
"Yeah, boss?" He answered coming out of the kitchen.
"Take that broom and please sweep the shop's entrance please?"
"Got it!" He answered going to the pointed object. Meanwhile, he noticed the mint mare eyeing him. "Can I help you with something Mrs?"
"Can you? I heard you can do a harmonous heart by yourself." She said leaning forward while keeping her weird glare focused on him. "I want to see it."
"Ask the boss. then I'll see what I can do."
"RARITY! CAN YOUR EMPLOYEE DO A HARMONIOUS HEART FOR ME?"
"AS LONG AS HE IS OKAY WITH IT!" The green mare looked at him with a smile.
"Anything special in mind?" The mare tilted her head when he asked that. "A theme?"
"How about love?" She said winking at him, Arden let out a sigh and leaned on the broom thinking.
"Okay," He said with his eyes closed. "This is called 'Poet'."
Arden sang the song while sweeping the floor. His movements matched the song's rhythm almost as if he was dancing with the broom, once he finished he noticed that his boss actually came down to work while he was singing and the filly that was in the kitchen came by to watch him perform.
Suddenly the front door opened and citizens started to come by. Rarity started to beam seeing so many ponies visiting her workshop. The mare looked at Arden practically begging him to do it again, Arden sighed again and started with another song.
Once the second song finished came a round of applause and the ponies started to browse the clothing available. Rarity ended up selling twelve dresses, two tuxedos, and about thirty accessories. According to her, that was the best sales day she ever had since she opened up for business.
After the place had no costumers again, guards came by looking for Lyra that had disappeared during the presentations. 'What was that about? They were looked really serious about it...did she break some law to come here?'
The rest of the day went by without a cinch. Rarity gave him the clothes she promised: a white T-shirt with a dark-blue flannel and a pair of jeans. He sang a few more songs before leaving a very happy mare and a little filly that claimed to be his fan back at the boutique.
Once he was inside the library he was pulled in by a golden aura.
"Thank the stars you're alright!" It was Celestia, she checked his top to bottom trying to see if there were any signs of injury.
"Um...what's up?" Arden said backing away. "Did something happen?"
"It appears you're being stalked."
"What?"
Meanwhile back at her cave, the queen hissed and cursed.
"I need to be more careful with my disguises! Not to mention my cover ups! But learning he was a human...this just keeps getting better and better!"
Celestia proceeded to explain to Arden that the mare he referred to in his letter was actually a student in her academy and she was in Canterlot at the time he sent her the letter. Therefore whoever he was interacting with him that day was using a disguise.
"That is why I came here." The princess finished her explanation.
"This is a bit...unsettling, to say the least." The stallion said while he sat down to process what she had just said. So basically he could have been interacting with a murderer that now knew he was human. This was a problem, he started to think about how he could get around those disguises. There had to be a way to see through them. He forced himself to remember what the mare looked like, anything that was off. 'COME ON! THINK!'
"You seem troubled," Celestia said, only now he noticed that her voice sounded like when she was with Twilight...she seemed more at ease. "Are you afraid?"
"Yes..." he answered with his gaze focused on space. His was focusing on the memories from when the mare appeared in the morning. Then he focused on the memory from when he was closest to her, after begging her to keep his secret. Closing his eyes he forgot about the deity standing there with her gaze focused on him and tried to reimagine the scene as if he was outside of his body. Inside his mind, he saw the mare kneeling down to look him straight in the eyes, the scene was stuck in time and he started to examine it. Using all the details he caught from her during the brief encounters with her he rebuilds her entire body in that scene. Part of his duty as a doctor was to examine his patients, so ever since he started to study Arden developed a habit to pay close attention to another person's appearance and body details as to see anything that could lead to a diagnosis or at least gives him a clue about where he should start investigating.
'Her body didn't have anything odd, her neck was normal, nothing out of ordinary in her horn. Her mane was normal as well, her forearms were ok, nothing odd on her hands. Time to check the face...' Arden thought to himself after taking her head off the body in order to inspect her face. 'Her muzzle didn't have anything, her lips and nostrils didn't have any clues either...how about the eyes?' Focusing on the eyes Arden tried to remember all of the different times he saw them. Suddenly he remembered seeing something off about them. 'Wait...in a split second I remember...a faint green glow appearing over her eyes...they looked...familiar...'
"GOT IT!" Arden exclaimed opening his eyes once again and jumping off the couch. Looking around he saw that Celestia actually took a seat by his side and was looking at him with her head tilted and her eyebrow raised. "I think I found something to identify the stalker when they are in disguise!"
"That was fast." The princess stated while keeping her gaze on him. The fact she kept her eyes locked in his was starting to get him slightly flustered.
"O-okay, I think I saw a faint glow come out of the impersonator's eyes while transformed. If I am correct, that should repeat itself when they are disguised." Arden started. "Also...I want to know something about this Lyra."
"Do you now?" The princess' tone sounded...bitter, Arden thought it was best to specify.
"Is she obsessed with humans o something of the sort?" The princess' gaze softened and she took a few moments to respond.
"She is writing a thesis on how there are multiple realities where our species do not exist and humans are the dominant species. But it isn't an obsession." The princess spoke with her voice going back to her usual tone. "She is enthusiastic about new information but she believes it would be best to keep humans to their realm and our species to ours. Since most of the data, she analyzed so far from myths and legends points to humans having problems with other intelligent species."
"Strange...the impersonator acted as if she was downright insane about humans," Arden explained. "They even went so far as to make her look like she would toss herself at a human's arms as soon as she found one." Celestia frowned at that. "N-not that she actually tossed herself at me! She acted as if she was hitting on me." The frown deepened. "Listen, am I reading you wrong or you seem jealous? Because I tend to read other's feelings towards me wrong." The stallion shot before covering his mouth, 'SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! I just asked that! I! AM! FUCKED!' then he started to sweat a lot before getting on his knees and saying. "I-I'm sorry! I-I j-just...have a lot happening at once and now I-I'm sort of stressed so please ignore what I just said!" The princess' expression didn't help him since she didn't show any reaction.
"N-no. It's alright." She said after shaking her head and blinking a few times. "I'm just worried about the pony who plays a part in my plan..." The princess said while averting her eyes for a moment. 'Thank whoever is watching over me for having me meet so many beings with a decent amount of kindness in their hearts to ignore some of my fuck ups!' The blue one thought to himself as he let out a sigh of relief, but in the back of his mind, he also thought: 'I don't buy what she just said.'
"Right! So..." Arden started as he got back on his hooves. "Am I right to assume you have another reason other than the letter to be here?" The princess agreed with a nod. "In that case, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"First a message from Princess Candance regarding your talent: Try to remember what you were thinking when you first manifested your talent." Arden just blinked at that
'That's it? What was I thinking? I...I wanted to understand what going on. No...that's not it...I wanted to understand what made them act that way towards me. That's it, I wanted to understand them.' Arden thought to himself, the princess must have noticed he was lost in his thoughts because she coughed a little to bring him back.
"Figured something out?" The stallion just gave her a gesture that meant 'I think so?' a smile quickly formed on her face but it disappeared just as quickly. "Secondly, I want you to meet your teacher in swordplay, and her partner. Walkyrie Heart and Mind Walker. I've stationed them in Ponyville so they can teach you while performing their duties. They will move by tomorrow around 5:00 PM." Celestia said pointing to the kitchen where two ponies were sitting and watching the entire scene unfold. Meanwhile, in Arden's mind 'I just made a fool of myself in front of complete strangers...awesomeeeee.'
There was a mare yellow pegasus wearing some sort of battle dress that looked like it was made of gold while the other was a dark grey stallion wearing some garments that made him look like an acolyte from one of the RPG's Arden used to play. Complete with a belt with a book attached to his hip and a bunch of vials of colorful liquids. Arden raised his hand and waved at them awkwardly.
"Hi..." He finally managed to say.
"Do you want us to give you and the princess some privacy?" The mare spoke with a mischievous smile, the comment made Arden scratch the back of his head.
"I-I just interpreted her reactions the wrong way there. So there is no need."
"Just teasing you." The mare said getting up and heading towards the blue one accompanied by her partner. "Thanks for helping us out." She said bowing to Arden who reacted by tilting his head and letting out a 'huh?'
"The harmonious heart you triggered while you were being captive made us realize that we were wasting our time together by ignoring what we felt." The stallion explained while also bowing to Arden.
"No problem...just stop with the bow thing, please?" Arden said pulling them both up. "A handshake or a hug is enough." The answer to the last statement was a hug from both of them.
"Very well," The warrior said breaking the gesture. "The princess tells me that you have no experience fighting. Is that correct?" Arden nodded positively. "In that case, starting tomorrow, every day around this hour we will come by to teach you swordplay. He will heal your injuries after each session." Arden gulped at 'injuries' which made the mare and her partner giggle. "No worries I won't kill the princess' stallion of interest."
Arden looked at the princess that was glaring at the warrior and the wizard. They noticed death glare and made themselves scarce by having the wizard teleport them away. Once they were gone it was just him and the princess, silence filled the room for a while before she just gave him a hug and also left.
(11:00 PM)
Arden stood in front of the bathroom's mirror staring at his reflection, his heart practically ready to jump out of his chest. He was afraid to take off the necklace, 'FUCK IT!' He thought to himself before slapping his own face. Then he reached for the necklace's lock and took it off, headache followed as soon as he took it off which made him wince and look at the ground. Then he thought to himself: 'I want to understand them.'
As soon as he finished the line, the headache ceased and the world was red once again. The stallion tried to look at his hands, expecting to see nothing he was caught by surprise since he could see himself normally. Looking back at his image he saw a creature made out of a black fog with white forearms. 'I look like...Deemo...I'm just missing the little bowtie...' The blue one thought to himself while staring at the reflection, that was until it started to move on its own.
"Hello there partner. Good to see you're checking up on me. I'm doing good no worries. You, however, seem to be in quite the pickle." The image said making Arden let out a whistle, the voice was odd. It was shifting its pitch frantically, to the point he couldn't make out if the voice was male or female. "Well friend, I'm here if you ever need to talk just come by a mirror an I'll listen. There is only so much one can bear on his own. I'll help you just like you tried to help others." The voice, even if unsettling, did not bear any sort of threat to it nor it seemed to be trying to lure him. It just sounded like a being who liked to talk.
"Thanks. Listen...I am really sorry here but..." Arden said fidgeting.
"Aimée Sila." The voice said. "It means 'friendly bond'. You should remember that much. You did give me that name after all." Arden raised an eyebrow at that.
"That's...the name of the...but..." He knew that name, he researched it. He wrote it down, he used it in a story. A story he never got around finishing. "But...the name belonged to..."
"We can talk later, you should sleep partner. Your job starts early tomorrow. And please handle it with care? This talent of yours and that blade. I'm guessing your gonna need both of them in the future." Arden nodded and closed his eyes. Once he repeated the procedure from before the world returned to normal, however before the final seconds passed he heard once more. "Keep the collar on, even though you figured out how to trigger it. It's your heart that governs the ability. If your heart desires to understand, it will trigger the change regardless of what your head says."
Once he had finished his change he put the necklace back in its rightful place. Then he heard "Who-whoo" Looking out his window he saw a black owl with yellow eyes staring straight at him. The peculiar thing was that the bird's eyes dilated as soon as it noticed the stallion staring at it and it flew away. "No way...don't tell me that impersonator can change into animals!" Arden muttered to himself.
In a cottage by the edge of the Everfree forest, a yellow pegasus received one of her friends back from the little errand she sent him off to do. The pegasus heard the tale the bird brought with him and once he had finished she gave him some treats as thanks and sent him on his way.
"Oh dear! T-that could be a problem...a-a possessed one h-hiding in plain sight." The Pegasus said to herself while trembling at the thought of him attacking the townsfolk or her. "I-I need to t-tell Rarity." Stuttering wasn't something that happened to her very often, but when she found herself scared forming words became a little difficult. After building up her courage she went off in the night to alert the seamstress.
In Canerlot's royal palace. The princess accompanied her student's late night studies session.
'Did those two have to shove into his face that piece of information? I am interested in his talent and how he is doing. He is a visitor from another world! And top of that he has potential to become very strong! Not to mention I am interested in how he is adapting...and interested in his future...I wonder how he will turn out...'
"Princess?" The lavender mare asked making her wake up. "Is everything okay? You've been aloof ever since you sent that stallion to Ponyville." The princess giggled at her student. 'Perceptive as always aren't you Twilight?'
"I am fine my dear. Just have a lot on my mind."
"Princess?"
"Yes?"
"Have you sent him any of my questions?" The princess bit her lip before answering that.
"I was waiting until Friday to sent them."
"Oh..okay then." The lavender unicorn said before returning to her books.
(The following day).
After another failed attempt to cook pancakes, which turned out salty and less burnt than the previous attempt, Arden found himself by the gat to the Apple family's farm. Arden placed his sword into the enchanted pocket, as well as the rest of his gear. Something about that bird in the previous night made him slightly uneasy. In fact, as he made his way to the farm he noticed that some of the critters living around town...had their eyes on him. Or at least that's how he felt, since everytime he would turn his head towards the little ones they would either run away or appear to be looking at the ground or the opposite direction. It was 5:57 AM.
'This day seems off...' The stallion thought to himself as he passed the gates, he was wearing the clothes rarity made him the previous day. Once inside he was greeted by a familiar female voice.
"Howdy Mr. Sila." The country pony greeted him by offering her hand for a handshake that he accepted. "Early rise, early finish?"
"Something like that." He answered paying close attention to the mare's eyes, trying to see if there was any trace of the glow in hers. He would need to keep on the lookout for that since he did not know how vast the number of disguises his stalker had. "So what will we be doing today boss?"
"Ah've already started to buck the threes for us to harvest them apples. You'll be getting them off the ground, put them in a bucket and take them to the barn where mah brother will select the ones for sale and the ones for our products." The mare explained cleaning a bit of sweat from her forehead. "After that, we'll be heading into town to sell them with our cart. You'll be pulling it with that magic of yours." Arden stared at her blankly after the last phrase. "What?"
"Nothing!" The stallion said shaking his head. "Let's begin!" The mare gave him a weird look before noticing he was still locked onto her eyes.
"Found something you like here partner?" She said teasing.
"Wha-?! No, no! I-I mean..." Arden said trying to fix another one of his stumbles. However, as soon as he noticed the mare muffling her laugh he tried to recompose himself. "*sigh* Let's just do the work shall we?" He said pulling up his sleeves.
He did his job just as instructed, while he was doing it though he noticed that Applejack had a dog. And this dog was following him around with like a guard would escort a prisoner during his sunbathe. 'What is going on here? I don't like this.' After a few rounds going back and forth, he noticed that the mare's brother would follow him to the barn's door every single time he came by to drop the apples. The guy was a giant both in height and in muscle mass, the sort of guy you would not want to piss off when you first laid eyes on the fellow.
'Seomething is really off...I better keep doing my job and pretend I'm not noticing. Otherwise, they might become even wearier.' He thought to himself as he finished another round. As he got out of the barn he was greeted by Applejack.
"Time for the sale?" Arden asked sweeping the sweat off his head. The sun was scorching him, the mare gave him a glass of water she was carrying with one of her hands. She had another one half-full on the other hand. Arden accepted it.
"You betcha! Ah, 'll be going on ahead to pick a place to park the cart." She said taking the glass from him and walking away. "See ya there. Good job so far."
"Thanks..." Arden said while placing the buckets on the ground by the barn's entrance. Then the unicorn went to the cart that was parked at the entrance. 'Since I have no magic for this task...time to put m back into it.' The stallion thought to himself as he positioned himself in front of the thing and started to pull the mobile store.
The cart was heavy but nothing he couldn't handle with a bit of effort. Once in town he noticed all of the ponies giving him confused looks, they were probably expecting him to be pulling the thing with magic. 'Too bad so sad for me. More spotlight for this guy who wants to keep a low profile.' Arden thought as he navigated through the village. He saw the cow-girl waving at him in the distance, she had a dumbfounded expression after she saw him pulling the cart without his magic.
Once the cart was placed at the spot selected by his boss, Arden put on an apron Applejack handed to him. This time his task was to place the number of apples requested by each client on a bag while the mare would handle the payment. Simple enough right? As Arden worked on his task he noticed something peculiar, there were no guards around. According to what he saw there were two guards stationed in town, small town and peaceful...no need for extra measures. But those guards were nowhere to be seen. Another thing he noticed was: 'Why is everypony looking at me with the back of their eyes?'
"You're alright there partner?" The mare spoke making the stallion drop an apple he had on his hand. He got the apple back and gave her a thumbs up. "Alright then. If you say so."
'Something is fishy here...and I don't like it.' Arden thought to himself as he continued with his task. Then he heard a considerable amount of ponies heading towards him. Rarity was leading them accompanied by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. 'Oh, I don't like this one bit.' But little did he know what was about to unfold. His uneasiness should have been heard.
'Ooooh, I bet I can use this to get him away from this place!' The queen thought to herself as she mingled in the crow with a new disguise. 'Then I can do my thing when he is all alone.'
'I can't believe I let a possessed work in my shop! Let alone ask Aj to give him a job! She is at risk and I am the one to blame. But I will remedy this!'
'I wonder if I should have left the guards there until Valkyrie and Mind arrived? The guards were made aware of his talent while the populace was not. He probably would not be trusted if they knew what he could do. Who wants others peeking around the feelings they try to keep hidden?'
'Are they willing to talk?' Arden thought to himself as he continued his work while a mob was assembling and heading towards him. 'Okay, Rainbow is cracking her knuckles. They are not willing to talk.' He concluded as he saw the mare prepare her fists in the distance. Then it occurred to him 'Shit. That owl yesterday must have been sent by one of the townsfolk. Magic is a thing here so having somepony who can talk to animals isn't that far-fetched. They must think I'm one of those possessed ponies...they will try to knock me out as many times as they need to get me back to normal. And since my eye will keep changing...shit. I'll turn to a fucking vegetable before they can *save* me!' He continued as the mob grew closer.
'Okay, calm down and think. There are scrolls back in the library. If I can get there and lock myself in I might have enough time to send Celestia a letter asking for help.' He thought to himself as he allowed an apple to fall underneath the cart. Once the mob approached enough he positioned himself behind the cart (from the mob's point of view) and kneeled down to reach the fruit. 'Please let this work. The only problem will be the blue one.' He thought to himself as he charged his magic.
'I still can't believe we're facing a possessed!' The cyan pegasus thought to herself as they approached. 'Especially when the royal guards left. And to top it all off this guy can hide the one trait that identifies them! This is going to be...AWESOME!' She said once they reached the cart and the stallion hid behind the mobile store.
"Alright, you weirdo!" She started getting in front of the group. "Come out of hiding and face us!"
No response, she, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie stepped closer. Still no sign of any resistance. Closer. Still no response, suddenly the sound of magic activating and the cart flipping over caught them off guard. Using her speed Rainbow created a gust of wind that tossed her friends back while she took up to the sky. Looking over the fallen cart she searched for her target, he was nowhere to be seen. 'What the? He couldn't have gone far, being a unicorn and all. They are very slow.' Rainbow thought to herself looking around, then she saw him bolting away towards the library at a speed that surprised her. His horn was glowing but no visible spell was to be seen which could only mean...
'Damnt it! He must be using doping magic! That's a pegasus regular speed!' Then she remembered that she saw him pulling the cart. If that was the case, he could have been forced to use that magic continuously since he arrived. Which would mean that he could at any moment...'SHIT! We need to stop him before he dies!'
"Get back here!" She shouted as she zoomed on the target. However, as soon as she was about to tackle him he turned around swinging his forearm upwards while summoning a shield. The move came too suddenly for her to react, the shield hit her on the jaw launching her upwards. She did two or three backflips before she managed to stabilize herself. That didn't make sense. The doping magic took time to switch between the enhanced attribute, what he just did was too fast. Not to mention one cannot use other types of magic while using the doping, yet the guy just triggered a shield summon. In a speed, she never saw before.
"That hurt you freak!" The pegasus shot starting her dive once again. This time however what stopped her was a wooden door that was slammed at her face. Then she heard the door locking up from the inside. 'Damn it!' The mare cursed trying to bust the door open, then a switch flipped on the back of her mind. 'The second-floor window!'
'Shit! I'm using all of my luck here!' Aeden thought to himself as he wrote in capital letters 'HELP' In a piece of paper before burning it with the ring. 'Don't dismiss the shield, don't dismiss the shield.' He still couldn't believe that he managed to use his shield as a hydraulic monkey to flip the cart.
*CRASH*
Arden just leaped sideways avoiding a strike from the cyan mare that ended up hitting the solid wood. Even if he never fought his reaction time was on point due to his gaming and constant pranking from his sister that kept tossing stuff at him at random times without warning. People would often get pissed at him for dodging attacks in fighting games and FPS when he was online, so you can get the picture.
'OUCH!' The mare thought to herself as she turned back towards the stallion. 'How in bloody Tartarus does he keep dodging my attacks? I didn't even announce my strike!' She thought to reassume her stance. What she saw was a stallion awkwardly shifting from one stance to another. 'Does he even know what he is doing? No matter, just remember: don't hit him with anything more than 610. Even with doping magic, any strike ten points above the unicorn's strength cap and he will pass out.'
Deciding not to give him room to breathe she attacked. He summoned another shield to defend himself, the force of her blow moved him backward. Then she saw stars after seeing him grab a wood statue that was sitting on a table. her ears were ringing as she heard. "I AM SORRY!" And saw the guy running away to the second floor.
'What the hay?'
'SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!' Arden thought as he jumped from the balcony. 'Okay just keep on the move until Celestia gets the letter and gets here.' The stallion continued on the run until he was tackled by an orange pony that came from an alley. He tried to struggle, but she was way stronger than him.
All the unicorn managed to do was get his left hand placed in front of her as he tried to block her attacks. Most of them got through, even if they were below his strength level he still felt the damage from the blows accumulating. 'Let's see if lightning strikes twice on the same spot.' He thought to himself as he positioned his free fist on her stomach, the mare was too focused on trying to knock him out with her attacks to notice his move.
Suddenly he made his shield spring into its regular size, with his control over it Arden managed to keep the shield placed on his forearm as a miniature version that made it look like an accessory. That was how he kept summoning it in the blink of an eye. The impact of the shield's expansion tossed the mare off of him and it also made her lose her breath. Arden took this opportunity to scramble away, then as he did it another blow took him by surprise and tossed him to the side.
The attacker this time was Rarity, Arden kept rolling after the first blast. The mare noticed and kept tossing volleys at him, she eventually stopped gasping for air and he took this chance to try and run. A pink blur, however, prevented it by tying him up with a rope without him noticing it.
"You, sir possessed, need to stop hurting my friends!" The pink mare said preparing to attack him. He responded by using his body to slam her.
"What proof you have that I am possessed?!" He cried as he tried to keep his balance and run away, the mare forgot to tie his legs.
"THIS!" Another voice cried out, this time he took a kick to his stomach. The attack tossed him towards a mob that quickly surrounded him and started to beat him up. Rocks, pans, those ponies took whatever they had at hand and started to bash him. Amidst the confusion, he managed to get free of the ropes, but at the cost of having his necklace broken when somepony tried to strangle him so he would pass out. As soon as the accessory broke a headache triggered.
'I won't be able to think straight without the necklace! No choice now! I want to understand!' He thought to himself as the affliction ceased. But the blows from the citizens were taking their toll, he felt his bones starting to crack. Using another shield he forced them to back away slightly. Then he spun his forearm around with the shield activated to force them to back away again.
'We got him cornered now!' The seamstress thought to herself as she finally caught her breath and saw the mob around the fallen stallion. Suddenly, the mob ran away from him screaming, then the seamstress saw the stallion standing up breathing heavily. On his forearm a round blue shield, but what really caught her attention were his eyes. One of them completely taken over by light while the other turned red, the once regular blue iris was now a brilliant blue. 'There it is! Fluttershy was right.'
Suddenly he started running again, but this time he was limping."OH! NO, YOU DON'T!" Shooting another blast Rarity made him fly into the fountain. The stallion came out of the water gasping for air. "How is he still standing?!" Then Rarity saw Applejack pull him out and start a beatdown, this time however she used her legs to lock his arms to the ground. Blow after blow Rarity winced the stallion take them head-on.
One of the blows cut his lip, another made him spit blood. Again and again and again he withstood the attack. Suddenly another voice echoed through the town.
"ENOUGH!"
Above them, she saw the princess descending from the sky rapidly. Princess Celestia used her magic to restrain, much to Rarity's surprise, Applejack! 'What is going on?!' The princess then rushed to the fallen stallion's side and started to check on him.
"What on Equestria's name do you think you're doing?!" The princess shot at the country pony that winced and started to sweat.
"B-b-but princess..." The mare finally managed to say. "...h-h-he is possessed!"
"What on Equestria are you talking about?! He..." Rarity witnessed the princess' eyes widen as she let the mare go and once again turned towards the stallion that was having trouble breathing while he kept his eyes closed. "Arden! Arden open up your eyes!" Then she inspected his neck after a few moments Rarity heard her ask. "Where is your suppressant?! Oh, stars...is this blood?! This is my fault!"
"N-no, it isn't." The stallion finally said, as soon as she heard his voice Rarity saw the princess sigh in relief. "I-It's these dammed eyes. T-They're at fault." He said before coughing up a bit.
"Let me see them!" The princess asked, pulling his head so that it would face her.
"I-I rather not." The unicorn said to the princess as he forced himself to be freed from her grasp, then he moved away dragging himself to the fountain and used it so he could sit. "They already made me scared enough as it is. If I use them now the situation won't improve."
'If I use them? What in Celestia's name is he talking about?'
"Very well," The princess said getting up. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could speak the stallion spoke up again.
"Please don't be angry with them! They're just scared." He said basically pleading. " *cough, cough* They were acting based on the information they had!" Was he...was he intervening in their favor? The ones who put him in that state?
"Are you serious?!" The sun Princess exclaimed. "Look at what they did to you!" The stallion's response was a thumbs up. " *sigh* Very well, Arden." She sad in a soft tone, then she turned towards the crowd of ponies that were gathering around. "Listen, and listen closely! This stallion is not a Possessed!" The princess started.
"He is a traveler that in the recent days arrived at Canterlot!"
'That much we knew...' Rarity thought to herself as the princess gave that information.
"He comes from another land distant from our own! Therefore there were no registers of his abilities or traits! Upon his arrival, we discovered that he also had a unique magic that we are yet to determine it's nature and full extent!"
'Now we're getting somewhere!' The seamstress thought to herself as her eyes widened. 'Wait...unicorn with unique magic that not even the princess know about?!'
"This magic, however, causes certain changes to him! Namely, his eyes change!"
"Yet that could be just a ruse, Princess!" A stallion shouted from the crowd. "How can you be sure?! Just knock him out!" The same voice shouted, this time however other ponies in the crowd started to follow.
"I am sure because Princess Miamore Cadenza checked him and assured me that he is not a danger to us! Not to mention he can revert the state at will!" The crowd fell silent. "Show them, Arden."
"I-I'll try!" Arden said frowning, after ten seconds he winced and opened his eyes. Rarity saw the stallion's eyes returning to normal just as the princess said. "Damn it."
"What's wrong?" The princess asked getting closer to him.
"Without the necklace, my head won't stop throbbing." The stallion said while he tried to crush his skull with his hands.
"As you can see the change is up to him! But he is yet to control his unique magic and talent! So at my personal request, he agreed to stop his wandering and stay with us so we could learn more about his magic and he could learn how to control it!"
'He was...here at the princess personal request! Oh, my stars just who did we attack?!'
"This town seemed ideal due to its pacific nature! However...due to an error on my part I assumed to be best to keep his ties to me hidden, as well as his talents! But as all of you witnessed it was a grave mistake." Rarity saw the regret o the princess' eyes as she took a glance back at the stallion. "So here is what we know so far about his magic: along with his ability that causes the eye change, he is the only known stallion to be born under the Virgo zodiac."
'T-ties? She seemed really bad for his condition...a-and a male born under the Virgo?! Who is that guy?!'
"We also know that even though he is a unicorn, his strength is well above that of a regular unicorn without the use of doping magic. As well as his resilience. That as far as we evaluated is equivalent to that of an earth-pony." Rarity's eye twitched.
'T-there is only one r-race that can have the traits of other pony races...don't tell me that he is an...an ALICORN?! B-b-but that would m-m-make him...a bloody prince!' Then the seamstress remembered about the ring as her mind went into meltdown. 'I can tell that the ring was enchanted...don't tell me that the ring is hiding his wings?! He never took it off! Fluttershy's animals can attest to that!'
"Therefore he is not a threat to any of you!" The princess finished frowning deeply at them. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I'll tend to his wounds."
"Don't trust him, Princess!" A male pegasus shouted from the crowd as he came forth. "There is no guarantee that he didn't use a spell on you or the Princess of love!"
"I'll handle this one Celestia." The fallen unicorn stated as he forced himself to stand once again. Once on his hooves, he limped towards the pegasus, stopping only when he was but a few inches from the pegasus. In that position, Rarity saw the unicorn lock his eyes into the pegasus' eyes. The flyer started to blush and sweat, after a few moments the unicorn formed a vile grin on his muzzle. The unicorn's eyes widened and he finally spoke as he slowly tilted his head. "I was riiiiight..." His voice sent a chill down the seamstress' spine and made the pegasus start to shiver. "I can seeeee you. You sad, saaad impersonator." The pegasus gasped as he moved backward while the unicorn limped forward.
Then the Pegasus' wings disappeared and a weird-looking horn appeared on its head, then it let out a deafening screech. Then it shouted with a female voice "Y-YOU IDIOT!" Then the creature caused a magical explosion that sent the injured stallion flying through the fountain's statue and caused a dust cloud.
Once the dust cloud finally dispersed, Rarity only caught a glimpse of the princess entering the library with the wounded stallion on her arms. 'I want to know more!' She thought to herself as she tailed them silently. The library's door was left unlocked so she slowly walked inside. That's when she started to eavesdrop the conversation that had already started.
"...yes the concept of herds also includes the marriages. As long as all of the participants are okay with it the ceremony can be held." Rarity blushed at that part.
'I think I might have walked in a sort of private conversation.' She thought to herself as she tried to make herself leave, her curiosity, however, took the best of her and made her stay.
"You know I'm just trying to make you forget about this right?" She heard Arden say. "But you're not helping here. It was my fuck up!"
"I-I...still..."
"Okay, I forgive you." The stallion said with a mild laugh before he grunted a little. "Better now?"
Then the seamstress heard another laughter, this time sounded like the princess', then she stated. "You haven't got the slightest bit of sanity, do you?"
"I thought that accepting to that ceremony in four years without any sort of resistance should have made that much clear!" The stallion said in a boastful tone that was followed by the princess' laugh once again.
"I guess you're right. Nopony in a position like yours would have taken that deal on the spot like that." The seamstress kept covering her mouth to prevent herself from gasping. 'A ceremony in four years?! Talking about herds?! A deal between them in a spur of the moment?! Don't tell me those two are engaged or something?! Just who is that stallion?!'
"So how's the preparation's for the big event?" The seamstress almost squealed at that.
"I'm already seeing into it. Rest assured it will be a day to remember. Especially since it will overlap with the Summer Sun Set celebration."
'Oh. My. Stars. They are going to marry at the celebration?!'
"I guess so. I'll be working on my preparations during these years. Then, perhaps, I'll be of use to all you." The stallion said with a different tone from before. "Because as of right now I'm as useful as a punching bag."
"It's isn't your fault that your conditions prevented from learning how to fight." The princess said in his defense. 'A unique stallion from a faraway land with unique abilities and a tragic story? And he is also in a romantic relationship with the princess! This is just too perfect!' Her inner fangirl was screaming while she was beaming at the conversation. "Besides..."
"Now, don't you dare to start mopping again! Ack!" The stallion ordered. "Listen, as proof that I do not hold this against you I'll share one of my favorites letters and favorite song from one of the stories I love the most from where I came from. Only if get that frown off your face." Silence followed for a few moments before he spoke once again. "Okay here it goes."
"Thinking of you, wherever you are.
We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.
Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
And who knows:
starting a new journey may not be so hard,
or maybe it has already begun.
There are many worlds, but they share the same sky —
one sky, one destiny."
'That...that was a beautiful poem...'
"Now, for the song. the song is called simple and clean."
Once the melody started playing the white unicorn felt her chest tighten. 'This song is...so sad. Yet...it...it...'
"That was a beautiful song, what is the story's name?"
"The name was Kingdom Hearts. I love this story. Heck, I still do."
Silence filled the room after that, then Rarity heard the princess say. "You'll need to keep that arm immobilized for some time. The bones are still fragile even after the healing. As for the rest, it will remain sore for some time but you'll be walking normally as of tomorrow, the arm, on the other hand, will take about two or three days to go back to normal." Then rarity heard the sound of a flame burning coming from the room. "Here is the replacement for your suppressant. I'll have to go now. But I'll instruct Walkyre and Mind to keep guarding you for the night. Okay?"
"Yes, mom." The stallion said. "Ouch! I'm still hurting you know?!"
"I know," The Princess said. "That's exactly why I did it." Silence, then laughter. "Have...have a nice day Arden."
"To you as well Celestia." Once again silence before the sound of a spell being cast echoed through the library. Rarity walked away slowly. Before she heard from behind her. "How much did you hear?" The mare froze in place. "I was told more than once that my hearing is incredibly annoying! So who's there?" Rarity broke into a sprint and got away from that place.
(Later that day)
"Ah still don't like that guy." The country mare said while they shared a few glasses of apple juice inside Sugar Cube Corner. "Ah saw the princess twitching! She was lying about him! Ah, am sure of it!"
"I agree with Aj," The cyan mare said. "No unicorn could run that fast without doping. And if it really is true about him being all weird...then he might as well be an alicorn or some other thing that looks like a pony!"
"I...uh..." The yellow pegasus tried to say. "I think he even scarier than before now..."
"I think he is weird." The pink mare said earning an ironic gaze from all of the other mares. "What? He is! Arden Sila? More like Arden Silly!"
"I...I don't know what to think anymore..." The seamstress finally spoke. "The conversation I overheard suggest that he is VERY close to the Princess..."
"Then Ah suggest that we keep a close eye on the fellow." The country pony proposed. "Just to be sure he doesn't try any funny business."
"I'm with Aj."
"I agree! He is really freaky! Silly, freaky!"
"I...I...I agree."
"I'll do it as well. I am curious about what 'unique' magic he has." The seamstress said trying to imagine what his preparations for the ceremony were and what was he able to do that caught the attention of the Princess. And one question, in particular, was repeating itself in her head: Just who is he?
Five days had passed after the entire 'Possessed' incident. Arden was back to health and he finally started to receive the letters from the princess' student. He was amazed at how many questions she could fit in one piece of paper, the first one had around sixty questions. All of them were simple to answer so covering the subject was just a matter of hours. Then he actually took the liberty to ask her for some notes about history and provided extra info on random subjects that came to his mind which included: literature, movies, technology and so on. 'I wish I could see her face when she receives all of this.' The unicorn thought to himself as he placed the answers on the inside of an envelope and sent it.
In the past few days, he also started his training. Walkyrie took it easy on him after she heard about what happened and Mind gave him some vials to help with the pain. So far the only thing he did was physical conditioning: running laps, sit-ups, push-ups and so on. Walkyrie said his actual training would begin after a week over the incident, that way the magic spells from Mind would have healed him completely.
During the third day of his recovery, he also received a visit from Celestia. But he wasn't in the best of moods to talk about what happened again so he decided to ask about something that was bothering him: the power measuring thing she used on his first day in Equestria. As it turns out the description of it as 'power level' was just a stupid a name that the creator of the measuring system came up with, based on the more detailed description from the princess Arden assumed that a better name would be 'mastery level' or 'power outlet'. Since it actually measured how well the pony could control their traits such as strength, speed, resilience, and stamina consumption.
Basically, the number was calculated based on the strongest strike because it was the easiest way to see how much force the subject could bring forth without any sort of backlash and the difference between species was their affinity to control their different traits. For example, Pegasus could control their overall speed and stamina consumption, while on earth ponies their affinities ruled over strength and resilience. The higher the number, the more control you had over your magic to use your body and achieve greater feats without the use of spells.
As for the other measuring that Celestia used, it was called 'magical potential', this one was more literal. According to her, the spell allowed to see the magical aura that surrounds the unicorn, determining their potential to control new spells. Unlike the 'power level', this trait was measured according to the size of the aura and it was immutable (she seemed to want to avoid this part of the explanation and kept fidgeting whenever he tried to press on the matter), while the 'power' could be changed until they got to the species cap.
Now, back as to how his situation was with the town. After he woke up in the following day of the incident, Arden decided to take a stroll through town. Since he could already walk, the only issue was the pain from the blows. Once outside, he noticed that the locals were avoiding him. He initially dismissed the behavior, he saw how scared they were during the event. Not to mention Celestia's intervention made things worse, after all, if he hadn't intervened she would have probably come up with some sort of punishment for the entire place given how she reacted.
However, as the behavior persisted despite his best attempts to approach them he started to get pissed off. And his employers weren't helping either. In his first day, they at least made small talk to him, it is a way for people to start to talk to each other when they don't know each other well enough to start something naturally. This world was no different, but after the incident, they would only talk to him to give him his tasks for the day. This was pushing him to the edge.
Back to present time, Arden found himself at the Apple's doorstep to begin his work. However, it didn't matter how many times he knocked on the door, there was no answer. "Grrrrr...YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS WANT ME OUT JUST SAY IT! I AM GETTING TIRED OF THIS SHIT!" He cried out before leaving the place.
'At least I can still try Rarity's place, there is always something to do there.'
"Was that Arden?" The cowgirl asked after hearing the cries from outside, her brother looked through the window. "Shoot! He had to be outside today? The day when she comes to town?" Then the mare facepalmed. "He wouldn't know about her because of our suspicions...that prevented us to talk to him. Though the fellow seems to have lost some screws...the guys been acting off after the incident. Allways gazing into space and not talking to anypony." She continued as she took off her hat and looked through the window.
"I guess that the last part is our fault...we should have at least given the guy a chance to get used to us. Even if we kept our guard up both parts would have at least a chance to find some common ground..." She said looking out the window. "As of right now...both he and our folk need to do something so both parties can have a second chance." She finished closing the window and heading back to her room.
Back in town, Arden was getting even more pissed. Now everypony in town was locked back in their houses. "DO ALL OF YOU GUYS JUST WANT ME GONE?!" The silence was the only thing that followed the echo of his voice throughout the empty streets.
*CRASH, THUD*
This sound made Arden look for its source, looking around he saw a cloaked figure trying to gather some fragments of a barrel and some pieces of broken glass. He silently rushed to behind the figure. "Hey, you okay there? " The figure winced and looked at him with the back of its eye before they ran off. "Wait up!" Arden said reaching out, he considered stopping there...what was the point of going after them? He would just scare them off even more, but as soon as he noticed to where the figure was heading he started to chase it.
"Don't go there! It's dangerous!" Arden's cries fell on deaf ears since the figure entered the Everfree. "Shit." Hesitating a bit Arden ran after them. Trying his best to catch up with them he continued to follow the cloak, however, he eventually lost sight of it. 'Crap! This is bad. I have to find that pony!'
The unicorn continued to run through the forest, eventually, he saw in the distance a clearing with something blue on the ground. As he got closer Arden managed to identify that he was looking at a vividly colored flower. 'That usually points to things being poisonous...or mimicking something poisonous...best to go around them.' He thought to himself turning around. As he did he bumped into something that almost made him fall into the flower-bed, his fall was stopped by something pulling his forearm.
"One should not allow the touch of the poison-joke. That is unless one wishes to become a joke." It was a female voice.
"So they are poisonous..." Arden muttered as he got his balance back with the help of the figure. "...I was planning on going around them." Arden explained before he remembered why he entered the forest and grabbed the figure's shoulders. "Never mind that! Are you okay?"
"This one has no injury." The figure answered.
"Thank, Celestia!" Arden said letting out a sigh. "Alright then, let's get you back in town. This place is dangerous." He said grabbing her hand and starting to lead the figure back.
"Dangerous this place is. Yet here you set hooves." The figure said breaking away from his grip. "Why?"
"Because you ran into this place after you saw me?" The Stallion said tilting his head, inside his mind he was celebrating the fact that this pony was actually talking to him. "If something happened to you it would have been my fault."
"In danger, you ventured, for the sake of one you do not know?" The figure said taking off her hood, revealing a zebra with green eyes. Arden didn't react to the revelation, he just kept looking at her. 'Her voice is...very nice. She talks funny...but I like it.' he thought to himself. "This one's appearance does not frighten you?"
"Uhhhh...what?" Arden answered tilting his head. "Should I be scared? You're a zebra, what's the big scary thing that should make me tremble in fear?" Arden said making a theatric gesture of being afraid, 'It feels good to be talking to somepony about something that isn't about work.' Then Arden noticed the zebra had her eyes wide open and had her jaw hanging. He reached for her jaw and using his index finger he forced her mouth to close.
"A local you are not. From where does the blue one come?" She said shaking her head a few times before she started talking.
"Somewhere pretty far away." He answered bluntly. "So...how about we get to somewhere safe so we can tlak more at ease?"
"A conversation you wish to hold? In that case to my hut, we should go." She said smiling and pulling him by the wrist. 'Hey! I found somepony who doesn't get suspicious right away! BEST DAY EVER!' The mare seemed as eager to talk as he was.
As she led him he eventually saw a hut with a mask hanging on the door. "Hey! I recognize this place!" He said making the mare stop to look back at him.
"You know of this place?" The Zebra asked tilting her head.
"When the princess sent me to the village a little mishap of the spell tossed me in the middle of the forest. So I ended up being chased by a local creature and ran past this hut." Arden explained scratching the back of his neck. "I didn't know there was somepony out here."
"There is, this one lives as one with the forest as her culture dictates. And as her choice." She said smilling. 'Somepony is really happy about this conversation...well she isn't the only one.'
"So...we're gonna go inside or...we're gonna sit by the door? I'm fine either way." Arden said playfully earning a chuckle from the mare. "After all, I've been waiting to have a normal conversation with somepony that wasn't the princess or my teachers...or about something that wasn't working." He said dropping his shoulders.
"This one can say that she's been waiting for a chance to talk as well." She said heading towards the door and opening it. "Come inside, since out here beasts tend to hide."
Arden took the invitation and got through the door. The inside looked like something out of a fairy tale book, a witch's house. Creepy masks on the wall, a big cauldron over a fire on the center of the room. Shelves filled with old-looking books, plants, and herbs hanging all over the place. A little side room with a small table with just two bowls and some spoons, another one with a bed made out of leaves and grass covered by an old sheet. A humble place but comfy, the entire place was warm and had a pleasant scent hanging in the air.
"Nice place," Arden said getting closer to a mask, this mask was round and red with something that looked like an evil grin. "I know these have some sort of meaning behind them. What does this one mean?"
"These do not scare you?" A voice came from behind, Arden just answered by moving his index finger sideways without turning around. "That one means 'welcome'."
"Neat, I bet a lot of ponies would assume that is some sort of cursing or chanting thing," Arden said turning around, "Nice clothes." He said noticing that she took off the cloak and revealing what she was wearing. It looked like a daishiki and a kitenge wrapped around her waist. The Daishiki was white on the upper part and orange for the lower part, while the Kitenge was a bright yellow with some blue shapes sown into it. "Is that A Daishiki and a Kitenge?" Arden researched a lot of different myths and stories when he could and as a result, he ended up learning a bit about different cultures. While researching somethings about African myths he ended up stumbling into some of the names of some of the traditional clothing of the continent.
"Quite knowledgeable you are. Usual garments of my land indeed they are." She said opening her arms and spinning around to show him the clothes. "What does the cerulean stallion think?"
"They look nice." He answered, then he remembered something. "Where are my manners? My name is Arden Sila. It means 'strong bond'. And you are?"
"Zecora is my name. Healing the mind and body is my craft." She answered making a reverence.
"A healer that isn't a unicorn! That is amazing!" Arden exclaimed.
"One does not wish to pry...but as far as this one knows..." The zebra started biting her lip every time she stopped. "...those marks represents one's talent. What is yours?"
"Oh...that..." Arden looked at the ground when he tried to answer. "...it has to do with my magic. Why do you ask?"
"A unique and beautiful eye it is. For that, this one's attention it's caught." She answered fidgeting a bit. The answer made Arden smile. 'Now that's a first.' Seeing his smile the mare asked another question. "If it isn't a monumental task, could please allow me to see?"
"Er...are you sure?" Arden asked staring at her, she nodded. "Really sure? The last time somepony saw it I ended up being attacked by an entire village." He started looking around and seeing some weapons that were placed near her, namely a short sword that looked like it was made out of brass, a spear, and some daggers. Then he returned his attention to the mare that came closer and nodded positively once again. "*sigh* Okay...just...promise to not hurt me, please?" The stallion said reaching for the lock on the necklace and taking it off.
"That stone comes from my land." The zebra said once she saw the stone in the necklace. "A stone that suppresses a pony's talent. But if enchanted can be some much more than one bargained. Magical flames, elemental domain, sealing of a soul. Such a versatile yet devious stone." Arden's eyes widened at her revelation, but he didn't keep his surprise for long since the headaches started again.
"Does your mind ache whenever the suppressant is not in place?" Arden nodded positively. "It would seem that the blue one does not appreciate what makes him unique."
"What?"
"The stallion is just a new form of a traveler's soul is it not?" The mare asked making the Stallion put back the necklace so he could pay attention. "Would you perhaps a human be?" Arden's eye twitched at her statement.
"H-how?" The mare gave him a smile and came to his side and guided him to the room with the table and gestured for him to sit before she continued.
"Familiar with the author Jack Reacher you are?" Arden answered with a positive nod. "Jack Reacher is but an alias to a human turned into a stallion known whose actual name was Artur." She said leaning to the side and getting a hand-mirror that was resting on the table. "The traveler first appeared on our homeland. There he learned about his talent of transferring the of the living souls into objects so they could live on as long as the object resisted." Arden was paying close attention to her every word, his gaze fixed on her eyes as she spoke. "He believed that his talent allowed others to be with their beloveds for more time. Much to his despair, he discovered that his magic had the side effect of torturing the trapped soul inside the object. By the time he discovered his nature he had already used his spell again and again without failing once and had already traveled throughout our world. As well as written his book about creatures of myth."
"But this is not the lesson he passed on through his life." She said getting up and reaching for a book on a shelf. "The discovery of his talent's true nature made him reject his very existence. The symptoms he felt after were registered in another book he this time wrote under his real name." She explained placing the book on the table and sitting once again 'The affliction of a mind broken by the truth.' Arden read to himself. "His initial signs were headaches, later evolving to multiple diseases, madness and so forth. Only in his death-bed, in one of his few lucid moments, did he accept what his talent could do and the symptoms that plagued him subsided giving him two more years of life before his body died of old age and he died with 70 years of experiences."
'So I'm not the first one here...but the last one seems to have been sent to the past while I was sent to more recent years...that's how he knew about the title of a fairly recent movie.' Arden thought to himself as he studied the book.
"Wait," Arden then said looking back at the mare. "So what you're saying is that my headache is because of me rejecting my talent?"
"For what this one has seen..." She started. "...your progression towards the other symptoms came with without delay. But you are young so there is time for the damage to be undone." Arden started to think about what she had just said.
"You don't mean that I..."
"Mad as a hatter, this one would not lie on this matter. The stallion wanders the streets with empty eyes. Paying no heed to those who attempt to approach." Arden started to question his current state and everything that he saw during the past few days. "One has described an attack in the past. A healer's guess is that the event triggered a quick decay in your condition making your mind deteriorate."
Suddenly in Arden's mind, he remembered the hearts of the citizens. 'A monster! He's gonna kill us! He is lost! Somepony please saves us from it!' Then he remembered his own words: 'It's these damned eyes fault!'. Going further into his memories he remembered his theatrics back at the throne room...'I wasn't afraid of what they would do...I was afraid of what I could do with this.'. Arden's mind began to burst with anger towards himself and the villagers, as well as Celestia.
'I put myself in this condition because I listened to my teachers and rejected my empathy, the source of my talent...and the village made it worse with their rushed judgment about me. Celestia also made it worse by telling me to hide this! To suppress it! God damn it! Everypony is to blame! Me above all else! I etched their teachings into my head! I listened to her advice! But they are no innocents either! They could have given me a chance to explain! She could have tried to help me understand my talent before sending me off! But nooo, she had to make me suppress it!' He was lost in these thoughts, he didn't even notice himself gritting his teeth and clenching his fists.
"Are you okay?" The mare asked making him snap back into reality. He then noticed that he was practically tearing through his skin with his nails. Suddenly he felt his eyes start to water, all the anger...all the fear he felt during these past few days and that he kept locked up finally came to light as he realized what he was doing to himself. Then he thought 'Wait...is...is this enough?'
He reached for his necklace once again. Once he removed it, however, the pain came even worse than before. The world was beginning to twist and warp before his very eyes. The masks began to move and talk, Arden quickly replaced the necklace on its original place as he breathed desperately.
"H-how does one treat this affliction?" The unicorn asked drying his tears.
"One would require a healer trained to deal with this affliction. But the treatment has to be followed down to the letter. Otherwise the ill will be nothing but a soul." She explained. "This mare is trained in such a craft. You, however, would need to stay here for the treatment to take have its effect." She continued. "The treatment will use potions that will cause you to enter a state of trance for several hours. In that state, the core of your rejection you will need to uncover and overcome."
"For how long would I need to do this?" He asked with his gaze fixed on hers.
"Up to your mind that would be." The zebra said crossing her arms. "From days to months, years are not out of the realm of probability." She continued getting up. "But there is no guarantee that you-"
"I'll do it." He answered with certainty. "Please help me. I don't know how I could pay for the treatment. But I'll do whatever it takes!"
"In that case, to my home, you must return by tomorrow so you can begin. As for the payment, a pony to talk will be more than enough. The solitude does not feel good after a long while." Arden agreed with a nod as he got up.
Then the mare guided him back to the forest. Along the way, she explained that the necklace was keeping the symptoms in check to a certain extent, but since the ponies in town triggered his decay, the mere sight of them was causing him to hallucinate to a certain degree. Hence why he was having hallucinations of himself attempting to interact with other ponies without realizing, the greater distortions were being kept in check by the suppressant. She also instructed that he would need to cease all contact with the ponies that could be related to the problem during the treatment since they could worsen his state. Therefore his ring would need to be left behind.
During his way back he also learned that Zecora was also a huntress, some of her potions required parts and fluids from creatures like timberwolves and manticores. So basically she would be placing herself at risk to get the ingredients for the potions required for the treatment. Once back in town it was 6:37 PM, everypony was still locked down so he rushed back to the library after saying goodbye to him. Getting a quill he wrote down three letters, two letters identicals and one that he sent away using his ring. By the time he finished them it was around 9:42 PM. Arden kept trying to come up with the right words. With the other letters ready he placed his ring in one of the envelops, he had two copies of the keys to the library so he placed one copy in each envelope. With these items ready and his things packed up he prepared to head out first thing in the morning.
At 2:00 AM he left the library and made two stops before heading into the Everfree.
In the previous night Princess Celestia was going through the answers that Arden sent with Twilight when she received another letter from the stallion.
'Celestia
It would appear that my headaches are actually symptoms of a sickness that affects those who reject their talents, that sickness will develop and eventually kill me if not treated. However, I met a pony who can treat this affliction. But...I won't sugarcoat this. You, the ponies of Ponyville, and myself played a part in making my state decay, your desire to keep it hidden, made me become even more fearful of my talent than I originally was (please be aware that I did not know about my fear consciously, I only came to realize this today once the origin of the headaches was explained to me).
In order to prevent my condition from decaying even further, I will need to cut all contact with everypony related to this development during all of the treatment. So I'll be forced to leave this ring with somepony for safe-keeping. I will overcome this and once this is over I'll need to actually sit down and talk to you about what happened.
Still your friend, Arden Sila.'
The Princess felt tears form in her eyes as she read the letter, once she finished she left the piece of paper fall. Her student picked it up and once she read it she did she went to her tutor's side and comforted her.
In the following morning, the seamstress woke up and as she went to unlock her front door and found a letter at her doorstep.
'Rarity,
I'm contacting you so that I can ask you a favor and ask for forgiveness, as much as I am angry right now with both you and all of the townsfolk I need to seek treatment to a condition that both the ponies of this town, the sun princess and I are responsible for. I am rejecting my talent and as a result, I was slowly decaying, the incident with you guys ended up triggering the disease to escalate way too quickly.
So I am currently leaving town to receive treatment from a healer that I met that has been trained to treat this. As part of the treatment, I'll need to cut connections throughout the entire course (that has no estimated time to finish). But I have one job to the library, so here I come to ask that you please open the library. I know nopony in town currently trusts me. Just like I didn't trust you with my story. But I plead with you to do this for me.
You have no idea how much resentment I kept locked up after that beatdown. But I am willing to try again once this ordeal has been seen through. This time maybe both sides can be more honest about their stories.
As for the apology... it is my understanding that I've been off these last couple of days. Whatever I did to you or anypony I was not aware. The sickness made me hallucinate, my mind made me see myself trying to interact with all of you.
Sincerely a possible friend, Arden Sila.
PS: I sent a similar letter to Applejack in case you do not wish to help me with the library. Inside the envelope, there is a copy of the library key and...my ring. Please take good care of it.
The seamstress covered her mouth as she read the words. When she finished she analyzed the ring he sent. Later that day she had Pinkie Pie gather everypony in town to explain the stallion's disappearance. With Applejack backing her up the townsfolk actually agreed that they would need to give him a chance once he returned. Applejack convinced them that he was willing to give them a chance, so they should do it as well. Not to mention that in her letter he stated that he would keep his guard up towards them, so he would be alright with them doing the same thing, in the end, both sides would need to find a way to try to make this work.
Arden stood at the doorstep of the huntress of the Everfree, he knocked and she answered immediately.
"Please come in." Accepting her invitation he stepped into the hut that would be his home for quite the while.
"So...how is this going to work?" The stallion said taking a seat at the table while Zecora sat down on the opposite side. "Once I wanted to be a healer myself. But due to a lot of twists and turns, I ended up as a library keeper..." Arden explained to the mare. "The point being I like to know about healing procedures."
"This one understands. I'll provide the potion, once you drink it you will enter a state of trance. While in that state. You may have a fever and other side effects. This mare will have to control those symptoms during the entirety of the trance, each session lasts for about five to six hours. And upon awakening, you will feel exhaustion, starvation, and pain. Therefore, this one shall conduct the sessions around 3:00 PM." The mare explained drinking some sort of tea she also offered him. As he heard the explanation he remembered all the procedures he read about and the risks and side effects they carried. 'Hey...rare disease equals drastic treatment. I'm just glad that there is a treatment.'
"What about the rest of the day?" Arden asked once he noticed she had finished her explanation and was focusing on her tea.
"For that...your mind must not be focused on the treatment until you're at the session. So we'll need to make you focus on something other than the illness." She said placing the cup on the table.
"Why don't you teach me how to identify medicinal herbs and hunt? That way I can help with the treatment." The Stallion suggested, he was very curious about what she knew after learning about she being a huntress and a healer. The zebra blushed as he said that. "Er...not a good idea?"
"Tracking and learning about my concoctions as well as the herbs required for the craft I can teach." She said as she looked down moving her gaze from the stallion to the ground. "To teach how to fight and kill beasts as well as ponies and other beings...in my culture, we can only teach our ways to...to our mate. The same goes for the males..." Arden nearly choked on the tea once he heard that part.
" *cough, cough* S-sorry! I-I didn't know it was that personal. I-I will settle for the tracking skills and the potions thing." He said trying to undo his screw up. "We barely know each other so please just forget I said anything in that regard." He continued to fidget until he slammed his head on the table. "Just forget everything I just said. I'll just..."
"What is the blue one waiting for?" He heard from the mare, looking up he noticed she was putting on some light leather armor over her usual clothes. "Morning hasn't begun and we must cover our ingredients before the appointed time. Since an acolyte of my craft, you became. More time I'll require to collect all of the herbs and teach you about their uses. As well as the tracking. Both require time, so lingering here won't help your lessons." She said giving him a smile and putting on her cloak.
"Oh...ok!" He said getting on his hooves he reached for his pockets as to put on his traveling gear. But the mare pulled him away from the pocket.
"If learning you desire, my ways are required." She said before heading to the room with the bed and returning with a pair of pants and a waist armor. "These are the clothes of an acolyte tracker and potion maker. Put these on. The search is on." She said tossing him the clothes and heading outside.
"What did I just get myself into?" He asked himself as he donned the clothes.
Meanwhile, in the princess' chambers, the sun princess was pondering over the contents of the letter she received in the previous night. 'What have I done?! Once again I focused on my own interests and caused one of my subjects pain. And once again I might have signed somepony else's death sentence.' She thought to herself as she gazed upon the moon, It was still 3:02 AM. She did not sleep on the previous night, she was sitting on her bed. Twilight was fast asleep on her lap as Celestia stroke her student's mane.
"And of all the ponies I could have hurt this time...it had to be the one that caught my eye. I guess...the title and the age do not always go hand-in-hand with wisdom." She muttered to herself as she continued to pet her student. "He wrote 'still your friend'...I guess it must've really hurt him." She sighed turning her gaze to the moon once more. "Luna, do you still consider yourself my friend?"
Looking through the window by her bed she could see right underneath the moon the Village to where she sent the newcomer. Then she thought to herself about what she should do, the stallion had a point. "Making him hide his talent...I should have tried to help him understand it...what should I do now?"
"*yawn* If...If keeping his talent hidden...*yawn*" Twilight said opening her eyes and slowly turning upwards to face Celestia. "...hidden is the problem, why not just tell everypony about it? Since he is the only one that has it, there would be no need to worry about it anymore." Celestia looked back at her student.
'What about the possible backlash? His talent could make a lot of ponies weary...no this is the line of thought that got us into this mess. Even if his talent can be seen as a problem by some ponies...this way he wouldn't have to hide it. He could simply live with ponies that like him or not. Like the rest of us, perhaps it could really be better this way?' The princess thought to herself as she looked back at one of the pieces of the puzzle to stopping Nightmare upon her return. 'It would be worse to leave thing as they are...nothing ventured nothing gained.'
"I'll give it a try Twilight." The Princess said smiling at her student. "Thank you, we'll both deal with whatever comes after that later."
"Princess?"
"Yes? My student."
"What is his talent?"
"His eyes change, and when they do he is allowed to see into the heart of the creature his gaze is placed upon. Seeing what the being keeps locked inside them, no lies, no illusions. Only the truth about somepony else's feelings." Looking back at her student she saw her eyes beaming and a huge smile on her face.
"He is like Candance!" Celestia nodded before she said more.
"But he not only can he hear the voice of another's heart. He can feel what the pony feels just as strongly." Celestia continued as her student sat back up and started to write down what she was saying. "From what I've seen, he also has the same potential for magic as you. But he is limited to creating a small shield that is more resilient than your brother's strongest shield." Twilight frowned at that. "I tested it myself. And another peculiar thing about him...he is as strong as an earth pony."
At this moment the Princess noticed that Twilight's brain seemed to come to a fritz. "I assure you, he did not use doping or anything of the sort. He has a power level of 1200." She then saw Twilight breaking her quill. "And...and...on top of being from another world...he...he was a human before he got here." At this moment Twilight's eyes rolled up and she fainted. "*sigh* I guess I should leave that last part out." The princess said lifting her student with her magic and placing her on the bed.
'But...did I push him far enough so that I couldn't reach him anymore as anything other than a friend?' She thought to herself as she laid down so she got close her eyes for at least a little while.
"Now, these tracks are old. So no worries are to be had from the wolves of timber." Zecora explained as the stallion closely analyzed the tracks she pointed to him. 'Very attentive he is. A diligent student he shall be.'
For the last seven years, when she decided to venture out on her own at the age of 17, she had been alone just for being a foreigner. So having somepony to talk and interact to was a much-welcomed change of pace. They passed the entire morning collecting the herbs, every time she talked she noticed him paying close attention to every single detail. Without looking away from her for even a moment he would keep close and pay heed to every single one of her warnings and directions. 'A truly diligent student indeed.'
When they returned it was about 12:28 PM, he carried all of the herbs giving her more mobility. Once they made their way back she pointed to him where he could place their harvest, while he took care of that she returned to her room and took off her cloak and her armor. 'One has to wonder what he can do. And his eyes are still as unique as his mark. Heterochromia is something quite rare in this place. One black as the deepest cave, the other blue as the brilliant sky.'
Once she returned to the main room she saw him looking out her window. "Something of the matter?"
"What? Oh, no, no." He answered looking back at her. "Just seeing if I can see any animals out there."
"The scent you caught here serves more than making a pleasant air. The beasts are kept away by it." She explained picking some edible plants from her storage along with some bread she made herself. "The morning was long but very productive. A good meal will do good for this ill." She said inviting him to sit with her on the table.
Together they ate, for the first time in seven years she shared a meal with another being. "So...does the unicorn have any questions so far? The teachings can be tough, but this one can aid with no delay." She then noticed the stallion was looking at her with his ears dropped. "Plagued by something your mind is?"
"I-I...It's just that..." The zebra began to wonder what was making the stallion act that way, perhaps he was homesick? "Listen, I feel bad for starting to live here and have you teach me about potion making and tracking." He said placing the food on the table. "On top of that, you are giving me food, treating my illness while the only thing I offer is somepony to talk to...I don't think it is enough."
"For one who had no companion for seven years, having a being who will listen to this one's teaching is quite the payment." Then she drifted her gaze through his body, the stallion didn't have a single mark on his body that pointed to him being a warrior, his build wasn't anything to notice...but something about him made her feel at ease. Then she remembered something she was yearning to see. "If payment is what you have mind. There is something if you wouldn't mind." She said getting up and gathering a bunch of herbs then mashing them together on a pestle. Once the mix was ready she made a tea she was taught how to brew. "A tea to ease the symptoms of the illness for a short while. Please drink it and show me your other eyes. More than enough that will be." The stallion took the cup, but before he drank it she warned. "Careful you should be. Very bitter this tea can be."
She watched the stallion look at the mix, then he drank the entire thing in one swing. After that, he started to cough before he took a deep breath and reached for the necklace. He took it off and placed on the table, then she watched as he remained with his eyes closed and said in a clear tone. "I want to understand."
Then he opened his eyes, Zecora opened her eyes even wider. She stared at the two different eyes that stood before her, one with a brilliant light emanating from it. The other red as blood at its sclera and iris blue as the brilliant flowers she prevented him to fall into. However she noticed that he did not dare to look at her, he kept his gaze in such a manner that she could see both eyes, but never gazing at her.
"Is something wrong?" She asked trying to get directly in front of his eyesight. Arden, however, kept looking away. "Why won't you look at me?"
"Because if I do...I'll hear your heart and feel what you're feeling." He answered turning away from her once again. "The first time this happened I ended up with a spear being pointed at me."
"There is no need to fear." She said placing her hand on his shoulder and using the other to make him look at her. "This one wishes to know what you'll hear."
The stallion finally had his gaze fall upon her, once he did a soft and gentle smile formed on his face. "I'm so glad...that I'm making you feel at ease...and I'm so glad that you are happy for the company. Please know that I am just as grateful for being here with you as you are." Zecora smiled back at him, he read perfectly. The stallion that met her for one day, had a sensibility that allowed him to understand how she felt about the entire situation. And his talent made him able to understand her even further by digging what she wanted to say from her chest.
From the moment she started to talk and invited him the previous day she wished to tell him how happy she was about the event. But she feared that would scare the only pony that dared to talk to her in so long, so she kept her words of gratitude to herself. Yet he exposed them with a simple look at her.
"A truly remarkable gift! Such a sight could bring so much into the light! The reasoning behind an act. The truth behind a war!" The zebra said as she watched the stallion close his eyes for ten seconds before putting the accessory back on. 'Both of them are truly a sight to be held!'
"Or how much I could manipulate somepony." He said opening his eyes once again and she saw them returning to normal. Then she saw him blushing, at this point she realized that she was just a few inches away from his face. She felt her temperature rise before backing out and getting back on her hooves. Then she went to get a vial with the concoction she prepared the previous day.
"T-to my room, we must go. There the session shall be held." She said without looking at back at Arden. After she took her place she saw him come in and sit down. "All of the vial's content you must drink. Then you the sickness you'll begin to treat." The stallion took the vial and without hesitation followed her directions before he laid down her bed.
"See ya on the other side." He said to her before closing his eyes again. Then she began to gather some basic healing potions and ointments to counter any side effects from the mix he just drank.
Arden felt his body become lighter as he laid down the huntress bed and closed his eyes after saying: "See ya on the other side."
After that, he opened his eyes again and saw a familiar form. In front of him, he saw his former human-self standing before him. Only without a face, Arden recognized his body due to the traits he was so familiarized with. "Let me guess, you re the version of me that wants to give up on everything and will try to make me give up as well."
"Not at all." The faceless human said, his voice was distorted into a very deep pitch. "I am your guide. The potion you friend gave you makes the mind generate a construct to guide the patient through his mind during the trance. A very difficult potion to brew, after all...it requires a bit of the brewer's blood to finish the preparation." Arden would have raised an eyebrow at that if he had one since he hadn't he just tilted his head. "I will show you the memories related to your complex. But it will be up to you to find the pieces of the puzzle in each of them, hidden at the weak points of your memories. Once you find all the pieces you'll be able to reach the core of the problem." The figure explained.
"And where is said problem?" Arden asked looking around and noticing he was back into being a foggy creature.
"You tend to be a bit straight to the point so..." The figure raised it's hand and pointed to a huge locked chest right behind him.
"Is it going to play the Legend of Zelda's chest opening theme when I do?" Arden asked looking at the ridiculously big chest that went all the way up to the half of his torso.
"Hahaha...No I don't think so..." The figure said walking all the way to his side. "Now for the very first one."
When it finished saying that Arden saw the empty background disappear and he saw for the turn into the first time he showed his empathy. During his grandfather's funeral at the age of six, Arden saw his child self and everyone in the event to be crying, while the little one just wandered around. Arden remembered that he felt sad, but not enough to cry. While it was true that he lost his grandfather, he still remembered him and he remembered how he was before passing away, so he thought that his relative being gone was better. Then Arden saw his own father, much like himself, his father wasn't crying.
However, as Arden approached him Arden felt his chest get tighter and he started to cry, and he cried more and more until he passed out. Only to wake up two days later in a hospital with both of his parents by his side, that's when he remembered himself telling his father to not be sad that Arden's grandfather died. Arden's father was taken by surprise by his words and asked him how he knew. The little one's answer was: "You were crying during the funeral." After that Arden undertook exams to see if there was anything that pointed out how he could have understood his father's feelings when every person in the funeral swore that the man looked like a stone statue.
That's when Arden realized: 'I remember...I was afraid of the doctor's tests, I knew that they saw me as something unusual. I felt that me being able to feel that was off based on their reaction.' Then the foggy creature saw something inside the chest of his child self. Reaching for it he pulled out what looked like a piece of a key. "Is this what I was looking for?" He asked the figure that turned to him.
"No, but is the first step towards the core you're searching for." The being said pointing at the child form of Arden, that was frozen in time. "Look at yourself and think: do you need to feel weird for being different? Maybe for being taller than other people? For being smaller? Perhaps paler?"
"No," Arden answered.
"What is the concept of normal? What justifies the act of rejecting what makes you yourself?"
"The..." Arden stopped and began to think, then he remembered about all of the quirks, his shenanigans, and other traits that made him who he was. 'They made meet good and bad people, people who liked me for who I was and people who didn't. But that never made me reject any of those traits. Why should I reject that empathy?' He thought to himself and then answered.
"There is no such thing as a fixed concept of normal. There is only one's perspective of normality. A concept that is built upon the person's life. The act of rejecting part of yourself means bringing the concept of normality from another being into yourself. It's okay to want to try an understand another's point of view of the world, but it isn't to abandon your own in the process. For it is your point of view that allows you to be who you really are. But one should be aware that this vision of the world is not immutable. It grows with the individual as they experience new things, as they live the life they chose for themselves."
As he finished his sentence the scenery before him undid itself and Arden found himself back in the room with the chest. The empty white background now had cracks beginning to appear along its surface. Looking at the key piece he saw that the part of it that should connect to the rest of the piece was glowing.
"Well, this is all for today. You already made the zebra worry enough for one day." The figure said as he started to fade. "Take care, partner."
"Aimée?" Arden asked before he felt his body being pulled back with extreme force. The form he had kept being stretched by the pull until he...
After the stallion passed out Zecora stood by his side, checking for his temperature, pulse, and breathing pattern. She also paid close attention to his facial expressions as to determine any signs of pain or discomfort. As the time passed she kept controlling his temperature that was shifting between high fever and hypothermia way too fast. 'His mind in disarray must be. Too great are the changes and too fast as well.' Then his body started to move as if he was having a convulsion.
Quickly reaching for one of the vials, Zecora opened it making the liquid evaporate once the lid was removed. Holding the vial near his nostril the fumes entered them and the spasms stopped. 'Quite the ordeal he must be going through, the mark for his return is in two more hours.' She calculated, an hour passed and no other symptoms manifested and all others changes subsided. Seeing this development Zecora placed a cup on top of his head. 'Now this one can go prepare something for both parts to eat if he moves the cup shall fall and I'll be warned.'
Then she headed to her cauldron and filled it with the water she had stored in a special vase made out of a material that sterilized the water stored within it. After that, she started the fire and began getting the ingredients and placing them in the cauldron. Another hour passed and no sound came from the stallion, the zebra finished the soup and filled two bowls before heading back to the room where he remained in trance.
She sat by his side and waited, and waited, and waited. Two hours passed since the time limit expired and the zebra found herself going from one book to another trying to find the recipe to the potion that countered the trance-inducing brew. Her eyes began to tear up. 'Ancients help this one! A cure was what I promised not a slumber!' She thought as she continued to rush through the contents of the book.
"WHOA!" That scream startled her enough for her to drop the book she was searching and fall on her behind. Realizing that the scream could only have been from the stallion she scrambled back to the room and found him sitting and breathing heavily as the tips of his fingers buried themselves on his chest.
"Okay you are!" Zecora cried as she moved closer to check his vitals. Once she finished she proceeded to hit the unicorn on top of his head. "This act do not repeat! Her ancestors this one will almost got to meet!" She said drying the tears in her eyes. The thought of being alone again after all that time scared her, especially since it would be her fault if he entered a coma. She tried to warn him about the risk on the first day they met, but the Stallion said he would do the treatment no matter what he had to do.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" The stallion said falling back into the bed. "Everything aches!" He said stooping all of his movements except for the ones related to breathing. "Ahhhh...way better." He said smiling, then his stomach made a growl. "How am I going to eat if breathing and talking are enough to make my body ache?"
"That is why this one is here." The zebra said making him sit up straight. "Though this was prepared with the intent of being served hot. The delay on the stallion's awakening gave it time to cool." She said reaching for a bowl, another growl came as she did it.
"I don't care," the stallion said, "I'm just glad you got me covered Zecora, thank you." He said before the Zebra began to tilt the bowl so the soup would flow into his mouth. He drank it all in one go. "Thanks, that was really good." He said before his eyelids began to slowly close on and he almost fell backward. She reached out to him dropping the bowl on the process and catching the stallion.
She then carefully placed him back on the bed, which was the only bed in her house she would also have to sleep there. But the bed had more than enough space so both could sleep. So she went to her ark that rested underneath the floor in a compartment that she build to store her clothes. From inside she picked up the clothes she usually slept in, older and more comfortable than her usual garments. After dressing up she also picked up another sheet she had and used to cover both her and him, but in order to do so, she had to stay close to him.
'If the session's aftermath has to be like this...this one won't mind one bit.' She thought to herself as she turned her back to the unconscious stallion and fell asleep.
'I smell...perfume...it smells good...' Arden thought as he finally opened his eyes and saw the hut's ceiling. 'Roses?' He thought to himself as he sat back up. "I...I fell asleep on her bed..." Arden mumbled before he punched himself and got up, compared as to how he was feeling after the session on the previous day he felt great. Leaving the room he noticed that Zecora was nowhere to be seen.
'Where did she go?' Arden thought as he looked around the room, on her table he saw the pestle she used to prepare the mix in the previous day. Only this time it had some sort of pink reminiscent of another one concoction from the zebra. 'What's this? Slimmy...' The stallion thought to himself as his index finger touched the fluid, then he brought it closer to his nostrils. 'So this is the source of the scent.' Then he licked it before spitting it out immediately. 'Okay... this is soap.' As a child, he once wondered what soap tasted like so he went ahead tried it which resulted in he spitting the piece he bit down the toilet.
Then he thought. 'Maybe she went out to clean herself up or wash some clothes. Huh...if there is a stream nearby I can probably wash there as well.' As he finished that thought he stretched and headed outside. On the ground, he saw hoove-prints, based on what little he learned from Zecora he assumed that they were hers, he followed them. Eventually, he started to hear water running so he continued to follow the tracks until he ran into Zecora...who was in the water...washing herself.
He stopped on his tracks after the zebra, it was at that moment that she turned around and saw him standing there. Now, what exactly happens in this situation? Wel,l the cliché is the female physically assaulting the male. In this case, here is what happened:
"Morning!" Arden said getting closer and sitting by the river's edge. "How much soap did you make?"
"Good morning to you as well." The zebra said getting water on her hand before pouring on her head. Then she looked back at him. "Has the stallion no interest in females?"
"Uh...what? Oh! You mean the lack of reaction." Arden said after he hit himself in the forehead. "It's because of my training to become a healer. I ended up studying a lot about anatomy and saw a lot pictures of bodies both females and males. I even got to examine a few during some internship, my college would have us accompanying consultation from the first year of studies. Eventually just seeing a female body stopped making me feel excited. which was good since if I had to examine a female it would not be good if I got stimulated by just looking at them." He explained. "I am interested in females, I just...do not react to a body alone." The zebra just raised her eyebrow when he finished his explanation.
"What? Do you want me to go into details about how beautiful your body and eyes are? As well as how smart you are?" The stallion asked before he froze, started to blush, and finally facepalmed. "Smooth, real smooth jackass." He muttered to himself as he turned back to the mare that was laughing at the scene. "I'll just turn my back now and wait you finish."
"Most flattered this one is." He heard Zecora answer. "As for the amount of soap. It should be more than enough for both." As he heard that he smiled, 'Good, I really need a bath.' Then he heard another question. "If one does not mind, why not join this one?"
"I-I am not comfortable to walk around showing my stuff without reason, m-medical check-ups? Okay. No reason at all? That's a no-no. Especially if there is a good-looking mare around." He answered while keeping his back turned to her. "Let's change the subject okay?"
"Very well," The zebra said as she moved around. Then Arden heard her walking in the water. "This one has finished. The cerulean may go." He got up and then he remembered that he didn't bring something to dry himself with.
"I...kinda didn't know if there was somewhere to wash when I went out so..." Arden said with his back still turned to Zecora. "...I would first need to-" He was interrupted by a flying piece of cloth. "Thanks."
"This one always carries an extra whenever she comes to clean," Zecora said finally appearing in his field of vision, completely dressed this time. "Since a surplus of supplies we collected. Scavenging today is no longer required." She said sitting by his side after giving him a bowl filled with the liquid soap, but she was facing the river. "In this case how about a conversation?"
"Like you ask me a question, then I ask and so forth?" The zebra agreed by nodding while she kept her eyes on the water. "Okay, but do you mind looking the other way?"
"A peek you got on this one. A fair trade requires a chance to look." Arden tried to come up with a reply, but none came so he just let out a sigh before he started to undress. Once he finished he headed towards the water, that's when he heard. "The path of the warrior is unknown to the cerulean. Not that it changes what this one thinks about how he looks."
"I-I will take that as a compliment," Arden said from the water. "And you're right. I never was a warrior, I can say for certain that I was a scholar." Arden said as he began to wash. "So, who starts?"
"The horned one already shared a fact. My chance to give one back." Zecora said from behind him.
"Okay...let's see...Got it!" Arden said when he remembered something that was bothering him. "Why did you have clothes that fit me?" Arden didn't see how she reacted since he kept his back turned to her if he had turned he would have seen the mare turning red.
"T-the costume dictates that an acolyte shall receive two pairs of clothing during his path. One at the start and another upon the moment master and disciple choose their own paths." He heard the answer while he washed his head. "That the disciple is ready to pass on the teachings the second garment symbolizes. A specified size they have, up to the master to make the adjustments required it is."
"This one believed the pony who chased her simply for caring for the well being of a stranger would be a good disciple. Hence the modifications to the clothing were made by estimating the possible disciple's size. This mare hopes that they please."
"They're good thanks," Arden said looking back at her over his shoulder. "Your next question?"
"A healer you mentioned to aspire. Why that is this one wishes to inquire."
"Oh, that's because of the story of my birth," Arden began as he finished to wash his torso and upper limbs. "My parents told me that my mother developed pre-eclampsia during gestation. Thanks to the doctors finding it they saved my life by making my delivery through cessionary. Later they discovered that if they had waited they would have to choose between my life or hers." Arden explained as he washed his lower limbs. "Not to mention that course of action still had the risk of both lives being lost. After that story, I thought to myself that I wanted to understand why that had happened. Why did her body reach that point? As I grew up I saw more and more ways to heal those in need being developed and then I decided that I wanted to be part of that and maybe I could end up helping others just as I was helped."
"That is a very grim tale. The very thought of the situation makes this one pale."
"Pale you already are," Arden said playfully. "But I have to disagree on the grim part. After all, both parts were saved and I got to where I am now. I see this as a happy story." He said turning back to her after he finished to wash everything. "Now, my next question: the warrior mate thing has to do with outsiders doesn't it?" he said reaching for the towel that she offered, as embarrassed as he was she had already seen everything so there was no point in hiding.
"Indeed it has. Healing is and tracking can be taught to anypony since our culture believes that all should know that, how they would use it is up to the healing. But the fighting offers a threat to ourselves since the knowledge can be twisted to bring us harm by breaking our defenses. Therefore to outsiders of trust, they can be taught, the ones we would be willing to share our lives with." The mare answered while still looking at the stallion that was dressing up.
"Uh...that's actually a bit romantic." He said finishing to strap the waist armor in place. "Next?"
"Tales of your world, pretty unique they may be. Any, in particular, you like to speak of?"
"I guess..." Arden said sitting down by her side. "That would be: 'Fios the Prata, Reconstruindo Sandman.'" Arden said while scratching his chin. "The author is called Raphael Draccon, and a literal translation of the title is Silver threads, rebuilding Sandman. The story is a romance and an adventure of a male trying to reclaim the soul of his beloved from the hands of demon that traded the male's soul in exchange for the male's soulmate with the angel that held her. All the while the gods of the dream realm are having a war because of such bargain, if I recall correctly. And all of this happens during an induced state of trance of the male since he can only reach the dream realm and be able to fight in there while in that state." Arden explained as he tried to recall the details.
"Very chaotic that sounds. A happy end this one gets?"
"An open one," Arden answered turning to her with a smile. "The end sounded like it would get a sequel. Not that I will know how it ends." He said picking a pebble and tossing it into the river. "Okay, is your family back at your land?"
"Probably. My family desired me to become a shaman. To focus my craft upon only the spirits. This one decided that she would serve better by tending to the living. They came to accept it before my departure to travel the realm." The zebra answered with a smile. "To home, we should return, a meal we should have."
"Agreed."
"In a faraway kingdom, two wise rulers had two sons. The children sharing the traits of their fathers were both alicorns. Both children were raised with love and care from both their father and mother. The older one was an expert fighter and a master at arms, no knight or beast could best him at combat, a valiant knight with a heart of gold. However, the eldest lacked in wisdom, being easily manipulated by the vizier of their country and quickly delved into politics as to show his parents his inept ability to rule their kingdom. The youngest, Arden Sila, on the other hand, had no talent as a warrior. The path of knowledge was the one he sought, his heart was kind and he was just as beloved by his subjects as his older brother was praised by them.
Not so easily swayed the vizier had no influence over the youngest. Choosing to pursue more knowledge over magic and the machinations of the world he uncovered his talent. This talent causing a change in his eyes, creating a terrifying sight, a talent that he was yet to master. Seeing this as an opportunity to exact his plan the vizier decided to take away the brother who would not fall under his influence.
In other to get rid of the youngest, the vizier assassinated the current king and queen causing by poisoning both during an event when the youngest came forth to announce to his parents about his discoveries. Before the event, the vizier came to visit the youngest and gave him a pendant with a small vial containing a brilliant blue liquid. The vizier claimed that it was a gift from his mother. Seeing the design the youngest believed the vizier, upon starting the event the youngest was quickly surrounded by guards that were following the orders from the eldest.
The eldest was by his parents' corpses as the vizier pointed to the youngest's necklace accusing him of being possessed. To Arden's misfortune, his eyes activated and the very sight of his change worked in the vizier's favor. Using what magic he could muster the prince fled his kingdom as an exile, swearing to return and prove his innocence and catch the real murder."
The quill was dancing to the rhythm of the seamstress words. Rarity was at her workshop and kept her magic active as she did multiple tasks, such as sowing and designing new dresses, when inspiration hit her multi-tasking was nothing to the mare. The more she learned about the stallion and his relationship with the sun princess, the more she fantasized and the more she wanted to get to the end his secrets. 'I just can't wait to discover his story!'
"During his first years of exile, he came to meet a healer that was trained in the treatment of multiple rare diseases and gave him shelter during his escape from the kingdom. After a long travel, the young prince came to found himself in the land of Equestria and came to know about the princess of the sun and keeper of harmony. Princess Celestia, seeking to ask her to aid him in his endeavor and to aid him to learn how to control his talent he ventured into the city of Canterlot.
The stallion did not count for the surprises that lady luck had in store to him. Upon passing the gates that gave way to the city his eyes once again changed, which resulted in his immediate arrest. The end result was him being brought before the Sun Princess herself, upon meeting her his eyes met hers and he felt his heart beat more strongly than he ever felt before. Princess Celestia, on the other hand, was ready to hand down judgment, however, before she could the princess of love intervened in the young prince's favor. Seeing that even with those eyes he fell for the ruler of harmony, at first sight, she saw that his talent was not to be feared and that he meant no harm to her kingdom.
Upon this discovery the sun princess witnessed the stallion's eyes return to normal and saw them for the first time. Asking for forgiveness she offered help so that he could learn how to control his talent, he accepted and proceeded to tell her about his sad tale. His story moved the princess that agreed to aid him in his efforts but seeing what he could become and how far he would go so that he could save his country she found herself wishing to stay by his side. That was when she offered the stallion another deal: if he were to marry her he would have all of her army and power at his disposal.
The stallion smiled at her proposal but declined and offered another deal. "Regardless of you can aid me with the return of my kingdom or not, I offer you all of my existence. In exchange of only your love. And the chance of staying by your side."
Hearing this words Princess Celestia's heart raced with joy. That's when the princess said. "If you would take my hand so that we could share our futures together. I'll gladly accept your offer."
Right then and there both of them shared a passionate kiss under as the Sun set itself to rest on the horizon. It was after that they-"
"What are ya doing Rarity?" Applejack's voice scared the mistress to the point of dropping all of her magic and every object that was being kept animated by it.
"D-d-don't scare me like that!" The seamstress stuttered as she grabbed her chest. "H-how long have you been there?"
"Long enough to hear the entire thing." As always the honesty with this mare was on not from this world. "Where did you get that from?"
"I..." She shifted as she tried to hide her shame, Rarity did after all eavesdrop on a private conversation. "...I'll tell you if you promise me you won't say a word."
"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a cupcake in my eye." That was a little chanting their friend Pinkie Pie came up with when they made a special promise, so far nopony went as far as to break one of those.
"I...I overheard a conversation between Princess Celestia and Arden after the incident." Rarity finally admitted. "And another one before that, those two looked really close and...I think he might be an alicorn prince from another country." Applejack just stood there for a few moments staring at Rarity with no expression before she burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! That's some nice sense of humor you got there partner!" The mare stated while Rarity she pouted and frowned at her friend. After a few moments of her stare, the earth-pony stopped and tilted her head. "Y-you're serious?"
"Well, how else do you explain him not being knocked out by any of our attacks?" Rarity shot at her friend, the mare started to open her mouth to answer but Rarity didn't allow it. "And remember that doping doesn't let you shift between the trait you prioritize for at least five minutes if you're an expert caster. Not to mention the unicorn is unable to cast other spells during dopping. When he ran away from us he would be focused on speed, yet he also managed to launch Rainbow Dash several feet up in the air while summoning a shield at astonishing speed." At this point, Applejack just huffed and crossed her arms as she frowned at the seamstress.
"Ah still think we are missing something." The cow-girl finally said. "Anyhow, I came here for a favor." Aj, said before sitting on Rarity's bed.
"Yes, darling?" Rarity said raising an eyebrow at her friend's request.
"Ah need ya to make some clothes for winter and rainy season." Rarity just tilted her head as she heard that bit. "Rainbow just passed by mah farm to give us a heads-up about possible weather problems in the following days." Rarity the blinked as she still had questions. "Something about the princess having requested most of the flyers of Equestria to make deliveries all over the country and friendly nations. So the weather teams are gonna have a harder time controlling the weather."
"I see," The seamstress said as she understood the current situation and made some of her tools levitate. "In that case, I'm gonna take your measurements." The earth pony let out a sigh before she got back on hooves and stripped so Rarity could take the measurements.
"So..." The blond said while the white one kept at her work. "...what was that about a marriage proposal between Arden and Celestia?" Rarity was aware that Aj knew about her habit of writing down her fantasies when she was taken over by inspiration.
"That..." Rarity said making some other stuff float around, cloth, thread, needles, and so forth. "...when I got inside the library after the incident I overheard the Princess explaining how males can marry the entirety of their herd as long as all of the members agree. And later on, I overheard Arden asking her if the preparations for the big event in four years were doing okay." The Seamstress said while pinning the cloth pieces together as to adjust them to her friend's body. "Then the Princess, stay still will you? The Princess then said that she was already seeing to it before she asked him how the preparations on his side were doing."
"Then the Princess claimed that this day would be a day to be remembered since it would overlap with the Summer sunset Celebration." At that point, Rarity started to sew the pieces together. "So piecing all of this together I believe that they are going to get married at the Celebration right here at Ponyville. And I also believe that plans to form a herd, hence his question about the marriage system. And such question also points to him being a foreigner. Like Zecora." the seamstress said as she continued to piece the outfit together.
"Yer, sure it ain't just wishful thinking?" The farmer said while she put her clothes back on after Rarity finished the first outfit.
"It doesn't hurt to dream." The seamstress said when she started to make another one, this time on a mannequin. While her friend sat down on Rarity's bed and kept watching Rarity do her thing. 'I wonder...if I am right about this, maybe I can help them have the greatest day of their lives. Maybe he can bring himself to forgive me and share his whole story.'
"So...what's in today's menu Aimée?" Arden asked the faceless guide.
"Look over there." The figure said pointing in a random direction.
That's when Arden saw his final years of high-school. During the last year, he was at the beginning of the final exams for the semester. The first tests were for grammar and algebra, the algebra teacher was okay but the grammar was infamous for being strict during their tests correction. But it was fair, even if most students would complain about them to the principal, others even went after petty things and magnifying them to make them look like a monster. But since they had a solid argument for the scores they gave the complaints never went through. Arden, however, was close to his teachers he found easier to get around with older people than those of his age.
Even if he was with mostly with his teachers Arden still had a decent relationship with his classmates. However, in the week previous to the exams due to some problems with the calendar the grammar teacher was going to have only one class. In said class, they would specify the subjects that would be covered in the test, and said teacher warned that they would do that in the previous week. However, one of his classmates asked the physics teacher to take over the period in which grammar class would take place with the excuse of they wanting to go over the subject for the tests. Most of the class agreed since the majority of the class was stumbling with the last subjects.
After the incident with the doctors, Arden began to ignore the feelings of those around him. In order to do so he started to lose himself in fantasy worlds he created from time to time. Hence his daydreaming state, however as time moved on he began to find it more difficult to keep the other people's emotions out. So he had to lose himself even further, but that would not work during class since he had to pay attention. Therefore he came with another method, he began to worry himself about other things such as following rules down to a letter, studying and writing.
This system, however, had its flaws from time to time, so he had minor incidents that where he faked sickness and such. This event, however, was different, because of how he talked to the teacher he knew that they were going through a tough time so hey needed to keep their job, but with the number of complaints piling up against them the only reason for them not being fired was how evaluations were strict but fair. And due to a moment where he got distracted during class, he felt something from the student that asked for the change. He felt resentment, the student was the top student of the school, but his last tests scores were lower and he dropped a few ranks, all because of grammar.
Bothered by that he stayed until the only ones left in the class were him and the student. Upon asking him why did he ask for the grammar to be replaced knowing what would be covered in the other class. The answer he got was that he was finally going to get the tyrant out of their throne by making them look like they did not tell the subjects and forced the entire class' scores. The student told Arden that he already prepared things with other classes and they all got rid of the grammar classes for the week by swapping them with other subjects. Arden and those closest to him were left out because of his following the rules attitude.
Arden learning about this felt anger towards the student, just like the student felt towards him once Arden declared that he would alert the principal about it if he didn't drop it. Arden even tried to reason with the student by telling the teacher's situation, but the answer to that was: "That's not my problem nor it is yours. They shouldn't have made me lose my ranks, this is payback." At that point, Arden snapped and went straight to the principal. Using every single rule he knew he exposed the student and the classmates involved. The end result was the expulsion of the schemer and all of the involved were punished by being forced to go through a retake of the test that would cover all of the subjects of the year in order to graduate, even if they got a high enough score to pass.
As for Arden, he ended up being isolated from all of the classes. The only people who kept in contact with him were the innocent ones, they thanked him for being honest and helping the teacher, as it turned out some of Arden's friends were trying to help this teacher out during their free time so they discovered that the teacher was strict because of their concerns for the entrance exams their students were going to go through. In Arden's country, the most entrance exams required them to do a multiple choice test as well as an especial essay. Said essay was of a random subject that was kept a secret until the exam day, the catch is that it was worth 60% of the student's complete score.
The teacher told that they kept a close eye on the tendencies for the essay themes the last couple of years and that they believed that the next topic was going to involve the changes in vocabulary and grammar issues that came with the "tech-language" so he made his tests and corrections focus on that so that the students would be prepared to create arguments for it. Later that year Arden passed his entrance exam. The teacher was spot-on, but Arden still had to deal with the hatred from the other students.
Arden remembered how he felt because of the hatred 'I started to become even more scared, every time I felt something like that I got into trouble, either said trouble made people run tests on me or I got a lot of unwanted attention. I should care less about other people's problems.'
"Do you regret helping the teacher?" The guide said pointing to the weak spot at teacher's heart.
"No." Arden said reaching for it.
"Your life and your colleagues' lives were in an almost perfect harmony before this. You followed every single plan you came up with. But this one moment you gave into an impulse and caused discord to take over the wheels. Do you think it was a bad choice?"
"Of cour-" Arden stopped himself there. 'If I had left things as they were someone else was going to suffer. Just like I could have died. The act of causing a disturbance saved my life and my act helped someone in that was in a bad situation to overcome it. Harmony was the wrong choice at that moment. And the discord caused by my actions made me closer to my real friends. My empathy made me cause chaos, but it the outcome was good for everyone involved. Our school got the highest approval records on multiple entrance exams across the country. Which led to multiple students to go ask forgiveness from the teacher once they realized the similarities between the subjects in the teacher's tests and the essay's theme, the one who organized the entire thing however...he grew only bitter about the incident. As for the teacher, he became the principal later on.'
"So tell me, was the order you always used as a tool of any use then?"
"No, in that scenario it was useless. Like it always has been. Harmony only served to those who were 'normal'. To those who felt comfortable with being tied down by every rule. I had to use those, it was the only way to get out of things unnoticed. I wanted to be myself. I wanted to act like I did with only those who I felt comfortable being around. Harmony only existed in my life to tie me down to conventions."
"So tell me, which of them you think ruled over the brat?"
"Definitely discord," Arden said as the memories of what happened, later on, came back to him. The kid continued to come after Arden, even if he was no longer in the same city. Up until that point, Arden always believed that rules where there only to be used when someone wanted to get rid of people being a nuisance. That's why he preferred to use them to deal with his problem since that way he could stay out of the spotlight in most occasions. However, in that scenario, the law came to play as something to protect him, since acting on impulse with the assailer and using more discord against him only seemed to make the brat believe more and more in himself being the righteous one there. The kid tried, again and again, to pull the rug from underneath Arden, but during an attempt in which Arden almost got injured the kid ended up being arrested.
The shock of the situation snapped him back into reality when the brat finally realized how far he had gone he returned to his usual self from before the grade issue. The kid sent a letter to Arden apologizing and ended up getting an early release due to good behavior. Arden met up the guy during the second year of college, the guy straightened himself out and was working hard, the surprise of meeting him made Arden hear the guy again, this time he felt the guys gratitude and regret on his actions. He had recognized that he was lost in discord, but Arden's actions that got him arrested made him realize that he needed to seek help. 'That was when I realized that Harmony with its rules was just as important as Discord with its freedom.'
"Which is the true good? Harmony? Or discord?"
"Neither, our lives are a road filled with twists and turns. Sometimes the right thing to do requires a touch of Discord. Other times it requires a touch of Harmony. Finding the balance should be our ultimate goal. Too much Harmony can lead to stagnation and people can be hurt because we are feeling comfortable with where we stand and don't take action. While too much chaos will lead to unnecessary conflict and in sometimes unnecessary loss of life. Both have their pros and cons. We need to do both as our lives move on. Even if the right thing to do sometimes hurts a bit."
Once again the key piece shinned, but this time it had some sort of magnetic pull on it. looking to his other hand Arden saw the piece from the previous session, letting it fly towards the new fragment Arden watched it attach itself to the glowing spot.
"Is it time to leave?" Arden asked the faceless figure.
"Not yet, there is something you need to address first." The guide said pointing to something behind Arden. Turning around Arden saw a familiar sight, Nightmare Moon.
"Mffmmm." Arden watched the dark mare struggle as multiple threads kept her tied up. "Mfhummmm!" She did not seem happy with her situation.
"Is this because of the wards?" The faceless figure nodded positively. "What do I do to get her out of here?" The guide pointed to a weird white door, Arden let out a sigh as he reached for the mare and carried her over to the door while she tried to kick him. "Off you go." The foggy one said before he tossed her through the door and started to feel himself wake up
"A chaotic soul that understands the importance of harmony. You really are all over the place aren't you?" Aimée said to him as he started to fade. "Not to mention you are in a world of harmony. Yet you are making waves in all directions partner. Keep on living. Keep on improving."
Zecora this time around had prepared the counter potion for the trance-inducing one beforehand. Everything was going smoothly this time, no signs of fever or convulsions. But this time, she found herself inspecting the stallion's torso and face with more care than before. Looking at his hands she saw runes embedded into his skin and fur. 'Incantations? Has he been exposed to enchanted objects in his realm? Learning about his past could serve me well. Objects infused with magic ruin and wonder can bring.'
The hours passed by as she continued to watch the stallion, she often found herself just getting closer to his face and watching him almost laying by his side. Once she noticed that once again he was reaching the last two hours mark she went back to prepare another soup for the male. Like in the previous day she brought back the bowls with the soup and waited for him to wake up. Much to her liking, Arden woke up within the time limit, seeing him waking up made her heart calm down.
"Can this one assume that progress was made?" She asked him as she helped him sit down.
"You can...*yaaaawn* can say that," Arden answered as he winced because of the pain that didn't take long to install itself once again upon him. "So, do I get to eat more of your cooking?"
"Yes," Zecora said picking the bowl and giving it to him. "So, does the soup served warm taste better?"
"Way better," Arden said with his eyes slowly closing, however before he fell asleep again he looked back at Zecora and kept looking at her before he said. "Hey...your eyes...they remind me of emeralds...soooo...*yawn* preeetty." He said before losing consciousness.
Zecora found herself staring at the stallion for several minutes before she realized that she had to let him rest. After carefully placing him on the bed she once again changed herself and covered both him and herself with a blanket. This time, however, she allowed her head to rest on his chest as she slept. Since she was taller than him she had to get her hooves a bit off the bed in order to sleep this way.
'Very nice he is. So...warm he feels. This stallion...quite unique he is indeed.'
Chapter 18: The queen, brainstorming with a specialist, I can.
Arden felt the scent of something fresh baking. 'This smells so good.' He thought to himself as he felt his mouth watering up, then he realized another scent. 'That soap Zecora made is good. I can still smell it.' He thought sitting up and stretching a bit before he opened his eyes and saw Zecora sitting by the fire. She had a little metal stand with a little oven made out of clay standing over the fire at the center of the room.
"Morning, *yawn*," He said getting on his hooves and walking over to her. "Need help with anything?"
"Nothing so far," The zebra answered while keeping her gaze at the oven. "Today physical conditioning we do." Arden raised an eyebrow at her schedule for today.
"Isn't that considered training of sorts?" The unicorn said sitting by her side and noticing some pieces of dough placed on a little board. She must have been plowing through her supplies for him to stay with her. "I guess we should search for more supplies soon shouldn't we?"
"For the second question, your answer is yes," Zecora said pulling the baked bread out of the oven and then placing another piece inside. "As for the first, this one cannot have a student with no stamina during her hunts. Therefore exercising is required both for the student as well as the master." She had a point, even if his stamina was greater then when he was a human Arden still had a bit of trouble with Zecora's rhythm. She easily navigated the terrain he had scan were to step.
"Very well then," Arden said looking at the fire that was dying. "I'll get more wood for the fire." He said getting up and heading outside where she kept her wood stored. When he found it he noticed more marks on the ground, these ones, however, had some weird pattern. Almost as if the pony's hooves were missing pieces, getting back inside he was greeted by a question.
"Curious this mare is," She said while keeping her eyes on the oven while Arden placed the pieces of firewood at the bonfire. "Runes engraved into your skin you have. An enchanted item you happen to acquire?"
"Oh, these..." Arden said placing the final piece of firewood into the bonfire and making the fire gain life again. "It's thanks to this thing here." The unicorn said going to where his pockets and belts were left after his first day. He pulled out the sword from inside it. "This little girl here was forced on me before I was sent here. When I touched the hilt for the first time it made these. Don't know what they do though." He said showing the blade out of its sheath.
"This mare shall check it once the pieces of bread are done." She said without taking her eyes from the oven. After she was done with the baked goods she took out the fire and turned to the sword. Taking it into her hands she started to swing it around. "Well, balanced it is. Sharper this one is yet to see." She said while analyzing the blade's edge. "Enchanted this blade is...but the enchantment's purpose...a changeling you would require. If discovering its true nature is what you desire."
"A what now?" Arden said tilting his head.
"Shapeshifters. Creatures that inhabit the badlands of Equestria." She explained returning the blade to him. "Specialist in breaking down other species magic and mimicking it. During one of her travels, this one met a changeling that analyzed one of my charms after he was healed by this mare. An outcast This one believes he was since changelings are not described to have the habit of covering their bodies with white tattoos. Love they feast upon."
"Oooooh," Arden's eyes were beaming. "That is awesome! Wait." He said remembering something. "I think there was one those stalking me during my stay in Ponyville."
"Signs of one hiding in the area I found." The zebra said getting up. "Finding the shapeshifter, however, a challenge it proved to be. Now, eat we shall then exercise." She said heading towards the storeroom.
"You're the boss," Arden said following her lead. Zecora then proceeded to put him through hell and back. Sit ups, push ups, pulling himself up on tree branches. Teaching him how to run through the forest with free running, breathing exercises so he could control his breathing as he moved around to reduce fatigue and so on. In case you're wondering, the duo's day began around 4:35 AM, after the breakfast, meaning they would have plenty of time to run through everything. Especially since Zecora seemed very eager to get the stallion to make him work up a sweat.
'I think I might pass out if...if I'm not careful...' Arden thought to himself as he continued through the exercises.
"That blasted idiot had to find another place to hide!" Chrysalis said kicking a rock into the water, then she picked up the necklace she took from him during the squirmish. She was trying to drag him away from the crowd when he was on the ground but the necklace gave in when she tried to sneak him away from the conflict. "Where did he get this damned stone?! It's my mother's hive all over again!"
Being alone since she managed to flee from the hive the future Changeling queen acquired a bad habit of talking to her own reflection when she was alone. The only moment when she didn't have to wear a disguise, the only moment when no being would look at her. No being except for the stallion that popped out of nowhere in front of her cave.
"It isn't like I want him to help me." She said while playing with the stone. "I just need my hostage to get Celestia to help me." She reassured herself while the stone danced between her fingers. The stallion was proving to be a more difficult prey than she anticipated. First, the simple trick that made her incapable of getting him right away. Then the wards, then the freak figures out a way to see through her disguise.
"That IDIOT!" She screamed tossing the stone upwards and catching it. "How? How did he find me out?! My transformations are flawless! Yet that stupid walking snack exposed me!" The royal said gritting her fangs with her eyes starting to glow. "He makes a fool of me and then goes into hiding with that zebra! The same one that has been tracking me for a while now. That blasted mare. Luckily I can change my tracks and lure her away." She said as she clenched her fists.
"But...he had another item with him...a ring." She muttered as she raised the necklace in front of her eyes. "I need to get that and figure out what that one does. This little nick-nack only nullifies the talent of its user." She said placing the necklace into her ragged clothes for safe keeping. "That seamstress had it during the gathering after he left. I just need to steal it." The mare said sitting by the water to look closer into her own eyes. "Why did that snack keep looking into my eyes?"
Back in Canterlot Twilight was out and about searching for a particular pony: Lyra Heartstrings. After learning from Princess Celestia how peculiar that stallion she met a few days ago was, she started to ponder about why his traits were all over the place. So she suggested to Celestia to have a brainstorming session with the mare that was known for being one of the most dedicated researchers on the subject. Twilight also suggested to offer the mare a copy of the data Arden brought with him and a copy of the data he shared through the letter, more particularly Twilight's own notes on the contents.
Twilight found her acquaintance back in the library with an old tome that she was carefully manipulating as to not damage the worn pages. "Lyra, Can you please come with me?" Twilight said in a very low voice by the unicorn's side as to not disturb the other readers.
"I'm in the middle of something Twilight," The mare said without taking her eyes off the book. 'Ancient myths of Equestria.' That was the book she had, Twilight recognized the volume anywhere. Her father brought it home when she was very young to restore it to prevent the history from being lost. It was also one of the first books she read with her father, Twilight would sit on her father's lap and hear him read the contents out loud as he used some spells and tools to rejuvenate the pages, figures, and writings. Because of those stories she began to love literature in general, let it be about myths, spells, science. You name it she would read about it.
"Princess Celestia asked me to call you," The lavender unicorn said keeping her voice low. "She asked your input on a subject and some theories we are currently discussing. Merely hypothetical material that made us think after we received a huge amount of data on humans we are going to share with you in exchange for your help." The mint mare ears perked up before she turned to Twilight with an eyebrow raised.
"What sort of material?" She asked crossing her arms as she turned to face her.
"This sort of material," Twilight said pulling out a page with a copy of Arden's research on human anatomy. The mint mare's eyes widened before she took the page and started to examine it.
"T-t-this..." She said with the piece of paper trembling on her hands. "...this is so much more advanced than any of the data I've ever seen in any books. How?"
"Do you know those rumors about a stallion appearing out of nowhere in the castle?"
"The ones were he was possessed but he disappeared soon after his arrest?"
"Yes," Twilight answered casting a spell to create a silent sphere so she could continue to lure the mare to come with her. "They were true, but this stallion came from another realm. A world where humans are the dominant species." Twilight continued her explanation. "So? Will you come?"
"Are you joking? If you have more of these count me in!" She said getting up and carefully closing the book. "Besides, it isn't every day that the princess asks for the input from a mare that isn't her star student. I'm feeling kinda of important!" She said smiling.
With that, they both left and headed towards a study where Celestia told Twilight she would be waiting for her. Getting through the door she saw the princess sitting by a small round table where they could discuss with ease. "Princess Celestia," Twilight greeted.
"Twilight Sparkle, Lyra Heartstrings. Welcome, and thank you for agreeing to aid us." The princess said offering them a place to sit. Both of them complied and sat down. "Now, the reason we need your input is due to a theory we brought up based on some of the data our acquaintance, Arden, brought with himself," Celestia said to the mare before she gestured Twilight to bring out the copies she had and the book on pony anatomy and physiology. "Based on a comparison with the data he had, what we had and the fact he came from another realm we theorized about what would happen with a human that turned to a pony after being transported to our realm." Twilight saw Lyra raise a brown and tilt her head.
"But...are you questioning this because you suspect that the stallion is a human transformed?" Lyra asked Twilight looked away before Lyra could notice that her eyes were twitching.
"No, we verified his memories upon arrival and there are no signs that he was human." Twilight sighed quietly while Lyra let out a loud sigh.
"Good," She said closing her eyes. "Based on what I've seen on them. Humans aren't exactly the most sociable species that appears in our myths. They are often portraited as being that sought to acquire our power or caused mayhem on multiple locations." She said scratching her chin. "Although there are very few depictions of them being benevolent and kind. But..." She said crossing her arms, closing her eyes, and tilting her head. "I believe there were only two myths with that. And one of them is a speculation about the author Jack Reacher being a human turned pony...though that was never confirmed."
"In any case, you can rest easy," Twilight reassured her. "Back to the question, what do you think it would happen to a human turned pony?"
"Well," The mint pony said as she scanned the records Twilight placed on the table. "It's hard to say...based on these I can see that their anatomy resembles ours quite a lot. But..."
"But?" Celestia asked leaning forward. While Twilight did the same.
"These notes show that humans lack our harmonic chain." She said pointing at the special tissue that allowed the energy of their world to flow through them and also allowed them to channel it through their species traits, this tissue accompanied the nervous system. "Meaning that their body would need first to develop a familiarity with the new component and then assimilate it."
"So...his form could be considered unstable as well as his traits." Twilight proposed while her brain ran through the options. "Like a unicorn unable to cast spells? Or maybe A earth-pony with unusual speed?"
"And if that were the case," Celestia continued her student's proposal. "Maybe as their form stabilizes he would lose the traits he appeared with?"
"Or he could end up developing both the traits of their species and the trait they appeared with?" The mint one shared. "Considering that this is all in the realm of theory..." She continued. "...let's say that the human came from a realm without magic. I believe that if this was the case they would end up as an earth-pony inevitably."
"What if they were transformed into a unicorn?" Twilight inquired.
"Maybe the horn would regress as he stabilized and he would lose any magical abilities?" She answered. "I doubt that in a world that completely lacks magic they would be able to even come here. But since this is just a theory...no problem in giving it a thought."
"I see..." The princess said while her student looked over the materials on the table. "...What about possible talents?"
"Well..." Lyra said scratching her chin as she looked at the ceiling. "...since we are talking about an unknown human world and them according to the myths are very versatile...there is no telling what talent the might manifest. There is even the possibility of them not developing any talent at all." Then Lyra seemed to stop and began to ponder about something.
"Something came to mind?" Twilight asked with her ears perked.
"I was thinking...our bodies are in harmony with the world around us. As well as our souls. Hence our abilities and magic being dubbed Harmonious magic..." She explained, Twilight picked up on her intent.
"There would be a possibility of them never actually developing any sort of magic since their souls are not in harmony with our world!" The mint mare agreed with a nod.
"So that would point to their existence here being merely temporary or that they would perish if stayed for too long?" Celestia seemed to bite her lip as she finished the thought.
"Well, let's say that any of this happened," Lyra started. "The entire scenario is already a drastic and improbable event. Therefore if it were to happen...maybe we could expect something impossible as well." She said in a dismissive tone. "Like the human actually embracing the harmony of our world and being able to stay here indefinitely as well as being able to use our magic."
"That would be an interesting outcome," Twilight stated when she heard that. "That would point out to a very interesting scenario...especially if you would consider the different studies we could make if that were to happen." She said smiling and remembering the blue unicorn. 'I bet I can get some interesting data from him if I were to run some tests with him.'
"Very well," Princess Celestia said snapping Twilight out of her little dream of having the stallion going through her machines to see what readings she could get from him. "Thank you Lyra, your input was extremely interesting. Twilight, please see that she receives a copy of every single document Arden shared with us."
"As you wish princess," Twilight said gathering all of the papers and getting up. "Come on Lyra, I'll use some spells and you'll be able to cover a lot of new branches for your thesis." The lavender said guiding her friend to the door. 'I really want to study that guy now.' She thought to herself as she walked down the hallways leaving princess Celestia in the study where she began to write down an announcement.
"And through door number three?" Arden said to the guide that showed him another memory.
This time it was about his time at college during the most recent years. As he began his road his road to becoming a doctor, during his first year one of his teachers recognized Arden's name due to an acquaintance back at the hospital where Arden was born. So he contacted Arden and asked him to take another test, one that the original doctors overlooked. Electroencephalogram, this test was not very common when Arden was six years old so that was probably the reason for the scientists' oversight. The exam verified a person's brain activity and produced an image of the active areas during the tests.
Arden agreed simply because the teacher asked for it, Arden was a freshman so he decided to try to get along with the teachers and his colleagues the best he could. The test showed a specific area of Arden's brain overloading before he started to show a change in his emotional state, like the episode with Arden's father. The entire exam stopped at that, his teacher couldn't find any other leads as to why Arden's brain would react to another person's feelings. The teacher was a good person so he agreed to keep the results to himself and not to mention this in front of other students.
Then came the most recent straws regarding his ability. During his first years, Arden had some classes that taught him how to conduct a consultation and do a proper anamnesis. The simulations involved patients that voluntarily chose to participate in the med school's space at the hospital. Arden's consultations always took linger then those of his colleagues and when his teacher came by to see how they would proceed with the patient based on the interview he would always find Arden with red eyes and signs of him having cried. The thing was every patient that had a consultation with Arden would ask about how he was doing and if they could have another consultation with him.
Eventually, the teacher must have thought that Arden was using something and that was the reason for his red eyes. Because one day he decided to stay inside the room where Arden was conducting a consultation. That's when he saw Arden beginning to cry after the patient began to explain his condition. For some unknown reason, Arden always ended up with patients that were in really bad shape. That day Arden's teacher told him to chose between three therapeutic projects for that patient. Arden chose the one based on the patient's description of their lives and what they did not want to do, however, the teacher had checked the patient's file and knew he was already on another treatment. That's when Arden's teacher began to try to burn into his mind that Arden could feel empathy for his patients but he should not let it cloud his judgment.
After a year, the same patient returned to the hospital and Arden saw that in his file, the doctor's therapy had changed based on the interview Arden conducted. And the patient's condition had improved considerably. However, due to the first teacher's influence, Arden had already begun to change his anamnesis. He had practically become a machine that was following the teacher's directions and was ignoring the voices by drifting from reality during the consultation and coming back as to ask them to repeat the last part. Due to that his anamnesis quality decreased considerably so did his grades, however, his therapeutic decisions were always exactly according to his teacher's decision. Decisions that were eventually changed by the doctors that continued to take care of the patient after the first consultation.
Seeing the difference between those interviews and the new ones. He began to question which ones were right.
"So, were your decisions clouded?"
"Based on the results...I can't possibly say that."
'I should have stuck to my original self...even if I received influence from emotions...they did not cloud my mind in the end because I knew where their emotions ended and mine began. My judgment was right. By listening to others I could understand them better. Since I could understand them better I could see what they needed. I could understand what they needed. And differentiate it from what they wanted. And since they could see that I understood them they were more open to my suggestions. I was on the right path...' Arden thought to himself as he saw the patient's chest glow. Reaching out to it he found another piece.
"The emotion's of another, your emotions. Your heart craves to understand those around you, it opens a link between you and them. And your mind translates the thing you see, while also allowing you to feel them. Something like that is rare, but is it bad?"
"No," Arden answered. "Their hearts, my heart. Because of my eyes, I can understand them, because of them I can help those beings." Arden answered, while his fists clenched and he blinked a few times. "And...n-now I-I can have some control over it." Arden felt himself tremble a bit as he said that. "N-now that I-I can...d-do more. T-there are many things I could do."
"Yes, you're right." The guide said before disappearing. Right then the key fragment reattached itself to the other pieces forming a complete key.
"H-hey, it's done!" Arden said holding the complete key in front of his face. Then he turned around and saw a familiar sight, Nightmare Moon was on the ground tied up even tighter than before. "Hello."
"M-mmhummm!" The black mare said.
"Listen, I'll take off the gag since I want to ask you something," Arden said kneeling down near her. "But you'll have to promise me that you won't try anything. Otherwise, I'm gonna make your situation a bit worse before tossing you through the door. Got it?" The mare's response was a positive nod. He removed the gag and asked. "This is the third time you come by and the second time in two nights. Even though you should be aware of the wards now. Why do you keep coming back?"
"Not like we chose to!" The black one shouted. "I've been trying to invade other ponies minds, not the freakshow's that beat me! And for the record, I only lost because I let you defeat me. Not like the ruler of the night would be defeated by a peasant!" She said struggling. "I definitely did NOT want to see you again!" The mare had some slight pink on her cheeks as she continued to struggle.
"Okay, whatever you say your obscurity," Arden said picking her up and taking her to the door once again while she once again tried to break free, only with a little less violence than last time. Then he placed on the ground and untied her before saying. "Got through the door now. I need to finish my therapy, otherwise, I might die so...off you go." The mare just blinked at him as she looked at her untied hands before she stood up and left.
With that out of the way, he went towards the giant chest. Placing the key on the padlock he unlocked it, much to his surprise, however, the entire thing exploded with a bright flash that blinded him for a few seconds. After he regained his sight he saw something he didn't expect. Before him, stood a version of his pony form with its eyes changed, Arden tried to come up with something to say but nothing came through. That's when the stallion before him spoke.
"I can save." The figure said, however the moment he said it Arden felt his chest tighten. Looking at his torso Arden saw his foggy body becoming unstable. Then as the creature before him began speaking again Arden completely dispersed. and the last thing he heard was "I can doom."
Zecora was once again by his side, he didn't have any symptoms this time either. She found herself gently passing her fingers over his face as she recalled all the effort he put into the exercises she put him through. She saw him work hard with her tasks. She saw him struggle with the free running to the point of having multiple bruises added to his arms and face because of mistakes he made, trusting the wrong place to place his hooves before a jump and so forth. She put him through a lot, but whenever she looked back at him she would see him smiling and giving his best.
'A dedicated student and a dedicated athlete. This one has to wonder if a dedicated warrior he would be.' She thought to herself as time continued to pass. Eventually, she noticed she was very close to his face her blood rushed to her head as she looked at the stallion's face. He looked so peaceful. She began to get even closer, however, her mind reminded her of how much time had passed so she retreated to make the soup so they could eat.
While she was preparing the soup her mind began to drift and she began to see the stallion exercising and his current state. She didn't even realize that she finished the soup and had it ready by his side when she woke up from her daydream. While she waited she noticed him beginning to shift and make expressions that resembled pain. 'Painful thoughts? Or a troubled memory?' Suddenly he woke up coughing really badly. However, as soon as he opened his eyes all he said was.
"I...can..."Then he passed out. In a panic, Zecora tried, again and again, to wake him up, but he wouldn't respond. He was breathing and his pulse was steady, however no answer at all.
"Oh, no..." She said covering her mouth. She reached for one of the vials she had prepared ahead of time. This potion would wake somepony up because of its strong smell as long as they weren't in a coma. Opening the vial and holding it near his nostrils The stallion woke up coughing again but passed out soon after. "G-good, alright he is," The zebra said grabbing her chest as she let out a sigh.
After that, she decided to stay awake and monitor him through the rest of the night. Just a precaution, after all, he was acting weirdly after a session. '*I can?* Could he have discovered something?' She thought to herself as she covered him and placed him in a more comfortable position on her lap. 'This way if he shifts or begins to have trouble. This one will know.' She concluded as she began her watchful night to keep her patient safe. 'Perhaps...perhaps teach him I could?' She thought to herself as she observed the stallion's face. 'Time will be the one to tell.'
Chapter 19: Retry and pegasus talk. (edited yet again).
'Pillow, so soft.' Arden thought as he made his head rest sideways. '...pillow...pillow?' His eyes suddenly shot open once he remembered that he slept the last two days with his head on the ground. And since he didn't see anything that resembled a pillow, it all pointed out to him be resting on Zecora's lap. The light took over his eyes as he felt his head hurt like something trying to break through his skull.
"Awake you are!" He heard from above him, Zecora's voice was soft as ever, still, it made his ears ring as he reached for his own forehead.
"Hey! Argh!" Arden said crushing his head with both his hands. "My head feels like it is about to explode."
"What has transpired in your trance?" Zecora asked trying to conceal a yawn.
"I..." Arden said sitting up, his body still stiff and sore from the training in the previous day. "...I was kicked out by my pony body. I think I found the core...but I don't know what it means. I do know that it hurt when it kicked me out. Hell, it still hurts," Arden said placing his hand over his chest. "I guess that means, I'm gonna need to retry the last bit."
"This one is glad that the blue one wasn't hurt," Zecora said smiling, Arden saw her tired eyes. 'She stayed up all night just to monitor my condition? I'm glad I met Zecora. She is the kind of doctor I want to be, no, she is the kind of person I wanna be. Actually, the pony I want to be.' He thought while he ignored the pain getting up.
"Okay," Arden said walking towards her. "You should get some rest. I'll read some books, so sleep for a bit alright?" He said placing his hand on her shoulder and gesturing her to lay on the bed. Since Zecora seemed to be slowly drifting into a slumber she didn't offer much resistance. Then he whispered: "Sweet dreams, Zecora."
With that done, Arden went to the small table room. Reaching out for the bookshelf, he pulled out the book about crafting potions. "Super-naturals. Talk about a misleading title." He muttered, Arden had seen the book at the library. The title was off compared to the little symbol of a plant on the cover. So Arden checked the first page and found out it was about potion crafting and other natural remedies. Sitting down he started to read. Since Arden still didn't know how to cook correctly, it was best not to mess around with fire. 'Zecora needs her sleep. But I better start to get my shit together. I can't keep relying on her or others for everything. I need to figure out more things I can do besides this eye thing.'
"Waiting is sooo boring!" Rainbow Dash said to Fluttershy. She and many other pegasuses had been called to return to Cloudsdale by Princess Celestia to deliver a message. The problem right now was that it was taking too long for the message to come by, which bothered her. "Why is this taking so long?"
"Um...Rainbow..." She heard her old fly camp friend speak. Rainbow helped Fluttershy out many times in the past with bullies and other problems. Another thing Rainbow tried to do was help Fluttershy to be more assertive. "...maybe Princess Celestia is trying to find the right way to convey her message. It is supposed to be something that will go to friendly nations as well."
"I know but...it's been two days already and no sign of this message," Rainbow said, laying around in a cloud while Fluttershy sat on another. There were other pegasuses sitting nearby chatting but most of them had their own groups. So Rainbow stayed with her friend. "It would be awesome if the Princess herself came by to tell us what we are supposed to do. But, I bet that it will be just another one of those stone-faced royal guards."
Just as she said that trumpets started to sound., Rainbow initially dismissed the instruments before remembering that only one pony ever was announced by those. And as far as she knew, that pony was the Sun Princess. "No way..." She said getting up as fast as she could. "...this is so awesome!" She squealed. The princess was the strongest fighter ever, and she also had the Wonder Bolts at her disposal to perform missions or make special performances. Meaning she was their boss, and since Rainbow was a die-hard fan of the Wonder Bolts, she admired the princess.
"Hello, my dear subjects!" The sun princess said landing on a cloud, with the sun behind her. That way, she looked more like a goddess than when suddenly appeared on Ponyville. Especially with a dress that looked like it was made of gold, silver, and a white delicate cloth. "I am grateful for your assistance in this matter. I came here to explain what you'll be delivering." The princess stopped her speech to take a deep breath. Rainbow noticed that the princess was acting off. Rainbow had seen her a few other times as a child, and during some competitions for the flyer of the year. In all of those occasions seemed to be so confident and calm. Yet the last few times Rainbow saw her, the princess was acting weird, not to mention it all seemed related to Arden.
"A few days ago a unicorn appeared in Canterlot out of nowhere and breached all of our defenses. He made his way to the throne room and knocked me unconscious in the process." All the pegasuses, including Rainbow herself, had their jaws hanging. "However, this was clarified have been an accident. This unicorn was sent to our kingdom by forces unknown to him. He was sent from another world against his will." Rainbow's brain was on meltdown and based on what she heard so far, the Princess was not done.
"This unicorn later revealed to possess a talent on par with only one other pony. The princess of love herself." Rainbow's brain went blank for two seconds. After the shock, she heard: "His talent causes his eyes to change. The change is very similar to a possessed pony." Rainbow only knew one stallion that could fit that description, Arden. "As you know, two years ago we sent a message to all of our cities warning about the danger of the possessed ones. The message you'll be delivering explains the unicorn's appearance and talent in detail."
"This stallion's talent allows him to see into the hearts of other beings when active. Meaning, he can see what other beings truly think and feel." This bit caused a stir since Rainbow started to hear a lot of whispering. "But please bear in mind that he means no harm to any of us. He actually agreed to abdicate a chance to return to his world to help me with a personal favor." Rainbow turned to look at Fluttershy only to see her covering her mouth and with her pupils shrunk.
"Not only that but when he arrived at our world, he had a humongous amount of data. So far this data seems to be the key to advancing our technology. As well as our knowledge in the medical field." Rainbow was having a hard time processing everything the Princess just tossed at them. "To finish this meeting, I'll be giving the stallion's name and the names of the ones responsible for organizing this mission. The unicorn's name is Arden Sila. Because he is from another world, his strength is greater than your average unicorn. The last measurement was at 1200 points." Rainbow finally started to connect the dots.
"The ones responsible for organizing all of you are the greatest flyers in Equestria," Rainbow was fangirling really hard. when she heard that. "The Wonder Bolts! Second in command Spitfire will take over from here," The sun Princess said giving the Wonder Bolt prodigy space to come forth. Her orange and yellow mane as well her yellow coat were exactly like the posters. Her flight gear was top of the line, and in Rainbow's eyes, that uniform was the symbol of her dreams becoming true. The blue colors represented the sky, and the lighting strikes represented their speed. The carefully crafted details of the suit represented their skill, and expertise in flight.
Rainbow was shaking Fluttershy sideways like crazy as the candidate for next leader of the Wonder Bolts was going to supervise the entire mission! There were no words to describe how excited she was. "Listen up! Every single one of you will receive a bag containing a set number of letters. The amount of letters is specified for the number of citizens in the town you'll be in charge of. Greater cities, like Mane Hathan, will have teams assigned to them. The delivery begins tomorrow at dawn. All of you need to have your bags before nightfall. If you are unfamiliarized with your area you may trade your bag with another area you are more familiar with. The better you know the area the faster you can make your deliveries, so be mindful of that. The bags have no names assigned to them, so just exchange it with somepony who can handle it. That is all."
After the explanation, Spitfire left leaving behind her a trail that matched her name. Her speed created the illusion of a trail of fire when she flew in high speed. Rainbow went with Fluttershy to collect heir bags. Rainbow ended up with Ponyville while Fluttershy ended up with Canterlot. Seeing as how Fluttershy had some issues with locations unknown to her Rainbow volunteered to exchange bags. Later that day, the two of them were back at the barracks they got assigned to pass the night.
"So...um..." Her yellow friend started. "What did you think about what Princess Celestia said?"
"I guess it makes sense, no normal unicorn could react that fast or be that resistant. So I guess we can at least cut the guy some slack. Especially if he actually brought stuff that can help everypony in Equestria." She said laying down on the bed. "Besides, I guess screwed up real bad. I mean, the stallion gave up on going back home to help our ruler. I guess he can't be that bad." She said rolling to the side and facing Fluttershy. "Gotta wonder where he went to."
"S-some of my friends told me before we left that they saw him heading to the Everfree," Fluttershy said fidgeting. Rainbow always found her talent to be nothing less than amazing. "B-based on what they said, he was heading towards the Bad Lands. But they couldn't follow him too far into the forest. Too many beasts from the Everfree."
"The Bad Lands? Isn't that the region Changelings inhabit?" Rainbow asked. The answer was a nod from the pegasus. "That guy has to be crazy to head there. Especially through the Everfree. Isn't there supposed to be some castle ruins there? That also rumored to be the house of one of those old legends? The pony of shadows one?"
"Y-yeah. T-t-that story always s-scared me," The yellow one said before shivering at the story's name. "B-but given his situation...I-I guess that he didn't have much of a choice. He needed a healer."
"But that raises another question: who is this healer that he met?" Rainbow said turning to face the ceiling. "If he came from another world, who could he possibly know that had the training he mentioned to heal him?"
"I-I don't know."
"In any case, we should rest up for tomorrow," Rainbow said before closing her eyes. As she drifted away she remembered another thing that bothered her: 'What is up between Celestia and that stallion? Whenever he comes up she seems different. Could she? Nah I don't think so.'
"Hello again," Arden said to the black mare that this time was tied up with chains, and even tighter than the previous day. Even her eyes were covered. "Just give me a second." He said reaching for the mare and breaking the chains, removing the gag, and blindfold. "There you go Mrs. Night. Now I gotta ask: What in heaven's name are you doing here? Do you enjoy being tied up? " Arden got closer to analyze her face. "Are you wearing eyeshadow? And lipstick?" He asked, seeing her eyes with a fading blue over the eyelids, and her bright blue lips.
"I do NOT enjoy being tied up! Nor did I intend to get here again!" She huffed. "As for the make-up, I don't have to explain anything to a shapeless creature." She had a really faint blush on her cheeks. "Why the decor change?"
"What?" Arden said looking around and noticing six spots on the ground. These spots connected making a hexagon that formed an arena of sorts. "These certainly weren't here last time I checked. Now," Arden said looking around searching for his reason for being there. "Where is that little shit? There he is." The foggy one said looking at his pony self that stayed out of the hexagon. The unicorn looked back at him before turning away. As it did, the entire area was closed off by walls and a ceiling. "What the fuck? Why did it do that?"
"Who did this?" Nightmare asked seeing the walls.
"Wait, you didn't see him?"
"Who?"
"I guess the potion just makes it visible to me?" Arden said walking towards one of the walls. It was solid. He then inspected every area he could. There were no hidden doors nor switches in them.'This is my mind maybe I can just imagine the door?' He tried to imagine a door again and again but to no avail. "GOD DAMN IT! THIS IS STUPID! HOW IN BLOODY HELL DID I GET STUCK IN MY OWN HEAD?!" He screamed, then he heard a giggling. "Get the fuck out. I am not in the mood for bullshit. So if you don't have anything good to add here, don't let the door hit your big sorry ass!"
"Who do you think you are?!" She said holding her hand to her chest. "I am the ruler of the night! I have better things to do than being insulted by a creature made out of fog!"
"Then be my guest! The door is right over there!" He said pointing to the white door. "Now if you excuse me, I'm on a time limit. So, bye-bye!"
He saw the mare go wide-eyed when he spoke in that tone. "V-very well, I will leave...But before that...What do you mean by time limit?" Arden tilted his head on that question. 'What is up with her?'
"I rejected my talent and because of that, I'm slowly decaying until I die. So unless I figure this shit out, I'll die. Heck, if I take my inhibitor off I start to hallucinate, so if you don't mind." Arden said, leaving her behind and sitting on the center of the room.
"You don't say." She said. Arden heard her say something else but couldn't make out what it was. He turned around to ask her what she said, but she was nowhere to be seen. 'What did that mare say? And what was up with the attitude? Anyhow,'
"Okay, this is a room my mind built and there are only two beings here right now," He muttered as he tried to come up with a plan. "That points out to either me or that version of me pulling this stunt. It wouldn't make sense, however, for him to do this since he represents my rejection. It would make more sense if he wanted to torment me with whatever my problem is. Unless I already know the answer and he's scared. But since I have zero clues as to what that is I can discard that for now. So this place is a safe haven for me. I just need a door, and I'll have a direct path to him." Arden opened his eyes and he saw that the ground beneath him changed color.
Looking around Arden saw a line heading towards one of the walls. The spot where the line connected with it, had a door. Arden didn't hear anything so he assumed that the door manifested silently. "Alright," He gulped heading towards the gate. Once he was at the edge, he walked to the sides as to see if the unicorn was in sight. His best shot right now seemed to be a sneak attack. If that failed he would need to change the approach yet again. Since he didn't know his opponent's weakness he would need to exhaust every option.
As soon as he set foot outside the unicorn suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Arden tried to hit it, but his body stopped responding and he felt his chest aching again.
"Icanhurt," the figure said, his voice distorted. Arden managed to look down and, once again, saw his chest was starting to disperse.
"I can heal." Arden was dispersed once the figure finished the second phrase. But unlike the first time, his body rebuilt itself before the figure spoke again.
"I can comfort," it said. Arden was struck with even greater pain.
"I can dispirit." Arden was completely dispersed with that sentence.
This time Arden wasn't having trouble with fever or convulsions. He was proceeding without any sort of symptoms. "A rare talent indeed, both wonder and ruin he can bring," Zecora muttered, passing her fingers through his mane. The moon had reached its zenith when Zecora woke up. Arden didn't eat, he didn't make so much as a sound aside from pages flipping as he read one of her favorite books. And when he noticed she was awake he didn't even ask for food or anything of the sort. He just came by and asked if she was feeling better. Then he sat by her side and stood there keeping her company until she finally got up.
Out of nowhere, the stallion started to move. His hands clawed his chest as if he was trying to rip something off. She took them and held both his hands tightly. That seemed to calm him down, however, his eyes suddenly shot open and he sat up straight panting. "Okay, you are?"
The stallion looked around frantically. "Damn it!" He said clenching his fist. "What the fuck does it want from me?" The blue one asked looking straight at her. "What does it want?" He didn't sound tired. Neither did he look in pain. But something was off, his voice was cracking, and he didn't look like he could focus on her.
"What did it say?" She asked.
"It keeps saying 'I can' before it blasts me into oblivion," Arden said. "What should I do?"
He was acting even weirder. Now he had a creepy smile on his face that disturbed Zecora more than his eyes.
"You tried attacking?" The stallion nodded positively. "Then perhaps you should try reacting," she said trying to come up with advice.
"I...guess I need to go through all the options right?" He said falling to his side and onto the bed. "How did I get myself into this mess?" His eyes were different now, he looked lost. It didn't look like he knew she was still there. His voice changed. "I get to meet a goddess. I get to meet a beautiful healer that is the incarnation of the kind of doctor I wanted to be. I get sick even before I get a chance to do anything to help others. And now I'm seeing snakes and ghosts moving around. Would you look at that! It's the reaper! Hello Mrs. Death! Care to get the fuck out? Neither I or my little rabbit friends need your cleaning services, so please leave." Then the stallion started to laugh. Zecora was in shock from what she was hearing.
"But dude shouldn't you just ignore these mares? They are mares?" The voice sounded deep. "Look at us jackass! We are a horse!" This one was high-pitched. "No problems, now we are just butterflies!" This one was feminine. "Why do I always get the crazy ones?" This one sounded like a child. Zecora snapped out of her shock and forced him to look straight into her eyes.
"Arden! Look at me and tell me what you see!" She said holding the dead-eyed stallion's face as he continued his rambling. "Please! You need to get a hold of yourself lest you lose yourself!" she pleaded. Tears were forming in her eyes before he started blinking suddenly.
Looking closer into his eyes Zecora saw a faint green glow fading while as he seemed to return to normal. Looking around she saw a pair of shining green eyes in the dark forest outside. She placed him down and rushed outside but the eyes were gone.
"Changeling," she muttered.'Could Arden's health can be brought back if the changelings were to be tracked,'She wondered before she got back inside and found Arden sitting down with his hand on his forehead. "How do you feel?"
"Sleepy..." Arden said as he passed out.
He had once again left her alone after scaring her. After what she saw, it was clear to her that whatever it was forcing him out of his trance was also damaging his frail mind. Her only option was to track down the changeling and get them to help her one way or the other.
"Rest easy my acolyte. Your teacher shall see your treatment through." Zecora said, positioning him on the bed and covering him once again.
"Now, preparations for my hunt. And rest assured this time nothing will get in this one's way." She reassured herself as she walked around her house gathering her gear and placing it by Arden's side. She would spend another night awake to monitor him. But this time she would also prepare potions, bait, and sharpen her weapons just in case the changelings were unwilling to cooperate.
Zecora stared at her reflection on the brass of her blade.'This mare will not let her friend loose himself! This mare shall bring this stallion back to health!"
"I only did that because I need him alive." The changeling queen said to her reflection. "I need him to be even closer to the princess and I won't be able to use him unless he is alive. That's it. I. Just. Need. My. Pawn." She reassured herself staring straight into her eyes. "Just. A. Pawn." She muttered looking at herself. "Love is a lie, just an emotion for us to feed upon."
"But...she seemed so sad..." Chrysalis said looking at her reflection. "It doesn't matter. NOT to me. I am the future queen while he is a walking snack and she is a hermit. What I need is to be careful and stop pulling stunts like that. There was no need to keep staring through the window. My spell was flawless. I am flawless. I do NOT care what happens to him." She said to her reflection huffing. "Now I need to be more careful with that zebra. She did see me now. I'll have to be extra careful."
"Arden, Arden!" That's what he heard as he felt his body being shaken. "Does this one need to hit you for you to wake up?" Slowly opening his eyes he sat up. His shoulders felt like boulders. His head, on the other hand, looked like it was better than ever. Yet no memories from the previous night, just from the trance.
"Finally! This one has a hunt and you'll be accompanying." When he looked at her he saw that Zecora was completely geared and ready to leave. Her face was very different from the ones he saw in the past few days, Zecora's usually calm expression was replaced by a stern look, and a fire deep in her eyes. 'I guess this is her hunter side. Okay body, time to move and follow the huntress, before she starts poking me with that spear.'
"Aye, aye, captain!" He said getting on his hooves, then he had to react to catch a flask, his sword, and pieces of armor. 'What the heck?' He thought as he looked at the armor. A pair of dark leather gauntlets, and a pair of shoulder armor made out of same material. "Er...What is this?"
"On a hunt, we are going," Zecora said walking around the place. "The tracker needs to be well protected. That gear is made for an acolyte hunter. Borrow it, you may." She said picking more herbs and placing them in her belt's pocket.
"But I have some traveling gear..." He said detaching the sword from the quillon and hanging it on the new piece of equipment. After that, he wore the armor and adjusted it until it was tightly attached to his torso.
"Yes, but not protective enough." She said, checking some of her books. "Armor for fighting ponies not beasts. That should prove better than any gear crafted for the unicorn yet. Made out of Manticore fur. If we hunt together it shall be done my way." She said turning around to see him. She was right about the armor being different. The weight was considerably greater and it looked way sturdier than the stuff Velvet gave him. The outside was hard but the inside was covered in soft fur.
"They fit you well. Now, ready you are?"
"S-sure," Arden said stretching a bit as he prepared to go out. Even with his body still aching, if she was acting this way it was important, and she wanted his help. So he had to keep up and do what he could. "A heads-up though. I have no clue as to how to wield a sword."
"Just swing," She said heading towards the door after looking at him from top to bottom with a small smile. "Leave the fighting to this one. Focus on using what you were taught about tracking. We seek a changeling."
"Er...How do their tracks look like?" Arden said closing the front door behind him. He still felt a bit weird for not wearing a shirt underneath his armor. Not to mention how the armor made him a slower than before. Even if it was made out of leather it was still very heavy.
"Pony tracks with bits of their hooves missing." The stallion's eyes widened at that.
"Okay! Let's do this!" He said looking around the house for the tracks he saw the previous day. "Found them! These ones are fresher than the one I saw the other day. Follow me." The unicorn said moving away as he scanned for more. As he continued to follow them he noticed that something fell off near one of them. It looked like a piece of rag, green material, some sort of smell coming from it. It smelled like mold and sweat.
"Hey, Zecora?"
"Yes?"
"I think I found something." He said holding out the piece of cloth to her. She picked the piece and analyzed it.
"Good find. There is one place, in particular, we should check." She said pointing to a direction with her spear. "A cave system nearby. There is a high chance to have more clues there."
She looked a bit bothered by his find. She did say that she had been trying to track the changeling down, but her efforts bore no fruit since the changelings could shapeshift and cover their tracks. "I guess I was lucky then," Arden said looking towards the pointed direction. "Lead the way teacher."
Zecora took the lead, Arden walked behind her trying to keep up. After a while, she stopped her gaze was focused on the sky and he saw her nostrils moving as if she was catching some sort of scent. "A storm approaches." She said before picking up the pace while Arden tried his best to move with the same ease as Zecora, but the added weight of the armor and the fact he was still learning how to move around in the forest kept him from doing that. Eventually, they arrived at a cave's entrance. At this point, Zecora was even tenser than when they left the hut.
"Okay, what's the plan?" Arden asked looking at the entrance, crouching down and hiding by the zebra's side.
"Alone this one shall enter. The unicorn will stand by the entrance and watch to prevent the changeling's escape." Zecora whispered. "If our prey is not within. Traps we shall set, and wait for her return we will."
"Why are you so set on catching the changeling now?" Arden asked.
"Great healing spells they have. A spell to stabilize the cerulean's mind is what I need," she answered.
Zecora left the bushes swiftly and silently. Arden tried to follow her lead but he ended up making noise, a decent amount of noise. Luckily for him, the sound of thunder muffled his mistakes, once he was at the entrance he found her hiding behind some rocks and watching the deeper parts of the cave.
She pulled out one vial and mixed its contents with another in a weirdly shaped bottle and shook it. The liquids mixed up and started to shine. "Wait here you shall, if need be, call for me," she said.
Arden reached out to her shoulder before she could go and said, "Zecora, if you find a pony there, pay close attention to its eyes. If you see a faint green flash run through them, you got the shapeshifter in front of you. And... Please be careful."
The mare seemed to blush a little as she went into the depths.
Then, he waited.
And waited.
Waited.
The rain started to pour. No sound pointing to anything heading his way, so Arden pulled out his sword and started to swing it around, trying to come up with some sort of stance. While he was at it he heard something moving in the nearby bushes. The sound started to get louder and Arden summoned his shield to try to brace for whatever was coming his way.
A huge creature made out of wood jumped out of the bushes. Its body completely soaked in the rain. Its eyes gave an eerie glow. The wolf's teeth covered in green moss that had some sort of green fluid oozing from it which looked like its saliva. In its pawns, Arden could see big pieces of wood shaped like claws.
Underneath the drenched moss fur, Arden could see faint green lines glowing through its body. He found himself mesmerized and terrified of the sight before him. The timberwolf saw Arden as well and was scanning him from top to bottom. Then it started to cycle around Arden as it growled and bore its fangs.
Arden, on the other hand, tried to stand his ground while following the wolf that continued to cycle around him. Arden refused to turn his back to it.
Then Arden remembered.
'Wolves hunt in packs!'
He leaped to the side as fast as he could, barely dodging the lunge from the timberwolf behind him. However, much to his despair, the other wolf attacked him and bit the part of his arm that was not covered by armor.
"ARRGH!" he screamed as the wolf's teeth sank into his flesh, tearing through the skin and muscle of his left arm. The same arm he was using to hold the sword. While the wolf gnawed at Arden's arm it clawed Arden's torso. After that, Arden felt another attack. The first attacker jumped on Arden's back and tried to bite his shoulder, the creature's fangs broke as it tried to chew the armor.
Seeing the urgency of taking that wolf off of him before it decided to attack his neck Arden made his shield shrink and grabbed the wolf tossing him away.
Then using the same hand Arden punched the other wolf's head and made the shield expand on impact, destroying the creature's head.
Scrambling away to put some distance between the remaining wolf and himself, Arden got back on his hooves and looked back. He felt his entire body tremble as he watched the dead wolf reconstruct its head from the pieces that lay on the ground.
'I don't know how to kill these guys! Time for the ultimate technique!' Arden thought to himself as he assumed a pose. The wolves prepared themselves as they saw their prey position itself.
Suddenly Arden turned away and bolted as fast as he could into the deepest parts of the cave screaming.
"RUN AWAY! ZECORAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The unicorn screamed as he ran. He didn't give a damn if he looked like a coward, he wanted to live. As he ran he heard the wolves pawns scratching the ground as they chased him through the cave. Arden's shield gave out a glow that allowed him to see the path ahead as he bolted through the darkness.
That was until he saw a something that caught him off guard and made him stop.
Zecora was on top a mare that had a green mane and a weird looking horn. Her body was covered in rags, leaving a lot of her skin exposed. She was tightly tied up with rope and was gagged, she kept struggling as Zecora made the knots tighter. Arden then saw her eyes. Emerald green eyes that looked like a cat's eyes. She was covered in something that looked like chitin. "Uh..." That was everything that he managed to say before he remembered the wolves and jumped to the side dodging the first attack.
(A few moments earlier)
Zecora carefully walked through the caves as she tried to come up with a way to convince the changeling to come peacefully. However, her grip on her spear was still getting tighter as she continued to wander in the dark. Then she heard the sound of water dripping. Squeezing her eyes she managed to see that there was a light coming from up ahead. As soon as she saw that the zebra hid her flask and started to move even slower.
"What to do, what to do?" Zecora heard as she took cover behind a rock and watched her target walk near the pond's edge. "I need him alive but he's staying with that blasted zebra. And based on what I've seen yesterday he isn't doing so good. I could use a spell to keep him stable and another one to keep him sleeping. That would prevent him from decaying and I could use him as leverage for the Sun Princess." Once she heard that Zecora convinced herself that she needed to force the changeling to help her. Otherwise, she would hold Arden as a hostage.
Zecora made a small move making some pebbles roll producing noise. The zebra held her breath and stood still as she heard the shapeshifter move towards the source. Its glowing eyes slowly passed near her. That's when Zecora struck the creature in the back of the head and jumped on her, pulling out the rope she prepared in the previous night she started to tie the changeling up as tight as she could. Suddenly the black mare tried to scream, but the huntress gagged her with a piece of cloth. It was at this point that she heard something coming closer.
"RUNAWAY! ZECORAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The scream sounded like Arden. Zecora looked away for a second and that's when the changeling started to struggle again. In order to prevent its escape, Zecora started to tighten up the knots.
"Uh..." She heard from behind her. Turning around she saw Arden jumping to the side and dodging a lunge from a timberwolf.
Zecora quickly pulled out her dagger and jumped on the wolf's back and stabbed it a few centimeters from the creature's head, the spot where the creature's heart lay. The only way to kill it, aside from setting the creature on fire.
The wood wolf crumbled after the green lines that ran through its body faded. She pulled out the dagger and saw another wolf on top of Arden. That one was aiming to bite his face off while it used its claws to cut through Arden's torso and stomach.
Zecora grabbed her spear and jumped on the beast. One strike was all she needed to end it. The creature fell to the side.
"Why did you not-?!" Zecora stopped her scolding as soon as she saw Arden's left arm, it was soaked in blood, and there was more coming from the wounds. 'The wolf must have hit an artery.'
Rushing to his side, she noticed that the stallion had tachycardia. Reaching for her potions and other resources, Zecora tried to find something to help with the blood loss.
While she desperately tried to find something to cauterize the wound she saw Arden's breathing start to slow down. The unicorn was dying in front of her. Searching even more frantically as she tried to keep her composure Zecora finally found a vial that could close the biggest issue. Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned to the stallion, but she noticed he had stopped breathing. The vial slipped from her fingers, crashing upon impact the sound echoed through the cavern.
"No..." Zecora whispered looking at the body before her.
Zecora stayed there, with her arms hanging by her side she just stayed there. Her mind went completely blank. No thoughts, no memories, nothing at all.
Amidst all of that, Zecora heard a gasp. However, due to her shock, she had no response. Then she saw the body move but only reacted when Arden opened his eyes.
Snapping off her daze, Zecora looked closer at the stallion. His wounds were emitting an emerald green glow. The blood he had lost was moving back into his body. The fluid was regaining its original properties as it returned to its vessels. The dirt and impurities floated into the air.
Once the blood was back in its proper place the glowing wounds slowly close. Arden gasped for air and kept touching the areas that were supposed to be wounded. Zecora felt her eyes watering up as she saw him look back at her. His black and blue eyes, staring right at her. At that moment, that was all that mattered. Those eyes filled with life were all that mattered.
Zecora couldn't contain it any longer, tears flowed like the rain that was still pouring outside. She sobbed and wept as she hugged the stallion.
"W-what happened?" His voice was cracking.
"Sorry! Sorry! Sorryyy! P-please, forgive me!" That was all Zecora managed to say as she cried.
"Zecora! The Changeling!" Zecora heard him screaming. She dried her tears and looked back at her prey.
"Zecora! The Changeling!" Arden screamed when he saw the creature lying before them.
The dark creature was shriveling. Her eyes were slowly closing. She panted on the ground. Zecora let go of him and went to check on her. Arden scrambled towards them. "What's happening?!"
Zecora was quickly examining the black mare. "Hunger! The Changeling requires food!" Zecora exclaimed once she finished examining the creature.
"Don't they feed on love? How are we going to help her?"
"I-I..."
Seeing that Zecora was just as lost Arden removed the gag from the Changeling. Taking her head, Arden made her look at him. "Listen! How can we help you?"
There was no answer, the mare just opened her mouth. Arden saw her fangs and then noticed a pink fog, slowly drift into the creature's mouth. Looking at Zecora Arden saw a pink spot on her chest. Looking back at himself, Arden saw his chest giving out the same glow. The changeling was feeding off them.
"ALRIGHT! Take as much as you need Mrs." He said keeping her head steady.
After a few moments, the changeling started to blink. Arden was still holding her head as to face him. The moment she seemed to regain consciousness she went wide-eyed.
"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-AHHHHHHH!" She screamed while trying to get away.
"Er, what's wrong?" Arden asked, her head still in his hands.
"WHY ARE YOU HOLDING ME?!"
"No need to shout, I'm holding you because you were dying of starvation. I took the gag off so you could speak, but you just opened your mouth and started eating some pink fog that came out of our chests."
"I know that much!" She screamed. Arden noticed that her cheeks turning green. "I mean why you're holding me so close!"
"Oh, I don't know," He said, getting away from her face. "A question: Is your blood green?"
"Yes."
"Ohhhh, so you were flustered just now."
He saw the mare widen her eyes while her cheeks got greener. Then she tried to bite his fingers, Arden prevented that by grabbing her muzzle. She then tried to cast a spell, Arden just used his other hand to hold her horn. He figured that if he stopped the magic from flowing she wouldn't be able to cast.
Her eyes almost jumped out of her orbits. She started to make some weird sounds and struggle, and eventually just stopped when her pupils shrunk.
Then she just seemed to pass out. "What was that?"
"P-please, let go of the changeling's horn," Zecora stuttered. Arden looked at her and noticed she changed from black and white to black and red.
"What did I do?"
"T-the only ones capable of casting spells in our world are the horned ones. And the horns..."
"Sensible spot. Got it," Arden said, letting go immediately and placing the changelings head on the ground. "I guess it's clear that I didn't know that, right?"
"O-of course," Zecora said, shaking her head she stood up again.
"Hey, little question: what happened? After you took down the wolf, that is."
"T-the cerulean passed out because of blood loss. It would seem as though the changeling saved you. When this one had given up." Zecora said, unable to meet his eyes.
Arden just smiled at her, he now realized how much she cared for him. Not just as a patient, but as a friend as well.
Arden got up and reached for the mare. Arden made her face him. "Thank you for trying. It means the world to me."
Zecora tensed up. "L-let us take her back," She said heading out.
Arden got the 'trophy' and followed Zecora. As he followed Arden had to stop when he met Zecora standing with something in her hands. "Very irresponsible of you, discarding your weapon mid-battle! Did you lose your senses along with with the blood?"
Arden looked at his left arm, then he remembered: he had stopped feeling his left arm when he fled. "My guess is that the wolf's bite must have damaged the nerves on my left arm. So I must've dropped it."
"Oh," Zecora bit her lip after hearing that. "I apologize."
"No need. Let us head back to our home," Zecora smiled at 'our'.
"Yes, let us do that."
(earlier that day, Ponyville)
Applejack was heading towards Sugar Cube Corner. The Apple family reunion was bound to happen in two days. And due to a huge harvest that they did not expect, they found themselves short on dishes for the celebration.
As soon as Aj stepped into the bakery, a storm broke out. "That was a close shave," Aj said looking through the front door. "Howdy Mrs. Cake."
"Hello Applejack," Mrs. Cake answered, she was one of the owners of the place. "What can I do for you?"
"Ah need some pies and other sweets. Mah family's reunion is going to happen in two days. So we need your best apple treats. We can provide the apples needed, but we don't have the time to prepare all the food."
"Sure thing, dear," Mrs. Cake answered. "Any sign of that Arden yet?"
"Nothing on mah end," Aj said looking around. "How's your husband doing?"
"He is in the kitchen working on some deliveries,"
Aj raised an eyebrow at that. "Problems with a customer?
"We decided it was best for him to lay low for a while."
"Males or females?"
"Females," Mrs. Cake said with a sigh. "Some ponies just don't give the proper respect to the status 'married' anymore."
"Ah heard ya," Aj responded. Females flirting with males wasn't exactly a problem unless they were talking about a married stallion. "Is Pinkie Pie home? Ah am gonna need to kill time," Aj asked.
"I believe so, dear. She's been up in the attic since Ditzy dropped by and gave her a letter the other day."
"Ya don't say," The cowgirl headed towards the attic.
As far as Aj knew, her friend staying locked up in her room could mean two things. Possibility number one: she was preparing for a big party. Possibility number two: somepony made her feel down in the dumps. Whenever the second one happened, she would need a few days to go back to her usual self. Passing the attic's door Aj saw something unusual. Her friend was sitting down at her table, on the ground Aj saw a very long scroll that looked like a checklist.
"Howdy Pinkie!" Pinkie Pie jumped and started to run around.
"H-hello Applejack!" She said trying to hide the scroll. "H-how are you doing?"
"Ah am doing just fine," Aj responded. "Though, you don't seem to be having a good time there."
"What are you talking about?" Pinkie said, her eyes darting around like bullets. "Pinkie is all about good times!"
Aj just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Pinkie gave out an awkward laugh, then fidgeting as her eyes kept darting. Silence, that was all that followed. The standoff between them continued for several minutes. Pinkie finally caved in, letting out a sigh. 'She seems really sad about it. Maybe Ah should have dropped it.'
"I got a letter from the princess yesterday," Pinkie said letting out a sigh. "And I was told to keep it to the least number of ponies possible."
"Why is that?"
"I don't know. I just wanted to keep it under wraps, at least until I finished going through the list she sent me."
"Mind if Ah, take a look?"
"The cat is out of the bag. Why not?" Pinkie said pulling out the scroll.
Aj took the piece of paper, unrolling it she saw requests for dishes. It was nothing short of a feast. List of guests, all of them from Ponyville. Not a single noble. Then a cake, she specifically requested zap apple goods to be used on it. Not only that, she specified its size, the decor, and so forth. All these requests were for: 'a celebration for a pony who was very dear to me'. What did she mean by that? And the date, the event was on the longest night of the year. More specifically for one that would take place in four years.
"Pinkie, do you mind if Ah tell my folks about this?"
"Why would you do that?"
"The cake, mah family is the only one that makes the ingredients required for it. So with the heads-up. We can get this part of the list out of your way. Once we are closer to the date that is."
"I would appreciate that," Pinkie said smiling. "But don't go around telling more ponies!"
"I promise."
"Pinkie promise?"
"Pinkie promise," Aj said, making the 'x' over her heart and covering her eye with one of her hands.
Pinkie giggled as she jumped at Aj and gave her a hug. Aj returned the hug with a mild laugh. After a few moments, Aj broke the hug and Pinkie started to bounce around. 'Back to her usual self, eh?' Looking through the window, Aj saw the sky slowly starting to clear up.
"Ah guess that's mah cue. See ya later Pinkie."
"Sure thing Aj. Thanks again for the help!"
With that, Aj left the place. On her way out, she ran into Mr. Cake. He seemed to be in a rush, reaching downstairs Mrs. Cake was having a 'talk' to a customer. Aj didn't want to get mixed up with that, so she just left the place.
(during these events, Fluttershy's cottage)
"Hello, Angel Bunny," Fluttershy said holding her little friend, a white bunny with black eyes and a pink nose. "Did you behave?"
Fluttershy decided to delay her deliveries for a bit since she had left her friends on their own for two days. Checking them now was the best course of action. The bunny jumped on her hands, pointing towards the room where she usually checked the condition of her friends.
"What is it, Angel?" Fluttershy said placing the bunny down. The little guy jumped towards the room, she followed. "Oh, my."
Inside the next room, she saw her friend. That friend was a big grizzly bear she found a few years back. In its pawns, it held a little bird with blue feathers. The bird's right wing was broken and it had some claw marks on its back.
"Who is this little one?" Fluttershy asked as she gently picked up the bird from the bear's pawns. The bear growled.
"You found him near the Everfree?" The bear nodded. "Anything else?" Another growl.
The bear told her that he found the bird after seeing a big bird keep diving into the forest. When he found the little unconscious he figured Fluttershy would be back, so he decided to bring it home. Fluttershy placed the bird on her table where she kept a little pillow so she could examine the animals.
Fluttershy went to the cabinet where most of her medical equipment was. Taking out two splints and some bandages she used them to immobilize the bird's wing. She also took some antiseptic and applied it to the wound on the bird's back.
Then Fluttershy waited. While she waited rain started to fall outside. She left the room and got some seeds for the bird as well as some hot tea. When she returned, she found the bird sitting on the pillow as it moved its head around. "Hello, Mr. Bird."
The little flyer chirped. "I'm Fluttershy. You're at my house. One of my friends found you in the nearby forest."
More chirping followed. "No, no. I don't intend to hurt you. Hungry?" Fluttershy asked, placing the bowl with seeds in front of the bird.
The little one hesitated a bit but ended up eating. "How did you get those wounds?" The bird swallowed before starting to chirp again. "A hawk? It must have been a wild one. Where did you come from?" The bird ate a bit more before answering. "The Canterlot royal garden? I always wanted to go there."
The bird pushed the bowl away. "Oh, no. No need for thanks," It insisted. "G-gossip? From who?" The bird chirped. "P-princess Celestia?!" The bird nodded. Fluttershy tried to decline the offer, but the blue one told all it heard regardless.
The Princess went to the garden to think, apparently it was a habit. When she went there, Celestia would talk to herself. Recently Celestia kept mumbling about having Arden look for the rest of members, she also mentioned something about a big event. The bird also heard that apparently, the Princess had already chosen somepony to be part of it. Celestia seemed to be pondering whether she should send this pony right before the event, or at an earlier date. She also mentioned being excited about 'their reunion'.
Fluttershy was lost. 'Having Arden look for members? Big event? Reunion? What does it all mean?' She remembered the message passed on to them. 'Oh my goodness! The personal favor. Could it be that she and him-?!'
The chirping bird snapped her back. "Oh, s-sorry. I got lost in a thought. It will take a few days until you can fly again. Sorry," She said getting closer to the little bird. More chirping. "No problem at all. I take care of a lot of animals. One more won't be an issue."
'I wonder what Rarity would think of this?' Fluttershy thought to herself, taking the bird in her hands and placing it inside a little house.
(After the storm, deep in the Everfree)
Arden and Zecora had just managed to return to Zecora's hut drenched from the rain. It would seem that most creatures from the Everfree went hiding inside caves during rain so they had to leave as fast as they could. which led to running in the rain.
"Alright," Arden said placing the still unconscious Changeling on the ground. Zecora closed the door behind them and went to her room. "I'll just sit here an keep watch." He said taking off the gauntlets and the shoulder armor.
"Uuuuuurgh..." The Changeling groaned.
"Hey, you're awake!" Arden said, noticing the Changeling moving around.
"Why did you do that to me?" She asked hissing.
"I didn't know that I could knock you out with that. I just wanted to stop you from casting. Sorry."
"You literally activated every pain receptor in my body at once!" She screamed. "Who wouldn't pass out!"
"Now I feel worse," Arden said with his ears drooped. "It was bad enough when I didn't know I hurt you. Sorry. And before I forget: Thank you."
"If you want to thank me. Let me go!"
"We are not letting you go," Zecora said entering the room, she tossed a towel to Arden. "We need your spells."
"Good luck with that, zebra."
"You will help this one. By force, if need be."
"Whoa! Whoa!" Arden intervened. "I think we already went far enough with the forcing."
"But-"
"But nothing," Arden said, he turned to the Changeling and untied her. "Listen, I need your help. I'm dying. And my treatment is having some issues. So I need somepony with spells that can keep my mind stable enough for me to continue."
The Changeling got up, picked the towel Zecora gave Arden and used to dry herself. "Why would I help a snack? Better yet, why would I help somepony who is part of the race that brought me my misfortune?"
Arden kneeled down and groveled. "I beg you. I need both your help and Zecora's. Without your spells, I can't go through the treatment. And without her potions, I can't do the treatment."
"A-Arden! There is no need for you to-"
"Would you look at that? A stallion that actually climbs off his pedestal!" The Changeling said laughing. "Because he NEEDS us."
"Stop! Right now!" The zebra said.
"What do I need to do convince you?" Arden asked raising his head.
"What?" The Changeling raised an eyebrow at him.
"Tell me what I need to do to convince you. I'll do whatever it takes." Arden said, his eyes locked on hers. The Changeling tilted her head.
"L-Let's see..." It would seem she did not expect that. "Um, b-back at the cave. You said, you said..." She seemed flustered based on the color of her cheeks. " 'Take as much as you want.' I-If you want my help, that's my price. I need food. You'll be it."
"Take as much as you need," Arden responded without a second thought. 'I get my mind cleared up. She gets to eat. And I bet that by doing this will the amount she can take increases. Heck, maybe the quality changes.'
The Changeling's jaw dropped. "D-did you just agree to feed me?"
Arden nodded.
"This creature," She said pointing to herself.
"All I see is a black mare with a green mane and green eyes. So, I don't see your point."
"I-In any case. We have a deal. I am Chrysalis, the next Queen of the Changelings." The Changeling said trying to keep her composure.
'Another royal? Why is she covered in rags?' Arden thought, getting on his hooves he smiled at her.
"I am Arden Sila. This is Zecora. Thank you for the help."
"When do we start?"
"At 3:00 PM."
He just...why? He saw me. Then he agrees to feed me? NO! I need to focus. He's in the palm of my hand. I just need to play my cards right, and I can get him on my side. Now, remember: he is food. He is the key to getting the help I need. Keep your head on the game Chrysalis. You're already old enough. Mommy is looking for you. You need to get help before she finds you.
(After the rain, Sweet Apple Acres)
"Applejack! One of our cousins got here earlier!" Aj heard her little sister shout from the gates. "He has news on Arden!"
Aj picked up the pace, finally some news on the stallion. Once she was inside the house, Aj saw her cousin from Appleloosa. "Howdy, good to see ya!"
"How is ya doing? Granny tells me you all met this Arden. Did you know he came from another world?"
"W-what?" Aj asked with her eye twitching.
"He came from another world. And his talent is like the princess' of love. Only a bit more expansive."
'A-another world? If that's true...then Rarity's idea about him being an alicorn is possible. The last alicorn prince was Celestia's father. They were thought to be extinct. If Arden came from another world, there is a possibility. Dear Celestia, we might have attacked a noble.'
"It looks like the stallion can see into other ponies hearts. And his eyes change when he does."
"S-see into our hearts?"
"Yup."
'Everypony was scared of him. Ah, remember thinking he was an 'it' during the event. If he was rejecting his talent...and he said he decayed because of us. No way, our fear caused his decay. Not the attack.'
"How do you know all this cousin?" Aj asked slamming her hands on the table.
"I bet your weather teams were called back as well." Aj nodded. "Celestia called them back. Just to send this letter," He said, placing a long scroll on the table. "It describes the stallion in detail. Measurements, eye color, items in his possession, talent, and changes caused by talent. There's even a detailed report on his strength test," Aj picked the letter, she had to check the value.
"1200?! T-that's double the value for..." Aj's eyes were darting through the pages. She was scanning the entire report. Trying her best to find anything that pointed to the value being wrong. Nothing. "M-mah dear Celestia..." She fell on a chair, the pages in her hand.
"What happened Applejack?" Big Mac asked her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Applejack didn't respond, she was starting to connect dots in her mind. The princess' overreaction. Their interactions. Arden's resilience, his speed. A talent similar to a princess.
"H-he...he might be an alicorn..." Her brother's jaw fell flat.
"We attacked the fellow." He said in a low voice. "Nope, nope, nope!"
Aj remembered the letter Pinkie received. "Maybe things aren't so bad. The princess still looks forward to the celebration in four years," She said shaking her head. "Cousin, you are forbidden to share this with anypony, understood?" He was still family, so the promise wouldn't be broken. The visitor swore to keep his lips sealed.
Applejack told everything she learned from Pinkie's letter. Her family just listened quietly, except for Applebloom that was beaming, and Applebloom kept whispering to the others. Aj, ignored her little sister's antiques and kept telling the details. Once she was finished, her entire family seemed to be like Applebloom.
"What?" Aj asked tilting her head.
"Aj, Arden and Celestia are getting married during the celebration!" Applebloom exclaimed with a huge smile. "That list you just described a dead giveaway!" Aj opened her mouth to respond, but she began to think about the contents.
"If she was to marry the stallion...why not have the nobles there? Why not do it in Canterlot?" Aj muttered, scratching her chin.
"He is a prince from another world. He just came to our world and got the princess' favor," Granny Smith said. "Princess Celestia has been around for longer than me. Many stallions from nobility tried their luck with the Princess. There are even some families that have their sons trained to attempt to court her. There was a disastrous attempt by one of those families around the time Ponyville was founded. That's when she learned about those families training their heirs to court her. Celestia was not pleased in the slightest."
"She wants to do it away from families that might attempt to intervene," Aj concluded. "That also explains her secrecy."
"Aj, we might have attacked the future ruler of Equestria," Big Mac said, Applejack tensed up when she heard that.
"Then we better make sure that we dish out the best ingredients and food possible for this party!" Aj exclaimed.
'We better get on that stallion's good side. Otherwise, mah family and our town might be in trouble! Ah, better let Rarity know about this!' Then she remembered something: her town didn't receive the message. 'We might be in trouble already.'
"Seriously? Lady, this is the fourth time!" Arden exclaimed looking at Nightmare. Her situation was worse than before. Aside from being tied up tighter than the previous night, she was suspended like a piñata. Complete with blindfold and gag. "I'm starting to think you do enjoy this."
Arden cut her down, gently placing her on the ground he freed her. "Do you have some sort of thing for being tied up?"
"N-NO! I-I HATE IT! ONLY FREAKS ENJOY THAT!" Nightmare shouted as she got up. She wasn't wearing her battledress. This time it was a long dress that looked like a freaking galaxy. The garment looked as ethereal as her mane. Speaking of which, it also changed. The usual was having it free to move around. This time, however, it was carefully combed and arranged in a beautiful tress that fell over her shoulder. Not to mention her make up was even more beautiful than the previous night.
'She was really starting to try to get my attention, isn't she?' Arden was unsure of Zecora and Celestia. But Nightmare was a dead giveaway. 'Why else would she come back to being tied up? Unless being tied up is the reason.
"Question: How in bloody hell do you get an ethereal mane to be arranged like that? And nice dress by the way." Arden said stretching.
"I-I decided to try a different approach for my takeovers," She said blushing. "Gaining their favor through more pleasant images seemed better. And I don't have to tell you how I style my mane! You insufferable fog!"
"Changing your presentation? Didn't I suggest that when we met?" Arden said in a coy tone. "Following advice? Mistress of the night, you seem to be growing."
The answer to that was a bunch of incomprehensible noises. Nightmare Moon huffed and left. Right before she went through the door, however, Arden screamed. "THOSE REALLY LOOK GOOD ON YOU!" The mare stopped, went back to face him.
"How come you are not afraid of me?"
"Because I know who you are. So I know that I don't need to be afraid."
"Oh, yeah? And who am I?"
"You're Princess Luna's guardian. I bet that you're trying to keep her safe even now." Arden responded crossing his arms. "I don't mean you or her any harm. So I don't need to be afraid of either of you."
"What makes you so sure of that? I might be just a bad dream taking over."
"Call it a gut feeling. Anyhow, who was your target this night?" Nightmare Moon seemed to tense up when she heard that. 'I bet she still lying about not wanting to come back here. I bet she thinks I'm some sort of being with enough power to attack her sister and win.
"W-what?"
"You said you didn't want to come back to my dreams. But you keep being dragged here for some reason. Therefore, it stands to reason you were targeting other beings. Looking at that dress, you wanted to impress." The black mare turned crimson.
"I-I-I..." Her eyes were darting around like crazy. "A nobleman! Yeah! A nobleman was my target! That the reason for the attire! The ruler of dreams and the night would never put up an effort for a shapeless creature!"
'Yeah, keep telling yourself that sister.'
"Okay then," Arden said clapping his hands. "I'm gonna have my ass handed to me now. Bye-bye!" He said, leaving the mare and making the room's door appear.
"W-wait!" Arden heard from behind him. Turning around, Arden almost allowed a brooch, that seemed to be made out of silver and shaped like the gears of a clock, to fall down. "I found this during one of my takeovers. I have no use for it. Keep it."
"Thank you," Arden said placing the brooch on his lapel. "Didn't expect a gift."
"I-It isn't a gift! I getting rid of the dead weight!" She exclaimed bashing her left hooves against the ground. "Go get blasted into oblivion! See if I care!"
"Ok!" Arden said heading out. As soon as he set foot outside, the figure appeared again.
"I can-?!" The pony was interrupted by a punch straight to the jaw. Arden's body was responding this time.
"Alright! Eat...that..." Arden halted his celebration when he saw that the arm he used to attack had disappeared.
"I can remember." Arden's other arm was blasted away, he was forced to turn towards the room he came from. Inside, he saw Nightmare standing with her eyes wide open and covering her mouth.
"I can forsake." Arden felt the second impact, looking down at his chest as he saw a hole. A perfect circle right above his heart.
"I can mend." Another blast, Arden stopped seeing what was at his right.
"I can destroy."
Arden passed out. The last thing he saw was Nightmare trying to rush towards him.
"Is it always like this?" Chrysalis asked Zecora. Arden had a high fever and was sweating a lot. "I can just use one of my spells-"
"No! Your focus must remain on keeping his mind stable. This one shall handle the other symptoms." Zecora shot back. She was glad that she had the help required for Arden's treatment, but the Changeling's attitude when Arden asked for help ticked her off. Not to mention she still didn't trust the creature. Zecora knew of the changeling's plans for Arden. She would not let him fall into the Changeling's hands.
Arden's condition stabilized once the fever was dealt with. Zecora tried her best to focus only on his current condition, as well as on the Changeling's behavior. The scene of him almost dying in front of her, however, kept playing in her head. 'He doesn't know anything about defending himself. If we are attacked, his demise he would surely meet. He needs to learn how to protect himself.'
While Zecora had those thoughts, Arden woke up panicking. "Arden! Arden! Safe you are. Rest easy you can." She said holding the stallion's shoulders. His expression shifted to the one in the previous night. But before he could say anything, a green glow came out of his eyes and he fell asleep.
"You're welcome, zebra," Chrysalis said.
"This one does not remember thanking you, shapeshifter," Zecora said growling.
"You think he likes you, don't you? You actually fell for him. Oh, you poor little thing."
"This does not concern you. So do not dare to raise your voice to mention that."
"Love isn't a real emotion you fool! It's only lust from one being towards another. A desire to possess that being, use it, and then discard it. And males are experts on this."
"Bite your tongue!" Zecora shouted placing a dagger at the changeling's throat. "This one knows what you seek. The unicorn may trust you, but this one doesn't. He may not fight, but this one does. So if the changeling feels so inclined to try her luck. Come, this one shall make sure you know your place."
"Afraid of the truth, are we?" Chrysalis said grabbing the dagger. "Go ahead, slice my throat. But know that when you do you'll be slicing his throat as well."
Zecora's hand trembled as she huffed before backing away.
"Succubus," Zecora said in a low voice. She saw Chrysalis's ear twitch.
"Peasant."
"Project of a mare."
"Wannabe huntress."
"Lunatic."
"Second-rate herbalist!"
"Delusional!"
"ENOUGH WITH THE INSULTS!" Arden screamed before passing out again.
'It's decided. He trusted me with his life. This one shall return the belief, and teach him how to fight! First thing in the morning, this one shall find a training ground. The ruins of the old castle should suffice!'
'Yes, get angry you stupid zebra. I will use that to make you two hate each other. Then he'll be mine do as I please. As a hostage, as food. That's right. He's my walking snack and my hostage. Wonder how his energy tastes...the bit I got on the cavern was mixed with hers. Eugh! Maybe it's like, NO! No no no no no no no no! He is food! Only FOOD. And a HOSTAGE! Nothing else! I can't end up like mommy. I refuse to end up like her. No, I rather die than become like her.'
"Wake up, my dear cerulean," A calm, soft voice called Arden from his slumber. Then he felt fingers running through his face, down his neck, it started to move down his torso when Arden opened his eyes. Arden had grabbed the arm that was running through his body.
Who he saw was Zecora, she was on top of him. She barely had any clothing on her, her eyes were weird. Arden had never seen her like that.
"Hello. Why don't we enjoy ourselves?" Zecora said getting closer. When she was almost kissing him, Arden used his other hand to cover her mouth.
"Get off me. Chrysalis," Arden said, the zebra eyes widened.
"W-what are you talking about?" She stuttered.
"I'm not stupid! I figured out a way to see through your disguises."
The zebra continued on top of him. Grabbing her other arm Arden turned the tables on her. 'Zecora' had a malicious smile on her face.
"You just wanted to be on top? Dominant type?" Arden let go of her and left the room. "Was it something I said?" he heard from behind him.
"Chrysalis, your eyes have flash green from time to time. It gives you away." He said sitting down by the table.
"What gives me away?" Arden heard. The front door was open, and Chrysalis was standing by it. While Zecora was still in the bedroom. Arden's eye twitched, 'What the fuck?' He was in a haze for a few moments, then he saw Crysalis smiling.
"Chrysalis! Change her back! NOW!" He shouted.
"I didn't do anything!" Chrysalis said smiling.
Chrysalis smile disappeared the moment Arden pressed her against the wall. Arden's right hand was on her throat, his left was close to her horn. Chrysalis' eyes widened, her horn started to glow, and her eyes lit up. Then Arden heard groans. he looked in the bedroom, Zecora was trying to get on her hooves.
"Don't ever pull another stunt like that! If you do, I swear I'll squeeze your horn until it cracks. Did I make myself clear?"
"C-crystal," She gulped. Arden saw her trembling, tears in her eyes.
"Sorry," Arden said letting her go. "I'm a bit 'protective' of those I care about."
"D-dully noted," Chrysalis said placing her hand on her neck. Arden saw something familiar on her hand, his ring. "W-what?"
"I left that ring with Rarity. You stole it, didn't you?" Arden said crossing his arms. "Why did you take it?"
"Because I was curious about its purpose." She said looking at the accessory. "A direct line to Celestia? Aren't you special?"
Arden just sighed. "Special, no. Crazy enough to help a random mythical creature? Yes," He said leaving Chrysalis and going to Zecora. "Are you okay?"
"Arden! The Changeling! Is..." Zecora started. It seemed she didn't remember about being under a spell. "What transpired?"
"Chrysalis put you under a spell, left the hut, stole my ring from Rarity, and came back. Then I forced her to bring you back to your senses and warned her of the consequences of doing it again." Arden explained to the zebra.
"W-what did this one do while under the incantation?" She asked, her face was turning red.
"You basically...how do I put this?" Arden said, scratching his chin. She needed to know what happened. Otherwise, Chrysalis could use that later on. "She made you attempt 'courting' me." The zebra's eyes widened and she became red like a tomato.
"A-and, what did you think of it?" She was fidgeting.
'That is her question? Seriously? Does she think that I? Oooooooo...I think I get it.' Arden thought, hearing her question. "I thought it was Chrysalis using a disguise. I made you get off me and left the room."
"Oh," Zecora said with her ears dropping. 'She might like me. I know I like her. But better not get ahead of myself. Especially with Chrysalis around. This might be a remnant of her spell.'
"Why didn't you do anything with her while she was under the spell?" Arden heard from behind him."What I used basically increased a certain desire. So, why didn't you take your chance?" Arden looked back at Chrysalis. 'Are you fucking kidding me?'
"Because I thought it was you!" He screamed back at Chrysalis. "And another thing, Zecora doesn't need your spells to get my attention! She is amazing enough as she is!" Arden stopped the moment he realized what he just said. He looked at Zecora, she looked very pleased based on her smile and slightly blushing. His head slowly turned towards Chrysalis, she looked like she was having the time of her life.
"Well, chief. What are the plans for the day?" Arden asked wanting to change the subject. "More tracking lessons? Maybe some potion brewing?"
"Training grounds for you we shall search." Arden's ears perked up. "This one shall not allow you to be in the same predicament as the previous day. Train yo in the art of fight I shall."
"But didn't you say that-" Zecora gestured him to stop.
"This one cannot bear to see the unicorn in such state again! This mare shall place in you the same faith you showed her by trusting your life to me." Zecora said locking her eyes with Arden's. "If this will be more than just for your well-being. Time will be the one to tell." Arden had his eyes open wide. 'She is amazing.'
"If that's the case, I have a suggestion," Arden said. "I think it's better for us if you go search for a suitable place to train. While I stay here and watch over Chrysalis."
"Absolutely not! It's better to have more eyes on her!" Zecora shot back.
"Having her out there, where we can lose track of her is bad. If she stays here, she won't be able to do anything. I have mental wards to protect me from mind control spells." Arden argued. "And I know how to knock her out."
Zecora tried to come up with a counter-argument. The end result was her giving up. Zecora and Arden had breakfast, while Chrysalis kept to herself in the bedroom. Zecora seemed a bit sad by the events and the outcome of the conversation. Once that was over, Zecora prepared herself and left. 'Zecora, the hidden healer, huntress of the woods. Maybe the training brings us closer or shows that we aren't exactly a match. I sure hope for the first.'
Arden picked the 'Supernaturals' book again and sat down by the table. 'Reading time!'
"If you need something. I'm over here, okay Chrysalis?" Arden asked.
"Keep your voice down. It's annoying."
"I'll take that as an 'okay'," Arden muttered returning to the book.
Chrysalis was fuming for about an hour because of the scolding. That insufferable lovey-dovey zebra got her into trouble again. 'Damn it! If she had gone far enough I could have cut the spell! Then the situation could have developed into a bit of a problem. And now the unicorn won't let his guard down around me. How does he keep dodging my plans?!'
Chrysalis's stomach began to growl, the after-effects of keeping the mind spell and using her disguises to steal the ring. 'Great, now I have to go feed of that freak.' Chrysalis thought she got on her hooves. However, as soon as she did her legs failed her and she fell with a loud thud.
Chrysalis heard steps rushing towards her. Looking at the bedroom's door, she saw the stupid stallion standing there. "What?"
"Are you okay?"
"I am far from okay! I am hungry. Fulfill your end of the bargain." she ordered, showing her fangs. The stallion walked up to her. She opened her mouth, but instead of letting her eat there. The blue idiot took her to the table in his arms and placed her on the opposite side. Then he picked a water glass, filled it, and placed in front of her. "What's this?"
"I don't know about you. But I prefer to eat at the table. And I also like to drink water while doing so," he answered, picking up a book and starting to read it. "Go ahead and do your thing."
"Unlike yesterday, when I was unconscious. By doing this you will feel like you're having your life taken away. I doubt you'll be able to read," she said smiling. 'Let's see you back down on your promise now.'
"Made my bed, time to lay in it," Arden answered with his eyes glued to the book.
Chrysalis ears perked up and she stopped for a second. "Excuse me?"
"What?"
"Aren't you at least a bit concerned about me using you as food?"
"Nope," Arden said, his eyes still glued to the book. "You need me alive."
Chrysalis's eye started twitching. "W-what do you mean?" she asked fearing the answer.
"You're my stalker. I didn't expect to grab the attention of royalty, again. During the attack back at the village, you were the only one 'concerned' for my safety. You kept thinking: 'I need to get him out of here!'"
"BECAUSE YOU'RE FOOD!" she yelled slamming her fist on the table. "YOU ARE A WALKING BUFFET! WHY ELSE WOULD A CHANGELING NEED ANOTHER BEING?"
"I am literally in front of you. No need to shout," he said before looking back at her. "And I am glad you see me as a buffet. It means that I can sustain you better than an appetizer. Hooray for my nutritional value."
Chrysalis tried to come up with a response, all she managed to come up with was "stupid idiot" and huffed, looking away from him. Her stomach started to complain again. Chrysalis locked her eyes to him and started to absorb the energy. The energy came in a bigger stream than in the previous day. 'His energy is different. It...it tastes different.' she felt drowsy and closed her eyes. 'This is a good meal...heh. But it doesn't have a taste. I wonder how he is feeling now. I bet he feels like there is no strength left in him.' Then she remembered. 'CRAP! If I take too much, I might kill him!'
Her eyes shot open and, much to her surprise, the stallion was still calmly reading his book. 'W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what? No, this isn't normal. No way I took this much and he wasn't affected. He must be taking it back. If you want to play like that. Let's see how fast can you take it back.' Chrysalis sped up the intake.
The energy kept flowing, without stopping or diminishing. Chrysalis began to feel like when she left the kingdom, back when she had enough power to brainwash a small army. Her body began to return to its original physique, in a span of a few minutes, Chrysalis consumed enough to return to her former glory. Feeling renewed, she looked around and saw a hand mirror on the ground. A simple levitation spell and she could see her reflection.
'I-impossible! I would need to feed off a hundred beings without using my magic to get back to this form.'
Chrysalis' skinny features were gone. Her silhouette returned. Her original appearance was beautiful to the eyes of the changelings and horrid to other species because it represented how many others she feasted upon.
"Holy crap!" The exclamation made her look back at the stallion. "What the heck happened to you?!"
"Disgusted? Go ahead and mock, be scared," she asked, picking up her water to take a sip
"What are you talking about?! You look great!" she chocked and spat the water on him.
"Nice, you okay there?" he asked while the water ran off his coat. Chrysalis was still coughing. "Want me to rub your back?"
"NO!" she shouted in between coughs. "What did you just say?"
"Want me to rub your back?"
"W-what? No! Did you just compliment me?"
"Uh, yeah?" Arden asked, tilting his head.
"Do you even know what you're looking at?" Chrysalis asked, she stood up and pointing at herself.
"If you're talking about the black mare, with green eyes, long green mane, and that seems to have gained an entirely new look out of nowhere, then yeah," Arden said raising an eyebrow at her.
"This form means I'm at full power. Meaning I devoured the love of at least 100 living beings," she said glistening her fangs and making a scowl. "Do you not fear this?"
"You gave me motives to be on guard and angry at you. Not to be afraid." Arden said crossing his arms. "Do you have a problem with your looks?"
"I don't. But you, like every single one of these wretched ponies, should!" she screamed at him, bearing her fangs and her nails getting long enough to work as claws. Chrysalis raised her hand ready to strike. To her surprise, he just stood there staring at her. "Aren't you going to scream?"
"Nope," the stallion said leaning on the table. "Go on ahead. Hit me with your best shot," he said lowering his head, the back of his neck completely exposed. 'The nerve! I'm going to make a shallow wound. Then he'll know his place.'
In one fell swoop, she sliced down at Arden's neck. Or at least she tried when the attack was about to connect she felt her nails hit something hard. Chrysalis looked more closely, around his neck she saw something that looked like metal armor. Bright blue armor that she could see through.
"Hey! It worked," The unicorn said touching his neck.
"What?"
"I can make a shield appear on my body. With that in mind, I made a small shield on my arm, moved it to my neck, and tried to change its shape. Armor is just another type of shield." Arden explained. "This should be interesting. Now I can protect other areas that aren't covered."
Then the stallion stood up and closed his eyes. Chrysalis saw his horn light up, his body tensed up, and then he suddenly relaxed. When he did, a full armor set covered his upper body and limbs. "NICE! Now I-ARGH!" Arden grunted, placing his hand on his head. The armor disappeared, and he fell down on his behind.
"Okay, I don't think I can sustain armor for too long like I do with the shield," he said. "At least I can do another spell that isn't just a shield. That's a 100% increase for me."
"What? You're joking, right?" Chrysalis asked. Arden shook his head and response. "Can you be more idiotic, please? I find it very amusing."
"Sure thing! Want me to set fire on the house?" the unicorn said smiling.
"I rather not, this is the first time in a long while I have an actual roof over my head. Back to your inability to use spells."
"What about it?"
"Did anypony try to explain to you how to do it? Like, they told you how they do their spells." Arden nodded positively. "No wonder you can't use magic. You need to figure out how YOU would do it, peasant."
She saw his ears perking up and his eyes widening.
"They call it 'Harmonious magic' and say it's a way of manifesting their emotions. Urgh, this gives me nausea. Anyway, their magic is more related to logic and way of thinking. They see the world and use its own rules to manipulate it. Each pony understands the world in their own way. They read the spells, grasp the basic concept, and then use their view of the world to use magic. Basically, not everypony cast spells the same way."
"T-then I could?"
Chrysalis just sat down, leaned on the table and closed her eyes. The stallion's face was starting to get on her nerves.
"Learn magic? Yeah. But before you can learn new spells you better practice your old ones. The more you train and develop a spell, more familiar you become with it, that makes you more capable to expand your repertoire. Not to mention you might figure out new uses to your spells, like that armor you just pulled out. That's the first time I saw one of those."
"I-I can do more," she heard him mutter. Then she heard him sobbing, she opened her eyes and saw him crying with a huge smile on his face. 'What is up with him? It's just magic.'
Then she saw him picking the cup that was in front of her and place in front of him. After that, Chrysalis saw him charge up his magic. An aura surrounded the object it started to shake a bit, then it lifted a few centimeters off the table before falling again.
"That was pathetic," Chrysalis said looking at the stallion.
"I don't care! I made a cup float! YES!" Arden's arms raised celebrating that pathetic feat. "THANK YOU!" He suddenly shouted taking her hands.
"Hey, let go of me!" Chrysalis shouted freeing herself from his grip. "Don't you thank me for that pathetic display."
"Can you teach me more?" he asked almost climbing on the table.
"I just told you that you can't rely on another ponies explanations. Are you deaf? Or just a plain idiot?"
"From what Zecora told me, changelings are specialist in breaking down other species magic and mimicking it. Based on how you just explained to me you guys see this entire thing very logically. You guys seem to be observers that understand their inner workings by seeing it in action." the stallion explained getting closer. "You're like doctors from the Renaissance. But instead of dissecting corpses, you dissect magic! I watched the insides of creatures opened and assimilated their functions with their anatomy. If I look at magic the same way as a body, I might be able to understand it and use it! Your explanations could be compared to the physiology of the organ, while magic itself was the organ working."
"What is this?!" A third voice sounded from the entrance, it was the zebra. Arden looked at the door and ran towards her. He hugged her and spun her around. "W-what is going on?"
"Come, come!" Chrysalis saw him pulling her back to the table. "Look!" He said before charging up his magic and making the cup repeat the movement from before. "I just learned a new type of spell! I was asking Chrysalis to teach me more!"
"How come the cerulean was not able to perform such a simple task? And why would he require her help?" Chrysalis crossed her arms looking at Zecora. "And while on the subject. What has happened to her? The Changeling was thinner than a dried branch when I left. Now, it looks like it has been living a good life for a while."
'Time to mess around. Oh, this is going to be just delicious.'
"Because he held his end of the bargain, and what a feast that was. Thank you, darling." Chrysalis said in a sultry tone, looking at him with dreamy eyes.
"What?" Arden asked tilting his head. "A few minutes ago I was, let's see. 'Peasant', 'idiot', 'stupid', 'pathetic'. I kinda lost track of the others, however, not even once did you refer to me like that, or look at me in that manner."
"Whatever are you talking about darling?" Chrysalis asked ignoring Zecora giving her the evil eye.
"Since you're in such a good mood," she heard Arden say. The unicorn left the room. When he came back, he had a sword in his hands. "This thing is enchanted. Mind telling me what it does?" Chrysalis eyes widened when she saw the blade. 'Please take it away, I don't like it. But, I'm curious.'
"S-sure," Chrysalis said taking the blade. "But it will take a while, this one seems to be more complex than the ring."
"Okay, take your time," Chrysalis just watched Arden turn to Zecora. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Yes, the ruins will provide great grounds. The rubble may be used to construct makeshift gear for you to work with. Lifting weights and such."
"You're planning the whole workout, aren't you?" Chrysalis saw the zebra smile and nod at him. "Nice, when do we begin?"
"Tomorrow," Zecora responded. Chrysalis noticed her looking at the book Arden was reading. "Today, your first lesson in potion crafting. Go on ahead, the fire won't start itself."
Chrysalis watched the unicorn hesitate before doing what the zebra asked. She then watched the zebra giggle and humor herself while Arden struggled to light the fire without using matches. The zebra's eyes were focused on him, Chrysalis could no longer see the hostility from before.
'I bet I can take a good amount from her if I disguise myself as the unicorn. Then the...wait. I'm not...' She placed the blade on the table and touched her stomach.
Chrysalis passed the last few years in a diet of sorts. From time to time, she would find a pony who would give her a decent amount of energy. However, it didn't matter how much energy she took she would always feel hungry. In fact, even when she was back at the hive with her full power she would feel the hunger. But right now, it was gone, she didn't feel the need to eat. She never felt better actually.
"What are you planning?" The zebra's words pulled her back.
"Nothing, in fact. I'm finding this entire situation rather odd." Chrysalis said looking back at the zebra. "Serious question: What did he do to get you to be so entranced with him?"
"This one doesn't need to answer your questions." The zebra shot back.
"Fair enough," Chrysalis responded shrugging. "So let's take a look at this sword."
Chrysalis fired up her magic. Simple incantations required only that she looked at them. The complex ones were given away by her eyes failing to see through them. Once the spell started, she began to see inner workings of the blade. Experienced hands worked on that, the blade had two enchantments etched into it. One marked the user and allowed him to call the blade to him no matter how far away they were. The weapon would disappear from one place, and reappear in the user's hand. The second one was curious, the user's harmony would generate an artificial soul that would inhabit the wielder. 'That seems a bit weird to place on a sword. It doesn't have a purpose.'
*BOOM*
The sound of a small explosion broke her concentration and the spell. Looking at the source, Chrysalis saw Arden's face covered in a pink powder. Zecora was by his side laughing. Arden was just scratching his chin. Chrysalis just stood there seeing them try to brew a potion. They looked like they were having a blast. 'How? How can they act like that after he just failed miserably?'
"You fell for it," she heard Zecora say. "The recipe you followed, but a plant very similar you were supposed to use. A common mistake that is."
"So that's what went wrong. I remember about plants mimicking others but never had to differentiate them. Shouldn't there be a warning on the chapter?"
They went on to discuss more brewing. 'If I want to get past those mental wards, I need to get on the level of that zebra. However, I can't rely on my disguises. Body, check. The rest, need to figure it out. The spells, I might be able to get closer by using the magic lessons. Since he doesn't seem to be bothered by this body. I might be able to use it to my advantage. I also need to get him closer to Celestia. The closer she is to him, greater will be the lengths she will go to keep him safe.'
"Another try we can give. But on another day it will be. For now, this one shall prepare some food." the zebra said wiping his face to take away the powder.
"Alright," the unicorn responded when Zecora finished cleaning his face. Then he headed back to where Chrysalis was and sat down. "Found out anything?"
'I better use everything at my disposal.'
"Unfortunately no. It's too complex, I'm going to need more time, sorry," Chrysalis responded, she tried her best to sound really disappointed at herself. Looking at the stallion she noticed him, tilting his head, he looked like he wanted to ask something. "What?"
"First, no worries about the sword. Take your time. Second, how long does the energy you got keep you satisfied?"
'Asking about how my body works? Let's play with that.'
"Sorry, but I don't feel like telling you how my body works. I might be inclined to show you though," she said winking at him. The zebra might be closer to him. But Chrysalis knew how to manipulate ponies. 'Males are so easy, I bet he is already starting to consider this.'
Chrysalis watched the stallion staring at her wide-eyed. Then he frowned at her, he didn't seem pleased at all. 'What?! This has to be a joke.'
"Okay. Cut it out," Arden said crossing his arms. "I may not know you. But I can tell you're forcing the attitude. You may need me, but you despise me."
'DAMN IT! How does he know?!'
"How?" Chrysalis asked dropping her facade. "Changelings can change their tones and emulate any emotions they so desire. You shouldn't be able to see through it."
"Just like I shouldn't see through your disguise?" he asked smirking. His attitude was getting on her nerves. Of all the ponies she had to deal with, he was the most annoying so far. Chrysalis also noticed that Zecora was giggling as she heard the conversation.
"How can you do that?! ANSWER ME!" she yelled, slamming both of her hands on the table. "DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH YOU COMING FROM ANOTHER WORLD? IS IT YOUR EYES? TELL ME!"
"I don't feel like telling you how my body works. I might be inclined to show you though," he said in the same tone as her. Chrysalis felt blood rush to her head.
"And given your reaction right now," he said leaning on the table getting closer to her. She started to feel more uneasy the closer he got. "I dare say you are entertaining the idea."
'W-what is happening? T-the way he is looking at me is different. H-his persona is different. Did my approach work? I-if he kisses me now. I-I will have my path through the mental wards.'
Chrysalis' felt her face get warmer and warmer. He was getting closer and closer when he was a few inches from her face. Chrysalis closed her eyes and tried to prepare to cast the spell as soon as he touched her lips.
"Boop!" Chrysalis heard this and felt something touch her muzzle. 'Did he just?'
Opening her eyes she saw his index finger right in front of her while he made a silly face. "Got you."
"YOU INSUFFERABLE IDIOT!" Chrysalis shot at him. If she could see her own face, she would see that her face was green as an emerald. Her eyes were glowing with all the anger, the frustration her face was the manifestation of all of her emotions. "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU?! YOU SHOULD BE AFRAID OF ME! YET YOU SEEM TO NOT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT I AM! YOU CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE PERSONA AND PLAY ME FOR A FOOL! YOUR VOICE, THE WAY YOU LOOKED AT ME, HOW?! HOW CAN YOU EMULATE ALL OF THAT?!"
"And she's back!" Arden exclaimed falling back in his place. "And to answer your question: I did that because I was afraid."
"What?"
"Your behavior changed. I was afraid of how far you would take your lie. Really scared, so I decided to show you how you sounded when you made that offer." Chrysalis could not believe what she was hearing. "Take it from me, you don't want to keep what you're feeling locked away. If you want things to actually work, you have to be honest. To others and yourself ."
"Oh yeah? And what if the one you are honest with doesn't like it?!" Chrysalis spat with venom. "What then?!"
"You try to find some common ground. Respect the other's opinion. You can't expect to be loved by everypony. I bet that even Celestia has enemies."
What was he doing? Confessing?
"I'm just one little guy with not much to offer. I got nothing to back myself with, except for those I met. You're royalty and have a lot of power to back that up. Zecora is a skilled huntress and an amazing being all around." Chrysalis sneaked a peek back at the zebra, Zecora stopped what she was doing and was paying close attention to the conversation. "You don't need to be desperate. Just be yourself. I bet things will go your way eventually."
Was the stallion trying to reassure her?
"Why do you care so much?"
"I always cared. The problem was that I tried to ignore it since others were scared by my concern," she watched him reach for his chest, a pained expression on his face. "I'm trying to get over that. But I'm stuck. Even when my eyes didn't allow me to see, I could still feel when something was wrong with others. I guess that part is still there. So I knew that something was wrong when I first met you. I just don't know what."
"Better keep your concern to yourself. I can handle myself just fine," Chrysalis said huffing.
'I am not about to accept advice from a pony. But I don't think I can use that attitude anymore. If he can tell when I'm faking, I will be forced to be myself.' Chrysalis thought. The only one who knew who she was and how she acted, was her own reflection. Being Chrysalis would probably be the most difficult thing she ever did.
"Sure," The stallion said raising his hands. "I got a little sappy there, sorry. At least we got our changeling queen back."
"What?"
"The Queen with amazing acting abilities. The Queen that can change into whatever she needs. I bet that if you stopped trying to force the interpretations and moved more freely while in character. Nopony would ever see through you again."
"My interpretations are not forced, you idiot," she said with venom, however, she could feel her cheeks getting warmer. He did compliment her acting. At least that much was accurate.
Chrysalis remembered her impersonations. No matter how accurate her disguises were, ponies would still be at least a little suspicious. 'Could he actually be right? If I change how I act when I'm disguised, could it look more natural?'
"The food is ready," Zecora's word brought Chrysalis back. She came to the table and sat by Arden's side, the food looked like edible herbs. The zebra looked pretty pleased with what she heard because she actually brought some food to Chrysalis as well. "As bad as a guest you may have been, her hospitality this one needs to show."
Chrysalis had eaten before, even though she didn't need to. She did like the sensation of doing it. Chrysalis ate the food along with them. And once she was done, she went back to the bedroom. 'I better make the most of the situation, having no comfort at all to have this. I should, NO! Don't get distracted. You got the hunger away, now you can focus more. We need to figure out how all of this will work. How I can take advantage of both of them.'
"These knots are getting more intricate by the day," Arden said carefully untying Nightmare. The mare was still escalating her get up. Once he finished untying her, Nightmare quickly got on her hooves and started to punch his chest meekly as she cried.
"You idiotic peasant! I still got a score to settle with you! You do NOT have permission to be obliterated by any other being before then! Understood?!" She screamed while sobbing.
'Impressive, she managed to say all that without stuttering.'
"I thought it didn't matter to you if I got blasted into oblivion," Arden said looking at her.
Nightmare stopped her crying, her ears perked up, and her wings shot open. Immediately stopping her previous behavior, she assumed a more composed posture. Nightmare's makeup restored itself, her mane was fashioned the same way as the previous day. Her usual superiority complex was back, and her glare as well.
'And there she is, I prefer when ponies act like themselves, and changelings too.'
"I-I don't. H-however, I refuse to allow a being such as yourself to hold a victory over me!" Nightmare said haughtily.
"Alrighty then," Arden said walking away. "Time for the beatdown."
Arden was stopped because of an obstacle. Nightmare ran in front of him and stood there with her arms wide open. Arden tried to walk around her, but she would keep getting into his way.
"Er, what gives?"
"Didn't you hear a word I just said, peasant? I said you are NOT allowed to get blasted into oblivion by anypony else but me!" Nightmare scolded him, her eyes tearing up.
"Okay, let me explain," Arden said sighing. "The thing I'm fighting outside will kill me if I don't defeat it. I got back up in the real world to keep my mental state stable. As of right now, it can't harm me. The only thing it can do is force me to wake up. When I simply wake up as if I had a bad dream."
Nightmare kept her pose and deepened her frown. 'Gotta give it to her, she is a very determined mare. It's nice, but I need to get through this. Let's see if that trick still works.' Arden thought, preparing to get past her. In a blink of an eye, his body turned into a cloud and reformed itself behind her. Once he was past Nightmare he dashed like a madman through the door. Just as expected Arden heard her scream at him as he passed through the door.
Another thing Arden was expecting, was the figure manifesting in front of him. The moment it appeared, Arden tackled it using the momentum he built up when passing through Nightmare. Unlike the previous day, what Arden used wasn't lost in the attack. The tackle put him on top of the pony, and Arden started punching it on the head. Arden felt that his body seemed to move more freely. It felt like something changed. Like a weight was lifted from him. After a few strikes, Arden noticed that his hands were slowly disappearing with each blow.
Suddenly Arden was forced to stop, the stallion used one of his arms to hold Arden's head. The pony got on his hooves, lifting Arden with one arm. "I can give." Arden stopped feeling below his waist.
Before the creature could say its next phrase, Arden hit the pony's arm right on the joint bending it the wrong way and forcing it to drop him. The pony stared at its broken limb. After a few moments it forced the arm back into place, but by the time it managed to do it Arden's lower half had reconstructed itself.
With a quick sweep of his leg, Arden made the pony fall. Arden then tried to jump on top of him. The moment he jumped, however, Arden found himself frozen still in the air. The unicorn had its horn glowing while it smiled at Arden. "I can take."
Arden passed out. However, he noticed that with each night, it would become harder for the pony to send him away. Another thing he found odd, something changed in his fog form. It was lighter, faster. It healed faster. Was it the attempts? Was it something that happened in reality? Those question plagued his mind when he fought the pony.
"Thank you for the food," Zecora heard the changeling say in a low tone.
"What are you after?" Zecora asked checking the stallion's pulse. "This one hasn't forgotten about your tricks this morning," She still had a bit of a headache because of the spell.
"Nothing. I-I don't know, since I'm gonna be working here for a while I might as well try to be a decent guest." Chrysalis said keeping her eyes on the stallion's face. Zecora raised an eyebrow at that, the Changeling wasn't being herself.
"Your attitude is very different from before. This isn't going to make this one like you more," Zecora said keeping a close eye on the development of the unicorn's state. This night was going more smoothly. "Thankful I am for you are keeping your end of the bargain."
"I may be an actress, and I may hate ponies. But this guy isn't one, though he looks like one. Neither are you," Zecora didn't buy that, the Changeling had to be lying. "Believe me if you want. I have a favor to ask, but feel free to decline."
'I do not trust her. But she's got me intrigued. Hearing a request wouldn't hurt.' Zecora thought gesturing Chrysalis to continue.
"Do you happen to have blank scrolls? My head has been kinda hazy from actually sharing a roof with others for more than one night. I've been thinking about writing down some thoughts as to get my bearings," Chrysalis said, her eyes focused on the cerulean the whole time.
"Forgive this one, but I do not think it to be wise for you to trust you with that," Zecora answered taking her eyes away from the Changeling and the stallion.
"However," Zecora saw Chrysalis's ears perked up when she caught that. "Your actions allowed this one to hear what he thinks of this mare," Zecora continued, hearing his compliments made her feel really happy. Especially when Arden said that she didn't need the Changeling's spells to get his attention.
'What sort of problem could she cause with some pieces of paper?'
"As a sign of gratitude, this one shall entrust you with an old diary. Plenty of pages are left in it." Zecora watched the Changeling stare at her for several moments.
Out of nowhere, Arden just sat up. He had been in trance for only two hours. "What the fuck?" He asked touching his head. "Where is the drowsiness? The fatigue? The hunger?" A few seconds passed with him like that, until his eyes widened. "There it is." Then he fell back unconscious.
"Did you know this guy can trigger a Harmonious heart on his own?" Chrysalis asked. Zecora's ears perked up at that. She had watched ponies back in the village make music without instruments and refer to it with that name. However Zecora never managed to see one up close. "It usually takes five or six ponies to trigger one."
"Up his sleeves many surprises he has. An opportunity like that, this one can't let pass," Zecora said turning to get something to eat. "Does the changeling want something to eat?"
"No," the Changeling responded. "I'll sit by the table and sleep there."
"Very well," Zecora said. After eating, she returned to her room and changed her clothes. Once she was done, she got an old blanket she had, the old diary she mentioned, and a pencil. Heading back to the room where the changeling was sitting down with an odd look in her eyes. She looked confused. "Here is the diary you requested. Also, a blanket to keep you warm."
"I know I asked once." Zecora heard while placing the diary on the table and handing the blanket. "But I'll ask again: what do you see in that stallion? He doesn't have the greatest looks. He hasn't any magical talent even though he is a unicorn. His talent has made him sick. Yet, you seem to be entranced with him."
Zecora looked at Chrysalis, the Changeling was staring at the table. Something seemed to be bothering her. 'Could it be?'
"Why are you so bothered by what I see in him?"
"Because..." Zecora tilted her head, the changeling seemed to want to say something. However, she was struggling to come out with it. "Listen, I will tell you what it is. However, you are forbidden to tell this to him. I know that he wasn't always a pony. But he is now, so he might take their side if he found out."
"As long as you don't bring harm to him. This one shan't say a word." Zecora reassured. The Changeling was opening up for some reason, this could be Zecora's chance to determine how much she could trust the creature. "A question I must ask, however. Why would you trust whatever it is you're hiding to me?"
"You're an outcast in a foreign land. Just like myself. You are not a pony, the race that brought misfortune to me and my kind. For some reason, I feel more inclined to tell you," Zecora raised an eyebrow at that. "I won't beat around the bush. You heard me mumbling about using him as leverage with the Sun Princess. Have you wondered why I would do that? Especially since I hate ponies?"
"This one can't negate facts."
"Around 167 years ago my mother, Queen Metamorpha, received a visitor in our kingdom. At the time our kind was having some issues with the current regime, problems with communication, and many other things that were putting us in a vulnerable state. So the most fortuitous thing happened, this visitor I mentioned, had a plan. A network connecting the minds of all changelings, allowing for fast communication, sharing intel, speeding the voting process, and so forth." Zecora watched the Changeling keep her gaze on the table, almost as if she was talking to herself.
"The catch was that the unicorn would only share his plans if my mother were to marry him and make him the king of changelings. Seeing the situation of our country decay, and that the unicorn had placed a series of wards to protect his mind. She was forced to marry him." Zecora saw a small tear roll off the Changeling's eye.
"The unicorn kept his end of the bargain, sharing his plans my mother and him started to work on the network. As they did, my mother started to believe that he was actually kind. For he would treat her drones well. He would be kind to her during their time together. After thirteen years of partnership, he only mated with her once, and it was around that time it happened. That was when she discovered his plans." Zecora watched Chrysalis's face form a scowl as she bore her fangs.
"She uncovered a diary where he kept the schematics for the entire spell. The bastard placed a backdoor, that gave the ability to the king to take away the free will of my kind. The backdoor was placed inside the crown he made for himself, a lustrous accessory made out of jewels and gold. At the end of his journal, he placed a note: Assassinate the queen. That fact alone made her despise him, and anything he created." Zecora felt sad for the creature. If that story was true, then Chrysalis had a fair reason for her actions.
"My mother made sure that he didn't see what hit him. He was dead, and most of our drones questioned this. They actually cared for the king. Even in death, the bastard continued to trouble my kind. A Civil war was at our door, luckily for my mother, the drones decided to apply the tattoos designed for the network to show their support to the late king. White tattoos that covered the user's body. Seeing her subjects turning against her because they cared for a pony who lied to them. She activated the network. However, instead of using her knowledge to show them the truth. She..." This time Zecora saw the Changeling grit her teeth and clench her fists.
"She used the backdoor. Deciding that no changeling would ever again be tricked by any race, she took away their free will. Days later she discovered that only mature drones could be linked to the newly dubbed 'hive-mind'. To ensure that none of them would rebel, she placed all the young into a slumber until they had the age to undergo the linking." Zecora noticed that the Changeling was now trembling as she held both her arms.
"Only the changeling queen can have children. A special feeding ensures that. The feeding makes it so that, as long as the queen does not mate, she will continue to lay eggs. My mother was pregnant, so she could no longer lay any eggs. She despised me with every fiber of her being since I was a reminder of her forced marriage, and her mistake of trusting another race. She wanted me to become of age and undergo the same process. I didn't agree with her rule so I ran away. At the age of 110, I was on the outskirts of this town."
"But why does the changeling want the stallion?"
"I want Celestia's army to raid the changeling hive, and take down my mother. I will then destroy that blasted crown and free my kind. For that to happen I need some sort of leverage, he is going to be it." Zecora looked at the Changeling in a slightly different light now.
"If everything you just said is true. A noble ruler you will be." Zecora commented. "This mare shall not mention this to the stallion. And this one appreciates the trust placed upon her."
"Thank you, I needed to get this off my chest."
"Now it would be wise to rest. Tomorrow the stallion shall begin to progress in the path of the warrior and the wizard." Zecora said leaving the room and laying by Arden's side.
'Now I got the zebra's favor. It felt good to tell somepony about my story. A win-win situation, I get her to start trusting me, and I get to take a load off my chest. I can't have the stallion figure this out or he might try to take the crown. Celestia might try to use that blasted crown if it meant to keep her blasted ponies safe. They can't know about its nature, the zebra won't be an issue. I can simply erase her memory if she decides to open her mouth.' Chrysalis thought while pretending to sleep.
Once she was certain that both Zecora and Arden were fast-asleep, Chrysalis used a spell that allowed her to see in the dark. Picking up the diary and the pencil, she started to write down a letter. Chrysalis mimicked Arden's handwriting.
Dear Celestia,
I know it's been a while since I last contacted you. And I am truly sorry about that, however, I needed to isolate myself in order to proceed with my treatment. I'm breaking one rule of my treatment because I have to ask two things. And I implore for you to be honest in your answer.
First: What do you think of me? I want to know your opinion of me as a pony.
Second: What am I to you? A friend? A tool? Or something else entirely?
Please, if you cannot answer this immediately wait until tomorrow night between 11:00 PM and 1:00 AM to answer. If you answer this before or after that time, I might be caught.
Your friend, Arden Sila.
When she finished writing, Chrysalis tweaked the enchantment on the ring so it wouldn't make a sound when it activated. She tore the page from the diary and held it over the gem. The incantation activated, and the parchment was sent away.
'That should give me something to work with. After that, I'll need to start acting to get the Sun Princess to definitely desire him. This has to happen in order for my plan to work. He doesn't need to desire her. I can still use him as a walking snack after the hive is under my control and my kind has their free-will returned. I bet I can keep him to continue feeding me after everything's settled, even if it's tasteless the sheer amount of energy should keep me from worrying about being outclassed by any other being.' Chrysalis thought, waiting for a response on the letter.
She noticed that it was past 1:30 AM, Chrysalis then went to sleep. A few hours later, she woke up due to her body being shaken gently. Opening her eyes she saw Zecora standing by her side with a change of clothes in her hands.
"You may borrow these, those rags are not fit for a kind ruler." The zebra said in a soft tone. That was a complete 180º for Zecora's attitude. "Now let us wake the cerulean. The time for training is upon us!"
"Very well," Chrysalis responded taking the garments and donning them.
Chapter 22: Feeding spots, rebuilding history, time tells our tales.
(In the previous day, morning, carrousel boutique)
Chrysalis had just sneaked into the boutique, carefully tiptoeing around the rooms, Chrysalis searched for the ring. She spent around ten minutes moving around trying to find any clue regarding the accessory.
After searching the entirety of the ground floor, Chrysalis moved up to the next floor. Her first stop was the seamstress' room. The floor was littered with pieces of cloth. On her desk, an open diary and the object Chrysalis was searching, the ring. It was placed on a hand display. The changeling was about to take the ring and leave when she saw the diary, in its pages, she saw multiple times where her snack's name was mentioned. Tales of him being a prince, of a relationship with the Sun Princess. The seamstress had pages and pages filled with romantic stories about the stallion. Inside the diary, she also found the letter Arden sent to her before leaving, it was carefully folded and placed in between the pages. It also seemed to have been opened multiple times.
'Another one, eh? I bet I can get some feeding spots here and there if I mess around with this.'
After finishing that thought, Chrysalis began to hatch a plot.
'There is no guarantee that he will keep his word. I better try to make some ponies desire him, I can use them as food once he is my possession. Keeping the mind spell and the sleeping one constantly will drain me like a leech. But if I can get as many feeding spots as possible, and disguise myself as the stallion, hello buffet!'
Right then and there she decided to try to get some mares to fall for the stallion. And Chrysalis already had two targets. The Sun Princess, which would aid in her reclaiming of her homeland. And the seamstress, who could find the disappearance of the ring odd. Picking up a piece of paper from Rarity's drawers she wrote down a letter mimicking the stallion's handwriting.
Dear Rarity,
Thank you, for taking such good care of this ring, which was a gift from my beloved Princess. I'm still undergoing the treatment, but my heart is begging me to reclaim this memento of her. And since I can't talk to you, I was forced to sneak in to take the ring. I am truly sorry about this.
I also see that you're still a bit hopeless about the cleaning. When I get back, I promise to help you out.
Another thing, your creations seem to be becoming more and more beautiful. Just as your name states.
Hopefully a friend, Arden Sila.
With that finished, Chrysalis folded the parchment and placed it in the seamstress' hands. For added effect, Chrysalis disguised herself as the stallion with the ring and stood by the window. She slowly opened the window and made just enough noise to wake the mare. Chrysalis pretended she didn't notice the seamstress waking up. Chrysalis heard a gasp, jumped out the window and began her escape.
'Now, the games have begun. The trap is set, time to head back to the hut. Time to see how those two are developing.'
(The same day, night time, Canterlot castle)
'W-what does he mean by 'what am I to you?' I-I, does this mean that he? I need to be careful with my answer, otherwise, I might make our current already frail relationship worse. This might be my chance! Just think this through Celestia!'
And so she did.
Again.
And again.
She wrote letter after letter, trying to convey what she thought of him, and what he was to her. She did not make a pile of paper. Celestia would burn each failed attempt in her fireplace as to not leave any trace of what she was doing. It took the entire night for her to come up with an answer. Once she was finished, Celestia looked at the time. 3:00 AM.
'I'll have to wait until tonight to send this.' Celestia thought, hiding the letter inside a secret compartment in her drawer.
Dear Arden,
You are probably the most kind pony I ever met. You gave me more hope than any other of my subjects and research on the possibility of saving my sister. And you didn't ask anything in return. You called me your friend even after I made you enter your current predicament.
As to what you are to me, I say that as of right now, you are my friend.
I hope that you can return my answers by telling me what I am to you. And what do you think of me?
Your friend, Princess Celestia.
These simple lines were hidden away in the drawer, she wanted to write more. But Celestia thought it would be wise to see how he would respond to that. 'Maybe I could start considering being more than friends. It will all be up to his response. I do hope he can see me being more than a friend.'
(back to present time, better stop with the time stuff before the timeline undoes itself)
"Arden! Wake up cerulean!" Arden heard this words and sat up keeping his eyes closed. The voice sounded like Zecora, but he needed to be careful. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to figure something out," Arden answered keeping his focus on his hearing.
"What?"
"Nope! I can't tell Zecora and Chrysalis apart based only on your voices," Arden said opening his eyes. He saw Zecora standing by his side alongside with Chrysalis, who had his sword on her back. "Okay, I'm dealing with tag team now. Why is Chrysalis wearing your clothes Zecora?"
"I guess we can say we found some common ground," Chrysalis said tapping her fingers and staring at Arden. "Now, how long are you planning on making us wait?"
"Sorry," Arden said getting on his hooves and stretching a bit. Then he was hit by the gear Zecora had him use two days ago. "These are heavier why?"
"It would not be much of a training if the cerulean didn't have obstacles," Arden raised an eyebrow at the remark. "This one had Chrysalis enchant the garments. That way, you'll never adapt to the weight. And keep strengthening your body."
"You two are working together even in that department now?" Arden asked, donning the armor. Once they were in place he felt them pulling his arms down and his shoulders as well. "This is way heavier! This won't help me improve at all! If it increases once I'm completely adapted to the weight is one thing. Like this, I'll only be worn out." Suddenly Arden felt the weight disappear. He looked at the two who were smiling at him.
"Punishment was required. For the stallion that made us wait for quite a while. The weights work exactly as you said." Chrysalis said imitating Zecora's voice. Zecora seemed to be quite amused by everything that was happening.
'These two actually hit it off! AWESOME! Though I think I might have a tag team from hell with these two as my teachers.'
"Okay, you two. We head out after eating?"
"Correct," Zecora said tossing Arden a piece of bread. After that, the two mares headed towards the front door
Arden just ate it while following them through the forest. As he walked he felt the weight of the armor, it was enough to slow him down.
After a decent walk, around half an hour, the group arrived at the ruins Zecora mentioned. According to the location, and what Arden read on the guide on the elements of harmony, that should be the castle of the two sisters. According to the guide, the place was abandoned after the banishment of Nightmare Moon.
"Very well cerulean," Zecora started, showing a huge clearing with a lot of rubble. "To start, your body must be strengthened. Once you are strong enough This mare shall teach you how to fight, lure beasts here for you to fight and so forth."
"So, off you go mister," Chrysalis continued gesturing Arden to start his job. "This rubble won't remove itself."
Arden stretched and said, "Let's get to work!"
Piece by piece, Arden cleared off what appeared to have been a courtyard. It would have been way faster if Chrysalis hadn't added something to Arden's task. As he was removing the rubble, he noticed that some pieces appeared to have paintings on them. Looking closely, it looked like some sort of crest, the more pieces he found, the clearer the picture was. It looked like a depiction of a battle with some weird creature made out of various animals.
The crest was actually a depiction of the two sisters with some gemstones firing a beam at the creature. Arden was contemplating his discovery when Chrysalis walked up on him. Seeing that he was restoring part of the castle, Chrysalis made him piece the entire thing first before he continuing to clear up the courtyard. Zecora found him piecing what later revealed to be a piece of a mural that seemed to be blasted away by magic.
"A place of history, of great significance for our world. Plenty of knowledge it should hold." Zecora said pointing to a huge arc. Since the door was knocked down, Arden saw that she was pointing to a library. "After the courtyard is cleared, The library's roof should be worked on. Arden, you shall move the rubble into place on the ground. So that the Changeling can make it float and secure it in its place."
"Why should we even bother with this? I just made him fix the mural for fun," Chrysalis said with a chuckle.
"A ruler you wish to be, learning from the mistakes of past rulers you should," Zecora answered, looking back at Chrysalis while Arden moved rubble around. "Arden would do well in learning about our world's past."
"Sure thing, I'll just add that to the huge list of things I need to learn," the unicorn answered while he headed back to the courtyard to search for more pieces of the mural.
Arden was stopped by a curious sight while on his way back. A weird structure that looked like a model for a stellar system. A total of six orbs suspended by supports, each orb with a gem symbol etched to it. The entirety of the room where this structure was placed was filled with debris. A big fight seemed to have taken place there, however, the area around this particular contraption was intact. Upon closer inspection, Arden noticed that the floor around it had a hidden compartment.
'Was this thing supposed to be underneath the floor?' the unicorn thought, turning his attention to the orbs he tried to touch one of them. 'The book mentioned that their last known location was the castle. Could this be it?'
The moment Arden's finger touched the sphere, however, he felt like his arm was being torn apart from within like there was some sort of energy trying to get out. The problem was that the pain irradiated through the entirety of his arm, almost reaching for Arden's torso. Quickly pulling his limb away from the sphere, and letting out a pained scream, he fell to the ground with a thud. Reaching for the aching arm, Arden noticed his right arm was hanging completely numb. After a few seconds, however, the arm went back to normal.
"What happened?!" Arden heard from behind him, looking back he saw Zecora appear followed by Chrysalis. "Are you okay?!"
"Now I am," He answered getting back on his hooves. "Let's get back to work!" Arden exclaimed, passing by the two mares.
'Okay! Mental notes: First, those might be the elements of harmony, DO NOT forget their location. Second, DO NOT touch those things unless it's absolutely necessary.'
Zecora watched closely as the stallion continued to lift boulder after boulder. He kept picking the pieces until Chrysalis had enough to reconstruct the mural. With that finished, Zecora accompanied Arden trying to finish removing the boulders from the courtyard. It took him around two and a half hours to finish cleaning up. Once that was finished the unicorn was focused on the library.
'The weight from the rubble should force him to work in his arms, legs, and back. He still gonna need to work the front.'
Zecora noticed that he was really working up a sweat after the two-hour mark. Once he hit the two and a half hour mark she noticed Arden's movements starting to slow down and that he was dragging his hooves. 'This must be his current limit.'
"Arden, give your body a rest you must," Zecora ordered when Arden placed the boulder he was carrying on the ground. "Chrysalis, on his magic can you work?" Zecora asked turning to the Changeling that was focused on Arden's blade.
She seemed too focused, her eyes seemed to be darting through the blade's surface. Chrysalis' hand moved as if she was writing on the metal. 'What is she doing?' Zecora thought, reaching for the changeling's shoulder.
"Chrysalis?" Zecora's voice and touch seemed to pull her back from whatever she was doing.
"Y-yes?"
"Can you work on the stallion's magic? After this one gives him something to eat and drink, that is."
"S-sure. Sorry about that. I was starting to get through the incantations."
"I see. This one apologizes," Zecora said. 'This seems off...'
Zecora turned back to Arden. He was sitting on top of a rock looking at the sky. His mane was soaked but overall he seemed okay. His shoulders were drooped a bit, on his face a smile. After a few moments of staring at the stallion, Zecora walked up to him. When she was about to talk to him, Arden lay on the rock with his hands on the back of his head.
"Pleased you look. A reason for it you have?"
"I guess it just feels good to rest after a bit of hard work," the stallion spoke without moving. "Especially when you end up restoring a bit of the world's history."
"True," Zecora responded taking a seat by his side. As soon as she did, Arden sat up straight. "What is it?"
"Nothing, just thought it's best to talk to somepony when you look the pony in the eye," the stallion responded, looking into her eyes. They were sitting very close, their faces were just a few inches from each other.
"JUST KISS ALREADY!" they heard from behind them. Arden turned back to the voice with a smirk on his face.
"JEALOUS?!" he shouted, also gesturing Zecora to look back. "Hehe! Take a look."
"Y-YOU WISH! Y-YOU WALKING SNACK!" Zecora looked back, what she saw was a pouting Chrysalis.
"You enjoy mocking that one," Zecora said chuckling.
"Just as I enjoy your company," Arden responded before covering his mouth. That earned a mild smile from Zecora that was accompanied by another giggle. "A-and this way she also gets to act like herself," Arden continued scratching the back of his head.
"Glad to see you enjoy this one's company. Now, eat and drink so that the unicorn can put his horn to use." Zecora said in a playful tone, gently pushing his horn with her index finger. Having realized what she had done, Zecora turned into a tomato. "S-sorry!" she stuttered.
Zecora just stood there, looking at a wide-eyed stallion. He didn't respond, his gaze was fixed on empty space. Arden stood like that for quite a while. 'What have I done?!'
Suddenly, the unicorn shook his head and looked back at Zecora.
"N-no worries. J-just don't do it again, please. It, it was weird." he shook his head. "Not painful weird like what Chrysalis said. Just weird," he said as if trying to reassure Zecora.
"Of course," Zecora answered. 'It's a great relief to see that he didn't hold it against me.' she thought, leaving a sigh of relief. Zecora then remembered about the food, she gave to him some bread and a handful of herbs. "Here, eat!"
"I also require some food," A third voice came forth. "All these spells are starting to make me..."
The changeling stopped her speech. Zecora paid close attention to her expression, she seemed to have realized something. Zecora also noticed that she was doing the same gesture from the previous day, Chrysalis's hand was over her stomach. She seemed really bothered about it. 'What is her problem? The changeling seems to want to talk, but she doesn't come forth.'
"N-never mind, I'm not hungry right now," Chrysalis said turning away.
"Hey," Zecora saw Arden getting up and walking up to the changeling. "I promised to serve as food. If you feel like eating just for the sake of eating, then go ahead! Or is something bothering you?"
The moment he asked that Zecora saw the changeling turn to him with a death glare.
"IF I NEED FOOD I'LL JUST TAKE IT! IF I NEED SOMEPONY TO TALK TO I'LL FIND A THERAPIST! JUST EAT YOUR STUPID FOOD AND THEN GO PRACTICE WITH YOUR SHIELD!" Chrysalis shouted pushing Arden back.
'She looked afraid of him. Why?' Zecora thought, watching the scene unfold before her. The Changeling told her about her past, but she didn't tell Zecora about anything more than that. If Chrysalis was having problems, Zecora wouldn't know. Arden, on the other hand, would. Especially if he used his eyes.
Zecora watched Arden return to his spot, once he sat down again, she went to the changeling. Zecora found her by the library, Chrysalis had Arden's sword enveloped on her magic. The blade was spinning around, Chrysalis seemed too focused on that to notice Zecora's approach. The zebra managed to look into her eyes, there was a single tear rolling out of them. Chrysalis had a deep frown on her face.
"It seems the stallion was correct," Zecora started. "Troubled you are. This one can't help but wonder why?"
"You know that idiot only acts the way he acts because he can literally read us, right?"
"You mean the stallion's talent?"
"Yes."
Zecora began to piece everything together. 'The changeling thinks he is manipulating us with his talent.'
"Sorry to inform you," Zecora started. "But as long as that necklace is around his neck. He cannot truly read us. Though he seems to be able to sense how we are feeling to some extent."
"It still means he could play us for fools," she responded making the blade spin faster. "And I refuse to be played like my mother."
"This one has only known him for a couple of days. But Arden does not seem to be that kind of pony."
"Exactly like my father, and look where that took me."
After she finished that sentence, they both stood there in silence. 'Better not to force it, Arden will have to earn her trust,' Zecora thought, then she placed her hand on the Changeling's shoulder and left. As she was leaving, Arden appeared in the doorway. He bore a forced smile on her face. When they passed by each other she heard him say something.
"I will never use them like that, I promise." his voice was stern and low, very different from the expression he bore. 'He overheard us, what will he do?'
Zecora stopped by the door, she watched closely the stallion and the changeling. They talked in a tone she couldn't hear. Soon after, she saw Arden begin to summon a shield. 'This is the part this mare cannot aid. This one looks forward to our sparring sessions!'
"How do we begin teacher?" Chrysalis heard from behind her after the zebra left.
"You begin by trying to figure out other ways to use your shield," she responded without turning to face the annoyance. "If that bean-sized brain of yours also capable of doing multiple spells. Try to keep small rocks afloat, while making as many shields as you can. The more you strain your mind, the quicker you grow."
"What about my physical fatigue?" the noisy stallion asked.
"Mental and physical fatigue are separate entities. No need to worry about it." Chrysalis responded, annoyance clear in her voice.
'Let's see if this thing works like I think it does,' she thought, looking back at the stallion with the corner of her eye.
Chrysalis noticed something during her time with the blade. Using her eyes, she noticed something that she missed in her previous survey. The blade was connected to Arden, it grew as he did. The progress was slow, and to the untrained eye, it would pass undetected. One side of it had small letters related to his physical condition, the other related to his magic. On the hilt, something else entirely, his talent. The blade showed how much he grew, and what he could do. One of the tricks placed on the enchantment was to hide these runes and make the weapon look plain.
Having realized what the stallion's talent did, Chrysalis grew weary of his every move. Every word, every gesture, every act. All of them could be a carefully calculated act to manipulate those around him. Changelings could tell when one being loved another because of the energy generated by the feeling. But this? This was another thing entirely, reading another with that level of accuracy could lead to perfect manipulation. It was the sort of thing that could lead to an army of brainwashed soldiers. He was like the crown her mother bore, but crueler. Her mother forced changeling kindred to give up their freedom, Arden? Arden could make them abdicate it freely.
'I am the one who will control him. Not the other way around!'
Paying close attention, Chrysalis saw Arden manipulate the shield with ease, making it appear on his arm, then moving it around his body, changing its size and so forth. After a decent amount of time, Chrysalis saw him generate another shield. Arden looked very surprised by his accomplishment, then he conjured up the armor, again. The result of that was the same as the previous day, a few seconds then disappeared.
"Conjure up two shields, then make that rock over there float!" Chrysalis ordered pointing at a rock that reached the stallion's knees.
"I only managed to lift a cup," Arden responded in a drowsy voice, his legs shaking a bit. "But, whatever you say, teach."
Chrysalis watched closely, the stallion's horn lit up, and he closed his eyes. Two perfectly round shields appeared on each of his arms. Chrysalis witnessed Arden stare at the rock and envelop it with a blue aura. The rock shook, eventually, it started to float off the ground. Unlike the cup from the previous day, the rock remained afloat for quite a while. Until the aura around the stallion's horn began to flicker, eventually dying out.
'It worked! Adding a rune to make him accept his harmonic chain worked! He is a literal blank page, the sword is a way for me to write in it. I might be able to get around his wards, but I need to be careful.' Chrysalis thought, a mischievous smile forming on her face.
"Congratulations! You evolved from complete failure to an embarrassment to your kind!" Chrysalis said clapping.
"I'll take that as a compliment!" she heard him respond falling on his ass, placing both of his hands on his head.
"Take it as you will," Chrysalis said charging up her magic. "Now stand still for a moment."
Chrysalis then used a spell to restore his mental condition, that way he could continue to practice. Firing up her magic, Chrysalis watched the stallion let out a sigh of relief. Using another spell, she verified how much longer he could keep going until he reached the limit. Headaches indicated too much stress, meaning his mind wasn't ready for the spell or ready to sustain that many spells. His limit was another thing entirely, reaching that limit would cause the caster to collapse.
'As much as I hat to admit it. This snack can keep going for quite a while. His mind is the issue here, it's weak. Probably due to the illness and remnants of his world's logic.'
"Since you only have been using that pathetic shield, let's give it a different shape. The most basic one is the bubble spell." Chrysalis started walking circles around Arden. "You probably can control the energy circling around your body easily. That's why your shield moves around with ease, as long as it's connected to your body."
Her eyes were darting around his body, looking for any changes, any movements, that could show that he was preparing to cast the spell.
"The key for casting spells that are not directly connected to your body is our horns. Our horns work as beating hearts," Chrysalis said, paying close attention to his ears, they were perked up and turned towards her. "The place where we want the spell to manifest-"
"Is like the organ," The unicorn interrupted her. "Therefore, the heart must keep a steady supply of blood to the said organ. Changing the supply according to the demand."
Chrysalis just stood there crossing her arms, her gaze fixed on Arden. 'He caught up really quickly. Now, let's see if he can keep it up.
"Correct. This shield is meant to protect the caster from all directions, as long as the attack doesn't surpass the shield's capabilities. For starters, the spell's target is the air around you. Make your magic flow from your horn and create a path for it to follow. The path you create will determine the shape of the shield, its area of effect, and the amount of magic you'll require to keep it active."
She waited, the unicorn had his eyes closed, but his ears were still turned towards Chrysalis.
"What are you waiting? Do it!"
When Chrysalis finished her order, she saw the stallion open his eyes. Arden's horn lit up and the requested spell manifested. A perfect sphere, made out of blue energy, big enough for him to extend his arms. A few seconds later, the sphere began to flicker. Until it burst with a pop.
"Quick on the uptake, but sloppy in execution. Not to mention the shameful amount of time you can last. That was such a terrible performance," Chrysalis said, face-palming at the stallion's 'failure'. That was the first time she saw a pony conjure up a perfect cover like that on their first go, but she wouldn't tell him that.
'A pony doesn't deserve praise. How much do I need to do, for you to show me your true colors? How much until you snap?'
"That's why we practice right?" Arden responded with a smile. Clearly a forced smile, he was in pain again.
"You are hopeless," Chrysalis said using her magic to revert him again. "Now, again!"
Chrysalis let Arden continue to practice conjuring up shields, while she sat down and studied the blade again. There were more runes on the blade's magic side. The unicorn was growing. The runes were slowly being carved on the surface of the blade. Until their movements completely ceased, that was when Chrysalis heard a thud behind her. Looking back at the stallion, she saw Arden collapsed on the floor.
Looking at the sky, she noticed that it must have been at least three hours since he started to practice.
'That worthless unicorn kept at it for three hours?! Wait, he had headaches from each spell he tried to cast. I was healing him then. But I stopped when I went to check the sword, did he ignore the headaches? That could mean he collapsed because of the pain, not due to his limit. A beginner keeping up for that long? What the hell is he?'
Chrysalis cast another spell to make him able to practice. Once the spell connected, Arden's eyes shot open. He hadn't reached his limit.
"You ignorant fool," Chrysalis said to Arden while he sat up. "If you collapse, you don't practice. If the headaches appear again, tell me so I can make them go away. I will not tolerate slacking off!"
"Aye aye, Captain!" He responded, getting on his hooves he smiled at her.
"What?" Chrysalis asked frowning at him.
"Thanks for this," Arden answered before wincing, apparently the headaches were still there. "Sorry, can you?"
"I can't believe you. How long have you been ignoring the pain?" Chrysalis asked casting another spell. "You're a nuisance. I think I prefer you unconscious.
"Sorry, you seemed so focused on the blade I figured it was better to stay out of your way," he responded, scratching the back of his head.
Suddenly Chrysalis's ears perked up a growl. It wasn't the unicorn that made that sound, it was her. Chrysalis didn't feel the need to eat for an entire day. Add that to the fact she was casting spells left and right, and you got yourself a very confused changeling.
'At the rate I was casting spells...I should have felt hunger sooner. And this isn't the same as before, this is weaker. What happened to me?'
"Hungry? Go ahead," Arden said to her sitting down on an old chair.
Chrysalis repeated the procedure from the previous day, the only difference was her intake, she took more. Considerably more, Chrysalis needed more.
She wanted more.
The energy had something different to it. It lacked taste, now it had a very bland one.
'Why is it different? This shouldn't change. Each being has a signature taste to their energy. His, however, is changing.'
"Are you done?" she heard him ask. "You looked concerned there and closed your mouth. Foul taste?"
"Just as foul as your humor."
"Wow! That's really bad. Maybe you're better off feeding on Zecora?" Chrysalis deadpanned at that.
"You're an idiot. As foul as it tastes I can take more from you than from that zebra. You're stuck with me," Chrysalis responded earning a frown from Arden. "What? Thought you would get rid of me that easily? Thought you get rid of the monster with that?"
"You know, you should stop making those comments about yourself. You know what? Never mind." the stallion said with a sigh, dropping his shoulders and turning his back to her.
'What just happened? Based on how he was acting so far, that's the part where he throws a compliment or talks back. So why did he just...forget it! The less I have to worry about, the better. If he drops the act with me, I can focus on making him my personal puppet.'
"Applejack! Applejack!" Rarity shouted. She had been trying to get in touch with Applejack since the previous day. The letter she found in her hands was further proof of her theories.
'And unless I misread the letter, he seemed to have an interest on me.'
Rarity ran to Applejack's side. she seemed in a hurry, and she looked worried as well.
"What is it Rarity?" Applejack said without stopping her walk.
"I need to show you this!" Rarity answered, pulling the letter from her pocket.
"Is it related to Arden?" Rarity's expression must have given away the answer because Applejack continued. "Can we talk at Pinkie's?"
"Sure!" Rarity responded, keeping up with the blonde.
The two of them quickly walked through the town, reaching Sugar Cube Corner they met with Fluttershy and Pinkie sitting by a table. Fluttershy had a courier's bag with her, while Pinkie had a letter in her hands. It had Princess Celestia's crest on the seal. Rarity heard Applejack gulping at the sight of it.
"What is happening, dear?" Rarity asked Applejack. "You look pale."
"Pinkie, what does that letter say?" Applejack seemed to be ignoring her. "WHAT DOES IT SAY?!"
"Calm down," Rarity said holding Applejack. "Pinkie, be a dear and tell her what it says."
"I-It's a description of Arden," Fluttershy answered, making Applejack fall on a nearby chair. "Princess Celestia wants them delivered to every town and friendly nation. I-I was entrusted with Ponyville. Rainbow Dash is helping Spitfire with Canterlot deliveries. And I was wondering if you girls could help me deliver them."
"SURE!" Pinkie said taking a lot of letters and bolting out the door. Just as quickly as she ran away, Pinkie returned. "I covered half the town! You girls can handle the rest right?"
"Sure thing sugar cube," Applejack responded, she seemed to back to her usual self. "Well, Rarity. What did you want to tell me?"
"Don't you remember what you promised?" Rarity asked, gesturing to Fluttershy and Pinkie. "We need to talk in private."
"Nope, Ah think we should tell them. Ah, think you were right about him." Rarity tilted her head at the statement. "That letter tells his talent is on par with that of the Princess of Love. It also has a complete description of it, as well as his strength test. The stallion is currently at 1200. He can see into the hearts of any being he lays those weird eyes of him. Meaning that he got sick because of our fear, not because of the attack."
Rarity was in meltdown at this point. 'A ROYAL! A ROYAL COMPLIMENTED MY WORKS! HE DONNED THEM! He...cleaned my floor. I bossed him around.'
"MY STARS! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" She shouted out of nowhere, making the three mares jump. "I ordered a royal around!"
"Pinkie, mind telling them about it?" Applejack asked looking at Pinkie. "Ah, won't say a word. It's up to you, partner."
"Okie Dokie! But you have to promise not to tell anypony!" All the mares, except for Applejack, made the gesture. "Princess Celestia is planning a BIG party for the Summer Sunset Celebration in four years! Like really big! Everypony in Ponyville was invited!"
"It's a wedding, she ordered a humongous cake and nothing short of a feast. Our princess has fallen for the guy we attacked. But based on these," Applejack stated pointing at the letters. "Ponyville is in the clear. She wouldn't have sent the letter if we weren't friends of Equestria."
If Rarity could see her own face, she would see a dumbfounded mare staring at nothing.
"U-um," Fluttershy stuttered. "Rarity, I think Celestia wants to have Arden look for other mares as well." Rarity perked up her ears and turned to Fluttershy. "A-a bird from the royal gardens told me Celestia was mumbling to herself about having him look for other candidates. T-the bird also mentioned that Celestia herself picked a candidate, and was thinking if she should be sent here in advance or in the previous day."
"G-girls," Rarity said, her hands were shaking. She pulled out the letter, and read it out loud. "Do you think that he might?"
"Lucky you, Rarity!" Pinkie said, hopping around. "You finally got your prince! Or at least are on your way to getting one!"
Applejack let out a low whistle and said, "We better be careful when he comes back. Better not get on the groom's bad side."
'We better not get on Celestia's bad side. He seemed willing to give us another chance, Celestia seemed set on punishing us until he intervened. So far Arden seems to be...how to put it? Reasonable? Down to earth? At any rate, we better show him how hospitable our town can be! He will see a different side of us. We better get the entire town on this. If everypony helps out we ought to get his favor. I better tread carefully as well, I better not get ahead of myself and misinterpret the letter.'
(Canterlot, during the conversation described above)
"You know the stallion from the letter?!" Spitfire asked in surprise. "You're not pulling my leg here, are you?'
"Nope. He bashed a shield against my face after I tried to attack him." Rainbow Dash responded she kept her composure on the outside. Inside, however...
'OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH! I am talking to THE Spitfire! The best of the current Wonder Bolts!' She was fangirling really hard.
"Why did you attack him?"
"We didn't know about his talent," Rainbow answered delivering another letter. The nobles were flocking to Spitfire which made delivering them way easier. "We assumed he was a possessed one. I also thought he was using dopping magic. After all, no unicorn should be able to run like he did."
"So he is fast on his hooves..." Rainbow noticed that the Wonder Bolt seemed to be cooking up something. "Wonder how fast."
"Based on what I've seen," Rainbow said delivering another one. "Right now, I would say he has twice the speed than your strongest unicorn." Spitfire seemed to smile at that.
"That's a lot, for a unicorn."
"You said it," Rainbow said knocking on a door. A familiar voice came from inside.
"Comming!" A grey-coated, amethyst-eyed, black-maned earth pony opened the door. She wore a black tuxedo with a pink bowtie. "Rainbow Dash?"
"Hello there Octavia!" Rainbow knew her, Vinyl Scratch's roommate. Rainbow heard that she had left to study music. "So this is where you went to! How are things?"
"Doing great! The other day, I received a request from the Princess to play during a party at the Summer Sunset Celebration in four years! She sent me a ton of songs. Apparently, the party has something to do with a 'special occasion'. The princess described as a very important event for 'somepony who is very dear to her'." Octavia said shrugging. "What interests me is the fact I get to play for the Princess! In an event that looks like a marriage!"
"My, my," Rainbow heard from behind her, it was Spitfire. "The princess going through all this to make sure he isn't attacked again. Then she has an event like that in the works. Our princess might have fallen in love. I really wanna meet the future king now. Wonder if he really is worthy of our princess." Rainbow's brain was in a fritz.
'What is going on?! The princess, and that guy?! How did that happen?! But it explains why Celestia was going so far for his sake!'
"Hey, Rainbow Dash!" Spitfire's call snapped Rainbow back. "I just finished my deliveries, how about yours?"
"I-I still need to deliver some of them," Rainbow said giving Octavia her letter. 'I need to finish this quickly and tell the girls, Rarity is going to snap!' Spitfire must have read Rainbow's thoughts because she made the following offer.
"Then let's make a deal. I finish the deliveries, you rush to wherever you need to go. But I want you to contact me as soon as you hear about this Arden's whereabouts. I'll leave word in the Wonder Bolt academy for them to send any letters from you to me. Deal?"
"Deal!" Rainbow shot tossing the bag to Spitfire and dashing away at incredible speed.
'I need to tell them this!' Rainbow thought, darting through the skies towards PonyVille. It was a matter of minutes before she reached the town. One of the first ponies she ran into was Octavia's roommate, Vinyl.
"Hey, Vinyl! Did you see Rarity? Or Pinkie? Or Applejack? Or maybe Fluttershy?"
"I think I saw Aj and Rarity going to Pinkie's place."
"Great! Thanks! Gotta fly!" Rainbow said, zooming towards the bakery. She bashed the door open and shouted as soon as she saw them. "GIRLS! ARDEN MIGHT BE MARRYING CELESTIA!"
"We just discussed that, silly!" Pinkie said bouncing around.
"WHAT?!" Rainbow asked, her shoulders dropped. "How?"
"I got a letter asking for food for a huge party! Rarity received a letter from Arden saying he needed to get his memento from Celestia back. And Fluttershy heard from a little bird, that Celestia might want him to look for other mares!" Rainbow froze in place when Pinkie finished speaking.
"And he might be an alicorn," Rarity completed.
"I rushed over for nothing," Rainbow said passing out on the floor. She had been delivering letters for two days, and she just rushed over from Canterlot.
'Our dear princess falling for a unicorn that came out of nowhere? That's unlikely. I did race her a few times at her request, she never stroke me as the kind who would fall like that out of nowhere. I better look into this.' Spitfire thought, finishing Rainbow's deliveries. There were only ten left, so it was easy getting that over with. 'Besides, if he actually caught the princess' attention he must be quite the catch. Wonder how fast he can get. I should also keep an eye out for that Rainbow Dash. She has a lot of stamina that's for sure. And that speed was amazing! If she were to grow up as a pony...I might get her into the academy.'
"One, two, three. Now you go free!" Arden sang freeing Nightmare, once again, from the chains. "Now, before you go on a rant about me tricking you. Please consider that I will die if I don't overcome what's been blasting me into oblivion every night."
"I understand, and I give you permission to continue your 'treatment'."
Confused by the change in behavior, Arden turned to face her. One of her eyes was different.
"What happened to your eye?"
"Luna wanted to see the one who tricked me twice." Arden tilted his head at the statement.
'What the fuck?'
"Er, why?"
"She considers me a friend. And is really infuriated at you for tricking me. Now you'll have to deal with two royals peasant!"
"And she's back. Send my regards to the princess, please? And thanks for the gift. It's very neat." Arden said showing the present he still had on his lapel. Nightmare Moon seemed to blush a little.
"Y-you did well to keep a gift from royalty! M-many ponies would kill to receive a gift from their queen!"
"Now it's a gift? Didn't you call it, 'getting rid of dead weight' last time?" Arden responded in a playful tone. Nightmare's wings shot open, and she scowled at him.
"Y-you insufferable, idiotic, shapeless fool!" She screamed at him. "Y-you better be alive when I return! Then I'm going to blast you to oblivion myself!"
"I'll be waiting, Your Obscurity. The whole reason I'm going through this ordeal is so I can meet you in four years." Arden responded while bowing to her. "Your make up keeps improving, as well as your mane. Keep it up, I bet the stallion you're aiming to hit will fall head over hills for you."
The answer he got was a bunch of incoherent noises and the sound of a door bashing. 'Messing around with her is easy. Her company is enjoyable as well.'
Getting back to his task, Arden darted to the door. After leaving the room, Arden was immediately placed in a hold by a spell. The same from the previous day, he was lifted and his body was forced to face the pony.
"Go ahead! Give your speech!"
"Not worth it. Just not worth my time. Just like you aren't worth the time of any of your friends." It said erasing everything bellow Arden's neck.
"Really? Not worth your time?" Arden said sprouting back his body and hitting the pony square in the jaw. The attack forced the pony to drop the spell. "How is that for not worth your time?!" Arden said jumping on top of the unicorn and grabbing its horn. "Let's see you cast now!" With his free hand, Arden attacked the unicorn with everything he had. "I'm more than you think! I will be more!"
"You won't!" The creature shot back. Sending Arden flying with his words. "You can't even understand what your talent can do!"
"I don't care about that! What matters is getting back and keeping my promise! I just need to see!"
"I can see!" The pony shot back, Arden had half of his body blasted away by the words. "But I can also turn a blind eye!"
Arden was completely defeated.
"Why don't you just kiss him while he is asleep? He wouldn't even know." Chrysalis said.
"Because that is wrong," Zecora responded. "Though, this one shall not deny she has entertained the idea,"
"Just do it already!" the changeling responded with an annoyed voice. "This pathetic snack may not be around forever."
"Are you saying he will die?"
"No, I'm talking about when his treatment is done," Chrysalis responded. "What do you expect him to stay here forever?"
"T-that is true," Zecora had forgotten about that, even if he was here, it was because of his treatment. "This one wonder what he will do once he is back to health."
"He'll probably go back to the town and find a mare," Chrysalis said with a smirk. "If you want him, you'll need to go a bit more aggressive. This failure here is way too shy to make the first move."
'Chrysalis's argument is valid. The stallion IS very shy. But this one should be careful if this one is too forceful, he might distance himself.'
It had been three hours since the session started. The stallion didn't manifest any symptoms, so Zecora had plenty of time to think and talk to Chrysalis while they waited for Arden's awakening. After the three hour mark, Arden suddenly got up. His face was terrifying, it wasn't madness like the previous times, it was anger. Zecora watched Arden clench his fists and grit his teeth.
"Don't! Pass! Out! I refuse! To! Pass! Out!" Arden hissed trying to keep himself from passing out.
"It's okay cerulean," Zecora said pulling Arden closer to her. "You're safe. We are here."
"No, it's not," Arden responded, looking at the ground. "Zecora, I..." He seemed to drift off for a second, then Zecora felt his weight falling on to her.
"And he passed out again," Chrysalis said leaving the room. "He needs to stop doing that."
"Chrysalis," Zecora called out. "Why so much animosity towards him? You seem to be aware of what he was, yet you seem to be extra aggressive towards him. Another thing, the excuse of his talent won't cut. He never brought it up, and this seems more personal. Almost as if you want him to act like other ponies. Do you want to push him away?"
Chrysalis didn't respond, Zecora watched the Changeling walk to the front door. Chrysalis didn't show her face, but her pacing seemed to show she didn't want to linger there any more than she needed.
"I'll return by the morning," Chrysalis said before shutting the door.
'The queen that heard her story. Seems to be afraid of time making history repeat itself. Time tells our tales as long as there is a being that remembers it. If the cycle will repeat, however, it completely up to the characters. This one hopes she will come to realize that before she repeats her mother mistakes, or makes worse ones.'
After a while, Zecora looked down at the stallion he fast asleep in her arms. Arden looked troubled, a frown was evident on his face. He was so close to her, Zecora held him tighter. A tear rolled down his face, but he seemed to smile for a moment. Zecora held his face closer to hers, Chrysalis suggestion ran through her mind. There wasn't anything wrong with that, was it? Would he even know? Should Zecora dare? He wouldn't be around forever, he could return to the town and never return.
Building up her courage, Zecora prepared to kiss him. She closed her eyes and got closer.
"...I'll...be worth...Zecora...I'll...be...better," Arden mumbled. These words made Zecora stop.
'This one shall approach him the right way, he deserves that much. He is worth that much to me.' Zecora thought, before preparing herself to sleep.
'DAMN IT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! It wasn't supposed to be this hard! I'm not supposed to be like her! Chrysalis, DO YOUR JOB! FREE YOUR KIND! Get rid of the stallion! Disguise yourself as him! Use that and everything will be in place! Let him rot in an unmarked grave! Forget that he ever existed! Ponies aren't worth it! No being is worth it! You are the monster! Your kind is the monster! Any being that tells you otherwise is just a puppeteer!'
Chrysalis sat by the river transformed into Arden, gazing at her disguise she remembered every single time she interacted with him. His expressions of joy when she got her form back. His apologetic look when they captured her. His desperation when he begged for her help. His determination to convince her that he would do anything to help her. His hopeful expression when he learned that he could learn magic. And finally, her memory drifted into when she fed off his love. That memory made her chest tighten, Chrysalis decided to verify something.
'Depending on the result of this experiment, I will decide what shall be done about him.'
As she was heading to her target, Chrysalis received the response from the previous day. Since she still needed the Princess's army, Chrysalis pulled the diary from her clothes.
Dear Celestia,
To me, there isn't any being in this world that could match your kindness. Nor your beauty, forgive me if this seems so bold. But this small stallion can't help but feel this way towards you. Even if I am not royalty I cannot lie about this.
Sorry if I this came so suddenly, but I cannot bear to keep this locked away any further. Being away from the mare that made me feel this way has made me realize how much I care for you.
Hopefully still a friend Arden.
Once she finished writing, Chrysalis sent the letter away. 'Time for my experiment.' she thought, heading towards Ponyville.
That same night, Twilight saw a very flustered and very crimson Celestia. Especially after she realized she read the letter out loud in the presence of her star student.
Chapter 23: Piece by piece, one step forward and two steps back.
Chrysalis was wandering through the forest. In order for her experiment to work, she needed to fulfill certain conditions. Once Chrysalis distanced herself from the hut, she started to cast advanced spells. All of them required her to use a lot of energy, it took an hour and a half for her to reach the state she needed.
'Time to begin. Better finish this before sunrise. I don't want to risk being discovered by ponies, or changelings.'
Using even more spells, Chrysalis made sure her presence would go unnoticed by any predators that could be lurking there. The town of Ponyville was her destination, the ponies were her target. Spells to hide her scent and muffle her steps, all precautions as to ensure she would remain concealed in the shadows. The town finally appeared before her, only a few lights were still on, but targets weren't exactly scarce. Ignoring the houses with lights on, Chrysalis moved towards a dark house.
It was the mayor's house. The mayor was fast asleep on her bed, Chrysalis unlocked the front door by picking the lock with a lockpick she kept hidden in her mane. Moving through the place like a shadow, she silently reached her target's room. Using another spell, Chrysalis made the mayor remember of her family. Her fond memories of the villagers, when she was elected when they worked together for events, the support they gave her. All of those memories made the mayor generate love energy, Chrysalis devoured that.
'Too sweet.' she thought, stopping her feast once the mayor began to shift. Before the mayor woke up, Chrysalis had left the place and locked the front door.
She started to move to the next house, the local flower sellers. Chrysalis picked the lock without making a sound, checking the inside of the rooms before entering by peeking through the keyhole. Chrysalis made them remember about their gardening, their beautiful flowers, the smiles on their costumers' faces after each sell. More energy came from them.
'Too bitter, the other one too bland.' she thought, leaving the place.
Chrysalis then returned to a place she broke in the previous day. Carousel Boutique, the lock was still the same as the previous time. 'Sloppy, she can't expect to keep her place safe without changing the locks when somepony breaks in.' Chrysalis thought while moving to little filly's room. The little one was fast asleep, Chrysalis moved as if she was a monster preparing to devour her victim. This time Chrysalis stirred the memories of her big sister, their time together, the opening of the store. The times she helped her sister. More energy came forth.
'This one is too tender.'
The routine kept going, home after home she would find fault in each food she tasted. It didn't matter how many she tried, they all had some sort of fault.
'Too salty. Not enough salt. Tasteless. Taste is too strong. Too spicy. Nauseating. Long aftertaste. Aftertaste is too short. Too hot. Too cold. Disgusting. Simply don't like it.'
Chrysalis never did this, the taste of her food never mattered to her. It was all a matter of keeping herself alive. Right now, however, she could focus more on how it tasted. And for some reason, right now everything was wrong to her. Nothing made her want more. Nothing made her feel full. None of them satisfied. Her hunger never was satiated by any being. Or so she thought, the memories of her feeding off Arden's love returned. The mere thought of the energy made her mouth water up.
'I've become picky. Too picky. No, that's not it. I am addicted. It only took me two servings of his love energy to do it. That bastard, I probably won't be able to feel satisfied unless I feed off him. No! I refuse to feed off him again! I'll devour this entire town before resorting to him!'
Determined to do just that, Chrysalis started to move faster. More and more houses, instead of picking the locks manually, she used her magic. The hunger increased as the amount of love she got was way lower than what Chrysalis used to maintain her spells. Her form was returning to the state from a few days ago. But it didn't matter to her, as long as she managed to get rid of the addiction she would be satisfied.
The clock was ticking, dawn was closing in, but it didn't matter to Chrysalis. The idea of getting rid of her need was the only thing on her mind, she didn't care anymore about being discovered. She only wanted to get rid of Arden and move on. Chrysalis's hunt was interrupted by the sound of somepony unlocking their front door just as she was leaving the inside of a house. Chrysalis' senses returned to her making Chrysalis realize the risk she was taking.
'What?! That can't be right! It's still too early. Oh no!'
Chrysalis finally realized why they were waking up. The sun was up the stores were about to begin their work hours. Instinctively Chrysalis switched forms, having visited most of the houses, she knew what ponies were in town and those that weren't. Changing into the form of Bon-bon, local sweets seller, who had a lot of contraptions in her house. Chrysalis tried to leave town without anypony noticing.
"Bon-bon!" Chrysalis felt a chill run down her spine. Of all the ponies she could run into, it had to be THAT mare. "How was your visit to Canterlot? Did you have a good time with Lyra? How come you came back so early? Is Lyra coming for her birthday? Do you want to help me prepare the party when we're closer to it?"
"I-I'm okay Pinkie," Chrysalis responded, her eyes were darting around trying to find anything to distract the party pony.
"Really? You look a bit worried."
"I'm fine, promise."
"Come on then!" Pinkie said, pulling Chrysalis towards the bakery. "I got some new recipes I want you to check! Since you are so good with sweets, maybe they can give you some ideas!"
At this point, Chrysalis began to realize her condition. Her hunting made her weak, the disguise was starting to have some issues. Her eyesight was becoming more blurry. Chrysalis had to leave, or she would have a lot of ponies chasing her very soon.
'I need out! Please just give me an opening!'
She had forty-five minutes with her disguise, after that, Chrysalis would collapse. If she was lucky, the disguise wouldn't start to fade.
'HELP ME!'
The sound of hooves hitting the floor in a rhythm woke Arden up. He felt a bit drowsy, but after shaking his head for a few moments, Arden looked at the source of the sound. Zecora was pacing around in a circle. Arden got on his hooves and looked around. One of them was missing.
"Zecora," Arden said, his voice made the zebra stop her pacing around. "Where is Chrysalis?"
"She left last night," Arden felt his body tense up and a chill ran down his spine. "The Changeling said she would be back by morning. But she's yet to return. This one can't help but worry."
"You worry with good reason!" Arden exclaimed, he donned the armor and headed to the door. "Let's track her down."
"Just a moment," Zecora said, picking up her gear for hunting along with some herbs. Arden could swear he knew some of those herbs. "Ready!" With that, the two of them left the hut. Arden searched for tracks in one side while Zecora searched the other.
"Found anything yet?" Arden asked, without leaving his search. The side he was looking into wasn't helping him much. He did find some vines that he had seen in the book he had been reading. Vines that served to prevent hallucinations when prepared correctly. The book mentioned it had to be mashed, diluted, and then filtered to remove the remnants of the vine. If it was chewed down raw, they could be used to the same effect. However, the poison would stay and cause the patient to vomit violently, followed by motion sickness, then it would be followed by a loss of conscience and death after a few minutes.
'Better keep these ones stored just in case.' Arden thought, placing some of the vines into his pockets.
"This one has found tracks!" Zecora's voice made Arden leave his search, running as fast as he could. Arden went after Zecora who was already following the tracks.
The path Chrysalis had taken wasn't familiar to Arden. It led to a clearing, this place had a bunch of scorch marks, weirdly grown plants, and other things that looked out of place. 'Did she fight something? This stuff looks like it was created by magic.' Arden thought. The damage on the ground and the plants sprouting everywhere made searching more difficult.
Arden and Zecora split up again to search the clearing. Zecora tried to see any signs of Chrysalis being wounded. Meanwhile, Arden looked at the edges of the clearing in search for Chrysalis' trail. He was practically dragging himself on the dirt trying to find anything that resembled Chrysalis' hoove-marks. He had almost completed a full circle around the area when he found her tracks again.
"Zecora! This way!" Arden shouted following the tracks. It didn't take long for Zecora to catch up to him and take the lead.
He kept following both Zecora and the tracks until he saw the sound of voices made him freeze.
"Still no sign of that stallion?"
"Nope," That voice was familiar to Arden, it sounded like Applejack's brother.
Arden was near Ponyville, he remembered what Zecora told him about his sickness. His body moved on his own, slowly backing away Arden tripped on a tree root. He continued to scramble away until Arden heard Zecora's voice.
"Arden!" Zecora appeared in his field of vision. "What is happening?"
"Zecora," Arden started after shaking his head to clear the haze. "I don't think I can help in the search." Zecora seemed to realize what he meant because she bit her lip and looked back at the village.
"The cerulean will hallucinate if he comes any closer," She said, Arden nodded in agreement. "Very well, this one will see what she can do."
With that, Zecora headed off, Arden simply sat down by a tree, cursing his sickness. Cursing his inability of being useful, he kept taping his finger in a rhythm, begging for Zecora to come back with Chrysalis safe and sound. Time seemed to have stopped, he looked around. No sign of Zecora, no sign of Chrysalis.
'Ins't there anything I can do?! Why do I have to be so helpless?!' Arden thought, punching the ground. 'OUCH!'
Arden screamed in his mind, he landed on something that cut deep into his hand. Looking down, Arden saw a purple vine covered in thorns that were accompanying the tree's root. It looked familiar, Arden had seen it in the book he had been reading back at the hut. He couldn't remember its uses specifically, but he remembered that another specific herb grew next to that. A small yellow herb, Arden vaguely recalled something about them being used for another recipe.
'Why not take some? I can get some practice later on.' Arden picked them up and placed bat at his pocket. When he did he remembered about the other plant he had found back at the hut. Arden quickly pulled it out. 'Zecora might have an antidote for this,' Arden thought, picking the vine and cutting it he took off after Zecora. Moving quietly as he approached the village, Arden saw Zecora hiding behind some bushes.
"Pssst," Arden said catching her attention. More accurately she pulled her dagger to his neck. "Z, listen. Do you have the antidote for this?" Arden said pushing the dagger away. Zecora blushed a bit once she heard the 'Z' part, then she looked at the plant Arden presented to her.
"This one believes she has some," Zecora said, pulling some herbs out of her belt. "Why would you need these?" Zecora asked before her eyes widened. "No! This one will not allow you to do such a reckless move!"
"It's either this, or you will be pulling a solo rescue mission," Arden whispered. "This place freaked out at the mere sight of my eyes. If they see Chrysalis they might burn her at a pyre!" Arden watched Zecora try to come up with a retort, none came. "Good, so we're clear in that aspect. Z, did you see anything that may point out to Chrysalis location?" Arden asked while he removed the thorns by hand.
"Not yet."
"Okay, Down the hatch you go!" he said shoving the vine down his mouth and started to chew it. 'WOW! This shit is bitter. Don't throw up, you need this thing to take effect before you try anything.'
After a decent amount of chewing the vine, Arden swallowed it. He winced as the vine went down his throat.
A few seconds after, Arden looked at the village. An initial headache made him wince but it soon faded. Arden scanned the villagers, trying his best to find anything that pointed to Chrysalis being there. It was around that time, that Arden heard somepony leaving a store in a rush. It looked like the local sweet maker, Arden barely knew her. But something looked off, the very end of her tail had some green fur that resembled Chrysalis'.
Arden's eyes went wide open, realizing that there were some small areas shifting really fast between yellow and black. Arden also noticed she was limping, Chrysalis seemed to be in very bad shape.
"Found her," Arden said pointing towards his finding.
"How do we get her out? The disguise is fading!" Zecora pointed out. To Arden and Zecora it was evident, they were looking for the changes. To a passerby, it wouldn't be noticeable.
"We need a distraction, or to at least, we need to create a brief opening for her to leave," Arden said, noticing how Chrysalis seemed to be trying to reach the edge of town. Arden then remembered the day he met Zecora. "Zecora, can you go out there and make everypony head inside their houses?"
"What?"
"Remember the day we met? Everypony in town ran back to their houses and locked themselves in," Zecora looked back at Arden for a moment. "I know it's unfair. But if I go out there, they won't let me go without interrogating me and I don't have time to do it. Please?"
"Very well," Zecora responded with a small frown. "But you owe this one."
"Whatever it takes," Arden responded. "Thank you. Really." Arden continued, placing his hand over Zecora's shoulder.
Zecora was about to rush out when two familiar faces approached Chrysalis. Mind Walker and Walkirye Heart, they seemed concerned by Chrysalis posture. She looked like she was in pain.
"Zecora," Arden said holding her by the wrist. "Can you lure them away? Then lose them?"
"Who do you believe to be talking to?" Zecora responded with a smirk.
With that, she ran into the town. Screams and gasps filled the town, it didn't take long for only four 'ponies' to remain in the streets.
Zecora found herself with two confused guards looking at her. Chrysalis seemed somewhat relieved to see her. Zecora needed to lure the two soldiers away. Arden was in hiding, and couldn't come out without being recognized. The pegasus could catch up to her no problem, depending on her capabilities that is. The unicorn was a problem because of the spells. He had to be incapacitated and the pegasus had to be lured into a trap. One of her potions could knock the pegasus out, another one could create a smoke cloud, preventing the unicorn from targeting her.
The two guards were staring at Zecora, ignoring Chrysalis slowly moving away. Slowly moving her hands, Zecora reached for some bottles she had stored in her belt. On her left, the knockout concoction, on her right, a smoke cloud. Zecora moved very slowly towards them. First, she tossed the smoke cloud. The pegasus flew up to the air, Zecora began to run. Looking over her shoulder she saw that, unfortunately, the unicorn caught the vial with his magic.
Suddenly, she saw the vial crack and the content disperse itself. With fewer things to worry about, Zecora ran like there was no tomorrow towards some alleyways. The sharp turns forced the pegasus to reduce her speed, which gave Zecora enough time to toss the vial's contents on the walls. This potion produced fumes once exposed to the air, being exposed to it for a little while made the target confused. Prolonged exposure made the target fall unconscious, useful for capturing prey alive or losing a pursuer.
Taking her last turn, Zecora found herself back at the town square. She saw that the smoke screen had dispersed and Chrysalis was nowhere to be seen.
'Good! Time for this one to make herself scarce.'
A bright flash of light appeared by her side. Zecora looked to her left and saw a blue shield floating by her side. Behind the shield, she saw the unicorn guard unconscious on the ground. Before she could understand what was happening, she was surrounded by a blue aura and was pulled back towards the forest. Zecora went flying at high speed and stopped when she flew into Arden. The unicorn caught her, however, the momentum she built made him fall backward with a thud. Zecora landed on top of him, but she quickly got up to pull him up. They started running once Arden picked up chrysalis from the ground and started running carrying her in his arms.
"Note to self: Control the speed when you pull things towards you," the stallion mumbled.
The plan seemed to have worked. No signs of the guards following them, they were safe. They ran for a considerable time just to make sure that they could rest easy.
"This one believes we can stop now," Zecora said, she pulled out the herbs she had shown the stallion and gave him before he started to manifest the symptoms. "Now, chew these. Swallow the sap, but spit out the herbs once you're finished."
After he placed the changeling on the ground, the stallion picked up the herbs and followed her instructions. After finishing it, he went to Chrysalis. Zecora did the same.
"She's in bad shape," Zecora started, looking at the changeling's physical state. Chrysalis seemed somewhat conscious, but she didn't have enough to keep her disguise. "She needs to eat as soon as possible."
"N-no," The Changeling said. "I-I won't be fed by-?!" Zecora stopped her with a slap.
(Back at Ponyville, when Zecora appeared making everypony lock themselves in)
Chrysalis felt a mix of relief and fear at the sight of Zecora. The zebra could draw attention away from Chrysalis, but if she was here, Arden wouldn't be far behind. With any luck, Chrysalis could run away without assistance from the unicorn. Chrysalis saw her disguise begin to crumble piece by piece, luckily for her, the ponies were too scared of being cursed by Zecora to look outside. And the guards seemed genuinely confused about what they were looking at.
'Now, move slowly. Don't make a noise,' Chrysalis thought, she managed to take a few steps before falling. Chrysalis's legs had given in again, her disguise disappeared. Chrysalis gave up at this point, her cover was blown. The sound of glass breaking made her look back. Some sort of white smoke surrounded the guard. Chrysalis suddenly felt herself being lifted up. She looked up and saw something familiar, blue fur, scrawny body. 'NOT HIM!' Chrysalis tried to get rid of him, but she didn't have the strength to do so.
He rushed with her in her arms, Chrysalis found herself safe and sound hidden in the bushes. Arden placed her on the ground calmly and turned away from her.
'Now! I need to get away from him.'
Chrysalis tried to drag herself away silently. But the moment Chrysalis placed her weight on her arms, she fell. Arden heard her and turned around. "Don't move! You're in bad shape. The last thing you need is using more energy!" the unicorn said pushing her to the ground. Then he turned back to the town, Chrysalis saw him charge a spell. Looking back at the streets, Chrysalis saw Arden create a shield by the Zebra's left side. The shield bounced off a spell that hit the unicorn guard that fell unconscious on the ground. Then without dismissing the shield, Chrysalis watched him levitate Zecora and pull her towards them at high speed.
"Too fast!" Arden said before he grabbed Zecora's body and fell backward. "Note to self: Control the speed when you pull things towards you," he said after being pulled up by Zecora, picking Chrysalis up and starting to running.
Chrysalis was carried through a decent distance before they stopped. Zecora was on the lead since she was faster and had less weight on her.
"This one believes we can stop now," the zebra said pulling some herbs and giving them to Arden. Chrysalis' ears started ringing a bit. After the unicorn left her on the ground, she couldn't hear what they said. Chrysalis watched the stallion chew the herbs Zecora gave him, right before he spat them out. Then the unicorn came back to her side accompanied by the zebra. Zecora said something after examining her, around that time Chrysalis' ears stopped ringing.
"She needs to eat as soon as possible," Chrysalis' eyes went wide open.
"N-no," The Chrysalis started. "I-I won't be fed by-?!" A stinging pain took over her cheek. The zebra slapped her, Zecora actually slapped her. "Why did you do that?!"
The unicorn intervened. "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!" He sounded angry, and there was concern explicit in his voice.
"I don't need to answer that!" Chrysalis shot back, she wasn't about to get scolded again. "I can do whatever I want! I'm not-?!" Another slap, this time, however, it came from the stallion.
"ENOUGH!" Arden shouted. "I am sick of your stuck up attitude! You're fucking stuck in whatever happened between ponies and changelings in the past! I lost count of how many people back in my world ruined their lives and the lives of others because they can't let go of the FUCKING PAST! You're supposed to learn from to past and then let whatever is caused you pain go! Of course, it ain't easy! I'm still trying to get rid of it! But at the very fucking least I'm trying!"
Chrysalis looked away but he made her face him
"And another thing: You said you're the queen of changelings. But you're hiding as an exile. Which means your kind is in trouble. So as their ruler. YOU! CAN'T! BE! RECKLESS!" Arden continued. "As their ruler, you have to be there for them! And if you need help, ASK! I agreed to help a total stranger because that's what I think is right! I don't choose who I help based on race or appearance. But based on who I think is the right! I don't give a damn if you're covered in fur, scales, chitin, or if you're a damned ghost! So please, give me a chance to help! I'm not asking for you to forgive what was done to you. Nor I am asking you to like me, I just ask that you give me a chance to help with what I can!"
"You would willingly help a MONSTER!"
"YOU ARE NOT A MONSTER! YOU'RE A LIVING BEING! You have the right to be afraid, the right to ask for help! Your form isn't hideous! You and Zecora are the same! You just had a lot of unfair things happening to you!" Arden reached for his throat and started to cough a bit while he backed away, then he threw up a bit. Then more of it came out.
"What's going on?" Chrysalis asked in confusion. "Why is he throwing up?" Chrysalis saw Zecora trying to help him.
"How much of the vine did you eat?!" Zecora asked.
"I-" he was interrupted by another stream. "I ate a small chunk after you left. My head started to ache again, I didn't have a choice." Zecora pulled more herbs and waited until he stopped throwing up. Then he started to look dizzy, but the vomits stopped. Zecora shoved the herbs into his mouth, he did the same as before. Arden seemed to stabilize, but whatever happened to him, seemed to have knocked the wind out of him.
"What is happening?!" Chrysalis shouted.
"Near that blasted town he wasn't supposed to go," Zecora said looking over her shoulder to chrysalis. "The mere sight of the inhabitants made the stallion hallucinate before he met this one. Arden ate a poisonous vine to prevent hallucinations while we scanned the crowd looking for you."
"What?" Chrysalis shot, her eyes widened. "WHY?!"
"A-are you kidding me?" the stallion asked. "You saw what happened when they saw eyes that were different from what they considered normal. What do you think it would have happened when they got their hands on you?!"
"And would you-?!" Chrysalis was stopped mid-sentence yet again.
"Because you're our friend!" Arden shot back. "You might hate ponies, and you might be trying to pull strings everytime you can. But We are not about to let you kill yourself! Whatever the reason you have, with everything that seems to be at stake. You can't afford to die! You need and you can live!"
Those last words made Chrysalis remember something. Something her mother said to her long ago.
'You're not a queen. You are not a changeling. You're a thing that was born from my naivete. Ponies should not be trusted, but you're even worse than that. No being should ever trust you. If you weren't required to keep my kingdom, I would just let you die. Something like you should never have been born in the first place.'
Chrysalis eyes filled with tears.
'You can't afford to die! You need and you can live!'
After all this time, a blasted pony had to be the one to say those words. After all that time alone, the ones she grew to hate because of her misfortune were the ones to take her in. After all the schemes she tried to pull, they were the ones to forgive her and try to give her a chance. She still felt anger towards his kind, but he had a point. Her mother's mistakes came because she trusted another creature blindly, so she decided to make every changeling as she was after the event. The changelings couldn't trust their own mother.
Based on that, Chrysalis assumed that not trusting any being was the right choice. But that was the path her mother took. After realizing the original mistake Chrysalis swore to never be like her mother, yet she was taking the same path.
The sta-, no. Arden was right. If she didn't want to make the same mistakes from her predecessor, Chrysalis would need to give other creatures a chance, she didn't need to drop her guard. If she was to forgive them, however, was something that time would be the one to decide.
Chrysalis cried, tears of joy rolled out her eyes. Tears of sadness, of anger, and of relief as well. The joy of hearing she could live, the sadness of realizing that she was becoming what she swore to never be. The anger of not realizing the path she was taking, the relief of finally seeing clearly what she needed to do so she could grow. Then she felt her stomach growl.
'If I am going to start giving others a chance. Who better to start than these two?' Chrysalis thought, drying up her tears. She took a few moments to recompose herself. Once she was calm enough she spoke.
"Very well, peasant," she spoke with her old tone back, but this time there wasn't venom. She was just acting as a spoiled child for the sake of it. "Your queen requires her feast," Chrysalis started with a smirk. Arden and Zecora seemed to understand what she meant because they smiled.
"Good to know we are all on the same page," Arden said slowly getting on his hooves. Then he walked over to Chrysalis after helping Zecora up. Picking Chrysalis up, Arden turned to Zecora and said. "Let's head back home. I guess all of us could use something to eat."
"You should probably start eating now. Better safe than sorry."
And with that Chrysalis started to eat and regain her strength.
'This is the first step. I'll become greater than my mother ever was.'
"This one is going to call back her favor now," Zecora said, Arden turned his head towards her.
'Oh, boy. Here it comes.' Arden thought, he was halfway through his breakfast. The little incident with the vine made him lose his appetite. Nevertheless, Arden knew he had to eat and re-hydrate after that.
"What favor?" Chrysalis asked she was messing around with Arden's sword while he and Zecora were eating.
"A favor that I owe her because I asked Zecora to go into town to make the ponies run back inside their houses."
"Really?" Arden responded to that with a positive nod. "You need to stop owing every single creature you meet."
"Gotta add that to the bucket list," Arden said, then he ate more of his food before continuing. "What do you need Z?"
"Z?" Chrysalis asked with an eyebrow raised. "What happened while I was out?"
"Jealous?" Arden asked with a smirk. Chrysalis fell for it again, her cheeks got green and she huffed. "That's what I thought."
"This one hears the cerulean can perform a Harmonious Heart," Arden felt a bit less nervous. "This one would like to see one being performed."
"Sure thing," Arden responded turning to Chrysalis. "Two things though. First, Chrysalis would you be so kind as to use that headache spell?" Chrysalis' horn lit up and he felt the pain fade. Casting an improvised reflective shield combined with a levitation spell took its toll on Arden. "Thank you! Second, can you cast a spell to soundproof this place? Just so we don't risk disturbing nearby fauna." Chrysalis used her magic again.
"Thank you. Do you have a theme in mind?" Arden asked turning to Zecora.
"Theme?"
"For the song that I'll perform."
"Give this one a moment," Zecora said scratching her chin, after a few moments she spoke. "Learning from the both of us you are. Why not the theme of growing?"
"Very well!" Arden cleared his throat and then spoke. "Hope you enjoy the performance."
The song performed just as Arden remembered it. He watched Zecora's eyes widen as she heard the song begin to play. Arden didn't stop, he followed the rhythm as he tried to give the best performance he could. Once he was finished Arden took a deep breath before asking. "What did you think?"
"Part of a story, that song seemed to be," Zecora said.
"It's part of a story about a boy stranded in the jungle that has to learn how to survive. Eventually becoming a man," Arden responded smiling. "But unlike him, I have teachers. To whom I'm grateful by the way."
"Thank you for granting this one's wish," Zecora said moving closer to Arden. "This one really liked it," Zecora said giving him a kiss on the cheek. Arden froze up, he looked straight at Zecora's eyes for two minutes straight, no blinking, and no shifting his gaze. There were no signs of her being under a spell. "What?" Zecora asked with a faint blush on her cheeks.
"J-just checking if Chrysalis wasn't messing around," Arden stuttered.
'Okay! Calm down! She just kissed you! No need to make a fuss! Get your act together. You like her. Based on what she just did, she MIGHT like you. Try to approach her tomorrow, her response will be your answer.'
Arden looked back at Chrysalis, she was pouting a bit. But the pout disappeared the moment she saw him looking at her. Arden shrugged. 'I better enjoy these moments. Very soon, comes the worst part of the day. I'm not looking forward to it this time. I think I'll have a bit of a conversation with her once I'm there.'
Arden turned to Chrysalis. She was still examining the sword. "Found anything about it?"
"Found out that this thing teleports to your hands," Chrysalis said without stopping what she was doing. Arden tilted his head.
"Really?" Chrysalis nodded positively. "How?"
"Still figuring that part out."
"Okay. That is awesome by the way."
"What?"
"That eye thing you're doing," Arden responded. "Is that a natural changeling trait? Or is it a spell?"
"It's changeling magic. Unless you find a way to change species, you won't be able to use some of the spells I have." Chrysalis started, then a smirk formed on her face. "Not that you have the capacity to use them, even if you became one." Arden crossed his arms and formed smirk as well.
"Challenge accepted," Arden said. "I will find a way to learn changeling magic. Then I'll do that spell of yours." Chrysalis ceased her task and laughed.
"If a pony actually learns how to do changeling magic, I'll find a being to marry," She said in between laughs.
"Is that a bet?" Arden asked smirking, Chrysalis looked back at him.
"Only if you bet something too."
"If I give up on this endeavor. I'll let you bypass my wards and puppeteer me around for a day," Zecora chocked when she heard that. "Deal?" Arden asked, offering his hand to Chrysalis.
"Deal!" Chrysalis responded, taking his hand and shaking it.
"Well, Z?" Arden asked, turning back to Zecora. "I guess we are all going to rest today? Plenty of excitement for a day, right?"
"This one agrees," Zecora responded after recomposing herself. "Let us enjoy some peace and quiet."
"Hello there," Arden said undoing the chains and freeing his visitor, again. "How are things today?"
"Better now that I am free," Nightmare responded, she got on her hooves and Arden could see her eyes again. They were back to normal. "Something is different about you today. You're not rushing outside."
"Yeah," Arden said sitting on the ground. "I kinda wish to pass some time before I go out there. Getting my ass handed to me kinda gets old. I may have managed to help somepony out today. But here? I don't have a clue about what to do."
"About that peasant," Nightmare said creating a chair and sitting on it, "what have you been fighting all this time?"
"Another version of myself," Arden responded, laying on the ground. "Basically, the core of my rejection is waiting for me to face them outside. But I can't do shit to him. I hit him with everything I have, but he blasts me away with mere words."
"I will not stand for this!" Nightmare exclaimed. "I will not allow the one who managed to evade my attacks to be so easily defeated! That stains my pride!" Nightmare Moon made another chair and gestured Arden to sit down. "Tell me what is happening!"
"Actually," Arden responded sitting down at the chair. As soon as he sat down, a table forme between them. "What's this?" Arden asked as Nightmare leaned on the table.
"Right now I am acting as your advisor. Not as your ruler. Be grateful, mortal." Nightmare said haughtily.
"Suuuuuuure," Arden said letting out a sigh. "The whole thing plays out like this: I get out, he is waiting. I fight, he speaks 'I can blah, blah, blah' and he erases my body piece by piece."
"I can?" Nightmare asked tilting her head and leaning backward. "He states that and blasts you to pieces?" Arden nodded positively. "That is truly odd. What power does the ability to do something hold, if the user does not have the will to do it?"
"I don't think I follow," Arden responded tilting his head. "Can you elaborate?" When he asked that, Arden saw Nightmare Moon bit her lip and look away. 'What's going on?'
"How can you have beaten me and not be able to understand that?" she finally spoke rolling her eyes. "You seem to be somewhat familiar with my story and Luna's. Even if you got some parts of it wrong." Arden leaned forward to listen, Nightmare was really going to tell him her story?
"Are you sure?" Arden asked. "You don't need to do that if you don't want to."
"It is easier to learn by example," Nightmare said looking down. "And our story holds an example for what you don't seem to understand. As you seem to be aware, there are creatures known as Baku. I was created by Luna's mother to prevent the Baku from ever taking her heart. Luna, however, was born with the inept ability to control the dreamscape. Regardless of the dream belonging to her or not."
That made sense, it would also explain why Nightmare could control dreams before the dreamer became lucid. "Once she learned how to control that ability, Luna decided that she would become a shield for her subjects. Fighting every single night, she went to the dreams of her subjects. She would manipulate the dream until the dreamer entered a state in which the Baku could no longer reach them." 'That seemed like a lot of work.' "However, Luna had to defend herself at the same time. So she would use a lot of her energy to keep doing that." 'That scenario seems even worse.' "But her conviction, her will to protect her subjects until all of them were safe kept her going. That was until..." Arden always hated when stories had an 'until'. That was an indicator something would turn the tide for better or for worst. Narrations seemed to have a liking for the second option.
"Until Luna became weary of her job. Two hundred years later the Baku was a very small threat to her subjects. But they kept coming after her every night. Back then she still had the will to fight. I wasn't required most of the time, so I kept her company." This was the longest conversation he had with her in a while. This was a side of her he hadn't seen before. "In the dream world, she always told me about how she wished for her subjects to love the nights she created. How she wanted to be loved like her sister. But Luna used a lot of her energy to fight off the Baku. When she woke up she would have less power to use in the real world. Which lead to her being less recognized for her efforts. Especially since the ponies didn't remember her actions in the dream world," Arden was sure Moon was getting to the turning point now.
"Then she started to meet ponies that saw her as something to be feared, 'She who brings the night where so many creatures can kill us. There is no possibility of her being on our side.' they said." Nightmare said, clenching her fists.
"I can relate to that last bit," Arden started. "One look at my eyes and the townsfolk called me a threat."
"Then you can guess what happened next," Arden tilted his head. "The initial shock made her want to prove that she was trustworthy. Luna did everything she could to show her subjects how much she cared for them. However, her efforts were in vain. As time passed, her will to do what her talent allowed her to do diminished. I had to step in, I had to help keep her safe!" Nightmare's tone changed and so did her posture. Nightmare looked completely different. "That decay continued until she could no longer fight. She lost all will to use her abilities."
"So you stepped in and took over," Arden said, earning a positive nod from Nightmare. "I think I get your question now. 'What's the point of having the I can, if you lack the I will?'" Arden mumbled. "That thing is what I can be. I reject my talent. I lack the will to use it. Therefore, all I can do, all I can be...it's all stationary. He can pull all the shit he said, but only if I have the will. He is subjected to what I say what I'll do. And now, I say he can't do any of those things. Because I'm the one who can do all those things!" Arden said getting up.
"Thank you, Your Highness! I have no words to express how much you helped me. I'll remember your story, always," Arden said going closer to Nightmare Moon, he kneeled down, his head held low. Nightmare recognized the gesture, she extended her hand. Arden reached for it and gave it a brief kiss. "Now, if you'll excuse me," Arden said getting up. "Time to beat that reflection into submission!" he exclaimed.
"Good luck! You stupid idiot." Arden heard from behind him as he headed to the door. It was about time he put an end to this. Arden took one step outside and was immobilized by magic, again.
'God! he is running out of ideas.' Arden thought, the unicorn manifested before him.
"You came," he said examining Arden top to bottom. "A little late, but you came."
"I thought you would miss me," Arden responded, "Although, I think I might be one who will be missing you." The figure started to laugh at the statement.
"You're still going on about it, aren't you?" the figure said in between laughs. "Too bad for you. I can forgive,"
Silence, Arden was still intact. The figure's eyes widened, Arden snapped his fingers while he was still enveloped by the magic. The aura disappeared and Arden was still floating, the unicorn tried to move. But this time he was the one enveloped in a black aura.
"You're right. I can forgive, and I will," the unicorn's eyes almost shot out their orbits. "What? I might be hopeless when I'm alone. But I got a lot of creatures who think I might be worth something. Maybe as a tool, maybe as a friend," Arden continued, floating around the unicorn.
"Just want you to know, that I'm grateful to you," the unicorn frowned. "You pointed out what was wrong all this time. I was just too dense to get it." Arden said, making his misshapen hand into a claw. A very sharp claw. "Good-bye."
Arden pierced the stallion's chest. The creature winced for a moment, its eyes changed from the talent for to their natural state, then he disappeared. Arden waited for a little while, he expected that the place would crumble and he would wake up, but nothing happened. Arden tried to go back into the safe zone, and couldn't.
Arden kept waiting, nothing happened. Time continued to pass by until he noticed he was returning. Just as he was about to return, however, the unicorn appeared before him. He had his arms raised, and was smiling.
"You're something else, you know that?" it asked, it's form starting to blur. "You figured out the last step. But you skipped the first. I thought you were coming after me because you had already figured everything out. Since I'm surprised you figured the hardest part, I'll tell you this: Unless you get rid of it, I'll keep coming back." With those words, Arden felt himself waking up.
"Thank you," Chrysalis said, those were the first words she said since the beginning of the session. "For the rescue. And for coming for me, even after all the stunts I pulled."
"The changeling's thanks should be directed to the stallion," Zecora answered. "He was the one that found your trail to the village. Also, he's probably the one who broke the bottle with the smokescreen."
"I'm going to try to make it up to him," Chrysalis said, that made Zecora raise an eyebrow.
"What do you plan to do?" Zecora asked trying to hide her concern.
"That sword of his," Chrysalis started, "I already figured out the incantation. That thing is connected to him. It grows as he does."
Zecora tilted her head. "Then, what do you intend to do?" Zecora asked, her eyes were locked on Chrysalis's eyes.
"I managed to make him learn magic by adding a rune to the blade. I'll see if I can discover more about his talent and his magical capabilities. Then I'll work from there to make it easier for him to use them. Until he is capable to wield them on his own."
"What does the changeling mean?" Zecora asked, checking Arden's condition again while doing so. 'This one better collect all the information she can.'
"He learned how to cast a spell on his first try. After I added the first rune, but he required my explanation to do so. Therefore, if I can imprint what I know about his kind's magic into the sword. He might be able to learn more quickly. But his capability to cast them will have to grow at its own pace."
"The cerulean would know how to cast spells but would need to become able to do them first. Is that what the changeling plans?"
"Basically, yes," Chrysalis replied. "After all, knowing how to cast a spell is one thing. Being able to cast it, on the other hand, is a completely different story."
Chrysalis bit her lip. "Would you please keep this between us? I don't want him to think I can turn into an almighty being by simply messing around with the blade. Gaining too much power in an accelerated rate can be problematic."
"Very well," Zecora said with a frown, " but at the first sign of changes to his behavior, this one shall intervene."
"Thank you," Chrysalis replied, "I really hope this helps out."
'Is that so?' Zecora thought, looking back at the stallion she noticed that he wasn't showing any signs of waking up. They were quickly approaching the five-hour mark, it had been a few days since he last reached that mark. 'Has something happened to him?'
"Is it normal to last this much?" Chrysalis asked, snapping Zecora out of her thoughts.
"The normal cycle is around five to six hours. But it has been awhile since the stallion last stayed in trance up to that hour." Zecora explained.
"I see. Is it me or are the days getting colder?"
"Winter is approaching, so it would make sense for the air to become colder."
'This one better get some winter garments ready for her guests.' Zecora thought.
Time continued to pass by, the minimum limit was reached. It took about five minutes for Arden to wake up. Unlike the previous nights, he woke up calmly.
"Hey there," Arden greeted. "I'm glad to report that I made some progress. But..."
"It seems I skipped a step. So, I'm gonna need to backtrack and figure out what I missed," Arden said placing his hand on the back of his neck.
"Are you in pain?" Zecora asked.
"A little," Arden replied. "It's weird how weak the pain is. Why is it weak?"
"Well," Zecora heard the Changeling's voice, her boasting tone was back. "Seeing as you have some issues with pain when you return. I cast a little spell on the potion you drank," Zecora's ears perked up, Chrysalis got up and went to the central room. "The spell I cast reduced the after-effects of the potion regarding your pain. Now, let's see if I can come up with something for you two to eat."
Zecora deadpanned at that. "What?"
"Consider it a treat for your help today," she responded browsing through Zecora's storage. "I may be a queen, but I can hold my own. You better be grateful you bag of bones." Chrysalis said pointing at Arden. "You better get some weight on you. Otherwise, your body won't take the training." She mocked.
"Thank you," he responded, "I guess all of us made some progress then. Except I took one step forward and two steps back."
"Progress is progress," Zecora said placing her hand on his head. "The stallion will have many opportunities to discover what he has missed." Arden looked back at her and smiled.
After that, Zecora watched the changeling use her magic to prepare some food. Chrysalis gave them the food after she was through, she even prepared some for her. Zecora tasted the food she gave them, it was good. Zecora knew some recipes with the herbs she had. But this was on a whole other level.
"Don't look so surprised," Chrysalis said to Zecora, making her snap back from her awe. "I had to learn how to live in a pony society. Cooking is a breeze compared to some of the things I learned."
"So it seems," Zecora replied. "Perhaps, could you teach this one what you know?"
"I don't see a reason not to do it," Chrysalis responded smiling to Zecora. "So, peasant? Peasant?"
Zecora looked back at Arden, the stallion fell asleep after the meal. Looking back at the Changeling, Zecora saw that her ears were down. Not to mention she looked a bit angry. 'She was expecting some praise. The changeling must really wish to make up to what happened today.'
"Time to sleep," Zecora said getting up to change.
"Actually," Chrysalis said reaching for Zecora. "Do you mind if I stay with you two?" Zecora tilted her head. "It's hard to keep warm on my own. So, can I?" The changeling asked, which Zecora look around. Keeping the fire lit would be a problem. After some thought, Zecora turned back to Chrysalis.
"Very well," she started. "As long as you don't try anything. We better get up before he wakes up."
"Our little secret?" Zecora let out a sigh and a small smile crossed her face.
"Our little secret."
Chapter 24: Purple and a giant in the sand. (one small change)
"SPIKE! SPIIIKE!" Twilight called out. Searching around her personal library that Celestia modified to serve as her room. Hers, and also the room of the little guy hiding behind some curtains. Twilight crept up on him and lifted the purple kid, earning a gasp and some giggles from him. "Found you!"
Twilight had been taking care of the rascal for ten years. Since she took the entrance exam at the age ten, this said exam required her to use a spell causing an egg to hatch. Being afflicted by a kind of stage fright at the time of the exam, Twilight almost flunked. If an exploding rainbow hadn't happened at that precise time scaring her out of her wits she probably wouldn't be there today. Leaving the reminiscence aside, the most interesting thing about her companion, was the fact he was a dragon.
That's right, the star student of Celestia was also the legal guardian of a fire-breathing dragon. She cared deeply for the kid, Twilight shared a lot of adventures with the little guy. Most of them being mishaps with some experiments that went south, Celestia took about three weeks to get rid of the blue potion staining her coat. Another incident occurred when it found itself in the clothes of some nobles, Celestia confiscated them right before this incident happened. They never found the pony responsible for it.
"Anything you want to read today Spike?" Twilight asked the little guy she was carrying on her shoulders.
"Is there a new volume of the Power Ponies out?" Spike asked.
Besides the regular books, Twilight had him read for his education she knew Spike loved comic books about heroes and such. He would play 'hero' from time to time. Whenever he did that, Spike almost didn't look like he was just a little drake. He acted like he was the most gigantic dragon in the world.
"Yes, but did you finish the chapters I prepared for you?" Twilight asked putting him down on the table where they usually read. "You know the rule."
"Yes, ma'am!" Spike responded by saluting her like a soldier. A little habit he got from playing with Shining Armor from time to time. Twilight watched Spike pick up the notebook where she prepared lessons in form of little chapters. "Here!" he said pointing to the filled in blanks, small equations, history questions. Twilight prepared each chapter questions for each subject, according to Spike's age.
"Very well," Twilight said picking the notebook. "I'm going to check the answers, ok?"
The second stage of each of these chapters was correcting them, the wrong answers he would need to redo. But the second time around was with Twilight's help. If Spike scored less than 40%, he would need to redo everything. However, Spike was really smart, therefore, he still hadn't been through that. "You only missed..." Twilight raised her eyes to Spike, who had a confused look on his face. "Nothing! Good job!"
"YES!" Spike celebrated making his chair spin around.
"Here it is," Twilight said, pulling out the comic book she bought for him from her bag. The princess gave Twilight an allowance to spend on research materials and entertainment. Not to mention that, since Twilight's mom was the royal seamstress, Twilight had clothes specially tailored for her and for Spike. "Enjoy your reading," Twilight said placing the comic in front of him and patting Spike on the head.
"Thanks, Twi!" Spike exclaimed, then he took the comic and ran to a little chair by the window. He always went there when he wanted to read something that wasn't related to his studies.
*KNOCK, KNOCK*
"Coming!" Twilight said, heading to the front door. She wasn't the most sociable of ponies, but a lot of her colleagues came by to ask for help or to borrow books. Opening the front door, she was greeted by a mint colored unicorn. "Lyra! Hello there. How you've been doing?"
"Great!" Lyra said, giving a hug to Twilight that she wasn't expecting. "You have no idea how much those notes helped in my thesis," she said breaking the gesture. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind going over some materials with me?"
"Why not?" Twilight answered moving out of the way. "Come on in!"
"Hey, Lyra!" Spike said waving at them. "Nice to see you!"
"Nice to see you too Spike," Lyra answered, most of Twilight's colleagues knew about Spike. Even though most ponies were afraid of dragons, Twilight only had problems with some of them, the nobles. Nobility was a pain in her flank ever since she was taken in as the Princess's protégé. "Say, Twi. Have you tried to enroll Spike in any of the schools around here? You're his legal guardian, you should be able to do that. Not to mention the little guy is really smart."
"I can manage on my own," Twilight replied. As a matter of fact, she did try to enroll him. However, the nobles opposed, arguing that dangerous creature like dragons should be kept on a leash. "Thanks for the concern. What do you need?"
"I just wanted to take a look at the original materials," Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. "Something has been bugging me."
"What is it?" Twilight asked offering Lyra a place to sit. "Everything should be there."
"It's just," Lyra bit her lip. "I think it's strange that there are no comparisons between our anatomy and the human's anatomy on the research you gave me. It's completely focused on them," Twilight started to get a bit nervous. "I began to wonder, are there no notes regarding the similarities between them and us?"
"I-I'll check if there are. There was so much material. Maybe I let one slip by," Twilight left the room as calmly as she could. Reaching the area where her bed and Spike's bed were, Twilight took the notes she made comparing the two species. Using an advanced spell, Twilight made the notes look like they belonged to the original ones. 'Lyra may not have the same level of expertise as me when it comes to casting. But thanks to that friend Bon-bon, she's got a real knack for getting suspicious over small details. She defends the idea of keeping humans into their realms. If she figures Arden was a human, she might try to send him back before I can run experiments on him! I want that data!'
Once she had finish producing the counterfeits, Twilight returned to the room where Lyra was reading some of Twilight's books. Before Lyra could notice Twilight was back, Twilight tried to calm herself as to not raise any suspicion.
"Here Lyra," Twilight said, showing the counterfeits. "It seems I left them inside one of my notebooks. I was checking them the day we talked to you. That's probably why they weren't with the ones I gave you."
Lyra took the notes and started to analyze them. Twilight crossed her fingers behind her back, begging that Lyra bought the lie. 'Come on! Just tell me everything is in order!'
"Thank you, Twilight!" Lyra exclaimed, which lead to Twilight let out a sigh of relief. "I was bit curious why his study was so focused on them. I guess he just wanted to get as much data on the other species first."
"Y-yeah, that must be it," Twilight said sitting down. "Do you need anything else?"
"No, this was pretty much it," Lyra said heading to the front door. "Are you sure you don't want help with the school thing?"
"Thanks, but I'm good," Twilight said forcing a smile. She had managed so far. 'Why start to rely on a school now? This way I can keep watch over him. Spike is my responsibility, I'll make sure he becomes the most knowledgeable dragon ever!'
With that, Lyra left the library. Twilight felt the tension go away the moment Lyra closed the front door. 'I don't need this kind of stuff happening at the beginning of my day!' Twilight got on her hooves and went to get a book, something to distract herself with. She settled for one of the Daring Do novels. Then she went to a big puff cushion she had near a big window where she usually watched the night sky. After half an hour of reading, Twilight felt something by her side. Looking away from her book, Twilight saw Spike laying by her side half-asleep.
'Lets' get you to bed. You spent the last night reading those comics, didn't you?' Twilight thought, getting back on her hooves and lifting him with her magic. Then she placed him on her arms and carried the sleeping dragon to their room. 'Rest now. I'm going to prepare some lessons for you later.' She thought, carefully placing the dragon on his bed and covering him with a blanket.
"Time for some study sessions!" Twilight exclaimed in a low tone, then she pranced away to her books.
(Everfree, during these events)
"Zecora, wake up, zebra!" She called out, shaking Zecora.
Chrysalis had woken up a few minutes ago, but she had been in a panic since she opened her eyes. Based on the light outside she and Zecora had overslept, and on top of that, Arden was nowhere to be seen. Chrysalis searched around the hut, there was no sign of him. She did find some tracks leading away from the hut, that's why she was trying to wake Zecora up.
"What is it Chrysalis?" Zecora asked, her eyes still opening and her voice drowsy. Chrysalis used a little spell to shock the Zebra forcing her to wake up faster. "Why did you do that?!"
"Arden is missing!" The zebra got dressed in a matter of seconds. Chrysalis got on her hooves and headed to the door. "I saw some tracks outside." All Chrysalis saw after that was a black and white blur darting around. Suddenly, the blur started to run deeper into the forest, Chrysalis stretched her wings and gave chase to Zecora.
'She wasn't this fast the past few days, or when she hunted me. Was she holding back?' Chrysalis thought, making her wing move even faster. The scenery started to change, Chrysalis recognized their path, it led to the ruins they were using. Since she was distracted by the realization, Chrysalis didn't notice that Zecora had stopped running. Which led to Chrysalis crashing into Zecora and both of them rolling for a bit.
"Don't stop out of nowhere!" Chrysalis said rubbing her head. "If I was going faster I could have hurt you!"
"An accident this was! No intention of getting hurt this one has," Zecora replied getting on her hooves before helping Chrysalis up. "Split up we must. No stone shall be left unturned."
"Don't have to tell me twice," Chrysalis replied brushing off the dust. "Which way are you going?"
"I'll check the library," Zecora replied.
"I guess I'll do some air reconnaissance," Chrysalis said, stretching her wings she took to the sky.
Looking down from the sky, Chrysalis now had a decent notion about the size of the original castle. 'If it were to be completely restored, I bet this could be a basis for a small nation,' she thought, her attention was then diverted to some of the crumbling towers. Most of the tower's walls were destroyed, but there were some that still stood with some of its original might. Inside one of them, Chrysalis saw somepony sitting by the window. Legs dangling by the edge, Chrysalis flew up to the figure. It was Arden, he was covered in sweat and stared at the horizon.
Up from that tower, it really was a sight to behold. Looking at the horizon, the foot of the mountain created the illusion of the sun slowly rising and peeking from the sides of the mountain. Looking up, the sight of the royal palace reflecting the sunbeams. 'Yeah, with some work. This place could be a home to my kind. Even if we feed off love, we still require water. Something scarce in the desert. Around here, however, we could have a decent supply. The proximity to cities could be of great use to our feedings.'
"So, this is where you went to hide," Chrysalis said creeping up on Arden. "The zebra almost had a heart attack."
"I guarantee that it was nowhere close as to what I felt when I woke up," he answered getting on his hooves. 'Damn it, I was hoping he was too drowsy to notice us.' Chrysalis thought, biting her lip she started to think up an excuse. "I won't say it was unpleasant to feel Zecora snuggling, or you. But it was unexpected." Chrysalis felt her blood rush to her head. She remembered falling asleep, not snuggling with him.
"W-winter is coming around," Chrysalis started, she was going to lie her way out of this without batting an eye, "And there is only one bed. Therefore, Zecora and I agreed that it would be best to sleep together to keep our temperature. And since you were occupying the only bed we had no choice but to lay there with you." Chrysalis earned a pat on her shoulder as Arden walked by her. "I assure you. If it wasn't for the cold, I wouldn't be in the same room as you while I sleep."
"That's not what your smile pointed out," Chrysalis tried her best to come up with a reply to that, none came. "Not to mention I had to free my arm from your grip."
"I-I-I forbid you of speaking of this to anypony!" Chrysalis stuttered, trying her best to sound imposing.
"Don't worry your majesty. I don't even know what we were talking about in the first place." Arden replied, raising his arms,
"What's with the attitude?" Chrysalis asked. He was a pest most of the time, but this was on a new level.
"I'm just tired," he said leaving the room, Chrysalis followed. "I'm up since before the sun came out. And I've been working here since. I guess this is my grumpy side."
"I see," Chrysalis replied. The stallion led her through a maze of corridors and hallways. It took them a few minutes to be outside again, it didn't take more than a mere instant for Arden to be tackled down by Zecora.
Chrysalis smirked. "You see what I mean now?"
"Don't you dare disappear again!" Zecora exclaimed shaking Arden up and down. "Keep scaring this one like this is unacceptable!" she scolded with a scowl. "Why must you keep doing this?!" Zecora's voice started to crack at this point. "The cerulean was the first being to talk to this one in years. You accepted this one's help without hesitation. You didn't judge this one based on her species!"
"Sorry for worrying you," Arden replied, looking down at the ground. 'His tone changed, strange.'
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Zecora shot back, Chrysalis saw the zebra angry before, but this was different, "You almost get killed by wolves! Then you forgive this one for giving up on you when she thought you were dead! Not to mention all the scares you gave this one during your sessions! Then there is the poison vine from yesterday! And now this? The stallion could have fallen prey to Timberwolves, manticores, or even a basilisk! What then?!"
"I'm sorry," he said again, his attitude took a complete one-eighty.
"This one is not satisfied with 'sorry'!" Zecora cried. "T-this one refuses to let the one she grew to care about being in harm's way! T-this one can't bear the thought of the stallion leaving her alone again!" Chrysalis saw Arden's ears perk up. "The unicorn has to promise to stop doing this!"
"Very well," Arden responded, Chrysalis saw a smile form on his face. "I promise not to be reckless and head into situations I know I cannot handle," Chrysalis saw Zecora's expression soften hearing those words. Suddenly, the stallion pulled Zecora into an embrace, that's when Chrysalis heard him say. "I promise that you'll never be alone again. And that I'll never leave you."
'That project of a male actually came forth, kinda.' Chrysalis thought, looking at the two she saw Zecora's eyes widen. Then they filled up with tears, she returned the embrace. Chrysalis then saw the love energy emitting from Arden, it was huge. 'Might as well...' Opening her mouth, Chrysalis took a bit of the energy. 'It changed again! It's...sweet, with a very small touch of salt. It wasn't like this yesterday. Did It change when he got closer to Zecora? It's certainly stronger than before. If that's the case, I wonder how strong would his energy get if got him closer to other beings.'
Chrysalis got back from her thoughts, the two lovebirds were still hugging each other. Chrysalis felt a stinging sensation on her chest. 'What is this? Did I hurt myself? It has been a while since I used my wings to fly that high, or that fast for that matter. Maybe my heart wasn't ready for that much exercise.' she thought, then she decided to do something about the couple.
"Gee, If you two don't have any sort of decency you can do it here," Chrysalis said with a smirk. "But I'm pretty sure there are some rooms here where you could get some privacy. Not that you would know how to court a lady, commoner."
Zecora got on her hooves like a flash, her face red as a tomato. Chrysalis held back her laugh, then she saw Arden. The stallion was slowly getting on his hooves, he had a small smile on his face. After he was up, he turned to Chrysalis. 'What's with that look?'
"Zecora," He started. "I think she also needs a hug!" Arden continued, his smile grew. Looking back at Zecora, Chrysalis also saw her smiling.
"N-no I don't!" Chrysalis replied slowly backing away. Suddenly, she felt her body lift off the ground, the unicorn's horn was lit up. "Don't you dare!" Chrysalis saw the two of them look at each other, a mischievous smile on both their faces. "Stop at this moment!"
They got closer. "I'm warning you!"
They hugged her, Chrysalis thought of getting away from their grip. That thought, however, faded after a few seconds. That was the first time she shared that gesture with another being while in her true form. The first time she had such close contact with other beings. And they weren't scared, they did it on their own.
'This...this is nice. And warm. I could get used to this.' Chrysalis thought, closing her eyes she just let herself enjoy that moment.
"Told you she needed a hug as well," Chrysalis's eyes shot open, her blood rushed to her head once again. Her horn began to build up magic. 'I'm going to teach this idiot a lesson he won't forget!'
"Z, RUN!" the unicorn exclaimed darting away. Zecora did the same, Chrysalis' wings started to move. She took off giving the two creatures chase.
"I AM GOING TO TEACH YOU NOT TO MESS WITH A QUEEN!" Chrysalis exclaimed. It took a few minutes, but she actually started to enjoy their little game of tag. 'I haven't felt this much thrill since I ran away from the hive! Let's take this up a notch!'
(Meanwhile, Canterlot, royal guard's barracks)
"Have you noticed that the Princess been very upbeat these past two days?" one of the guards asked Shining Armor. " One of the guards stationed by the gardens swears she saw the princess prancing around yesterday!"
Murmurs about the princess had been going around ever since she released the supposed 'sexual offender'. And since Shining Armor was the one in charge, and the one closest to Celestia because of it. He had been asked about the princess time and time again.
"I'm pretty sure she's just having a nice day private," Shining replied. "She may be a princess and possesses godly power, but she still a subject to emotions. Therefore, we will see her be sad, happy, maybe even prancing around. And considering the fact she's been keeping a facade of 'I'm perfect' for as long as I've been alive. I'll just say that I'm happy that she is acting more openly."
"With all due respect sir," the lieutenant said in response. "Aren't you at least bit curious as to who that stallion was? Or why the princess was so happy? There is even talk of a possible relationship between her and the stallion." Shining let out a sigh when he heard that.
"I think that we should mind our own business," Shining replied. He had heard these rumors before, and every time he would remember the look on Celestia's face when Candance explained what the unicorn could do. It was a look of hope and realization, not love. 'It was the same feeling I got from Twilight every time she learned a new spell back when she was preparing o her entrance exam. I highly doubt she would fall for a guy that came out of nowhere when she passed all these years on her own.' "If the princess found somepony, we should just leave her be. She is free to be with whoever she wants to be."
"Aren't you even a tiny bit curious?" That private was his protégé, but sometimes she got on Shining's nerves. "I mean, even Spitfire was spreading some rumors about a wedding. Are you really going to say that this gossip doesn't affect you?"
Shining was surprised to hear the wedding bit. 'Okay, that's gotta be the greatest stretch these ponies made so far. I really hope this dies down, otherwise, the nobles might get the wrong idea. I would hate to be in Arden's hooves if the nobles caught wind of this rumor.'
"No, Private Storm Chaser," he replied to the young pegasus, she really needed some discipline. But she showed promise as an aerial soldier, not fast enough to be a Wonder Bolt, but she had more than enough to be a high ranking officer once she had proper training. The pegasus was a junior soldier, she would become part of the official army once she became of age. "I am not affected by this gossip. Neither should you, considering I just disarmed you without you even noticing." Shining showed the pegasus her sword.
"And as for the wedding, I bet that just rumors and misunderstood facts. I mean, as far as I know, Princess Celestia only showed interest in one stallion in these past forty years. The earth pony that scored the 3500 points. And if I remember correctly, he stated that she reached out to him as a sparring partner." That was the biggest gossip around town when Shining Armor was just a colt. He remembered getting angry at some guards for being so engrossed in the gossip instead of paying attention to their jobs.
"I guess it makes sense, the princess never struck me as the romantic type," Storm replied, taking her sword and reattaching to her hip.
"Good that you're back to your senses," Shining Armor said with a smirk. "And as a little punishment for letting your guard down. You'll be polishing helmets until 12:00 PM." The pegasus ears and wings dropped. "Now go on, soldier. You have your orders."
"Yes, sir..." Storm replied walking away. Shining let out a sigh. 'She is just like Twilight when it comes to being scolded. Let's motivate her a bit.'
"Do your job well and you'll get some combat practice later today!" Shining saw the pegasus' ears perk up. Storm turned around and gave a lively salute before zooming away. "And the excitement is evenly matched," he mumbled to himself. Those features were probably the reason he took Storm as his protégé. Twilight wasn't meant to be a soldier, but Storm was. Shining saw a lot of his sister and himself on that trouble-maker, and he was determined to make her the best soldier he could.
'Who knows? I might be looking at the next captain of the royal guard. And I wouldn't hold it against her if she were to take my place one day. I would be very proud of her actually.'
And with that Shining took off to see how the security teams were doing. 'They better not be fooling around with this gossip as well. If they are, I'll have them be in charge of accompanying Blueblood for a month. That ought to teach them to not mess around while on the job!'
(Everfree, at noon)
'Okay, I think I lost her.' Arden thought. Since there was nopony to help him when he woke up, Arden went to the ruins and did some basic exercises until he reached his limit. After that, Arden went to explore the castle. That place was filled with secret passageways and trapdoors. Arden learned a few of those locations and was trying to use them to lose Chrysalis. She started to use barriers to try to back Arden into a corner, luckily he had been able to evade her.
One thing he found odd while escaping Chrysalis, who seemed to be having fun with the chase, was the fact that Zecora was nowhere to be seen. Anyway, the unicorn seemed to have caught a break. He sat down by a wall to rest, he had been on the run for quite a while.
'I wonder where Z is. Maybe Chrysalis caught her?' Arden thought, messing around with the pendant of his necklace he waited for a few minutes. 'I better get moving before she finds me again. Chrysalis was enjoying herself, let's see how long I can keep this going.'
Carefully walking through the tunnel he had snuck into, Arden found an exit. It led to what seemed to be the old main hall of the castle, ruined tapestries hanged on the walls. Paintings ruined by time and the elements were knocked down, old statues covered in moss, fungus, and vegetation crawling up the walls. Creating a beautiful painting of a world forgotten, of a time that became folklore.
Arden began to imagine the princesses' subjects filling these halls. Ponies gathering to see the sunrise, to see the night coming. Soldiers standing guard by the halls, politic figures coming forth to seek an audience with the rulers of the sun and moon. He walked up the steps that led to a small platform that gave vision to the entire room. There were marks of a strong impact there, shards of glass scattered around the floor. Whatever happened there required a big impact to have caused that much damage.
The sound of rocks moving, pebbles hitting the ground. The sound of something sharp scratching the stone walls echoed through the empty halls. 'Am I facing the predator? Or the alien?' Arden thought, searching as fast as he could for a place to hide. Just as he went through a door, his right leg got caught in a trap. Arden was lifted from the ground and hung upside down.
"Really?!" Arden heard from behind him. "You caught him before me?!" That was Chrysalis' voice.
"This one told the Changeling traps would work better than a direct approach," Arden heard, emerging from the shadows a smirking Zecora came out. She looked very pleased with the results of her trap. "A wise hunter prepares and then waits for its prey to appear. Wandering aimlessly, unnecessary noise generates." she continued, getting closer to her prey.
"I know, I know," Chrysalis replied dismissingly, "I should have tried to use my magic to set traps instead of crawling around."
"Well," Arden finally said, he was still spinning around. "I'm glad to see that I managed to settle who has the best strategy for hunting ponies. Since when did you two start working together to catch me?"
"Since I hit Zecora with a paralyzing spell and proposed a bet," Chrysalis explained, "you look ridiculous right now, did you know that?" Chrysalis asked, smiling.
"Pardon my curiosity, but what did you two bet? Actually, before you tell me that. Could you please let me down?" Arden asked with his arms hanging. Arden saw Zecora and Chrysalis trade glances, they nodded to each other. 'What are these two planning?'
"Sorry, but this is between the Changeling and this one," Zecora replied. "Chrysalis could you please cut him loose?"
"You know you could mess around with him while he is like this, right?" Chrysalis asked. That remark earned a frown from Zecora. "Alright," the Changeling continued letting out a sigh. Her horn lit up, Arden looked up at the rope and saw a glowing green blade float above him and cut down the rope. Arden expected to land face first into the ground, however, much to his surprise, Chrysalis kept him from face-planting and placed him on his hooves.
"Thank you," Arden said brushing off the dust from his pants.
"Let's just head back to the hut," Chrysalis said turning her back to them. "I think we had plenty of fun today, right?"
"I guess so," Arden mumbled scratching the back of his head. 'What did they bet? Should I be worried?'
"Learning how to evade pursuers you practiced today. Bad at fighting you may be, but at hiding, you excel." Zecora said giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"I-I was caught nevertheless," Arden replied, trying to keep his composure.
"And teaches you that one can't stay in the defensive for too long. Outsmarted you may be," Zecora said winking once at him. "The hunter may become the prey if they linger in a comfortable position for too long."
'Another day, another lesson learned I guess.' Arden thought, following the two mares that left him behind. 'One day I'm going to best those two, you can bet on that.'
The rest of his way wasn't any problem, nothing particularly interesting happened during lunch either. Arden did notice that both Chrysalis and Zecora were whispering and that Chrysalis had a dissatisfied look on her face through most of her path. Arden also noticed that during lunch, Chrysalis had her horn lit up most of the time, but nothing was happening to him, Zecora, or to any object around him.
'Just what did they bet?'
(While Arden was completely oblivious to their discussion)
"Do I really need to do this?" Chrysalis whispered to Zecora, Chrysalis was trying her best to make the zebra drop the bet.
"Yes, you do," Zecora replied, earning an annoyed groan from the Queen. "You should have thought of that before bringing up the idea."
"Can't you let it slide?" Chrysalis begged. "Knowing his attitude I'll never hear the end of it. Please! Or at least make me do something else."
Chrysalis was not happy in the slightest. She was sure that she would win the bet and make Zecora all flustered for nothing. The idea was to get a laugh at the zebra's expense, not to be the joke.
"You knew the risks when you bet changing into this one's form and flirting around with the stallion if you won," Zecora responded with a coy tone. "Now, you'll have to pay the price of your loss."
'How did I lose?! Damn it! I don't want to do this!' Chrysalis thought.
The group reached the hut, Chrysalis looked over her shoulder and saw that Arden had his eyes locked on them. But based on his expression, he had no clue about what they were talking. Heading inside, Chrysalis used her horn and used a similar spell from when she met Arden. That spell allowed her to communicate with one being of her choice. If the creature in question didn't have any sort of wards protecting its mind, Chrysalis could force the connection. But if it did, she would need the creature's consent to do so.
'Please, I'll grovel just to avoid doing this.'
'No, you will do this. This one can't wait to see your face and his as well.'
'You're evil. Do you know that?'
'Just as bad as this one needs to be.'
The conversation between the two continued. From what Chrysalis gathered, Zecora was having the time of her life. But she wasn't going to give in, Chrysalis continued even when they were eating. However, as soon as they finished eating their regular meal, Chrysalis finally accepted she had to do it. Erasing Zecora's memory of the bet wouldn't work since Arden knew about the fact. If he was to ask again what they put on the line, Arden would know something was off the moment Zecora's answer was out.
"This one shall prepare some extra potions before the session," Zecora started, getting on her hooves she headed to the cauldron. "Pass your time as you will."
'Subtle as an elephant.' Chrysalis thought. It was time to pay the stupid bill she set up. Chrysalis got up and walked to Arden's side, the unicorn was too distracted making a cup spin around in the air to notice her. She sat down by his side and tapped his shoulder, Arden jumped a little and dropped the empty cup on the table.
"Um, do you need something?" Arden asked. He looked surprised and a bit concerned with how close Chrysalis was.
"I..." Chrysalis was swallowing her pride to pay that bet, she gave her word. And unless Zecora said she didn't have to do it, she would see it through. "Arden, could you please feed me?" Chrysalis saw Arden tilt his head when she mentioned his name.
"S-sure," he seemed to be thrown off by her being so polite, "go ahead." Hearing those words chrysalis leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Um, w-what are you doing?"
"I'm a bit dizzy. Do you mind if I lean?" Chrysalis asked in a soft and gentle tone.
"N-no problem..."
"Could you be so kind as to sing one song while I eat?" Chrysalis felt him shifting a bit, then she heard him whisper.
"You're paying the bet, aren't you?" Chrysalis nodded very slowly. "Very well, I'll play along." Arden pushed her to the side for a moment and changed his position. Sitting further away, Arden then rested Chrysalis' on his leg in a manner that she would be looking at the ceiling. "If you're dizzy, you should lay down for a while. This should do the trick."
Chrysalis could see the smoke produced by Zecora's potion brewing. She could also see the stallion with his eyes closed as he was trying to think. Chrysalis opened her mouth and started to feed off of him.
"I remembered a song. I hope it's to your liking." Arden said opening his eyes and looking at her.
The moment the song started playing, Chrysalis noticed something unusual. Arden's blue iris was flashing, Chrysalis closed her mouth for a second. The flashing disappeared, opening it again the flashes reappeared. When Arden's mouth began moving, Chrysalis saw another unusual thing. The pink energy from him moved on its own, it took shape, her shape. The world around her became slightly dark, the walls changed. Chrysalis recognized this place, it was the hive.
Then Chrysalis saw the pink energy look around, it looked scared. Chrysalis remembered this, the smoke from the potion brewing started to move. It took the shape of her mother's drones, Chrysalis saw the pink form run away. The smoke gave chase, the music kept going as the chase progressed. Suddenly Chrysalis saw the pink energy make its way out of the hive and into the open, it continued to run. But one of the grey smoke creatures caught her, Chrysalis saw the number those creatures increase.
At this point, it was obvious what was going to happen. She was going to be caught. 'Is this what will happen to me?' Chrysalis started to close her eyes and paid attention to the lyrics.
"(I'm) out of my head Of my heart, and my mind 'Cause you can run But you can't hide I'm gonna make you mine
Out of my head Of my heart, and my mind 'Cause I can feel how your flesh Now is crying out for more"
Those words sent a shiver down her spine. When the feeling settled down she heard a growl, it sounded like a wolf. Paying more attention to her surroundings, Chrysalis saw the pink energy being dragged away by a wolf-like creature made out of a black fog. This creature had Arden's eyes when he was using his talent, the creature with white pawns left the pink figure against some rocks and snarled at it. Almost as if it was ordering it to stay put, then the wolf turned to the smoke creatures. They got closer, but the black wolf grew. It slowly marched towards the smoke, its shape shifted into a familiar form.
The wolf shifted into Arden's form, but something was different. His teeth were sharp, his gaze was that of a wild animal protecting its food. He lunged at the creatures. After four or five of the smoke creatures were killed by the frenzied stallion, they started to retreat, hissing and cursing they ran away. Around that moment, the words that made the wolf appear in the first place started to repeat in a loop.
That's when Chrysalis saw it, the stallion turned around to face the pink figure. His eyes were scaring her, Arden's eyes were locked on the figure, he slowly made his way towards her. What once were two rocks standing behind the figure, now were walls that prevented her from running away from Arden. He didn't pick up the pace, Arden just moved towards her with those crazy eyes.
Then just as the song finished repeating the verses 'Cause I can feel how your flesh, Now is crying out for more.' Chrysalis witnessed the stallion lunge at the figure. The most unsettling about it, though, was the fact that at that moment. Her point of view was replaced by the pink figure's. The last thing she saw was the stallion lunging at her with those eyes filled with a predator's desire.
Chrysalis got up in half a second gasping for air. She checked her throat, her torso, her face. Chrysalis looked for any signs of being hurt.
'W-what was that? I-is that another aspect of his talent?'
"Are you okay?" Chrysalis heard from behind her. Turning around she saw Arden, who was closer to her with a concerned look on his face. The sight of his eyes made her flashback to the moment in the vision where Arden lunged at her. But instead of fear, Chrysalis felt her heart race, blood rush to her head, and her breathing accelerate. Her initial impulse was to go forward, however, Chrysalis backed away nodding positively. "Are you sure?" She repeated the gesture. "Okay then..."
'Just what was that?! And why aren't I afraid of that sight? He killed those changelings. Then he looked at me like I was food! Why am I not afraid?! What did he do?' Chrysalis rushed back to her side of the table.
As she sat down, Chrysalis saw the sword resting there. She looked into the hilt, there was a single rune struggling to be written. This rune appeared to be only a fragment of the whole thing, therefore, there wasn't a way to tell what it did. What was curious about it was the fact that the rune appeared to move forward, but something erased any progress made by it.
'Whatever it was, it won't progress until he gets over that issue of his.'
Arden was humming as he untied Nightmare from her binds, again. The room was still there, the door outside as well. As far as he knew, nothing changed since his last visit there. Which was a huge letdown, and made him want to punch one of the walls. That pony form told him to get rid of something, but what? There wasn't anything there, the only thing that could be removed from there was Nightmare.
"I see that this room hasn't changed much," Nightmare said, rubbing her wrists she got back on her hooves. "Nothing except for that," she continued pointing at a wall.
Arden turned around to see what she was talking about, there was a piece of paper almost the same color as the wall. No surprise that he didn't notice it there at first.
"How did you see that?" Arden asked heading to the note.
"Well, foolish mortal. I cannot comprehend how you could not see a bright blue paper in a black and white wall!" Arden tilted his head at that statement.
"I'm sorry, did you just say that this place is black and white?" Arden asked looking around, from day one that the room appeared the place was bright blue. Not black and white.
"Have you become deaf?"
"No, it's just..." Arden said looking around him. "This place looks bright blue to me," He said before looking at the note in his hands.
"What does it say?"
"Since you're never going to figure this out on your own, I decided to leave a note. That friend of yours might be able to notice something out of place here, find it and you'll find a hidden door. Go through it, each door will have a little challenge for you to overcome. Clear them and you get closer to the room where I placed the answer. They were not part of the original puzzle, I added them so you could figure out the first step before coming after me. That way you won't waste your time trying to kill somepony who keeps coming back. Another thing you gain from this..." Arden stopped reading for a moment, he didn't want to read that part and upset Nightmare.
"What is it? Why did you stop?"
"Another thing you gain from this is some time to bond with that mare that you're so fond of. The one with black coat and mane made out of stars. The one that spent most of your last session giving a pep-talk." Arden finished reading the front page of the letter. Flipping the note he saw a bunch of topics.
"Here are some rules you'll need pay heed. All rooms have the required gear for you to overcome the trial, the gear will be yours once you're through with the trial. Do not dismiss any gear, for items like swords or other things will not reappear in other rooms, living beings that aid you in the trial disappear after you're done with the room. Second, your friend needs to be with you every single room. Third, do not linger in the same room for too long, you will know that you overstayed your welcome if you hear a very distinct noise."—That part sounded familiar.—"This is everything so far, if need be I'll send more of these your way. Have a nice time with your..."
"Your?" Nightmare asked. Arden didn't look back at her while he read all that. But he was sure she was furious.
"He called you my...er..." Arden kept trying to find the courage to say what he wrote. "You don't want to know," Arden concluded tearing up the paper.
"Was it really that bad?" Arden turned back to look at her, she was right behind him. Her cheeks were blushing a bit, that slight blue color taking over. She was fidgeting a little and wouldn't look him in the eye. "Well, peasant?"
"Considerably," Arden replied looking around. "Your Highness, can you see anything off about this place?"
"What do you mean?"
"Anything that seems out of place, like the note I just tore apart."
"Let me look around," Nightmare said turning away quickly. She wandered around the room, examining the walls, floor, and ceiling. It took a few moments but she finally stopped in front of a wall. Nightmare pushed the wall, then the sound of metal an gears spinning started to echo around the room. "I think I solved your puzzle."
"I believe you did," Arden replied looking around, the sound was louder right behind where he was. Looking at the sound's origin Arden saw a door being formed. "And you found our way to proceed."
The door led to a giant cave filled with sand. The only source of light was the sun rays coming from a huge circular hole in the cave's ceiling. Arden looked around searching for anything that would give him a hint about the place. That's when he saw it, at the very center of the room there were four things: A black horse equipped with a saddle, a sheeted blade, a weirdly colored bow, and a quiver filled with arrows.
'Please don't tell me I am where I think I am.' Arden thought. Cautiously moving through the place, he headed towards the gear. Nightmare was right behind him, Arden reached for the sword. 'Please don do what I think you do.' Arden unsheeted the blade, the dark sword reflected the light coming from the ceiling. Then Arden held it up, the sunbeams reflected the light creating a huge circle.
"Moon," Arden said as quietly as he could turning towards Nightmare. "Get on the horse's back."
He earned a slap on the face for that. "I don't know who do you think you're speaking to, but I AM NOT that kind of mare!" Nightmare shouted, her voice echoed around the cavern. Arden gestured her to tone it down and pushed the bow into her. "No! I will not lower my tone! I am the mistress of the night! True ruler of Equestria! I will not ride any stallion just because a lowly mortal told me to!"
"First of all, this is a female," Arden said getting up on the mare's back after securing the sword on his hip. "Secondly, if you don't get on her back you're going to die. Unless you can outrun a giant sand-monster." Arden saw Nightmare's eye twitch at the sight of him on the mare's back.
"T-that is even worse! What do you think you're doing on her back?! That indecent! Get off her now this instant!" At this moment Arden saw the sand moving. Completely ignoring Nightmare's rant, Arden spurred the horse to move. Reaching out he picked up Nightmare and placed her behind him. In the middle of her panic, she grabbed hold of Arden dropping the bow in the sand. "W-what do you think you're doing?! Stop this now!"
"Look behind you mistress! I'm pretty sure that thing doesn't want to chat!" Arden exclaimed looking behind them. A pair of giant red eyes were giving chase to them, around the eyes, structures that looked like they were made of stone. "Where is the bow? Shoot it in the eyes!"
"I dropped the bow when you pulled me here!"
"You got to be kidding me!" Arden said steering the horse around a stalagmite, giving him some room between them and the monster. "Use your wings! Get to the bow and the arrows then come back here!"
"Why?!"
"Just trust me on this one! I know what I'm doing!" Arden screamed, then he heard the sound of wings flapping. He was on his own again. "Okay! Now fucking focus on steering her! Steering a walking horse on a ranch during a school trip is way easier than this! C'mon Agro, help me out here girl!" Arden said to the horse, trying his best to keep his balance and the distance between himself and a giant sand monster. "Did it have to be Dirge? I would rather take on Phalanx!"
The giant started to close in on them, Arden tried to outmaneuver the creature. But his lack of experience made it rather difficult. Dirge kept closing in fast, Arden was ready to be knocked off Agro's back when something flew by his head and Dirge started to make some weird noises.
"Missed me?" Arden heard as something landed on Agro's back.
"You have no clue!"
"What now?"
"I'm going to lead it towards one of the walls. You shoot the eyes when I give you the signal."
"But I already took one of its eyes out!"
"It's already back! That creature has magical powers, unless I strike the sigils on its body with the sword I have it won't die!"
"Very well!"
Arden steered Agro around as precisely as he could, then he gave out the loudest whistle he could. Dirge turned around and gave chase once again, this time it was moving way faster. The extra weight on Agro slowed her down, the sand snake made its head peeking out of the dunes as he was getting closer.
"Come on girl! Just a bit faster!" Arden mumbled, he was heading straight to a wall. Dirge wasn't far behind. "Moon get ready!" Arden heard the bowstring stretching behind him. "NOW!" Arden heard the arrow being fired, then the same sound from before came from Dirge. The snake kept moving forward while Arden led Agro to the side, the sound of a huge impact made him jump off the horse's back.
Running as fast as he could Arden headed towards the monster. 'First the tail, then the head. MOVE IT ARDEN!' Arden leaped on the giant's tail, the sword on his hip started to resonate and a sigil appeared on the colossus' body. Arden pulled the sword and stabbed multiple times, black blood spilled out of the wounds until the sigil was gone. Leaping off the creature's body, Arden landed poorly rolling like a ragdoll he quickly got back on his hooves and yelled.
"AGRO!" He started running, suddenly he saw Agro running by his side. Arden reached for Nightmare's hand and was pulled on to Agro's back. "One more time, Moon!"
The process repeated itself, Dirge tried to close in on them. Nightmare prepared another shot. This time, however, she missed due to the creature moving sideways. Dirge got to them, Arden was launched off Agro's back and hit the ground hard. Getting up as fast as he could, Arden saw that Nightmare dropped the bow again during the attack. Agro was near Nightmare and the serpent was heading towards them, Picking up the bow he whistled again. Dirge changed its target and headed towards Arden.
Picking up the three arrows that fell off the quiver, Arden held one in his left hand. The other two he buried their heads on the sand making them stand up straight. Then he tried to prepare one shot, he fired it without need and it was a miserable attempt. Pulling the second arrow he did the same thing, but he held the bow horizontally so that the arrow wouldn't move. 'Whatever star has been watching over me up to this point, please help me fire this thing.' Ardent thought, that was his first time wielding a bow.
Dirge showed his face, Arden pulled the arrow and aimed. Once he believed he had his target, Arden let the arrow loose. The projectile flew through the air, Arden picked the next arrow hoping that if the first shot missed he would have another chance. He didn't need to, whatever lucky star he had, it was still watching over him. The arrow hit its target, and as soon as it did Arden was lifted off the ground. Looking up he saw Nightmare steering Agro while they barely dodged Dirge's attack.
Arden jumped off Agro again and ran towards the creature's head. He struck the creature three times before the sigil disappeared. The creature howled in pain as it shook its body, that made Arden lose his footing and fall off head first into the sand. That was when he blacked out.
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!" He heard as his consciousness returned. What he saw was Nightmare desperately shaking him, the sand arena was gone. They were in a room that resembled the safe zone Arden would always start at the beginning of his sessions. The only difference being that it was smaller. "Don't you dare scare your queen like that! You idiotic peasant!"
"S-sorry," Arden stuttered, he got on his hooves and looked around. "Where are we?"
"After you killed that sand creature, Agro, and the entire room changed into this."
"What about the bow and the sword?"
"They..." Nightmare bit her lip, she looked concerned. "They fused into your arms and then disappeared." Arden looked at his upper limbs, they were exactly as before. Arden moved his hand imagining the sword, then his hand took the shape of a blade. Arden lost his concentration and the blade disappeared, he imagined the bow. The weapon appeared.
"This is crazy," Arden said looking at the transformed limb.
"That was a good shot, for a novice."
"That was a lucky shot," Arden replied, the world around him started to fade. "See you tomorrow?"
"Why would you see me?"
"Because I can't move forward without you," Arden saw Nightmare's cheek blush and her wings shot open. "Bye!"
"This one apologizes for pushing you to do that," Zecora said bowing, she had been concerned with the Changeling since Chrysalis got up from Arden's singing in a panic. Zecora wanted to prank her, not put her in that state.
"No need," Chrysalis replied. "I think I saw one of the things he might be able to do once he gets over this issue."
Zecora's ears perked up at that statement. "What did you see?"
"Some sort of vision of him fighting off multiple Changelings before he attacked me like he was some kind of wild wolf."
"What do you believe that means?"
"I'm not sure," Chrysalis continued. "I guess I won't know until we actually get him to be completely healed."
"Really?" Zecora asked turning her attention to the stallion. 'Now this one is getting more curious. What else can those eyes do? This one will see them again. And when she does, it will be when Arden has been completely healed!'
"Were you happy with that little talk back at the ruins?" Chrysalis asked.
"You have no idea. This one couldn't keep her joy when he said he would never leave me."
"Based on the energy he gave out," Chrysalis said, Zecora noticed something off about her voice. "He probably meant it."
'Her attitude changed, did something happen? Was it the sight?'
"Chrysalis," Zecora started with a soft tone. "Has something happened? The changeling seems down."
"It's nothing," Chrysalis responded. Zecora saw the changeling rub her chest like she was in pain. "Just some issues due to the lack of exercise to my wings. These things make my heart go really fast once they start to work."
"An issue with the heart?" Zecora murmured, she looked at Chrysalis more attentively. There were no signs of physical injuries, but she did look tired. Both physically and mentally based on her expression. "Maybe this one can prepare something to soothe the pain."
"I would appreciate that," Chrysalis said smiling. She was a bit rough with Arden, but when she was alone with Zecora she was really kind. "Thanks."
"No need for thanks. This one is pleased to help with whatever her guests need."
"Do you think you could find some way to make thermal insulation here?" Chrysalis asked.
"What do you mean?" Zecora asked tilting her head.
"Make so that the temperature doesn't drop inside here?" Zecora looked at the Changeling. She reached out and touched Chrysalis's arm, it was cold, REALLY cold. "I used spells to keep myself warm back at the cave. Here there is no need, because of the fire. But the temperature drops really quickly after it dies out, and using spells to keep my temperature was a hassle. They made me drowsy."
"This one will see what she can do."
After that, Arden woke up. He seemed more tired than usual, so he ate and went to sleep. After he fell asleep, Zecora and Chrysalis went to sleep with him.
'Maybe some sort of resin? This one could pass it on the walls to keep the warmth inside. Or maybe we could work on some parts of the castle that have fireplaces and use them during winter?'
Chapter 25: Repercussions of an outsider (WARNING! READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES)
"Minuette! How have you been?" She asked hugging the blue mare.
"Doing good! From what I hear, your thesis seems to be coming along nicely," Minuette replied hugging back. Lyra met the blue unicorn by chance at the library, Lyra was looking for more tomes containing anything at all about humans.
"You bet! The data I got from the outsider's notes helped a ton!" Lyra said, breaking the hug and starting to walk. "It's getting colder, isn't it?"
"Well, winter is right around the corner," Minuette said walking by her. "I believe the weather report says next week we will have snow."
"Good thing we have our magic," Lyra commented. "But changing subject. How is the research on new procedures going?" Minuette was studying medicine. And last Lyra heard she was helping her teacher research medical procedures. More specifically, Minuette was researching treatment for illnesses that weren't affected by their regular spells. Spells could be to counter illnesses caused by external sources, such as virus, bacteria, and fungus easily developed once the pathogen was known.
"In that regard, I guess that we can thank your source as well," Minuette said with a big smile. Lyra tilted her head at that. "The princess sent us materials found in his possession regarding multiple diseases. Clinical trials on specific drugs, studies on animals regarding the course of certain illnesses. I don't know how many books that stallion had on him, but he was a gold mine with all the data." Lyra saw Minuette's eyes practically sparkling as she described that.
"Research on animals?"
"Based on what I've seen, the tests were performed by the humans on animals. The research suggests that animals there lack the ability to speak. And apparently, there were some rules to perform those experiments. As gruesome as those experiments were, without them we wouldn't have this." She seemed a bit down because of that detail.
"Don't worry. At least what they went through won't be in vain," Lyra said placing her arm over Minuette. "Make sure all of it goes to good use."
"Don't you know who you're talking to?" Minuette replied, her smile was back. "Get ready to my name in a lot of papers very soon!"
"That's the spirit!" Lyra replied, then she remembered something. "Minuette, tell me something. Did you get anything regarding the stallion in the materials you got?"
"You mean Arden?" The blue unicorn asked raising an eyebrow. "No there wasn't anything regarding him there. There was an exam called electroencephalogram with his name on it. It appeared to check brain activity. And his had a specific area lighting up like a Christmas tree, the one related to emotions."
"Makes sense. Given his talent, it would be a surprise if that area was dead," Lyra replied opening the door to a dinner. "Let's eat something."
"Sure," Minuette said getting inside and hanging her coat.
They got a table, it didn't take long for a waiter to come by and take their orders. While they were waiting, two stallions entered the place. Dressed in some fancy winter garments they held their muzzles high. Looking down on the other customers, they found themselves a table. Much to Lyra's disliking, the two nobles sat near them.
"Did you hear that Fancy Pants appears to have settled for that model, J'adore?"
"Really? I have to know how he manages to get the attention of so many. It's infuriating! We stand above him in status. Yet we don't get that much attention!" The other one replied in annoyance. "There is only one thing that I find more irritating."
"That rumor about the princess?" Lyra's ear perked up, she discreetly started to pay more attention. "I doubt that is true. With nobles like us around, why bother with what was described by that letter? That description and corpses are the same things."
"It gets worse," The other one complained. "Apparently, the princess is arranging some reward for all the data he provided. Nothing short of a fortune!" The stallion said dramatically. "The scientists are still processing the information, but they are already calling it ground-breaking. How can they be sure? It could all be fake! Why waste our money on that stallion?"
"I don't know," His companion said shrugging. "But if the rumors that the guards are discussing are true. That bastard won't be needing that money. He will have access to all the royal treasury." Lyra raised an eyebrow at the statement. "All that treasure and that beautiful trophy going to waste in some a simpleton. That's outrageous!"
"You better watch your tone," The other one said gesturing him to lower his tone. "If that captain of the guard or his protégé catches wind of this you will get in trouble."
"Oh, spare me the lecture. I snap my fingers and he loses his job," He stated proudly. "And that project of his, I bet he is just trying to get some nice little pet to do anything he so desires." The unicorn continued, the waiter came by and took their order. "That unicorn may have ascended to the rank of captain with that good-guy act, but I bet he just wanted to get closer to the princess."
"Wanna hear something interesting about that stallion?" The other said lowering his tone, his friend leaned forward. "One of my pals in the guard overheard a little thing about him."
"The ones that..." The other unicorn replied in a low tone, he didn't finish his sentence. He just seemed to make some weird gesture.
"Yeah, those guys," The friend replied. "Anyway, that simpleton was sent to a town called Ponyville."
"No way, that dump?" Lyra wanted to punch those two in the face.
'They might be stallions. But being nobles means they can't defend themselves even if it meant saving their lives. They would probably just run and whine to some friend of theirs, or worse.'
"Yeah. There are also some rumors of some families paying a decent amount for info on the outsider. Any dirt at all will do."
"Do you know if those families are involved?" Lyra was really engrossed in listening to that conversation, almost enough to ignore their proximity to her and Minuette.
"You're kidding, right? If the princess is involved, those weirdos aren't that far behind. They are the reason I don't try my hand with the princess. Don't want to deal with them. I rather deal with our usual 'doorknobs'."
"Here are your orders ma'ams." The waiter's voice made Lyra jump a little.
At this point ignored the conversation. Lyra knew that slang 'doorknob', it was a term used by males and females alike to describe ponies who were fairly easy to 'use'. Just like doorknobs, they were touched, used, and then left behind for the next one that wanted to have their turn. If you were outside Canterlot you would barely hear that term, but the nobles used it fairly often when there were no guards within earshot or they weren't around the princess.
Lyra and Minuette finished the meals and headed out, however, Lyra was bothered about the nobles offering a reward for information on that Arden guy. That could lure the wrong kind of ponies there, and that thought made her worry for her friend Bon-Bon.
"Minuette, mind if we pass by the post office for a moment? I remembered that I need to send a letter," Lyra asked while they walked down the streets. "If you can't, I can go on my own."
"The doctor is taking the day off, and I don't have the authorization to use the equipment without a supervisor. I'll tag along," The blue unicorn replied placing her hands in her pockets. Lyra nodded and they headed towards the postal office.
Once inside, Lyra went to a desk and wrote down the following letter:
'Bon, it's me Lyra.
Just a quick heads up. Warn everypony in town to beware of strangers coming into town asking about the stallion mentioned in the princess's letter. It appears some nobles over here placed some sort of prize for any dirt on him. I didn't get the reasoning behind this, but it seemed to have something to do with whatever reason that made Princess Celestia send him there.
Be safe, your friend Lyra.'
Lyra went to the front and asked to have the letter delivered as soon as possible. Express mail required some paperwork, Lyra started filling the information required. Adress, kind of urgency, the pony to who the letter was being sent to. While she did that she overheard some of the mail-mares talking.
"Remember those letters from the Princess?"
"The ones sent all over the country?"
"Yup. I've been making some deliveries to other towns, and guess what?"
"How can I guess if spend every single day behind these walls?"
"There are ponies calling the stallion in those letters a spy for the princess. Because of what he does, there are some ponies who believe the talent described and others that are saying it's just a farce."
"Don't they have better things to do? I'm more interested in the devices that stallion had with him."
"What devices?"
"The ones that contained all the data that was sent to the scientists. One of the unicorns analyzing it came by the other day and tried to hit on me using his position in the lab. He took me out for dinner, who's gonna refuse free food? During our dinner, he ended up mentioning some of their progress in analyzing those things."
"He was drunk, wasn't he?"
"Of course he was! Those lab coats neer let anything like that slip under normal circumstances. From what I gathered, they seem to be working on some new methods of communications. Since they can't replicate the devices they are trying to figure out how they worked and produce something with the same effect."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure, it sounded like some sort of long-range thing that didn't require all this paper."
"I think that guy you dated was way too drunk."
"Maybe."
Lyra finished the papers and left the place accompanied by Minuette. 'That stallion seems to be causing quite the ruckus. Wonder if he knows all the things he is influencing.'
(Meanwhile, Everfree)
'RUN! RUN! RUN!' Arden screamed in his head, a giant creature right behind him. 'Lure the manticore to the trap they said! It will be easy they said!'
With the temperature dropping, Zecora spent the last few days trying to figure out a way to keep the temperature inside the hut to stay fixed. The result of those attempts was a ton of resin discarded due to some fault in the mix. However, being the experienced hunter she was, Zecora also had Arden prepare some basic things for a hunt. Earlier that day, Arden helped both Zecora and Chrysalis to set up traps with a bunch of poisonous darts, net traps, as well as some pits.
Once the preparations were done, they took Chrysalis back to the hut. The temperature drop was affecting her the most, even Zecora's winter clothes weren't enough to help the changeling to keep herself warm. Chrysalis needed something with a thicker hide. The only prey that met those requirements was a manticore. Arden and Zecora managed to track one down, and then Zecora asked Arden to lure the creature to the traps. First, the poison darts, then any of the others would do their jobs just fine.
Zecora placed the second stage traps in couples. The pits would be accompanied by the net traps. If one failed, the second one could be easily triggered, once the prey was trapped it was only a matter of waiting for the poison to do its job.
Everything went according to the plan, except for the fact that the manticore kept forcing Arden to change directions, leading to him being led away from the original path for the traps. Wich resulted in Arden needing to run for his life while trying his best to avoid the eventual attacks from the manticore.
Using the little practice he had with Zecora, Arden tried to outmaneuver the manticore. However, one misstep and Arden tripped on some roots giving the creature time to get closer and attack. Rolling to the side at the last second Arden managed to escape with only some light cuts on his back. Before the manticore could attack again, Arden kicked it on the muzzle. It backed away snarling at Arden, he took that opportunity to run as fast as he could.
'BAD KITTY! BAD KITTY! BAD KITTYYYYYY!'
He ran like a maniac through the forest. That's when he saw a marking Zecora left so he could know when he was headed towards a trapped area. All he had to do now was find the marked spot and get the manticore stuck in a pit or trapped in a net. Seeing his handiwork, a bunch o dried branches and other things in the shape of a circle on the ground, Arden ran towards it and leaped across the trap, clumsily landing on the opposite side he rolled on the dirt and hit a tree.
Looking back at the creature Arden saw it try to attack him, but it landed on top of the trap, the poor cover caved in and the Manticore fell into a pit. The unicorn got up and went to check on the creature, it was stuck without any means of escaping. Arden let out a sigh of relief falling into his flank, breathing heavily and sweating bullets he watched Zecora climb down from a tree. She was panting as well, her mane looked covered in sweat. Her eyes seemed to shine as the light that got through the trees reached her face.
"O-okay you are?" Zecora asked, her breathing slowly coming back to normal. Arden was still trying to get his breathing back to normal. "A fine job the stallion did. This one hopes that you are not hurt?"
"I-I-I'm good," Arden said getting on his hooves and walking around the trap. Looking back to Zecora he saw her running towards him. "Shit."
The trap was triggered and Arden found himself in a situation that some might considerate unfortunate. While others might see it as fortunate. The net got him and Zecora trapped together. Arden was stuck with his back to the net, while Zecora was right in front of him, keeping herself from laying on him by using her arms.
"S-sorry! I-I completely forgot the other trap," Arden stuttered, he tried to shift so he wouldn't be so close to her. Which only worsened the situation, as he felt his body rub against hers with every movement. Then Arden noticed it, a scent. The smell of roses mixed with the smell of grass and wood. A pleasant and calming scent under normal situation, however, this time it was a taunt. A straight provocation to Arden's senses that only got worse as he only now realized something else. Zecora's soft fur that tickled his sides, her coat was usually short was replaced by a thicker and longer coat, a winter coat. Silky and soft, and pleasant to the touch.
"Stop moving you must, this one is trying to cut the net. And no need to worry about the trap. The stallion was still in panic after evading the manticore for so long." Zecora said, moving herself to cut the net. Each movement shaking the entirety of it. She continued before the precarious situation made her drop her dagger.
"Were you close by?" Arden asked, moving around to reach for the dagger. As he stretched to get it his hand and arm passed close enough for him to feel Zecora's leg. Strong and carefully worked legs covered in a soft and silky coat. The result of her life out in the wild.
Arden imagination started to wander off. The image of the how the rest of Zecora's body formed in his mind. The image he saw back at the river was back, but this time it was a provocation. The memory of her body soaked in water, her silhouette and it's reflection on the water, it all came back in a different light. Arden's entire body was reacting on instinct, while his mind tried to suppress the impulses.
Arden managed to get the dagger and handed it back, but not before he realized he got closer to Zecora and her smell, her eyes, her fur. Everything about her was so taunting, her voice, her smile, her physique, her knowledge, her kindness, her devotion, her soft touch.
With every second passed, Arden felt a mix of fear and desire towards her. He had a good relationship with her, the last thing he wanted was to ruin everything over impulses. Yet he felt the need to be with her, to share that moment with her.
"This one wouldn't take the risk of the stallion getting hurt," Zecora replied after getting the dagger back. She didn't seem to notice he was reacting to her, which was good. But her attempts to cut the net made their bodies share more contact making Arden react even more to her. He had to distract himself somehow.
"You know, I never once imagined that I would actually be in any situation even remotely close to all the stuff that has happened to me these past weeks," Arden said while Zecora continued to try and cut the net. After a little while, she let out a sigh and stopped. "Won't cut through?"
"A bit tired this one is," Zecora replied placing the dagger back on its sheet and looking down on him. That's when he noticed, her eyes were fixed on his. Zecora's cheeks had a strong blush. "The cerulean doesn't mind if she rests for a little bit, does he?" she asked resting her head on his chest, now he felt the entirety of his body against hers. Her beating heart. The pleasant scent of roses from her mane that tickled his nostrils. The gentle caress against his chest that Zecora made with her hand as she accommodated her head against his torso like it was a pillow letting out a pleased sigh. The situation wasn't improving for him, in fact, everything so far seemed to be pushing the two of them even closer.
Arden didn't respond, Zecora's voice and proximity added to the sound of the trapped creature made him remember. He remembered the close shaves and dangerous situations he placed himself in ever since he first appeared in this world. He was close to her, he liked her. Why not tell her? Why not share what he felt? He was there, she was by his side. Everything she did point to her liking him just as much.
"Z-Zecora," He stuttered, Zecora raised her head and looked straight at him. "I..." His mind kept forming words, but his mouth wouldn't move. Breathing became harder, Zecora's curious gaze made him terrified. Arden didn't remember ever being this scared, the fear he felt during the manticore chase was nothing compared to this. "I..."
Zecora tilted her head and stared at him, her cheeks still red. Her green eyes locked on his. "Is the stallion unwell?"
Arden couldn't look away from her eyes, her gentle voice, her beautiful lips. 'They're...they aren't helping me at all!' Cold sweat rolled through his face, his breathing became out of rhythm.
"You look ill."
Arden's logic kept screaming that he should be cautious, being too forward could make her hate him. His heart, on the other hand, yelled that he should be honest with her. The thoughts of her being angry plagued his mind. Images of her happiness soothed it. An avalanche of thoughts and images kept flooding his mind, there was no space for logic. His mind couldn't focus long enough for him to be logical, all he had left were impulses. Impulses that held him at a stalemate. A war of screams and emotions hurling around his heart and mind made Arden feel sick. He didn't know how much longer he could keep that bottled up.
The feeling of her body against his only made the confusion increase. Arden had never been this close to a woman, looking at a patient, a complete stranger was easy. This? This was different. He knew her, cared for her, he wanted to be more than just a patient or a friend to her. But he hadn't planned for any of this. This situation was a nightmare for Arden. One wrong word, a wrong move, and he could make Zecora hate him. That thought terrified him, but something else scared him more. The idea of dying and not telling her, the idea of keeping that to himself and not giving it a try. Zecora could say she didn't like him, but at the very least he would have taken that off his chest and could try to cope with that.
Zecora moved closer until they were on eye-level with each other. Her cheeks were red as roses, their bodies were aligned, those tantalizing eyes focused on his. Arden had never seen anything so beautiful, he had never felt so much desire towards anyone. The voices in his head started to get louder and louder. There wasn't anything else now, Arden couldn't see the net, the forest. All he could see was Zecora. That was all he could think, all he could hear, all he could feel.
'SCREW IT!' Arden shouted in his head before pulling Zecora and kissing her lips. Arden shut his eyes as hard as he could and waited for a punch or any sort of attack. None came, instead, he felt her hands touch his face gently and kindly holding his head. He felt Zecora moving again, his blood was rushing through his veins and boiling while it did. Opening his eyes Arden saw Zecora with her eyes closed, it took a few seconds before they separated. Once they did, Arden felt his heartbeat slowly going back to normal, he could breathe again normally. He looked at Zecora he could swear the world was changing color for a moment.
Then he felt her hands touch his face again, running through his muzzle, his cheeks his mane. Zecora reached for the back of his head and started to get closer again. Shutting her eyes once more.
That's when they both heard a cracking sound and suddenly fell down. Arden wrapped his arms around Zecora and he hit the ground hard with his back. The net opened and they were now free again. The shock from the sudden freedom and being back in the open made them look at each other.
Zecora's face had lost the slight blush and went to a full tomato face, he felt where she landed on. Arden felt his face getting warmer and warmer, suddenly, Zecora got back on her hooves and stepped away fidgeting. Arden got back on his hooves and he had one question stuck in his throat.
"W-we good?" He finally asked, the fact Zecora stepped away made him weary. Maybe her initial reaction to his gesture was positive, but the bottom line could be different now that the initial rush they felt died down. No response came from her. Arden began to curse himself for doing that. His logic and his heart began to shout again, multiple ways to fix the situation began to pop up. But he couldn't focus on a single one of them, the cacophony of the voices kept getting louder and louder. Just this once he wanted to hear his own raw feelings and ignore whatever processed thing he came up with.
Then one voice cut through that confusion of thoughts. "Y-yes. T-this one...this one e-enjoyed it." Those words made all the confusion and fear disappear, he looked back at her. The world once again seemed to be changing color, that's when he saw Zecora looking straight at him. Her eyes were darting from his face to his torso. "Y-your eyes..." she stuttered, Zecora's expression wasn't one of awe. She looked concerned. "Y-your inhibitor..."
Arden looked down at his pendant, the stone was shining brilliantly with multiple colors and cracks were starting to appear all over its surface. Suddenly the pendant stopped glowing and the color change around the world stopped. "What did you see in my eyes?"
"Changing they were. Or fighting to change to be more specific."
"Oookay, are they back to normal now?" Arden asked, earning a positive nod from her. "Is the manticore ready to be skinned?" Arden watched Zecora get closer to the edge and look down at the creature. She took a pebble from the ground and threw down the pit really fast. Arden actually heard the rock hitting something.
"The manticore is dead," Zecora said after a few seconds. Then she picked some ropes that were placed around the pit. "Could you help this one?" Zecora asked with a faint blush the moment she looked at him.
"Sure," Arden replied. Even if he was helping, Zecora was the one who pulled most of the weight. The prey appeared and they pulled it out. "You didn't need my help with this. But I'm glad that I ease the load."
Zecora gave a mild smile and started to remove the creature's skin. With precise cuts, the skin looked like could be just pulled. After a manner of minutes, she had the entire thing prepared. Picking one of her vials she dropped a silver-colored potion into the skin. The blood and remnants of the flesh evaporated, leaving only the thick skin of the creature. Then Zecora started to separate the body parts, even what looked like a poison sack. No part of the creature was wasted.
"Could the cerulean carry the loot?" Zecora asked, whenever she looked at the looked at him. She started to blush, Arden felt his face heat up as well.
"S-sure," Arden said going after the skin and the rest of the parts she left behind. It was heavy, really heavy. While Arden was trying to tie up the skin so that he could carry it, he saw a glowing green rock. 'What is this?' Arden thought, reaching for it, it was shaped like a seed, the glow came from within what looked like carvings. 'I'll ask Zecora later.' Arden placed the thing on his pockets.
And with that, they both headed back to the hut. Not sharing any sort of words, Arden saw Zecora sneak glances at him every once in a while. Arden found himself doing the same. 'I guess this is to be expected. We were very forward back there...'
The hut came into sight, Zecora started to move a bit faster. Arden was really slow due to the skin's weight. He saw Zecora head inside the hut and gesture him to wait.
He followed her instructions after he was by the hut's entrance. 'That felt very nice. But things might be...a bit awkward from now on.' Arden thought as he sat down by the entrance.
'CALM DOWN!' Zecora yelled at herself, closing the door behind her she fell on her flank. 'The stallion kissed this one. It was just a kiss. No need to get worked up. But...it felt so good.' The feeling of being so close to him, the idea of being that close again, of doing more than just kissing. All those thoughts kept blasting through her head. The image of his body, his eyes. Zecora reached for her lips and ran fingers through them, remembering the sensation of his lips against hers.
The thought of the event flooded her mind, the events still fresh in her memory. A vivid recreation of the moment started to take shape and cloud her mind.
'He is going to trigger the trap!' Zecora thought, rushing as fast as she could to prevent the stallion from springing the net, but it was to no avail. Zecora found herself trapped alongside stallion. Zecora was on top of him keeping herself from laying on his body, however, she was close, very close. And unlike the nights she spent with him while he rested from the treatment, this time he was wide awake.
She needed to keep herself calm and get them out of that situation. Zecora wanted to get closer to him, but not like that, not that it was uncomfortable. 'If this one could just...NO! This isn't how things are supposed to play.'
"S-sorry! I-I completely forgot the other trap," Zecora heard him say, then he started to shift. Arden looked like he was trying to give her space, what that did was make it harder for her to focus. His legs moving against hers, Zecora's arms felt the sides of his torso. Looking down she could see his chest, it was so close, the training was still in the earliest stages, there wouldn't be any changes yet. She felt the scent of grass and wood coming from him, a scent so familiar to her, usually ignored due to being everywhere, however, in this scenario the scent was provoking her.
Zecora had to leave soon, her body was starting to get warmer. If she wasn't out of that net soon she could ruin the progress she made with Arden so far. "Stop moving you must. This one is trying to cut the net," Zecora replied, moving herself to cut through. She tried to shift the entirety of her focus from him to the task at hand. "No need to worry about the trap. The stallion was still in panic after evading the manticore for so long." Zecora movements made her legs slide sideways, causing her body to come in contact with Arden's waist. Zecora felt something there, the thought of what she felt made her drop the dagger. She felt her face heat up, but she didn't show any other reaction.
"Were you close by?" Zecora heard him ask, then she felt him moving. Zecora felt his hands stretching to reach where the dagger, his hands passed by her legs. A gentle and unintentional caress, Zecora felt the fur in the back of her neck standing up. The entirety of her body was slowly tensing, the feeling of what she came in contact with made her remember how Arden mentioned not responding to the mere sight of her body.
But he was reacting now, and so was Zecora.
She tried to hide her reaction, but her mind was wandering more and more. Her heart was pounding, Zecora kept taking deep breaths in an attempt to keep herself calm.
The stallion gave her the knife back and his movements stopped, but it didn't stop her mind. "This one wouldn't take the risk of the stallion getting hurt," She replied with the coldest tone she could muster. Zecora went back to cutting the net, however, each movement made their bodies get closer and closer. Zecora was starting to break, she wanted to rest, she wanted, no, she needed to be with him.
"You know, I never once imagined that I would actually be any situation even remotely close to all the stuff that has happened to me these past weeks," Arden said.
Zecora was at her limit. If that contact continued she wouldn't be able to keep her act, she would risk the relationship she built over her desire. With that in mind, Zecora stopped cutting the net. "Won't cut through?"
Even with her attempt to keep that desire in check, it was too late. Giving in, she looked down at Arden. "A bit tired this one is. The cerulean doesn't mind if she rests for a little bit, does he?" Zecora asked unwillingly changing her tone. Then she placed her head on his chest and ran her fingers through his fur. Just like herself, the unicorn changed into his winter coating. The soft blue fur ran through her fingers as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of having her body against his there.
Zecora could hear his heartbeat, the accelerated rhythm made Zecora feel happy and uneasy. That could mean that he was afraid, or that he desired her just as much. The first time in several years she felt a desire like that and had somepony return the feeling. The rhythm of his breathing was off as well.
Zecora just stopped thinking and allowed herself to enjoy the moment.
"Z-Zecora," Arden's cracking voice called out to her. 'He has never been this close to a mare, has he? Well, this one never has been this close to a stallion.' Zecora thought, slowly raising her head to look at him. Her head slowly sliding through his chest. She locked her eyes with Arden's. "I..." He seemed to want to say something, but nothing more than that came out. 'This one has him without words, adorable that is. Delightful as well,' She looked closer, the stallion was sweating bullets. His breathing was getting way out of rhythm. "I..."
He was starting to panic. 'What places the stallion in such a panic? He looks more afraid now than when he ran away from the manticore.' Zecora got curious, she tilted her head and moved up to him. "Is the stallion unwell?" Once again, her tone changing without her notice, a soft and gentle voice came from her. But Zecora was too curious about his distress to notice her own voice. "You look ill."
For the first time since she met him that Zecora saw Arden like that when he was conscious. His eyes were wide open and locked on hers. The black eye and the blue one, she wanted to take a closer look. Zecora moved up so she would be face to face with Arden, her body sliding over his as she moved up. She saw something odd, the corner of his left eye was tinged with red that seemed to be fighting to proceed through the rest of the eye, all the while his iris seemed to be starting to shift into a bright blue. The right one, on the other hand, looked like a light bulb flickering like crazy.
She couldn't look away, Zecora was causing this. And Zecora knew that gently placing one of her hands in his chest she felt Arden's heart, it was rushing even faster than before, then she felt her own heart beating fast and strong. Zecora just kept looking into Arden's terrified and mesmerized eyes. The entire situation was thrilling. She watched Arden continue his attempts to speak. When Zecora was about to say something to see if Arden would say what he wanted to say, she felt a sudden pull. Before she could process what just happened, she felt her lips against his.
Zecora's heart jumped on her chest. Her mind went blank, she just closed her eyes and felt enjoyed the moment. Those few instants felt like ages.
Zecora backed away and opened her eyes, Arden was looking straight at her eyes. Even after everything he felt during those few moments, he was still locked in her eyes.
Zecora wanted more, she needed more. She held his face, Then ran her hands through Arden's mane until she reached the back of his head. Zecora slowly got closer and shut her eyes once more. Just when she was about to return the gesture, a cracking sound caught her attention. Zecora felt Arden's arms wrap around her, holding her body with everything he had. Suddenly she felt weightless, then a loud thud. The feeling and the sound shocked her, her mind resets and she was able to think somewhat clearly again, and that's when she realized what she landed on. Blood rushed to her head and, moving faster than she knew she could, she got back on her hooves.
"W-we good?" Arden ask.
'That is what he is worried about? Not the fact he just cushioned this one's fall?' Zecora tried to calm down before responding.
"Y-yes. T-this one...this one e-enjoyed it." That was the best she could come up with, she was fidgeting a lot. Everything else after that was a blur. She remembered his eyes, some light out of his chest. Some muffled sounds coming from him and from her. Then her body was moving around and she remembered blood, her silver potion. And before she knew it Zecora found herself leading Arden back to the hut. She kept sneaking glances over to him. Each one of them made her feel her face warm up, forcing her to look away.
'That was really daring, this one doesn't act like that!' Zecora thought, once she saw her hut Zecora picked up the pace and got inside after gesturing for Arden to wait outside.
All of these scenes played like a broken record. Each moment vividly etched into her brain, each feeling, each sensation. All of them bringing back the emotion and the desire she felt back then. The event was over, but the memories and repercussions of it remained. Repercussions in her heart, in her mind, and in her body.
Zecora started to feel her body warming up. The rush she hadn't felt in a very long time, something she hadn't felt since when she was back at her own land. 'I better use that.' Zecora thought, getting back on her hooves she rushed to her room. Moving her bed she lifted the lid of a compartment she prepared for keeping what she considered valuable. Zecora hadn't told anypony about that vault. Inside she saw the few things she kept to herself.
A lot of very small vials containing one kind of potion, two pairs of matching of golden earrings that had a special purpose in her culture, a bottle containing ink crafted back in her homeland, the tools used for making tattoos, and an old gift she got before leaving. An old talisman, but what she needed right now was the potion. That potion was a little creation of Zecora, picking one vial she drank the contents.
As soon as she drank the last drop, her mind settled down. The desire diminished and her thought process went back to normal. A potion to quell lust and desire, a combination of a flower known as heart's desire and another one called heaven's mirror. The discovery happened during an experiment and just one recipe produced all the vials she kept hidden there. Zecora rarely ever used them, that was actually the first time she had to use one since she left her home.
"What was that all about?" Zecora heard from behind her. Zecora's mind was so lost due to the impulses, that she completely forgot about the Changeling.
"P-please don't mention this to Arden," Zecora stuttered as she realized that the Changeling could see the contents of her 'vault'.
"What are these potions? And what was with you caressing your lips?" Zecora felt blood rush to her head. 'The changeling saw that as well?!'
"Uh..." Zecora began to think of any explanations she could give, Chrysalis wouldn't leave her alone if she learned about what had happened. "T-the p-potion h-helps to c-calm down the user."
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow at that statement but didn't push it. That's when she went to look at the rest of the vault. She picked up one of the matchings earrings. "These seem rather important. What are they for?" Zecora gulped at that question, it was a personal matter. But not answering it meant the risk of Chrysalis mentioning it to Arden.
"T-they symbolize a relationship between two individuals. This one received them from her parents when she left her home," Zecora replied taking them from Chrysalis. Once she had them in her hands, she began to imagine them being used. After being feared by others and being alone for so long, she began to think she would never use them. Zecora shook her head and placed the accessories back, that's when she realized Chrysalis had the talisman on her hands.
"What about this one?" That one particular she kept as a memento. "This was crafted by somepony who had feelings for you."
"A-a g-gift from an old friend of this one," Zecora said taking the talisman from Chrysalis's hands. "J-just an f-friend."
"Based on your anxiety and the little drops of energy on that, I would say that you two were somewhat close." 'Blasted eyesight!' Zecora was close to the male that gave her that. That male was the one that made her feel desire for somepony else in the past. What she felt back then and now, however, were very different feelings. In the past there was no emotion, just impulse. Now, there was something more. It was stronger, her potion quelled the body, but her heart was still in that same scene. In the past, that one potion was enough for her to keep her relationship with the male.
"Old coltfriend?"
"NEVER!" Zecora shouted, having realized her overreaction Zecora's ears dropped. "S-sorry."
"Touchy subject, I get it, I won't ask about it," Chrysalis said reaching for the bottle of ink and the tools." What about these?"
"The ink for marking the body, and the tools to do so," Zecora said calmly.
"You have tattoos?" Zecora showed her the marking on her flanks. "What does that mean?"
"The mark is made once one has decided their path in life. Shaman, potion crafting, spirit maiden, chief, farmer. Once the individual decides his role and starts to function in the role they chose, they receive a mark in a place of their choosing."
"Why your flanks?"
"The Wanderer," Zecora started. "A mark that is not well seen by most of this one's kind. Placing them on the flanks was safer for this one's travels," Zecora continued, remembering the insults made towards other bearers of the mark, while she evaded them by saying she was seeking plants and herbs for her village. "The Wanderers are seen as cowards that left their villages after all that the village did to raise them. Usually, their only safe place was their hometown."
"I see," Chrysalis said analyzing the bottle. "Why do you have it?"
"This one is not sure," Zecora said picking it up and placing all of them back. "Maybe a way back home."
"I just noticed, where is the project of stallion?" Chrysalis said looking around. "Don't tell me you left him to watch the manticore while you came back here."
"No, he is outside," Zecora said placing the lid back in its place, and covering it with the bed again. "You will not mention this to him, right?"
"Sure," Chrysalis replied shrugging. "Want me to call him in?"
Zecora looked at herself, she was a mess. Her armor and clothing were all over the place. "Can the Changeling talk to him a bit while this one recomposes herself?" Zecora asked, earning a positive nod from Chrysalis. Zecora then went to lose the armor and make sure she looked a little more presentable now. 'This one should keep herself groomed and presentable.'
As she tidied herself up, Zecora found herself remembering again the events from before. Her heart pounding with the images playing in her mind, the potion kept her impulses in check. But Zecora's emotions were another thing entirely, soon she found herself humming and smiling at nothing. This was probably the happiest she ever felt ever since he first talked to her.
'That Zebra is really happy. What happened to her?' Chrysalis thought, peeking through the front door she saw Zecora humming with a dumb smile on her face. 'No, they didn't.' Chrysalis saw that stupid smile a couple of times, it was stamped on the face of stallions and mares that were either 'in love' or got what they referred to as 'get lucky'. Chrysalis looked back at Arden. Arden had a very small smile, but his eyes had a concerned gaze. However, her attention shifted to something else once it was in her sights.
"What in Tartarus happened to your back?!" She shouted seeing wide wounds that were running through his back. Which, based on the size and on what they went hunting, where caused by the manticore.
"It's nothing," Arden said shrugging. "Shouldn't you be inside? You know, keeping your temperature up?" He sounded angry saying that part.
'The freak has a bunch of open wounds in his back and he scolding me? Not this time!'
"Now listen here, you apprentice magician. You don't get to scold me when you have wounds like those!"
"Is it that bad?" Arden asked. The unicorn tried to look around his back. "I just felt the wound, didn't actually check."
"Stand still, moron," Chrysalis said charging up her magic. The wounds were different from the Timberwolves, they were bigger and wider. She couldn't heal those completely, not with how her magic was now. The wounds closed, but they left scars. Pale skin and a darker shade of blue fur covered the wound. "There, the wound is closed. But..."
"But?"
Chrysalis was always boasting about her magic. But the truth was she was good with offensive, mind, and everyday spells. Healing she only used for small wounds she happened to be afflicted with. And given the fact that her chitin worked as a natural armor she barely used that sort of magic. Even if the healing spells of her kind were stronger, she had a hard time with them.
"I wasn't able to completely heal the wound," Chrysalis said looking away, she was ready to hear his mockery about her inability to cast what supposedly was the strong suit of her species.
"Scar?" He asked, a blank expression on his face. Chrysalis agreed with a nod. "Did you do your best?" Her gesture repeated. "Thank you."
'No snarky remark?' Chrysalis asked herself, she looked at Arden's eyes. They were still carrying the concerned gaze. "Okay, what did you do?" The unicorn winced and his ears perked up. "Don't even try to lie right now, you're being an open book. Out with it, idiot."
"I..." Chrysalis saw Arden scratch the back of his head frantically. "I k-kissed Zecora." Chrysalis felt the sting again as her body seemed to start shivering. Picking one of the little papers Zecora prepared for her, Chrysalis shoved the mix of powder and herbs into her mouth.
"I-Is t-that all?" Chrysalis asked, her body still shivering but the sting dying down. "S-she i-i-is h-humming t-t-to herself. W-with an s-stupid smile." Chrysalis saw Arden looking back at her.
"Give me a moment," The unicorn said reaching for the pack of tied up skin. Untying it and unfolding it, Arden got on his hooves and wrapped the soft skin around Chrysalis. "It isn't ready. But you can use it as a blanket for now."
"T-thank you," Chrysalis replied in a low tone. Then a mischievous thought made her smile. "I'm going to need this, but I bet that you and Zecora won't be needing anything to keep yourselves warm."
Chrysalis watched him tensing up and his face getting really red. For the first time, she managed to play with him easily. 'A weak spot. Oh, this will be so entertaining!'
"Y-you're evil," Arden stuttered.
"No, I am not. I just want to have some fun," Chrysalis said smirking. "After all, since you two seem to be having plenty of fun on your own I need to entertain myself with something, right?" Arden turned back to her, Chrysalis was confident that she had him cornered. He started to laugh. "What?"
"Nothing," Arden replied sitting on the grass. "We are a group of odd creatures, aren't we?" Chrysalis tilted her head in confusion.
"Where did that come from?"
"Just a random thought," Arden spoke, his tone less cheerful. He was really acting off, Zecora was happy beyond anything Chrysalis ever saw. Arden, on the other hand, seemed worried.
Chrysalis started talking before she noticed. "Listen, you don't have to worry about her being upset or rejecting your feelings. That mare likes you, your gesture only seemed to bring the two of you closer. Pull yourself together, be the snarky pest that won her over. If she comes out here and sees you like this after all the trouble she went through to get herself groomed and all. She will think you regret kissing her, then you will have to worry about losing her." Arden just looked at her with confusion stamped on his face.
Chrysalis was just dumbfounded as Arden. 'Why did I just say all that? Because he needed to hear that. Because if he gets closer to Zecora his energy might become stronger. Which leads to more power for me when I feed. Because...because of how he...distressed...look...sad...hurt...' Chrysalis mind slowly stopped forming sentences, she felt the sting persisting. Weaker than before, due to the medicine, but still there.
'It's...strange...it's...different.' Chrysalis began to lose focus and she drifted off.
"Thanks," A cheerful voice echoed and Chrysalis felt a shock. She was pulled back from her wandering. "I needed that. So, thank you, Chrysalis." Shaking her head Chrysalis felt like her old self again.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Chrysalis replied turning away. She headed back to the hut and looked through the window. Zecora seemed to be changing clothes, an evil grin formed on her muzzle. "Hey, Zecora is gesturing us to come inside."
"Ok," Arden said, picking up the rest of the things he had with him, Chrysalis watched eagerly Arden grab the doorknob and open it. "What are we-?!"
Chrysalis saw the unicorn freeze in place. Peeking through the window, she saw Zecora frozen in place as well. Arden slowly closed the door, his face red as a tomato. He turned slowly towards her, Arden tossed the things he had on his hands to the ground. He took off the weighted armor and stretched for a moment, once he was through he spoke.
"Chrysalis," Arden said cracking his neck. "You better start running, lose me, then rush back to the hut."
"I doubt you would be able to catch me, especially with so little training," Chrysalis said in a cocky tone.
"Chrysalis," he said again, his tone was serious. "Run."
"Very well," Chrysalis replied smirking. "Catch me if you can!" She yelled darting away.
"CHRYSALIIIS!" She heard from behind her.
'This will definitely be fun! All the mischief I can make, all these precious reactions. This is so delightful! Time to play!'
"All these places we've been through," Arden heard as soon as he finished untying Nightmare. "What are they?"
"What do you mean?" Arden asked helping her get back on hooves. "They are trial rooms. We get in, do what we need to do and leave." Arden continued brushing the dust off her shoulders. "Nothing more, nothing less."
"I am referring to their stories," Nightmare replied, making a simple gesture her entire dress shook violently. All the dirt flew away. "They look like part of much bigger worlds." she continued, Arden noticed Luna's eye was present. And one of Nightmare's ears was o a bright blue instead of black. "Have you been to all of those places? A castle in the desert filled with monsters of sand. That cave system with the sandworm. An ancient castle brimming with the undead ruled by a creature that feeds off blood. Warzones. Sailing through the sea. How can one mortal being live through all that?"
"Well," Arden scratched the back of his head, "these are all stories that I interacted with. So, you're right about them being part of something bigger." he said heading towards the first door. Nightmare followed.
"How many stories have you seen?" she eagerly asked. Nightmare was having a blast since Arden returned after the first room was cleared. Even if she wouldn't admit it, every new room she would interrogate him about the place and what they would be doing there. Like a little child, her eyes beamed with excitement at the new sights. And she would turn red each time Arden pointed out how excited she was.
"I lost count. Interactive stories, books, interpretations, moving pictures." Arden replied, opening the first door and gesturing Nightmare to proceed. She just stood there, staring at him. Arden gave out a smile and closed the door. "Want to talk for a bit?" Nightmare Moon seemed to notice she was acting excited again.
"Y-yes! Entertain your queen!" Arden chuckled at that, earning an inquiring look from Nightmare. "You look unusually cheerful today. Any particular reason for that?"
"I had a good day, and I bet the next room shall be awesome as well," Arden replied. The memories of both hunts came back, the one after the manticore, and the other after Chrysalis. He was initially angry at her for making him walk up on Zecora like that, but after seeing her join up with him to get Chrysalis. He enjoyed the game of tag, it was surely a fun time with both of them.
"After you tell your queen the story behind one of those rooms," Nightmare demanded in an imposing tone with a smile on her face. 'She really enjoys calling herself that, doesn't she?' "Now, mortal. Your queen does not appreciate waiting, she might have to punish you if you don't entertain."
'Let's play along.' Arden thought, rolling his eyes and smiling he put up a facade. "Please your majesty, have mercy on this small and humble servant, he wishes only for your happiness and peace," Arden said getting on his knees and begging. "From what room? Your Obscurity, which story would like to hear?"
"The first one we entered. That giant made such a sad sound when we hurt him. Why?"
"Very well," Arden said getting back to his hooves. "That giant is called a Colossi. They are incarnations of giant stone statues that carry fragments of a powerful creature known as Dormin. A creature fabled to be able to resurrect the dead, it was sealed away by the power of the ancient sword," Arden explained, Nightmare had her eyes open wide and her ears perked up.
"Why was it sealed away? Tell me, mortal! Please?" Nightmare asked trying to hide her excitement. And failing miserably at it. Which resulted in a very entertained Arden. 'I swear she's trying too hard. It's adorable.'
"No one is really sure. Some say he was evil, others say because his powers defied the rules of nature. The bottom line is, there are no specifics about him as far as I know," Arden explained crossing his arms. "But the focus of that tale is actually a young lad that stole the blade we used in an attempt to perform a forbidden ritual."
"Stole? Forbidden? Why would he go to such lengths?" Nightmare completely dropped the 'high and mighty' act at this point.
"There are some motives that usually drive beings to make those decisions. A desire for power, the pursuit of knowledge, sheer curiosity, skepticism, or in some cases..." Arden made a dramatic pause, which made Nightmare lean closer. "Love. The main character of this story wanted to bring back his beloved who had been sacrificed, for she had a 'cursed fate'."
"Do they end up together?" Nightmare asked. Given how close she was moving, she was just barely holding herself back. "Is his mission successful? Tell us!"
"In a way," Arden responded, that ending always made him a bit sad. "They...they..." Arden was trying his best to tell her, but Nightmare's eyes were practically beaming with expectation for a happy ending. That was making telling her the ending even more difficult. 'A hopeless romantic? Or a child's heart inside the body of a full-grown mare? Either way, I don't want to see her cry. I don't want to see either her or Zecora cry...heck, I don't want to see anypony I care about cry. Unless they are the tears of joy.'
Suddenly, the air in the room seemed to get cold. A white fog started to form near the ground. The walls started to ooze some sort of dark liquid.
Arden looked around to see if there were any clues pointing out what was happening, Nightmare stood in front of him with her back turned towards him.
"Stand back, mortal!" Nightmare ordered, her queen act came back at full throttle. "Something's wrong." She stated, creating a silver blade with a moon emblazoned to the weapon's guard.
The black liquid started to move towards the center of the room, the sound of heavy chains rattling echoed through the place. The metallic sound made a chill roll down Arden's spine.
'Please god, don't let it be what I think this is.'
The from the dark puddle, an object started to emerge. What looked like a long pipe started to move upwards, the pipe later revealed to be part of a very long revolver. At this point Arden began to panic, the hand holding the revolver emerged. A glove and tattered sleeve covered in bullet holes with multiple stains of what could only be blood. A head covered by a bloody white sack rose from the puddle, the chains wrapped around the neck and torso.
'The Reaper.' Arden thought. Then he grabbed Nightmare's wrist and pulled her towards the door leading to the nearby rooms. The echo of chains being dragged around started to get louder, Arden heard the sound of the gun being readied. Opening the door, Arden tossed Nightmare inside before going in and locking the door behind him. The sound of a shot being fired made Arden shiver and fall backward, looking at the locked door he saw a big hole in it.
What came after was sure to haunt Arden's dreams for a while, the Reaper's bloody white eye peeked through the bullet hole. The disgusting sight moved around frantically as it bashed the door. The sound of wood cracking and metal hitting something hard blasted through the place. Now, Arden couldn't move. His legs weren't responding, his body wasn't responding. That creature scared him when it was just an image on the screen, now it had depth, smell, and a voice.
Arden got back up with the help of Nightmare, who had a different look in her eyes, she looked confident and her eyes had some sort of fire. She led Arden through the cleared rooms as fast as she could, always locking the door behind them. The sound of shooting and doors being bashed open kept getting closer and closer.
Once they were by the most recent door the chains stopped, as well as the banging and shooting. Nightmare pushed Arden into a corner of the room and stood in front of him, sword in hand and watching for anything that moved.
"I-I guess we figured out what they meant by 'don't stay in one room too long'," Arden said getting up and trying to go for the door.
"What was that thing?!" Nightmare asked, pushing Arden back into the corner. She gestured that he should stay there.
"When it's wandering the sea inside a heart of a being it's called a shadow. Once it's awakened and composes a part of a being's character it's known as a persona. That one is called the Reaper and I rather avoid him. So, let's head into the next room." Arden placed his hand over Nightmare's hand he made her lower the blade. "Come, let's get to the next story." He continued heading towards the door, Arden held the doorknob and stopped.
"What's wrong? Did the big scary monster scare you?" Nightmare mocked.
Arden let out a sighed and looked up. 'Coward, coward, coward. Being afraid is one thing, being paralyzed with fear is another. You won't have others around you all the time. Having somepony to lean on is one thing, depending on them for every bump you stumble upon is another.'
"It did," he said clenching one of his fists. "I could have died today. Then that thing comes by on the same day. I keep getting in situations with my life or my sanity at risk. But I'm glad for it in a way," Arden finished.
"Why would you be glad about that?"
Arden gave out a mild laugh before looking over his shoulder.
"Because I get to meet beings like you, who are willing to help and even save somepony as hopeless as me," Arden said twisting the doorknob. "Thanks for the rescue, Warrior Princess."
The door revealed some sort of cavern filled half-way through with water. Stepping inside Arden found himself on top of a rocky platform from where he could jump straight into the water.
'This looks like...Lanayru's spring. Please don't tell me I need to do the water temple.' Arden thought, looking around he noticed the door had disappeared and that Nightmare was nowhere in sight.
Looking down Arden noticed his body was projecting a shadow that didn't belong to him. 'Would you look at that!' Arden's amusement was short-lived, he heard a very familiar sound coming from behind him. A screech, that only one character ever did whenever they entered the scene.
Shapeshifting his left hand into a blade, Arden turned around as fast as he could in an attempt to slash the creature. Only to be blasted away into a wall by some sort of sphere, Arden felt the impact. In this room he was solid, no fog tricks to help him out.
Arden watched the creature known as Zant The Usurper attack the serpent of light that rose from the water using the same kind of magic. The spirit was bashed against a wall, and the entire room once illuminated by a calming light that came through the ceiling was taken over by a yellowish otherworldly light without a source.
A sudden excruciating pain took over Arden's body. Once again he was experiencing a change in his being, his hands turned into pawns, he could see a muzzle in his face. The pain was strong, but it was nowhere near what he felt upon arrival. Forcing himself to stand Arden noticed something else had changed, he was walking on all fours. Whatever he had become, it wasn't bipedal. Between him and the Twili, Nightmare Moon stood wielding the same weapon from before. Arden recognized this scene, if he let it play out like it originally was, Nightmare would be in trouble.
"So, you're the beast's shadow," Zant said, "you're not exactly who I was looking for. But..."
In a blink of an eye, Zant disappeared. Only to reappear behind Moon. "From what I've seen you are similar to her. Maybe you could help me. Become the Queen of the Twili, rule by my side."
Nightmare Looked over her shoulder, her stance and her guard were down. The offer appeared to have tempted her, Nightmare buried the tip of the blade on the ground. 'Please don't fall door this.' Arden thought, still trying to stand on his four legs without losing his balance.
"What is the catch?" she asked in a serious tone. 'ALMOST!'
"There is no catch," Zant whispered in her ear, Arden was surprised with how he was able to hear that. "Rule with me and we shall receive the power of the one true God."
Continued power was his promise. Arden knew whose power Zant used, he also knew how Zant would end. "Join me, let us fill this world with darkness. Destroying the wretched light and all of those who dwell in it!" When he said that, Nightmare's ears perked up. Arden saw her pupils become like the pupils of a cat.
"All of them?" Nightmare asked turning around and looking straight at Zant's face. He nodded in agreement.
"No more light?" The gesture repeated. Arden saw Nightmare glisten her teeth, a terrifying grin formed on her face.
Arden tried to speak, all came out was snarling and growls. 'Oh, COME ON!'
Finally being able to stand, Arden, lowered his stance and went for Zant's legs in an attempt to rip them off. Before he could do it though, Arden heard a gasp. The sound of flesh being torn and blood dripping, Arden felt it hitting his head. Looking up, Arden saw a silver blade piercing through the tyrant's body. Nightmare pushed the blade deeper into Zant's upper torso, the look in her eyes getting darker and darker, while her teeth grew sharper and her smile seemed to give out an ominous glow.
"Let's see the worm hiding under the mask," She said knocking the helmet off Zant's head, Arden walked around them stumbling a bit. That's when he saw Zant's face, he had his mouth hanging open. A small amount of blood came from the side of his' lips, the two orange pupils from his eyes were darting around Nightmare's face.
She got closer to his ears and whispered. "Now, I may be a shadow in the real world. But my friend is a light dweller. I would never hurt her. Nor my little pawn over here. And one more thing: I am a goddess, my silver moon will be the light of the world. In other words, I bow to no being, I obey the will of nopony but my own."
Finishing her sentence, Nightmare placed her left hoof on Zant's waist and pushed him with no effort. The usurper fell on the ground, choking on his own blood. Nightmare turned around and faced Arden, her blade still soaked in Zant's blood. It was at this point that Arden noticed his size. The mare was smaller than him when he was in his 'Deemo' form, in whatever shape he was now she was taller. But even so, with his current height, he was near the height of her shoulders. She could easily ride on his back like he was some sort of mount.
"Now, who is a good wolf?" Nightmare asked with a playful tone. Arden tilted his head. 'Great, now I'm a wolf. Enough with the form change!'
That's when he felt her hands petting his head, it wasn't a bad feeling. His tail started to move on its own. "You are my little pet from now on. My little wolf." Nightmare booped his muzzle. This time Arden growled at her. "Nah-a-ah. Don't growl at your queen, little wolf."
Suddenly red glow came from behind Nightmare, Arden's eyes widened. He shoved her to the side and lunged at Zant, who was charging a spell. Arden's head phased through the spell and he felt a sting on his forehead. Ignoring it Arden bit Zant's head, the entire skull fitted in his mouth. Arden buried his teeth on Zant's flesh, pushing the bastard's body against the ground while pulling the head. Arden ripped the false king's head from his shoulders and tossed it away. The figure's body began to rot and turn black while a cracking sound came from it. After a few seconds, the body turned into a pile of dust and was blown away. The sting became stronger for a few seconds and then it stopped.
Arden turned around and saw Nightmare looking straight at him. The world began to warp.
"Good wolfy." That's the last thing he heard before he passed out.
"Wolfy?!" Nightmare screamed shaking the wolf's body. "WOLF!" Her companion didn't respond, he was breathing, but he was unconscious.
"A curse was inflicted upon the beast." Nightmare heard from behind her. Turning around she saw a huge serpent engulfed in a golden light with an orb in its mouth. She raised her blade towards it. "It's okay child. I'm Lanayru. The guardian spirit of this spring."
"What do you mean by a curse?" she asked, sword still raised.
"I'll send you to the forest where the blade that can extract the cursed artifact from him lays dormant. The blade will react to the presence of this vile magic and force it out the beast's body." The serpent's orb started to glow, blinding Nightmare. "The blade you seek is the master sword. Your guide to reach it is a child that lives in the area."
When she opened her eyes again Nightmare saw her surroundings had changed. High trees all around her forming walls and remnants of stone structures covered in moss. Corridors made out of fallen tree hollow trunks, the host to all of this was still there. But he was conscious and walking around, he would eventually start to run before tumbling over.
'What is he doing?' Nightmare thought, as soon as she took the first step she felt something small hit the back of her head. Looking around she saw a small hat on top of a chopped-off tree, the headwear was big enough for a child to wear. The cloth used for it was worn out and the color was fading, it was adorned with leaves of different colors. Nightmare reached out to it.
"Hehehe." A laugh echoed through the forest, then a metallic sound started to come from behind Nightmare. Turning around she saw a very small lantern with a small white flame coming from it, it was dancing around. "The lost wood, the sacred grove, the place were forest dwellers don dare to go." A childish and distorted voice singing came from nowhere. "Beasts here came to hide, now I got someone to play with tonight."
"Are you the child who guards this place?" Nightmare asked looking around. "Listen, my wolf and I need to find something called Master Sword. Can you take us to it?"
"Why would a beast need the blade that no thingy that the monsters can't touch?"
"Because that wolf used to be something else, he was afflicted with a curse trying to protect me," Nightmare said, still looking for the source.
"WHA-?!" This exclamation came out of nowhere. Nightmare looked around and saw the wolf running around with the small lantern in the hand of a small gray child using clothes the same color as the hat. A big grin all over its white painted face. The child also had some sort of instrument on the other hand. "Wipiiie!" It exclaimed in between laughs. "Good wolf. Are nice to the lady?" The wolf nodded positively. "Do you need the shiny sword?" The gesture repeated.
'This wolf has his way with...whatever this little thing is.'
"Okay! I'm Skull Kid. I'll take you there, but..." The child said disappearing from the wolf's back. "We will play a game while doing it! And you can't say 'no' mister wolf, otherwise, you and your friend will get lost here. And you don't want her to get lost here do you?" The wolf gestured 'no'. "Alright! So, here is the game: I'll guide you through the forest by using sound, follow it and you'll reach the place where the sword is. But here are the catches: first, you and your beast lady here have to stay together. Second, my trumpet here controls my friends, once you start chasing me they will try to stop you. Third, This place is big, so chasing me will be a problem, find me in each segment and you'll be fine."
"Why are you making us do this?" Nightmare asked the child. "Why not just show us the way?"
"Because I want to have fun! And playing with the ones who come by is the best fun I have," The child said disappearing again. "Not to mention that sword is really picky about their owner. Now, let's begin!"
The child's voice went silent and a melody started playing on the distance. A playful tune that seemed to fill the forest with life. The moon's light filled the place with a blue pale light. Leaves fell from the trees creating big shadows that diminished the closer the got to the ground. A truly haunting and somewhat mysterious sight. 'This is a rather nice vision. Well done.'
"Let's go, wolf," Nightmare said stepping forth, only to be stopped by the beast. "What?" The wolf laid down on his belly, looked at her then at its back. The gesture repeated a few times. "We don't have time to pet you." The wolf continued to gesture without moving away. Nightmare let out a sigh and walked around the creature, she took a few steps before something walked in between her legs and lifted her off the ground.
"W-w-w-w-what?!" she exclaimed, tightening her grip on his fur as hard as she could and laying on the wolf's back. He started running through the forest.
"Y-you wanted me to ride on your back?" The wolf didn't respond, he just kept running through the forest. The wolf started to make turns through the thick woods, Nightmare could hear the trumpet getting louder and louder as he ran. Out of nowhere, a group of creatures that looked like they were made out of wood appeared.
The wolf leaped on one and tackled it wot the ground, ripping off its head. However, as he did it the wolf let itself exposed to the other creatures. Using her magic and her sword Nightmare attacked the creatures, defending the wolf. The creatures were cut down easily and the wolf started to run again. The running around kept going for some time. The sound of the trumpet got louder only to get further away each time the creatures appeared.
The process repeated as the scenery changed from a forest to what looked like the ruins of a big church.
"You win!" Skull Kid's voice echoed through the place. "Not bad mister wolf. The place you look for is right over there. Move the stone grumps to their respective spots and you'll reach the sword."
"What do you-" Nightmare was cut off because the wolf started to run again, making her almost lose her balance. 'He must know what the child meant.'
The creature took her to a big hall with two statues, each holding a big stone hammer, sitting on each side of a closed door. The statues had carvings on them, but they had a bit of damage due to the elements. The wolf walked up to the door and stopped on top of a weird symbol on the floor. The two statues started to move, a blue glow coming from them. The floor around them started to shine with powerful light causing Nightmare to shield her eyes before she was blinded. Opening her eyes again she saw that the once solid floor was now a bunch of platforms. The two statues fell out of the sky and landed, one in front of them and behind.
"Guide us back to our original spots," One of the statues spoke. "And we shall open the path towards the blade you seek."
'Talk about keeping the thing safe. Or are all these trials set up for candidates to wield the blade?'
Nightmare held on tight to the wolf as he hopped around the place. The statues mirroring his movements, it took some time, but the statues were finally back to their original places. Once there, they raised their hammers and hit the ground. The light came forth once again and the room shifted back to normal and the door opened. The wolf went through the door and walked up the step. In the center of the room, a pedestal with a blade untouched by time rested.
The wolf sat on his belly again and Nightmare got off him, she then watched him step closer to the weapon. The blade started to glow and a gale started to come from the sword, but he kept moving forward. Once he was close enough to the pedestal the light coming from the sword became more intense. Covering her eyes Nightmare felt the wind getting stronger as well. Suddenly it stopped. Opening her eyes she saw the fog creature again, he bowed before the blade and spoke. "Thank you for removing the curse."
'Is he talking to the blade?' Nightmare thought, looking at the scene.
"I shall take my leave since I do not wield the required traits to use you." The Creature started turning around when the blade seemed to make some sort of sound. "The hero chosen by the gods will come, I just needed to be purified. Thank you." The same sound came from the sword.
'It's talking?'
"What power? A cleansing light? I don't-?!" A beam of light reflected on the blade's surface straight into the Creature's chest. "That's what you meant? I see, thank you. And don't worry, your master shall return for you." He bowed again before leaving.
The room started to shift and pretty soon the place went from an abandoned temple bathed in the moonlight to a black and white room.
"So, what did you think?" The Creature asked Nightmare.
"That was a beautiful ride under the moonlight," Nightmare replied with a smirk. "Although, I'm pretty sure that when males ask females to 'ride' them. They don't mean the way you did."
"W-well sorry," the figure replied, "but that sort of thing is only for when beings are in an intimate relationship. But I can give you a ride now."
"W-what?" She asked. Nightmare felt sweat rolling down her face as the fog creature got closer. "W-what are you doing?" No response, he got closer. Nightmare backed up to a wall, the creature still quiet and moving towards her. His eyes locked on hers, she closed her eyes turning her face to the side. Suddenly she felt her face being licked. Opening her eyes she saw the wolf standing before her, he sat down shaking its tail frantically. "Y-y-y-y-you b-blasted wolf! I'm going to-"
The room faded and Nightmare found herself back in the moon. 'That idiotic wolf. I fell for his tricks again!'
Chapter 27: Life moves, regardless of the participants
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique. How may I help you, Ms. Mayor?" The mayor heard shortly after entering the store.
"I'm looking for some new clothes," she replied browsing the dresses and accessories. She remembered when there were only two mannequins here. Now, the place looked like a more store than just a workshop. "Maybe get one accessory."
"Very well, dear," Rarity said with a smile, "step inside there so I can take your measurements," she continued, pointing to a dressing room. The mayor followed the request and entered the place, looking at it now and comparing to the original appearance, you probably wouldn't believe that it was originally a storage filled with trash and construction material. The deteriorated walls were completely redone and painted. The rotten door that led to the room was replaced by beautifully decorated curtains.
'Rarity sure is a miracle worker, when she puts her mind into it,' Mayor Mare thought. The place had abandoned up until the end of the last year, all windows were broken, the doors falling apart, yet here it was, a neatly decorated store managed by a mare with a considerably big dream.
Rarity entered the room, she started to take the Mayor's measurements. "Ms. Mayor has there been any news from Canterlot? Regarding Arden that is," Rarity asked while running the measurement tape through the Mayor's body and using her magic to write down the values.
"Not that I'm aware of. The only thing we know is that we've been receiving more and more visitors asking about him this past couple of weeks. Just like Bon Bon alerted us through Lyra's letters. Good news is that a photographer moved in though." The Mayor replied.
"Really who is it?" Rarity asked with a small tone of excitement to her voice.
"I believe her name was Photo Finish," Mayor Mare said before she started to scratch her chin. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't she that new photographer that is starting to make a name to herself back in Canterlot?"
"Indeed she is," Rarity said walking away, "some small magazines are filled with pictures made by her. I believe she even got interviewed by one of them due to how much spotlight was brought to the magazines where her pictures were published," Rarity continued gesturing to the Mayor to follow her.
"Really? Makes you wonder why she would leave one of the biggest cities for our humble little town."
"That is true. Maybe she is trying to look for new scenarios," Rarity said sitting by her side with a sketchbook, "Can you stand over there dear?"
Mayor Mare nodded and stood up on a small platform with a lot of mirrors on the back wall and struck a pose. "I guess that means more spotlight to our little town as well. Which in turn can bring more revenue when ponies come by to visit or try to take a photoshoot in her studio. Speaking of bits, how are things going here?"
"After that little performance Arden pulled in his first day of work, I got plenty of my works out and about," Rarity replied while her eyes darted from the Mayor to the sketchbook, "Which made more customers come by. And with the ponies coming here to ask about dirt on Arden I managed to sell some items, mostly accessories, but I've been receiving some mail requesting for accessories and photos sampling my works."
"You certainly got pretty far in a fairly short time, it's quite remarkable."
"Thank you, dear," Rarity replied with a smile, then Mayor Mare saw her wide eyes. She had seen Rarity getting wide-eyed like that, whenever that happened it meant one thing, inspiration. The Mayor watched Rarity's hand dart through the paper, her eyes were glued to the sketchbook.
"Here!" Rarity exclaimed showing the sketch of a full set of winter clothes, once again the seamstress showed what she could do once her mind was into it.
"These are beautiful," Mayor Mare said looking at the designs, "when can I come by to get them?" She asked handing the book back.
"Given my current schedule...I believe I would have them ready by next week. You'll have something stunning to wear at your Heartwarming Eve when it comes by in a few weeks. Already found the presents for your friends?"
"Already had them prepared. I believe leaving things to the last minute only makes unnecessary problems. What about you?"
"I make my own presents so I got it covered, dear," Rarity replied.
"Have you found somepony to spend the holidays with?" The Mayor asked with a small smirk. She knew the mare since she was little, and she knew Rarity was a helpless romantic and very shy about the subject. The reaction she got was priceless.
"Don't worry, I'm just kidding," The Mayor said chuckling at the pouting red marshmallow. "You won't hold it against me having a little fun, will you?"
Rarity let out a sigh and smiled giving the mayor a wink. "No worries, but expect a little payback."
The Mayor left the store and headed out to the street placing her hand in her pockets. "If you need anything, you know where to find me, okay?"
"Of course. Have a nice day dear."
(Another day at another time)
"Are you sure about this Twilight? What if this goes wrong?" Spike asked her. Twilight finished reading the instructions for a mix of spells she came up with and started to charge up her magic.
"It's okay Spike," Twilight replied rolling her eyes and giving him a reassuring smile, "It's a simple animation spell. If this works, you'll have a little dragon friend to play with."
Animating a doll, that was the solution Twilight managed to come up with. The conversation with Lyra when she came to ask about the missing bits of research made Twilight think. 'He is alone most of the time, seeing the city from the library's window. A friend to play with would certainly be good for him, however...none of the nobles will allow him to be out and about without me. I can't be around all the time. But a little automaton...'
"But I'm okay just playing with you," He said pulling her skirt to get her attention, which earned him a pat on his head and a smile, "And a moving doll is scary. Playing with you, even if it is only once in a while, is way better than any doll you make. I don't mind being alone from time to time."
"It won't be just a moving doll. I'm imprinting a personality and giving it the ability to speak." 'Also giving it a directory to prevent you from getting into trouble. And to keep you safe, and obey my commands. And a shutdown word. And basically, any directory to prevent it from becoming a sentient machine with free will. With all these precautions nothing can go south.'
"Whose personality's are you giving it?" Spike asked poking the doll with no defined features, it was just a sack with arms and legs Twilight made by herself that was filled with stuffing. "And how can you say this looks like a dragon?"
"The spell will give it shape."
"Why does it have to be a dragon?" Spike asked staring at the doll.
"What would you like it to be?" Twilight asked raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, do you know somepony nice that I could play with?" Twilight stopped to build up her magic and scratched her chin.
Not being the most social of ponies, the first ponies that came to her mind were: her brother and Celestia. The second option was out of the question, the first one was even worse. 'A second captain appearing out of nowhere? A second princess? That is a big no, no.' Twilight thought, any known pony was a bad option.
If another version of a pony was out and about, there would be panic and Twilight would be scolded like there is no tomorrow. And creating a pony, they would be questioned the moment the guards saw them, not to mention all the misunderstandings that could cause. Limiting it to the library, having it hide and play dead whenever there was a visit and done, problem solved. But ponies would ask why she has a huge doll like that stored away.
'Maybe it was best to save that experiment for another day. For when I figure this out.'
"Okay, Spike," Twilight said picking up the heavy doll and storing it away, "we'll figure this one out later, okay?" She saw the little guy let out a sigh of relief. Twilight frowned at him. "What was that mister? Don't you trust my magic?"
"When you're dealing with regular spells? I trust you completely. When it's one of your crazy mixes for spells or potions? I'm running to a bunker." Twilight pouted at the remark. "What? Don't you remember the thing with the 'healing potion' you exploded painting Celestia blue?" Twilight felt embarrassment with the memory, but she couldn't deny she was laughing a bit inside when it happened.
"I see," Twilight said prancing away after remembering something else she could do. "In that case, I'll be doing some old-fashioned magic."
"You snuck another book of spells from Celestia's library into your bag, didn't you?" Spike asked frowning at her, crossing his arms. "Wasn't the 'small' 'cleaning' beam incident enough? I'm pretty sure they are still fixing the wall you erased by accident."
"That was different," Twilight replied pouting. "I was using a very advanced spell. From an extremely complex book. This is a book only one year ahead of me. So I'm good."
Twilight picked up the book from inside her trusty bag. "It's about debilitating spells."
"I'm heading over to my corner and I'll surround myself with objects to block the spell," Spike said turning around after letting out a sigh, "Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Oh, hush you," Twilight said rolling her eyes and opening the book. She started to scan the entire table of contents, then Twilight found one she thought she could perform. The simplest of area spells, it caused partial loss of sight decreasing the target's accuracy.
"The sight of one lost in the dark. The sight of all, who lost their mark. Blind eyes all around. Making evading a breeze to those walking about..." Twilight continued to read the spell out loud. Without her noticing it Twilight's horn started to glow and build up magic as she continued to read. Then she started to imitate the gesture depicted by the book with her free hand, Twilight was too engrossed in her reading to notice the magic that shot out of her fingers. The spell rebounded on multiple surfaces.
The beam left the room and reached the training grounds for the royal guard, which wasn't very far away. It took a few seconds, but a commotion started to build up.
'What is all that noise? Can't this guards train...in...silence...' Twilight train of thought was stopped once she realized what she was hearing.
"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!"
"MY LEG! SOMEPONY GOT MY LEG!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"WILHELM! NOOOOOOOOOO! WILHELM IS DOWN!"
"WHERE IS THE ATTACKER?!"
"PROTECT THE PRINCESS!"
"SOMEPONY JUST FELL FROM THE THRONE ROOM!"
"ASSASSINS! ASSASSINS!"
Twilight looked out her window, she saw the guards running around. Some of them covering their eyes, others trying to remove some invisible smokescreen. Looking up, Twilight saw the throne room, the window was broken. Inside she saw the princess being tackled while somepony screamed. Twilight heard somepony cleaning their throat behind her, turning around she saw Spike staring at her, deep frown, tapping his feet, and arms crossed.
"I told you."
Twilight started to scratch the back of her head while letting out an embarrassed giggle. "Hehe...It won't get any worse than this,"
"THE TOWN AND CASTLE ARE IN LOCKDOWN! NOPONY ENTERS OR LEAVES UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED! PRIVATE! GET BEHIND COVER! EVERYPONY TO ARMS! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" That was Shining Armor's voice.
Twilight's eyes started to twitch. "I-It won't escalate more than this."
"ARREST ANY SUSPICIOUS LOOKING UNICORN WITHIN THE CASTLE PERIMETER! GET THE ROYAL WIZARDS HERE TO CAST A COUNTERSPELL! ALL PEGASUS TAKE POSITION AROUND THE WALLS! THE FASTEST FLYERS STAND BY THE THRONE ROOM WINDOWS! EARTH PONY BATTALION GET INSIDE THE THRONE ROOM NOW! UNICORN PLATOON, I WANT THREE UNICORNS SUPPORTING EACH FLYER TEAM AND EARTH SOLDIER TEAM!"
Twilight was starting to panic and run out of excuses. "N-nothing bad will happen, t-they will lift this very soon."
"GET THE TRACERS HERE! THE LOCKDOWN WON'T BE LIFTED UNTIL WE FIND THE SOURCE AND ARREST THESE ATTACKERS!"
Twilight's mind went blank. Her entire body froze up for a couple of seconds, Twilight suddenly got back from her shock and tossed the book to the side. She ran up to her room carrying Spike, locked the door, built a fort using her magic and all the books she had in her room, and barricaded herself inside.
"Twilight, are you okay?" Spike asked. Twilight just curled herself into a fetal position and started repeating phrases to herself.
"The spell is going to wear out soon. The spell is going o wear out soon. I'm not a bad student. I'm not a bad student. It was just an accident. It was just an accident. I won't be banished. I won't be banished..." Twilight stopped making sense at this point, she could only say a bunch of random noises in between laughs.
"And we lost her. I guess we will have another memorial." Spike said while leaving the fort through the front door.
Twilight kept to her panic attack for a little while, until a familiar sight came into view. An old doll Twilight always hugged whenever she felt anxiety beyond what she could deal with or was afraid far beyond her limit, Smarty Pants. The doll started to move around.
"Come on Twilight," A high pitched voice came from the doll while it moved around, a pair of purple claws were holding it and moving it around. "It was an accident, you'll be okay. So, don't worry! Explain to the princess and apologize," Twilight reached for the little doll and hugged it. After a few seconds, Twilight got up and dried up some tears that formed while in the panic.
"Thanks, Spike," Twilight said pulling him in to hug the little guy into a hug. "I'm a magical mess, aren't I?"
"If it wasn't for you being so good with magic I wouldn't be here," Spike replied hugging her back. "So, I don't care if you make mistakes from time to time because you're excited. That's just who you are Twilight. And I bet that's the reason why the princess chose you," Twilight let out a little smile, then she let out a big sigh. "You know you have to tell the princess, right?"
"That doesn't mean that I have to look forward to it," Twilight replied summoning her quill and paper. 'Now to undo this mess.'
(Time continues to flow, life moves on)
"Aloe, any appointments today?" Lotus spoke while reading the newspaper. The main story being covered had a picture of a white-coated model with pink mane having dinner with some noble unicorn. 'Times of relative peace result in the not interesting news I guess.' There were some adds asking for information on a specific individual, Lotus huffed at the adds. 'Stupid nobles. These stupid adds bring nothing but trouble. Private investigators my flank, those mares and stallions are just a bunch of troublemakers.'
"With the low temperatures, we don't have as much as we are used to," Aloe replied placing a coffee mug in front of her. "Fluttershy did make a reservation for a full service along with Rarity yesterday," Lotus placed the newspaper down and took a sip of the coffee.
"She only came here for a manicure before," Lotus said after placing the mug down. "Your coffee is still the best. But...Fluttershy making a reservation?"
"Rainbow Dash was with her."
"Oh, in that case, it's normal. If she had come alone to do it it would be weird," Lotus concluded. "Anything else?"
"I managed to get the new photographer in town to make some shots of our spa," Aloe started, picking up her teacup and blowing it a bit before taking a sip. "She will be coming at a later date. This ought to bring more customers."
"You been very busy these past few days haven't you?"
"You have been taking care of most of our customers on your own while I was taking a bit of rest," Aloe said looking at her hand.
"It's not your fault that dumbass made you hurt your hands," Lotus reassured her. "We didn't even know the stallion they were looking for but the mare kept putting pressure on you, we were away when he was in town. If it was me I would have kicked her out." Lotus continued taking Aloe's hands and seeing the marks on them.
Aloe was holding a glass bottle with some of their oil for the massages when the mare started to put pressure on her. From what Aloe told Lotus, she started to get scared with the interrogation and the mare's yelling. Which resulted in Aloe crushing the bottle and cutting herself, hence why she was away from work for a few days.
"We got to thank Walkyre Heart for intervening. Maybe a special course for her and her partner?" Lotus suggested taking another sip. "Not only for that but also for keeping the usual troublemakers in check, they are doing a way better job than the previous guards," Lotus continued, then she finished the coffee and placed the mug back o the table.
"Are we going to decorate the place for Heartwarming Eve?" Aloe asked.
"Of course we are. It's one of the best holidays! Passing a rain check for it is just wrong." Lotus replied with a smile. getting on her hooves she picked up the mug and the empty teacup. Then Lotus headed to the kitchen.
"Already got your presents set up?" Lotus heard while cleaning the two cups.
"Pretty much, how about you?"
"Got them all prepped up," Aloe replied. Turning around Lotus saw her standing by the doorway. "Are we going to invite somepony?"
"Do you have somepony to invite? Because right now, I don't have anypony in mind." Lotus replied drying her hands.
"We could invite Rarity and her little sister, those two usually celebrate by themselves," Aloe suggested. "She is a relatively constant client."
"That's a possibility," Lotus said tossing the towel aside, she then looked up at the clock. "Let's get to work, we can discuss holiday plans later sis."
Putting on their uniforms Lotus and Aloe went to work. First, set up the massage beds. Then prepare the sauna, switch towels, set up the hot baths, prepare the mud baths, clean up the manicure and pedicure equipment. Select the products they would offer their clients. Nothing short of a mini-marathon with the time they had, Lotus was adapted to this little routine. They had been running that spa for a while now, but only recently it started to pay the expenses they had to open it. So, other employees were still out of the picture.
Then the clients started to come by, nothing but small talk and uninteresting subjects were actually starting to annoy Lotus. But she ignored it, most ponies liked to talk as a way to relax. Which usually made them feel even better at the end of their appointments, resulting in them coming back again. Not to mention that from time to time an interesting topic would come by.
"It's a pleasure to have you two here again," Lotus greeted while Aloe helped them with their coats, "Ms. Rarity and Ms. Fluttershy, please follow me so we can begin your spa day," she continued gesturing for them to follow. "Where would you like to begin?"
"How about a hot bath? To take the chill off our bones," Rarity suggested, Lotus didn't hear Fluttershy's response, but given Rarity's reaction, it was a positive one.
"Very well, the bath is ready," Lotus replied showing the changing rooms. "Please change in there and lock your things in one of the lockers."
"You can be more relaxed, Lotus," Rarity said entering the changing rooms, "we come here a bit often so no need to explain all the procedures." Fluttershy nodded in agreement while fidgeting.
"Will do Ms. Rarity," Lotus replied
After they returned not much conversation ensued, they just bathed in the hot tub for a bit before heading out and requesting a massage. This was the part both her and Aloe were most proud of, showing their places Lotus positioned herself by Rarity's side while Aloe was placed herself by Fluttershy's side. After beginning the massage, it was time to begin some small talk.
"Ms. Rarity, how are things going with your shop?"
"Things are going neatly, dear. There have been some requests, mainly for my accessories. But it keeps things going. I'm more concerned with Aloe, how are you doing, dear? Do the wounds still hurt?"
"No Ms. Rarity," Aloe replied, "I had plenty of time to rest, so I'm okay now."
"That is good to hear. Anything interesting happening here?"
"We are having a publicity photo shoot of our spa at a later date," Lotus replied, "other than that, nothing much. How are you animals doing Ms. Fluttershy?"
"M-most of them are hibernating. S-so, nothing very interesting. S-sorry."
"No need to apologize, dear," Aloe reassured her, "any idea as to why there are so many visitors coming by asking for that stallion we don't know?"
"Are you okay Ms. Rarity? Did I hit a spot? You winced for a moment," Lotus inquired, all the manual work Rarity did and the stress with running a new business was no stranger to Lotus, therefore her body was usually tense. But the seamstress never reacted like that during any of their massages, she was so easy to work with that a change like that was very noticeable.
"I-I'm okay, I just have been a bit more s-stressed recently," Rarity replied.
"Are you sure dear?" Lotus asked a bit concerned. "You're stuttering. Did I put too much pressure?"
"No, no. It's fine." Lotus looked at Aloe and raised an eyebrow.
'Better not to pry.' "Ms. Rarity, Ms. Fluttershy, do you have plans for your Heartwarming Eve? My sister and I were wondering if you would like to come by during the holiday to eat something and maybe talk for a bit?" Lotus asked while applying more oil to Rarity's back.
"I don't believe I have any plans, after my parent's visit that is," Rarity replied. "But I can't leave Sweetie alone once they go to work again."
"Working on Heartwarming Eve again?" Aloe asked. Rarity nodded. "Not a problem, bring her along. Your little sister is adorable. And I bet she would enjoy something a bit different during Heartwarming."
"In that case, I'll take you up on your offer," Rarity replied. "What about you, Fluttershy?"
"I-I have plans w-with Rainbow Dash to go with her to Clouds Dale. S-sorry."
"No worries Ms. Fluttershy," Lotus said placing her hands inside a water bowl they used to take off the oil from their hands. Each one of them had one as to not mix up anything or use dirty water. "Do you want to proceed to something else?"
"I'll go for the mud baths. What about you Fluttershy?"
"I-I'll accompany you."
After that, there wasn't much to talk about, just the usual boring gossip on the paper. Once Lotus and her sister were through, they said their farewells and closed up the store. After going to the part of the building where their living quarters were, they had dinner and went to sleep.
'Just another peaceful day I guess. Luckily there weren't any of those stupid investigators here to cause trouble today. Why so much ruckus over a random guy? Meh, time moves on regardless. So this will eventually die down. I just hope it happens soon.' Lotus thought while changing her pajamas. 'Let's just live one day at the time. Life moves on regardless of the participants, so spending too much time worrying means less time seeing the world change and you changing with it.'
"Okay?" Arden replied tilting his head once Nightmare was back on her hooves. "I know I didn't give you my name, so I don't mind that. My question is regarding your voice." Arden continued, his remark made Nightmare look away for a moment. "It sounded more high-pitched."
"W-we, I-I, don't know what you're talking about. Answer our, MY, question, peasant." Now Nightmare's voice sounded forced, it was definitely the right pitch, but her tone was all over the place. The mannerisms were on point but everything else was a mess.
'What is going on here...no. This can't be...' Arden thought, looking a bit harder at Nightmare he didn't see any of the traces of when Luna was listening in or watching over.
"I thought you would have got the gist of this place by now," Arden said in a mocking tone. Nightmare frowned at him, he chuckled. "I don't know where we are going until we get there."
"What's the point of travel when you don't know the destination?"
'What is up with those questions? She's usually more excited, now she looks...unsure, a bit afraid? She is definitely out of the loop today.'
"That is usually the most exciting part of this little sessions. Not knowing what we will face next." Arden said going to the door and opening it. "Ladies first." Arden gestured her to proceed. Nightmare looked at him with a smile and walked by him with her head held high.
"At least you are a gentlecolt," She said as she passed by him. "That attitude is more suitable towards us, me! I meant 'me'."
"Riiiiight," Arden said closing the door. "Any questions about the previous room?" 'She is getting a tad nervous...why? Am I scaring her?' "Are you okay?" he asked opening the next door, "You look nervous. Is something bothering you?" Arden continued looking back at Nightmare. She appeared to be sweating a little, her body seemed to tense up, and her eyes were wide open. 'Okay, better drop it. Too much pressure won't get answers.'
"You don't need to answer if you don't feel comfortable about it," Arden said as Nightmare passed by him with haste.
"G-good! As your queen, we should not have to answer your inquiries!" Nightmare answered without looking at him. "And as long as I am not turned into a small fairy and have to hide inside your stupid hat. We will be content."
''We', 'I'. Are you going to decide if you're talking in the plural or singular anytime soon?' Arden thought. "You were adorable as a fairy. Even if you wouldn't stop yelling 'HEY! LISTEN!'. And I will be glad if I stay away from any water temples from now on." Arden shivered at the thought of going through another one of those. He looked back at Nightmare and saw that at least her reaction to that was the same. "That was a compliment, let's keep going. I rather not meet that guy from a few weeks ago."
"Why not face that reaper?" Nightmare asked. "There is no way one creature can withstand the power of a Goddess."
'Okay, this is getting dangerous.' "I outwitted you and made you leave. That thing is a product of my head, therefore, it can probably beat you too. Especially since that guy basically can cause someone to despair to the point of killing themselves," Arden argued. Nightmare glared daggers at him, with a bit more of aggression than usual. 'Am I dealing with Nightmare?'
"V-very well," She huffed, taking the lead and passing through the doors. Arden followed until they reached the door to the newest room. She grabbed the doorknob and tried to open it, Arden watched her jerk the door. 'Yup this is somepony else.'
"Did you hit your head?" Arden asked, earning more daggers being aimed at him. "We already figured out that only I can open to the next trial. Did you forget that? You pouted the entire session after you discovered you had to wait for me to open the new door." 'Nightmare' looked away huffing. 'She is less mature, true that she is like a little kid when she hears a story. But that's it, after that she is back to her 'Royal Highness' attitude. Right now she is acting like a child full time. Impatient, happy to see something new, angry because she can't do everything her way.'
"Well?" Arden heard while Nightmare was looking away. "Open the door, we wish to see what awaits us," Arden rolled his eyes.
'This ought to be interesting.' Arden thought, grabbing the doorknob and opening the door. Nightmare ran inside, Arden shrugged and headed inside. Which resulted in him faceplanting into a metal door, Arden took a step back and hit another wall. Looking around he saw a digital display with a lot of buttons and numbers increasing. 'Elevator. Now, where are you taking me? Please, don't let it be a room filled with people trying to kill me.'
A 'ding' sounded and the door opened in front of him. "Negotiator on site." Arden felt a chill run down his spine, stepping out he saw a shattered aquarium. A colorful fish on the ground, Arden picked it up and placed it back on the aquarium. Looking to the opposite side he saw a picture of a family on top of a table, Arden began to feel a bit sick. A few steps forward and a woman appeared accompanied by a what looked like a soldier.
"Please! Please, you got to...what, what are you sending in?! Why aren't you sending in a real person?!" The woman said, tears rolling out of her eyes. The soldier began to take her away. "No! No! You need to save my daughter! You can't send that! Please, someone please save my daughter!"
'God, of all the places. It had to be this one, hadn't it?!' Arden cursed while heading further inside. The sound of a gun being fired made him wince.
"ALL OF YOU STAND BACK OR I'LL JUMP! I die, she dies!" Arden knew that voice, it was a fairly recent thing so it was fresh on his memory. He failed so badly at this thing.
'Please let 'Nightmare' be the one in charge,' He thought. Heading into the room he saw the swat officer talking to a soldier using a computer. Arden knew the line and what he was supposed to do there. "Hello, Captain Allen. My name is Arden Sila. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife."
"What is going on outside?" He asked the soldier on the computer, completely ignoring Arden.
"Do you know the deviant's name?" Arden asked, he already expected the lack of an answer. "Do you know if he experienced any sort of emotional trauma?" The captain let out a grunt before saying anything.
"Why would that even matter?" The captain replied turning to face Arden, he pushed Arden to the side and walked off. "That thing already took two of my men down. If you don't solve this I will!"
'Ok, don't rush this. Be quick, but don't overlook possible clues.' Arden thought looking around.
First, a briefcase that appeared to be for holding a gun, which was missing, no ammo on the ground and some of it was missing from the ammo box. The wardrobe was open. 'That gun belonged to either the father or the mother. The target took it. And judging the fact that there is no ammo lost here. He had time to do it, therefore, the family was too busy to notice.'
Arden got back up and left the room, back to the main hall another shot was fired. Arden winced, that's when he saw the room of what looked like it belonged to a child. He stepped inside as quickly as he could, Arden looked around and saw a set of headphones. Arden got them and heard it playing. 'I remember someone shot on the ground at the living room. With this on her head, the kid wouldn't hear the shots.'
Placing it back, Arden looked around and saw a tablet on top of the desk. The symbol on its surface indicated to be an audio or a video file. Arden pressed the symbol and it started to play. "This is Daniel, he is the best android in the world. Say 'hi', Daniel." Arden paused the video, the android's face was clear on the video, but the girl's face wasn't. 'The guy's name is Daniel. He might be attached to the girl.'
Arden went to the living room, a male was shot three times on the torso. This part he remembered analyzing the game, the father was shot while looking at something that fell after he collapsed on the table. Arden looked at the place where he knew the object had landed. 'He was going to replace Daniel. This is a probable cause.' He placed the tablet back and went to the other corpse he knew was there.
'The first officer to arrive on the scene. Shot a few times. Casings by his side and blue blood on the wall. The officer shot at Daniel and was killed.' Arden thought, then he saw a lost shoe on the floor. He picked it up and saw red blood underneath it. 'Alright, the child might be wounded.' Arden placed it down and got back up, almost losing his footing he felt he had stepped on something. Arden looked down and saw a gun. He ignored it and went outside, being greeted by a shot that bruised his left arm.
'Shit! Not fog tricks here either.' Arden thought, looking at the missing part of him that was splattered at the wall. He looked forward and saw something that made his heart freeze. The android was holding Nightmare, the gun was pointed straight at her head. 'As if the situation wasn't bad enough! I need...I need...' Arden couldn't finish his train of thought. His mind went into a blank, he remembered how he played. That's what Arden didn't want, to end up with a bullet between his eyes. He also didn't want to leave Nightmare like this. He had to change the outcome, he had to use the one thing that was his strong suit. The one thing he was always avoiding.
'I won't lose.'
"STAND BACK! OR I'LL JUMP!"
'Yes. Focus on me, you're angry and scared. I am your target, not her.'
"DO SOMETHING!"
'Shut up! Okay, watch your tone, you need to be calm. If he sees that I'm on the edge he might try to play me or he might jump.'
"It's okay Daniel."
"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!"
'Okay, now he knows I'm somewhat aware of who he is. I need to earn his trust now. I need to empathize with him.'
"I know a lot of things about you! My name is Arden Sila! I came here to get you out of this!" Arden shouted as a helicopter passed behind Daniel and hovered around the place. He was slowly walking towards the two since Daniel was distracted by the helicopter he managed to make some ground. "I'm an android. Just like you. I understand how you're feeling."
"WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE IF YOU'RE ANDROID?! YOU'RE ON THEIR SIDE! YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW I'M FEELING!"
"ARE YOU ARMED?!"
'Having a gun could be a last minute resort, but if he figures out I was armed he will shoot me.
"I don't have a gun!"
"Y-YOU'RE LYING! I KNOW YOU HAVE A GUN!"
'He thinks I'm like the other androids.
"I'm telling you the truth. I don't have a gun. I came here unarmed." Arden replied. "I know that you and Nightmare were very close. You think she betrayed you, but she's down nothing wrong."
"SHE LIED TO ME! I THOUGHT SHE LOVED ME...But I was wrong....she is just like the other humans."
"PLEASE HELP ME!"
'SHUT UP! Okay, he needs to know that I'm aware of what caused this. That I'm aware of his train of thought.'
"They were going to replace you and you became upset. That's what happened right?"
"I thought I was part of the family...I thought I mattered...But I was just a tool. Something to throw away when you're done with..."
Looking around he saw the corpse of an officer inside a pool. Closer to Arden there was another police officer on the ground, but this one was alive and bleeding. Arden slowly kneeled down and checked the officer. 'Bullet wound, passed through the arm. Too much blood, bright red, pulsating probably hit an artery.' "This man is bleeding, if we don't do something he is going to die."
"All humans die eventually. Why would it matter if this one dies here?"
'And yet here you are! Claiming to be alive. He is just like you! No, he is angry and confused. I still need to calm him down.'
"I'm going to apply a tourniquet!" A warning shot was made almost hitting Arden's hand.
"DON'T TOUCH HIM OR I'LL SHOOT!"
'This guy is armed, Daniel might think I'm trying to get a weapon.'
"Okay," Arden said getting up slowly. Daniel pointed the weapon at Nightmare's head.
'Damn it. I have to make him point it at me. If I show sympathy while moving towards him he might focus more on me and less on Nightmare.'
"I know this is not your fault. The emotions you're feeling are errors in the programming." Arden said slowly walking towards the two. Arden kept his arms up showing he had no intention of fighting.
"No...It's not my fault. I never wanted this" Daniel replied still pointing the gun at Nightmare's head. "I loved them...you know? But I was nothing to them...just a slave to be ordered around..." Daniel's expression shifted, he stopped looking at Arden and pushed the gun against Nightmare's head. She closed her eyes, the helicopter began to get closer. "Urggggh...I can't stand that noise anymore!" He said pointing the gun at Arden. "Tell them to go away!"
'He is on the edge and I'm not close enough. But I get any closer he will shoot. Time to play by his rules.' Arden gestured to the helicopter, ordering them to leave.
"There, I did what you wanted," Arden replied. 'He needs to trust me. I need to reach out if he doesn't listen He will probably jump. Or the SWAT is going to put a bullet on him.' "You have to trust me, Daniel. Let her go and I promise you, you can leave here unharmed. Everything will be fine, and all of us get to live."
"I-I...I want a car. And everyone to leave. Once I'm outside the city I'll let her go." Daniel replied, his expression shifting alongside his tone. The gun still pointed straight at Nightmare's head. 'I'm not close enough to reach her. I can't promise that. I don't have a gun. I need to turn this around.'
Arden looked at Nightmare, she had her eyes wide open, they were locked on his. Tears were rolling down her face, the makeup she was wearing ruined. Her eyes had a tinge of red due to the crying, she was scared out of her mind. Daniel was calming down, he just needed one last push and everything would be fine.
"That is not possible Daniel. Let her go and I promise you, you will be okay."
"I don't want to die." 'He is almost back to his senses, I just need to reassure him that we are on the same terms. And that he will be okay.'
"No one is going to die here," Arden said, focusing his gaze on Daniel's eyes. "You won't die, we are just going to talk."
Daniel placed the gun on Nightmare's head one more time, his grip seemed to be tightening, and his finger looked like he was about to pull the trigger. He continued to move his finger until he lowered the weapon and let go of Nightmare, who was in such a panic that her legs didn't seem to work. She fell to the ground and scrambled away from Daniel while Arden walked closer to Daniel offering his hand. The android dropped the gun and reached for Arden's hand.
'Okay, it's all over. Both of them are safe.' Arden extended his hand.
A shot was fired.
And another.
And another.
Arden stood in shock as the android was mauled by three shots. One at his abdomen, spilling synthetic blood and flesh over the android's clothes and on the ground. Another one on his right shoulder, making him bend forward and allowing Arden to see the wires and inner joints of the being. And one shot at the left side of Daniel's jaw, the blue blood flew through the air as Daniel fell forward on his knees. His white clothes stained in blue as Daniel raised his eyes up to Arden who wouldn't dare to move.
"You lied to me Arden," Daniel said looking straight at him, his voice starting to be distorted. "You lied to me..." He repeated with a more robotic voice that grew deeper as he struggled to say each word. And then Daniel stopped, that last moment of despair and sadness stayed in his face while his eyes grew darker. The SWAT team entered and Arden looked at Nightmare. The room started to shift and soon Arden found himself back in the familiar rooms of his mind. His little safe haven from the madness.
Arden stood still for a long period of time. He had done it. He survived the scene that when he first tried it ended up with him being shot after a few steps towards the android. But that's not what was on his thoughts, it was the look on the android's face when he died. Arden had used his ability to trick him, to make him give up his shield, his one chance to survive. 'I doomed him. I played him like a puppet.'
Suddenly Arden felt something warm on his torso, he looked down and saw Nightmare burying her face on his chest while she continued to cry.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Arden placed one of his hands on top of her head and gently stroked her mane. 'She was terrified. She still is. But I saved her.' Arden thought. That's when another memory ran through his mind, the image of the pony form appeared. His words echoed in Arden's head:
'I can save. I can doom.'
'So, I can save someone, but it doesn't mean that I can save everyone. Not every situation has a completely happy ending.'
"H-how?" Arden heard as the warm feeling on his chest disappeared. "How did you do that?" Looking at Nightmare, he saw her drying her tears as she stared at him.
"What do you mean?"
"How did you managed to make him let us go free?"
"I did what I'm best at. But repressed it most of my life," Arden replied.
"And that is?"
"The same thing that told me that you're not Nightmare," Arden replied, earning a surprised look from the impostor. "Am I on the right track, Luna?" Arden took a shot in the dark and was hoping he hit his mark.
"H-how? It's her body. It's her voice." Luna replied, confirming Arden's suspicion. "How can you tell the difference? How did you know I was Luna?" Arden extended his arm and pat her on the head before he walked away.
"Because you might have everything in place to mimic her. But you can't impersonate how she felt every time she was here. You can change your appearance and your voice, but how you react to everything that's around you, including reactions to the responses you get from others. The emotions you bring forth, and sensing how others react. That's my strong suit."
"I don't understand."
"There is no need to," Arden answered turning away as he saw the world dissolving. "Tell Nightmare I said hi."
The room disappeared, Arden woke up and the first thing he saw was Zecora. She appeared to be a bit scared of something, probably something happened while he was in trance.
'That's a pleasant sight, too bad the frown doesn't suit her. She looks way better when she is happy. I wonder...
When he was a human, he always had problems reading others feelings towards himself. Even here Arden was never sure. Insecurity? Doubt? Low self-esteem? Maybe all of them were to blame, maybe none. The point was: with every day that went by, he wanted to be closer. Every moment he shared with Zecora he wanted to last as long as it could. Just the thought of being by her side was more than enough to make him smile. The last couple of days, weeks after the blissful kiss that still lingered on his lips, he had a question stuck up his throat.
"Is the stallion ok?" Zecora asked as Arden sat up.
"Yes," Arden replied stretching a bit, then the pain started to sting. "But I think I should be the one asking that."
"Your heart rhythm got really high. And you had a hard time breathing." Chrysalis replied from behind Arden. "And you still don't look very well. Something happened?"
"Caring for me?"
"You wish, you bag of bones," Chrysalis said with a smirk, Arden chuckled. "Ok Zecora, I think he needs a little kiss on the cheek to make him feel better," Chrysalis said looking at the zebra, Arden noticed she was red as a tomato. "What? You kissed him on the mouth before. Not to mention you were almost giving him another one while he was in trance."
"CHRYSALIS!" Zecora screamed lunging at the Changeling. They started to run around the house, Arden just watched for a while. Then he started to laugh as he witnessed the game of tag, resulting in both of the mares stopping to look at him.
'These two, alongside Nightmare's visits, are the most constant things in my life ever since I got here. The most normal things in the spiral of insanity that has taken over my life.
"What's so funny?" Chrysalis asked. Arden just kept laughing. "I think he might have lost it."
His laugh slowly died down as he took deeper breaths.
"Thank you," Arden said smiling, he watched the two mares look at each other.
"Why do you thank us? This one and the changeling have only been doing the same thing as always."
"Thank you for being the normal parts in the insanity that is my life," Arden replied getting on his hooves. He walked up to them, Zecora and Chrysalis were back on their hooves as well. Arden pulled Zecora into a hug. "Thanks. There are no words that can express how glad I am I meeting you."
Then Arden broke up the gesture and turned to Chrysalis. "I guess that you're not a hugger. So, I ask that you accept this as my thanks," Arden said extending his hand to Chrysalis. She looked at him and back at the hand, then she smirked and took his hand.
"Be careful. You don't want to make your marefriend jealous," Arden just chuckled. "What?"
"I don't think she needs to worry," Arden said, earning a confused look from Chrysalis. "Especially when she already knows that I like her," Arden continued, he looked over his shoulder and saw Zecora looking away at the exact same time. "We are both way too awkward when it comes to that subject, aren't we?"
"T-to be the case, this one believes," Zecora answered still not looking him in the eye.
'She is always just as nervous as I am whenever Chrysalis decides to make a scene with that.' Arden thought, looking at the zebra he remembered all the pranks Chrysalis had been pulling ever since that delightful kiss days ago. 'I think the worst one was when she swapped one of the ingredients for a potion making it blow up. I remember that I landed on top of Zecora just as she was walking in, then Chrysalis screamed 'GET A ROOM!' We just couldn't look each other for at least an hour. But the laugh we had after that was great. There isn't a single moment that I regret being with her.'
"Want to...at least...consider..." Arden tried to come up with the courage to ask her. But he didn't manage to speak up, let alone finish the sentence. He turned to Zecora. She was right there. Extend his hand and ask, that was all he needed to do. He had just handled a hostage situation, but he couldn't speak up the question that was stuck in his throat. Hell, he couldn't even look her in the eye to murmur the question.
"What has the stallion said?" Arden heard, his gaze fixed on the ground. He felt Zecora's hand making him look up to her. "What is it?"
"Now kiss!" Ardden heard from behind him. Then he was forced to kiss Zecora after he felt his hooves leave the ground by some sort of force.
'And she did it again. We are so getting her for this one. Although, I don't think I give a damn about this one. What I give a damn is this fucking question!' Arden felt his hooves touch the ground, he backed away and looked at the shocked Zecora.
"Do you..." Ardens started, his heart started to race, "do you...want to at least...consider trying to be with me?" he asked looking at her. Zecora seemed frozen in time, Arden felt his body freezing, even though he was near the fire, his bones were cold as ice. Suddenly he heard from behind him.
"Get up and keep practicing!" Arden got back on his hooves and dashed at Zecora again. He felt something hitting his stomach hard and was tossed backward and hit a stone wall. Snow fell on top of Arden burying him, Arden felt the urge to vomit, which he ignored.
"Hold back Zecora! You might hurt him badly if you are not careful!" Black hands appeared digging through the snow. Chrysalis pulled him out of the snow grave. "I knew you were pathetic, but this is actually starting to worry me."
"N-no worries," Arden said getting his wooden-sword back from the ground. "I-I'm learning to defend me from others. I can't expect them to hold back."
Gripping his wooden blade Arden he took a deep breath and ran towards Zecora once again. He was frustrated, distracted, and lacking sleep, two days had passed since he asked Zecora to be in a relationship with him. What happened immediately after, played in an infinite loop every time he looked at her. Even the sessions were beginning to be affected, Nightmare saved him twice from failing due to him being distracted. Even Chrysalis was intervening to keep himself from harm. During practice the day before he was hit by a spell that backfired. According to Chrysalis, Arden was too distracted and didn't release the energy when he was supposed to.
He slashed vertically. Zecora dodged sideways and hit him in the back with the wooden staff she had in her hands. He spun swinging, Zecora ducked and Arden was struck on the chin.
"Wrong stance! Time to regain your breath your foes will not give!" Zecora swung at Arden again.
Arden rolled to the side and tried to sweep Zecora's right leg, that looked like where she was placing her weight. Without any apparent effort, Zecora lifted her leg and swung again. Arden swung his sword parrying her attack, that was the first block he actually managed to pull. The sound of wood clashing made the memory seem more vivid than ever.
(Two days ago)
Silence filled the room. The front door and the windows were closed and the fire was burning brightly, but the cold Arden felt told another story, every breath Arden took made him feel his lungs get colder and colder. His fingers felt like ice. His mind was storming through all the possible outcomes that question had. Zecora didn't answer him, she just stood there, Arden watched Zecora's figure. With every second of silence, Zecora and the room seemed to look larger, Arden felt himself diminish.
'So? What is your answer?' Arden wanted to say this words, but his body felt like it was made of stone. He couldn't tell if his heart was beating anymore, he couldn't feel the pain from the session, he couldn't tell if he was breathing. There were no more sounds, there were no more movements. The world looked like it was frozen solid, Arden couldn't tell if time was passing, the color from the world was drained. Everything looked like it was made of glass.
Suddenly, the stillness broke like a mirror shattering. Zecora started to move, she ran like there was no tomorrow. She opened the front door and bolted, he tried to reach her. But his body wouldn't respond, the sound of the front door being shut finished to destroy the castle of glass that surrounded him. All of his senses came back like a tsunami overloading his brain, Arden started to move trying to give chase. His legs gave in and he fell to the ground, unlucky him.
Arden fell sideways and his arm landed on the fire, but his mind didn't process. He just got back on his hooves as fast as he could, he ran outside. A muffled sound echoed behind him, a dim light illuminated the surrounding forest. Then he tripped over a root buried underneath the snow, falling down. The light died down and a hissing sound echoed. Arden tried to continue his chase, but something bound his limbs and he couldn't move.
"YOU STUPID MORON!" The muffled sound was Chrysalis that slapped his face. "You were on fire! What the hell were you thinking?!" Arden shook his head, then he started to feel the pain from the burn. "I don't know where Zecora went but you can't catch up to her, stand still so I can heal your arm," Chrysalis said. Her horn lit up and the pain faded, Arden looked at the burnt area. The fur was short again, it would need to regrow. However, some of his fingers had some darker shades of blue. "I'm sorry, I wasn't able to completely heal your arm,"
"It's okay," Arden replied. He got back up to his hooves and looked back at Chrysalis, she didn't wear the clothes Zecora made for her to wear while outside. Chrysalis was shivering, but she managed to keep herself from stuttering while speaking. "Let's get you back inside the hut," Arden said helping her up, they headed back inside. Not long after, the adrenaline's effect ended resulting in Arden collapsing.
(The following day)
"WAKE UP!" Arden opened his eyes, he expected to see Zecora. Who he saw was Chrysalis. "Okay. Listen, you idiot. Zecora hasn't come back. I doubt we can find her, she knows this place like the back of her hand. We better wait for her to come back on her own."
Arden let out a sigh. "I must have really fucked up," he said getting up, his body didn't ache but he still felt like he was run over by a truck.
"I'm not sure," Chrysalis replied biting her lip as she looked to the door. "The way she acted yesterday, I didn't expect that. I was sure she would be crying her eyes out while trying to say 'yes'. Her expression was there but her response...that was really off."
"So..." Arden said getting geared up. "I fucked up. Let's just go to practice, I don't want to think about it now," he continued heading outside before Chrysalis stopped him. "What?"
"You didn't eat yesterday. Neither today. You're not leaving without eating something!" Chrysalis forced some edible plants into his chest. "Eat. Now."
After eating, the two of them left the hut. Arden didn't speak, he just walked towards the ruins with Chrysalis by his side. She didn't speak as well, which led to a very quiet travel, given the fact that it was winter there were even fewer sounds around. When they reached the place, Arden went automatically to the section they were using to practice magic while also restoring the place. Chrysalis gave him some instructions for a restoration spell used to bring objects back to their original glory.
'Like it even matters, right now I can only restore a quill or an empty piece of paper.' Arden thought while using the spell. He restored a few items before somepony called out to him.
Turning around he caught a wooden sword that was tossed at him. Immediately after, Arden felt something hit his ribs causing a lot of pain. Then another one on the right side of his head, resulting in Arden losing his balance and falling to the ground at Zecora's hooves.
"Too slow! Wait for you to react, your opponents shall not!" Zecora had a scowl on her face, Arden felt his chest tighten as if he was having a heart attack.
'This isn't mine. But I don't care!' Arden thought as he got back on his hooves while backing away from Zecora.
Arden wanted to hug her, ask her if she was okay, however he had no time to do it, the zebra continued with her vicious assault as he clumsily attempted to dodge and block her attacks with the staff. He was starting to get her rhythm before using the tip of her staff, Zecora tossed dirt on his eyes. Blinded, Arden backed away while swinging the toy sword in an attempt to keep his assaulter at bay.
"A fair fight, most foes will not give!" Arden heard before he felt his hooves be taken off the ground. His back hit the ground hard right before Arden felt a very strong blow to his abdomen. "Do not stand still! Opponents will take any opportunity to breach your defenses! The stallion's stance is also flawed. Hooves in the wrong place, legs not spaced out, knees wrongfully positioned. Your entire form corrected will be!" Arden grunted and dragged himself to a wall while trying not to puke, breathing was also a difficult task. Arden also noticed something, while Zecora was assaulting him both physically and verbally the chest pain disappeared.
"What is going on here?! Zecora you're...What happened?!" Arden heard right before he felt somepony helping him up. "Your ribs are broken! Stand still for a moment." Arden saw a green flash right before the pain stopped. "Broken bones are easy compared to skin and muscles. Now, WHAT IN TARTARUS ZECORA? You disappear and then come back only to attack your patient?!" Chrysalis and Arden turned to look at Zecora. Only to see that she wasn't looking at them. Zecora had her gaze fixed on the ground, Arden felt the pain in his chest again.
'She is hurting. But why does it stop when she is attacking me?' Arden got took a few steps towards Zecora, she winced and backed away. Her eyes seemed to water up and the pain got stronger. 'FUCK IT!' Arden got the wood sword back using his magic and dashed at Zecora screaming at the top of his lungs as if he was taken by rage and loathing towards her. Her eyes lit up and the pain was gone, but Arden's had just begun.
Attack after attack, Arden was mauled and tossed around with ease. More insults and corrections were made towards his lacking abilities, while Chrysalis ordered Zecora to stop. Frustration, anger, confusion. All these emotions were swirling around his heart as he desperately tried to grasp what was happening. As he tried to connect any thoughts that would at least give him an answer, even a flimsy one would do.
'Why? Why is the idea that I'm angry at her put her at ease? Why did she run? Why would she back away from me?! A simple 'no' would be fine! TWO! FUCKING! LETTERS! That's all she needed to do! I can take a fucking hint!' Arden tried to make a barrage of slashes at Zecora. His meek attacks were all blocked effortlessly by the zebra until he was out of breath so she could hit him at the center of his chest.
Arden stumbled away gasping for air, she wasn't holding back. His vision got blurry.
'I'm going to pass out.' Those were his last thoughts before Arden was knocked out by something hitting the back of his head. He woke up back at the hut, Chrysalis and Zecora didn't speak to him. Zecora just gave him the potion for his therapy and he went to his session before he passed out though, Arden did notice that Chrysalis seemed really angry.
(The following day)
Arden felt cold, the usual warmth he felt upon waking up was gone. The bed that was usually underneath him was switched by what felt like cold stone. Opening his eyes, Arden noticed that he had his armor on and the wooden sword was by his side. Shortly after that, Arden was hit on his right side. Quickly grasping the situation, Arden scrambled towards the sword and got back on his hooves once it was safely on his hands, Arden put up a shield and blocked the attack.
Zecora charged at him again and again, trying to mimic the stance some Greek warriors made while fighting with spears and shields. Kneeling down and hiding behind the shield, thrusting forward the spear without having to expose himself to his opponent's attacks. Unfortunately, Arden didn't have a spear, therefore, he was forced to keep blocking without any openings to try to turn the tables. 'Now she even gets me in a trap. Was the question really that much?!'
Getting tired of being pushed back, Arden tried to improvise a little gimmick for the shield. Another version of the reflective shield he didn't have the chance of using it again. Instead of reflecting magic attacks, the shield would reflect kinetic energy. Arden tried to imagine the vectors and tried to create the shield. The end result was the shield shattering in various pieces and both of them being tossed backward, Arden rolled until he hit a wall. His right arm was numb and his head was throbbing. 'Zecora...what did I do? What are you thinking?'
Looking back at Zecora, Arden felt the heartache again. Even with all the anger, they were showing towards each other, Zecora's heart was still hurting. It wasn't like the previous day, it was stronger. There was more sadness, more dread. 'Do I really cause that much pain to you?' Zecora was charging at him again, there were some tears rolling down her eyes. It was then that Arden noticed, her eyes were really red.
'I've...I've had ENOUGH!' Arden screamed a battle cry getting up and charging at her. Zecora swung the staff, Arden used his numb arm to block the attack. The staff's trajectory was altered, Arden used that chance and struck Zecora with the wooden sword. Or so he thought, looking down Arden noticed she had caught the toy. The sound of wood hitting stone caught Arden's attention, Zecora had dropped her staff. She grabbed Arden's wrist and twisted it, forcing Arden to drop the wooden sword.
"With this futile attempts, you must stop. Worthless!" Arden felt his wrist being twisted more and more. But one word, in particular, stuck to him. Arden felt his numb arm coming back, clenching his fist, Arden hit Zecora in the stomach. She barely winced at his attack. Arden actually felt a bit of pain upon impact, she had a lot of defense. "Worthless, like this one said."
Worthless.
Worthless.
Worthless.
That cursed word kept echoing in Arden's mind. That word triggered him to always prove to the one insulting him that they were wrong. But above all else, Arden had to prove to himself that he wasn't worthless. Arden shook his head, the world was once again shifting colors. There were no more restrictions, his mind was absent because of all the physical abuse, the verbal assault, and the mental exhaustion from the endless fighting during his sessions. This time Arden reached for Zecora's throat, he gripped her neck. There was no world, there was no sound, there was no color, there was only his opponent. There were only those two eyes...those emerald eyes. Zecora's eyes, Arden felt her pulse, Arden felt how her breathing was all over the place. 'It's just like...just like...'
The memory of the kiss overloaded his brain. Arden realized he was strangling her, he was really hurting her. He looked at her expression 'No...' Arden thought, Zecora was smiling. A gentle and kind smile, like is she was content with how angry he was with her. Arden let go of her neck slowly, he watched in horror as her soft expression twisted into an expression of anger and reproval. Both his arms hanging by his side, Zecora disappeared.
Arden was alone in the dark, he felt pain in his stomach. He felt pain in his back, he felt pain on his head. Invisible attackers came for him from every angle. 'She tried to get me angry enough to almost hurt her. She was happy with it. I'm...I'm...'
The rest of the day passed as a blank, Arden walked in the dark, ate in the dark, drank something inside a vial that floated to him. He did something in his mind, Arden went to sleep after waking up from a mind trip. There wasn't anything worth noticing now.
"WAKE THE FUCK UP!" Arden heard from within the void he was standing. "I swear on all that I know that if you don't wake up this instant you're in for a world of pain!" Arden began to see the world return. The one calling out to him was Chrysalis, he was back at the hut. Zecora was nowhere to be seen. "Listen here, you stupid bozo. You two need to stop this nonsense right now! Before I end up having to patch up a corpse."
"Shut it!" Arden yelled. "I'm just...she wanted me to hurt her, why?" Arden asked before turning away from Chrysalis and laying down. "Why?" He muttered to himself before falling asleep.
There he was, once again Arden was attacking Zecora while she beat the ever living hell out of him with every attempt. He was at a loss, he was angry, he wanted it all to just end. But how? How would he finish this entire thing? Telling Zecora he hated her? Try to act like nothing happened? What? WHAT? WHAT?! 'Anyone, please tell me what to do! Please!'
"Only one word can describe the cerulean, wo-"
"Worthless?" Arden asked. "What do you want?! Why are you doing this?!" Zecora turned away, Arden grabbed her shoulder. Resulting in Zecora twisting his arm. "Hurt me all you fucking want. But please tell me what you want? Because I don't know what is happening!" Zecora tossed him away, Arden hit a wall hard before being buried in snow again.
When he finally got out, there was no Chrysalis. There was no Zecora, he was alone in the courtyard. 'Why did I ask? Why did I ruin everything?'
"Would you consider being with me?" Zecora heard as she picked the necklace in her hands. There were no words to describe how happy she was, been friends for as long as they were she grew to care for him more than a friend. Zecora had finally chosen her path, having a partner alongside her would be the best thing ever. She recognized the handwork done in that necklace, it was made by him. He actually made it, an old ritual of their tribe, making the necklace to the one you wished to share the rest of their lives. "So? What do you say?"
"Would you leave with me?" Zecora asked in excitement, holding the necklace close to her chest. She watched the smile on his face turn into a confused expression.
"What do you mean you're leaving?! You cannot leave the tribe!" he shot back. "The Priest said you're ought to be the best spirit maiden in generations! I'm the strongest warrior in the region! With the advice from the spirits and my strength, there would be no stopping us! Our tribe would grow without any restrictions!"
"What?" That was all Zecora could say. 'Did he really just say that? No, this one must have misunderstood him.' "This one has already chosen her path."
"No," he started. "Don't tell me you chose that stupid path! Zecora, you're the most attuned to the spirit world! You're a MAIDEN. I don't even know why you wasted your time trying to become a warrior, let alone the healer training." Zecora couldn't believe what she was hearing. 'Does he really think that little of this one? Just a maiden?'
"The decision has already been made! This one will leave! Will, you leave with this one, Gamba?" Zecora asked, still trying to save the situation, to save the relationship she grew with him through all those years.
"No, and you won't leave!" Gamba shot grabbing her wrist. "You belong here! Not out there! You belong to the tribe!"
"THIS ONE BELONGS TO NO ONE!" Zecora shot towards him freeing herself from his grip.
"I don't understand. You're just being stupid! You belong here! You're not supposed to get out of here! Your talent is supposed to be used by the tribe!"
(At the ending of the previous chapter)
The scene of the last time somepony asked her to be with her was playing in Zecora's mind like a broken record. The memory screamed in her head, louder and louder with every second she looked at Arden. Zecora felt sick, her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She had to answer him, she wanted to answer him. Zecora wanted to tell him that she wanted to be with him.
A billion phrases fore in her head to express how she wanted to be with Arden. But the end result was something she couldn't understand. 'LEAVE! THIS ONE HAS TO RUN!' Zecora bolted out of the hut like there was no tomorrow, her mind blank while her legs carried her away from that scenario that seemed so familiar to her. That scenario had her lose a friend once before, the memento she carried was a reminder of her misfortune. The memory of the day she left and the pain she felt due to losing her friend because of her choice.
Zecora still blamed herself, her weakness.
Zecora kept running and running. When she finally stopped she realized that she was at the ruins. She hid underneath a restored area that offered shelter from the cold.
'Why? Why did this one run? A simple word, three letters.'
Zecora sat down while leaning on a wall, she cursed herself for not telling him the truth. The question 'why' kept screaming again, and again.
'This one has done it again. She has lost a somepony who she cared deeply about. Just like the first one she ever felt this sort of connection, this one has lost Arden. He must hate this one now. Wait...hate?' Those four letters echoed in her mind, she remembered the last words she heard from Gamba as she left.
"I hate you!"
'This one has already done the damage. If he was to hate this one...there would be no guilt to prevent this one from leaving again. Just like before, this one is a coward that has no right to ever find somepony to share a life with.'
With a heavy heart, Zecora hatched her plan to make Arden hate her.
(Time passed, she prepared a staff and a wooden sword. Zecora met Arden and started her plan with the assault)
Zecora hadn't planned for this, she couldn't look at him. Zecora couldn't even look at Chrysalis, her chest felt like it was being chained tighter and tighter. She could barely hear what they were saying amidst the screams inside her own head, Zecora just kept thinking up insults to criticize him. Suddenly she heard a scream, looking up she saw Arden charging at her screaming. The scowl he bore made her feel at ease, her plan was working. He was getting angry, he was being just like Gamba.
Again and again, she hurt him with enough force to break his bones and make him grunt in pain. Zecora had to keep him at bay, she had to push him further and further. For her plan to work she would need to push him until he broke, he was kind. But Arden had to have a limit to how much pain he could endure, no matter how kind he was. She kept hurting him until it was time to start the session, he was still her patient for now. Therefore, she would need to continue her therapy.
There was only one problem: Chrysalis.
Zecora knew that as soon as Arden passed out, Chrysalis would bomb her with questions. And it was just as she predicted, the moment Arden passed out, the changeling bore a deep scowl.
"Start talking, or I'll probe your memory to see what the hay is going on," Chrysalis ordered.
"Caring for the cerulean?" Zecora said without looking at her, she couldn't bring herself to do it. "This one does not know what the changeling speaks of."
"Listen very closely, you stupid jungle wanderer!" Chrysalis hissed. "You two are the closest thing I have of normal interactions! I will not allow you two to kill each other! You hear me? NEVER! So stop with this resistance and tell me what is going on!"
'The changeling has trusted this one with her story. Maybe...she would support this one. Just like this one has supported her.'
"T-the...the necklace the Changeling has seen. It is a reminder of the last relationship she had years ago. A dear friend this one was too weak to keep by her side. This one wishes only to distance herself now before she commits the same mistake of hurting a friend again. Therefore, Arden must-" Zecora was stopped by a slap to her face.
"That's it? You had bad luck with ONE relationship and then you give up? Do you know how many failed relationships I have seen?!" Chrysalis said with venom. "And yet those stupid ponies still get up and try again! Are you just a coward? Are you just a wannabe warrior that doesn't want others to get close? Because being close to others makes you scared of being hurt? You have a shot of being happy with somepony you actually like! And you're just tossing it to the side!"
"This one just-"
"NO! You ignored me up until we got here. Now, you will listen! So get your eyes off the ground and look at me, you blasted zebra!" Chrysalis grabbed Zecora's face, forcing her to look into Chrysalis' eyes. "YOU NEED TO GET OVER THIS! This pony is not the stallion you lost! He is somepony who has admitted to likeing you!"
Hearing those words Zecora felt her heart being crushed.
"This one has already lost him!" Zecora shot back, tears rolled down her face as a deep scowl formed in her face. Zecora gritted her teeth, she got out of Chrysalis' grasp and walked away. "She has already lost him..."
Zecora left the place as soon as Arden woke up.
(The following day)
The plan kept going, Zecora went even beyond what she had originally planned. Having tied up Arden and carried him to the training spot. She left him on the cold stone ground after putting his gear on and waited for the weather to do its job. Arden woke up, and Zecora struck him with her staff. He grabbed the sword and backed away while creating a shield, Zecora charged at him without hesitation. Without any sort of concern as to how much force she was applying to the strikes.
Chrysalis' words were looping in Zecora's mind. And that made her want the entire ordeal to end, each strike, each insult, each look. Every action she took since they talked made her heart shatter one piece at a time. 'Why won't he break?!'
She didn't even notice, but her eyes were red, Zecora had been crying every time she was on her own. He summoned a shield that exploded when Zecora struck it. Then Zecora twisted his arm making him drop the sword after she dropped her staff.
"With this futile attempts, you must stop. Worthless!" Zecora said twisting his wrist even more. She watched him struggle and then Zecora felt something hit her abdomen. He landed a strike but...based on the force he used he didn't want to hurt her. But that consideration made Zecora hurt even more, so she just went further. "Worthless. like this one said."
When she said those words, Zecora saw Arden's eyes start to shift. His pupils shrunk, she couldn't hear him breathing. Zecora felt something grabbing hold of her neck, Zecora looked down at Arden. He was strangling her with everything he had. To her surprise, she saw something familiar in his eyes. A sight that made her feel the grief and the pain she felt years ago, her plan had worked. Arden hated her, and now she could part ways. There would be no more attachment from this point on, he was no longer her patient...he wasn't...he wasn't...
'N-now...this...' Zecora was starting to pass out due to him preventing him from breathing. But that was when her senses started to return, Zecora saw Arden, he was backing away. The light in his eyes was gone, the look of anger was replaced by an empty void.
'Why? WHY?!'
Zecora scowled at him, he started to look like a corpse. The color drained from him, that was nowhere near the face Gamba had when Zecora left. That was the face of somepony who realized a grave mistake, an unforgivable one.
Zecora despaired, she had to get rid of him. But he wasn't turning into what she wanted him to be. 'Arden isn't like Gamba...NO! He needs to be like him! Otherwise, this one won't be able to leave! Otherwise, this one will only bring him harm.'
In her desperation, Zecora mauled him with everything she had. Each blow slowly chipping away from her heart, however, there was no retaliation from Arden. He just endured each blow, not saying a word, not reacting to anything that happened.
"ZECORA! STOP IT! You're going to kill him, you idiot!" Chrysalis screamed. Zecora felt her body being frozen in place. "It was bad enough to wake up tied up. But now this?! What were you thinking?! You could have punctured his lungs! You are insane!"
Chrysalis cast a spell. "This should take him away from danger. But he won't be able to take this much abuse for much longer. Not to mention he looks like a zombie now."
"He can't bring himself to hate this one," Zecora said crying. "Out of options this one is..."
"You could always try to be with him."
"No, this one will only bring him harm."
After that, Zecora left them. She couldn't bring herself to stay near him. It hurt her more than anything she ever felt before. She got inside the hut and went to craft the blasted potion for the session. 'Black roots, red thorns, yellow Amelia, and a drop of the brewer's blood. Mix it all up after turning the flower and roots into paste inside a cauldron and you have a trance-inducing potion.' Zecora thought while gathering the ingredients. Soon after Arden came int with Chrysalis.
They did not speak for the rest of the day.
(The following day)
"Hurt me all you fucking want. But please tell me what you want? Because I don't know what is happening!" Zecora tossed the ragdoll away. He hit a wall and passed out.
Zecora left the place followed by Chrysalis.
Chrysalis was way beyond her limit now. The bickering those two were having was too much. So, Chrysalis followed Zecora to a covered place. An old hall where they seemed to keep busts on top of small pedestals. Zecora sat on the floor with her head resting on top of her knees. She kept her eyes closed as tears rolled down her face, Chrysalis walked up to her and kicked one of her legs. Causing Zecora to fall sideways with a yelp.
"I had more than enough with your idiotic squabble," Zecora looked up to reply, but Chrysalis closed Zecora's mouth tight using a spell. "No, you shut up and listen. That hut of yours, that is the first place I actually started to consider a home in a very, VERY long while. A home that I share with an honorable hunter, who also is a decent healer, and a project of a pony from another dimension. This hunter was the first being that I ever entrusted with my story, the first one that I grew attached enough to care for your well being. Therefore, I am not about to let you keep hurting yourself like that, you stupid, stubborn, and blind zebra!"
Chrysalis kneeling down to get on eye-level with Zecora. "That hut of yours used to make me feel safe. But after you two started this useless fighting, that place is starting to fall apart. Multiple beings that wanted the same thing now stand apart because of mistake from the past and a fear it repeating itself. A fear just like the one my kind once had. And today happens to be a very important day to my kind, the day when the grand hive and the lineage of queens came to be.
"The ponies refer to it as Hearts Warming Eve, we refer to is as Unison's Prosperity. I'm going to tell this story because this day marked the day when some of us decided to try and move past that mistake. Even if out of necessity. Maybe you are ought to learn something from it."
Chrysalis made a small projection of the badlands on the ground. "I'm pretty sure you heard of the Windgoes. Magical being made out of a cold wind that freezes everything they touch. They were also taking over our lands while the ponies searched for a land without the influence of these creatures. Our kind was desperate and things were getting grimmer with each passing day. And after the ponies sent them away from their lands they reached for the Badlands. A single great hive existed once before, but problems in the line of succession caused a civil war, reducing our numbers and scattering us." Chrysalis explained as the projection showed the Badlands slowly being engulfed by the ice as the white creatures galloped through it.
"The idea of a reunion was the first its kind ever since the great hive was divided. And it all started when the weakest of all the hive leaders went personally from hive to hive, summoning them to the meeting. She didn't offer her name to be next leader, she just asked them to join her in that endeavor. She was mocked in the beginning, but in her travels, she ran across a humongous stone. That stone reacted to her magic, turning from a bright grey into a darker shade, keeping the ice and snow at bay. Therefore, with the help of her compatriots, she carried the stone from one hive to the next.
"Fascinated by the discovery, many hives joined in the weakest leader's march to try to have the meeting. With every new follower, the stone's protection grew, darker and heavier as well, requiring more magic to be used in its transport. Once a good number of hives had joined her, the meeting was called. The same day when the ponies banished the ice creatures from their lands. There was no sign of a common ground being reached, all of the leaders were focused on trying to convince the others that they were the ones who should lead their queendom. All of them, except the one who called the meeting, who had stayed by the stone's side." an image of changelings arguing played on the ground.
"Alaricia, the weakest. Realized that the stone's color was changing. Looking at the horizon, she saw that the ice border growing closer and closer. Alaricia, went to the meeting and explained her deduction of how the stone worked. It partially absorbing their magic and somehow kept the ice at bay. She also told them that they needed to recharge the stone at that moment otherwise they would die. None listened, so she took upon herself to recharge the stone." The figure of a loan changeling appeared, channeling magic into the stone.
"Alaricia was at her limit, and being the weakest didn't help in maintaining the stone's power. But her acts up to that point gained the eyes from changelings from all of the hives. She became admired, and the changeling leader with the greatest number of followers in all the badlands. Something she wasn't aware of. When she gave the warning to the others and was ignored, her followers went after her and saw Alaricia trying to save them all. The weakest was the only one brave enough to try to unify the changelings, and the only one brave enough to go risk her life to save her kind while others bickered and fought among themselves.
"So, her followers channeled their power into Alaricia to save her and recharge the stone. Alaricia was restored, so was the stone's power. The commotion caused more and more changelings to swarm to the weakest leader until the leaders were left to their own devices. The stone suddenly shot a green energy beam skywards and horrible screeches echoed through our lands as the ice retreated. The one who was weaker than any other showed the courage that caused a divided nation to come together in unison, becoming the first queen of the new great hive. Her courage to try to move past a stupid mistake from the past. A mistake that wasn't her fault, but still plagued her life."
Chrysalis finished her story by dispelling the projection. She turned to Zecora, who was looking at her with eyes filled it tears. "Are you willing to try to have the courage to move past that mistake and become stronger? Not only for yourself, but for those you care about?"
Zecora nodded positively.
"Good, now, let's set you up so the two of you can try this again," Chrysalis said, dispelling the hex that kept Zecora's mouth shut. The queen was surprised by Zecora who pulled her into a tight hug, a small smile formed on Chrysalis' lips. She felt a tear starting to form up. "H-hold on tight!"
Before Zecora could react, Chrysalis started to hover. She took them to an uncovered area and then took to the skies. Chrysalis took the panicking zebra to the tower where she had found Arden when he had disappeared.
"Wait here, I'll bring Arden here so you two can try this again." Still trembling, Zecora nodded.
Chrysalis' wings started once again, but before she could leave, Zecora held her hand. "The earrings the changeling has seen, to this one could you bring?"
Chrysalis gave her a thumbs up and took off. Arden was her next target, back where they left him. All that she found was a trail leading back to the hut. Charging up her magic Chrysalis teleported.
She found the stallion almost leaving the place.
"Oh, hey there, is she ok?" Arden asked letting go of the doorknob.
"What are you doing?"
"Since I cause so many problems I thought of making myself scarce," he answered with a forced smile.
"You bumbling buffoon!" Chrysalis yelled placing him on a hold with her magic. "You care for her that much and you're leaving?! What kind of idiot does that?!"
"This kind of idiot?" Arden replied trying to point at himself. "Besides, she hates me to the point of trying to make me strangle her."
"And you're just gonna accept that? You're just going to lower your head and not ask why?" Arden didn't respond, he didn't even look at her.
"You never cared about her. She was just a tool after all," Chrysalis dispelled the binds, walked past him, and opening the front door. "Go ahead, run. Be the coward you've always been. That worthless zebra probably doesn't want to see your face when she gets back."
'COME ON! WORK!'
Chrysalis watched Arden get up and lock eyes with her. "What? Go. Run."
"Take that back..."
"What?"
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ZECORA WORTHLESS!" Arden screamed. Chrysalis smiled at that.
"Why do you care? You don't care about her." 'Here it comes.'
"I DO CARE! I LOVE HER! GOD DAMMIT! I LOVE HER!" Arden yelled with everything he had.
'SCORE!' Chrysalis thought as she watched Arden's eyes widen and his expression shift.
"So? What are you waiting?" Chrysalis said showing the path outside once more.
"Go tell her!"
'Ok, I don't know where she is. Think! How can I find her? Tracking?! No, Zecora would probably find a way to cover her tracks. Magic? Like I can even pull a tracking spell out of my ass. My eyes? My EYES! THAT'S IT!'
"What are you doing?" Chrysalis asked as he got on his hooves.
"Can you keep me from going insane if I take the inhibitor off?" Arden asked grabbing her shoulders and locking eyes with her. She pushed him back and frowned a bit, biting her lip.
"I think that for about two minutes. Can you find her in that time?"
"That's not much! If I knew the immediate vicinity where she was...maybe I could pull it off. You followed her. Where did you last see her?"
"She was somewhere in the castle. I lost her when she went inside a wall." Chrysalis replied with a shrug.
Arden closed his eyes. 'I hope I can still see her if I look through the walls. If not I might have to improvise something. Fuck it! I'll bun that bridge once I get there!'
Arden opened his eyes and walked outside. "I think I can track her. Let's go!"
"I'll need to stay here for a while to warm up. I'll catch up in no time." Arden nodded and ran as fast as he could towards the castle. The sun would set soon. If he didn't find her before then...he would need to wait for another chance of seeing her.
Once he was at the courtyard, Arden looked around in hopes to see anything that would help him find Zecora. The snow didn't have any tracks. In fact, it looked like some strong downward wind moved all the snow around. After a few moments Arden heard a buzzing sound coming from above him, looking towards it he saw Chrysalis coming down from the sky. When she came closer to the ground, Arden realized that her wings flapping made the snow move. 'So, was it her that moved the snow?'
"Ready? Don't run off without putting the inhibitor back on. This spell has a very short range." Arden nodded and turned around. He felt Chrysalis' hand resting on his shoulder, then he unlocked the necklace taking it off.
'Please, once more. Let me understand.' Arden thought. The usual color change happened and he started to look around in hopes of seeing the light. Looking skywards to see if there were any signs of her on top of the crumbling towers, that's when he saw a small light on top of one of the towers.
'Does he love this one? This one wishes only to be with him. Does he wish the same?' Arden heard as his chest felt tight and he felt the urge to cry mixed with fear and anxiety. His heart was racing. 'Or will this end up as Gamba? Will he turn his back on this one? Can he forgive this one's actions? Can he forgive the fear this one felt of hurting him?' The sadness when he heard the name, the desire for an answer. The need for forgiveness, Arden felt each and every single one of those cries that echoed through his mind and heart. He knew why she acted the way she did now, he was in tune with how she felt.
Suddenly he heard a melody start to play around him and eventually a voice came forth.
Arden heard that melodious voice echo through the ruins. Putting the necklace back on, Arden bolted forth. He knew how to get to that tower. Running through the corridors, now only illuminated by the setting sun that swiftly moved through the skies.
Arden found the passageway that he used to reach the tower where the singer was still performing. Zecora's beautiful voice got louder and louder as he took each step. Then the stairwell that led to his destination, a long dark tunnel with only a small light coming from the top. Arden almost flew up the steps, the light from the end of the tunnel got brighter, the voice grew louder. The light from the sun reaching him through the cracks on the ceiling and walls, suddenly the sound of wind howling mixed with a melody that still played with every step.
Arden finally emerged from that dark tunnel and was bathed by the warm orange light that was quietly setting itself on the horizon. Creating a beautiful blue, purple, orange and red sky where only a few stars could be seen. Before him, there was only one thing that mattered though, Zecora. She stood there, facing the horizon, the setting sun illuminating her figure as the wind made her mane move as well as her fur. Creating a sight that to him, was the most beautiful thing Arden had ever seen. Celestia couldn't compare, no creature he had met could compare to that.
Zecora kept singing until, suddenly, the sound of the cold wind howling through the gaps in the structure. Arden took a step forward, then he saw Zecora's ear twitch. He stopped dead on his tracks.
"I-If this one said that she was to leave, what would the cerulean say?" Zecora asked without turning around, her voice cracking. She was about to cry again.
"I would have to say: Lead the way, and I shall follow. To wherever you may go, I'll stand by you, always," Arden replied in a calm tone, no hesitation at all.
"And if this one was to say that she cared for you?" Zecora asked still facing the horizon that was turning purple with each passing second, more and more stars appearing through the skies. Her body seemed to tense up as she waited for an answer. "What would the cerulean reply?"
"That would make me happy beyond what I ever believed to be possible. For my answer would be: I love you," Arden felt a tear form on his eye. Then he saw something that made his heart beat even harder, Zecora turned to face him. A smile unlike any he had ever seen before was on her face. Her eyes created streams as squeezed something she held in her hands, close to her chest. Arden could see the joy she was feeling. If he could take off his necklace he would probably feel it as well.
They walked towards each other at a slow pace, the night took over the sky and the moon rose in the horizon bathing Zecora with its pale light. Once they were close enough, Arden opened his arms as Zecora wrapped her arms around his neck and they shared this gesture for the first time willingly, no impulse, no prank. A kiss underneath a sea of stars and the moon as its witness, Arden savored every moment of it like it was the last time he would ever share that gesture with her. There were no regrets this time, no fear. Only the happiness and satisfaction of finally being together with somepony he grew to love, the first one he ever loved in that way. Arden could spend the rest of his life just reliving that moment for all he cared.
After seconds that felt like ages Zecora broke the gesture and took a small step back. She then opened her right hand revealing two pairs of earrings identical to one another.
"It is part of this one's culture that when a couple is formed, share this symbol of their relationship the couple would," she said blushing a bit, "after all that has transpired, would you be willing to accept this one's response to your proposal?"
Arden smiled at her as he ran his hand through her mane caressing it. "How could I deny your response? Like I said: I love you, and I'll always stand by you. I will wear these with pride and never take them off."
At the top of the stairs, Chrysalis leaned on a wall and watched the entire conversation transpire. For once in her life, she had forged a bond between two beings. She had made two beings that loved each other grow closer. Chrysalis felt a smile sneak its way into her muzzle. She was happy, happy because of the joy she brought to another being. A being that for the first time she could call a friend.
'Well, Zecora. It seems that I gave you a special gift on a very special day. And in turn, you gave another one to somepony else. Enjoy your time with him Zecora, not everypony gets a chance of being with somepony they love.' Chrysalis looked up to the Canterlot castle that reflected the pale light from the moon. 'I wonder if the other one that is curious about him is thinking about his whereabouts now. Maybe I should send another gift today, to make somepony else's day be a little happier.' This time, the small smile turned into a grin.
As usual, Nightmare Moon entered the host's mind and found herself tied up with chains. As much as she hated to admit it, she began to not be bothered by it now. It wasn't entirely unpleasant. It actually became part of her routine, therefore she just waited to be freed by the weird fog creature. It took a few minutes, but he came around. He was usually very careful when he was untying her. This time, however, he was very crude.
'He didn't even bother to remove the blindfold. The nerve!' Nightmare thought as she removed it and got up on her hooves. Looking around she noticed Wolf was opening the door and walking through it. 'No smart talk either. What is going on here?' she thought as she picked up the pace.
Arden didn't wait for her, he just kept walking forward. No remarks, none of his usual behavior was present. Wolf wasn't focused either, or at least didn't seem to be. He did seem to be ignoring her on purpose though. 'Now that is unacceptable.'
"What happened?" Nightmare asked, "you're not being yourself tonight. Do not dare to ignore your ruler, peasant."
"Long day, I just want to finish this and get to sleep. Nothing personal, I just need some time to think." He didn't face her to give his reply, he kept staring down the path.
'What? Lost his nerve? This isn't the same creature.'
"Problems in the real world?" Nightmare asked without a care. She heard Wolf take a deep breath. He seemed like he was about to give her a retort, but he hesitated and finally kept walking.
"A subject should answer the inquiries of his queen."
"Sorry, don't feel like it," Wolf said opening the last clear door.
"This is different from when we left," Nightmare heard him mutter as she stepped in. The room was indeed different, this time there were three doors instead of one. Two doors with some sort of paper attached to it, and one with two pedestals by its side. The one with the two was made out of stone, on its surface, it had some carvings. Nightmare walked up to it, she recognized the symbols.
'Now this isn't something you see very often. This is the ancient writing of our kind. It's been very long since we read these. Let us see if we can read it.'
"Hello? Hello there! I'm back to explain a bit about this room. This one is a special room where you'll need to clear two other rooms to gather special items in order to progress."
Nightmare read while raising an eyebrow. 'What is this being doing?'
"I hope you're having fun with that marefriend...of yours..." Nightmare Moon started to grit her teeth. "So, I set up a Gauntlet for you two to fight in, the original rules are not applied. So, just worry about not dying. You also seemed to need a place to let it get out of your system. Therefore, win-win."
'I am going to kill the author of this letter. There is no force in this or any other realm that will keep me from killing the blabbering idiot who dared to write this!' Nightmare thought while firing a blast of magic into the door damaging the door and leaving scorch marks all over it.
"What did it say?" She heard from behind her, Nightmare did mutter all that in a low voice as to prevent any embarrassment if she wasn't able to read. A good choice, given the contents of the door.
"N-nothing of importance. What about those papers?"
"You're sure?"
"Just some gibberish about an arena."
"Huh...this makes sense then. Phil cup, this their line up... I'm just glad I don't have to run through some random mansion collecting stuff while avoiding monsters."
"Why is that?"
"the other one is..." Nightmare heard from behind her. Looking back on Wolf, she noticed he had ignored her. Nightmare saw him walk up to the next door. "This one...Cerberus cup. Ok...facing the Underdome? Or the Coliseum?" Wolf said as he ran his finger through the piece of paper.
'Cerberus? A gauntlet involving the guardian of the guardian of Tartarus? This ought to be interesting.'
"I wish to face the one named 'Cerberus Cup'," Nightmare said walking up to the door where Wolf was already twisting the doorknob. He opened it and a cold and eerie air entered the place. Nightmare Moon made her dress shift into her battle garments, she couldn't risk having her clothes torn to shreds during a fight.
Stepping into the room she saw a circular arena that seemed to made out of stone and bones.
'Such a dreadful sight. But way darker than one would expect. This place was more, fiery? It was certainly warmer last time Luna was here.' Nightmare thought as she walked through the place. There were no bridges connecting to the arena, but up above she could see a big column that seemed to have a seat at its top. Looking at the center of the arena, Nightmare saw two objects that seemed to have their tips buried in the ground. Wolf was standing by them looking down at them.
The two objects were shaped like keys, one with different shades of blue and stars covering it. It had a chain attached to it and had a small golden crescent moon. 'That is certainly a beautiful ornament.' The other one seemed to have a more intricate design, completely white with pale yellow details. Two hearts appeared to be presented in it, there were around its base it appeared to have wings that reminded Nightmare of Luna's sister. Attached to it, a small star-shaped ornament that seemed to be made out of seashells.
Wolf reached for the blue one. Nightmare heard a small 'zap' and saw Wolf wince while he backed away from it. Then he reached for the white one. Nothing happened, he let out a sigh followed by an irritated laugh. "Somepony has a wicked sense of humor. Oathkeeper? Seriously? I'm the last being that should ever get this particular blade."
"That key shaped thing is a blade?" Nightmare asked in disbelief Wolf nodded positively. "That is a stupidly impractical weapon. How do you even plan to use that?"
"Just like a regular sword. Swing it," Wolf replied swinging it around for a bit. "Take the other one, you'll need it to kill our opponents. Just be careful with it, don't ever point it at your own heart. This thing can do much more than cutting down foes." Nightmare smirked and summoned her silver blade. "That thing won't do shit. Just take the damned thing. Given your liking for the night theme, Starseeker is a perfect fit for you."
"Very well, I'll take your word for it," Nightmare said grabbing the weapon and pulled it out. It wasn't very heavy, it was odd to wield that was a fact. Suddenly a strange sound got her attention, the source was a small black creature donning some sort of black coat with a big red crest shaped like a heart in its chest. It had a black round hat and two glowing yellow orbs underneath said hat.
It was held a big book on the tip of what looked to be its arms, which did not have hands or claws, the book was being held over its head. The creature walked towards them almost tripping, once it was very near them, the creature opened the book and held it up to Nightmare.
'I want to hug this little thing.' Nightmare thought, taking a look at the book. It was filled with blank pages, touching them caused a bright flash to happen. Nightmare's opened again to see the pages before her filled with numbers and data on her. The little creature suddenly closed the book and walked away, this time it walked up to Wolf.
Wolf looked back at Nightmare and dropped his hand on the book, the same thing happened. The little one closed the book again and started to clap and hop around like it was celebrating. 'That little thing is going to be my pet.'
From the top of its head, something shot skyward before popping like a bunch of fireworks. Nightmare saw it waving at them before disappearing completely into a dark orb.
Shortly after, two ghost-like creatures holding candles appeared. They were accompanied by two more creatures that seemed to be dressed as pirates but were hovering in the air. 'What are these? Monsters? Beings from where Wolf came from? They are very colorful, how could these even pose a threat?'
Just as she finished that thought, one of the ghosts shot a purple fireball at them. Nightmare flew up evading the attack. Figuring that once she was out of the attack's path she would be safe, Nightmare stopped. Suddenly she felt her back burning from a small explosion behind her.
'A homing spell?! The nerve of such small feeble creatures!' Nightmare thought as she regained her balance.
Looking down, Nightmare saw an unusual sight. Wolf was actually running straight at the enemy and swing the oddly-shaped weapon at the creatures. Basically telegraphing every move, he missed every slash he threw at them. The more he attacked, the more damage he took through the openings he left.
'He is...terrible at this. His stance, his movements, even how he is positioning himself on the arena is extremely poor. How did we even get this far if he is but an amateur? Sheer luck? I was defeated by a mere novice.' Nightmare thought as she charged a spell, multiple magic circles manifested around her. 'This ought to show the difference between the two of us!'
Using her free hand, Nightmare pointed toward the group on the ground. White spears surrounded by a faint pale blue light manifested from the circles. They rained from the skies piercing the creatures and pinning them to the ground, none of them came even close to hitting Wolf. The creatures kept struggling as they tried to get rid of the spears, Wolf finally landed a strike on the creature. It soared through the air before disappearing into a puff of smoke, where it disappeared some sort of little box fell to the ground. Another thing that fell was a bunch of white orbs with a little blue light at the center.
'Wolf told the truth...Time to see how well I handle this,' Nightmare swooped very close to the ground she swung the blade in a huge circle around her, Nightmare felt the impact on each of the blows she landed on the creatures. Surprisingly enough the weapon slashed through them easily, orbs flew around as well as some small boxes.
"Small fry," Nightmare said raising her blade and placing on her shoulder. "Not much of a challenge, with me on the job you couldn't expect any less. But I got to say that this weapon, as unusual as it is, is very sharp. The only problem I see here is you. Have you ever held a weapon to save your life before?"
"None of your business!" Wolf replied as he walked around and collected some of the things for himself. Nightmare started to do the same. "You could have killed me with all those spears! you need to be more careful!"
"The nerve! You presumptuous little peasant! I have all of Luna's training in magic casting! Pin-point accuracy is our specialty! You should be grateful! If it wasn't for MY casting, YOU wouldn't even have scratched those monsters!" Nightmare shot back, that wasn't his usual self. Even the tone he used was off.
"Well, I don't remember asking you to back me up on this place! If you don't remember, I need you to go through the doors. Not to help me in every scenario! If you're just going to stand there and boast. Get on the freaking sidelines and get out of my way!" He yelled while staring at her.
Nightmare pouted at him. 'He is really off today! I'm the ruler of the night! Not a mere peasant! I know! I'm going to make him be in so much awe he is going to apologize!'
Suddenly a small creature shot out of the ground, followed by two more of the same type. Nightmare cartwheeled to the side dodging them, suddenly three hammer-shaped monsters fell from the sky. Nightmare did a backflip and took to the skies. Looking at Wolf she saw him running at the hammers like a madman. This time, however, first, he hit them with his fists staggering them. Then he used the opening generated to slash his opponent and end him.
'Not bad, he seemed to be a bit faster without the weapon. Well, I'm not about to be outclassed.' Nightmare prepared another spell. This time she made ice spikes manifest from the ground piercing the creatures and making them disappear into puffs of smoke. 'Elemental magic seems to be effective against them...good to know!'
Since she had finished the remaining creatures, Nightmare went to the ground.
"So, still think YOU don't require MY help?" Nightmare asked looking down.
"Show off! You could still have hit me with that area attack!" Wolf replied gathering the orbs. "You dish out a lot of magic. Hooray for you. Just let me be and try to keep the spells away from me."
'AGAIN?! What is his problem?!' Nightmare was about to come with a retort, but the sound of clapping made her look away from Wolf. Looking at the source Nightmare saw a tall creature with grayish-blue skin. It had a mane that looked like it was made out of a blue flame, it had yellow eyes, and wore some sort of black robes. 'Now, what is this? Should I be worried that its head is on fire? And what are these blue and pink things hiding behind him?'
"Bravo! Fight, fight, fight! Splendid performance there Mrs...?"
'Finally some recognition! But who is this?'
"Nightmare Moon. Ruler of the night. And y-?!" Nightmare was interrupted when the creature passed its arm over her shoulder and pulled her away from Wolf who simply ignored them. 'Even now he's still ignoring me.'
"Okay. Good. Hades, god of the underworld. Now listen, I bet you want out your prison, right?"
'God of the underworld? Can't say I pity the one who has to watch over such a prison. Nor should I let my guard down around such a being. This deity is far too relaxed when talking to another one of its kind. Do all gods act in such a manner when around their kin?'
"I can get you out," Hades said.
"Can you now?"
"Of course! I am the most reasonable of the gods after all. But..."
"There is a catch. Isn't there?"
"Catch? No, pfff. My dear, I am not that kind of deity. After all, just between us gods. Mortals are the treacherous ones, not us. We keep out pacts and our promises down to a 'T'. Them, however, whenever an inconvenience appears they start to act all high and mighty."
"Yet, there is still a 'but' in your offer."
"Well, of course, my dear. You can't expect me to work for charity now, can you?"
"Your price?"
"Just a little help to get rid of that foggy friend of yours. Not wanting to alarm you, but you should be a bit more careful around your friend."
'What is he talking about? Never mind, I wish to make that being my servant. So, I can't be rid of him, yet.'
"I politely decline your offer."
"Really? You're sure?" Nightmare stared at him in silence. "I will keep the offer up, don't forget to tell me if you change your mind."
With a snap of a finger, he disappeared into a cloud of black smoke and fire. Then more creatures appeared, two more waves of monsters were slaughtered by Nightmare while Wolf just managed to hurt them. Nightmare grew more frustrated with each round as Wolf just kept complaining about her stunts and her magic. Each round she would pull out an even more astonishing display of magic as she attempted to prove that she was superior to that pathetic excuse of a warrior. Trying to show him just how powerful she actually was, something she didn't quite understand why.
The changes she pulled throughout the previous visits since the first time she met him were attempts to make him lower his guard. As much as she hated to admit it, she took his advice to take a different approach when intimidation didn't work. Acting worked up when he complimented her, saying she wasn't dressing up for him while looking away like she didn't want him to see her. Nightmare Moon had thought up all that based on the experiences Luna had while visiting dreams, ponies trying to think up ways to impress their partners while they slept. Yet, this time she actually wanted him to notice her powers, something she always held her head high about.
'Why can't he acknowledge my prowess? Am I lacking that much?'
After the fifth wave, Hades showed up again. Nightmare was catching her breath from the fight with ten elemental creatures of fire and ice that were less troublesome than the monkey with a staff wrapped around its tail. He once again pulled her away from Wolf, leaving him to gather the orbs.
"So, have you thought about my little offer?" Nightmare looked back at Wolf for a moment, he didn't even bother to look at the fact Hades took her away again. She was getting tired of using her magic in such a manner.
"Maybe, at the rate things are progressing here I doubt we can make it much further. I'm still not sure I can trust the ruler of the underworld."
"No problem dear. But I got to say: if you are struggling to beat this measly gauntlet. You'll never be able to face the grand tower and claim the title of true hero of the Olympians."
"What?"
"The Grand Tower is my brother's way of selecting the champions of Olympus. Warriors of the highest esteem. Heroes whose tales and feats shall be recorded eternally in song and memory. Loved by all their peers. Only the mightiest may reach its top and claim such honor."
'A hero remembered forever in songs and loved by all?' Nightmare thought as she recalled all the tales about her that were told to her subjects. She was just a monster to all of them, even if she actually did it to save Luna.
'If I was to be loved by all, Luna could probably be free again. Having the love of her subjects was all she ever wanted. There is one thing bothering me about all of this though.'
"Tell me why shouldn't I trust the foggy one."
"Well, I don't want to sound like a liar. But he is not a normal creature. In fact, I believe he isn't the kind of being a creature who ventures the dream realm should feel comfortable around."
"What do you mean?"
Hades started to move but was suddenly pulled away by an invisible force, and then he disappeared into a cloud of smoke and fire once again. Nightmare looked back on Wolf, only to see him staring straight at her, however, the moment he noticed her looking at him, Wolf looked away and went to back to gathering.
'Did he...' Nightmare didn't have time to finish the thought as more monsters appeared. Using earth magic, Nightmare conjured small stalagmites all around her. Swinging the sword, Nightmare cut them off the ground and used her magic to keep them afloat. Then she shot the projectiles at the monsters, the only problem with that was the fact her eyesight got slightly blurry due to the constant high-energy-consuming magic. Which led to her misfiring multiple shots.
When she realized what she did, it was too late. One of the spears flew straight at Wolf, however, what she saw surprised her beyond belief. One of the monsters that looked like a dancer pushed Wolf out of the spear's path, being impaled by it as a result. The sound of flapping wings came from behind her, Nightmare turned around and was surprised by a blow straight to her face which made her stumble and almost fall to the ground. Then another sound caught her attention, turning her head after dodging the other strikes from the bird-like creature, Nightmare saw the other dancer making some sort of orb float in front of her hand as an ice arrow was formed.
Summoning a shield, Nightmare blocked the icicle as she trusted the sword into the bird's head. Another shot was fired from the dancer, swiftly moving her body Nightmare got out of the path with only a small cold bruise to her right arm. That's when she saw that the remaining creatures were standing in front of Wolf, who was on the ground panting, almost as if guarding him.
'Is he...one of them?' Nightmare changed her grip on the blade, holding in backhanded she dashed towards the monsters. Just as she was at within the weapon's range, Wolf got up and threw an attack that was easily dodged by the bird wearing some sort of round red gloves. Nightmare, on the other hand, was not so lucky, a diagonal downward side hit her left shoulder. Unlike Nightmare's attack, his felt blunt, almost as she was being hit by a metal pipe. Which was weird considering Wolf's looked more like a blade than hers.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" Wolf screamed as he spun the blade in a wide circle, hitting the dancer square in the abdomen. Which resulted in her being launched into the sky. Wolf changed his grip on the blade, almost as if holding a spear and tossed at the monster. Piercing it on the stomach, the creature disappeared into a cloud of smoke as the blade started its descent back to the ground.
Nightmare was laying on the ground due to Wolf's attack, she saw the bird coming her way. One of its gloves was shining brightly, sensing the danger, Nightmare raised a solid wall made out of blue magic in front of her. The moment the bird attacked the wall, a spike emerged from it going straight through the monster's head.
"You kept complaining about me hitting you," Nightmare said getting up, she used the sword as a clutch since her left arm felt really sore. "Yet, YOU'RE the one who ended up hitting me with an attack! Have you lost your mind?!"
There was no response, Wolf just fell on his knees and let his hands fall by his side as he stared blankly into the floor. Nightmare walked up to him, his eyes were partially closed.
"Oh, no! You don't get to act like that now!" Nightmare said letting go of the sword and grabbing hold of his head, forcing him to look at her. "YOU...you..." Nightmare tried to continue, but what she saw prevented her from continuing. His eyes had changed, the bright red from his sclera looked like dried blood now, his bright blue sclera turned to a grayish-blue. The other eye was flickering, something was wrong. It did not look like he was conscious anymore, Nightmare watched the world around them start to shift.
'He must be waking up, I guess it took too long to get through this place in its entirety.' Nightmare thought as she turned her back to Wolf. Just as she did it though, the sound of the creature's spawning made her turn around. She was greeted by something hitting her stomach, exploding on impact, and tossing her backward. As she flew, Nightmare saw a weirdly shaped creature dancing around Wolf as if it was celebrating. Then she passed out.
Nightmare woke up back in the moon, the prison she was assigned to by the elements of harmony. Her body felt like lead, and her head felt like it was hit by a hammer repeatedly for hours, she used too much energy during that visit. It would take at least a day and a half back on Equis for her to get back to top shape.
"Tomorrow we can switch. I'll go with him to fight."
"Are you sure?" Nightmare asked as she went to her bed made out of lunar stones. After a good time stuck in there, she actually built herself a small castle, compared to where she used to live that is. Luna helped her come up with decorations and such, she didn't talk much whenever Nightmare was in the presence of other creatures. But when they were alone, she was very talkative. Not only did she talk more, but she never used the royal 'we' or any mannerisms she had to use on the court. "Think you can use that weapon?"
"It's just like a regular sword like any other. Did you forget that I was the one who made the silver sword you always wield? I'm just as skilled as you are. I have no interest in fighting to help that creature, but you seem keen on making him your puppet. Therefore I can lend you a hand."
"And you're not interested at all in fighting in a tournament, are you?" Nightmare replied as she sat down in front of a mirror she also made herself. The mirror reflected the image of Luna, that was looking away pouting.
"Being stuck here for this long. Who wouldn't be interested in some action? Those visits are the most interesting thing to ever happen in these past 996 years!" Another little curiosity was the fact that her mind and Luna's were completely separate, so Nightmare's claim was actually a result of their relationship, not Nightmare reading Luna's thoughts. After her creation, Nightmare grew closer and closer to Luna. Always caring for her safety, offering advice, comfort, accompanying her during her duties in the dream world, and so forth.
"Sure," Nightmare said as she massaged her temples, another fact proof of their separate minds was the fact that Nightmare's mental fatigue did not affect Luna's condition. The same applied to Luna's mental fatigue. The only reason they knew the same spells and fighting technics was that Luna taught Nightmare how to do all of those things. Luna wasn't on the same level of her sister when it came to raw power, however, she was way beyond Celestia when it came to skill and special combat spells. "We have the same level of magic. So don't go shooting spells like I did today."
"You were really careless there. Why? You never acted like that before."
"Just part of the act!" Nightmare replied as fast as she could. "Anyway, I'm going to rest. See you in a bit."
"Very well, I'll see you there. Before you go,"
"What is it?"
"Did something change?"
"What do you mean?"
"...never mind."
"Ok, then see you soon Luna."
(The following session)
'How do you put up with these every night?' Luna struggled to free herself from the chains. 'These things are such hindrances. Whoever put these wards here sure wanted to keep others out of his mind.'
"You get used to them after a few times," Luna did not believe what she had just heard, Nightmare wouldn't stop complaining about these a few weeks ago. "If the wards are this strong, they must be really afraid of having Wolf turn on them. Which is why I believe he might be an asset to us."
Luna felt the chains being yanked and felt her body hit the ground. Luna got rid of the gag and the blindfold, looking up she saw Wolf looking down at her. He looked a bit different from the last time she saw him, his shoulders were dropped and the right eye was gone. Not to mention what looked like a small puncture wound on the left side of his chest.
"Luna..." Wolf said before turning and walking away.
"He can really see through us, can't he?"
"I guess, maybe there is something we overlooked during the change," Luna had been very careful about changing her dream form to Nightmare's form. "But never mind that, he looks to be in a worse shape than yesterday. Be careful around him Luna. I think he might be more dangerous than I originally gave him credit for."
"I don't think he is that dangerous. Not to mention that his skill with a sword is extremely lacking," Luna replied.
Luna followed Wolf as he proceeded through the doors. Very soon she saw the two doors from the previous session, however, Wolf went to the opposite door this time. Luna quickly followed as he opened it, her sight was robbed from her for a few seconds as a brilliant light appeared. That wasn't the same arena Nightmare fought in, it was made of sand and a square area at its center that had one pillar at each of the square's corners.
"This looks more like an arena than that pit from yesterday," Luna said looking around, by her side she saw another blade. This one was pitch black, it looked more like a key than the others. A purple jewel was attached to the weapon, right above the grip. A black crown was at the end of this one's chain. "Interesting one, a black crown..." She said picking it up.
"Oblivion," Luna heard from behind her. It was Wolf's voice, he was standing right behind her. In his hands, there was the same blade she saw him hit Nightmare with. Luna raised the sword to him, fearing he was about to attack her. Using his free hand, Wolf pointed at the weapon Luna was wielding. "Oblivion." Then he turned around and went to the center of the arena.
"I think he is telling you the weapon's name." Nightmare said.
"Oblivion...why would a weapon like this be called that?" Luna said inspecting the sword.
"Hello there, your highness," Luna jumped to the side and pointed the sword at the voice. It was the same 'god' from the previous day. "Sorry for disappearing the other day. I did not intend on doing that. But something must have pushed me off."
"You believe it was him, correct?" Luna replied pointing at Wolf.
"Well, I don't see anybody else here." Luna scratched her chin for a few moments.
"I have another deal for you." The 'god' looked somewhat intrigued the moment she said 'deal'.
"I'm listening."
"I intend on turning that creature into one of my servants. Therefore, I cannot get rid of him. But..." The gray one had a smirk on his face as he listened to her proposal. "If he was to be under my complete control, I could keep him out of your way."
"Uh..." He said scratching his chin and running his hand over his fiery mane. "You get your servant and I get free reign over this place."
"Limited time offer, I walk away and it's over," Luna said looking at her nails.
"FINE! Fine, I get him to work for you. You get him out of my way."
"Deal!" Luna said offering her hand. Hades, smiled showing his sharp teeth and shook her hand in agreement.
"Pain! Panic!" Hades shouted the pink and blue creatures came running from behind Luna. Smoke came out of his hand and a small black key formed on his palm. "Take this key and go to the storage at the throne room. Find a small ornament with a half crescent moon. Then bring it back here." He handed it to the two creatures that ran away as soon as they got their hands on it. Luna didn't understand them since they were talking over each other. "Now, you get over there and entertain yourself until they return. And try to stay out of his way."
"Very well," Luna said walking away. The moment she stepped into the arena, a barrier was formed. Then four monkey-shaped creatures spawned, followed by three others that were wearing dark blue suits and silver helmets. "I believe that is my cue."
Saying that Luna leaped and took to the sky. Once she was up there, she noticed Wolf had taken a fighting stance. 'Very crude, but it's at least some level of improvement from last time.' He walked towards the creatures instead of the previous night's insane dash. Or so it seemed, three steps and he bolted towards the creatures. Using his momentum he tried to hit the monkeys, who jumped to the sides dodging the slice.
'He has the accuracy of a blind man with a bow. Not to mention he is announcing each attack he makes. Partially correcting a stance does not correct swordsmanship.' Luna rolled her eyes before launching the blade at the monsters, the monkey that had just dodged Wolf's attack. The monster turned into a cloud of smoke as what looked like a heart-shaped gem floated out of the monster.
Luna then swooped down and landed a rainbow kick on one of the blue ones before reaching for the blade, she took it and swung it with one hand while summoning a shield on the other hand. Luna hit another one of the able ones with that maneuver, quickly looking around she saw with the corner of her eye Wolf trying to hit the creatures once again. And she was also forced to dodge his attack since his reach was great enough to nearly hitting her.
'No notion of space. He doesn't even have that. How did he survive this long?' Luna took this opportunity to pierce another monster Wolf missed, the creature was suspended for a few seconds before turning into a puff of black smoke. 'How can he miss such slow creatures?'
One of the blue monsters came at her while spinning in the air, Luna used her shield to parry the blow. The monster went flying over her hand, slashing immediately over her head Luna cut the creature down to size. That's when she saw Wolf picking the creatures up and tossing them against one another, the pile of monsters was then impaled by Wolf's blade. 'A rather crude method to fight. Effective nonetheless. But now we are tied. I can't have him outclassing me now, can I?'
Luna dismissed the shield and focused a small amount of energy on the tip of her index finger, pointing it at the last creature she fired a thin blast that punctured the monster's crest. Just like the previous ones it turned to dust, a brief moment of silence made itself present. Suddenly cheering and clapping echoed through the place, the stands were empty but they clamored 'NIGHTMARE! LUNA! NIGHTMARE! LUNA!'
'This...this is rather nice...' Luna thought as she heard the cheers from an absent crowd. 'How long has it been since I last heard somepony cheer my name? Let alone know my name...they remember Nighty, me? I don't think anypony other than Tia may remember me. If she still alive that is...Nighty said that none of her takeovers ever worked and the most info she ever got was nonsense.'
Luna relished those cheers for a few more moments, the rounds continued as Luna continued to fight the monsters while trying to avoid the attacks from both the creatures and Wolf. The small puncture wound on his chest was slowly expanding in his chest. Luna started to move away from Wolf during the fights, he was a bit more efficient with the kills. But he was acting weirder the more he fought.
Right after she finished a group of small elemental creatures, there was some sort of trumpets and another voice echoed over the crowd's cheers.
"THE TOURNAMENT WILL RESUME IN A FEW MOMENTS!"
"I believe you bought yourself a break. Or Hades' minions are back with the brooch." The second possibility was confirmed by the appearance of the 'god' at the edge of the arena. Luna went towards him, from behind Hades, the two little devil looking things came out. The fat pink one gave her the brooch, a silver crescent moon perfectly split in the middle.
"Now, all you need to do is place it on his lapel and in a few rounds he will be yours to control."
"Then I can't waste any time," Luna said turning her back on the 'god'. Luna walked up to Wolf, who was walking around gathering the items and orbs, his hooves were dragging on the ground and his shoulders were hanging. His reaction to Luna's approach was him simply stopping his task and looking straight at her. To be more precise, he appeared to be looking through her.
Wolf extended his arm towards Luna while leaning forward, his arm passed by her side. 'He must be reaching something behind me,' Luna thought as she reached for his lapel and placed the brooch there. The ornament gave out a faint glow and then...nothing. It simply stayed there and Wolf kept doing his little routine.
A very loud thud came from behind Luna, Looking back at it, Luna saw a humongous round creature with thick arms. There were shackles with broken chains around its wrists, however, it seemed that the creature was asleep, given the snoring coming from it. Luna was slowly backing away from it when she tripped over something, a banana peel fell over her face once she landed.
Jumping at her, three monkeys attacked her. Luna conjured a bubble shield around her, their attacks almost reached her.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHH!!!!" Luna heard right before the monsters were turned into clouds of smoke. The attack was swift and crude, Luna saw Wolf use the bubble shield as a stepping stone and launch himself over the big creature. Yelling like he had lost his mind, Wolf held the weapon with both hands and swung it with everything he had at the creature's head. "DIIIIIIIE! JUST ROT AWAY!"
Luna dismissed the shield and scrambled away while the creature started to let a weird purple glow come out from its body and waved its arms around. It grabbed Wolf and tossed him against one of the pillars, the pillar didn't move. Luna ran out of its line of sight, based on the distance it threw Wolf she did not want to be somewhere he could reach. Once behind it, Luna managed to attack it three times, when the final attack landed, the big creature turned into a cloud of smoke.
There were still two monkeys left and Wolf was still trying to get up again. The monkeys were circling around her by hopping around and running, Luna used a faint to lure them into trying to attack from her left. When they took the bait, Luna halted her movements and waited for them to be right where she wanted. A minor lighting spell stroke the two turning them to puffs of smoke, Luna managed to stop for a moment and take a moment to breathe.
Looking back at Wolf, she saw him use the blade as a clutch. The crowd, as usual, cried out her name and Nightmare's as claps and cheers echoed. Wolf had just got back on his hooves when the sounds of metal made the cheers grow silent, Looking at the source Luna saw a metal gate rising and a pair of disembodied gauntlets floated towards her. Beneath it, Luna saw four small creatures emerge from shadows on the ground. By the gauntlets sides, three small blue elemental monsters appeared.
Trying to get rid of the casters, Luna shot three small fireballs. Thanks to her training and accuracy, Luna hit the three monster while she flew up in an attempt to get away from the gauntlets.
"Useless scrap!" Wolf's voice roared, Luna watched in awe as the fog creature climbed the arm and wrapped his legs around it. The arm tried to shake him off, but Wolf sank his right claw at the metal's surface. Grabbing the weapon by the blade he started to stab the gauntlet repeatedly while he roared. Smoke started to pour from the gaps he created.
'What has possessed him?! A very dangerous approach, but at least he has some sort of potential. How thick is that armor that he actually pierces it with sheer force?' Luna thought as she watched the relentless assault. Then she saw the other arm getting ready to attack, casting another spell, Luna caused blue chains to sprout from the ground and restrain the arm. 'Okay! Now just get as many strikes as you can before the chain turns white.'
Flying as fast as she could, she landed a barrage of slices at the gauntlet. Unlike Wolf's attacks, Luna's just scratched the paint on its surface. But the sheer number of blows was much greater than her 'companion', from her count she managed to land a total of thirty-two strikes. When she landed the last blow, amounting to thirty-three blows, the chains turned white and disappeared. Immediately after, multiple blue beams of energy pierced the hand, the gauntlet cracked and rattled before shattering into various pieces that were reduced to smoke.
"Wasn't that a bit of an overkill? Sixty-six slashes in a span of thirty seconds, small initial damage followed by continuous light-based damage for each successful blow. Seems a bit of an exaggeration to me."
"I've been wanting to use that spell in a while, so no," Luna said before dodging the other piece of armor that was waving around like there was no tomorrow. Just as Wolf passed over her head Luna caught a glimpse of something unusual, the puncture wound on his chest now had something that resembled white roots growing out of the wound's edges.
A stinging sensation made Luna wince and look at her leg, the small black creature caught her leg and was trying to climb her. With a swift strike, she reduced the monster to just smoke. Deciding it would be best to get rid of the others before letting herself think about other things, Luna landed and tried to attack one of the monsters. But the shadow thing merged with the ground and wasn't affected by the blow.
Luna followed the creature's movements and waited until it was out of the ground. The creature raised from the floor and was immediately struck down by Luna's weapon. She then repeated the process with the remaining two, while dodging the gauntlet's constant rampage. Once they were all taken care off, Luna heard a loud thud and the sound of metal cracking. Turning around she saw Wolf on the ground and the gauntlet turning into a bunch of metal scraps.
The round was over, but there was no cheering. No clapping, silence reigned across the arena. The golden sun above Luna disappeared, being replaced by a starry sky, the pyres at the stands suddenly lit up. The floor tiles and the stone columns started to shift and bend themselves, the columns turned into withered threes. The floor made out of square stone blocks turned into a single flat white surface. The air got cold enough that Luna could see her own breathing, then she heard a gurgling sound.
Slowly looking back on herself, Luna saw Wolf convulsing on the ground. Cautiously moving towards him until something made her stop, Luna watched something crawl out of his chest. A white creature that looked like it was made out of tree roots, it had Wolf's shape. Its eyes were completely red, once it was on its hooves, both of its hands turned into bright blue blades. It twisted its head almost as if looking for something, stopping the moment Luna was in its line of sight.
Then it just stood there, Luna averted her gaze to Wolf's body. Only to find his huge black wolf form, Luna tried to move as slowly as she could, an attempt to not trigger them into attacking.
"YOU IDIOTS!" Luna heard from her side. "I said CRESCENT moon! Not WANING moon!" Luna looked to her side and saw Hades, he was red and flames were sprouting from his back and his mane created a tower of flames. In his hands, he had both of his minions that were squirming trying to free themselves from his grip. "Go back her up! NOW!" Hades yelled tossing the two of them to the arena's edge. "You have to force them to be one again!"
"Luna! Watch out!" Luna heeded the warning and rolled to the side, a white blade landed at the spot she was on a less than a second ago. "It's not over! Jump" Before she could react, Luna felt her consciousness fade for a split second, and then she was up in the air. She had barely dodged the canine's lunge.
"Did you just use what I think you did?" Luna asked while flying away beyond the creatures' attack range. "Are you sure we can be doing that?"
"Are you fast enough on your own? Do you have enough fortitude?"
"Fair enough," Luna said while keeping her eyes on the two beneath her. Their gazes were focused on her, Luna tried to come up with a strategy. And figure out a way to fuse them together.
"If you manage to get them both into the air and then slam them together with enough force, they will merge!" Luna heard one of the little ones shout from the ground.
"We will throw some stuff to get them stuck! But they won't work unless you damage them a little first! Then you can try to merge them!" The blue one yelled pointing to some black orb in his hand.
"We got our goal now. Let's deal with that novice?"
"You have to ask?" Luna said, just as she started her assault, a melody started to play in the arena.
Almost as if following the rhythm of the song, Luna went for the wolf. The creature dodged the blow gracefully, fading for another moment, Luna lunged at the same target while also avoiding the slice from the white one. The black one didn't have time to react, Luna used the blunt side of the weapon to bash him to the ground causing it to crack.
Immediately after, Luna used her wings to propel herself over the white one that tried to skewer her from behind. Quickly using her sword to parry his followup attack, that was a skyward slash, Luna landed on her hooves and struck it on the abdomen while using a spell to cause a concussive blast and toss it away.
'It actually has tactics...but is something Wolf came up with? Or is this just this things behavior?'
"How's that for damage?" Luna asked while dodging the monsters slashes and bites. To anyone who entered that place and saw such a scene accompanied by the music, they would certainly say that the fight had been rehearsed. The fighters movements matched the rhythm, Luna's movements were akin to some sort of dance.
A truly wonderful sight that was halted by her stepping on something with her left hoove. A squishing sound and she found herself unable to lift her leg.
"Sorry!" the pink one screamed from the sidelines. "It will dissolve in a few moments!"
Luna used all of her skill to keep blocking the slashes from the white one, all the while casting barriers to knock the wolf around and prevent his bites. The white one's slashes were precise and had a decent amount of technique to it, very unlike the attacks from the wolf. However, the white one's attempts to dodge her attacks were stupid and completely useless.
Luna felt herself being pushed back after blocking one of the white one's attacks. Her leg had been freed. Changing the direction of the slice and moving her head out of the way, Luna used his forward momentum to kick him on the stomach, pushing him back.
"Get out of the way!" Luna heard the blue one's voice. Jumping as high as she could, Luna evaded another black orb. When it hit the white figure, it splattered and from it, multiple ropes shot out attaching themselves to the floor. The white one was out of the picture for a few moments, Luna turned to the wolf and tried to strike him upwards.
The wolf hopped and sidestepped away from each of her attacks. This one was practically dancing circles around her. His offense, however, lacked any sign of training. Completely unpolished and wild, the exact opposite of the white one.
"Two halves, huh? What do you make of this?"
"NOT NOW!" Luna yelled as she cartwheeled away from the white one that had just gotten free. The same squishing sound came forth and now her right leg was stuck, using a spell to keep the wolf stuck inside a small bubble she began to try to parry the attacks from the white one.
"HIT HER AGAIN AND I'LL TURN YOU TWO TO ASH!"
Luna kept swinging her bade for dear life, she noticed that the creature's attacks were familiar. It was mimicking Luna's moves, a very poor imitation, but given Luna's predicament, it was being effective. 'When did it learn? Was it paying attention during the matches? Or is it simply mirroring what it saw?'
Suddenly finding herself free, Luna made her left leg seem vulnerable. The creature took the bait, Luna used the attack to get one of its hands out of the way. The creature tried attacking with the remaining blade and they found themselves in a blade-lock, Luna looked into the creature's eyes. The bright red was back, they were calm, a very unexpected sight given how the color is usually seen as a sign of passion or rage.
Luna saw the blue one appear at the edge of the arena, right behind the white one. It threw the black orb straight at the white one, making it become stuck. Luna used her wings to propel herself backward, then she dashed forward while she spun around and struck the white one with a rising attack. The black ropes were destroyed and the white monster was tossed upwards, Luna then tossed the black wolf, that was still within the restraints she created, towards the white monster. She blacked out for a moment and found herself flying towards them and used the key wards to carry the white one almost as if it was a hook, Luna spun it around and struck the wolf using the white one and then tossed them both to the ground.
The two creatures fused as they impacted against the ground. The wolf deformed back into the original form of the fog creature she knew, only that it had a big gaping hole in its chest. The hole began to swirl like a tornado, the white one began to be sucked back where it came. Once the white creature had completely disappeared, the hole in Wolf's chest closed and he laid there. His eyes were back to the way they were before, dead.
The world began to dissipate, but before Luna was sent back to the moon, Luna heard a whistle from beneath her. Looking down she saw Hades tossing her something. She caught the object and inspected it, a blue helmet. It was beautifully crafted and based on the shape it was made just for her, the material actually looked like it was made out a mixture of sapphire and metal.
"Sorry for my servant's mishaps! I'll see that they receive a suitable punishment. Consider that an apology for their mistake!" That was the last thing she heard before Luna found herself back at the moon.
"Have a look at yourself in the mirror."
"Why?" Luna asked while walking back to the room where they would sleep. Once there, Luna looked at herself in the mirror that Nightmare usually groomed herself with. Luna looked at her reflection, she was a mess. Her mane was all over the place, she was sweating, and only now she had noticed: her breathing was slightly accelerated.
"Remember who was the only one who actually managed to make you get worked up?"
"It was my sister. However, I have been away from fights for far too long. It wouldn't be surprising that I would tire a bit more easily."
"Sorry, but your body has been strained by the attempted takeovers. Not to mention that I couldn't afford to get rusty, so I kept some level of routine. Therefore, the body is in perfect shape." Luna sat by the mirror that reflected the inner one and stared at Nightmare.
"I was still in a tournament. Consecutive fights may I remind you? I was bound to get slightly tired."
"You barely raised your heart rate during the enemy waves. Your vitals spiked during the fight with them. And I know you saw that they were mimicking us."
"So what? Like simply mimicking us would make them praise-worthy. He is nothing spe..." Luna halted her speech when she felt something warm running down her head all the way down to her neck. She went back to the regular mirror and saw it, blood, she was bleeding. Back when she was on Equis, Luna didn't have to put her body on the line when entering other being's dreams. Her magic could reach without having to get her physical form into the dreams, while it made her stronger in the dream world, the danger of being killed was something she would rather avoid. Not to mention how much power it took to sustain that for prolonged periods.
Luna saw the blood running from down her head, she didn't remember getting wounded by any creatures on the head. Luna followed the blood's path and saw a small cut on the right side of her forehead. That's when it struck her, the moment she changed the direction of the slash to strike the white one in the stomach. She remembered the blade passing near her, the trajectory of the attack matched with the wound. Luna realized that she must have misjudged the attack, so the white one actually connected.
"He cut me. He actually cut me. The focus on the fight combined with the adrenaline must have dulled the pain."
"Two polar opposites, one lacking in evasion but with potential when using proper techniques. Other lacking in decent attacks, but exceptional evasion. Imagine what would happen if he managed to actually use those two sides of him."
"I doubt he would be much more than what we saw. But I admit he might have some uses for you, as a pawn. If he doesn't lose his mind before you get out that is."
"What else did you expect? And regarding his mental state...I believe we might get back before he loses it. Or so I hope. Changing topic for a moment, what shall we do with that helmet?" Luna held the piece of armor up and looked at it for a few moments.
"I believe it suits you. Therefore, why not use it? It is a very well crafted piece of armor."
"Very well then. Another question, did you enjoy yourself in this session?"
"I cannot deny it. A decent amount of fighting after many of years of teaching you and sparring with you. Having new opponents isn't exactly a bad thing."
"Then, I guess that we can switch now, can't we? I need to clean up this mess you made."
Luna smirked before shifting back to her little world. Closing her eyes she felt her body become weightless and float away into silence, once she opened her eyes again she saw her little home. A beautiful field bathed in moonlight at the gardens of her palace, a palace that she wasn't aware that it was nothing more than a pile of rubble.
'He has some potential to grow, but if he continues as he is...he won't last long. That heart affliction needs to be solved.'
"What are the rookies doing?" An earth pony soldier asked his comrade. Seeing as the frontier was always peaceful, sudden events like this were easily noticeable.
"First aid training, or so I'm told," His brother in arms replied leaning on the fortress' walls. "Apparently, that's one of the newest gears we will be receiving from the capital. And we will all be taught how to use those. First the rookies, then the veterans."
"What is that thing the other one is carrying?"
"I believe the quartermaster called it a 'defibrillator'. I think it tells if we can shock somepony who is passed out or something. For cardiac arrests that is."
"Why would we need that? Isn't the standard procedure to simply shock every patient? It's always been like that. Sure it doesn't work all the time, but it saved some lives."
"Yeah, but apparently it isn't safe," The brother said leaving the wall and looking down at the rookies, who were placing something on the dummy's chest. "Some researcher in Canterlot said that not every case can be solved with a shock."
"So...we're doing this, just because some random stallion said so."
"Basically, Princess' orders. Anyway, are there griffin visitors coming by?"
"Not that I-OH MY CELESTIA! They lit the dummy on fire!" the earth pony shouted seeing the flames go wild in the courtyard. "They lit themselves on fire!" he screamed as he saw one of the rookies jump on the ground and rolling, as an attempt to put the flames out.
Quickly jumping over the wall, he landed on the ground level. Running towards the well, the earth pony soldier focused on the water inside, then he moved his arm upwards and then towards the fire, water flowed out the well straight into the fire. A loud hiss and the flames died down, the screaming from the burning recruit also grew silent.
"SOMPONY GET A HEALER HERE!" the soldier shouted as he ran to check the state of the burned newbie. Fortunately for the new stallion, only his right arm was burned up, but the cloth from his uniform actually melted and was stuck to his fur and skin. "You'll be alright. What did you two do?"
"I-I don't know. I followed the instructions and placed the pads on the spots marked. Then I waited and pressed the button when the box said so."
"What happened here?!" A third voice spoke up, the soldier knew that voice. It belonged to the quartermaster. "I said SIMULATE! Not to actually use the defibrillator!" The rookie's ears dropped and he looked to the ground. "You get your friend to the infirmary. Then come up to clean up this mess."
"Yes sir!" the recruit replied helping his friend up and walking away from the scene. Although the quartermaster wasn't actually a higher up in military ranks, the fact that she looked out for all the soldiers there and no provisions were ever out of stock made her be very respected by the soldiers.
"Nice job there putting out the fire, you're getting better at that little trick of yours," she said turning to the soldier that immediately saluted her in a military fashion. "No need for that. Tell you what, since you actually helped those two with this incident. You'll be the first stallion to receive the new item that will be mandatory for all of those who want to enter the place where all of our soldiers who are...you know." The soldier felt a chill roll down his spine, guarding the ones she was referring to was always troublesome.
"Was I posted there next?" The mare nodded confirming it. "Shit. I hate walking there. Did they remember to fix the hole from last time?"
"I made sure it was." he let out a small sigh of relief. That meant he would be a little safer when doing his rounds, no need for an emergency route, or the risk of getting temporarily stuck there with them. "But you know that we got a new soldier stationed here, right?" He nodded reluctantly. "Turns out she is a level six and a Leo," The soldier felt the blood drain from his face, he gulped and felt slightly light-headed.
"A-a level six?" The Quartermaster nodded biting her lip. "T-the highest one we had was a level four."
"Yeah, but we are equipped to deal with her. But based on what the captain told me she is going to be a good asset here. So, we need her."
"I guess..." He replied scratching the back of his head. "But what do you mean by 'want to enter'? No stallion in their right mind would enter there. Not unless they want to take responsibility for it afterward."
"Well, along with those first aid kits. We also received something to that may help both parts," The soldier raised an eyebrow at that. "Come with me, and I'll show you."
Confused and slightly curious, he followed the Quartermaster to the storage room. He remembered the first time he ever walked in there, from outside it looked very small. Once inside, however, one could see how big the place was, keeping track of everything that was stored there was quite the feat, especially when it was done by one mare alone. Hence the admiration she received.
The Quartermaster took a few steps inside before taking to the air, she gestured to the soldier to wait, and so he did. The sound of boxes being moved around came by and then she reappeared. In her hands, she had some kind of small packages.
"Is that what came from the city?" He asked taking one into his hands as she offered it. "How is this supposed to help?"
"Well, you know how part and go like you know...how there are times where there are regrets afterward? Because of how they don't feel ready, just like some of the males? Especially the younger ones, which always ends up in drama and a mare being left on her own," For as much pity as he felt towards the males who would abandon the mares in those situations he had to admit that unless both parts were ready, none should do the deed during that time.
"Yes, many cases like that happen all over the country," he replied with a sad tone, he saw her smiling at him softly. She was always very kind to all of the soldiers, be them male or female. But to him, she was always a bit more caring, a bit more kind.
"Well, that little thing apparently prevents the pregnancy," The soldier looked at her with disbelief. "It's what is said in the instructions. That thing serves as a barrier to prevent conception."
"Like those fancy spells from that unicorns use?" She nodded in agreement. "But don't those fail from time to time?"
"This one seems to be less likely to fail. If used correctly, and made correctly that is."
"What do you mean?"
"Open and look at the lid," With a bit of caution, the soldier opened it. Looking at the lid he saw a white lid with vivid red letters. It explained how to use the little plastic bags inside the box, he couldn't help but feel a little skeptical about it. And it was a bit hard to read, he must've been squinting his eyes because... "Touch the lid, then slide your finger. The left side for the background. The right side for the letters. Horizontal swipes and you change the font size."
Doing as instructed he was able to see clearly the text. It was very simple to use actually, single use only, place it before the act, and done. What he would be using was inside the little bags contained in the box, it looked like it was wrapped in a vacuum. If it did work, it would be a very handy thing for both parties involved.
"What are these little things called?" He asked removing one from the box.
"I believe the courier called them 'condom'," She replied closing her eyes and pressing her temples. "Apparently they were made based on research material from the stallion that came from another world."
"That guy we were told to keep a lookout for?"
"Yes."
"Wonder what else did that stallion had. First that de...de...the shock thingy. Now, this!"
"It might help a lot of young mares and stallions," she said looking at him, a slight blush taking over her cheeks. "So...um...Azure...want to see if it works?" Azure Gush simply stopped and stared at her.
"Um...A-avic..." He was trying his best to keep his thoughts in order. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. "...S-sure." Her face seemed to brighten and then she grabbed his hand and dragged him away.
(Canterlot castle, castle library, another day at another time)
'And I was sure I would find Twilight here!'
"Cadence?" The princess jumped a bit when she was called out, turning around she saw Twilight at the door with Spike resting his head on hers. The little guy was fast asleep and just as adorable as she remembered. "It's been a while since I last saw you."
"Yeah, I've been doing some research of my own." Twilight seemed to beam the moment she heard that. "Before you get super excited, why don't we set the little guy to bed?" Twilight gave an embarrassed smile and headed to her room.
'She is basically a mother. Good to see that at least she enjoys taking care of the little one.'
"So, what have you been looking into?" Cadence heard after a few seconds of only hooves hitting the ground. "Some new spells? Or maybe something to do with that mirror Princess Celestia has stored in the lab?" Cadence raised an eyebrow and Twilight covered her mouth.
"You've been snooping around the labs again?" Twilight let out a 'hehe' while her eyes darted to the sides. "Twilight, the Princess trusts you, just wait, I'm sure she will give you permission to check on the labs and even try out some of your little creations."
"I know...I just can't help myself. There is so much we could try and improve and I want to do my part!" Cadence couldn't help but smile at Twilight's dreams, a little shining beacon of creativity and knowledge, ever since the first day.
"I'm sure you do. I'm here for just that," Twilight's ears perked up and she stared at Cadence. "I researching my talent and if it can expand to other emotions other than love. I'm also interested in verifying if, with enough training, I can hear more than one pony at a time."
"Why the sudden interest in your talent? You were always happy with how it worked and everything," Cadence hesitated for a moment, but then she remembered how she wasn't in the presence of the other nobles that were always looking for leverage and reasons to gain her favor.
"Well, I WAS happy. While I was the only one able to do it," Cadence said in a slightly lower tone, even if she was with Twilight, her reasons for researching were a bit embarrassing. "But when Arden came around...I wasn't the only one anymore. And he can see so much more than me, feel much more. Hay, he even managed to pair up two ponies I was trying to help on his first day here. It's actually a bit aggravating! I had to endure a lot to be able to control my talent, he got here, was transformed and now he does much more than I."
"Cadence, you're actually jealous?" Cadence sat on a nearby chair and nodded in agreement. "Okay, but...what do you need from me? I'm not a specialist...You want the data on him, don't you?"
"Touchée, I was hoping that there is something there to help me see more. My title, everything I do is simply walk around and be praised. He got here and on his first day is sent on a mission in Celestia's name. How come he has all that just by appearing? He is out there living an adventure while I stand here waving and smiling."
"I...I think I saw an image data regarding his brain activity. It showed a specific area shining brilliantly. Maybe that will help?"
"Only if we knew how to interpret that. The scientists are still wrapping their heads around the risks of shocking everypony that has a cardiac arrest. That image only tells us that his brain reacts when he reads others. Nothing more."
"Then...how about I help you," Twilight said nearly jumping on her seat, "you tell me what you tried out so far, and I come up with new ways of straining your body and try to expand your talent!"
Cadence giggled at the sight, she was so glad that her aunt brought Twilight in. "Sure, just make sure you don't overdo it, okay? No crazy machines or any of your little experimental spells. Only things I can do to stretch the limits of my talent." Twilight gave out a giggle and stood up.
"Of course, I'll do everything I can to help! I'm gonna help a talent grow! I'm gonna help Cadence expand her abilities!" Twilight exclaimed hopping around like a little child that got what she asked for her birthday.
Cadence smiled before she stood up and hopped around with Twilight. "Twilight, don't ever lose that little spark of yours."
"Of course I won't! It's in my name after all!" She replied, and both of them laughed for a while.
(Ponyville, time passes...so do their stories)
"Welcome to Carousel Boutique!" That's the first thing she heard upon entering the store. "Be with you in a moment!"
'This place was certainly getting a little bit livelier each time I pass by,' she thought as she looked at the different ponies that were inside, mostly locals. Mostly females, not many of the stallions seemed comfortable with being there. 'Don't trust a mare to make your clothes? Or do you find embarrassing to be in a clothing store that is run by a mare?'
Trying to make time pass, she walked around the exhibits. 'This Rarity certainly has a lot of inspiration, and these are getting more and more intricate. But where are the little suggestions I made?' All of them were beautiful and carefully crafted. The difference between the older ones and the newest was very clear. Walking through those stands was like watching a timeline of Rarity's progression as a seamstress.
What she had come for, however, was something a bit more delicate than the dresses. She saw a group of mares basically flocking to a specific spot, not being big on the idea of entering the fray, the mare walked away from it. Shortly afterwards, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw the seamstress and in a matter of seconds, she felt Rarity giving her a hug. "Darling, your little idea has given me such a boost in clients! I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner! I don't even know where they got their underwear before this, but now my lingerie line is a huge success! I can work with so many different designs and they consume so little fabric. The money that I make from selling them gives me more resources to make my dresses"
"I'm glad I helped," She replied rolling her eyes, she hadn't done it for her. The one she had done this for wasn't even aware of this little stunt. "I'm looking for one myself."
"Anything, in particular, dear?"
"I was thinking of something a bit more...endearing?" Rarity scratched her chin for a few seconds. "I need something to...entice, a certain somepony," Rarity's eyes shot open and she darted away. "Oookay..." A few seconds later, she was back with a little box.
"Well, Minuette. I believe this one will do you wonders, dear," Rarity said opening the little container, looking inside Minuette saw what she was believed would help her friend.
"How much for it?" Minuette asked with a bit worry, the fabric for that one seemed a bit delicate. Not to mention that Rarity seemed to have put a lot of effort into it.
"My dear, consider this one a gift." Minuette raised her eyebrow at that. "Your little idea helped me so much. Let me help you out this time. Besides, with all the income I'm getting this little thing won't do any harm if it is given as a present."
"In that case, thank you. How do I adjust this?" Just as she finished saying that sentence, Minuette felt something around her legs, then her around her chest, and then the box was out of her hands.
"I got to say, dear, have you been exercising?" Rarity asked while working on the item. "Your silhouette has changed a lot."
"Y-yes...well, You know how it is. Got to look attractive, hehe..." Minuette scratched the back of her neck.
"Very well dear," Rarity said handing over the box. "I guess this should do the trick. Good thing I was handling my own designs, if it was somepony else's...it would have taken more time to adjust this. I would have needed to check how it was made and where I could change it."
"Thank you. I'll put it to good use."
"In case you pretend to do more than just luring your 'friend' in. Pass by the hospital, I hear they are giving out something to help young couples."
"Sure thing, best of luck," Minuette said before going out of the store.
'Okay, now to the hospital. And then...let's get you to my friend. She can't keep that up forever. Watching out for others is way harder than I thought.'
(Manehattan, carpenter's store)
"Well, I guess I can retire after this job then," Woodworks said as he finished reading the job request. "Are you sure this is right?"
"Don't ask me," the courier replied closing his bag. "I just deliver the mail. I don't write it. Well, before I go..."
"No tips?" Woodworks ask while picking his tools so he could start working on the request he just received.
"I wasn't going to ask for it. I want to know where I can find Doll Maker?"
"DM? I heard she opened a bigger shop a few blocks from that new theater uptown, but she will be passing by later today. You can leave whatever it is your delivery to her with me."
"I can't do that. It's unethical."
"Who would know about it? Not to mention she is working on some new prototype dolls, so she is probably running all over town looking for materials. You'll delay your deliveries considerably, but it's up to you to do it or not."
"Alright...I'll leave this letter. Deliver it for her, please." The pegasus handed out an envelope with Princess Celestia's seal on it. Just like the one Woodworks had just received.
"Sure thing," The carpenter replied, taking the envelope. "Now, if you excuse me. I need to change the store into workshop mode."
"You...had one of those spells done here?"
"Since some of the requests I get are ridiculously big. I would need a second location dedicated just to my workshop, which means more paperwork and bits off my payroll. With this little trick, I don't need that."
"Well...good day to you sir."
Woodworks replied with a simple handshake. As soon as the door closed, Woodworks pressed a few buttons on the back wall and the windows on the front of his shop were covered by curtains. The room started to expand, both in height and in area turning his humble little shop into a huge workshop. The balcony disappeared, the displays of small trinkets made out of wood and other materials were replaced by models of monuments, railways, miniature cities. His talent was to make these models, his little trinkets and other works were a hobby and a source of extra revenue.
He stepped into the center of the room, as he did it, the table where he placed his tools emerged from the ground. Blocks of different materials came out of some of the walls, his work table at the center. Adjusted to fit the base for next work. 'The wonders of space manipulation magic. Worth every bit. Now...what should I use for a base?'
Three hours passed, and he had just begun to carve the streets into the model. Selecting a material to work on the ground was a bit more difficult due to the specifications of the client. 'Why worry so much for the realism? Not that I'm complaining about it...but usually the clients want me to change the models in some way.'
Suddenly the front door opened and the bell rang. "Do you always stand on your works?"
Woodworks smirked before giving a reply. "Well, just as much as certain mare talks to her dolls like they are alive."
"One day I'll make a doll that will fool you into believing it is alive," he heard as he turned around. "But enough about that. What are you up to?"
"Special request from the princess," Woodworks said getting the envelope from one of his pockets. "Something I believe you'll be working with as well."
Doll Maker took the envelope frowning a bit. Woodworks watched her jaw drop as she read the letter. From the look on her face, she had also received a huge job request, but she seemed to have blanked out because she just stood there looking at the piece of paper. Woodworks snapped his fingers in front of her face which caused her to 'restart'.
"F-forty-six dolls?! A-and all of them in my new prototype?! How in the hay has the Princess caught wind of this?!"
"How should I know? But either way, mind if I ask what the request is?"
"Aside from the number, she asked for my next doll project that is a doll she can set a behavior pattern and change its appearance by activating an enchantment I already got figured out."
"That sounds rather complicated."
"That's because it is. It took about two years to figure out the right enchantment. Now, all that is left if figuring out which material can keep its integrity for the longest period of time."
"And I bet the running around is because that discovery of yours is very recent?" She replied with a positive nod. "Well, I got myself a request to make a Canterlot city and castle model. I just wonder where the Princess is going to place this."
"There are plenty of expert crafters here in the city. Any idea why us?"
"Well, if I were to guess...in your case is because of how intricate your automatons and dolls are. As for my case, I believe is because I don't tend to overprice my requests like most stores in town whenever a client comes from the capital. There are plenty of better stores out there that would have this done in half the time it will take me to do it."
"Of course they take less time. They have plenty of extra hands helping them out, which tends to leave different results in the same piece since there are so many different ponies working on it. Your's at least has the same handiwork throughout the entire product."
Woodworks smiled at that, for as much as a nutjob Doll Maker was with all of her antiques and her idea of a living doll. She was way more sociable than he was, so it came as no surprise she knew how to boost somepony else's morale.
"Well, if you're looking for materials," Woodworks said heading over to the walls where he had samples for different things he could use for the models. "I can put out a word for my suppliers to keep an eye out for your potential materials."
Doll Maker crossed her arms and smirked at him. "Trying to win me over with favors? Aren't you a charmer?"
"I know better than to try that," Woodworks replied giving her a little push on the forehead. "I know you prefer mares. So, consider this a little thank you for helping me out with my tools every now and then."
"Well, I'm not about to turn down a helping hand! I'll go back to my shop and test out the new materials I selected. I'll send you a list of the other candidates by tomorrow morning." Doll Maker gave him a hug. "Don't pull allnighters, okay? You tend to do that whenever that little spark in your eyes starts to glow."
"You got it, boss," Woodworks replied while returning the gesture. "And you be careful on your way back."
Soon after, she left and he went back to work on his piece. 'She's ought to outdo herself again with these prototypes. If it wasn't for those stupid stallions trying to keep her works under wraps she would have a much bigger name for herself. I think she would do better away from this city. Away from these bastards.'
(Meanwhile, Wonderbolt's Academy)
Spitfire had just changed back into her regular clothes, training was over for the day and it was about time she returned the barracks. Just as she left the changing rooms she was called out by somepony.
"Mrs. Spitfire?"
"Yes?"
"That Rainbow Dash you asked me to look out for in your mail...she sent you a letter today." Spitfire's ears perked up and she turned towards the mailmare.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let me see it." The pegasus gave her a letter and then flew away. "Finally! It has been a few months now since I asked for news on the blue weirdo." She said opening the letter.
Spitfire, Ma'am,
With all due respect. STOP SENDING ME LETTERS EVERY WEEK! I promised you that I would send news on the unicorn as soon as I saw him again. I never let anypony I made a promise to down. So, you don't need to worry about me bailing on you. When he comes by you'll be the first to know.
Now on to another topic. It's about that theory of yours of the Princess being interested in that weird unicorn. My friends seem to share the same idea. I, on the other hand, can't wrap my head around this! And the more I think about it, the more it doesn't add up! The Princess has been around for way longer than I've been around. And based on the stories I heard about her. On these past thousand years, she's only shown interest in ponies that were REALLY strong with either offensive magic, or brute force.
Arden lacks both these traits! According to my friend, he told her that he can only use defensive magic. Add that to his power points and you have a completely uninteresting stallion according to the Princess’ standards. So how in Tartarus would this male get any sort of interest from the Princess?
I think the reason she is so worried about him is either because he saw something in her she didn't want to get out. Or, she wants him to use those eyes of his on somepony very specific. And since she is so worried about him disappearing I think the second option is most likely to be the case.
But in any case. This is all.
Your fan Rainbow Dash.
P.S: Do you think you can help me audition for the Wonderbolts?
Spitfire scratched her chin after finishing to read the letter. 'She has a point...the guy doesn't meet any of the traits the Princess showed interest in before. And her worries might be related to the favor she asked of him. But now that I think about it...why was I even interested in the guy? I guess the idea of the Princess liking him just made me want to know more. That was actually...unnecessary. I should probably send an apology to Rainbow Dash regarding the letters I sent.'
With that, she went back to the dorms. Spitfire had a long day of training, writing in her current state probably would be counterproductive. The night came through without a problem, though she did spend some time awake during the night thinking about what she read in the letter.
'What did he see? Or...who is the target the Princess set him on? Why keep it a secret? The Princess could simply restart the Shadowbolts, their specialties were surveillance and reconnaissance while keeping themselves concealed. Why bother with a stallion like that? Unless...it is something only he could verify.'
After realizing she wasn't going to get any answers by simply thinking about it, Spitfire decided to go to sleep. On the following morning, she woke up a bit earlier and went to the common area where she could write her letter. That early there would be only one pony there, Soarin. The second best flyer in her group.
"Morning Spitfire," The pegasus said right before yawning.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Well, you're always the second pony to come by every morning."
"True enough."
"What's got you out of bed this early?"
"Need to write a letter."
"Huh, well, I think you should hurry then. If I'm not mistaken the courier will come by in a few minutes to check on the letters that are about to be sent out."
"Thanks for heads up but I got it covered," Spitfire replied before yawning. She grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee, then she sat down and looked at the empty piece of paper.
'Now...first things first. How should I approach this? I only asked her about him in the previous ones. I never bothered to think about anything I should ask or try to come up with conversation.'
"Stop frowning and just write whatever comes to your head," She heard from right in front of her. Soarin took a seat and was resting his head on his hand. "You don't usually think how you're going to fly out there. You simply adapt to how things work out. Which is why the higher-ups are considering you to be next head of the Wonderbolts. And besides, it's just a little letter. If you don't like how it turns out just discard it and try again until you're satisfied."
Spitfire tilted her head at him and smirked. "Are you always this good with advice? Or did I just get you on a good day?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm always awesome when it comes to giving advice."
"Like when you gave a tip to the rookie that ended up making him crash land into the instructor?"
"I mean with letters."
"Since when?" Soarin seemed to choke with his coffee when she asked that. "Who have you been writing to?" He started to sweat and his eyes darted around. "Come on! Who is the lucky gal?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" He replied, Spitfire just kept staring at him with a smirk on her face. His response was him faceplanting on the table and started making snoring sounds.
"Are you serious?" The snoring got louder. "Very well then, I'll just go back to my letter then," Spitfire said before getting a quill, ink, and paper. 'Just let it flow, just write whatever comes to mind.'
Rainbow Dash,
I want to start this off by simply saying that I'm sorry for bothering you with the constant interrogation. After reading your letter I realized that I don't even know why I was so interested in that stallion. I think you might be on to something with those theories of yours. Actually, it makes me a bit worried as to why the Princess needs him. Why would she need a pony who can see the heart of another?
Well, in any case, you don't need to worry about sending me that warning, I don't think it will be necessary. Actually, scratch that. When he comes by do let me know, I'll try to see what the Princess asked him to do, and I'll see if he needs help from us, whatever he is up to it must be big.
Regarding your audition. I'm afraid that all I can do is give a recommendation. That is unless you have any relatives that worked with or were Wonderbolts. If that's the case please tell me, I might be able to help you out.
Thanks for calling me out on the interrogation. Best of luck!
Spitfire looked at the parchment, before letting out a sigh. 'You were on point, Soarin. I bet that the mare that got you into writing gets some very well written letters.' Spitfire finished preparing the envelope and went to place the letter with the others. Soaring stayed there making the snoring noises. 'Everypony is going along with their lives. There are so many stories all around us...all of them developing at their own paces.'
(Back to the past, on the day Arden and Zecora finally admitted their feelings. Session for his third time on the arenas)
"What are you doing?" Nightmare asked as Arden pressed his forehead against the floor. "Are you finally acknowledging my powers? Are you finally admitting that I am your queen?"
"No," Arden replied without moving. "I am apologizing for any harm I might have brought your way in the last two nights. I was not myself, but that is inexcusable. When we are in here, I am the one depending upon your abilities. I only remember bits and pieces of the night when we found the two doors. And I am not proud of what I remember. No amount of hurt justifies being that aggressive towards you. Especially when you've been coming to me every night and aiding me in my healing."
Arden stopped his speech for a moment in order to breath. "I didn't show any sort of regard towards your efforts or safety. And I can only imagine what I might have done in the second night."
"Lift your head, peasant," Nightmare Moon said almost commanding him. "Stand proud, for your humility is acknowledged."
Arden let out a sigh of relief. 'A bit demanding. But I’m very glad she doesn't hold it against me.' He thought as he got back on his hooves and looked at her.
"Is the helmet new?" He asked while gazing at the blue piece of armor. "I think that you look better without it, but...given the fact that we are heading into battle. I think it's a good call to have it."
"Y-yes, it is new," Nightmare replied looking away. "Now, let us chase the monsters!" she said before walking out of the room.
Arden felt a smile form in his face, she was the same, even with his major screw up. Scratching the back of his head, Arden thanked whoever watched over him and made him so blessed by having so many good-hearted beings that were in his path. Quickly following Nightmare, Arden found himself opening the door for an arena bathed in golden sunlight.
Arden allowed his eyes to get comfortable with the lighting, once his head didn't hurt any longer, Arden looked around. Right by his side, a mushroom thirteen was standing by him. It held a black book in its little claws, it looked upwards at Arden. Then it lifted the book opening the tome.
"Um, I know you guys, in particular, aren't hostile...but why are you showing me..." Arden stopped mid-sentence, the book had statistics on him. His height, his attack power, his magical abilities, and his battle traits. It was all in a different language, a bunch of symbols. One word seemed to be highlighted in red, Arden reached for it. Once his fingers touched the paper, the word shifted into letters he understood, it also had an explanation on the words.
"Berserker? By abdicating defense, he can bring greater strength to his blows? Wrath's revenge...the greater the damage he receives...the stronger his blows?" Arden tilted his head as he read those words. "What did I do during these last two sessions?"
"What are you staring at?" Nightmare inquired from behind Arden. When she saw the mushroom, Arden noticed she was acting weird around the little creature. "Why is it here?"
"I think this little guy is keeping data on us for this little tournament," Arden replied looking back at the book. Turning a few pages he saw more letters he could actually read. "E.P? 236? Stock..." Arden touched the last word and list emerged from the pages.
It had many items, many of them were accompanied by a red 'x' by the name. Only a handful of them didn't have those markings. The only problem was that the names were once again in letters Arden could read.
"Body armor? Mind anklet? What are these things?" Arden turned around to face Nightmare again. "What?"
"You can read these?" The response he got was a positive nod. "You got to teach me these later. If you don't mind that is."
"Seeking knowledge? Didn't take you for a scholar. You acted more like a barbarian."
"Regarding the question, yes. Now about the insult, I'll have you know that I was a medical student. A doctor in training if you may. I just happened to land in a bunch of unfortunate situations."
"I think you just weren't cut out for it," Nightmare said smirking. Arden rolled his eyes at her remarks. "Either way, you seem a bit curious about the book's contents. Show me what you want to know and I'll translate."
"Thanks!"
With a translator to aid him. Arden figured out what the book was, putting it simply the book was a menu of sorts. From defeating the creatures they got items that gave them small advantages in the fights. The little icons indicated that the one who held the item couldn't use it. There also 'Evolution Points' those were used to increase their statistics. Apparently, the battle traits were something that emerged based on how they fought. Arden had only two, Nightmare...she had plenty. 'Magical knight', 'Aerial soldier', 'Baku devourer', the list kept going.
Arden also figured out how to equip the items, the only thing he could equip were buttons that appeared on his wrists and brooches that appeared on his lapel, but he could only equip one. Since he didn't want to take off the other brooch he had. It was the first gift he ever got that wasn't related to any mission or requirements for his training. Even if it came from a being that wants to take over his mind.
'At the very least...her new get-up looks nice. The blue and silver really do suit her.' Arden thought once they were both done equipping themselves.
"Now, forward to battle!"
(A week later, present session)
"Luna, slowly move away from it."
"Does thou think that We are afraid of such a creature? It is nothing but the kind watchdog of Tartarus."
"The one you know of might be, but this one? It only yields to two beings, the god of the underworld, and an angry ancient Greek hero. And you are neither. So, back away. Before one of them decides to make you into a snack."
Luna completely ignored the warnings Arden gave her, she simply stepped closer to the gigantic, black, three-headed dog that stared at her with its red eyes. Luna slowly raised her hand in an attempt to pet the dog, then she stood still while the dog slowly approached her. Luna must have believed everything was under control until she jumped backward. Avoiding the loss of her arm to the massive beast's jaws, Luna started running as soon as she noticed the dog didn't take her dodging very kindly.
"BAD DOG! YOU ARE A VERY BAD DOG! DOWN! I SAID DOOOOOOOWN!"
"YOU STUPID MUTT!" Arden shouted as he tossed his weapon straight at the Cerberus’ left head, hitting its eye.
The dog stopped chasing Luna, the three heads stared at Arden. Arden gulped as he slowly walked sideways, the monster turned around and positioned itself ready to jump at Arden.
‘I fucking hate this dog,’ Arden thought before he started to run like crazy, just as Cerberus hopped towards him.
Arden jumped up right before the dog hit the ground creating a shockwave. ‘Knowing how he actually fights is a good thing.’ Arden looked back at it and saw the creature make the central head move back as both of the rights and left heads swung to the sides. Given the distance between him and the dog, Arden knew what came up next.
‘Fuck this fight! I found it more entertaining when it happened on a screen!’
Arden jumped and used his arms to keep the dog’s upper jaws from bitting him, while his feet used the lower teeth of the creature’s heads as platforms. Looking forward, Arden saw the central head snarling at him, droll rolled down its teeth as it prepared to lunge at Arden.
‘Don’t fuck it up, Don’t fuck it up, Don’t fuck it up!’ Arden thought as he directed both heads down while using them to propel himself upward, straight into the path of the central head's lunge.
Stretching both his arms and legs, Arden kept Cerberus from using him as the next dish. The head shook violently to the sides as Arden held on for dear life. Arden looked to his left, another head was going straight for him. Arden quickly forced the lower jaw downwards and stood on the upper teeth, then he jumped as high as he could.
"Grab on!" Arden heard as he started his ascension, instinctively reaching towards the voice Arden was carried away. Arden looked down and saw the dog was still at a loss as to what just happened.
"Luna! Toss me with everything you have at Cerberus!"
"Are thou insane?!"
"JUST DO IT!"
"Thou are on your own!" Luna shouted as she spun around and tossed him directly at the dog’s back.
Arden clenched his fist and swung at the base of the neck of the central head. The impact made the dog fall to the ground, Arden rolled down to the side and hit the ground. Getting up as fast as he could, Arden started to punch the dog’s torso as fast as he could. Cerberus started to roll over and go towards the edge, Arden felt his fists hurting as he kept punching it and since the body was moving, Arden had to keep moving forward to hit the dog.
When he landed the final blow, the dog flew off the arena hit the wall and fell into the pit. Arden stood there by the edge panting hard as he fell on his behind. The sound of flapping wings made him look back.
"Thou needs to attend to a doctor," Luna said crossing her arms and looking down at him. "How were thou able to send such a creature flying like that?"
"T-those...battle traits...you saw...back in the book," Arden said in between his breathing, "t-they...gave me...a boost in strength..."
"Very well. Then are We correct to assume this victory made us reach the first ranking in this tournament?"
"You can bet your moon on that!" Arden said giving her a thumbs up, Luna simply rolled her eyes at his remark.
The room around them started to dissolve, eventually returning to the shapes of the previous ones. At the center of the room, there was a pedestal with a trophy on top of it. The trophy was a black urn with the three heads of Cerberus carved into it, it had two oddly-shaped handles placed by its sides. Arden got back on his feet and walked towards his weapon.
"I guess we are ready to get the other side of that door," Aredn said picking up the sword. The weapon disappeared in a flash of light. "I guess we won't be needing them anymore. I kinda liked the idea of using them. Unless..." Arden extended his arm and closed his hand, almost as if he was grabbing Oathkeeper. "...I don't know what I was expecting."
"Are thou going to make us wait?" Luna asked opening the door back to the previous room. "Your time is short, let us see what lies beyond the locked door."
Arden shrugged and headed towards the trophy, he grabbed it and went after Luna. She was waiting by the locked door, Arden went towards the empty pedestal and placed the urn there. The weight of the urn made the pedestal sink into the ground, a clicking sound echoed through the room. Suddenly, the stone wall started to crack and crumble until there was only a regular door made out of wood.
Arden looked at Luna. She had her arms crossed and was tapping her hooves on the ground. "I'll open it, just thought you would have some sort of comment about the door."
"There is no need for comment. Just let us see what lies beyond."
Arden laughed at that. ‘Guess being stuck alone makes you way easier to impress,’ he thought as he grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. Beyond it, a scenario a bit different than the previous ones laid in wait. An enormous tower reached out to an almost invisible ceiling, giving it the impression that what was above them was the sky.
Arden entered the room and walked around the tower, though its height was impressive, the diameter was way smaller. A very odd construction, to say the least. It looked like it could crumble at any given moment.
The tower had a stairs running by its side. Every now and then Arden could see the stairs stopping by a door, and at the opposite side, on the exact level, there was another door and more stairs. The world started to become harder to see, Arden had just finished walking around the building when he heard Luna's voice from behind him.
"These constructs never cease to amaze."
"Glad you liked it," Arden replied looking at the fading image Luna of disguised as Nightmare. "Thank you for the help. Without you and Nightmare I would still be stuck in the center room."
"We suppose we should also thank thee for providing such entertaining nights. Be grateful mortal! For we shall continue to assist thee through these trials."
"And this lowly mortal thanks thee," Arden replying bowing to her. Then in a sudden movement, he stood up straight and laughed. "Sorry, I can't keep too serious with you around. It would be weird. Seriously though, thank you! Let’s keep up the good work!"
And with that, Arden woke up. Returning to Zecora, returning to reality.
(The following night)
“Just a second. These locks are getting harder to unlock without making it tighter,” Nightmare heard as she felt her body being moved around, a clicking sound came forth and she felt her limbs coming free. She took off the blindfold and the gag before standing up.
“Took you long enough,” Nightmare said tossing the blindfold and gag to the side. This night she returned to her dresses, and also made a few accessories using a bit of magic and minerals from the moon. Luna helped her out with ideas on the shapes. The only thing that remained was the helmet.
‘Now that he acknowledges my strength, I need to make him acknowledge my beauty. Then he shall drop his guard and I can turn him into my servant...and toy.’
“Sorry, I was afraid of making your situation a bit more precarious by removing the wrong lock.”
“There is no need to bother, it no longer bothers me,” Nightmare replied before thinking about what she said.
“Okay...so you like it now?” Nightmare turned quickly around and pushed Wolf towards the wall that was behind him.
“Don’t you dare to assume or say anything about this to anypony, you better forget what you just heard,” she said in a stern tone while pointing at him with a calm smile on her lips. Making sure that she was very close to him, just so that he could pay attention to every detail she carefully laid out for him. The blue lipstick that stood out from the rest of her coat making her lips more visible, the eyeshadows on her eyelids, both with a touch of magic to make it sparkle in the light.
“I don’t know what you're talking about,” Wolf replied before dispersing and reappearing by her side. “How about we go to the tower before I start to forget more stuff? I'm very old after all.”
Nightmare raised an eyebrow at that. “How old are you?”
“Last I checked...two thousand years old,” Wolf said while heading towards the next rooms.
‘Immortal, eh? Or maybe he has a very long lifespan.’
Nightmare followed the tall creature. Before long she was at the base of the tower. Wolf walked to the base of the stairs and started to climb, Nightmare opened her wings and flew up.
‘Let’s see how high this goes.’ Nightmare thought as she flew up. However, her ascension was stopped by an invisible wall that she discovered by faceplanting on it.
“I guess that means no cheating.” Nightmare heard from behind her.
Nightmare looked back to see Wolf climbing the stairs, changing her course she landed in front of him and started to climb on hoof. It took a few moments, but they reached a strangely shaped door. A red insignia was carved in it, the insignia was pulsating with the same rhythm of a heart.
‘I don’t know this symbol...’
Nightmare looked back to Wolf and saw him staring at the door. He suddenly let out a laugh that sounded a bit forced, almost as if he was worried or embarrassed by something.
“I guess one of us will be having a lot of fun,” he said reaching for the door. A bright red light blinded Nightmare for a few seconds when her sight returned she saw that she was at a different place, alone.
“Wolf? WOLF?!” Nightmare yelled as she looked around. The room she where was it looked like some sort of holding cell, or a disposal area, being used to gruesome dreams and dark themes. She watched the floor covered in blood and viscera. Skulls were visible ornamenting the walls along with spines and corpses, limbs were scattered across the floor. The marks on those body parts indicated that they were ripped off from their original places.
Torn muscles, ripped torsos, mangled bodies, and faces of creatures she didn’t recognize were hanging from chains that came out of the ceiling where she could see a sky as red as blood through the rusty metal grates above her head and below her hooves. Nightmare looked at herself, her body seemed to be covered by some sort of green armor. She realized she was wearing a helmet because of the fog her breathing generated on the glass.
Suddenly, the glass lit up and the fog disappeared. Small displays appeared before her eyes, on the left side there was a blue bar with the number two hundred fifty by it, above it a thinner green bar with the number one hundred fifty by its side. On the right, the drawing of something she didn't recognize accompanied by a blue bar and numbers. Underneath it, there were five red bars and four green ones.
“Nightmare!” Nightmare jumped as she heard that, the voice was Wolf’s, however, he was nowhere to be seen. “Can you hear me?”
“I can hear you. But I can’t see you.”
“Just give me a moment,” There was silence and suddenly a little circle appeared above the bars on her left side. “Okay...I turned into VEGA.”
“What are you talking about? Where are you?”
“Uh, don’t freak out. But technically speaking...I’m inside your suit.”
“I’m taking this off!” Nightmare exclaimed before trying to rip off the helmet.
“Calm down! If you take these off they will tear you apart! It’s like I am an artificial soul that inhabits the armor! I’m here only for support and information! I can’t touch you or do anything to you. So calm down!”
“Who are “they”?”
“Er...are you familiar with the concept of demons?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, basically you’re what they fear. You are in a version of hell where a being they refer to as the “Slayer” massacres hell’s inhabitants. So, once we get through that door. Get ready to fight.”
As soon as Wolf finished saying that, a series of images of objects she didn’t know appeared in front of her. Where her eyes focused the object was highlighted, Nightmare stopped at what looked the simplest. Something started to move around her waist, Nightmare looked at it, one of the pockets on the belt was moving. Nightmare opened it and the object jumped off the pocket.
“Super shotgun? Easy to handle and massive damage. Good for close quarters. There is a little switch by the handle, press it and then grab the barrel. Pull it down and take the shells out. The pocket in front of the one you took the weapon out has the shells for it. It can hold two shells for each use. The trigger underneath the barrel needs to be pulled, just like a crossbow.”
“How are you familiar with these?”
“I hate these things. This was based off some weapons that existed back where I came from. I won’t deny they can have their uses in situations like these. Let’s leave it at that and turn these demons to stains on the walls. A fair trade for all the lives they took.” Wolf’s voice sounded bitter, he mentioned he was a healer in training. Maybe it had something to do with that.
Nightmare just nodded before heading towards the door, the markings on it were unfamiliar to her. As soon as she touched its surface, a flow of red energy ran through her arm. Just as suddenly as the flow started, it stopped, and a number appeared as a projection on her arm.
“One hundred? Is this our target?”
“I guess that’s the case. Mind I if say something, I think it is very appropriate?” Wolf asked, his voice sounded excited.
“As long as you don’t say anything stupid. Proceed.”
“They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you. You will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done”
Nightmare heard the stone door moving, taking a few steps back she saw that beyond it. A wide arena with a thin layer of blood covering the floor, rusted metal spikes, and grates where all around the place. Chains rattled and dangled from the walls, Nightmare took a few steps in and red whirlwind appeared on the floor. From within it, A huge black creature with a white skull appeared.
“Hell knight! That thing is quick, keep moving and don't let it get too close.”
The monster roared at Nightmare and leaped toward her.
Nightmare rolled forward, passing right underneath the monster’s attack. Quickly turning around, Nightmare placed the gun’s end at the creature’s knee. Pulling the trigger, the creature’s leg was severed from its body. The monster let out a deafening roar as it swiped its claw trying to slice Nightmare. Ducking, she dodged the monster's attack while repositioning herself in front of him.
She placed the barrel’s end at the monster’s mouth and pulled the trigger. There was only a clicking sound, she pulled it again and again. Nothing, Nightmare felt the creature’s grip upon her torso. The monster prepared to grab her neck with its other claw, Nightmare held the weapon by the barrel and swung it at the creature’s skull. The monster’s head swung to the side and it dropped her, Nightmare saw an orange aura around the beast.
“Finish him with your hands!” Nightmare reacted on instinct, she jumped straight at the monster’s head. Grabbing its jaw and skull, Nightmare tore them apart and then beat the skull using the jaw. "That wasn't exactly how you use a shotgun...but effective nevertheless."
The creature’s body fell to the ground before it slowly dissolved itself into red energy, a bunch of blue capsules popped out the knight. The capsules stayed on the ground, Nightmare was about to reach for them when she heard screams and roars from all around her.
Looking around, Nightmare saw monsters crawling down the walls. Others hovered down using some sort of weird metal thing she didn’t recognize, there are some others that materialized on the floor. Some sort of twisted creature with flesh coming out of what looked like remnants of armor, small and fragile looking creatures crawled out of the ground.
“We got imps, possessed soldiers, and a Mancubus! Nightmare! Run and reload your weapon!”
Nightmare tried to do as he had instructed her, but being unacquainted with the weapon she only managed to drop it while running. Taking Wolf’s advice, Nightmare ran and ran around the arena, dodging the endless assault of fireballs and projectiles that were fired her way. When Nightmare was near a huge bloating monster with green armor and what looked like two canons in its hands.
“Use this! Press the button with your right thumb and then tear that thing to shreds!” Wolf’s voice made her reach for the pocket where she took the first weapon out. A strange device with an orange handle jumped out of the pocket, doing as she was told, Nightmare pressed the button.
The device let out a sound like it was roaring, black smoke came out of it. Nightmare pierced the monster's stomach, the machine kept roaring while she tore through the monster’s flesh until she opened a road straight to the monster's shoulder. Looking at the result, Nightmare let out a terrifying laugh. She jumped off the monster’s corpse and saw a red orb right behind it.
Nightmare jumped and grabbed it, a surge of rage and power ran through her mind. Nightmare could hear voices in her head screaming and ordering her to crush her opponents.
“Nightmare, what are you doing?” Nightmare ignored Luna’s voice.
“Luna?! How are you here?”
“Wolf?! How can you hear me?”
While the two quieter voices argued, Nightmare heeded the third voices’ requests and rushed the monsters. Tearing their limbs with her bare hands, Nightmare kept slaughtering the demons like they were made of paper.
“RIP AND TEAR! DIE YOU PUTRID PILE OF FLESH!” Nightmare roared as she used a creature’s legs to remove the head of the another that was trying to attack her.
“Nightmare?!”
“She got the berserker pack, didn’t she?”
“I’LL TEAR OUT YOUR GUTS! I WILL BATHE IN THE BLOOD OF YOUR CHILDREN!”
“...”
“KNEEL BEFORE THE MISTRESS OF THE NIGHT!”
“Luna, I hold no responsibility for what comes out of her mouth right now.”
“This...”
“Luna, please don’t kill me.”
“This...”
“I swear that this is temporary.”
Their voices were becoming clearer, the rage was subsiding. Nightmare was becoming calmer, and her body was heavy.
“This looks entertaining!”
“Pleas-....wait, what?”
“Nightmare, please let us try!”
Nightmare obliged to the request, her vision was slightly hazy due after the voices telling her to kill went completely quiet. She then sat back and watched Luna have her way with the creatures, pulling out different weapons out of her pockets, Luna slaughtered them with ease. It was almost unnatural how easily she was following Wolf’s instructions. Nightmare could hear her laughing, she could see what she was doing to the demons. It was the most fun she and Luna ever had in a while, and that was only the beginning. For all the corpses they pilled up, they only reduced the number to seventy-five.
“I think the number is actually a percentage. So we need to-”
“BOW BEFORE YOUR PRINCESS!”
“Holy shit! She pulled out the Gatling gun!”
“That ought to be fun. I need to try that out later.”
“And I thought I was insane.”
A rainstorm of projectiles fell towards the monsters as the weapon made a rattling noise. The door at the end of the arena opened, Nightmare watched Luna rush towards the door and ripped the demons to shreds using the weapon Wolf referred to as 'Gatling gun'. Luna caught a yellow orb while doing so. Suddenly, Luna started to move faster than usual.
“FASTER! FASTER! FASTER! The night is young and we seek their demise!”
“Nightmare, should I be concerned with both of you enjoying this too much?”
“I do not know what you’re talking about.”
By the time she reached the top of the stairs, Luna had reduced the percentage to forty-eight percent. Around that time, the yellow aura that was around their body disappeared. Luna started to pant and placed her hand over her chest, it didn't take long for her to lean on a wall by the door.
“Better switch, Luna.”
“You two can do that so seamlessly. It’s kinda cree-. Hostiles, six crawling from the ceiling!”
“Reduce them to ash, Nightmare.”
“You two already swapped?! Never mind! Use this one!”
Nightmare reached for her pockets and pulled out a white weapon, quickly pointing the weapon to the demons, Nightmare pulled the trigger and held it. The weapon didn’t fire, but her helmet showed a blue bar filling up. The weapon shook as a blue glow emerged from its top, the demons drew ever nearer.
“Let go of the trigger now!”
Nightmare Moon did as commanded and a massive blue beam shot through all the demons, making them drop to the floor like ragdolls before their bodies turned into red energy and dispersed. forty-five percent were left.
“Meet the Gauss Cannon. Enjoy it while you can, because I’ll make sure none of these things ever stay with either you or Luna.”
Nightmare ignored his remark and kicked the next door open, the following room revealed to be an enormous round platform suspended by old chains that looked a bit precarious. At the center, multiple demons were hopping around and growling, some roared and screeched as they seemed to try and advance towards her. Nightmare prepared another blast with the weapon she had in hand, however, just as she started to charge the blast, a monster with pink skin covered in red scales charged at Nightmare.
Nightmare jumped over the attacker, the moment it went underneath the door Nightmare had come through, a blade fell down and separated the creature into two. Still charging the shot, Nightmare pointed at the crowd of howls and screams and fired the beam. Corpses fell as the remaining adversaries looked at their fallen comrades and then ran towards Nightmare in a crazed frenzy. She tried to charge another shot, however, the weapon just made a weird sound and it didn’t charge up.
“Nightmare! Use this one! Jump and then shot in a straight line!”
Nightmare tossed the weapon aside and did as Wolf told her to, heavy green weapon came out. Jumping as high she was able, due to the weapon’s weight limiting that, she pulled the trigger. A green energy orb shot from the barrel, green lighting shot from it. Each lighting strike connected to a demon, that was stopped on their tracks. They fell to the ground screaming while they clawed their own bodies, almost as if they wanted to get the energy out.
The sphere kept going until it hit the door on the opposite side, it exploded. The demons that were agonizing on the floor, started to explode one by one. Five percent remained after that attack, Nightmare looked at the weapon and smiled. She walked towards the center of the platform, no demons materialized as Nightmare passed through the center.
“Nightmare! Above you! A baron of hell!”
The warning came too late, the demon landed behind her and grabbed her. Tearing the gun away from her hands, it tossed Nightmare to the floor making her bounce and nearly fall off the edge. She pulled herself up and then stood up as fast as she could.
“Are you okay?!”
“Nightmare, your armor was depleted. From now on you’ll feel the damage. You’re low on ammo and fuel. Get to the door!”
“And run away from the fight?”
“Do you want to win?”
“Yes.”
”Then do as I say!”
Nightmare ran towards the door while trying to evade the attack from the monster when she was halfway through. Another weapon popped out from her pocket, a small one-handed weapon.
“Run backward, then leap toward the door! Then shoot the chains!”
“I like the way you think!”
Nightmare Moon did as she was told to, shooting the chains as she traveled through the air. One shot per chain caused the platform to start shaking and made it less stable, once the last chain was severed, the platform fell and the Baron fell into the pit while roaring. Nightmare looked at the number on her arm turned to zero.
“And that’s a wrap! Got to say that you two seem to be more insane than me. And that's saying something.”
“That was a quick way to end it. Nicely done,” She replied ignoring his remark.
“Are you being nice to a commoner? Ok, we lost her doctor!”
“I-I mean, that was an adequate method to solve the problem.”
The room started to dissolve, it didn't take long for Nightmare to find herself inside a dark blue room. Nightmare looked at her hands and realized that the armor was gone, Nightmare also felt a weight on her shoulders. Looking up, she saw Wolf sitting on her shoulders with his arms crossed. He looked down on her and tilted his head.
“I was kinda wondering why I was so tall,” he said before dispersing and reforming himself in front of her. “All that and we only got through one floor...That makes me worry a bit,” Wolf said heading towards the door. He opened it and stepped outside. Nightmare followed.
“I think you might want to be thankful for all we just did,” Nightmare said looking down. They had actually made a lot of ground towards the top. And they had access to even more now.
“I guess so,” Wolf commented carefully looking down to the floor, one of his hands was trembling a bit. Nightmare gave him a little tap on the back making him lose his balance and then grabbed him before pulling him back towards her. “What was that for?!”
“Afraid of height are we?”
“Very much! I have a bit of a bad record with falls. Therefore I’m more cautious! Don’t do that ever again!” He pushed her away and nearly fell again. Nightmare grabbed him by the hand and pulled him to the door. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” Wolf stared at her for a few moments in silence after Nightmare said that.
‘Good, I think this is working. This is what it will take to get you to be my little soldier. My little puppet...my toy.’
The world around her started to fade, time was up again. After a few seconds, Nightmare found herself back on the moon. Being back to her room, Nightmare went to her chair by the window and looked back to the planet she aimed to rule.
‘I’ll have it all, then Luna won’t have to worry anymore.’
“You can’t...trust...”
Chapter 33: Another step (WARNING! CLOP!) - Edited
“Chrysalis, return the box with the potions to this one,” Zecora said while trying to free herself from the changeling’s magic. Arden was fast asleep due to the session.
“No, what you need is to talk to him and stop drinking these things!”
“This one is on her heat! She requires those potions otherwise she might give her a responsibility she is not ready to have! not mention this one is afraid of being too forward.”
“Listen, your precious little stallion is making a lot of waves here. Apparently, research data they got from him allowed them to make something to prevent mares becoming pregnant during this period.”
Zecora stopped struggling, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at Chrysalis. That sounded too convenient, so far there weren’t any known methods for birth control. Silence took over the conversation for a little while, Chrysalis eventually let Zecora go and sighed.
“Listen, I’m trying to help. You can’t keep chugging these. If you just do it, you might be able to ease up on the potions.”
After that, Zecora watched Chrysalis make a box appear on her hands. Another gesture and a neatly wrapped up box appeared on her other hand, Zecora noticed a faint blush on Chrysalis as she placed both on the table. Then Chrysalis pushed both of them towards Zecora.
“The one on the right has what the nurse at the hospital referred to as condoms. The male puts it on before the couple gets down to it and done. They are single uses so, don’t go crazy,” Zecora opened the box and saw many small packages. Then she turned to the other box.
“What about the other one?”
“Well..." Chrysalis started to shift a bit. “I got the seamstress of the nearby village to design some underwear to help me out.”
“Why did you go out of your way to do all this for this one?”
“Because...well...you are my friend. And I noticed you using the potions more regularly these past weeks. I don’t care about what that project of a stallion is doing. But I worry about you, therefore, I wanted to help,” Zecora couldn’t help but smile at Chrysalis.
“This one appreciates the concern. So, what is this?”
“Open it.”
Zecora unwrapped the present. When she removed the lid, she saw a black piece of clothing. Picking it up, Zecora saw that it only covered her chest, there was a practically transparent cloth that hung from the sides underneath the arms. There was a careful detailing to the area for covering the breasts using white thread, there were shapes of flowers and vines sowed into the cloth. Zecora couldn’t help but admire the clothing and blush a little, she placed it to the side and picked the other piece.
That one was for her lower half, the black and white theme continued. At the center of the piece, the shape of a rose rested. Zecora moved her mane out of her eyes before placing it down, time for cutting it again was coming around. There was more inside the box, two pieces that looked like they were for her legs. It also kept the theme of the previous pieces, it looked very thin, if she was to use it, Zecora would certainly see through it.
“How much have spent on this?” Zecora inquired while carefully placing the last part on the table. “This one will re-”
“Don’t! It was given to me as a gift,” Chrysalis replied after raising her hand and frowning at Zecora. “I gave the seamstress the idea of making lingerie and she started to get more costumers. So, she gave me these as a gift. Another thing, if you receive a gift from somepony, don’t ask for the price or say you pay them back. It’s unpolite.”
Zecora smiled and looked down to the gift, that was probably the first one she ever got since she left her home. “This one thanks you for your gift.”
“Now, all you have to do is play with him a little and then do it,” Zecora simply looked down, she started to fidget. “What?”
“This one...has been on her own for a while and never...”
“Kinda forgot about that,” The changeling said scratching her chin. “You do know how it works, right?”
“Of course, but...this one never tried to act the way you proposed. You seem more experienced, maybe...maybe you could help this one?” This time it was Chrysalis that started to fidget.
“I...I seduced mares and stallions...but I never actually did it. I used an illusion spell to make them think they were doing it. They were just touching themselves. And I don’t know what is so alluring to all of you about it. The way they talk and act is simply disgusting.”
“The question still stands, can you help this one to...act in an enticing manner?” Zecora watched a small smile form on Chrysalis lips before she cleared her throat to speak.
“Sure, first a few things. Your mane, do you have any potions to make it grow?” Zecora nodded positively. “Great, prepare some and then give it to me. You look better with your mane a bit longer, then we need a reason for him to be out of the house tomorrow morning after breakfast. So, you can change and use the modified potion.”
“What about a bath? This one can prepare the soap in a matter of minutes. Then this one goes clean herself before he wakes up and she can tell him to go clean himself after breakfast.”
“That will do. Now, for the act.”
A pleasant and familiar scent filled Arden’s nostrils, then he felt a soft kiss to his lips. He knew who it was. Zecora woke him up like that every now and then after they finally started their official relationship, though they both liked each other a lot, they didn’t act all lovey-dovey all the time. If anything they acted more like rivals. Most of the time they would be training and laughing at their antiques as well as chasing Chrysalis around whenever she pulled a prank.
The touch of Zecora's lips disappeared and he heard her voice. “Time to wake up cerulean.” Her mannerisms didn't change as well.
Arden opened his eyes and sat down. Chrysalis was sitting by the table drinking tea. Zecora went to the cauldron to mix something with a sweet smell, it was different from the one he smelled upon waking up.
‘Wish I could wake up earlier and make her something. Zecora always does everything around here. The biggest things I did were helping with herbs and cutting wood.’
“Morning, did you make more of that rose scented soap?” Arden asked passing by Zecora. Taking a seat at the table where a plate where some bread and herbs were waiting for him.
“Yes, this one has already bathed. After you eat, go bathe in the river.” Arden tilted his head once he heard that.
“Wouldn’t it be better for me to bathe after training?”
“No training today.”
“Potion crafting?”
“Today all of us shall take a break. You can’t expect this stallion to understand when you answer his questions like that Zecora. He is too much of an idiot.”
“That idiot trapped you in a net,” Arden replied, smirking. He heard Zecora giggle at that. It was pretty funny to see Chrysalis completely confused when she triggered the net trap during one of their little game of tag after another of Chrysalis’ pranks.
Chrysalis tried to retort, but she simply huffed and turned away. After that, Arden did as Zecora told him to and went out to the river. Living in the forest forced him to bathe less frequently, most of the times they would go together at night, so one stood to watch while the others bathed.
Arden bathed calmly after putting his clothes over a stone. He had been training and running around for weeks with no rest and his body was starting to change in response to that. The changes were very subtle but they were there. He managed to put some weight and gained a bit of muscle mass. At the very least he didn't look like he was sick or malnourished anymore.
Aside from those physiological changes, Arden also noticed that now he was covered in bruises and small cuts. He tended to them using healing salves Zecora taught him to craft using plants, they wouldn't leave scars. Arden never had scars before, however, now he has two big ones.
After finishing bathing, Arden walked back to his clothes. Only to find them gone, except for his underwear and a towel. On top of it, Arden saw a small note that read: So, consider this payback for your little retort with the net this morning. Get back to the hut only in your underwear, have fun!
‘Of course she would pull one of these.’ Arden thought as he dried himself with the towel. After putting on his underwear he went back as fast as he could. When he finally got back, his clothes were neatly folded on top of the tree trunk where he would chop wood.
As soon as he finished putting on his pants, Arden heard the front door creak. “You know, I don’t appreciate...You’re not there. Ok.”
A chill ran down Arden’s spine, they were alone in a forest filled with dangerous animals. He rushed inside only to hear the door locking behind him. Quickly turning around Arden started to hit the door. All he got as a response was laughter, he recognized that laugh, Chrysalis.
“What are you up to?!”
“Nothing, you should ask the one inside. Because I’m keeping this door closed until further notice.”
“What are yo-.”
Arden stopped mid-sentence. Not out of fear or confusion, but awe. Zecora seemed to appear out of nowhere standing by the cauldron wearing designed lingerie. Her mane was now passing her shoulders, her arms were behind her back, and her cheeks red as tomatoes. She kept fidgeting and shifting in place. There was no other word to describe what Arden saw before him but, “Beautiful,” he said in a low tone. Zecora seemed to smile a bit but her gaze fell to the floor. “You...you look beautiful. Did, did you have me go out so you could change?”
“Y-yes.”
“But, why?”
“...”
“Does it have to do with you heading out during my magic training?”
“Yes.”
“Are...are you uncomfortable?”
“Slightly. T-this one wanted to ask if you...if you wanted to...” Arden went to her. Taking her hand, he led her to the bedroom and gestured her to sit. Taking a place by her side he started to scratch his head.
Arden looked at Zecora and noticing her laying by his side almost as if she was waiting. “Sit up for a moment. I want to talk to you.”
Zecora looked away from him and sat up. She was troubled, that much he could tell. “Does..does this mean that...”
“Listen, I...you are literally the first relationship beyond ‘being friends’ that I ever had. I don’t want to rush everything, please, has something changed this past few days?” Zecora gulped when she heard that.
“Y-yes, why?”
“Then, are you sure you want this? Have you thought about the fact you might get pregnant? Are you ready to be a mother?”
“T-this one...this one wanted this for a while now. Even before her period came. But...this one is not ready for such a responsibility,” Zecora replied looking to the ground, then she looked back to Arden and stared him into his eyes. “Would the cerulean be ready?”
“No, I can say this with certainty. I can barely take care of myself. There is no way that I would ever be a decent father at this point. Besides...”
“What? Is there something wrong with this one?”
“No! There is nothing wrong with you.”
“Then, what is it? This one has seen the cerulean with a serious look before. But this is different.”
“I just think that sex should be taken more seriously. It can bring new life,” Arden said, leaning backward and looking at Zecora, who was sitting in such a manner that her silhouette was even more beautiful than usual. “And I am afraid of what might happen.”
“What does the cerulean mean? Does the thought of being in a family with this one scare him that much?”
"No, there is nothing that would make me happier. You are the greatest thing that has happened in my life, nothing tops that. What I am truly afraid of is leaving you behind with a child to raise on your own. My mind is on the brink, I can’t keep my wits about me without this damned necklace. There is also the risk of me entering a coma during my sessions. I can’t bear to leave you on your own again. Especially in a situation like this.”
Arden was on the verge of tears, he thought of leaving her. The mere concept of Zecora crying due to sadness made his heartache. Then the image of the child growing and him not being there, Arden wanted a family. He wanted to be there for that family, to be able to care for it, to help it grow. After staring at the ground for a bit he looked up.
Zecora was looking at him, then she pointed at something that was behind Arden. He turned around and saw a small box by the pillow. Arden reached for it and brought it closer. He looked back to Zecora, she gestured to open the box. After opening the lid, Arden saw packages he had seen in pharmacies of the health centers he worked at during med school. Then he remembered researching how they were made and that he had the archive on his computer.
“They actually made these?” Arden asked, picking one up and looking at it. “How did you?”
“Chrysalis.”
“Of course. So, after you got this you wanted to see if I wanted to do it as well?”
Zecora nodded. Arden looked back at the package he still had doubts about doing this, Now that he didn’t need to worry about leaving Zecora to raise a child, he was afraid of ruining what he had with her. She was too important. Arden looked back to the beautiful image that sat by his side.
"I can't lie to you and tell you that the idea did not cross my mind after waking up by your side with your body pressed against mine," Aredn said looking at her, he scratched the back of his neck while letting out an embarrassed laugh. "You don't know how beautiful you look."
(You are on your own from here)
Zecora kissed him as her hand caressed his face. Arden just closed his eyes and enjoyed that feeling. Suddenly Zecora’s lips disappeared. Opening his eyes, Arden saw Zecora standing up and offering her hand. He took it. She pulled him up and then they both looked at each other, the tall, kind warrior and the slightly smaller, crazy patient.
Arden felt Zecora’s fingers glide across his skin, stopping by the locks on his armor. With ease she made him lose his shoulder pads. Then her hands slid down his arms. Stopping by his hands, she took off the gauntlets. Arden caressed her face and Zecora closed her eyes as she rested her head on his hand.
“Do the same,” Zecora said, almost whispering, her eyes still closed.
Arden did as she asked and allowed his fingers to run down her smooth coat and soft skin. Down her neck, then her shoulders, finally reaching the lock on her bra. Arden undid the lock and removed it, Zecora wrapped her arms around him and pressed his body against hers. He could hear and feel her heartbeat, running like she had been trying to escape something. After a few seconds, Zecora pushed him away and crouched making her head level with his abdomen.
Her hands traveled down his body, all the way towards his waist, then she started to work to loosen up his pants, and the underpants. Arden stepped out of them, then he was completely naked. Zecora crawled around him, Arden kept her in his line of sight. Slowly twisting his body to always face her.
Arden watched her sit down and extend her right leg towards him. he kneeled down and made her leg rest on his shoulder, he ran his fingers up her leg until he reached the end of the sock. Then he removed it, feeling Zecora’s strong leg as he did it. The same was done for the left leg, then there was only one thing left on her. Arden just kneeled there staring at her for a few moments.
“Won’t the Cerulean finish taking it off?”
“I-I just thought...that you would want to do that part.”
Zecora smiled and raised an eyebrow at him. Arden scratched the back of his head, then he leaned forward and grabbed the sides of her underwear, slowly making it slide off her body. Once she was also completely naked, Zecora sat up and kissed him. Right before she pushed him to the ground, laid on top of him, and then...she stopped.
“What...should we do now?” she asked, looking into Arden’s eyes.
“T-this is when I’m supposed to put the condom on,” Arden said trying to reach the one that was out of the box. Once he got it, he opened it and put it on. “Now, we...do it.”
“How do you want to...”
“Maybe it’s best that you do it at your own pace,” Arden said, placing his hand on her face. “I’ve never done this. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Zecora played with his mane for a moment before she sat on his torso, she then slowly made her way back to Arden’s waist. She positioned Arden’s privates. Slowly, she moved down until she felt her skin touch his again. Zecora shut eyes and bit her lip as she did.
Arden felt her hips starting to move, first to the sides, like she was trying to get comfortable. Then Zecora started to move up and down, very slowly at first. Arden could barely hear a low moan coming from Zecora. The feeling of her moving up and down and the feeling of the friction against her walls was getting to him.
He wanted her to go faster. Zecora laid her body against his and started to move her hips slightly faster, Arden felt her lips again. But this time, she was more forceful, her tongue entered his mouth as if it owned Arden’s mouth. Her breathing got faster, Arden’s heart started to race. Zecora was moving faster, and faster. She pressed her body harder against him, practically preventing Arden from moving away, also making it harder for him to breathe.
Arden felt every part of her body he could reach. He wanted her to go faster, his body begged her to move faster. However, at this point, Zecora’s movements had become slower. She was rubbing her entire body against him, her hips moving sideways while he was still inside her. He wanted more, Arden wanted her to move faster, he wanted her to keep it up. He needed her to keep it up, his hands slowly walked around her sides until reaching her waist. Using what strength he had, Arden pushed Zecora away from him a few centimeters for a second, breaking her passionate kiss.
Zecora opened her eyes, she was panting. And her gaze was hypnotizing, Arden couldn’t resist her eyes. He couldn’t resist her scent, couldn’t resist her warmth.
“W-what?” she asked, panting, while she kept moving her body.
“S-sorry,” Arden whispered before he rolled her over placing himself on top of her, making her gasp.
Grabbing her legs, Arden spread them and now...now it was his time to move. Thrusting hard, then he started to do it faster, and faster, and faster. Zecora didn’t raise her voice, she wrapped her arms around Arden’s neck and pulled him closer, then she wrapped her legs around his waist. Arden kept going faster and harder at her.
He had never had sex before, it was a rush. Zecora was getting tighter and her breathing harder. Arden felt something building up inside him, his logic was gone, his knowledge was nothing but a blur. All that mattered now was him and Zecora. Suddenly he found himself trying to talk to her in between their kissing.
“S-sorry,” Arden managed to say.
“D-don’t stop!” That was the reply he got from Zecora.
Granting her wish, Arden moved faster. Zecora broke there kissing. She moaned in a very low tone while Arden kept pounding her faster and harder. Zecora tightened her hug. Arden felt a surge as he started to move faster. He started to get light-headed and suddenly he felt something in between his legs. In one last thrust, Arden felt his semen shot out of his body into the condom. At the same time as Zecora let out one last moan before all Arden could hear from her was her panting.
“T-thank you,” she whispered into his ear.
Arden’s arms were shaking, his breathing out of rhythm. His arms gave in and he fell on top of Zecora, his vision stopped being a blur and he could think straight again. He realized that Zecora was still holding him with both her arms and legs, he also started to hear some sort of humming reverberating through her chest. A calm and beautiful melody, Arden looked up only to see Zecora looking at him with a smiling.
“T-that...was something, I hope it was just as satisfying to you as it was to me,” Arden said, accommodating his head on her chest.
“It was,” Zecora replied in a soft tone, then she let out a long sigh, “this one is so happy to have met you,” Zecora continued. Arden felt one of her hands caressing his back while the other played with his mane.
Arden looked up to her and smiled. “The feeling is mutual. You know...you look way better with a longer mane.”
Zecora giggled at the remark. “Then this one can wait for a while longer before she cuts it again.”
Silence came forth for a few moments. “What should we do now?” Arden asked with his eyes closed and with his head resting on Zecora’s chest.
“Let us stay like this for just a while longer, we have plenty of time left.”
“Very well,” Arden replied as he let himself be dragged away into dreams while he felt that warm embrace around him.
‘If there was ever any feeling that I should return to my world buried somewhere within me, they were destroyed by each and every step I took towards Zecora. I’ll give everything I have to see her smile.’
“I’ll...always...be...with...you...” Arden muttered before passing out completely.
(outside of the hut, during all of that)
‘They’re talking? But ponies tend to rush into it when they are in that situation.’
Chrysalis was watching the two lovers from the window while keeping herself invisible, she had tricked ponies before and most, if not all, jumped into sexual relationships whenever they had the chance. Therefore, she believed that it had to be a trait shared by practically all of them.
Then she saw the two undress each other, which was normal. But the way they did it was different, she had seen couples taking their clothes off like the cloth was on fire. Those two were doing it calmly and carefully, another unusual behavior she didn’t expect to see was the male hesitating before doing it.
After that, she watched those two get down to it. Chrysalis turned away and covered her ears, expecting to start hearing loud screaming and moaning. But there was nothing, given how quiet the forest was that morning she should have been able to hear whatever was happening there even with her ears covered.
‘What is...did they stop?’ Chrysalis thought as she peeked back inside. ‘No, they are doing it...but...it looks different somehow. Does making it with somepony they care about changes their behavior? Or was I simply unlucky to deal with ponies that had a behavior that made me want to puke?'
‘They actually look really happy...I wonder how...’ Chrysalis thought as she saw them keep doing it until she saw Arden and Zecora make expressions she was familiar with. They had finished it.
‘Now, they are going to...to...why are they still together? Usually, this is when one of the parties leaves as if this never happened.’
But there they stayed, the two lovers stayed together. Chrysalis was certain that one of them was going to leave until she noticed that both had fallen asleep.
‘Maybe...maybe...that sort of relationship can be alluring if you are with the right being. They actually look really happy...I wonder how...it feels...'
(Three years two hundred twenty-six days until Nightmare returns)
“Okay...I’m utterly confused by this,” Arden said while looking at his surroundings. “I’m pretty sure we are in the right castle,’ Arden said while scanning the map he had in his hands.
“This better be the right place! I don’t want to go out there again!” Arden heard from behind him as multiple thuds stroke the door. “That’s the third dragon we run into while trying to get to this freaking place!” Rushing to Nightmare’s side he helped her brace the door.
“Hey! I didn’t choose to make this quest. I had settled for investigating the freaking cave on the outskirts of the town but no! You wanted to do the one the crazy weirdo on the street gave us by tossing a random map in our face and started to sing ‘My heart will go on’!” Another impact hit the door. “This is the middle ages! How in the hell did he know about the song?!”
A deafening roar came from outside and the door started to burn up, Arden pulled Nightmare Moon away from it before they started to run into the inner parts of the ruined castle. After several moments of running, Arden realized that the dragon’s steps and the crumbling castle were silent.
“Hey! I think we made it,” Arden said looking over his shoulder, the coast was clear. Then he turned reduced his speed until he stopped. “We can stop now, Nightmare. Nightmare?”
She didn’t answer, looking back on her, Arden saw her walking up to some old chest covered in cobwebs. Cobwebs in this particular scenario meant only one thing.
‘GIANT SPIDERS!’
Running straight at Nightmare with everything he had, Arden tried to stop her from opening the chest. But he failed, Arden had just grabbed hold of Nightmare’s wrist when she unlocked the chest. Everything went black, there was no sound, no smell, no light. That silence remained for several seconds until a single voice changed all that.
“Now, now. I guess that someone has been poking around where they shouldn’t be. I like that. What brings your sorry head into my dominion?”
Opening his eyes, Arden saw a human male around his forties. He wore a strange garment, it was split right in the middle, his right side was light purple. While his left side was red, his eyes were completely white.
Arden recognized this man, the mad god.
“Sheogorath, I guess it would take a mad god to make that kind of quest. Are we at a tea party? Or is this just a memory of the residents from the abandoned castle?” Arden asked as he saw the table covered with food and a handful of teacups. Sitting on the opposite side, the mad god took a bite out of a piece of bread that started to make the sounds of a crow before turning into one and flying away.
“Never liked birds anyway,” Sheogorath said before picking up a piece of turkey and bitting it, turning it into a loaf of bread. “A good bread with some cheese on the other hand, now that’s what I would call divine!”
“Hate to interrupt this wonderful conversation,” That was Nightmare’s voice. “But mind telling you what is happening?”
“Mind is correct! The mind is such a wonderful thing! Construct, deconstruct, fantasize, realize. If the world was simply like the mind. Maybe things wouldn’t be so boring! However, this is something I haven’t seen in a while. This place is so full of life and so easy to manipulate!”
“Ask Arden who is the crazy hairless ape.” That was not Nightmare’s voice
Turning to it Arden saw a figure he didn’t recognize. A blue mare wearing a dress that looked like a starry night without clouds. Just like Celestia’s dress, the sky within the garment was moving on its own. On her forearm, the mare had a black spot with a silver moon tattooed on it. She also had a black tiara and a black necklace with a white moon on it.
Arden turned around and looked at his right. Nightmare was there standing by his side and staring at Sheogorath.
“Um...Nightmare. Who is the one on my left?”
“What do you mean...LUNA?! What are you doing here?!”
“Wait, you can see me?!”
“This is Luna?!” Arden asked while the two mares were in shock at the current situation. “Sheogorath, what did you do?!”
“Me?! You’re the one that sees them as two separate beings! And what do you mean by hairless ape?! I have hair you black cow! Or are you a black sheep? I can never tell. You know what, forget about it!”
“No, no! You’re not gonna go on one of your tangents! What the fuck is going on? What does the way I see them have to do with them being separated here?” Arden asked getting up and slamming his hand on the table and making it neigh like a horse before it ran away. “Uh...okay. That...happened. Wait, don’t get sidetracked! Where are we?”
“Why, it is your mind!”
“Uh...I already knew that. But isn’t this the mind of a dead monarch?”
“No, my tall and featureless creature. You were already inside your own head! I just pushed you deeper! Here is where your persona actually resides you walking piece of charcoal!”
Arden looked around, he wasn’t in a forest where the quest took place. He wasn’t in the old castle where Nightmare opened a chest. But it was familiar though, a ruined castle in the middle of a forest.
“The castle of the two sisters.”
“This? You surely jest, Wolf. Our castle was much grander than this mere ruin.”
“Uh...Nightmare, care to explain to her? Because I’m trying to wrap my head around this shit right now.”
“NO! NO! NO! You are not going to bore me with a long explanation! You want to progress and face your final trial at the top of that stupid tower? You need to do my little quest. And that is, this stupid place needs some tweaking! While you try to endure my brilliant shenanigans, your beautiful two friends there will be out and about with...THE WABBAJACK! Or...the Wabbajacks...two of these thingies!”
With a simple gesture, the mad god created two staffs that flew straight into the mare’s hands.
“Now, off you go! Mess around to your heart’s content! Only after you satisfy me with your changes I will consider this quest done and let you leave.”
Arden let out a sigh before falling back into the chair. “There is no negotiating with you, is there?”
“What is negotiating?”
Arden laughed at that. “Well, your antiques in the game were awesome. Now let’s see them first hand!”
“That is right, boy!” Sheogorath said before snapping his fingers.
“Um...Nightmare? Where did they go?”
“Uh...that is a good question,” Nightmare shook her hand and looked at the item that the creature had handed her.
A staff. Nothing about it really stood out from it, except for the top of it, where three faces with different expressions sat with their mouths open. It wasn’t exactly something pleasant to look at, it made Nightmare feel a kind of uneasiness.
“Luna, let’s try to find something to test these staffs.”
Luna nodded and chose a path, Nightmare followed. It had been a while since she had been in a situation like this. Back in Luna’s own dreams, Nightmare could interact with her within them. But never once was she able to interact with the real world until she took over.
‘This...feels kind of nice. She always wanted to lead whenever she went exploring in this realm.’
As they walked through the forest the dirt road below their hooves started to sound more and more metallic. The trees lost their natural shape and started to look like artificial constructions. Suddenly, multiple figures looking exactly like Wolf sprouted out of the ground.
Big, small, fat, thin, no eyes, just one eye. All of them had something making them look different from the original. Nightmare looked up to see different words in ancient writing above each one.
“‘Self-esteem’, ‘Leadership’, ‘Temper’...what is going on here?” Nightmare heard from her companion.
“That god said something about this being where Wolf’s persona was...maybe these are his personality traits?”
“He also said something about messing around with these staffs, didn’t he? Is this what he meant? Tweaking Wolf’s persona?”
“That may be so. But...” Nightmare bit her lip as she watched the different foggy creatures staring at the both of them. “Are they going to affect him?”
“I doubt so, dreams usually foreshadow something that should be changed or something we are trying to suppress. Not to mention that they are hardly remembered by the dreamer once he awakens.” Luna answered while poking one of the figures with the staff. “While it’s not uncommon for the dreamer to remember what he was dreaming in the previous night once he is back to this realm.”
Nightmare scratched her chin and frowned as she watched the foggy creatures. ‘Yet all of the regular things you would expect from a dream are turned on their head here. That horrific reaper thing...that should have woken him. losing his physical form due to an assault would also do that.’
‘If this place actually affects him...I might make him into whatever I want! A perfect puppet, bidding to my every order. However, he will notice a change of that magnitude. Meaning that he will raise his guard around me even more. But...if we were to make just some subtle changes, maybe he wouldn’t notice them. Some minor tunning to make him more obedient and attached to me.’
' Another thing I could do is...try to help him. If we only change some traits that are actually hindrances to him...and he notices them...we can claim to be the ones that helped him. And he, in turn, might start to pay more attention to me. With his focus on me, I can make sure he will be loyal to me, only me. Serve only my desires, whatever they may be. This will be perfect.’
‘Luna...Wolf...c-cannot...trust...’
“Luna, shoot that staff at that self-esteem one. Let’s see what it does,” Nightmare instructed, earning a frown from Luna. “Just do it, please.”
Luna tilted her head before turning to the figure and pointing the top of the staff at it, then a violent force started to accumulate inside the mouths. A red beam suddenly shot out of it, Nightmare watched Luna’s stance shift due to the amount of force that came out from the staff. The beam hit the target that turned from a creature with about three inches to something with about fifty inches of height.
Nightmare heard a strange sound coming from her side and saw that one of the figures started to shrunk, the name above it was ‘Insecurity’.
“Luna, depending on what we change, other traits changeup as well. Avoid shooting randomly,” Nightmare said before pointing to one that had a very small head, ‘Bravery’ was written above it.
‘Even though he acts tough, it isn’t because of this trait,’ Nightmare thought as a beam shot straight at the creature, making its head increase slightly. ‘That ought to make him be a bit more courageous.’
Another sound, a screech this time. Turning towards it, a figure that was completely curled up on the floor, which was originally standing tall, shifting, and shivering as it kept looking from Nightmare to Luna. That one was called ‘Fear’.
‘It was his fear that made him act that way,’ Nightmare thought before shooting a beam at it.
The effect this time was different, instead of changing its size, the creature’s name and shape were shifted. From a scared shapeless creature, it turned into a wolf made out of a black fog. From ‘Fear’ to ‘Instinct’. The wolf looked at Nightmare and backed away as it growled and barked showing its fangs.
‘What about this? Fear turned into instict...does this mean he will be more like an animal backed up to a corner when scared? Or did I completely erase the concept of fear? If it is the latter, that might be a problem. Better change it back,’
Firing another beam, the wolf turned back into a tall featureless fog creature. But this time it was standing up with its arms crossed and watching both her and Luna. The name changed to ‘Cautiousness’, Nightmare raised the staff again and the creature responded by quickly moving out of the way and looking like it was going to attack.
“Nightmare, this is getting strange,” That sentence drove Nightmare’s attention back to Luna. Before she could even understand what was happening, something pulled her and placed her by Luna's side. “I shot one called ‘Guardian’. Now he doesn’t have a name and he is acting weird.”
The creature looked at them with kind and calm eyes, Nightmare heard something appear behind them. His gentle look turned into a glare that made Nightmare gulp, looking behind them, Nightmare saw another one that was shaped like a wolf and was gathering random things off the ground pilling them up by a tree. ‘Greed’ was written above it, it was small and looked wounded.
The two creatures locked eyes and after a few seconds, lunged at each other clawing and gnawing each other. Whatever that one had become, it was violent that’s for sure. Nightmare watched as the bipedal one finish off the wolf-shaped one, his gaze returned to the kind and gentle state. But not before it completely and utterly destroyed what was left of the wolf. Not that it mattered, soon after the wolf was gone, another one identical to the first came by.
"We better be extra careful with what we do, Luna. Better yet, let me shoot. You pick the targets and I shoot. That way we avoid making too many changes at once,” Nightmare felt something pulling her dress as she said that, looking down she saw a big wolf waving its tail as it stared at her with a serious look in its face. Then it moved its head underneath her hand and lifted it.
Nightmare pat its head, which resulted in its tail moving even faster as it moved its head so she would pat behind the ears. Nightmare looked up. “‘Love’? You’re...loyal? Is this what I’m supposed to get from this?”
(Meanwhile)
“I guess I shouldn’t expect anything less than this from you,” Arden commented as they both fell down some sort of hole while sitting down on a chair and Sheogorath served himself a cup of tea, out of a rock shaped like a skull. “What are we doing here? Down the rabbit hole we go?”
“Something like that,” the mad god said while picking cheese from inside the teacup he had just finished filling. “Care to tell me what made you end up with those two? Especially something so plain looking as you.”
“Very straightforward, aren’t you? How am I supposed to know? I’ve just been trying to get out of my situation and they are helping me. I do notice that Nightmare seems to be plotting something, those changes in clothing, behavior, and such are practically yelling that. She probably just wants another pawn, and I’m the target.”
“Ah, ignorance. Such a bliss and such a curse. You know I love the duality of things, a lot of imagination can also be interpreted as madness.”
“Ok, but what exactly are we supposed to do here?”
“Questions, questions, questions! Just entertain me, for you see, I’m helping you right now! We might be falling, but we are falling towards the sky, my boy!”
“Aaaaaaand?”
“Come on, just think a bit. Or is that head of yours just for show?”
Arden tilted his head, then he shrugged before reaching for it and lifting it off his neck. “Well, it is very light. So I guess it’s just for show then. However...” Arden let go of his head, it floated around as they kept falling. “...let me try to figure it out,” Smoke started to come out of his neck.
“I guess I’m thinking with my stomach right now,” Arden commented, “well If I were to guess. We are falling towards the top of the tower, aren’t we?”
“That is right, boy! I did promise that once your lovely friends, by horse standards, are done with the changes I can consider this done. However, since your head is fun to play around with I’ll do an extra favor. As long as you keep me entertained, I’ll keep us falling and heading towards the top.”
“Fast forward? Count me in! I rather not push my luck with the risk of falling into a coma!” Arden replied growing back his body while the remains of the previous one shifted into the shape of a dog without its head. Arden looked at it, removed his arm and started to wave it like a stick in front of the dog. “Come on, boy! Fetch the stick!”
Arden threw his limb, the headless dog ran after it, vacating the sit so Arden could sit again. Sheogorath was clapping the entire time.
“You got a few screws loose, don’t ya kid?”
“That is an understatement,” Arden said before turning his chair into a hippopotamus with wings that started to fly circles around Sheogorath. “Mad? That’s for sure. I consider what you just said an offense, my dear sir! A madman should feel nothing more than pride for his own madness! I dare say that I have nothing but loose screws!”
“And what exactly are you planning to do with that thing?”
“I was thinking of riding it to the beginning of time to see lady death and see the truth of the world and see how it all ends.”
“She is quite the lady I assure you. More than any mortal could ever handle. None who met her actually lived, to tell the tale!”
“Oh, then I guess I could be the first!”
“And I would pay to see the outcome of that encounter. I know that she isn’t a big fan of me or any of the gods. That’s for sure. Something about us killing off mortals on a whim and that being her job.”
“Really? Huh, I better try to be on my best behavior when I decide to visit her then,” Arden said turning the hippo into a couch and laying on it. “If I’m meeting something like that, I better be prepared.”
“True enough,” Sheogorath replied, making his chair spin around. “She can be a real killjoy when angered. Then what are you going to do now?”
“That is a good question. I guess the answer is forty-two,” Arden answered looking at Sheogorath, who had a curious look in his face.
“Care to run that by me again?”
“Oh, you know, the answer to every question, forty-two!”
“And how exactly does that apply to every question in reality?”
“I don’t know. Ask the computer that calculated that. Oh, wait, the planet that had the computer was destroyed for the construction of an intergalactic Highway. Too bad.” Sheogorath started laughing as a miniature planet was destroyed by a gigantic road.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t be in a mental asylum?” the god asked after he finally stopped laughing.
“Shouldn’t you be there as well? I think you would look nice in one of their special jackets,” Arden said as two figures put a stray jacket on him and carried him away.
“Fair point,” Sheogorath replied making the figures and jacket disappear.
“How many floors have fallen through? Cause I think you should be a little bit concerned with the ceiling. I’m made out of smoke. I disperse and then reform. You, on the other hand, would turn into tomato sauce with meat once we hit it.”
“According to my math...fifty floors or so.”
“Holy shit. That is quite the fall! How many more?!”
“About sixty.”
“Huh, that is one hell of a tall tower. Or should I say heaven? Since we are going towards it. Nah, it doesn’t have the same impact.”
“Well, your friends sure did one heck of a job with you. Therefore, I consider your quest done.”
‘Great, now I can stop with this insanity. And the falling. I’m very afraid of heights! But most importantly, now I can wake up.’ Arden let out a sigh of relief and waited, and waited...and waited. He continued to fall. The scenario didn’t undo itself, Sheogorath was still there. ‘What is going on?! Isn’t he a...don't tell me that...’
“You just realized that I’m no construct of your mind, didn’t you?” Arden widened his eyes.
“Now you got me curious. And worried! What are you doing here?”
“Well, I am within every single creature with a minimal trace of imagination or madness. Therefore you can assume...I guess I can say that...this is an audience?”
“Why?”
“Because I can, and I found it entertaining, you know the idea of messing around with your head. Although I didn’t expect that you would mess with your head as you did. I have to admit it was quite enjoyable, I set this up just to see how you would react to me and how those two would try to change you is they had the chance," Arden tilted his head at that.
'Is that supposed to mean nothing that they did here affects me?'
The highlights of this entire thing were the changes those two made. I half expected the pretty black one to turn you into her plaything, however, seeing them actually trying to improve you. That was a delightful surprise. You got them wrapped around your finger, don't you?"
Arden tried to reply but found himself at a loss, how was he supposed to answer to that? His life took a one-eighty after a random event and then rolled downhill to a ramp that made him fly for a bit and he had no idea where he is going to land.
"But nevertheless, all good things must come to an end. I grow bored, and you out of time. Congratulations! You only have fifteen left to go!” Sheogorath celebrated as they stopped mid-air.
“However, do be careful, these last ones are the worst ones,” he continued with a more serious tone and a dark look in his eyes.
“No pressure,” Arden replied as they both landed safely back in the forest.
“I bid you adieu then, my curious host,” The god said before he started to disappear, for a brief second, Arden saw him shift into a familiar form, a blue pony.
'Wait...was he?' Before Arden could try to analyze the figure that was with him, 'Sheogorath' had completely disappeared.
And with that, Arden saw the entire place melt while his body became lighter. He was waking up again, some muffled sounds started to echo from behind him. Arden turned around and saw Nightmare by herself waving at him, he tilted his head and waved back. Then everything turned black.
“How are things going?”
“This one believes that everything is fine,” Zecora replied while checking Arden’s pulse. “Although, this one thinks his treatment is taking a long time.”
“And that's...bad?”
“With every session, there is the risk of the cerulean entering a state of coma. Therefore, more sessions mean greater risks,” Zecora answered caressing his cheek.
“Ok, is there any way of speeding this up?”
“No, the treatment follows the pace the patient has. This one can’t do anything but keep the sessions going until the final step is taken.”
“I see...” Zecora looked up and saw Chrysalis scratching her chin as her eyes darted from Arden to Zecora. “Has anything changed between the two of you after...you know.”
“Maybe...this one believes we are a bit closer now. And he has been putting a lot more effort into his training.”
“And you are putting a lot more effort into your appearance,” Zecora tilted her head at that, making some of her mane fall in front of her face. “Don’t play dumb, your clothes have all been repaired and slightly modified. The ones you use here are colorful and make you stand out. Not to mention how some of them are making your body be more attractive to the eye bit. You said you liked your mane short, yet you kept it long after you slept with him.”
Zecora didn’t answer, Chrysalis was on point. ‘This one has been putting a lot of effort into looking attractive for Arden, and the mane...this one grew to appreciate it. Especially the feeling of brushing it. But there isn’t anything wrong with that.’
“Why did the changeling bring this up?” Zecoras asked earning a surprised expression from Chrysalis.
“N-no reason! I-I have just been wondering how a relationship would develop after that! All the ones I’ve seen were kinda awkward after it. When they lasted longer than one night,” Zecora watched Chrysalis’ cheeks turn green as she shifted and seemed to be bothered by something.
“What is wrong?” Zecora asked which made Chrysalis bit her lip before letting out a sigh followed by some mumbling Zecora couldn't understand. “This one cannot understand words in that language. Please speak in a tongue this one comprehends.”
“Ha-ha! Very funny,” Chrysalis answered placing of her mane behind her ear. “I wanted to know how did it feel...doing it with somepony you cared about so much.”
Now Zecora was blushing. “W-well, this one...it felt...”
Before Zecora could finish her failed attempt to explain how she felt during that time, Arden opened his eyes and yawned. Then he stretched a bit before sitting up and looking at Zecora with a big smile.
“Hey there! I got some good news!” Zecora tilted her head at his enthusiasm. “I managed to skip a lot of floors and I’m nearly at the place that has the secret so I can finish this off! Then it’s bye-bye hallucinations!”
“This is wonderful!” Zecora said, lunging into a hug. “This one is so glad to hear that!”
Looking at Chrysalis, Zecora noticed that she had a worried expression. Then she remembered what Chrysalis had told her again and again before.
“What's going to guarantee that he will stay here after the treatment is done?”
‘The treatment is almost over. However, Arden has promised to never leave this one alone again. Why would Chrysalis be worried?’
“What’s up?” Zecora asked while breaking the hug. “Something is eating the changeling up.”
“What do I have to do?” She asked in a low tone.
"What do you mean?" Zecora asked while Arden turned over to face Chrysalis as well.
“What do I have to do to keep a roof over my head? Right now I have one because I’m keeping his mind stable during the treatment. But once this is over...both of you won’t have a-”
“You seem to forget that you are with a friend and a friend project,” Zecora watched as Arden placed his hand on the changeling’s shoulder while cutting her mid-sentence. “You need a place to stay? I guess we can work something out, right Zecora?”
“Correct, this one is not about to leave her friend to her own devices out there.”
“Then what do I-”
“The changeling doesn’t have to do anything,” Zecora said stopping Chrysalis midway through. “Chrysalis, you can stay here even after Arden’s treatment is through.”
Chrysalis started to laugh, an evil and malicious laugh, Zecora looked at Arden that had also turned to face her. Suddenly, Chrysalis raised her head and kept laughing in the same manner. That’s when Zecora saw it, Chrysalis had her eyes filled with tears while she kept laughing.
“I-If y-you two...a-are g-going to be s-so f-forceful about it...I-I g-guess I c-can stay!” Chrysalis said in between sobs while trying to keep her speech pattern as if she was doing them a favor.
Zecora couldn't help but smile at that. “Very well, in that case. This one hopes that the accommodations are to the changeling's liking.”
Amat yRu tatr mst m bsing hAmh claimsd ho havs m psrfsct lift? No prRblsmo, no rsopRnoibilitios, no wRrriso. If ths mnswtr tR hAmh qusotiRn is a 'Yts'. Thsn I fssl hAe nssd ho warn you that you shRuld hry tR Atlp that bting, Rr hAmh yRu sAould at ltmsh try ho cRnvincs hAmh being ho lRRk for hslp. znd ths rtmson fRr hAmh io hAt fact hAmh thsrs is nR sucA thing ms a ptrftch lifs, hAost whR lit tR ohAtrs abRut hAtir currsnt condihions ars hrying tR convinct Rthsro ms wsll ms themoslvso hAmh thsir lits ars hrut.
zn authRr onct wrRts hAmh if ttll a lit a hAousmnd timso avtr, it will bscRms hAt truth. TAtrtfort lst et shRw mll Rf you ths lits that Hmat bssn hold in hAt paot cAmphtr-
(TAett years two hundred twenty-one days until Nightmare returns)
‘You don’t have to do anything...yeah right,’ Chrysalis thought as she watched Arden continue with his spell classes.
Chrysalis had heard those words before, a cave wasn’t her first choice to hide. She tried many disguises so that she could have at least a minimal comfort, being used to a roof over her head was an issue given her situation. However, time and time again the beings that she trusted and believed would show that kindness to her turned their back to her. Added conditions, demanded favors, demanded her body.
It didn’t matter who or what it was, once those words were said, it was only a matter of time. Only a matter of time before Zecora and Arden either turned her back on her or asked her something unreasonable. Chrysalis’ tears when Zecora and Arden reassured her weren’t tears of joy, they were tears of sorrow and desperation. She had been alone, she had found a home, found a friend, and now she was about to lose it all again.
Chrysalis had begun to think of ways to deal with that situation. She could try to get closer to Arden, but he would realize her intent and call her out on it. A new deal isn’t possible either, Zecora and Arden’s current state would result in them telling the same thing as before.
There was a third option, brainwashing Zecora into letting her stay no matter what. However, to Chrysalis that was out of the question, she would not hurt Zecora, she would not hurt her friend. And that brought her to her last option, a gamble that would force Chrysalis to risk everything.
Separate Zecora and Arden without them knowing, then she would need to approach Arden disguised as Zecora and kiss him. That would give Chrysalis free reign over his mind. She could force Arden to have her stay, then erase his memory of the kiss and Zecora would never know.
There was only one issue, over the course of the two previous days, Zecora had become protective of Arden.
“Chrysalis,” Zecora said coming to her side, “have you noticed anything different?” A name.
“Nothing, Zscsoa. He still the same as-”
About that moment, Chrysalis saw Arden drop his magic and simply stare into space. His eyes were starting to shift, his inhibitor started to glow. That occurrence had been happening in the last few days. He would simply ignore everything surrounding him for two minutes.
“There it is!” Zecora shouted, making Chrysalis react to prevent the pieces of rubble Arden was levitating from falling on him. “This one will get him out of there.”
Chrysalis moved the rubble away from them as Zecora grabbed Arden and carried him to a clearing.
‘That was nothing compared to yesterday when he blew himself up. His back should still be sore.’
As far as Chrysalis and Zecora knew, he was struggling again with the sessions. His heart rate and temperature would skyrocket, but it would die down the just as soon as it started and then the session would go as usual. Except for the fact that Arden would always return not knowing what had transpired in his mind, or so he said.
“Huh? Hey, Zecora. What happened? I was lifting some stones. Did I overdo it?” Chrysalis heard him ask, his necklace returned to normal and his eyes were back to their original color.
“No, the cerulean has blacked out again,” Zecora said as she helped him up.
“Do you remember what happened?” Chrysalis asked approaching the two, Arden closed his eyes and scratched his chin.
“Sorry, I’m drawing a blank,” he replied, looking away from Chrysalis.
‘He is hiding something, again. He always looks us in our eyes when we ask something. But now...’
“Are you sure?” Chrysalis asked once more. Arden looked to the ground.
“You’re the one reading me this time, aren’t you?” Arden said sighing.
“Something like hAmh.”
“During the blackout...I keep remembering what happened during my last session. And...and it ain’t pretty, I’ll tell you that.”
“That’s it? That’s what’s been bothering you?” Chrysalis asked with a smirk.
“Well, try remembering dying again and again. Then tell me if you wouldn’t be scared.”
“I would use that to look back and see where I messed up.”
“You think I haven’t thought of that. The problem is...something is different every time I try it. Like somepony is purposely shifting my opponent’s behavior.”
“Excuses, foes always change their pattern when you face them,” Zecora intervened, “however, very few of them can learn new tricks. They can only change the pattern in which these tricks come up. If the cerulean has the capacity to remember, then memorize the tricks and a way to counteract each one of them.”
Chrysalis saw Arden look at Zecora with a serious look, then he smiled at her before chuckling a bit. “I guess I’m helpless on my own. But I will overcome this. I’m training and I will be stronger. Then I’ll be the one helping everypony, that’s a promise.”
‘There is something else different about him. I can’t tell what, but he has changed somehow. However, I can’t focus on that now. I need to figure out a way to get him alone.’
(Msanwhils during the same day)
“How may I-?!”
“Shut up and listen, Woodworks,” a mare wearing a dark brown tuxedo said. Leading a group of ponies that ransacked the place. “We know you have been close friends with Doll Maker. Where is she?”
“I-I don’t know! Please tell your guys to stop destroying my works!” Woodworks pleaded as the continued to search the entire place. “I haven’t seen her since the day I got a request from Celestia! She walked in, I handed over the letter meant to her, then she left! That was it!”
“Ma’am, there is no sign of the mare here.”
“What about the space manipulation magic spell?”
“Checked Ma’am. There are only his tools and an over-sized model of Canterlot. Just as he notified the bosses.”
“Very well,” the mare said before turning to Woodworks and bowed. “I deeply apologize for this misunderstanding. Send a note to the bosses and they’ll pay back all the damage done to your shop.”
“N-no problem,” Woodworks said as he watched the mare pick up one of his works from the ground. An eight inches tall model of the tallest building in the city.
“This is nicely crmfhtd,” she said inspecting it closely. “How much for it?”
“Just take it,” Woodworks replied as he started to gather his broken pieces and damaged goods off the floor. “One less won’t make a difference now.”
“You are pretty good at what you do. I am truly sorry for damaging your store. But orders are orders.”
“And everypony has to follow the rules. Right, Iron Shell?” Woodworks replied with his back turned to her as he tried to clean more of the broken objects.
“Yeah...” Woodworks looked over his shoulder discreetly and saw Iron staring at the damaged goods with a strange look in her eyes, almost as if she was sad about it.
Woodworks heard her leave, with his ears hanging low. He cleaned the place and set the pieces that hadn’t been damaged too much back on their shelves before he got around to fix them. Then he calculated the damaged caused by their little ‘investigation’. With that done, Woodworks decided to close up his shop and work on his request. A little more work and he would be done with it.
Bringing his workshop forth, Woodworks stepped on his model and walked up to the castle. Knocking on the door a few times. Suddenly the door opened and a familiar face fell off the castle’s front gate head first on the floor.
“Too cramped up in there?” he asked, smirking, “Next time, follow my advice when I tell you to set up shop out of this damned town.” He offered his hand. You need to remember a name.
“How was I supposed to know they would send the freaking mafia to chase me down because I’m not a member of the artisan cartel?” Doll Maker replied, grabbing his hand and getting up on her hooves. “That sounds more like a novel drama. I mean come on! I’m not even that famous!”
“You got a personal request from Celestia that will make you rich enough to retire. Do I have to say more?”
“I...I have no reply.”
“Good, cause now. We need to send YOU oRmswhsrs they won’t find YOU. Therefore keeping ME safe.”
“And where exactly would I go smarty pants?” Doll Maker asked, crossing her arms and leaning on a building.
“Well, I do have some places I planned to go in case things went south,” Woodworks said scratching his chin. “I guess you could keep a low profile in one of these places and buy a place to stay there once your dolls are delivered.”
“And where are these places?”
Woodworks shook his head sideways. “Aren’t you forcing your hand a little? You should be satisfied with any place I manage to get you.”
Gesturing her to follow, Woodworks led Doll to the back room where he kept his records and unfinished small pieces. Pulling out the oldest record he had, he cleaned out the dust from it and placed the record on his table. Going straight to the back cover of the record, Works ripped off the back cover and pulled out some documents.
“These are the deeds to so safe houses I secured without the higher ups knowing. And since they don’t have any influence out of Mane Hathan...we are getting out of here. All of us.”
“Good thing that you’re not leaving me behind,” A third voice said from behind them, Woodworks turned around and saw Iron Shell. Doll Maker picked up a piece of wood and ready herself to use it as a bat.
Woodworks stood still as he watched Iron Shell walk up to them, then Doll Maker swung the piece of wood at Iron. Woodworks simply watched Iron Shell tear the weapon from Doll’s hands and toss it away. Iron Shell pushed Doll Maker aside and walked up to Woodworks, then he felt her hand grab hold of his face and pull him closer. A scowl deepening on her face as she got closer.
“You’re crazy if you think I’m leaving you behind,” Woodworks said opening up a smile and then kissing Iron’s lips. “Especially after the solid you just pulled for us.”
“W-what? Woodworks, what is going on here?”
“Well, sweetie,” Iron said, turning to face Doll. “Where should we begin?”
“How about what explaining how come you’re not sending us to the cartel?” Woodworks said, earning a positive nod from Iron. “Iron here is actually my marefriend. I ended up meeting her during my first week under the protection of the cartel. She is the main enforcer and every single order to check payment or apply punishment passes through her.”
“This knucklehead here walked up to me and offered me a deal,” Iron continued, leaning on Woodworks’ shoulders. “‘In exchange for money, I’ll want to know all these guys moves and that you overlook some of my purchases.’ The idiot really walked up to me and said that. I was in utter shock.”
“And then she proceeded to hit me on the top of the head, a lot,” Woodworks continued, grinning, pushed Iron a bit, “as a response, I kept sending her offers accompanied by small samples of my work. Offering to craft whatever she ever wanted, whenever she wanted.”
“I ended up caving in about a year and a half later,” Iron said, pulling out a small pocket watch from the pocket over her chest. “And my demands were about eighty-five bits per month and a pocket watch. The best pocket watch he could fabricate on his own.”
“I went ahead and contacted an old acquaintance around that time. They had a bunch of materials to spare. I ran into her due to some competitions that had been organized by the cartel to try to reel in more artisans.”
“Wait,” Doll Maker said, “that favor...you asked of me. Was it to make that little clock?”
“That’s right. You had some really nice materials for your dolls. So I asked for one I could use to build the outer casing.” Woodworks said, looking at the clock.
“And that clock made us start our little business.”
“And...you ended up together because...?”
“That one was on me,” Iron Shell said, pocketing the watch, “but we can talk more about it later. The safe houses in Canterlot are ready and waiting.”
“Understood,” Woodworks said passing by Doll Maker and pressing a button he had labeled ‘DO NOT PRESS’.
A lot of shaking and rattling happened in the workshop, the books on the room fell off their shelves causing a lot of noise. After about a minute later, all the shaking was gone and the only sounds were the thuds coming from the remaining books that were left poorly balanced by the shaking.
Woodworks opened the door leading to his shop, the damage was still there but there was one new object there. A suitcase with two locks was resting on the counter. Woodworks got it and checked to see if the combination wasn’t dialed in on the locks.
“Done with your check-up?” the carpenter heard from behind him.
“Yup. Let’s leave this damned place before they realize what happened.”
“I think they’ll have a hard time doing that.” Iron replied looking at the clock. “I already got the tickets, we are going to see some fireworks on our way out.”
“You’re pretty devilish, you know that?” Woodworks asked, opening the door for both Doll Maker and Iron Shell.
“Just the way you like it,” she said passing by him.
‘They got their own problems now,’ the carpenter thought as he closed the front door and broke the key.
(Three days later, Canterlot Castle)
“How are things looking up here?” Shining Armor asked looking at the magic golden door.
“Sir! The Princess had been inside just as she planned and nopony has tried to enter.”
‘Of course nopony tried to enter. Who would be insane enough to enter there when the Princess is in her period? I pity the soul that ever gets trapped there with her, though I can’t say that I wasn’t ever curious about how she is during this time.’
“Have the food deliveries been made safely?”
“Yes, sir! The couriers have been successfully made and none of them was captured. Tough Princess Celestia seemed to be waiting for them.”
“That is all soldier. The next guard will be coming up in a few minutes.”
The guard saluted Shining as the captain walked away. Every few months a section of the castle had to be sealed off because of the Princess, and a lot of wizards also had to be relocated to check if there were any issues with the spell Celestia had set up.
There was only a handful of ponies around the castle during that time. There was a good amount of castle staff caring for the furniture, in the distance of the halls he saw a familiar scene. A single maid accompanying the one stallion nopony wanted to be near no matter what.
“Well, this place is looking morbid, isn’t it?” the wretched stallion said, walking with his hands behind his back.
“How come master?” the maid asked keeping her eyes on the floor. Only then you can hear me on the text,
“Every single time auntie has to lock herself away, all of the staff starts to slack off. I see all the dust that has been gathering on the furniture, it looks like we are living on a mausoleum.”
“I am very sorry master,” the maid said, closing her eyes as she kept walking behind him.
“You better be,” he replied as they walked by and saluted Shining. “Captain.”
“Prince Blue Blood,” Shining said while forcing a smile.
The hated prince walked away followed by the maid while Shining ignored all the complaints he continued to spout out as they walked down the hall. There wasn’t a single pony in town that ever had anything good to say about that stallion, there wasn’t a single pony that ever wanted to be near that stallion.
The maid that was always by his side was actually pretty famous, the only one to put up with all the shit he put others through. Nopony had ever seen her away from the prince, there was gossip about him having her traumatized and acting like a zombie. Others said she was a gold digger just waiting to get her hands on the money he had access to, being royalty and all.
‘I just hope that mare doesn’t do anything drastic that gets her in jail. There is only so much somepony can take before breaking.’
As he continued checking the halls, Shining saw Cadence and Twilight through a window. He had noticed that Cadence had been spending a lot of time with his little sister for some time now. And it usually had something to do with Cadence’s abilities given the fact that she always had her eyes glowing when they were at it.
‘I should ask Twily what they have been up to these past weeks. Cadence looks like she’s got a spark in her eyes. Like she wants to succeed in something really bad.’
As he continued to watch them, he saw Cadence generate a small heart that floated away for a few inches before popping like a soap bubble. Then Cadence started to hop around celebrating like she had made a huge discovery while Twilight took a parchment and a quill and started to write down.
‘These two are like sisters. Even with the age difference, they act like they’re the same. But That’s what I love about these two. I hope they never change.’
“CAPTAIN!” a pegasus soldier screamed as he stumbled into a wall before she flew over to him. “We have a situation!”
“Calm down and explain.”
“One of the couriers said he dropped something by the quarantine’s entrance,” Shining felt a chill come down his spine. “Then he went back for a second to get and-”
The sound of scrapping and ponies running and screaming echoed down the halls, Shining felt the fur on his neck stand up as the sound grew louder. Shining took the pegasus hand and ran into a room before locking the door and starting to pull down the curtains and tie them up together.
“Listen, soldier,” Shining opened the window as something started to bash against the door, “I’ll climb down here in ten minutes. You fly out there and call out the code golden. Get the wizards here to isolate this area. Come back to me once you’re done and we will trap her again. We should be able to hold her until tomorrow.”
The soldier nodded before darting off the room, then Shining Armor lit up his horn and placed one of his shields on the door to prevent her from entering, for a while. Then the sound of claws scratching against it as the door continued to move.
“I know there is somepony in there!” A lustful and muffled voice said from the other side. “Come out to playyyy.”
Shining started to sweat and his heart started to race as if he was in the middle of a fight. The scratching continued as Shining started to feel a headache as he continued to cast spell after spell to keep the barrier up.
‘This ought to be one busy afternoon.’
NO! Listen! I have more to say! Please listen to me! There is more to these events! I know it! I head it! Please don’t let the cover tempt you! Don’t let the usual roles that some characters usually play deceive you! Everyone has so much more hidden underneath the surface.
I am here, and so are you. T e o n s re gt s ar t eo es cre a t I t hi s st . Our-
“Good thing everything ended up okay,” Shining said looking back on the new quarantine zone the wizards managed to put up. “And now we have a new rule: All objects that aren’t part of the courier’s delivery or aren’t to defend them are prohibited.”
“Agreed,” All the soldiers replied in unison. without me being cut off, please.
Shining armor fell on the grass due to exhaustion and waited there staring at the sky.
‘I guess everypony has their own troubles. But that’s life, right. If everything always went according to plan, life would be boring and depressing. Though...I think there is a limit to excitement per day before my heart stops.’
(The following day, Sweet Apple Acres)
“Applejack! Applejack!” Applejack cleaned her brow from the sweat as she stood up straight again, she was working alongside her brother to get a delivery ready to Mr. Filthy Rich. The stallion was getting a party ready for his daughter, her birthday or something of the sort. It was kinda hard to tell why he would celebrate something when he did everything he ever wanted on a whim, save for buying their land. You have to understand!
The stallion was extremely respectful towards the apple family, due to them being responsible for his family’s ascension in a monetary front. The only issue Applejack had with the stallion was his wife and daughter.
“Applejack!” She heard once again, only this time it was closer. “Applejack! One of our parents sent another one.”
Applejack’s shoulders dropped and she let out a sigh. “Not this again. How many more are those idiots are they going to send before they get the message?” She placed the basket on the ground and straightened her hat. “Where is the ‘smart and stunning’ stallion they sent this time?” Remember the writer's name!
“He’s back at the house,” Apple Bloom replied, picking up an apple from the ground. “Granny is already trying to get him to leave. But he is persistent.”
“They all are,” Applejack said walking back towards home.
‘Ah wish they would simply stop trying to force me into a relationship. If Ah wanna to get closer to somepony Ah will be the one to chose. Let it be a mare or a stallion they should just shut their muzzles and respect mah choice.’
Applejack saw her home and the stallion that came to visit, unicorn, dressed like a high-class stallion. Applejack rolled up her sleeves and approached the newcomer, the stallion adjusted his clothes and put on a gallant smile.
“Well, isn’t that a sight for sore eyes?” the stallion said bowing and winking at Aj, “your beauty is truly unparall-”
“Nope,” Applejack said grabbing the stallion and pulling him towards the entrance. “You are not welcome here. If you wanna buy things, ok. But if you just here to try to butter me up, get back to wherever and leave us be.”
“W-what do you think you’re doing?!” he asked as Applejack dragged him across the path. “Unhand me you stupid mud mare!”
“Quit yer yapping and get out of here!” Applejack said, tossing him over the fence. The stallion landed in a pool of mud, face first. “And send a message to the mares that sent ya here: Ah will be the one to chose mah relationships, so leave me be!”
The stallion got up and kept trying to clean himself of the mud as he made a disgusted sound. “You idiotic mare! If I open my mouth do you think that anypony would ever consider dating you?” Remember the name from up there!
“Then Ah got favor to ask,” She said straightening her hat again. “Open up that big mouth of yours and get rid of all the bit-diggers for me. Ah’ll even pay ya for it.” The stallion greeted his teeth before turning away and leaving while cursing her and her family.
‘And another one bites the dirt, literally. Better get back to those apples, they won’t harvest themselves. But dealing with those idiots really wears me out. Maybe Ah ought to go with Rarity to that spa that she is always heading in with Fluttershy. Nah, I’ll just set up a net and rest there for a while. Ah had mah fill with annoyances for the day.’
Remember the name of he who is strong to death and has thorns to protect itself. Switch between them, in every word...
Chapter 36: I'm done with half measures (PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES)
(Three years, one hundred and sixty days until Nightmare returns)
“MHMMMM!” That was the first thing Arden heard when he entered the session. Looking around, he saw Nightmare suspended, tightly wrapped in chains as she slowly spun around. Her scowl was locked on him.
“Well...those chains kinda upped their game,” Arden muttered to himself as he walked up to Nightmare. “Just so you know I don’t have any control over them except when it comes to releasing you.”
“MMMMMHUHMMMM!!!” Nightmare replied shaking herself around, the chains reacted and became tighter, causing Nightmare to make some weird muffled sounds that Arden recognized after his… “intercourse” with Zecora. If he had blood coursing through him, most of it would have gone to his head.
“J-just stand still. I’ll get you out of there,” Arden stuttered as he inspected the chains while Nightmare continued to make noises. Her breathing had accelerated, her eyes were closed, and her cheeks were bright red.
At the point where all the chains holding her arms, legs, wings, and tail converged, there was a lock with one button on it. Arden slowly reached out to it with a hint of hesitation since it could actually be a trap to make the situation worst. Meanwhile, Nightmare’s moans grew louder. Building up his courage, Arden pressed the button, which caused the chains to loosen up and Nightmare to make another weird sound.
Nightmare landed on the ground with a thud, Arden kneeled down to check her. As she opened her eyes, Arden saw the same look that Zecora had. That entrancing gaze, this time colored like aquamarines, was locked on him. Arden removed the gag and he saw a faint bright blue covering Nightmare’s lips.
Nightmare was breathing through her mouth loudly as if she had been in a fight or she had done some major physical effort. She slowly reached out with her left hand to touch Arden’s head. Her lips moved as if she was begging him to come closer to them. Arden didn’t even notice, but he had started to move closer to her. However, something within Arden made him snap back and shake his head.
“A-are you okay?” Arden asked as he realized how close he was to Nightmare.
“H-huh?” Nightmare replied before blinking a few times, the look she had disappeared. Her face lit up like smoldering metal before she pushed Arden away with everything she had. “Y-YEAH! Okay! L-let’s go to the next challenge! I-I want to see what’s beyond that old looking door!”
“Sure,” Arden said in a low tone.
‘What the fuck was that?! I almost...it’s not like she isn’t attractive. But...AAAAAAARGH! I don’t even know if this can be considered cheating in this world! Okay, pull yourself together! You are with Zecora, Nightmare was in a strange situation and you almost did something stupid. Focus on the task ahead and pretend that this never happened!’
After that, it only took a short walk before Arden and Nightmare went to the door to the next challenge. During their walk, Arden didn’t speak a word and Nightmare didn’t even look back on him. However, Arden did notice that Nightmare’s wings were wide open and stiff the entire time.
When they were in front of the door, Arden finally got to see what her face looked like. Nightmare was still bright red on her cheeks, however, her expression wasn’t the expression of somepony who was flustered. But of somepony who looked worried.
‘Should I ask her about it? ...No, I think it would be better if I just stay quiet for a while,’ As he reached for the door’s handle and twisted it. The door opened as a lighting strike tore the sky, Arden heard the rain falling on stone as he stepped through the door.
Looking around, Arden shivered at the sight. He had seen that place before, a castle. A castle filled to the brim with undead creatures, traps, and rooms littered with treasures and paths. He saw the decaying steps before him, as the rain on the outside got worse. He searched for Nightmare, she wasn’t anywhere near him.
‘Of all the creatures I could have come to face. It had to be this one. Last time I was so glad I just had to face some basic boss. But this...’ As Arden stepped forward he saw the clock tower that stood at the same height he was in. He let out a sigh before looking back to the path. ‘At least...it’s this fight. When I fight him, at least I’ll get a sure shot at beating him.’
He then ran up the stairs, passed through a bunch of empty rooms, and actually bumped into one of the candelabras, breaking it into pieces as it hit the ground. After some time running, Arden reached a room where an extremely tall figure sat on a throne just as big.
His skin was pale as the moon, long white hair fell on top of its shoulders. Its eyes were red as blood, pointy ears. A ghastly, yet composed figure his clothes carefully crafted and were extremely well kept. Every detail about him seemed to reinforce the aristocratic air that came from him.
Arden made his left hand shift into a sword and readied himself.
“A mortal seeks to challenge me?” the figure spoke as it waved a glass of what looked like wine in his hands. “Yet it was by the hands of Man that I was given flesh once again. Humans who called upon me to give me tribute.”
“Tribute?” Arden asked trying his best to sound confident in his speech. “You steal man’s souls and turn them into slaves!”
“Perhaps, the same could be said of all religions...”
“Your words are empty as your soul! Mankind ills needs a savior such as you!” Arden rebutted. the figure’s calm and collected expression shifted into a horrid portrait of rage and scorn. He violently threw the glass at Arden as he stood up saying these words.
“What is a man? But a miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk...have at you!” The count who ruled the castle screamed as a blinding flash made Arden look away.
‘Okay, now I am screwed. If this was 2D plane then I could predict where he would appear, however, he can now appear anywhere.’ Arden looked around bracing himself to dodge the attacks.
There weren’t any words, sounds or anything giving away where Dracula would reappear. Arden simply heard the sound of the storm outside the window. A bright flash caused Arden to see two shadows, quickly turning around to charge at the count, Arden was caught by a blast caused by a fireball that made a direct hit on his torso.
Arden flew away and barely missed the window, the impact made it difficult for him to breathe. When he managed to get back on his hooves, Dracula stroke Arden with the back of his hand. Causing Arden to once again be sent flying, Arden rolled down the stairs until reaching its bottom.
Arden got back up as fast as he could, there was another flash behind him. This time Arden swung his blade vertically towards the sky as he turned around. He then found himself in a blade lock with Dracula.
‘This is different! What the hell?!’ Arden tried to push the monster away. The count laughed at Arden’s effort and using his free hand, stroke Arden on the torso tossing him up the stairs again.
‘I...I took too much damage already,’ Arden thought as he got up, Dracula was slowly climbing up the stairs. ‘This is supposed to be when that woman appears to make me invincible,’ Arden thought before limping away.
When he turned his back to the count, Arden saw Nightmare standing on the opposite side of the room. She had the woman’s clothes on. Arden limped as fast as he could towards her, however, something appeared immediately in front of Arden, Dracula. Arden was grabbed by the neck and then there was a surge of pain taking over his body, and then...nothing.
Arden then woke up outside the tower with Nightmare standing by his side looking at the door.
“Why didn’t you help me?!” Arden asked realizing that he had lost.
“Was I supposed to?” Nightmare asked with an annoyed tone. Arden glared at her. “Fine, fine. I’ll step in this time.”
“Good!” Arden exclaimed as he got up, however, he winced at a pain that took over where his ribs were supposed to be.
‘What the...?’ Arden thought as he grabbed hold of his ribs. ‘This didn’t happen before. What the fuck head? Alright, I better suck it up and go again. My mind isn’t getting any better.’
Arden grunted as he took a deep breath, he then opened up the door and went at it again. The room was the same, however, as he was making his way back to the throne room, Arden heard the sound of explosions in the distance.
‘Did Richter appear? I’m pretty sure that...oh, shit!’ Arden darted as fast as his condition allowed when he climbed high enough to see the throne room, Arden saw Nightmare engaged in combat with the count.
She seemed to be faring better than him, however, Arden saw the count pull another move that wasn’t natural to him. Walls of fire emerged from the ground completely surrounding Nightmare, Arden saw the count raise his hand with his hand positioned as if he was going to slash something with a sword.
A strange feeling took hold of Arden as he saw Nightmare about to be wounded, moving faster than before, Arden rushed the count and slashed his arm. The blade didn’t even scratch the skin, Dracula laughed at the attempt. The tower of flames dissolved as Arden felt his torso being cut deeply by Dracula’s free hand.
Arden fell down to his knees, the count looked down on him and laughed once again.
“Pathetic! Is this the champion that the mortals have sent to face me?” His tone was defiant. “Your skill, as well as your strength, are nothing before my might. And in facing me in such a way, you have insulted me. And for that, you shall pay!” Dracula prepared to strike Nightmare, who was simply looking at the scene with a strange look in her eyes.
As the noble swung his arm down again, Arden had another surge and he managed to tackle Nightmare using his own body as a shield. The second attack cut even deeper, causing Arden to collapse once more.
Arden woke up again, he was standing by the entrance with Nightmare by his side. This time, however, accompanying his pain on the ribs, Arden felt lightheaded. He felt cold, his heart seemed to be beating at an accelerated rate.
‘Blood...loss? These are symptoms of severe blood loss. What...the hell...’ Arden thought right before blacking out.
(The following night)
Nightmare found herself once again tied up in chains and suspended in the air. Only this time, there were more. Tied around her chest, around her hips. Nightmare opened her eyes to see that she would be at the mercy of whoever walked up to her while she was like that.
That feeling was somewhat exciting. As much as she hated it, Nightmare couldn’t help but feel that way. Maybe she had been subjected to it so many times that she ended up enjoying it. Nightmare tried to move her head, however, like in the previous night, the chains tightened throughout her body, squeezing her chest, legs and caressing her tighs as they moved around, almost as if snakes were slithering over her body. Slowly forcing her arms behind her back, spreading her legs, stretching out her wings, her neck being pulled back as if somepony was behind her holding her.
Nightmare found herself picturing the scene, somepony she couldn’t see without making some effort was behind her. Holding her neck and arms behind her back, the feeling of that being slowly breathing down her neck. Nightmare simply waited for them to say whatever they had to say, the words she wanted to hear.
“I’m yours...just as you are mine,” a familiar voice whispered. Nightmare felt her fur stand up straight, shivers ran down her spine as she realized who that voice belonged to.
Looking behind her with the back of her eye, Nightmare saw who she was picturing to be with her at that moment. A grin formed on her face as she realized who it was, she was...happy? Nightmare couldn’t believe that in such a shameful scenario, in this perverted fantasy, being like that with him, the one who tied her up every night, could make her happy? Or maybe...was it the words that made her happy?
Nightmare couldn’t tell what made her feel like that, but somehow the sensation of being tied up was getting stronger. Stimulating her more and more as the grip the figure had tightened, Nightmare simply gave in to the bliss that she was feeling in those moments.
However, at a certain point, she heard something in the back of her mind. Not a voice, but a thought. A series of thoughts that caused her to turn that feeling of satisfaction of having somepony say those words just for her in a moment that was theirs and theirs alone into a painful moment that every fiber of her being begged to escape from.
‘He doesn’t love you. He will never love you. He can’t be trusted. As soon as he has what he wants, he will leave you to rot and will flock to Celestia. Just like everypony before him. If you have doubts about his loyalty, why don’t you test it? See how far he needs to go. Then you’ll have your answer.’
Suddenly the chains that bound her loosened up and she fell to the ground. Nightmare removed the gag as fast as she could before she scrambled away from the spot where she was.
“Are you okay?” A familiar voice spoke, Nightmare saw Wolf standing up with his eyes wide open. The thoughts that made her desperate to escape those chains echoed in her mind as she looked at him.
‘That’s right. I have to make sure I can trust him.’
“Why wouldn’t I be?” she shot back with a scowl.
“Because you were moving like crazy when I tried to free you,” Wolf replied walking up to her and offering his hand to help her up. Nightmare slapped his hand away and got up on her own. “Okay, sorry. Well, I’m better today. So, before we go back to that room I need to blah, blah, blah...”
Nightmare simply ignored all that Wolf said, she was worried about other things. ‘How can I test him? Attack him and ask for forgiveness? No...too shallow of a test. His life...that’s it! If he can toss himself in a life-threatening situation just to keep me safe, he might be trustworthy.’
And with that idea in mind, Nightmare went forward with her plan. Time and time again, she placed herself in dangerous situations forcing Wolf to protect her. Impalement, sliced in half, beheaded, burned alive, drained of life, crushed, cursed, ripped to shreds. Nightmare just watched as the nights proceeded and Wolf stood fast fighting again and again as he tried to keep her safe.
His opponent grew stronger and faster with each fight, summoning monsters that ended up overpowering Wolf as he tried to keep Nightmare from harm. Nightmare felt pain and guilt as she watched Wolf put himself in harm’s way time and time again as she simply watched him fail and painfully die before her eyes. But the thoughts, the cursed thoughts only grew louder, crueler, more painful each time they came forth. Nightmare couldn’t bear the idea of being tossed aside.
She had to be sure, no matter what, that Wolf wouldn’t turn his back on her. That he wouldn’t leave her. And with that routined established, Nightmare spent about two months forcing herself to watch those deaths. The guilt and insecurity eating away at her mind and heart with each attempt.
What unsettled Nightmare the most, was the fact that Luna kept quiet the entire time. No word, no comment. It was almost as if she didn’t care about what was happening.
(Three years and ninety-nine days until Nightmare Moon returns)
Arden opened his eyes and saw the usual room. The furniture was in place, the décor was the same, however, there was something missing.
“Nightmare? Nightmare!” Arden shouted out as he looked around, no response came.
‘This is odd. Although she has been off for some time now. I’ve been barely scraping by the last few levels. Fights that were supposed to be two on one, or two on two ends up with me in a disadvantage. It’s almost as if she’s just watching the fight.’
Arden shrugged and walked towards the tower, half-expecting to see Nightmare in chains along the way, which didn’t happen. Nothing was out of the ordinary within the rooms, yet something made Arden feel uneasy. Almost as if the simple absence of Nightmare and the peaceful rooms were some sort of a bad omen.
When Arden finally reached the tower room, a piece of paper immediately was tossed against his face. There was a weird laugh followed by silence.
‘Okay...that never happened before,’ he thought as he got the piece of paper off his face. There was something written in it.
Salutations my friend!
I’ve been very bored because of how little progress you were having. How can you get beaten up so many times by a vampire? I know he is called the prince of darkness and he has Death as his lackey, but that’s not an excuse to get beaten up by him so many times.
With that in mind, I thought of a way to motivate you! Am I not the most helpful god? Remember those friends of yours? Well, I placed her as a hostage in the next level of the tower. And I’ve changed who is inside. Instead of being one on one...now it is going to be one against eight!
Want to know the best part? If you fail to save her she is going to die!
And consider this little thing here as a bonus: Your lover is here. And she is in the same situation.
Have fun! And if you happen to find some cheese don’t hesitate to share!
Sheogorath.
Arden stood there for a few seconds after reading the letter, his eyes were wide open and his hands were trembling as they gripped the piece of paper harder and harder.
‘That bastard...’
“I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!” Arden screamed at the top of his lungs as he tore the letter to pieces and darted off to the point where he had been stuck for some time.
His original adversary was Dracula, from Castlevania Symphony of the Night. A game Arden had never beaten. He was aware of who the boss was as well as his attacks but that still wasn’t enough to beat him. Arden lacked the skill to defeat the Count, and now he had to face a not one, but eight opponents at once?
Arden finally reached the point where he was stuck for a fairly long time. The door was originally a very decorated door fitting for a European castle during the middle ages, now it was an ancient door that looked like it belonged in some sort of temple in Japan or close to it. Arden’s mind was in lost in a storm of rage.
Without even flinching, Arden bashed open the door. The path led to a giant stairwell that headed to the top of a mountain where a ring of black smoke circled around.
‘Time to make some heads roll,’ Arden thought as he dashed up the stairs.
After some time running, Arden had managed to calm himself ever so slightly. Not enough to be in complete control, but enough to think a bit more than act. That was when a barrier of flames surrounded him and creatures using masks with different letters jumped out of the red and purple flames.
“I don’t have time for you!” Arden roared as he morphed into his wolf form and started to tackle, bite, claw, spin, tear and toss the creatures without mercy or even giving it a second thought.
The monsters screamed and shrieked as Arden tore them to pieces, each one exploding into a burst of petals and flowers, grass sprouting off the ground. One of the monsters came close to landing an attack on Arden. It screamed in frustration as Arden dodged its blow by reverting to his anthropomorphic shape.
One by one the monsters were bested and the last one standing was Arden who stood upon a small field filled with beautiful flowers and green grass. Not giving himself a chance to rest, he simply took a deep breath and continued to dash upward with all he had.
‘I’m coming for you, Orochi!’
(Meanwhile)
“Nightmare!” Luna shouted making Nightmare wake up.
“What?!” she replied in annoyance as she got up on her hooves, noticing she wasn’t tied up. ‘What the-?!’
“Have we been here before?” Nightmare heard before she looked around.
It didn’t look like any place she had ever been to, a rusty black bell was hanging in some sort of old shrine. A blue blade with a golden moon as its guard was left on the ground, there was some sort of pot with strange drawings covering its front. Nightmare then tried to leave the small circular area where the bell was. However, an invisible barrier shocked her the moment she touched it.
“OUCH!” She shouted backing away from the edge of the area. It was then that Nightmare noticed she had some weird clothes on. Some sort of white dress that wasn’t closed and seemed to be kept together like a robe by some cloth that had a string tied around it.
“What is going on here? Did Wolf do this?”
“Really? Wolf trapping us here?” Luna asked.
“He is a stranger we met that keeps us tied up everytime we enter his dreams,” Nightmare said with disdain.
“Alright, I’ve been coping with your attitude these past months but I’m done now! What is wrong with you?!”
“What do you mean? I’m just keeping us safe, or could it be that don’t you trust me?”
“Nightmare, do you even hear yourself? It’s me. Of course, I trust you. However, you’ve gone from worrying about how you would look in front of him to just watching him being beaten up!”
“I was simply testing him.”
“What?”
“I wanted to see how far he would go to keep us safe. To see if he was trustworthy.”
“Are you insane?!” Luna shouted in Nightmare’s mind, “Because you were standing out in the open, he used his own body more than once to keep us from harm. How much proof do you need?!”
“Enough to satisfy me,” Nightmare replied as she walked around the bell. “Can’t be too careful when choosing allies. I won’t let you get in harm’s way.”
“Nightmare. I understand that you worry about me, and I am grateful for everything you’ve done. But you can’t keep acting like this! I don’t know if you noticed, but Wolf got slower each time he died. He did recover in the following night. But still...I think the failures are somehow affecting him.”
Nightmare bit her lip as she heard that. ‘Did I miss that? I didn’t notice any changes...am I...am I being a burden? Maybe I should help. Wolf has put his life on the line more than once trying to keep us safe.’
‘You can’t trust him. Wolf is just another Daywalker. It won’t be long until he is groveling at the hooves of your sister. After all, who would choose the mare that tainted by darkness and was branded as a monster, when they have the white pure mare that is known as the keeper of harmony? You are and always will be an afterthought. But if it is true that he would put his life on the line for you...why not test it? Why not make sure that he won’t regret placing himself at danger.’
Those thoughts appeared in Nightmare’s mind almost as if they were being shoved into her brain. They clouded her previous line of thought and made her worry about Wolf even more. The idea of being tossed aside for Luna’s sister made her heartache. Nightmare might have acted tough and confident but she was no different from the others around her.
‘That’s right. I need to be careful. I can’t ever let my guard down. I had free reign over Luna’s body, I finally had the chance to interact with others, only to have myself be banished to the moon. Then I got branded as a monster...and all of Luna’s subjects flocked to Celestia once more. I don’t want to open myself more to him only for him to turn his back on me.’
“NIGHTMARE! CAN’T YOU HEAR ME?!”
“Huh?! Oh, sorry.” Nightmare shook her head. “What were we talking about?”
“Look in front of you!”
“What?”
Nightmare saw not one, but eight dragon heads. All staring straight at her, each one had a different hat on its heads. Each hat had a different shape and a symbol engraved on its front, the necks of each head kept moving like a bunch of stings dancing around. Nightmare couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy and slightly lightheaded, almost as if the air around her was filled with something.
“After a hundred years,” one of the heads spoke in a loud voice that Nightmare could feel reverberating within her. “A tainted creature is offered as our sacrifice? PATHETIC! Our order was that a pure maiden should be offered at our altar!” The heads roared in unison, the screams hurt Nightmare’s ears, forcing her to cover them and back away.
“OROCHIIIIIIIIIIIII!”
That scream echoed through the area Nightmare was. The eight heads moved around and went to the opposite side. She tried to walk, however, Nightmare’s legs suddenly gave in.
‘W-what is going...on?’
“NIGHTMARE? NIGHTMARE!” Those were the last words she heard before everything went black.
However, at the moment everything was darkened, Nightmare felt something grabbing hold of her and some sort of wind as she felt as if she was floating. A few seconds after that sensation took hold, Nightmare’s senses returned all at once. Her eyes shot wide open, she was resting in some sort of platform. In front of her, Wolf was standing with the sword in one hand and the bottle in the other.
‘What is happening here?!’
“So, a mortal dares to oppose us,” the eight-headed snake spoke as Arden held the blade pointing at it, “you withstood our miasma. Nicely done. You may not be a descendant of the great warrior Nagi. But you may be acceptable.”
“Keep your babbling to yourself, you overgrown worm!” The heads swarmed and hissed at the insult. “Done with your rant? You were going to suggest that I made a blood-oath, right? Well, I have an oath for you!”
“You dare to mock us mortal!”
“Fine, fine!” Arden said, lowering the blade and placing the bottle on the ground beside him, “I shall chant my blood oath in the fashion of an undead legion.” Arden looked to the floor, closing his left hand as if he was holding a dagger, with his right hand he raised the blade pointing it to the mythical serpent, he also made some weird movements with his hooves making the bottle roll down and fall from the platform.
“This is the Farron’s undead Legion etiquette. They kept watching over the creatures of the abyss, swearing an oath to keep them at bay and destroy all that crept out of the darkness. I am not some noble knight that went through their probations. I can’t hope to hold a candle to any hero that I ever saw. But here is my promise, to all of those I care about.” Arden took a deep breath and stared at the head that was closest to him, wearing the helmet that symbolized fire. It looked like that with each word the other heads grew more and more agitated.
“All of those who dare to threaten who I love, hear my cry and tremble in fear. For I will not fall until I claim victory. Even if it is at the cost of my own life I shall bring you down. I am done with half measures.”
Just as he finished saying those words, the fire head roared. The black mist that was covering all of its body dispersed and a golden light came from it. The upper parts of its neck enveloped in golden scales as the lower halves were red as blood. Arden knew what that glow was, the barrier that turned the damned beast into a practically invulnerable monster.
Then the one using the fire helmet lunged forward, Arden thrust the sword towards the head. The tip of the blade hit something hard before sparks flew around. The serpent’s head continued to force its way, confident that it wouldn’t be affected by it.
However, while the clash continued Arden slightly bent his arm and then thrust the blade forth once again. The blade cut through the barrier and pierced the surface of the serpent’s head. The monster hissed and wriggled away before letting out a roar.
“Tsukuyomi,” Arden said making the blade rest on his shoulder. “If I’m not mistaken, this is the sword Nagi used to defeat you. Isn’t that right?” Arden continued as he stepped closer to the edge. “However, there was a second element to that defeat. And you didn’t even notice me setting it up.”
The serpent looked down to the base of its altar. “The Eight Purification Sake!” it screamed as it saw the golden light coming from a liquid that filled eight small puddles.
“Well, now is the time for you to pay for threatening her life,” Arden said before he leaped out of the platform.
Just as he leaped out of the platform, the sound of drums started to echo through the cavern.
The battle almost looked like it had been rehearsed beforehand, Arden ducked, dodged, and rolled out of the path of the lunges and bites. The elemental attacks that were much faster than the physical ones made him shift into his wolf form.
As he continued to evade them, the heads growled and roared at him. Arden simply kept his focus on dodging their attacks, the monster’s stamina seemed endless as his assault didn’t falter. One of the heads tried to flank him after the poisonous head failed in its attempt to swallow him whole. Arden morphed into his anthropomorphic form and used Tsukuyomi’s blunt side to bash the cunning head against the ground.
The head stayed on the ground twitching as the remaining heads roared in anger. Seeing that they could be knocked unconscious way easier than in the game, Arden bolted towards the wind head and repeated the process. After knocking it out, Arden was forced to use the sword to guard against an attack that was made from the thunder head’s neck. Swinging itself like a whip, the head stroke Arden while he was in the air.
The blow threw Arden against a wall. The same head that placed him in that position lunged at him, its mouth wide open and ready to devour him. Arden used the sword to get the mouth stuck, the Thunder tried to shake the blade off. However, in its attempt to devour Arden it had attempted to bite him too hard. The blade sunk into its flesh and was stuck there.
Arden, who was holding firmly to the sword, grabbed the upper part of the serpent’s muzzle and pulled it down. Forcing it to close on the sword. Arden was now on top of the infuriated head, its helmet started to glow as the sound of thunder reverberated through the cavern.
Arden knew what came next, jumping off the head at the last second. He landed on the neck and ran up towards the shrine’s bell, the lighting had caused the other heads to be in disarray. Shifting his hand into a blade once more he slashed the rusted iron with his left hand while his right hand delivered blunt blows to it.
The heads managed to recompose themselves, with the help of its companions the thunder-head removed the sword and tossed it out. The blade landed near the entrance, and Arden had managed to shatter the bell. The heads roared and skirmished in pain as Arden shifted into a wolf before sprinting at full speed towards the fallen blade.
Picking the sword up with his mouth, Arden tossed the blade skyward before letting out a loud howl. The pitch black sky above them cleared, a golden crescent moon filled the sky. Arden shifted back into his bipedal form and grabbed the sword, pointing the blade skyward, the once blue blade shone with a pale golden aura.
“The moon’s light shall end you. No more seals, no more talismans. Only death’s embrace awaits you for what you were going to do,” Arden spoke before preparing the blade.
“You foolish mortal! You are the one who shall face death!” They screamed as they all rushed towards him.
Arden saw their movements, he remembered how fast Zecora moved before she started to properly train him. She was just as fast as those heads, Arden knew he couldn’t match it, so he would need to be reckless.
“I’m done with half measures,” Arden muttered before rushing in. His guard was down, he simply rushed forward as the heads tried to hit him.
By throwing his caution aside, Arden somehow managed to move faster. As if he had tossed away a huge weight that had been holding him back.
‘I’ll cut them down, I can cut them down,’ Arden thought as the heads failed to reach him.
Swinging the sword with confidence he never had before, the heads fell one by one as their blood stained the floor and the blue metal of the sword. When there was only one head left, the mighty serpent backed away from Arden. Making a violent swing Arden cleaned the blade.
“You can’t run. And you’re finished.”
“You cannot believe that this will end in your victory! You know not what awaits you!” The head laughed before Arden rushed it and separated it from its body.
“I may not know, but I know that I can’t lose. And that’s more than enough for me.”
(In the real world)
‘This is getting out of hand,’ Chrysalis thought as she helped Zecora keep Arden under control, for he was convulsing once more. ‘Zecora will wear herself out at this rate.’
These situations had become part of the routine during each session, although, they had become worse during the last three. When Arden started convulsing, he would start to bleed from his mouth and nose, his mouth would even start to foam during the last session.
Chrysalis was worried for Zecora, although she was expecting to be kicked out by them once the treatment was over, Chrysalis couldn’t help but worry seeing what this development was doing to Zecora. The zebra was barely sleeping the past few nights, she would stay up watching Arden just in case he had any problems. When she wasn’t training by herself, Zecora would be reading the books she had relentlessly searching for anything that could help prevent the convulsions.
‘And him...this idiot isn’t getting any better! In fact, he spends most of the day like a vegetable now. I can’t undo this level of mental damage. If he doesn’t get better soon...I don’t know what will happen to him. But I do know that Zecora will have a lot of heartaches if he ends up like I think he will.’
Chrysalis had been in charge of watching over Arden these past few days, while Zecora made her research to help him out. More than once Chrysalis had the chance of breaking through the mental wards, however, whenever she would try, a crushing sensation would appear on her chest. Any courage she had to pull it off would disappear and Chrysalis would simply found herself watching a stallion that was staring blankly at the ground.
Chrysalis had analyzed Arden’s eyes, they were the eyes of a dead stallion. There wasn’t any sign of light or that he was even aware of what was happening around him. The few moments that he would wake up happened at random and would have his necklace shinning like a disco ball. Not to mention that his eyes would keep shifting into that weird color that matched his mark.
‘There must be something I can do. If only we could...wait. That’s it!’
“Zecora,” Chrysalis said after Arden had stabilized once more, “are you absolutely sure he can’t take a break between sessions?”
“...” Zecora simply stood there staring at Arden, Chrysalis saw tears forming in her eyes. “This one thinks he should stop the treatment altogether. This one isn’t a healer...what kind of healer causes more damage than good to their patients?”
“You’re doing everything you can. In fact, you’re doing more than any doctor I’ve ever seen. And we can’t stop it completely,” When Chrysalis said those words, she saw Zecora’s ears perk up and the tears that were being held back started to pour out of her eyes.
“The cerulean is getting worse faster, isn’t it?”
“You noticed...”
“Of course this one noticed...she just did not want to accept it,” Zecora said with her voice starting to crack. “And this one was so happy to be with him...now, he is slipping away between this one’s fingers,” she continued as her hands stroke his mane.
“Have you checked every possibility?” Chrysalis asked. She had no intention of using that plan unless it was the only option.
“Do you believe that this one would even suggest stopping the treatment if she wasn’t so sure that there wasn’t any other way?” Zecora replied. Chrysalis felt the hostility in her answer, it was almost as if Zecora had pointed a spear at Chrysalis’ throat.
“Did you check the local library?”
“How can this one do it?” Zecora answered with venom. “This one can’t even set a hoof into town without every single pony in it locking themselves in the nearest building! Besides, the book containing the treatment was written by a pony that was back in this one’s land. Books from this one’s country are rare in this kingdom.” The anger in her voice died down and was replaced with sadness.
‘She is desperate...it won’t be long until she gives up...’ Chrysalis thought as she watched Zecora mope over Arden’s unconscious body. ‘Alright, that does it!’
Gritting her teeth and getting up, Chrysalis walked up to Zecora and slapped her on the face. The zebra looked at Chrysalis with a pitiful expression. Chrysalis slapped her again.
“LISTEN UP! STOP MOPPING RIGHT NOW!” Chrysalis ordered with conviction. “How can a warrior with such a strong body and that much knowledge of healing be acting like a little bitch, huh? Oo, me. I’m suffering so much. I’m going to lose my happiness again. Come on in death, just waltz in and take him away. Because I’m too busy being a whinny bitch to do anything.” Chrysalis mocked, mimicking Zecora’s voice perfectly.
Zecora’s pitiful expression twisted into a furious scowl as she got up on her hooves and got on eye-level with Chrysalis. “This one is not about to let him get away. She won’t be weak like when she was with Gamba. This one has endured too much to lose again!”
“Then pull your head out of your fucking ass and start thinking! There must be something you missed!” Chrysalis replied with just as much energy.
“This one has researched everything! There are no documented methods to help with this situation!”
“Then stop relying on books! How do you think that the methods that were registered there came to be, huh? Somepony thought of a different way out, and tried it! So think! You’re a healer, then just ask yourself: what’s the patient’s problem?”
“His mind is deteriorating too quickly,” Zecora replied before her eyes widened and she started to scratch her chin. “Therefore, what we require is a way to either slow it down or, in a best-case scenario, completely halt the decaying. For that to happen...there are herbs that can cause lethargy. However, prolonged use of them would cause him to be addicted and we would need to adjust the dosage, meaning that we could reach a point where he could end up dying due to poisoning.”
Chrysalis stopped Zecora’s speech by placing her finger in front of Zecora’s lips. “In other words, we would need something that can keep him in a coma state but isn’t addicting or irreversible. That’s the same thing I thought. And I might have a way to help.”
(Back in the dream realm)
Nightmare couldn’t believe what she had just seen, Wolf had never been able to move like that before. He had improved with each night, but none of them were anywhere near what he just pulled off. And he did it all claiming that it was because of the threat towards her.
‘Now, this is more like it,’ Nightmare smirked as she watched the cavern revert into a room. ‘That is the level of dedication I deserve.’
Nightmare walked up to Wolf, however, just as she was about to reach him, Wolf turned around grabbed her wrist and started to run towards the door that would allow them to proceed.
“Stop! I said STOP!” Nightmare ordered before breaking free of Wolf’s grip.
“What?!” Wolf asked with anger. “We don’t have time for a break, there is somepony else stuck here. And I won’t let her be hurt!”
“Her?” Nightmare asked with a bit of poison in her voice.
“Yeah! Her, the mare I love. Also, she is the mare that is helping me heal my fucking mind. So if you don’t mind, I have to save her! I can’t stand still knowing she is in danger!” Wolf grabbed hold of Nightmare’s wrist again. However, Nightmare didn’t let herself be led this time. Her gaze was locked into his eyes, and only one thing was in her head.
‘The mare...he loves? Does that mean he already made his choice? Could it be that...that...’
‘He never wanted anything with you. You can’t trust daywalkers. All you can do is break him. And have him as your loyal puppet. That is the only way you’ll have him all for yourself. Break his mind, break his heart, tear him to pieces and build the doll that will serve you and only you.’
‘All I can do... is break...’
“Listen! Nightmare!” The voice snapped her back into reality. Wolf was still holding her grip, he was on his knees. “Please...don’t let her suffer just for trying to help me. Please...I beg of you! Help me save her. Please. Help her! I need to help her!”
“No. I will keep walking, but you can’t forget about any help from this point on.”
There was no response. She simply watched Wolf look at her with his eyes wide open. Nightmare then saw tears form up in his eyes before Wolf turned his back on her and ran up the stairs.
Nightmare felt a strong chain tightened itself around her heart. “I should have never have opened myself to him. Luna...you’re the only one I have. But first, I have to do something about him.”
‘Why should you dirty your hands? He isn’t worth the effort. He knows about them. Send them in.’
‘I still want him...I don’t want him to die...’
‘Who said that he has to die? Have them break him, then you piece him back together however you want. He will be yours and yours only. And the best part, you can blame them for it. All you need to do is...’
“Open the door,” Nightmare whispered to herself as she finally began to ascend the stairs.
After some time, Nightmare saw Wolf furiously trying to open the door to the next level of the tower. Only when she set one of her hooves on the same level as Wolf the door opened, Wolf rushed inside while Nightmare waited for a second. Nightmare lit up her horn and created a path in the air.
The Baku she fought so many times came to her, one of them took the form of a monstrous Celestia and tried to attack Nightmare with its claws. Using her magic, Nightmare restrained the creature. The two remaining Baku stayed back, shapeless purple masses with red eyes simply waiting to see her next move.
“I shall give you dreams to devour, however, you must obey my every command. Disobey and...” Nightmare crush the fake Celestia turning her into a pile of sparkling silver dust. “...die. I am Nightmare, Queen of the Night. And the ruler of dreams.”
The amorphous beings looked at each other before taking the shape of dogs. They lowered their heads before her, Nightmare didn’t laugh, she didn’t smirk, she didn’t find joy or anything remotely close to happiness in all of that.
‘Time to get this over with, he will be mine. No other being, male or female, shall ever look at him. He is my possession, my toy. He will be whatever I want him to be. Food, friend, lover, slave, object, carcass. Building him up and tearing him to pieces until he is exactly the way I want him to be.’
“Listen up, you mongrels,” Nightmare said as she entered the door to the next level of the tower, “you shall attack the target I give you and only them. Don’t bark, don’t breathe, don’t make a single noise until I say so. When the time is right, you will have your feast. And I will have my prize.”
Arden kept running and running, the door had opened to a stairwell that seemed endless. After a good amount of time running Arden saw a light as he was reaching the outside of the tower. Once he gained the outside, Arden saw a familiar sight. The ruins where he had been training with Zecora. Still gasping for air, Arden wandered through the remnants of the palace searching for any sign of Zecora.
When Arden finally reached the courtyard where he and Zecora sparred, Arden saw something that made his blood run cold while rage built up inside him. Before him suspended in the air by invisible restraints, Zecora laid unconscious. Arden took one step towards her, and that’s when it happened.
Zecora’s eyes shot wide open, a golden glow came from them. The restraints must have disappeared since Zecora simply began to fall towards the ground. Darting as fast as he could Arden jumped in the air and grabbed Zecora’s body. Her eyes were glowing with a golden aura, she didn’t seem to be conscious.
Arden carried her over to the edge of the courtyard and placed her near a wall.
“Rest, I’ll get us out. I’m sorry for dragging you into this,” Arden said getting up and walking away.
‘Who the hell am I supposed to clobber?’ Arden thought as he looked around for any trace of the opponent.
A few seconds after, an image flashed in his mind. Arden had seen those eyes before, a twisted and cruel attempt to stop the main character in a game. Arden looked over his shoulder, only to see Zecora back on her hooves and spear in hand. Arden turned around, Zecora spun the spear in her hands and assumed a stance.
“Zecora...are you still there?” Arden asked before he felt her hoof on his stomach.
The hoof had enough force to toss him back, Arden rolled on the dirt. Before he could get up, another hoof connected. More and more kicks against his torso while he was on the ground. Each one with enough force to break bones. Suddenly, Arden felt something sharp on his back, kick after kick the assault continued.
“Are you just going to lay down and die?” Zecora asked as she flipped Arden over to face her. “This one expected more from you! Come on! Stand up and fight!”
Arden just stared at her in silence as she continued to stab, clobber, and kick him. Her stamina seemed to be endless as her assault continued. Insults, attacks, Zecora didn’t hold back on the physical or mental abuse. The smile she bore on her face as each attack mauled Arden’s body.
It was weird, Arden couldn’t place his finger on it, but somehow all of that didn’t matter. It didn’t matter how much pain she inflicted, it didn’t matter how deeply the wounds were, this time, he wasn’t fading. This time, he wasn’t leaving. But he also couldn’t fight back, he couldn’t offer resistance, all he could do was stare at the golden eyes.
“Pathetic, how could this one even consider this thing a partner? You aren’t worth the air you breathe,” Zecora voice was venomous. “Fine! Stay there and rot. A weakling like you can’t withstand pain. Go ahead and be the helpless thing you are.”
Arden watched as Zecora turned her back on him, she walked away spear in hand. As she distanced herself from him, Arden saw Nightmare standing at the edge of the courtyard.
“You want to know something funny?” Arden said without stuttering before he started to laugh. “All the blows you just threw at me...they didn’t hurt. I don’t care how many bones you broke or how much damage I just took. That is nothing...”
Saying those words, Arden got back on his hooves. Slowly changing his hand into a blade, Arden faced Zecora who was looking at him over her shoulder. She smirked before spinning the spear once more and turning around to face Arden. The world around him looked to slow down, he remembered something Zecora told him.
“You are still a novice. Your weapon is your greatest ally in a battle. However, it can also be a restraint. When you are used to fighting with it, you rely on it and see it as an advantage. And it is an advantage, therefore you are afraid to lose it. That leads to you acting with caution, and if your opponent is as skilled with his weapon you won’t stand a chance. Because he will use your caution against you because it makes you predictable."
“That’s why, whenever you fight somepony you know from the get-go that they are stronger than you, or you come to realize that during your fight. You will need to learn to toss it aside. Without your weapon, you’ll be in disadvantage, meaning you’ll need to be tricky. You’ll become reckless and unpredictable like a cornered beast, that will be your trump card. Don’t be afraid, you are becoming stronger. In the end, victory will rely on how far are you willing to go.”
As that memory played in his mind, Arden’s sword turned back into its hand shape. Arden saw the golden-eyed Zecora charge towards him.
‘Horizontal slash once she is within range,’ Arden thought as he saw Zecora moving her body. ‘Lunge forward before she can swing. The polearm of the spear will connect. But the damage will be reduced.’
Arden rushed Zecora, the spear’s pole struck his torso. Zecora was thrown out of balance and Arden took that opportunity to punch her straight in the muzzle. The attack connected and Zecora was forced to back away, she swiped off the blood from her mouth and smiled.
“The stick monster can actually throw a punch,” she said slowly strafing around Arden who did the same, “but it won’t make a difference, You already took too much damage.”
“This?” Arden asked with a calm tone. “This is nothing compared to the pain I’m about to feel.”
“You already know that this one will beat you then?” Zecora mocked.
“You think that you’re the one hurting me? That’s cute. No, I’m the one hurting myself right now.”
“Oh, yeah? And what are you doing to hurt yourself?”
“You’re about to see it,” Arden said before rushing towards Zecora.
The huntress reacted by trying to pierce Arden with a thrust from her weapon, Arden moved his body slightly out of the attack’s path getting away from it with nothing more than a scratch. Using her free hand, Zecora threw a punch towards his head. Arden took it, his body swayed left following the fist’s path. He then spun his body left and retaliated with another strike straight to her muzzle.
However, this time he didn’t give Zecora time to retreat. This time he was the one launching a flurry of blows straight at her face and body. The assault knocked Zecora out of balance and caused her to fall down. With each connected blow, Arden felt as if his body was the one suffering those attacks. His body seemed to be about to crumble.
With his opponent on the ground, Arden jumped on top of Zecora. He locked her arms in place and kept attacking until she let go of the spear. She wasn’t in condition to continue fighting, Arden got up and picked up the spear. With weapon in hand, he stepped on Zecora’s chest and pointed the end of the spear to her throat.
“W-won’t you finish this one?” Zecora asked looking straight at Arden.
“I don’t have to. I defeated you. You are in a position to receive a fatal blow, that means, by our rules, that you lost.” Arden replied as tears formed in his eyes.
“A mistake only the weak make, don’t ever hurt a warrior’s pride,” Zecora replied with a grin that sent a chill down Arden’s spine before grabbing the spear and thrusting it into her own chest.
Arden pulled the spear out and tossed to the side, he then kneeled down as fast as he could. Grabbing Zecora’s head, he saw the golden glow disappear as the blood kept coming out of the wound. Arden applied pressure as he watched Zecora’s defiant gaze turned into one of confusion and fear while she chocked on the blood.
“No! NO! Zecora, please! Hang on!” Arden cried as he turned around and looked at Nightmare.
‘You can forget about any help from this point on,’ Those words echoed in his mind as he saw Nightmare standing there watching him struggle.
“H-h-help...” Arden heard from beneath him in between coughs. “Ar...den...” Zecora said reaching out for his head. Arden used one of his hands to grab hold of her hand.
“It’s okay! I’ll save you! I promise it will all be alright!” Arden desperately reassured Zecora as he tightened his grip on her hand and she replied tried to do the same.
“I...lo...ve...you...”
Just as Zecora managed to mutter those words, her grip disappeared. Her coughing stopped, her eyes slowly closed as if she had gone to sleep. Arden felt the tears roll down his eyes, he tried to call out to her, but nothing came out. He couldn’t speak he couldn’t breathe.
Then the message that had brought him there popped in Arden’s mind. He remembered who did this, he remembered who made him fight Zecora. Arden hugged the corpse with all he had as rage and hatred filled his mind and heart. Tears streamed down his face as he began to scream in pain.
“SHEOGORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH! I WILL KILL YOU!”
(Back in the real world)
“Are you sure you are okay with this?” Zecora heard as Chrysalis prepared herself. “You won’t hold it against me?”
“You are going to save him. This one can’t possibly be mad at that. Jealous? Maybe,” Zecora looked at Arden. “This one wishes she was able to help him the way you can help.”
“You’ve been helping him way more than I have, that’s for sure,” Chrysalis said. Zecora looked up to her and saw that the changeling looked worried. “Just so we are clear, I will kiss him. And that will give me a way to bypass the mental wards he has in place. With those out of the way, I’ll be able to put him in a stasis of sorts. That will slow down his decay by a considerable amount. His mind will be working really slowly, which means that his sessions will last way longer since his mind will be processing the potion way slower.”
“If you are worried this one will take this as an attempt to steal the cerulean, don’t worry. This one also comes from a culture that allows relationships with multiple partners. The greater the number, the greater the warrior.”
“I AM NOT ENTERING A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM!” the changeling screamed with her cheeks blushing like crazy. “I-I’m just saving your coltfriend.”
Zecora chuckled at Chrysalis’ reaction. “Understood. But this one has to ask, why can a changeling inject nutrients into his blood using their fangs?”
“It is a way to preserve captured prey. Our bodies don’t use nutrients ingested through a regular diet. They only use the energy that comes from love. Regular food is broken down into nutrients and stored into a poison sack of sorts placed at the base of our jaw. If we were to capture a being to extract its love while keeping them captive, we can simply put a sleep spell on them and then inject the nutrients directly into the veins.”
“Could that be considered reverse vampirism?” Zecora asked, scratching her chin. “Or would it be more along the lines of a snake injecting poison?”
“Go with the snake one. That one is less...strange.” Chrysalis looked at Zecora with an annoyed expression. “The only issue with this is the fact that I have to drain it if I ingest too much. I’ll also send in the potion through this method.”
“So, is the changeling going to do it, or will the changeling simply keep fidgeting there?” Zecora asked with a smirk while Chrysalis glared daggers at her.
“FINE! Just don’t be jealous if wakes up during it and he likes mine better than yours!”
As soon as Chrysalis said those words, something clicked inside Zecora’s mind.
‘Wakes up...He should be up already! Something is wrong!’
“Chrysalis, wait!” Zecora said coming closer to Arden so, she could check his pulse. Just as she was about to reach it, Arden started to convulse again.
His body was twisting and turning violently, foam mixed with blood was coming from his mouth, his eyes shot wide open as they kept shifting between their activated state and dormant, his necklace created a light show that made the room look like a disco. Blood came out of his nostrils, his torso was retracting and relaxing without a pattern.
“Oh, no...” Zecora muttered as she watched the scene unfold. Zecora then remembered about a sedative Arden and she had mixed a few days ago. Before he stayed unconscious for most of the day. “Restrain him Chrysalis!”
Zecora then got up and ran to the shelf where the potions were stored. She frantically searched until she found the one she was looking for. Picking up the vial containing the sedative, Zecora rushed back to Chrysalis and gave her the vial.
“Can you get this sedative in his bloodstream immediately?”
Without even giving an answer, Chrysalis took the vial and drank the entire thing. Zecora then watched as the changeling opened up her mouth hissing, her fangs grew longer as she did it. And then, Chrysalis sunk her fangs into Arden’s neck directly above one of his blood vessels. A small amount of blood came out of the wound.
In a matter of seconds, Arden stopped convulsing. Zecora checked his vitals and confirmed that the sedative had been effective.
‘If this one had remembered about this earlier...maybe we could have avoided those violent episodes. Although, this could have backfired badly. We were lucky that this worked.’
Zecora then looked at Chrysalis, she had a small amount of blood around her lips. There was something off in the way she was looking at Arden now, her eyes were only half open and her mouth was slightly open. It was almost as if she was gasping a bit for air. Zecora extended her hand and waved in front of Chrysalis’ eyes, the changeling blinked a few times before shaking her head.
“W-what, did it work?” she asked with a drowsy voice. She was still staring at the point where her fangs had sunken in.
“Yes, he is stable now,” Zecora replied grabbing hold of Chrysalis’ muzzle and making her look at her. “Is the changeling okay?”
“Huh? Yeah! I’m okay. Injecting something this way actually leaves the changeling a bit light headed.”
“Is the changeling sure that is all? The look you had was...almost as if you had been hypnotized,” Chrysalis’ response to that remark was a sudden blush followed by her looking away.
“Like I said. Lightheaded because of the process. That is all. Now if you excuse me, I have to bypass his wards.”
After saying that, Zecora saw Chrysalis lean over Arden. She secured her mane behind her ears, Chrysalis then picked up Arden’s head and cleaned the traces of the convulsion. Once he was completely clean, Chrysalis cleaned her mouth from his blood and then she just stood there.
‘Is she afraid of doing it?’
Zecora then saw the changeling close her eyes and frown deeply before taking a deep breath. Suddenly, Chrysalis pushed her lips against Arden’s lips. Her horn was enveloped by a green aura as she moved her head and continued to press her mouth against his.
Chrysalis’ eyes shot open allowing Zecora to see them, they were glowing, Chrysalis’ pupils shrunk to the point she could only see a thin vertical line at the center of the eye. Chrysalis’ breathing started to pick up, she climbed up on top of Arden and kept on moving her head as she continued to kiss him. Zecora heard some very low moaning coming from Chrysalis as her horn started to glow even brighter.
Zecora felt blood rush to her head as she watched all of that. A small hint of envy started to appear as the scene continued to unfold.
‘Is she just breaking through the wards...or is the changeling enjoying it?’
Chrysalis’ eyes glowed even brighter as the sounds she was making became louder. Her horn was practically a torch at that point. And that was when Chrysalis’ horn touched Arden’s, the aura around her horn flowed directly into Arden’s horn. Chrysalis’s eyes started to dart really fast.
‘It looks like REM...is the changeling in a trance? While doing...whatever it is she is doing.’
Zecora then saw Chrysalis sat down on top of him, Chrysalis grabbed his head and started to caress his cheeks as the kiss continued. That was when the entirety of the aura that had been building up on Chrysalis’ horn passed on to Arden’s horn. Chrysalis closed her eyes and backed away gasping for air, her cheeks were bright green, her eyes opened half way and she stood there, sitting on top of him with that strange look in her eyes.
“T-that...was harder...t-then I expected...” Chrysalis said with a low voice in between gasps.
“Are you sure that you were only bypassing the wards on the cerulean?” Chrysalis lazily turned her head to face Zecora. “Because you seemed to be about to do something else to him.”
“H-huh?” Chrysalis asked, she still looked like she was in a haze of sorts. “Wha...what are you talking about?”
Just as she said those words, Chrysalis’ eyes returned to normal and she looked down on herself. Zecora watched the changeling get on her hooves as fast as she could and walk towards the door. Before she left though, Chrysalis looked over her shoulder.
“D-d-don’t mention this to anypony,” She said with a scowl on her face, “I...I need some air,” Chrysalis slammed the door shut.
“Sure,” Zecora replied after the changeling was gone.
Zecora then looked at Arden, who was sleeping soundly. She saw his mouth slightly open.
‘This should be okay, he is with this one after all...’ Zecora thought before climbing up on him and making his head face towards her. ‘Just...one...kiss...’
Zecora gently placed her lips against his, the image of how Chrysalis did it played in her head as Zecora kissed him. She began imitating Chrysalis movements without even realizing. And then she backed away and laid by Arden’s side.
“Sweet dreams…”
(Dream realm)
‘That should’ve been mine, tears of sadness, tears destined to me and only me,’ Nightmare thought as she continued to watch Wolf sobbing and mopping over the corpse. A strong pain building up inside her with every passing second. ‘I am better than that mare. I am more beautiful. I am more powerful. I am a goddess. She is nothing but a mere mortal.’
‘He won’t ever-’
“SHEOGORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATH! I WILL KILL YOU!”
That scream made Nightmare cover her ears and close her eyes in pain. After that scream, Nightmare could still hear a roar happening. Opening up her eyes, Nightmare saw something she hadn’t seen before. Wolf’s body was shifting and changing like the fog was actually about to explode and disperse in every direction.
The body in his arms shattered, and then Nightmare saw the room change, not like it usually did. The ruins around them shattered and collapsed like breaking glass. The shards of the room slowly returning to their spots while Wolf started to pour out some sort of energy.
The room that was usually a black and white reformed itself in a bright blue. That was when Nightmare felt a second presence in there. Something was forcing its way into Wolf’s mind, now that they were in that room, Nightmare couldn’t hide the Baku. Casting a quick spell, Nightmare forced the Baku to retreat. She then shapeshifted to hide among the objects that decorated the room.
Seconds after hiding, Nightmare saw a silhouette enter the room through a tear that appeared out of nowhere.
‘Who is that? How did they get in here? Is it a Baku? No, it has a shape. It isn’t that god from before either.’
As those thoughts popped in her mind Nightmare watched the figure place its hand on Wolf’s shoulder, only now nightmare realized that Wolf wasn’t conscious anymore. The way he was acting, was that of a dreamless sleeper.
‘A body in the dream realm that doesn’t react usually means a drug or a powerful spell to sedate the dreamer. Wolf’s been drugged or something close to it.’
Nightmare then saw a green glow envelope the newcomer, the glow flowed from it directly into Wolf. The violent energy building up inside him started to fade, and after a few moments, Wolf was back to normal. Nightmare then saw the figure draw something on Wolf’s torso, then it opened up another tear and left.
The scenario around them started to dissolve, Nightmare prepared herself to wake up. However, nothing happened. The world disappeared completely and Nightmare could still see Wolf on his knees looking down.
‘What is happening here? Did I get trapped?’ Nightmare thought before trying a spell that allowed her to quickly exit the dream of any dreamer she visited. The spell worked out without a problem. ‘This means that the one stuck is him. Which means that I can return whenever I want to finish him off. Then he will be mine.’
Smiling at the new opportunity she had just received, Nightmare walked towards Wolf until she was very close to him. He still looked to be unaware of his surroundings. Nightmare leaned closer to the side of Wolf’s head and whispered.
“Enjoy the dreams you still have. Pretty soon, all you’ll have will be a Nightmare.”
As she finished those words, Nightmare cast the spell once more and left the mind behind to return to her prison.
‘Soon, he will be all yours.’
‘And I’ll do as I please with him.’
‘That wasn’t supposed to happen! I should have waited longer before bypassing the wards. Using my fangs always does that to me. UUUUUURGH! Why did I have to wake up like that? Why did it have to be so hard to get past them? Never mind! As shameful as that scene was, I still got what I wanted. Now I can puppeteer him around once he is back on his hooves. I just need to focus.’
Chrysalis kept passing around outside of the hut, as she did it, the memories of what happened during her attempt to bypass the wards were slowly returning to her. The feeling of her lips against his, she even managed to get some love energy during that moment. She remembered the feeling of her body being so close to his as she kissed him.
‘NOOOOOOOO! NONONONONONNONONONONONONO! I am not falling for that! Wake up! I got in, now I just need to wait. Don’t mess it up! Chrysalis stay focused!’ Chrysalis slapped her cheeks, then a thought occurred to her.
‘Although...now I can check all of his memories. And verify everything he told us. Check every compliment, every nice thing, and attitude. I can see if he really is what he claims to be! I...I can even check what he sees in each of us...Yes. I will investigate a bit. And see what is it that he thought of us every time he saw us.’
Chrysalis smiled discreetly as she started to think of what she could verify and what she could use against Arden now that he was under her control. After so long trying to get into his head, Arden was finally under her control. She thought of what she could make him do, however, something else came to her mind.
‘Zecora trusted me to help him. If I...if I hurt him or manipulate him...she might notice. She may not trust me. Zecora might turn her back on me if I betray her trust...AAAARGH! What is happening to me?! Why do I care so much for her?! Why do I care?! I’m so close to getting the army on my side. And now this?! What happened to me? What changed me?!’
(Three years, thirty-three days until nightmare returns)
“Hey, Zebra,” Zecora heard from behind her as she prepared the concoction for the session, “I have a question for you.”
“What is it?” Zecora asked while she continued her work.
“You said that necklace had something to do with marriage back in your land, right?” Zecora tensed up when she heard that question. “Why did you keep it? Are you married to the one who gave it to you?”
A month had passed since Arden had been put into stasis, now it was just her and Chrysalis. Zecora would go hunting, gathering herbs, and keep attempting to get in touch with the town. Meanwhile, Chrysalis was keeping Arden nurtured. The changeling also took upon herself to keep Arden’s body active. Using electric shocks, Chrysalis would stimulate Arden’s muscles. And Zecora, on the other hand, would break down the tension produced by that method using massages.
Chrysalis had also begun to act strangely. The changeling seemed to be concerned with something. However, she would not say what it was worrying her. Sometimes, when Zecora was at home, Chrysalis would sit by the table, close her eyes, and stand still for several hours. Chrysalis’ horn would be glowing the entire time, Zecora did ask about it, the changeling said she was checking on Arden’s mental state.
Every now and then Chrysalis would start a conversation regarding Zecora’s past. Most of the time it was about Zecora’s travels, her training, or sometimes about Arden. The latter topic being the easiest to discuss, and the one to cause a lot of frustration to the Changeling.
“You don’t want to talk about it?” Chrysalis asked while Zecora placed the final ingredient in the cauldron.
“This one...never had the chance to wear the necklace. Giving the necklace represents the proposal. Putting it on in front of a witness completes the ceremony.” Zecora replied with a sad tone. “Gamba left this one before that happened. Therefore, this mare hasn’t married anypony yet.”
“Why keep it then?” Zecora heard as she placed the potion inside vials. “The idiot only hurt you. You should just get rid of the necklace.”
“It was a reminder of what others can do when angered. This one never thought she would find somepony else that she would be interested in after that.”
After saying that, Zecora placed the vials by Arden’s side. Then she walked back to the table and sat opposite Chrysalis. The changeling had Arden’s sword in her hands. Chrysalis would spend her time tinkering with it when she wasn’t taking care of Arden.
“Now that you have this idiot over here. You can just throw it away.”
“That is true. This one might do just that. Or dismantle it for the materials.”
“The real issue is what will you do if this Gamba were ever to come after you.”
“That...This one is not so sure as to what she would do. This one doesn’t think she could face Gamba.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I’ve seen ponies who couldn’t do certain things before become oddly motivated after meeting their so-called ‘love’.”
“Are you trying to cheer this one up?” Zecora asked leaning on top of the table.
“I don’t know. Is it working like that?” Chrysalis replied with a smirk. “But one thing I am sure about is that your little friend over there won’t be happy to meet you all mopy because of the past. And after what you two been through, I guess that neither of you deserves any misery for quite a while.”
Zecora chuckled for a moment. “The changeling has changed a lot since our first meeting.”
The remark seemed to make Chrysalis chuckle quietly. A smirk formed on her muzzle. Chrysalis just kept on tinkering with the blade.
“I’m aware of it. Though, I never expected that I would be like this. Caring for another. Nursing a pony of all things back to health. Befriending the one who hunted me. Regaining my former strength. Using my abilities to heal. Being rescued after a stupid decision.”
“Does the changeling regret it?”
“Oddly enough...” Chrysalis said as the smirk turned into a sincere smile. “...no. Being like this feels good. I just wish things would always stay like this.”
“Why won’t they?” Zecora asked as she tilted her head.
“First, your friend over there has to wake up. Second, I still need to free my kind. Therefore, I will eventually head out to face them. Once I’m Queen, I won’t be able to spend time with you like this.”
“In that case. This one shall come to visit you every time she can.” Zecora replied smiling.
“I would like that. Please do.”
After that last sentence, the room went quiet. They both just sat there. Enjoying each other’s company, Zecora wasn’t inclined to go out and Chrysalis seemed too busy messing with the sword to leave. Zecora looked over to where Arden was resting. The reason for all the recent changes in her life.
‘How much change can one pony bring by simply appearing? It forced its way into this one’s life. And now, this one can’t see herself going back to how life was before this. One year, just one year has passed. And yet, so much happened that it feels like longer.’
“Chrysalis,” Zecora said breaking the silence. “Has the cerulean caused any changes to you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Has something in the changeling’s life changed?”
Chrysalis stopped messing with the sword. She placed it on top of the table and crossed her arms. Chrysalis had an annoyed expression on her face as she seemed to be trying to think.
“As much as I hate to admit it. Basically, everything that changed for me is his fault. Because of the stallion that suddenly appeared in front of my hideout. Because of the stallion that tricked me and ticked me off as no other being has ever done before.”
“Does the changeling care about him at least a bit now?”
“I can say that I tolerate him.”
“That’s some progress,” Zecora said chuckling.
(Canterlot Castle, Princess Celestia’s chambers)
“Celestia, I long for the day I can finally return to your side. The months continue to pass as I am forced to watch your golden sun cross the sky and illuminate the land and I am unable to see you. What helps keep my desires in check is the promise I made and the beautiful creations you make. The serene sunset that paints the sky pink as your eyes. The white clouds that playfully travel across the sky remind me of your snow white coat.”
“I hope this finds you well. Please be assured that I won’t falter in my pursuit for the cure of my illness.”
The princess read that letter out loud in her room. That was one of the many letters she traded with her admirer. Celestia kept all of the letters he sent, ever since the letter where he confessed his feelings. Arden had made sure to answer every single letter she ever sent to him and that allowed her to fill one box with them. He even went out of his way to tell her about his progress with magic.
And that was not all. Celestia had another special box. This box was guarded in more secrecy than the first one. Why? Because this box contained something that she had received from Arden at Hearts Warming Eve. Arden sent her a picture of himself, in fact, he sent many pictures of himself in different scenarios. How did he do it? Arden said he couldn’t tell her how.
The pictures were of him exercising, fighting a blurry image, carrying rubble, running, crafting potions. The background was always blurry like a surreal painting of sorts which made Celestia unable to discern where he was. Very rarely Celestia would receive a picture of him in a close-up. Those usually were taken in a pale light, probably the moon or an indoor area.
Receiving all those pictures and letters and keeping them in secret felt wrong. A princess shouldn’t keep secrets from her subjects, however, ever since Arden arrived she had been piling them up like crazy. But somehow, Celestia felt a rush and excitement with the idea of keeping all of that under the wraps. She had never been so close to somepony like that.
The excitement made her think of something. Something that caused her to feel insecure and ashamed. Celestia had thought of sending Arden a picture of herself. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. The mixture of shame and excitement caused her to back away from the thought whenever it happened to appear.
‘I wonder how strong he is now. How long until he returns? I can’t wait to see him again. Oh, well. I guess I can read one more letter before going out for my duties.’
Celestia picked up another letter. That one was a bit different. One night, Celestia received a letter from Arden that had a bit of a different tone to it. Most of them asked how she was, how he wished her well, how he longed to see her, and so forth. This one had something else.
“Princess, I can’t help but wonder. How would it feel to kiss your lips? What taste would you have? I wish to try it. I want to feel it. How does it feel to be embraced by you with nothing in between our bodies? I want to feel your warm embrace. Just the two of us in a moment where we can forget everypony else. I want to caress your mane. I want to sleep by your side. Your touch, your warmth. I-?!”
Celestia stopped reading. In the corner of her eyes, she saw somepony she recognized. A lavender unicorn, with her eyes wide open. A huge smile on her face as her eyes beamed.
“T-Twilight?! I-I this is not what if looks like!”
“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!” Twilight squealed as she shot down the door.
“Twilight? Please calm down!”
“The Princess has an admirer! The Princess has an admirer! You have to tell me everything! Who is he? Or is it a she? Do I know them! What is in the box over there?”
Celestia was so flustered that she forgot about her magic. Celestia tried to get out of her bed the fastest she could. But all she accomplished was her landing face first on the floor. When she got up, Celestia saw Twilight with some of the pictures and some letters in her hands. Celestia’s student was turning red as her eyes scanned each picture.
“Twilight!” Celestia shouted taking the pictures and letters from Twilights hands. “You know better than to go poking around somepony else’s things!”
“Princess, did you fall for Arden?” Twilight asked with a smirk.
“O-of course not! He is the one who has been sending me these indecent things!”
“Then why are you keeping them?” Twilight’s smirk shifted into a mischievous grin.
“I-I-I can use them to make sure that he can’t try and run away from the assignment I gave him.”
“Then why is your lipstick marking that picture you’re holding?”
Celestia froze up. With a bit of hesitation, she moved her eyes slowly to one of the pictures she had in her hands. Twilight was right. There was a mark of her lips on the picture of Arden. Celestia began to sweat a lot. She tried to form words in an attempt to explain why that was there. But all that came out of her mouth were a series of “I”s and “a”s. Celestia took a deep breath and slammed everything she had taken out of the boxes in their respective spots.
“Princess?”
Celestia ignored Twilight’s voice. Celestia then used her magic to pick up all of her things. After that, she pulled one book from her shelves. One of the bookcases slid into the floor. Celestia rushed inside and placed the box into the room. She headed back out and closed the door behind her.
“Twilight...” Celestia said with a low tone, her voice was cracking a bit.
“I-I’m sorry Princess. I was just excited. You never showed that sort of interest for any being before. And since...and since I spend a lot of time with you because of your tutoring...I was happy to see you interested in somepony.”
Celestia looked to Twilight. The filly that appeared one day and caused a major ruckus when her magic went overboard, had actually become her confidant. She could talk with Twilight about anything. That pony would be happy just to listen to her talk no matter what the subject was.
‘It’s just like...just like when Luna was with me. When I actually acted as a responsible sister to her.’ Celestia thought as the image of her little sister appeared by Twilight’s side. ‘Twilight, you are a little ray of light that appeared after all that time in the dark. I’m so glad you are my student.’
Celestia walked up to her student and gave her a hug.
“Thank you, Twilight.”
“Princess?”
“Thank you, for being my friend.”
(Ponyville Spa)
“Ms. Rarity! So good to see you again.”
“Good morning, Aloe. How are things going here? And how is Lotus doing?”
“She is okay. You should see the creep who tried to force her to speak.”
“Those ruffians haven’t caused anything but trouble. Perhaps it is a good thing that Arden is away. Imagine how they would be if Arden was still around.”
“They would probably be stalking the stallion 24/7. But back to business. Did you want to make an appointment?”
“Yes. I would like to book the usual request for the next Saturday.”
“A specific hour?”
“How about the first thing after lunch?”
“Sure. I’ll book it right away.”
“Thank you, Aloe. Tell Lotus that I wished her to get well soon.”
“Will do Ms. Rarity. Good luck with your shop.”
“Thank you. Have a nice day.”
After saying that, Rarity got out on the streets. She had to return to her shop and get on with her work. Her shop had become sort of an attraction in the town. Almost every day, ponies would come by the shop from out of town to make some sort of purchase. The jewelry and accessories were the main products to go out. It wasn’t a bad thing, even if Rarity wanted her dresses and other garments to leave. But nevertheless, she was making a decent amount of bits.
It was actually hard to believe that her shop had so many clients in just a year. A small shop in a town whose main profit came from selling produce suddenly attracting the attention of so many ponies? If somepony had told Rarity that her shop would grow so much in one year, she would probably thank them for the vote of confidence. But she knew that keeping a shop running on her own wasn’t an easy task.
Rarity saw her shop in the distance. A handful of ponies were waiting outside. Rarity began to remember how that building was before she began working there. A pile of broken glass and rotten wood. If it wasn’t for her parents’ help, she would probably still be repairing the place. Then there was the day when that weird stallion came running out of the woods.
That day made Ponyville pop-up on the maps and magazines. Visits from the Princess, a news article depicting the strange stallion who had received a special task from the ruler of Equestria. The places that he frequented began to be hotspots for ponies who wanted info about the stranger.
All of that increased the number of ponies visiting, the number of ponies seeing the shop and the number of goods that were purchased in her shop.
‘Arden even helped out with my sales one time. That was the first big sales day I had ever had. Then there was the idea for undergarments. I had so many lucky breaks since he came by. He was like a lucky charm. And I made him be severely injured and then that mystery sickness. Not to mention he has such a mysterious past...oh, I wanted to know all the details! I wonder if any of my stories are correct. Then there is the whole event in four years.’
Rarity opened the door while gesturing for the clients to wait for one moment. Rarity entered the shop and saw the mess of her previous night of work. She had become better at cleaning, however, Rarity still wanted to find herself an assistant to help with the shop. But it wasn’t like any of the stallions in town would agree to work there with the pay she could afford. And most of the mares had their own little stands of goods from flowers to baked goods and even small decorations.
Firing up her horn, Rarity began to clean up. Unusable cloth, fallen needles, scrapped designs. All the efforts that bore no fruits were gathered and discarded. What was still usable was placed aside. It took about twenty minutes to clean up the shop thanks to her magic.
Rarity then walked up to her door and opened it. The handful of ponies that were originally outside had increased substantially. Not that Rarity was about to complain about more costumers.
‘Okay! Time to get to work. Let’s hope that any of these ponies are here for a dress or tuxedo for the upcoming gala. If the news is correct it should happen in two months. Oh, how I wish that I’ve been invited to it. Be surrounded by the high-class of Canterlot. Finding myself a prince. Showing my beautiful creations to all. Although, I might have caught a prince already. I mean...he has sent me a few letters every now and then. I can’t help but wonder what is it that he is doing right now.’
(Castle Town)
“Thanks for escorting me Shining,” Cadence said as they wandered through the town. “I really needed a break from the castle.”
“No problem at all, Princess.”
“Princess? I thought that I had already told you to call me Cadence.”
“I am on duty. I have to show the proper etiquette. Not to mention that the glares aren’t helping a lot with acting naturally.”
“This is so annoying. I wish I could simply change my appearance and walk around without a worry.”
“Why don’t you ask for Princess Celestia’s disguises?” Shining whispered.
“You mean those tacky outfits? I would probably draw more attention than actually hiding under a neon sign with my name on it. Don’t you remember when she was nearly arrested because the guards thought she was a stalker?”
“That was very funny actually,” Shining replied with a chuckle. “But changing the subject a little...”
“What is it?”
“I noticed that you’ve been hanging out with Twilight a lot this past year. Mind if I ask you why? Did she get into some trouble? Or is it problems with guys?”
“Oh, so the protective sibling runs in the family,” Cadence giggled. “It isn’t anything like that. I’m the one who reached out to Twilight.”
“Really? You were asking for help from Twilight?” Shining asked tilting his head.
“Yeah. I’ve been experimenting with my talent. I want to be able to do more with it.”
“What’s with the sudden change? You always said you were happy with what you could do. You were so proud of it.”
“Well, it’s kinda silly actually. I guess I can say that I’ve been stung with a bit of jealousy. I was the only one who could see the hearts of others and tell if they loved another being. But then...”
“Arden came by. And he was able to see any emotion that came by.”
“Yeah, it’s kinda frustrating though. I worked so hard this past year and nothing. Not a single new readable emotion.”
“What about your abilities with your talent?”
“I did make some progress. Blocking out love temporarily. Transferring love between two ponies. Using the love of one to strengthen the other. I discovered a bunch of different uses for my talent. But not a single new emotion I can read,” Cadence said with a sad tone.
“Why are you so sad about it? You discovered a bunch of different things you can do. I know that I would be happy about it.”
“I know I should be happy about that. But I’m not. My talent was unique. And now there is somepony who does the same thing I do and with a wider array of emotions for him to read. How does he do it? It must hurt a lot. Imagine feeling the fear other ponies are feeling. The sadness, anger...it must drive you insane.”
“Why would you be jealous of that?”
“Wouldn’t you? Imagine the mental fortitude you need to be able to withstand it. Sometimes our own emotions overwhelm us and cause enough pain for some to wish for death. Imagine having to deal with that and then add the weight of other ponies emotions. How strong would you need to be? It’s like he could deal with all that while I can only handle love.”
“Which also happens to be one of the strongest feelings out there,” Shining said shrugging. “So before you go selling yourself short. Try to look at how strong you have to be to see the heartache that can be caused by love.”
“That’s true, thank you Shining,” Cadence said smiling at the Captain. “Look at you. Giving good advice to the Princess of Love about love. Haven’t you grown?”
“I guess so,” Shining replied scratching the back of his neck. “Maybe having a protegeé has had an impact on me.”
‘You changed this last year, didn’t you? You would usually be stuttering when I made that sort of remark. Good, I was hoping that he would grow soon. Now he needs to be a better leader. I bet that if he had some sort of motivation his skills won’t stop improving. The valiant knight keeps on growing I guess.'
“The young pegasus? How is she doing?”
“She has promise. But needs to be more patient. She tends to rush things like I used to. I ended up in trouble a lot of times before I learned to think a bit more before acting. I’ll try to get that into her head before she ends up in a bad situation.”
“Aren’t you the responsible one? Well, since you’re so grown up you probably won’t be jealous of the fact that Arden created a shield that withstood a stronger blast than yours. Isn’t that right?”
“Stop pulling my leg, Cadence.”
“I’m dead serious. Celestia told me that she sent him flying after the whole thing in the throne room. She blasted him against a wall and the shield was still standing. Just like he was.”
Cadence saw Shining look at her in disbelief. His ears dropped and then he started to scratch his chin. Then she saw him begin an old habit of his, he started muttering quietly. Shining had a tendency to do this when he felt insecure, or so Twilight told her.
‘I guess that when you’re talent is brought up you’re ought to feel envious. It doesn’t matter how mature or how much you say you don’t care. But that envy can push us to try and better ourselves. Or...to simply make us bitter. I’m glad I ended up as the first option.’
“I guess that I should try a bit harder then.” Shining finally spoke up. “Maybe even talk to him and see if he has any tips for my shields,” he said smiling. His eyes had lightened up like when he was trying his best to become the captain.
“I guess you should. After all, a captain that was outdone by a novice. That won’t look nice on your resumé.”
“Captain that was outdone by a novice...I guess I better try to change that,” Shining retorted with a frown before he started laughing. “I do wonder what that kid is doing. He better be training hard. Otherwise, I’ll be the one to outshine him.”
(???)
Arden grabbed hold of the knob and twisted it. Nightmare following him from behind quietly. They hadn’t talked much since the day Zecora died. Arden would let her out of her chains and then proceed to the next door. He stepped through the door and saw a familiar corridor.
A long corridor that was bathed in golden light. There were big columns, huge stained-glass windows were on his right side. The symbol of a circle with two wings and bove some triangles was present in every single window. Arden walked forward expecting a small skeleton using a blue jacket with a hoodie and some black shorts to pop out of the blue.
The skeleton didn’t appear. Arden saw a small light shining in a dark corner at the end of the corridor. Then a metal glint began to shine in the dark corner.
“The only monster in the underground steps forward,” Arden muttered as a small child stepped forward.
“How can you call a small thing like that a monster?” Nightmare mocked walking up to him.
Arden placed his hand in front of Nightmare blocking her path. “I made a promise to someone that I would be there to help them. And you are getting back to the real world which is where we will meet. So, shut up and stay back. I already lost someone to this place. I’m not about to lose another one.”
“You’re not about to lose another one?”
“The mare who keeps appearing here every single day. As much as she complains about everything I wouldn’t have made it this far if she wasn’t here. Even if she could have helped me save Zecora and didn’t. She showed me that sometimes we won’t have help. So you need to be strong to face whatever they throw at you and protect the ones you love.”
The child was completely out of the shadows and approaching them at a slow pace. They wore a striped blue and purple t-shirt, blue pants, and brown shoes. A golden necklace with a heart-shaped pendant was around their neck. They were armed with a knife and a terrible looking grin. Arden couldn’t see the child’s eyes underneath their hair, but he knew that they were red at that point.
Arden stepped forward and placed himself in the child’s way. They stopped and looked up at him.
“You were probably expecting Sans. Well, you have to make do with me.”
The child raised the knife and pointed at him as if he was challenging Arden.
“Hold your horses now. I suppose should tell you something. Do you remember your friend Flowey?”
The child lowered the dagger.
“He was the one ruling this world before you appeared. He had the power to reset. Do you know why? Because in this world of yours. The power to reset and retry is granted to whoever has the most determination. In other words, the being with the most willpower holds this world in the palm of their hands.”
The child’s grin disappeared.
“Tell me this child: between the two of us, who do you think has the strongest will? Because they will be the ones to win this fight.”
The child dashed at Arden with the knife ready to pierce him. Arden just stepped to the side.
“Easy there, friend. I haven’t even said the intro yet. You haven’t even been judged. This is the judgment hall and you need to be judged for all the Lv. You earned and the Exp you gathered.” The child continued to attempt to cut him. “I declare that you...are about to have a bad time.”
The child’s eyes gave out an eerie red glint before they backed away from Arden. A small red heart appeared in front of the child’s chest.
“Well, kid. It’s a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. On days like these, kids like you. Should be burning in hell.”
There weren’t any turns. It was just a relentless assault between a shadow creature and a human child. Arden’s attacks had improved a lot since the night he faced Zecora. He had more focus and precision. His body was lighter and he felt confident about how he fought.
‘Zecora, you helped me grow even after I failed you. I won’t disappoint you. I’m going to keep fighting.’
The kid’s body was slower than the soul in front of it. Arden had struck the child’s body multiple times now. But they would keep moving as if they were unaffected by the damage. Arden, on the other hand, had been affected by the damage his body had received up to that point. That’s when Arden realized what he had to do to win.
‘I have to take down the soul. Bringing the ‘rip your soul out off you’ to a new level. Well, I can’t pull the same stunt as him. But I can do something similar. If my hand can turn into a weapon then maybe...’
Arden parried an attack from the kid and pushed them back. That move gave him the chance to gain some distance. Arden then lowered his sword and got down to his knees. His hand returned to normal and he stared down at the child who seemed ready to strike with the slightest movement.
“Let us have a test of courage. If you have it in you come here and stab me through the heart. I won’t use my weapons or my hands. But I will defeat you if you aren’t strong enough.”
The child let out a spine-chilling laugh as it raised one of its hands to its head. Arden stared down at them defiantly. The child charged forward and ran the knife through Arden’s chest like it was nothing. Arden was face to face with the child’s crimson eyes. They smiled joyfully as they twisted the knife stuck in Arden’s torso.
Arden slowly closed his eyes and his head began to slowly got lower. Then he felt the child trying to pull out the knife.
Again.
And again.
And again.
“This is nothing. There are worst pains than this,” Arden muttered at the child’s ear. “And you should know. I lied.”
The child tried to back away. But Arden wrapped his arms around them as if he was giving them a hug.
“My soul has nearly broken a few weeks ago. But it refused to give in. But yours? It should have been put to rest a long time ago. You no longer need to stay determined. You are free.”
After saying that Arden sprung his trap. His sword shot out of his chest and pierced the child’s soul. The soul pulsated for a few more seconds before the sound of shattering glass echoed through the halls. Arden opened his eyes and saw the child’s body drained of its color. Arden carefully placed the child on the floor and got up. He then removed the knife from his chest and dropped it.
“Children shouldn’t have to bear the burden of so many lives. It can break them. It can rob them from their future.”
“Are you done yet?” Arden heard from behind him.
“We are done with this place,” Arden replied looking over his shoulder.
The room began to dissolve. Arden then walked away from Nightmare. He heard some noises as if something was crawling around the floor or on the walls.
“It seems that snakes have slithered their way here. I love snakes. But I’ll have to get rid off these ones,” Arden said in a clear tone.
Arden quickly turned around to see two dogs that seemed to be undead. Their skulls were exposed, their fur was slowly peeling off. Bite wounds were evident with the exposed muscles. They were so thin that Arden could see their bones even in the areas where skin and fur were still present.
“Come here doggy.”
One of the dogs barked and growled at Arden while the other circled around him. It was a very similar scenario to when he met Chrysalis in the cave. Arden rushed the dog that was circling around him. The beast tried to run, however, Arden was faster. Arden pierced the blade through the dog’s neck with everything he had.
Arden heard the sound of steps rushing towards him. Arden rolled to the side, swiftly transforming his hand back, leaving the wounded monster on the ground as it skirmished until it had stopped moving entirely. There was only one left now. Arden looked back on the furtive one that tried to attack him and saw that it was acting like a cornered beast.
‘That is when we make our most insane and harsh decisions.’
Arden prepared his blade and then lunged at the beast. The monster responded by rushing at Arden from the front without hesitation. Arden dispersed himself at the last second, completely avoiding the attack. The beast landed on the floor and rolled for a second. Arden rebuilt himself and took advantage of the moment with a downward slash at the monster’s neck.
The creature dropped dead. Arden stood up confident that he had won when he felt something touching the back of his neck. It felt sharp and it was trembling a bit.
“I have to ask, why?” Arden asked with a dark tone to his voice.
“I don’t need a reason,” Nightmare retorted, her voice was cold and her usual attitude was gone. She sounded afraid and filled with resentment.
“Then why isn’t your hand steady?” Arden replied with irony, hoping that she would try to retort the old way she always did. By getting flustered and angry.
“I have my reasons,” Even in the absence of stuttering Arden knew that tone. He had heard some of his patients speak like that whenever they were ashamed of the topic they were talking about.
“You’re contradicting yourself,” Arden pointed out trying to force Nightmare into showing her reasons. Apply enough pressure and the people and they will either break and tell them their intentions or they will burst while revealing something about them.
“And you are at my mercy,” Nightmare replied with the same tone. She was not about to let out what was happening to her. What had been happening to her in these last couple of months.
'I don't know what is up with her. But just talking won't do. If my math is right there is only one more level to this tower. And if that mad God keeps up his game...he will pull out some stunt. Not to mention I doubt he will pull any punches in there. I better try to use that level to try and force Nightmare into speaking what is on her mind.'
“I am not,” Arden said turning around to face Nightmare. Her eyes were filled with tears. Her confident smile was gone.
'That isn't the face of someone who is enjoying this. Just what is going on in there Nightmare? I wish I could see her heart right now. She's been with only Luna as a companion. Maybe she can't bring herself to tell me what's wrong.
“Oh, yeah? Why not?” Nightmare asked while trying to keep her face dry and hold the tears in.
'This is going to be a bit of a low blow considering that time when she kept telling me not to die.'
“Because if I don’t finish this tower I die.”
“And I care because?” Nightmare replied after hesitating for a second.
'Come on already! I'll just have to try something else at this point.'
“Enough with the charade,” Arden said smacking the blade with the back of his hand.
“There isn’t a charade,” Nightmare replied repositioning the blade.
“Then I’ll just take my leave and head to the next level. I’ll wait for you by the door. You can give your dogs a funeral,” Arden retorted after hitting the blade again.
“What makes you think they are mine?” Her voice finally cracked, no stuttering but it was there. The sign that he hit the spot.
'So it has to do with these things. Let's push on that, shall we?'
“These are different from the enemies I faced so far. They feel out of place. Out of synch. The same way it felt when you attacked me on the night we met.”
“You remember that much...” Nightmare's voice was cracking more, she still keeping her act together. But it was getting harder for her.
'This should force her to the brink. Then I just need to make her speak up. I am sure I can push her over once we are on the next floor.'
“I make a point to remember important moments of my life. The time you rescued me when we faced the Colossus. When we ran away from the Reaper. When you shared your story with me. When you cried because of how worried you were. When we ventured through the caste of the ruler of darkness. The time we got stuck in the water temple and you began to try and smash the walls so we could get out. I remember it all. Because those moments showed me what kind of being you were. I mean...you are. Now, go mourne your dogs. I think we can finish this on the next level,” Arden replied turning away from her and proceeding to the stairs.
'Maybe this would be easier with my eyes. I could have even prevented whatever it is that made her act this way. But then again...by going in there...I could have made things worse. Well, I won't be able to know the outcome if I can't even get out of this alive. It's way past due to make my will shine through here.'
Arden walked up the steps. The end was drawing near. His struggles to get rid of his rejection was just as about to end. His chance to head back into the real world and fulfill his promise was just a few steps away. He didn’t have a reason to stop. Arden would not let Zecora’s efforts to save him go to waste.
As he continued he realized that the steps grew darker. Vines crept down the walls as if he was wandering through a decrepit building. Moss covered some spots on the walls. Fragments of columns and rubble began to litter the steps.
It was then something that didn’t belong among those steps of cold stone appeared. Shinning green ink was sprayed on the walls. The onomatopoeia for laughter was written in that ink, exaggerated smiles were painted alongside it. Dentures that seemed more like a child’s toys were laughing on the floor as they clattered their teeth.
Cold sweat ran down his back. Those items belonged to someone he knew. The Prince of Crime, also known as the Joker.
‘As much as I liked those games. I am not looking forward to dealing with that insanity. I’m sure I can’t talk or outsmart that freak.’
Arden continued his ascend. Then he saw a big, fancy door stand before him. It looked familiar and out of place.
‘This is from the blimp. Why is this here? Arkham shut down after the events of Asylum. The blimp appears only on the third entry. What is going on here?’
Arden was curious enough to try and twist the doorknob. Much to his surprise the door opened. The pre-requisite for him entering a room was the presence of Nightmare along with him. However, she had yet to catch up with him. And that led to one explanation.
‘She is already inside!’ Arden thought before dashing into the room. ‘Of all the places for her to be granted a head-start it had to be here!’
Arden managed to take a few steps in before he felt something sharp piercing his neck. Arden reached for the area and pulled it out. The sensation came from a needle. There was only one character who used needles in this series. And that made Arden’s eyes widen. He was in deep trouble now.
‘Fear Toxin. Scarecrow is here. I am so fucked. I remember what I was scared of when all of this began. But what about now?’
Arden looked around him. After seconds of silence, Arden fell to his knees. The toxin was kicking in. Arden was going to be taken to the ‘Horror Land’ ruled by Scarecrow in just a few moments.
“Well, well,” an echoing voice whispered in Arden’s ear. “A new test subject. The one who led me here gave clear instructions to add something to your medicine. I believe you shall have company real soon.”
The floor beneath Arden began to move. The room became liquid and began to mix itself deforming and bending like some twisted painting. Arden tried to get up but his body wasn’t working properly. He began to feel drowsy, cold sweat running down his back. His body began to shiver and his vision blurred. Arden was on the brink when the world around him stopped moving. Arden slowly got up. His body was heavy and he felt sore.
‘How did Batman endure this? He took several doses of it. I’m barely standing after one.’
Arden looked at the room. The place had changed, no doubt the effects of the fear toxin. In front of him was a glass window displaying a figure he recognized. It was Nightmare, was tied to a chair and remotely-controlled weapons were set around her.
Arden rushed to the window. “Nightmare! I’ll get you out! Hang on!” He shouted while striking the glass.
It wasn’t before long that Arden felt someone tapping on his shoulder. He turned around and saw nothing. The room was empty. Arden stepped towards the center of the room. Once again he felt someone tapping on his shoulder, Arden turned around as fast as he could.
“G-gah!” Arden exclaimed as he fell backward. The one standing behind him was a vision from hell. The one standing behind him had their body slowly deteriorating. Their face had rotten partway through. On their chest a sword wound, their body shriveled due to the festering making their ribs visible as well as the rest of their bones. “Z-Zec-cora?”
“Don’t you remember this one?” the decrepit corpse asked walking like a puppet towards Arden, who was scrambling away from it. “Cerulean. Come back. You’re hurting this one. Why are you hurting this one? Why did you kill this one?”
“Y-you’re not real! T-this isn’t real!” Arden said getting up and pointing his sword at the puppet.
“You’re hurting this one,” The corpse said. Arden blinked once and the corpse was pierced by his sword. “Why would you hurt this one? You said you loved this one.”
The rotten flesh was easily torn apart by the blade. The corpse fell to the ground with a loud thud. Arden quickly fell to his knees and tried to pick Zecora up in his arms. But with each attempt, her body crumbled more and more.
“Stop...you’re hurting this one,” the corpse pleaded as Arden continued to piece her back together. “Please, stop!”
Arden continued his fruitless efforts ignoring the pleas.
“I’ll save you this time! Zecora, you’ll be alright. Just hang on!”
“You’re...hurting this one...” Zecora’s voice was fading. Her body began to turn into dust. Arden desperately tried to fix it, but it was to no avail. Her body crumbled into a pile that disappeared seconds after while Arden tried to gather the dust.
“N-no...n-not again,” Arden said while tears fell on the floor beneath him. “I-I...I k-killed her again!”
Arden got up and looked at the window. Nightmare disappeared again. Arden turned around and the first thing he saw was a gun pointed at the center of his head. The one holding the gun was none other than the Prince of Crime.
“Enjoying the show?” he asked before pulling the trigger.
“You are so infuriating,” Chrysalis said while she stared at the unconscious unicorn. “You are weak, but you going even if when things go wrong. You have a tool for manipulating others but you are insecure about your capabilities. You feed the one who wants to use you with a smile. You have selfish thoughts and desires. But you keep them to yourself out of fear. Why? Why do you put so much effort into being like that? One thing is to desire to be better. Another is to suppress everything you want.”
Chrysalis had been poking around Arden’s mind after he was forced into a coma. The experience gave her insight into what he thought of them. She gained access to all the melodies Arden knew. Chrysalis also found her way into his memories. In other words, Chrysalis knew more about him that she wanted to.
“You throw everything I knew about other beings on the air. You made me have a friend. You are a weird thing turned pony. There are so many things about you out of place that nothing makes sense. Yet you find yourself in this mess and go on your merry way. Urgh! WHY?! I just want to slap your stupid face over and over. Why do you get me so infuriated?!”
Chrysalis got up and went to the table room. ‘What is taking Zecora so long? I thought she just had to pick some herbs nearby.’
The usual books were lined up in the old bookshelf. The same order, colors, and letters. Chrysalis had been in that hut long enough for her to see those simple things as part of her life. A sensation she hadn’t felt since she left her home. Chrysalis had been hiding from place to place until she found the cave, and then she found them. Two beings who insist on helping her. Two beings that kept on helping her even if it placed them on harm’s way.
‘Two foolish dreamers...and the giant bug. Such an odd combination,’ Chrysalis thought before looking over her shoulder at Arden. Chrysalis’ eyes scanned his body until she reached his scarred arm. The darkened and spiky fur was still there. ‘He didn’t have a single mark on him until we entered his life. He was wounded and beaten. But we were the cause of both of the wounds that didn’t heal completely...’
Chrysalis sighed and returned to the room where Arden was sleeping. She sat down by his side and looked at the wounded arm. The more she looked at it, the angrier she got.
‘Why I couldn’t fix this? Healing the mind and body is what we had to learn in order to survive in the badlands. I should be better. I can DO better.’ Chrysalis thought as her horn fired up.
Magic flowed through her body. The energy slowly reached for the palm of her hands. The emerald green glow illuminated the room. Chrysalis touched the arm and began to think about what she wanted to do. The image of how his arm was before the night he ran after Zecora with his forearm set ablaze. Chrysalis closed her eyes and focused on the memories she had of him.
As the memories returned to her, Chrysalis began to piece the image of how the limb looked in all the different angles she could remember. The soft fur, the blue color, the gentle touch.
‘I think this should do it. Ok...let’s see the results.’
When she opened her eyes, Chrysalis saw that Arden’s arm had been partially restored. The difference in tone was barely visible. Chrysalis smirked at the feat she had just achieved. She had managed to improve her healing spell beyond closing up injuries.
Chrysalis tried to get up but felt her legs shake. She looked at her body and realized that she had shrunk considerably.
‘Stronger spell...steeper toll.’
BAM, BAM, BAM
“ZECORA! OPEN UP NOW! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO ‘CONVINCE’ THE VILLAGERS TO GIVE YOUR LOCATION!”
‘WHAT?!’ Chrysalis shouted in her mind. ‘I can’t fight a pony like this! I need to hide. And hide Arden!’
Chrysalis quickly cast a spell over Arden’s body. The illusion created made the bed he laid in look empty. Then she used her disguise to make her body shift into Zecora’s shape. At the very least in that form, Chrysalis would have some way to trick this intruder.
The door burst open at the very moment her transformation had ended. Chrysalis didn’t have time to react. Around her neck, something began to choke her. The feeling wasn’t like fingers touching her skin. It felt like links of a chain tightly wrapping around her neck.
The words kept repeating without end. Chrysalis kept fighting, but it was to no avail. Her body going numb and the world got darker.
‘Mind control.’
Under normal circumstances, Chrysalis would have been able to push back a cheap trick. However, she used a big chunk of her reserves to heal Arden’s arm. And that meant she was weaker.
Images of submission kept popping on her mind, followed by the chanting of the word submission. Chrysalis made one last attempt to keep her persona from being rewritten, she quarantined her Ego and Id. That procedure would make her lose control over her body but would prevent her original self to be lost to the spell.
From that moment on, Chrysalis would be under mind control. Her only hope was Zecora. But as Chrysalis’ consciousness faded, she remembered that Zecora should have already returned by then and that she would not be able to do a proper search while Arden remained in a coma. That was it, she had lost. At the very least, somewhere inside her, she would be able to...
‘Zecora...I guess I’ll make you one last fav...’
(??????)
“Wakey, wakey!” the annoying and playful voice of the Joker echoed through Arden’s throbbing head. “There are plenty of us trying to kill you right now! And I do enjoy a bit of fun from a fight!”
Arden’s eyes shot open as a chorus of voices laughed maniacally around him. He could see multiple purple shoes hopping and dancing in front of him.
‘No! No, no, no, no!’ Arden thought as he got up as fast as he could and felt cold sweat spine running down his back. 'Ten, seventeen, twenty-five. Twenty-five of them?!'
“Look at that! He is terrified!” The crowd around Arden screamed with joy.
Arden searched for a path to leave. He was not about to face twenty-five of those psychos. As he turned around, he saw that there was a glass cage of sorts around him. The transparent surface reflected a faint image of Arden’s body. Arden’s terror grew considerably when he managed to see his reflection. His head now had a thin line almost like makeup, like he was grinning.
‘Please, don’t move.’ Arden pleaded before trying to open his mouth.
The mouth moved.
“See that?! He’s laughing!!! Just like us! Hehe-hehe-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HO-HO-HO-HA-HAAAAAAA!!! Do all of you think he will like our little gift?!”
Arden turned towards the one talking. Pressed against the glass cage, Arden saw a familiar face. He felt a frown forming on his face before it turned into a scowl.
‘What is Celestia doing here?!’ Arden thought as he saw the Princess face pressed against the ground. He gritted his teeth when he saw that something was missing from Celestia’s forehead. ‘Her horn...’
“H-help...” The princess begged with a low voice, barely audible through the sea of laughter around them.
Arden felt his torso expand in a rapid rhythm. His mouth opened and what came out was laughter. Terrible and terrifying laughter that made him shiver. His hands trembled as Arden raised his hands and began to claw his own head and face.
“Haha-HAHAHA-AAHHHHHHHHHH-HA-HA!!!! You know what?! Joker, you are used to playing mind games with the broken bat!! HO-HO-Hehe-he! However, you should be more aware of who you’re playing with! After all...” Arden said with a serious voice as he walked towards the Princess.
Arden placed his hand on the glass surface. “I will kill if I need to.”
As soon as Arden said those words the glass shattered. Celestia fell into Arden’s arms. He spun around the moment she made contact with him. Arden placed her on the ground while his free hand shifted into a blade. The clown that held her fell near them. Arden didn’t flinch before sinking his weapon to the clown’s skull.
“24 meat bags remain,” Arden said while his blade shifted back into his hand.
The other clowns dashed at him. Arden spun the corpse that was stuck in his hand with all the force he had. The clowns fell down while the corpse went flying towards the crowd. Arden ran towards the group while shifting his head into a wolf. With his mouth wide open, Arden bit down at the throat of an opponent that was in front of him.
Blood ran into Arden’s mouth. He felt someone jumping on his back. Arden imagined his body turning into a cloud and moving behind the person on his back. In a blink of an eye, Arden was the one behind the clown. Arden’s hand gripped the Joker’s skull and pulled it back while Arden kicked the criminal’s spine. The sound of bones breaking made Arden laugh.
Arden then bashed the clown’s head on the ground.
BANG! BANG!
‘That sound...this pain...’
Arden saw a clown fall to the floor after the second sound. He looked back towards the sound and saw Celestia on the floor, with a small puddle of red liquid forming around her. Her dress began to turn crimson. He didn’t feel his heartbeat after that.
He couldn’t tell if it all took a second or minutes. But eventually, the world was made out of gray, black, white, red, and green. Arden dashed at the clown with the gun.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
The clown took four more shots at Arden. Arden could tell that they connected because of how he felt his body shake. He reached the clown’s arm and twisted to make the weapon point at the user. Arden looked at the grinning maniac and pulled the trigger. There was no sound, but there was a burst of crimson colors that painted those around them.
Arden grabbed hold of the revolver and held it against his head.
“The weapon is empty,” Arden muttered pulling the trigger.
Click
A group of clowns jumped him and tried to pull the weapon off his hand. Arden felt his body shaking as if he was being hit by something.
“The weapon is loaded,” Arden whispered before pulling the trigger.
BANG!
More paint sprayed everywhere. His assailers began to pierce Arden’s body with something.
‘I should return the favor,’ Arden thought as he imagined thorns sprouting out of his body.
Arden’s thoughts became real, black vines covered in red thorns pierced the clowns. Red paint covered the plants as the corpses gave out their last muffled laugh.
“Such a beautiful color...”
Arden looked around him. All the Jokers were armed and ready to fight. Guns, knives, batons, broken bottles, anything that could be used to attack. Some of them followed the clown’s profile by using circus themed weapons.
“Eighteen left...” Arden whispered.
It was a blood bath. The jokers would stab, strike, shoot, and die. All their efforts to break Arden bore no fruition. Arden laughed as he sliced them into bits, painted the room red. his laughter got mixed with the copies of the clown as they all rejoiced in the fight.
There was even a point where the Jokers began to fight amongst themselves. Arden took this opportunity to break them in groups. The last one that was left standing smiled at Arden while pointing a revolver towards him. Arden did the same, however, the clown suddenly raised the weapon to his chin.
“You can’t save a single life.”
BANG!
The clown prince fell to the floor on top of another corpse. Arden stared at the work of art he had created. And then a stinging pain began to pierce his skull. Arden fell to his knees and he began to hear again. The sound of blood dripping from the piled up bodies echoed in the room.
"*Pant, Pant*"
The sound of breathing caught Arden’s attention. His sight began to return to regain its colors. The bodies were gone and underneath him…
“H-help...” A weak voice pleaded him.
Arden forced himself to look at the source. A white hand was reaching out for him. Breathing rapidly, she gave everything she had to reach him. Arden felt his eyes moving repeatedly to the sides as if he was having an episode of nystagmus.
“C-Celes...” He muttered as his hand hesitantly reached for Celestia’s hand.
The moment he touched her hand. The princess’ breathing stopped. Her body began to whiter at an accelerated pace as blood kept advancing towards Arden.
“I did it again...” Arden said as his body hit the floor.
The blood advanced towards him. Then it moved past him. Arden heard cracking. He rolled over and looked at the source. More to run away from the image of the withering corpse than anything else. What he saw made the urge from the fight return.
A huge gate made out of red metal stood in front of him. On top of the gate, golden words shone brilliantly.
“Safe...Heaven...” Arden muttered as he read the words before they lost their color.
He gritted his teeth. Slowly rising from the floor, he walked towards the gate. Arden kicked it open and then began laughing loudly before rushing towards the interior. A humongous city brimming with life appeared before him. People walked by completely ignoring him. It was as if Arden had returned to his home.
“I will destroy it all!!! NO MORE! No more rooms! No more hiding! I’ll break it all!!!!”
“Good! Good! Open up the way so I can waltz right in!” The familiar voice of the clown echoed in Arden’s head. “Break everything you see! Destroy and kill for the joy! There is no value in life! There is no meaning in death! All that matters is having fun while you live free from all your shackles!”
Arden didn’t bother to reply. He began to kill every being that came into his line of sight. Young, old, criminal, innocent, it didn’t matter. It was a product of his mind and it was a fantasy. Their lives meant nothing, just like his. Sneaking up on a group of robbers, Arden imagined himself taking the form of a serpent crushing them to death. They squirmed and screamed in terror as Arden broke their bodies.
‘LIES! THESE BUILDINGS AND PEOPLE ARE LIES! THESE WORLDS ARE NOTHING BUT LIES!!!!’
“YES! Kill to your heart’s content! Rip and tear this place apart! Take away the one shield you have! Expose your core and I’ll take over!”
Their victims ran in terror. Arden gave chase, devouring each one. The screams of terror soon took over as Arden imagined himself larger and larger. The sky above them turned black as lighting strikes began to burn the citizens and criminals alike. Arden returned to his original shape while keeping his size and began to destroy the buildings surrounding him.
‘ENOUGH RIDDLES! ENOUGH GAMES! ENOUGH RUNNING! I REFUSE TO RUN ANY LONGER! LET ME HEAR! LET ME SEE! I WANT TO UNDERSTAND MYSELF! I DON’T CARE WHAT THIS IS! I WILL FACE IT ALL! SHOW IT TO ME!’
“YES! YES! Look at them go! They are all so frightened! And I’ll have all of this! You already lost it, kid! You’re a madman!!! WE ARE TWO OF A KIND! UNSOUND OF MIND! LET US BRING WASTE AND DESPAIR TO ALL OF THEM!!!!”
The world began to fall apart. Disappearing. And he was the cause of it.
“THIS IS MY MIND! AND I WANT THIS TO END! JUST LET ME HEAR! LET ME UNDERSTAND! SHOW IT ALL! SHOW IT TO ME! SHOW IT! SHOW IT! SHOWITSHOWITSHOWITSHOWITSHOWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!”
With that last roar, Arden raised his hands and punched the floor. The entire place area began to crumble, and he felt his body beginning to diminish in the middle of that sea of darkness. There was nothing left, just that empty black void.
“Would you look at that? There was nothing here after all! Those were your last defenses. You lost, kid.”
Arden turned towards the voice. There was only a mirror, and in its reflection, Arden saw something he recognized.
“Like what you see? I thought of changing up our look. I think we can both agree that purple, white, and green suit me better than black!”
The image in the mirror was the Joker. He prepared his ragged tie, groomed his hair and tried to make the battered suit look better. He had to be presentable after all. He was finally free. The world was about to know him and he was about to give them all a taste of the power he had.
The Joker got closer to the mirror and stared at the image. The nearly invisible image of the previous owner was there. Staring at him with a blank expression. What joy! The owner was trapped inside, he would watch all the madness and pain unfold powerless to stop it.
“Don’t look so gloomy! Oh, wait...you can’t! HA-AH-HAHA!!! You don’t have a face anymore!!”
The clown kicked the mirror down. There was no reason to worry, he was back. He had a body. All the havoc and chaos he wanted was at the tip of his fingers. The Joker looked at the empty room and imagined his fun house. The perfect house to play with all the poor citizens.
The building manifested before him. Every detail just as he had imagined. Windows, colors, doorknobs! It was PERFECT!
“Just a dream right now. But soon...I will build it!! Then it will be Joker Land!” He let out a burst of maniacal laughter. He was about to—
“The clown began to hop around as if testing his body.” As the voice proclaimed those words the Joker began to move exactly as described.
“What?”
“The confused clown scratched his head. Thinking that maybe he was listening again to the screams or maybe some other psychiatrist trying to ‘heal’ his mind. He dismissed the thought by reaching for his pockets.”
“STOP!” Everything kept going exactly as the voice spoke. But the voice was getting louder and clearer.
“From within one of his suit’s pockets, the Joker pulled out his revolver. Then he tossed it away with all force. There was no need for that now. His body could shift into anything he desired. Weapons were meaningless. One by one the Joker relinquished his weapons. Just as the final piece of weaponry was out of his reach, stones emerged from the ground. All of them covered in moss.”
“Upon closer inspection, the Joker realized that he was looking at...”
“Yeah! They are graves! What about them?!”
“You tell me then.” The voice was clear now. The Joker looked around and saw the foggy creature sitting on top of a tombstone.
“Tell you what? These are just rotting corpses. There is no story here. Unless you want a diorama with them. OH! I like the way you think!”
“You mean the way you think,” the fog creature said hopping off the tombstone. “I’m standing here. Right in front of you. Nothing more than a remnant. But still a different being.” It phased through the Joker.
“Now that’s a bore. I was hoping you pull some sort of trick to regain control.” Joker turned to follow the creature’s movements.
“When did I lose control?”
“Oooh! Both of your eyes are the same now. Scaryyyy. Go to a Halloween party, kid. Grown-ups need to get around killing and spreading chaos. I can already hear them crying.”
The sound of children crying began to echo through the cemetery. Then the screams of men and women alike. Their cries marking of their meaningless lives being brought to a horrifying conclusion. Oh, how he longed for those feelings. The joy of creating perfect chaos.
However, something felt off. Joker felt the sensation of being watched closely. VERY closely. It was the same as when his friend kept trying to break through to him while breaking his arms or knocking him unconscious.
“Getting a bit bold, aren’t we?” Joker said in an annoyed voice. “You should know better and anyone that no one can get in this little box,” he continued while making a finger gun and pointing it at his own temple.
“It’s true. You have an alien mind. You moved beyond the concept of good and evil. Your mind doesn’t accept the concepts created by those around you as true. Only what you create is your truth. In other words, your MIND is completely closed off.”
“Why even bother then?” the clown replied without being able to shake the feeling of something trying to pry him open.
“You said before that the city was my last defense. You were right. Now everything is flowing in. I can feel everything again. I can SEE again. Your mind might have been closed off. But your heart can’t be locked away that easily. And it’s much easier to crack when you are unstable.”
“What? The heart? I don’t have anything in there but joy! Why should that threaten me?”
“On the surface, you are filled with joy. But deep down the only thing you have is fear. I can feel it. You’re more terrified than I am. Let me out! I need to make my mark! I need to be remembered! I will be the wound on this world that no one will forget! I will live eternal as a fear that will plague the lives of any who still hope for a better day.”
The Joker’s eyes widened. A scowl appeared on his semblance while his smile grew. He felt his bloodlust increase. The had to kill that thing. It was boring, it was annoying, it was meaningless.
“You really know how to yank someone’s chain, don’t you?” The clown said before rushing towards the fog creature.
“You can’t hit something made out of a fog,” The creature said while the first attack went through him causing the Joker to fall. “I will be remembered! I will be the eternal scar marking the world! You are constantly running from that fear. I don’t blame you for feeling it. I can’t blame you for being afraid when I am terrified of myself. However, I can’t let you off the hook.”
“And what exactly do you plan to do with me? Kill me? You should know that I am not afraid of dying. I laugh at the face of death. Life itself is nothing but a big joke. And I am here to deliver the punchline!”
“Yet you’re terrified. Because you know what will happen if you die here. You’ve seen my memories, you know that this isn’t the world in which you were created. You want so desperately to take over that you even forgot what will happen to me if I don’t get through this.”
The Joker gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He felt his smile disappearing.
“In the end, I’ll end up six feet under anyway. So I might as well take you down with me.” The fog creature moved towards him.
The Joker began to run. That thing wasn’t going to play the game the way he wanted to. A game is only fun when the parts play the way it’s supposed to be played. The Joker kept running as fast as he could. The Bat tended to have problems catching him sometimes. And this guy wasn’t anywhere near the same level as Bats.
‘That idiotic child should be way behind me now. I can probably stop and try to figure some way to turn this around. The mind is mine now.’
“You do realize that you aren’t moving forward, don’t you?” The voice of the host came from behind him.
The Joker looked behind him and saw the fog creature. He then looked down and saw that the ground was moving like a treadmill.
“You don’t need to worry about finding your grave. Since you have no one to remember you but me, I prepared an unmarked grave for you.” The creature began making the joker float. “I didn’t have time to make you a coffin. But I guess it won’t matter. At least the worms will be thankful for the food.”
“WHAT?! I NEED TO GET OUT! DON’T!” The Joker screamed and fought against it. But nothing happened.
The Joker was forced on to the grave. Ropes wrapped around him, then chains, and then a lock was placed.
“YOU CAN’T DO THIS! THIS MIND IS MINE! THIS BODY IS MINE! LET ME OUT! THIS ISN’T FUNNY! A BAD JOKE! A BAD JO—”
The room around Arden began to shift as the sound of the clown choking became more and more muffled. Arden had left that bastard’s grave behind. The room around him kept changing causing him to hit a wall. Arden leaned on it and sat down. ‘Please, no more. No more fighting. Let this madness end. I’m afraid of what will happen if I go any further.’
Arden opened his eyes. The room had returned to its original form. He gave out a sigh of relief as his body fell to the side. Arden felt as his limbs weighted tons. There were no signs of any doors. But then again, he couldn’t see them without Nightmare Moon by his side. ‘She isn’t here, huh? Not very surprising considering her record these past floors.’
Arden saw a piece of paper in the distance. The shining blue paper was on the floor. Arden didn’t bother to get up, he crawled his way up to it. When he picked up the note he rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Arden lifted the note in front of his face.
So, you got to the end. Did you find what you were looking for?
“I dragged myself here. And the thing I find is this little joke.”
Did you like your torments?
“What is your problem? This is ridiculous. I wanted to find...”
I know you saw the truth. You called it out and broke it. You know what you were searching for.
Arden stopped when he read that line. He already knew the answer? Of course, he did, Arden began to laugh at the idiot he was. Arden continued to laugh as loud as he could. This time, however, he wasn’t doing it because of the Joker. No, this time he was genuinely laughing.
“I’m so stupid! Leave to me to make things harder for myself. Good lord! My parents were right when they said I’m slow on the uptake when it comes to myself. I’ve been creating more and more layers to distance myself. Like I did back then. Sending myself to dungeons where I can shut myself from the world surrounding me. That’s pathetic. Such a stupid little habit made me nose-dive into insanity. In any case, there is no need to wait. I know what to do. The game is over, and I’m breaking this habit tonight.”
Arden slowly got up, the melody echoed in his mind. The lyrics flowed naturally from the wind that began coursing in the room. He took a step forward. The ceiling cracked with every step Arden took until it collapsed. The carefully decorated room turned into nothing but a pile of rubble.
Arden was at the very edge of the tower, he gazed at the chasm before him. He allowed the wind to carry the letter away, his body leaned forward until he found himself free-falling at high speed.
He kept picking up speed and then shape-shifted into a big black bird. Arden circled around the tower, watching it fall as he flew towards the floor. The sky above him broke like it was made out of glass, there was no end to the destruction. All the hours he wasted running deeper and deeper into the dungeons were gone in a matter of seconds.
“No more. I am the main character of my story. We all are. I’ve been running away from something that was a part of me. And then I got addicted to fleeing. I’m sorry for the trouble I caused Zecora, but I’m glad since it got me to meet you. I can’t regain the time I wasted in these halls, but I can make the rest of my time worthwhile.”
Arden landed on the floor as the base of the tower collapsed causing it to fall like a tree. The building slowly dispersed into a flock of colorful birds that flew into the horizon. Arden felt his heart get lighter, he was afraid, but his heart was calm and his mind clear.
He kept moving through each of the rooms, each one being reduced to dust just with his presence. The destruction spread faster with each room he passed by.
“Even though this place put me through hell, I can’t deny I will miss it. Every experience is precious to our growth, and these are no different. And in the end, everything we do matters. Even if it is something small. That’s what you’ve been expecting me to say? Probably not. What you wanted me to say is that I don’t need a safe haven from something that is a part of me, isn’t that right?”
“Finally,” the familiar voice from what seemed ages ago replied. “You did take your time.”
“You should have known I would do that. Right, Aimeé?” Arden said in a joyful tone.
“I guess you are ready to do it now,” the faceless human said before turning into Arden’s pony form. “Prepare yourself.”
The pony flew away while Arden took the last step that completely destroyed the last room. The pony rushed toward Arden, a sword manifested in the pony’s hand. It looked sharp enough to cut through metal like it was flesh. The pony bore an expression of anger while he rushed, ready to impale Arden.
Arden’s response was simply opening his arms. The pony ran the sword through Arden’s torso.
“So, you finally figured the easiest way, huh?”
“There was never any need to fight you. You are a part of me, just like your name suggests, you are my friend. I’ll never fight this again, and this is how it ends. You were looking out for me from the beginning, that’s why your weapon can’t hurt me. The one who hurt me back then was myself. We are free. We can learn how to use this to help others. We can go home now.”
“Indeed we can,” Aimeé replied as she disappeared slowly into a burst of light.
The black void surrounding Arden began to waver as a forest began to sprout from underneath his feet. The old ruins he was helping rebuild emerged from the floor. The sky above was filled with constellations and a big full moon. That was it, he was free.
“Well done, my boy!” The voice from the mad god accompanied the sound of clapping. “You are free and you were touched by insanity. Meaning you are a wildcard.”
Arden didn’t give the god a second to continue his speech. A direct hit straight to the jaw sent the mad god flying into a wall. “I should bash your skull into the floor. Give me one good reason not to do it.”
“Because I am your counterpart? The part of you that is supposed to keep you safe?”
“But...Aimeé was...”
“No, she was a part of me. I made something more user-friendly so to speak. I’m not really a people person.” Sheogorath’s eyes glow.
“Do tell,” Arden replied rolling his eyes.
“Before we continue, might I suggest that we do something about our guest?” The god pointed toward something behind Arden.
“Oh, it’s Moon. For a second I thought we were in trouble,” Arden replied after looking over his shoulder.
Sheogorath floated away.
“Good to see you got my back,” Arden replied shrugging.
“I demand that you submit to me!” Nightmare cried, her mane was wriggling wildly.
“So, your mane moves depending on your emotions, that’s a neat little detail,” Arden replied without much worry for the animosity directed at him. “Could you please tell me what the hell have you been up to? You come to me, throws a tantrum, summon up dogs to kill me, then makes me worry and finally disappears.”
“I don’t need to satisfy your curiosity! You belong to me! You are MY subject! Submit to me now!” Her eyes turned white as her voice got louder.
“Sorry, but I’m no one’s property. However, I want to BE with somepony. But that’s not important right now. What’s important is...is...” Arden stopped and reached for his chest, he felt something running down his face.
“I don’t want to be alone! Please, I need somepony who won’t leave me! I need to have somepony in who I can trust! I don’t have a choice! I don’t have a choice! I don’t have a body! I’m not real! I want to be real! Tell me I’m real!”
“W-why so uncertain? I’m your friend. You opened up to me. I opened up to you. You can trust me!” Arden continued to sink his fingers into his body.
Nightmare’s eyes widened. The white light began to be invaded by some sort of black substance.
“I KNEW IT! YOU’VE BEEN MANIPULATING ME! YOU WILL PAY!! I WILL MAKE YOU MINE AND MAKE YOU BEG FOR MERCY!!”
Arden felt his heart get heavier and heavier. A deafening scream was the last thing Arden heard from Nightmare Moon before she disappeared into a cloud of a dark whirlwind of stars. The weight on his chest began to lift, however, Arden felt sadness and concern towards what had happened.
“You’re too soft,” The god commented from behind Arden.
“That’s just who I am towards those I care about. But then again, maybe it’s just you who are too harsh,” Arden replied while turning to face the god. "Get rid of that copyrighted face before someone begins to ask for its rights. We both know that you're just using my memories to change your shape."
“Whatever you say, boss. But I have to say that I think both of us are correct in that aspect. And I don’t blame you. But I had to make you hasten things up. I think you had one or two days left before kicking the bucket,” The figure replied trying to defend himself.
“Right, well...I guess it’s about time I woke up. I’ve slept long enough.”
“That you have. Now, go on ahead. Your mind was broken and it was then mended back into shape. You will be way harder to control, my friend. Go on and live your life.”
“So dramatic. Let’s just skip the theatrics and move on. I need to make something clear before that though.”
“Oh, and what is that?”
Arden suddenly made his arms stretch and wrap themselves around the mad figure. He then pulled the being towards him and turned it upside down.
“Just try and pull another stunt like the one you did with Zecora. And I promise you this: I will end you without even flinching.” Arden’s playful expression shifted into a scowl.
“I seek only to co-exist. I apologize for the disturbances my actions have caused, but I needed to ensure our survival. I would not hesitate to eliminate or push you beyond your limit just so we both can survive or to protect those we care about. And since we are both being honest, I do NOT have any interest in taking over your body. Your life seems problematic enough to make me just want to stay here. On a side note, get rid of me, and we both die.”
“You should be aware by now that I would do that,” Arden replied with his head slowly shifting into that of a serpent. "We are one and the same after all, isn't that right 'Sheogorath'?" Arden added with an ironic tone to his voice.
“And that, my boy, is why I love the idea of being your counterpart. I won’t have to do anything unless things get a bit chaotic. If you don’t understand, I believe someone eventually will explain it to you.”
“Wake me up now. I don’t feel like waking up after eating up rotten flesh.”
“Heard ya loud and clear, boss.”
‘This harvest was more troublesome than expected,’ Zecora thought as she collected a bouquet of Heart’s Desire. A crafty little flower that she used in her lust-suppressing potion. ‘This could be a nice product to sell in the village. This one does not require it any longer, thanks to the cerulean. And this one can make some more experiments with this flower.’
Zecora tied up the flowers using some strings she had made using leaves and vines. The forest offered plenty of resources for those willing to see them, or brave enough to search. That was how Arden found her after all. He was brave, or crazy, enough to enter the forest. And she was glad he had done it.
The companion that had appeared out of nowhere blasted his way into her life was a welcomed addition to Zecora’s life. And now that he was in danger, more so than before, Zecora couldn’t help but worry about him. However, deep down she believed with all her heart that he would be alright.
And it wasn’t as if Zecora was alone now. The changeling had become a dear friend as well. The creature who Zecora held such animosity at first, was the target of pranks and regular conversations. So much had changed in the span of one year and Zecora welcomed it all. The loneliness she felt for so long was replaced with a wonderful friend and a lover.
The new companions also made her experience new things. Sleeping with a lover, treating an extremely dangerous disease with an equally dangerous treatment. Envying another female. Chrysalis had a lot of confidence in her body and was really aware of how to use it to her advantage. The way she sat down, the way she wore her clothes. Even her voice seemed to be designed to lure any being to her. Zecora often found herself staring at Chrysalis, mimicking Chrysalis’ movements. Trying somehow to capture that unique ability. Zecora wanted to be that confident. Using every tool at her disposal could be very convenient.
Standing up, Zecora began her trip back. The quiet forest made an uneasiness crept into her mind. She began to pick up her pace, in the back of her mind Zecora felt as if something was whispering to her. Warning her to head back as fast as she could.
When she was almost there, Zecora heard something in the distance.
“ZECORA! OPEN UP NOW! I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! IT DIDN’T TAKE MUCH TO ‘CONVINCE’ THE VILLAGERS TO GIVE YOUR LOCATION!”
‘Oh, no. It can’t be!’ Zecora thought as she hid by a fallen tree.
Carefully peeking over the rotting bark, Zecora saw her hut. The front door was open. Her hunting instincts kicked in. Zecora’s breathing got slower, she lowered her stance to the point she could barely be seen. The foliage covered her body. Zecora fastened her grip around her spear. If that was who she thought it was, Zecora would need to be fast. The element of surprise was her best chance of getting through that.
‘This one just needs one shot. One chance and it is over. Just put your—’
Zecora’s mind went blank. That face, she thought that she would never again see that damned face.
A male zebra with deep dark brown eyes. Short mane, tattered cloak, a sword with a bronze handle at his hip. Large build on the upper body and slightly smaller lower body. On his neck, the mark of a lion’s head was proudly exposed.
Zecora’s hand began to tremble. Her grip on her spear began to loosen up. Zecora began to breathe faster, her heart racing as sweat began to form on her forehead.
‘W-why t-this o-one c-can’t...’
Zecora’s legs began to shake. A strong pain began to assault her chest. She felt her ears go down as her muscles began to fail. As the situation worsened, Zecora saw something come out of the hut. However, her vision began to blur due to her ineffective breathing. A black and white silhouette came out of the hut. At the figure’s neck, Zecora could see an eerie green glow.
“Let’s go, mare! You wasted long enough in this dump.”
The voice stirred an urge to vomit from Zecora. That damned zebra, she hoped that he would stay away. Why did he come to her? Why couldn’t she be free of him?
‘Why did Gamba come back?’
“Pretty soon you’ll be bearing my children. OUR children.”
Each word that Zecora heard caused her stomach to hurt. Each sound coming from that bastard made Zecora want to run. In the first time in a long while, Zecora felt the need to flee and never return.
“They are still there. Are you going to leave them?”
The faint voice made Zecora’s legs become a bit more stable. A familiar sensation, a warm and welcoming sensation began to take over. It was as if her parents were by her side. That was right, she had ponies she wanted to protect. She had to find a way to see if they were safe. Zecora closed her eyes. She forced herself to think of the fond memories from her old family, and then the memories of her new family.
Zecora felt her breathing slow down, her heart rate became steady. Her muscles tensed up as she tightened her grip at the spear’s handle. Every scene of her new life with those two put her mind at ease. And with the newfound peace Zecora opened up her eyes. Her vision had returned to normal and the two figures were gone.
‘Better check on the bedridden first,’ Zecora thought as she dashed as quietly as she could.
Zecora’s front door hadn’t been opened. The damage on it made it look like a battering ram had been used on it. Carefully checking the entrance for any traps Zecora stepped in. There weren’t signs of struggle, only the damaged door. There was something else missing too.
‘Where is Arden?!’
Zecora approached the bed where the cerulean pony had been resting. There were no signs of blood there. Actually, it seemed as if the bed had been neatly prepared for somepony.
‘Could it be?’ Zecora thought as she reached for the sheets.
Before she could touch them, Zecora’s hand collided with something. The green flames Chrysalis generated whenever she shapeshifted appeared. The emerald glow gave a radiant burst before disappearing into nothing. Before Zecora’s eyes, Arden’s body manifested, safe and sound.
‘Chrysalis must have hidden him. But where is she?’ Zecora began to use her tracking skills.
On the floor, near Arden’s body, she saw hoof marks. They trailed away from the body and back to it. A handful of mane strands were lying on the floor.
‘The changeling must have been doing something with Arden,’ Zecora thought before inspecting the unconscious body. The burnt limb seemed to have healed considerably. ‘Chrysalis must have done this. Before any of this happened.'
Zecora got up and began to scan the room. Another set of hoof marks appeared on the floor. These were bigger, probably from Gamba. Then the two sets of hooves left the room.
‘Chrysalis must have been trying to manipulate Gamba. The blurry figure this one saw must have been her using my disguise. She must be looking for a chance to escape. However...’ Zecora remembered that chrysalis at full power could have handled Gamba very easily. Changelings could be very terrifying when fully fed. ‘If she healed Arden’s arm...she might have used a good portion of her reserves.’
Zecora’s eyes widened. She looked at the open door leading to the forest. Her friend was out there, and if her theory was correct, Chrysalis’ life was hanging by a thread. Gamba had come for Zecora and if he found that he had been tricked, Chrysalis would pay with her life.
Zecora felt as if a flame had begun to burn deep down her. She gritted her teeth, she clenched her fist hard enough to feel a stinging pain on her fist. Zecora felt something she hadn’t felt in a long while.
“This one...This one is going to...THIS ONE IS GOING TO KILL GAMBA!” Zecora rushing out the front door, but not before picking up her belt with brews for hunting.
That feeling on her heart was bloodlust. She had experienced that before, in hunts when Gamba used to be on her side, she could feel that whenever the hunt pinned her in a bad situation. The tracks were fresh and the scent was still strong. Gamba wasn’t so far ahead, Zecora could still reach them.
Her body was slowly remembering the rush from that sensation. Zecora’s muscles tensed up making her movements more precise, her sight began to filter the information and ignore unnecessary data. Her ears were moving sharply to detect any sounds that didn’t belong to the forest critters. She had been there so long that Zecora could tell the sounds they made, the routes they took. Like a good huntress, she committed them all to memory.
The trail became fresher, she was closing in on them. Zecora felt her blood boil, as the trail got stronger, her urge to kill grew wilder.
Zecora reached for her brews, three vials flew off her hands and straight at the target of her rage as she jumped off a bush. In regular situations, Zecora would drench the weapon with the brews, just so the concoctions would act way faster by reaching the bloodstream. However, the vials could also be thrown to cover the target. Slightly slower action, but just as effective.
After Zecora's vials found her target, she rushed to the wretched creature. Her prey was caught by surprise by both of her actions. The wretched male was struck by Zecora’s lunge. The huntress sunk her spear into the ground using it to break her movement. The spear’s polearm broke after Zecora landed. Using her free hand, Zecora reached for the spear’s tip and launched it with all her force at the target that had just hit a tree.
“GAAHH!!” The stallion’s voice made her rage get stronger.
“This one will make you pay for all you did!” Zecora cried out as she made a dash straight at the wounded stallion that seemed to be in shock.
“HOW DID YOU?!” The stallion was pushed back by Zecora’s flurry of attacks.
All of her grace was mixed with the storming wrath that consumed Zecora’s mind. The combination of brews and the surprise flurry of attacks allowed her to turn the battle into a one-sided slaughter. A lotion to reduce muscle strength, one to overload the pain receptors, one to overload the senses of smell and hearing.
“You robbed this one’s happiness back then! You will not do it again!” Zecora’s body bent and moved around as he tried to retaliate. That fight was a one-sided massacre. However, the bastard managed to connect one hit that pushed Zecora back for long enough so that he could place himself behind Chrysalis.
“I...do not...know how. But...you got yourself...a...a copy cat,” Gamba said while grabbing Chrysalis’ neck. The changeling didn’t even move, she was acting like a puppet. “I will...end her...and then...then...I’ll take you back...to where you belong.”
“This one is already where she belongs!” Zecora shouted grabbing her knife and tossing it in the blink of an eye.
The blade flew through the air. Zecora witnessed Gamba widen his eyes as he tried to push Chrysalis in front of the blade.
“HA! This is proof that you shouldn’t have wasted your time trying to become a hunter!”
“This one wasn’t aiming at you.”
“What?” Gamba replied right before green flames burst forth. He let go of Chrysalis and in his panic lost his balance. Zecora took this chance to rush the bastard. Chrysalis seemed to be very quick on the uptake. As Zecora was about to rush past her, Chrysalis used her magic to fling the knife to Zecora.
The pathetic warrior tried to scramble away, however, Zecora pinned him to the ground and then placed the knife at his throat. Zecora was ready to finish him, her hand began to slowly move to press the blade before pulling it to the side. Just one more second, that was all it would take.
‘It would be so easy. Just one move and he would be gone. Just...one...simple...’
“STOP!” another voice cried from behind Zecora. “You’ll regret it later!” Zecora’s hand faltered, but her movement wasn’t completely stopped. “You already moved beyond him! You can live on without him pestering you! Look! You faced him! You defeated him!”
Zecora’s hand completely froze. ‘That is right. This one is free...This one can finally...’
“Are you insane?! She belongs to me! You can’t speak to us like that, you wretched monster!” Gamba cried out, gritting his teeth.
“What did you just call this one’s friend?” Zecora asked with a cold voice.
His rant came to an immediate stop. Zecora saw his pupils shrink as he tried to speak. Zecora raised her knife and then sunk it at his left shoulder and twisted it. Gamba shrieked in pain as he tried to break free from Zecora. Gamba was left-handed, and Zecora had just severed his nerves and tendons. The twist had just made it so that if he managed to heal, there would be an issue.
“You won’t be able to use this arm ever again to wield a weapon. Leave now and never come back,” Zecora got up and walked away.
“Good. That means I can pay back for the troubles he just caused me,” Chrysalis said walking past her.
“Don’t kill him. That rotten body could kill a good portion of this forest.”
“Oh, no need to worry. I just want to plant a little something in his head. He will live.” Chrysalis’ horn was lit up like some kind of light tower.
“NO! STOP! STAY AWAY! NO! I’M STRONG! I AM NOT AFRAID! I AM NOT AFRAID!”
Gamba kept repeating those cries as he ran. His blood left a trail leading deep into the forest.
“Looks like we won,” Chrysalis said with a cheerful tone, however, it didn’t take even one second she began to sob and Zecora saw tears roll down Chrysalis’ face.
Zecora rushed to her friend and embraced her. The mighty changeling was crying like a baby. Zecora remembered Chrysalis’ story, her entire family was brainwashed and robbed of their will. And based on the fact that Chrysalis had returned to her old self after shattering the necklace. She must have been a victim of brainwashing herself.
“T-Thank you! I...I thought that I would be alone! I thought I was done for!” Chrysalis said in between sobs.
“It’s okay. This one promises to help you whenever you need. You are a dear friend to this one. You are part of this one’s family.” Zecora gently caressed Chrysalis’ cheek.
“Family?” Chrysalis asked backing away to look at Zecora. “You must be insane, you know that?”
“What is so odd about it? This one made your clothes, we both live under the same roof. We shared secrets, we saved each other’s lives. We even fought side by side. Isn’t that what families do? Watch out for each other?”
Zecora’s legs began to shake and then she fell down on her back. It didn’t take long for Chrysalis to appear in front of Zecora’s face. That was the backlash of using the brews in that manner. Through direct contact with the skin, the brews could also act on unwanted targets.
“What happened to you?! Are you ok?!”
“This one is fine. It would seem that all the tension from the hunt finally caught up to this one,” Zecora put on her best smile, she was free now. Truly free, and she pulled herself out of the fear. Even if there was help from somewhere, Zecora managed to break free.
“There you go again...both you and him...both breaking every piece of knowledge I have. Trying to learn from me. Who would even try to learn from a monster?”
“Too bad. This one doesn’t see a monster here. Just like the cerulean told you once before. You are beautiful. You should be more proud of your appearance,” Zecora stared at the sky.
‘The sky is so blue today. A nice day to lay on the grass.’
“Both of you...he doesn’t act like a pony around one of their predators. And you are a zebra that is really kind to me. And if any being in that hut can be called beautiful...that would be you. Strong enough to break through the habit of running away, kind enough to give a chance to others. Loving enough to put her life on the line to protect those you care about. I can only wish to be half the mare you are.”
“If you’re worried about that, you can rest easy. This one already knows you are all of those things as well.”
“You need to stop with the compliments,” Chrysalis replied before a low growl made her grab hold of her stomach. “I guess all the spells I used must have drained me. Arden is all the way back at the hut, right?”
Zecora moved her head positively.
“Do you think you can help me out?”
Arden grunted in pain as he opened his eyes.
His eyes hurt as the light from the sky entered his retina. Arden covered his face using his hand. Then he rolled over, that was when he realized about his whereabouts.
‘This isn’t Zecora’s hut...this...these are stones...am I at the ruins?’ He thought as he felt the ground around him.
Wait.
He had been under the influence of Zecora’s potion to stay in the trance state. In other words, he had been unconscious during that event. He wasn’t awake. The scene was a lie! Just like everything else!
Arden looked down at his neck. The accessory Celestia had given him when he arrived was still there. Arden smiled at the small object, the intent of it was help him live in this new world. But the end result was it protecting him against his own mistakes and the assumptions others made about him.
Of course, the ideal scenario would be not having to need that protection. Which now was the scenario he found himself in. Arden didn’t need the protection from the crystal, he didn’t need to fear his talent. He just had to use it on his own terms.
‘Let’s put it to the test!’
Arden reached for the necklace’s lock. He had gotten through the maze, but that didn’t mean he had already fully recovered. His hands trembled for a second as they touched the lock. Arden held his breathing as he slid the lock open. As if by instinct, Arden closed his eyes while bracing himself for the pain and the hallucinations.
He felt the necklace slide down his torso. Arden stood still while the feeling of the accessory’s chain against his neck disappeared.
Nothing.
The sound of the necklace hitting the ground underneath him made Arden wince. Opening his eyes, Arden saw the ruins, exactly as they were before. The world wasn’t melting, there was no pain, he was fine.
He was fine.
Arden clenched his fists as he began to flex his arms and legs. His hands trembling with the amount of force he used. Then he extended his legs pushing himself towards the sky as he raised both his arms to the blue sea above him.
“I DID IT!!!!!!!”
Arden jumped around with joy as if had just won a competition. After a few moments of skipping around, Arden reached for the necklace and picked up off the ground. His next goal was clear...and a bit scary.
‘OK! Time to find Zecora.’ Arden thought as he gulped at three possibilities.
Number one: since he had woken up in the ruins, he could have been sleepwalking. And if that was the case, he could have done things during his sleep. Which...included Zecora being hurt by his hand.
Number two: Zecora brought him there for a reason. She was more than strong enough to carry him around. Meaning that she could have left him there because something happened to the hut or something of the sort.
Number three: He was sleepwalking. He left without Zecora noticing. And now she would be searching for him.
He pleaded that either the second or the last possibility was the one to prove themselves real. Arden squeezed the crystal on his hand as he braced himself for the next step.
‘I want to understand.’
Suddenly the world turned red once more. Much more vivid and detailed this time around. There were lights shining everywhere, but the forest was quiet.
‘Too far, perhaps?’ he concluded as he scanned the vicinity.
Arden kept looking around him for a few moments before something came to him. A single feature he was acquainted with that happened whenever his talent began to function.
There was no pain. His head and eyes didn’t hurt before the change occurred. Arden only noticed the change because of the color the world assumed, not because of his pain.
‘Even that was a sign of my rejection? I was in very deep...’
Arden continued to scan the area around him until he heard a couple of voices that made his body stiffen.
'This one is glad. It's finally over. And this...this one didn't expect this...'
Arden felt warmth mixed joy take over his chest. That voice...it could only be...
'I have a family. I have creatures that care for my well being. And I...I...'
The feeling got stronger. Those two voices could only belong to them. Arden felt tears forming in his eyes as his body began to move on his own. His pace slowly picking up as the song rose. He was free, he felt free. Their voices breaking through the fear that had taken over him during the dream.
There were no restraints, Arden moved through the forest as if he had wings. Those two beacons showing him the path towards them. Arden didn’t feel hunger, he didn’t feel the weight from before whenever he used his eyes. He was glad.
Glad that he could hear them, glad that he could understand them, could see them. His training though incomplete allowed him to swiftly move around. Some mistakes here and there caused him to tumble and lose his balance. But he didn’t stop.
Or rather, Arden couldn’t stop.
His body wanted to run freely in that forest. His mind wanted to fly through the wilderness. His heart demanded that he kept going towards the lights. Every fiber of his being was focused on the task of reaching those beams. All of the parties signaling that he could do it, he HAD to do it.
The wind seemed to be following Arden. Propelling him forward, making him travel faster, while also making his task all the more difficult. More stumbling and a slight touch of nausea accompanied by a faint headache came as he gained the forest.
He was nearly there.
The voices becoming clearer with every single step. The feelings getting stronger, threatening to crush his heart as they mixed with his own emotions. Arden’s heart rate increased with every inch he gained on the lights. The run seemed to last forever in his mind, but he was well aware that he was running for just a couple of minutes.
There they were. Past the tree, over the rocks, around the fallen log. Finally, he could reach them. Finally, he could hold Zecora in her arms.
He jumped out of a big bush. His vision returned to normal seeing the clearing beyond and stopping the song. And before him, the ones that led him there. And they were…kissing?
Chrysalis heard the sounds of heavy breathing. Her eyes shot open as she began to scan the area around her. That’s when she saw him.
‘No way...’
Chrysalis’ ears dropped as her pupils shrunk.
There he was. Arden was wide awake, tears were streaming down his face. His shoulders were moving up and down without stopping. He seemed to be out of breath.
‘Did he finish the treatment? Is he back to normal? Why is he smiling at us while crying?!’
Cold sweat ran down her spine as she broke away from Zecora as fast as she could.
“What is it? Did you get enough?” The zebra asked as she tilted her head, a faint blush tinged her cheeks.
Chrysalis tried to speak. She could feel her jaw moving up and down, however, no sound came forth. Chrysalis’ eyes kept darting between the zebra and the unicorn non-stop. Zecora must have picked up on that because she turned her head toward Arden.
‘What am I going to do?! Zecora likes him and he likes her back! I was kissing her! It was a ‘heat of the moment’ thing! He is going to break down! I-I have to do something!!!’
Chrysalis raised both her arms as if she was surrendering. Arden’s body began to move. In her mind, time seemed to slow down. She braced herself for the worst and closed her eyes.
“YOU ARE BOTH OK! HA-HA-HA-HA!”
What she felt, however, was her body being lifted off from the ground. Chrysalis’ eyes shot open to see that both her and Zecora were being hugged by the stallion while he spun them around. He was still crying, but his laughter and smile were clear signs of how he felt.
“Y-you’re n-not angry?” Chrysalis managed to ask.
“Are you kidding?! Up until a few minutes ago, I thought I had killed Zecora!” He placed them on the ground.
Then he proceeded to hold Zecora in his arms as if he hadn’t seen her in decades. Chrysalis would have been in utter shock if it hadn’t been for his last statement.
“Wait, what?” Chrysalis asked before he lunged at her too.
“Sorry,” he said chuckling. Then he let go of her. “During the whole trance thing, I was forced to fight and defeat Zecora! I did something stupid, then Zecora picked up my sword and stabbed herself...”
His expression turned dark after saying that. His shoulders dropped and he stared at the ground for a few moments. But he suddenly sprung back to his usual self just as Zecora placed her hand on his shoulder.
Chrysalis watched him smile and grab hold of Zecora’s hand. His eyes seemed to glow as he looked at her.
“So...you’re not angry about the...you know,” Chrysalis asked while preparing herself for a quick escape.
“You two kissing? I will admit the sting of jealousy. But...” Chrysalis’ eyes widened as she witnessed Arden’s eyes shift. “I kinda got the gist of what was going on. Of course, I don’t know the details. Just something about being free and loving the zebra that had just become your family. I apologize for that. I wanted to see if I was in the clear. Then I accidentally overheard you two.”
“Y-You’re ok then?” Zecora asked rushing to Chrysalis’ side. “You’re healed?!”
“Thanks to you two, yes!” he exclaimed raising both of his arms to the sky.
Chrysalis looked to Zecora, hoping to see her smiling and probably crying. However, what she saw was the zebra looking at herself.
“Uh...what’s wrong?” The unicorn asked tilting his head.
“This one was under the influence of toxins she used for...never mind! The issue is that this one is now moving normally,” Zecora stated looking at her own body.
“I’m the culprit,” Chrysalis intervened, scratching her neck. “I used a spell while we were...you know. And I cured you.”
“I am slightly concerned about this thing with the toxins,” Arden said with a frown. “But you two can fill me in when you’re willing to do so. The vibes I’m getting right now tell me that you two been through something that still needs to be digested. So, back to the hut!” He said while pointing straight at the hut’s direction.
Chrysalis just sighed and gestured him to lead the way. Arden walked past them, Chrysalis followed. She took a few steps before realizing a set of hooves were missing on their march. Chrysalis looked over her shoulder and saw Zecora standing still with a horrified expression in her face.
“What’s going on, zebra?” Chrysalis asked while using her magic to also stop Arden.
“The village. Gamba said he did something to make the villagers give away this one’s location! We must go there, now!”
“Who’s Gamba? And what do you mean by ‘did something to the villagers’?”
“We don’t have time! He could have poisoned them or worse! They may need help!” Zecora concluded, grabbing hold of Arden’s shoulders, but then, her ears dropped. “However, they might deny this one’s help...just like they deny any interactions...”
‘Damn those villagers! She could easily help them if they just allowed her to do so! And they even gave away where she was...they don’t deserve her concern!’ Chrysalis thought as she began to fume. Those bastards could die for all she cared.
“In that case,” Arden said walking past them once more. “Why don’t we break this habit of theirs?”
“W-what?” Zecora stuttered while he continued on his way, this time towards Ponyville.
“Let’s make them see who you really are, what else?” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Are you coming, Chrysalis?”
“And what disguise should I use?! I don’t have any idea of what ponies that aren’t there now! I’ll be caught!”
Arden shrugged. “Just disguise yourself as Zecora and say you’re her twin, Zephyr. That should be a decent name, right?”
“Why should I help them?! They put us in danger!”
“Because it’s this one’s fault,” Zecora intervened, “this one rescued you, she will rescue the others Gamba has hurt!”
“Besides, if we don’t take the steps to break bad habits, who will?” Arden said while heading out the clearing with Zecora following them.
“B-but—FINE! But only because Zecora wants to help!” Chrysalis huffed, activating her disguise and turning into Zecora.
(Ponyville)
A huge group of ponies was gathering at the city hall. All of them bearing all the weapons they could find. They had done that once before, but back then was because of fear. Now?
Now it was out of rage.
“You are all pathetic creatures. None of you could ever hope to defeat a superior warrior like myself.”
There was no question that the zebra in the forest was the cause. She brought that misfortune upon them. They would make her pay.
The zebra would pay.
“Dear citizens! The mares, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity are currently in the hospital. Rest assured, the three are receiving the best treatment we can provide! So, for now—”
“LISTEN UP!” Rainbow Dash rushed in front of the mayor. “That freak attacked our friends! All because he wanted the witch Zecora! I say she is the cause of this problem! Are we going to stand and watch her bring misfortune to us?”
“NO!”
“Will we stay hidden in fear once more?!”
“NO!”
“Will we fight and defeat her?!”
“YES!”
Fluttershy watched from the sidelines as Rainbow continued her speech. The hospital window allowed her to see the scene unfolding at the town. Her acute hearing allowed her to even hear the smallest rats was serving her immensely right now.
‘Things are repeating again. Just like Arden a year ago. Sure we were dealing with a zebra, but that doesn’t mean we can assume they were aligned with Zecora. The way he talked...he sounded like he was hunting Zecora.’
“My precious possession. She fled to this rundown place. I will return Zecora to where she rightfully belongs. These three are just the beginning. Tell me where she is or even the children will meet the same fate! NOW!”
Fluttershy tried to remember how Zecora used to act. She would come to town, stop in front of some stores. The clerks wouldn’t open, she sat down and waited for several minutes before leaving without causing any trouble. That stallion, however, was crazy about showing off and attacking others. He even took the time to select three mares that were surprised by his rampage to show his point. Then he did something with a needle and the three were on the ground.
‘I think he wasn’t with Zecora. I think I have to stop them! But...but I can’t. I would need to stand in front of them. I would need to speak my mind to all of them! I-I can’t! I can’t do it!!’
“Fluttershy, would you be so kind as to close that window?” Nurse Redheart asked from behind her causing Fluttershy to jump a little. Fluttershy caught a low purr coming from the nurse, her tail moving to the sides in a cat-like manner.
"U-um, Red Heart. Y-you're..." Fluttershy stated pointing at her own throat.
“Sorry about that. I just got through that little 'inconvenience'. I'm glad to get back to work. Though I wish I came back at a more peaceful time," Red Heart replied as she cleaned her throat causing the purring to stop, just like her waggling tail. "But the villagers are being really illogical right now. The violent noises won’t do well for the patients. Until we figure out what to do, we can only offer rest and treatment for the symptoms as they come.”
“I-I understand...” Fluttershy muttered closing the window. “W-what do you make of Zecora?”
“The so-called witch? I can’t say she has done much to earn the hostility she gets.” Redheart replied, covering Rarity, who was shaking.
“Y-you think so too?”
“Well, I worked a bit on the borders of Equestria before coming here. During that time, I met a few zebras. They seemed rather peaceful. Sure, their habits and customs are different from ours. But who am I to judge?”
“D-do...d-do you think t-they are making a mistake?”
Redheart ministered something to Pinkie who seemed to be in pain. “Probably. If a zebra did this to them. It will probably take a zebra, or at least someone with the knowledge of a zebra to undo it. They are going in for the kill. That attitude only brings more injured to hospitals. And usually has a bittersweet end. They got the revenge, but end up losing something in the process.”
Fluttershy watched her three friends breathing heavily while shifting underneath their sheets. With the corner of her eye, she saw Redheart opening the door for the room. Fluttershy began twiddling with her thumbs. “W-what would you do then? I-if you could do something that is.”
“If it was up to me. I would try to either reason with the crowd or try to warn Zecora and have her lay low for a bit. I’ll be back in thirty minutes.” Redheart said before closing the door behind her.
“A pony will never stand a chance against a Zebra. You’re ignorant to the weapons around you. You flee instead of facing the danger. Your species is doomed to fail. These three are just the first ones to fall six feet under.”
‘I need to warn Zecora! Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie need her help! If I help her...she might be able to undo this!’
With a mixture of courage and hesitation, Fluttershy opened her wings. She walked up to the window, opened it, jumped out, closed the window again, and flew toward the Everfree while trying to avoid the crowd’s eyes.
“Fluttershy?! Don’t go in there!!!
Unluckily for her, Rainbow Dash had begun to fly while riling up the group of armed ponies. Which meant that Rainbow Dash had gotten much more observant. Ignoring the cries of her friend, Fluttershy landed by the edge of the Everfree. She closed her eyes so that she would not be stopped by her own fears and dashed into the wild forest.
‘Keep going! Keep Going! KEEP GOING!’
Fluttershy’s eyes shot open as she let out the loudest scream she could muster, “DON’T STOP!”
Then she bumped headfirst into something, causing her to fall on her back.
“O-ow...” she grunted almost whispering.
“Hey! It’s...um...Fluttershy! That was it, right?” a voice she had heard once before said.
She looked up and saw Arden.“A-Arden?” she heard before something hit the top of her head. “Ow!”
“That’s for assuming I was possessed and making the ENTIRE city come beat me up! You could have asked what was up!” The stallion was wrapped up in bandages and looking like he had been through a lot. Fluttershy kept rubbing the area he smacked. “I didn’t hit too hard, did I?”
“You know this yellow pegasus?” Another voice called out from behind him. “This one will see if you hurt the mare.”
Much to Fluttershy’s surprise, the second voice was Zecora! That was the very first time she ever heard the zebra’s voice. It was calm and she seemed to talk in a weird manner. The zebra approached her and gently examined the area. Her touch was delicate and Zecora was very through with the examination. Fluttershy could feel Zecora stretching the skin very slowly, then moving Fluttershy’s mane to the sides without pulling it.
“There. No injury has been done. Here this one will help you up,” Zecora said with a warm smile, offering her hand.
“T-thank y-you,” Fluttershy took Zecora’s hand and got up.
“What are you doing here?” A third voice asked, this one much similar to Zecora’s voice.
Fluttershy looked behind Zecora, only to see another Zecora with blueish eyes standing up with a stern look on her face.
“U-um...” Fluttershy stammered trying to figure out what to say.
“This one is called Zephyr, we are twins,” she said crossing her arms.
“Oh, ok,” Fluttershy replied before remembering the reason for her entering the forest. “Z-Zecora! Y-you need to h-hide! T-the villagers t-think that the zebra that a-attacked our friends was w-with you! T-they are coming here to...to...”
“They’re going to do what they did to me, right?” Arden asked walking past them. “Let’s get going. You were right about that Gamba causing some sort of trouble at Ponyville.”
“W-who is Gamba?” Fluttershy asked, turning to Arden.
“Don’t know. And right now we should concern ourselves with the mob coming towards us. They are very angry.”
Fluttershy could see his eye, they had changed just like that day, the very reason that led to him leave the town. Back then he had called those eyes damned. She could remember the look of pain he bore when he first used them in public. Now, however, he looked proud of them.
“Are you sure, Cerulean?” Zecora asked walking up to him. “Are you ready to go back?”
“Yep, both to face them and help you get things sorted out,” he replied, walking towards the village. Then Fluttershy heard he say something else in a low tone. “Besides, I think I should give them a piece of my mind about this mob mentality.”
Fluttershy watched Zecora follow Arden. Then she heard Zephyr walk past her mumbling to herself. “The reason as to why she needs to help those ungrateful ponies is beyond this one! They do not deserve Zecora’s kindness.”
Fluttershy watched the three figures disappear in the foliage while she stood there confused as to what to do next. That was when she heard leaves rustling behind her. Her entire body stiffened in response to the sound. Then she felt something fall on her neck.
“EEP!” she squealed rushing back to the village.
That caused her to tackle Arden and that, in turn, led to them rolling out of the forest and stopping right in front of the crowd.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed pushing the stallion away before examining her. “Are you ok? Are you hurt?!”
“I-I’m ok,” Fluttershy replied still a bit dizzy because of the fall.
“Don’t do that again! We already had three of our friends hurt because of Zecora! I don’t want you—OW!! What gives?! Y-you?!” Rainbow exclaimed while rubbing her head.
“Zecora didn’t do shit, knucklehead! And that was for beating me up and then ganging up on me on false charges! Consider yourself lucky I stopped after just a strike on your head! This village, along with a little help from the princess and myself, nearly killed me! So your punishment just now was really light if you ask me!”
Fluttershy couldn’t help but laugh at the annoyed expression in Rainbow’s face.
‘Just like when she got scolded back at the flight-camp.’
“What are YOU doing here?” Rainbow asked as she got up while glaring at the unicorn. “I thought you had some issues to take care of and couldn’t come back!”
“If I’m here it means that I already dealt with that problem,” he said while walking past Rainbow and heading towards the villagers. “I’m gonna do the exact same to all of you later on! But right now, drop your weapons.”
Fluttershy felt a shiver run down her spine. Arden’s voice had turned cold, VERY cold. She watched the villagers slowly lower their weapons with their ears hanging low. She didn’t recall Arden being that intimidating back when he first visited the town. And she could see Arden’s back now, multiple bandages converged to the center of his torso. His shoulder blades were exposed, but the area in between them, where wings usually were, was completely exposed.
“HOLD ON A MINUTE!” a voice called out from the crowd.
‘That’s Big Mac, right?’ Fluttershy thought after connecting the voice with the face.
The bulky red stallion pushed the scared villagers to the sides while he glared at Arden, who was standing still during the scene.
“I don’t know who do you think you are. And I don’t care if the Princess is worried about you! That zebra came into town looking for Zecora and put my sister in the hospital! You have no right to defend that witch!”
“YEAH!”
“HE HURT RARITY TOO!”
“PINKIE AS WELL!”
“DEATH TO THE WITCH!”
“SHE CURSED OUR VILLAGE!”
“SHE IS A MONSTER!”
Fluttershy began to sweat as she remembered that Zecora was following Arden. And if Fluttershy had tackled Arden, Zecora could not be very far from them. If the rioters saw her, Fluttershy was certain that Zecora would be killed.
“THERE SHE IS!” Big Mac screamed as he pushed Arden to the side, or at least tried to. “WHAT?!”
Fluttershy watched in utter shock as Arden grabbed hold of Big Mac’s hand and pushed him back. What was more surprising was the gauntlet he wore. A blueish and nearly transparent piece of armor appeared on Arden’s right arm. A simple push and the red stallion fell on his behind. Then the gauntlet dispersed into multiple blue spheres.
An eerie and ominous melody began to sound around them. Fluttershy watched as Arden’s mane begun to float along with some small pebbles that were surrounding him. She couldn’t shake the feeling something bad was about to happen.
“All of you should calm down. We don’t want this situation to develop into a bigger problem, do we?” Arden’s voice made Fluttershy shiver violently as the villagers held their weapons close to their chests.
‘W-what is he going to do?’
“Arden! Stop it!” Zecora rushed to his side, ignoring the mob that wished her harm. “We are here to help the ones Gamba hurt! Not to hurt others!”
“Who said anything about hurting them?” Arden replied as a shield appeared behind Zecora and blocked an attack from Big Mac. “I just want them to stop being irrational.”
“IRRATIONAL?!” Rainbow Dash screamed as she attempted to hit them with a flying kick, only to have it blocked by another shield. “That zebra made our friends end up in the hospital! They don’t even know how to treat them!”
‘I-I need to do something! Rarity and the others aren’t going to get any better while they argue!’
“Yes, irrational. Zecora has come here to help your friends. She WANTS to help. You should at least give her a chance.”
“S-stop!”
“How exactly do you want us to believe you when you’re pulling stunts like that?!” Rainbow inquired while trying to attack from different angles, all of them blocked by the shields that had taken the form of a round bubble.
“S-stop!”
“You should have learned by now that I am not a bad pony! You should at least try to listen!”
“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!!” Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs causing every last pony in town to look at her. “Rarity and the others are in danger! Zecora is offering help! STOP BICKERING AND LET HER HELP OUR FRIENDS! RAINBOW DASH! STOP ATTACKING AND GET TO HELP HER GET WHAT SHE MAY NEED! BIG MCLNTOSH! YOU SISTER IS GETTING WORSE BY THE MINUTE AND YOU’RE THREATENING THE ONLY PONY THAT CAN HELP HER! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!”
Arden looked in utter shock at the yellow mare. That was not the sort of attitude he expected from her. However, what came next was.
Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she stared at all of them. Her face slowly turning red as a tomato. She lowered her head and tried to cover her face with her mane, then she began fidgeting, a LOT. Suddenly she let out a small ‘EEP’ and bolted to a random building shaped like a cake and locked the door.
“I kinda expected that last part...but the first half I didn’t see coming,” Rainbow Dash said staring at the building where Fluttershy hid.
“What she said,” Arden said smiling and dismissing the bubble. “How exactly do you want to tackle this Zecora?”
“First, This one needs to see the ill. Based on the symptoms and what was used this one can try to isolate whatever was used on them and see if it has an antidote.” Zecora replied with certainty.
“Ok, then. Rainbow!” Arden shouted getting the attention of the mare. “Do you know what the zebra did to your friends?”
“I-I do! He stung them with some weird white needle! Then the three fell down unconscious!”
“Unconscious you say?” Zecora said scratching her chin. “A white needle that led to instant slumber...He must have used Black Mamba. This one will need some flowers, purple vines that grow at the edge of the Everfree, and a bit of sugar.”
“OK, Zephyr!” Arden called to the woods causing Chrysalis to come out. “Go with Zecora to get the flowers. Is there a flower shop here in town?” Arden asked the crowd that was still dumbfounded by Fluttershy’s scream.
“Y-yes!” A mare with a red mane and cream colored coat answered dropping her weapon, a sharp knife. “My friends and I run a flower shop. I’ll take you there.”
“Rainbow! Go get the sugar. Big Mac, come with me to get the roots. I’m slightly drowsy and I think I may pass out,” Arden admitted placing his hand on his forehead.
“Ok,” the big stallion said, shaking his head.
“The rest of you, clear out the way and help the others if you can!” Arden ordered with conviction.
“OK!” The crowd replied before splitting up.
Arden headed back to the wood followed by Big Mac. The ground was moving around a bit, making it harder for him to move around and seeing what was around him.
‘This feels more like waking up from anesthesia. I think I’m going to throw up.’
Arden hunched over and tried to get his bearings. He was about to throw up when he saw the vines he had been looking for.
“Big Mac! I found them!!!!” Arden screamed causing the red stallion to come up like a freight train. “We need to...get...this to...Zecora...” Arden managed to say before everything went black.
'Great! He passed out! Now I have to get both of them to the hospital!'
Big Mac picked up the flimsy stallion and carried over his shoulder. Then he grabbed hold of the vines and pulled them out. The thorns weren't big enough to get through his skin, so he didn't even flinch. Big Mac placed the vines on his pocket and rushed out of the forest.
It didn't take very long for them to make it to the hospital. Working on the farm helped him keep in shape. As soon as he stepped into the building, Red Heart came running to him.
"Your friends have already arrived. Let's head there quickly," She said leading the way.
"What about this one?" Big Mac asked gesturing to Arden, who was still unconscious.
“There is an empty bed in the room we’re heading to. We can put him there. Now come!”
Redheart guided him through the halls, making sharp turns and climbing stairs until she led him to a room. She pulled them inside, Zecora and Zephyr were there as well as Rainbow. The two zebras seemed to be mixing something in a vial while Rainbow was pacing around staring at the sisters.
“Make haste! We need the sap from those vines! Have them crushed and then make the sap fall into the mix.” Zecora explained while shaking the vial gently.
Big Mac didn’t hesitate, he handed Arden’s body to Redheart and walked up to Zecora and Zephyr.
“Are these the ones you need?” He asked, pulling out the vines, which Zecora snatched without hesitation and began to manipulate.
“Thank you,” Zephyr said as she walked past Big Mac. “Zecora can handle the rest of the potion. I’ll go check on our patient.”
The new zebra pulled one of the curtains preventing Big Mac from seeing what she was doing with Arden’s body.
‘How in Tartarus did that weak little stallion push me back? I put enough force to send him flying. But he was the one to send me flying like a piece of paper! I am not going to let that go. I’m gonna get stronger than that unicorn!’
The sudden sound of the curtains being pulled back made Big Mac jump a bit.
“Out little idiot over here was not in the condition to be running. He was mentally exhausted, and coming back here on such short notice only made him crumble much faster. This one wouldn’t recommend any magic casting for about two days or so. But other than that, his symptoms have completely receded. His mental health was restored, plus there is no more pain, apparently at least. Congratulations, Z, you saved the cerulean.”
“Good! This one is glad. Nurse, could you be so kind as to give these potions to them? Just make sure they drink the entirety of the liquid.” Zecora’s tone was polite as she handed three small vials to Redheart.
“No problem. Big Mac, can you administer the potion to your sister?”
“Sure.”
Big Mac picked the vial before heading towards his sister. He lifted her head, then opened her mouth and finally made the potion enter. Big Mac slowly made sure that all of the vial’s content was ingested by his little sister.
‘Please work! Save my sister!’
A few seconds after taking in the potion, Big Mac watched his sister breathing return to normal. Big Mac looked to the side, Pinkie’s pained expression diminished. And Rarity didn’t seem to be shaking anymore.
Zecora walked up to Applejack and examined her. “The response was too quick. Gamba must’ve diluted the poison with quick paralysis solutions. The idea of this poison was causing a quick death. Now, it has been converted into a torture poison.”
“Will she be ok?” Big Mac asked.
Zecora replied with a warm smile. “The poison was dealt with quickly. Give them a few hours. They will be ok in no time, this one is sure of it.”
Big Mac stared at the scene for a moment. A tall and strong looking mare with a gentle smile. Emerald green eyes that seemed to be the same color as the leaves on their apple orchard. Her body seemed to be built up by her life in the jungle, curvy, beautiful eyes, caring. He had only seen her under that hood. Now that the hood was gone he could see a lot about her he was too scared to even notice before.
‘Maybe I can offer to put up a good word for her around town? That should start to make up to her, right? I could even get a bit closer and learn more about this witch.'
“You are a good brother. Take care of her and she will be up soon. This one is going to see the-”
“The cerulean?” The familiar voice of the blue stallion called out from the other corner of the room. “I’m fine. Just a bit winded. Thanks for the concern, Zecora.”
Big Mac watched as Zecora walked up to the banged-up stallion. She began to examine him before hugging him. Big Mac reacted immediately by clenching his fist. Which caused him to look at his own hand.
‘W-What am I doing?’
“Hey. I think that once everypony here is back on their hooves we should gather the citizens. Then we need to do something about this mob behavior.” The stallion said while returning the gesture, which caused Big Mac to repeat the fist clenching.
Zecora broke away from the gesture, causing Big Mac to relax. “This one agrees. There are habits that all beings need to break free from.”
Then she kissed Arden.
A slight sting began to bother Big Mac. First, the little blue pops up out of the forest and pushes him like he was made of paper. He then proceeds to order Big Mac around as if he was in charge. Big Mac had ignored that moment since Arden was offering help to his sister. Still, it was quite the blow for his ego in both events.
Big Mac had always been proud of his strength. He had worked hard on all of his traits, manual labor with some exercises. Daily work that he had done religiously for at the very least eighteen years. He was built like a brick wall. No pony in town could ever hope to match up with Big Mac in terms of raw power. He could carry at least five big iron anvils on his back without breaking a sweat.
He was clearly the superior male in terms of strength. Arden could not match up with that. Not with that puny body.
Then why?
'Why did I lose to that little unicorn?'
(In another place, at another time)
The terrifying blur began to fade, he fell on flat on his muzzle. Excruciating pain on his arm, every sound, every light, every touch was a painful experience. But that terrifying sight was fading, and his heart was beginning to go back to normal. The dirt and foliage stuck to him.
He had been beaten. He had been humiliated. He forced himself to stand up. He could not tell where he had come from. His mind had been in a haze since he saw the black monster.
“What did they? Those bastards. I am going to get them for that. They are going to suffer.”
The sight of a prancing princess was nothing short of amazing at this point. Twilight stood by the Princess’ study room in shock as the royal spun around like a school filly. Princess Celestia held a piece of paper against her chest. It didn’t have a seal on it. Twilight had just entered the room when the sound of flames blurted out of nowhere. Then Celestia suddenly began to hop around.
“Um, Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked shyly, which caused the monarch to stop dead in her tracks.
Celestia looked at Twilight with widened eyes before she began to blush a lot. Twilight stared back with an embarrassed smile. Then Celestia leaned to the side and stared at the hallway behind Twilight. The Princess’ horn suddenly lit up, enveloping Twilight with a golden aura the unicorn was pulled into the room like a ragdoll.
“You are alone, right?” Celestia asked as she shut the door behind Twilight.
“Y-yes. Why? Is something wrong, Princess?”
“As long as this stays within closed doors, no,” Princess Celestia said as she ran another spell over Twilight.
“Why this much secrecy?”
“I caught wind of some nobles hiring investigators and mercenaries to dig information on Arden. Especially after we began to exchange letters. But the snooping around seems to have started when I sent those letters notifying all of our nation about him. If they caught wind about this, they will be all over Arden by dawn.”
Twilight blinked several times at that statement. While she was aware that many members of the nobility were trying to get lucky with Princess Celestia, it had never occurred to her that they would send ponies to investigate the life of another pony.
What if she had been targeted as well?
However, another question popped up in her mind as she connected the dots between the Princess’ concern for Arden and the letter she had in her hands.
“Princess, is Arden coming back?”
The response to that was a giggle followed by a smile Twilight had not seen in a long while.
“YES! I just received this letter from him. He says that I’ll be seeing him very soon! He also says he looks forward to seeing me! I should go to the royal spa! Get me a full treatment with an herbal bath, polish my hooves, get a manicure. I should—?!”
“Um, am I interrupting something?” A familiar voice called out from the study’s door.
Twilight looked over her shoulder, the voice was none other than her old foal-sitter. Twilight sprinted to her friend and then began their usual greeting.
“Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs awake! Clap your hands and do a little shake!” the two mares sang in unison. Then Twilight turned red as she realized that she did that in front of her mentor.
“Anyway, auntie, are you planning a date or something like that?” Cadance asked with a tone Twilight had not heard before.
Twilight then turned her gaze towards her mentor, who seemed to be extremely flustered about the appearance of her niece. Twilight watched as her mentor slowly crumbled the letter in her hands and then dropped it behind her.
‘Why is Celestia hiding her letter? Cadance is the alicorn of love. She could help Celestia with her talent! It would only be advantageous for Celestia to enlist Cadance with planning a date and the preparations for it.’
“Auntie, you’re not hiding something from me, are you?”
“O-of course not.”
Twilight could not believe what was happening before her. The prancing was shocking, however, it didn’t hold a candle to what was happening now. Celestia was sweating bullets while she stuttered? Twilight had seen Griffons attempt to intimidate her, only to have the tables turned around with a simple glance. But there she was, averting her gaze from Cadance.
“Auntie. What are you hiding from me?”
“W-what are you talking about? I would NEVER hide anything from you.” Celestia’s eyes widened at Cadance. “I-I was just planning a special day with my student. She works so hard, she deserved a day to relax! Why don’t you join us?”
“I would love to! What are we going to do?”
‘Is she making up a story?! What is going on here?’
Celestia’s expression made it look like she didn’t think that lie through. “I-I thought of having a relaxing day at the spa! Y-yeah! That’s it,” Twilight was baffled by how badly Celestia was handling that entire situation. That was when Twilight noticed Princess Celestia’s eyes darting between Cadance and her.
Celestia wanted her to agree to that? Ok, it was official, Princess Celestia did not want Cadance’s help for some reason. Twilight didn’t want to lie to Cadance, but neither did she want to rat out her teacher about that lie. Twilight felt sweat beginning to form on her forehead. What if Celestia gave up on being her teacher? What if she banished her? What if she imprisoned her? What if she banished her and then imprisoned her there?
“Yeah! Princess Celestia was asking when I had free time to do it!”
“I see,” Cadance said as she scratched her chin. “I don’t think I’ll have much time free after today. I’ve some ponies I need to meet. I hate to impose, but do you think we could do this today?”
Twilight looked at her teacher. Celestia looked mortified. She had never seen Celestia look like that before. It was unnerving to see her like that. It was almost as if something horrible was about to happen. Like some sort of disaster was approaching and she couldn’t do a thing about it.
“I-I guess we can do it. R-right, Twilight?” Celestia looked like she was about to burst into tears if Twilight said ‘no’.
“I was in the middle of my self-chosen study sessions,” Twilight replied earning a confused look from Cadance. “I’m in my free time today.”
“Oh, why didn’t you say so?” Cadance replied with a strange smile.
‘I don’t think I made a good choice.’
“G-great! Let’s go then!” Celestia said as she left the study.
“Good thing you’re taking some time to relax. Maybe I can ask you some things about Auntie. Do you mind answering me that?” Cadance replied as she placed her hand over Twilight’s shoulder.
This did not look good at all.
(Ponyville hospital)
"Z, I don't feel so good," Arden muttered from under his breath as his eyes slowly closed.
"Arden?" There was no response. "Arden?! Answer this one!" Nothing, again. Zecora got closer to his face, he wasn't breathing."ARDE-?!"
Zecora was cut midsentence by Arden boop his nose with hers. Zecora just stood there with a shocked expression. The stallion, on the other hand, had a big grin on his face.
"W-what?" Zecora asked while standing still.
"Gotcha!" Arden replied while letting out a chuckle. "Sorry. I'm getting bored here. How much longer do I need to stay here? The two days I had to stay under observation have passed. Why am I still here?"
Zecora pushed Arden back to the bed and then began pouting. "If the cerulean is frustrated, he should not discharge his frustrations on this one!"
"I'm sorry," Arden replied as he picked up his pillow and then shoving it on his face. "It's just so infuriating! I have to keep training. I need to get to Canterlot to apologize for all the trouble. I need to fix up the library. In short, I need to do a lot of stuff, and then I can go back to training with you. That last one is the one I can't wait to resume."
Zecora tilted her head at that, of all the things he wanted to do, sparring with her was his priority? She didn't expect him to enjoy those moments that much. Especially with the mess, they made during their first bouts. As happy as the conclusion for that was, it was still a moment of weakness. A moment where she hurt him because of how scared she was.
But those moments also made her see how strong he was. That's one of the things she liked the most about him. She couldn't help but wonder how far he would go. But then again, she didn't want him to go too far. There was a risk of him maybe going somewhere he couldn't reach. She was sure that Arden would stay with her.
But who can push away the fear of losing? Everyone goes through the thought of losing. It's a natural part of life.
"I won't go anywhere I can't be with you," Arden said while sitting up in his bed. "Sorry for using it. But, I guess I better get used to it."
Zecora looked at her partner, the eyes he was so ashamed of, they were staring right at her. Piercing through her skin and staring right at her heart. There was a time she would have been terrified of that. Zecora would have done everything she could to keep eyes that could see her the way those two could.
But not anymore, now she was happy to see those eyes. Those eyes were proof that she had moved on. They were proof that she wasn't alone anymore.
"I'm glad you feel like that," Arden said while closing his eyes.
'How many creatures can have a conversation without saying a single word?'
"This one doesn't mind it one bit. The cerulean can look as much as he wants. Those are the eyes that allowed us to meet after all," Zecora replied while sitting on his bed.
His eyes were normal again. Black and blue orbs she saved from a patch of poison jokes were looking at her eyes. However, even now, he seemed to be seeing something more in her. Now that she thought about it, he had always been like that. Whenever he looked at her or Chrysalis, he always seemed to be seeing something others couldn't see.
A friend where others saw a monster.
An ally in a creature that fed off him.
A lover that was too scared of even trying.
Yet, in all of those situations, he found a way to bring out what he saw in them or to be more precise, once he was there, Zecora ended up exploring things she never thought of experiencing.
'This one believes those are the true colors of his talent. Black and blue.'
"Um, excuse me," A new voice called out, Red Heart if memory served. "I came here to tell you're dismissed. The doctors said your mental health is in good shape. And there should be some ponies waiting for you outside."
"Probably because of my sudden appearance," Arden said while scratching the back of his head. "Excuse me, nurse Red Heart, do you know if Zephyr dropped a package earlier today?"
"Could it be this one?" The mare replied as she pulled a small bag on her hand.
The purple doublet with a blue T-shirt, a pair of silver shin guards, his belt, and the sword. Almost all of the items Celestia had given him, and that he hadn't worn since the beginning of the tracker training with Zecora. She watched as Arden tried to put them on. Their training had shown considerable results. Arden probably hadn't realized it, but he had gained weight.
He had gained enough muscle mass that he no longer looked malnourished. He wasn't in peak condition, he lost several days of training because of the coma. Not to mention that a perfect form couldn't be achieved in just a year. However, what he achieved in one year was enough to make his clothes tighter than they should.
"I guess I'll need to visit a tailor to have these modified," Arden said as he let out a defeated sigh. "I put on a lot of weight, huh?"
"You're probably the fittest unicorn in town right now," Nurse Red heart commented as she wrote something down his patient info. "It would do them a favor to at least try to keep up with you."
"If I'm the fittest, I would hate to see the one in the worst shape," Arden replied while he put on the shin bracers along with the rest of his armor. "Is there something you want to do before we leave, Zecora?"
"Not really. Though there is one place this one would like to see," Zecora answered as she walked towards the door.
"And where is that?" Arden said as he followed Zecora.
"Your home," Zecora said as she looked over her shoulder, Arden seemed a bit thrown off.
"V-very well. Thank you for everything, Red Heart," He replied while making a half-bow.
(Canterlot Castle)
'I need help. Please send help.'
As Celestia walked through the halls along with Cadance and Twilight, the thrill of getting news about Arden was suppressed by the fear of Cadance intervening. Maybe she could push the lie and hope that Cadance took the bait? No, that wouldn’t be enough. She had to keep Cadance from using her eyes.
“Aunt, have you considered any of the suggestions I made? Time keeps moving forward while you’re still single.”
If I indulge her on that topic. She might get distracted. “I can’t say I have. How many did you select again?”
“Seriously?” Cadance asked while massaging her temples. “Don’t you feel lonely? You spend most of the time working or teaching Twilight. No offense, but don’t you miss having a pony by your side for things that aren’t related to either? Working yourself to the bone isn’t going to get you anywhere. And regarding your question, four mares and two stallions.”
“I believe I should be trying to find them myself,” Celestia replied with a bit more ease. “You are the princess of love. However, the heart isn’t a simple matter, even for you.”
“I’m well aware of that,” Cadance replied as she pushed the doors to the royal spa open. “This is why I call them suggestions, not dates, which means that when I send you those resumées, I just want you to glance over them and then see if any picked your interest. I’m not telling you to date them if they aren’t interesting to you.”
“Hello, princesses, Ms. Twilight, what can I do for you?” The attendant asked while bowing. “The usual hot bath followed by some tea?”
“No,” Celestia said as she headed towards the changing room. “The three of us will go through a full course. And please tell the guards that we don’t want to be disturbed.”
“But of course,” The attendant replied with excitement.
Celestia, Twilight, and Cadance entered the changing room. After the sudden interruption by the attendant, there was a chilling silence permeating the air.
“So, Twilight,” Cadance started while removing her clothes. Her physique was as pristine as ever, then again, she never had to fight in wars and such. “How are things going for you? On your research that is.”
“I’ve been looking into the harmonious chain, and ancient myths as well,” Twilight replied as she changed in the corner. She was rather small when compared to Celestia and Cadance. However, she was quite a sight. Especially when she was blushing like that. “And that’s about it.”
“What about your friends?” Celestia asked while putting on her robes as fast as she could. “Moon Dancer’s birthday is coming up, isn’t it?”
“I think they’re fine,” Twilight replied without much thought. “I had Lyra come over a few times. And Moon Dancer was working on a project of her own.”
'THAT’S IT! Please, forgive me Twilight.'“Are you sure about that, Twilight? Did you check Moon Dancer’s style lately? Her mane is a copy of yours. She even got the same glasses as you.”
“Oh, little Twilight has an admirer, does she?” Cadance asked with a coy smile before hugging Twilight.
“Don’t be silly!” Twilight ordered while trying to suppress a blush. “I don’t have time for that! And it's not like I can,”
“What is it?” Cadance asked with a more serious tone.
“It’s nothing, let’s just go to the spa,” Twilight said before breaking free of Cadance’s hug. However, before entering the spa, Twilight turned back with a scowl on her face. "And stop meddling with my love life!"
There was a brief moment of silence between Celestia and Cadance. With the corner of her eye, Celestia caught a glimpse of Cadance’s magic eyes. Feeling fear take over, Celestia quietly took a step back. However, before Celestia noticed, Cadance closed her eyes while letting out a sigh. “I swear, auntie. I look everywhere for ponies that might catch your interest. But sometimes I think I forget to check something obvious. Well, I’m still learning.”
What was that supposed to mean?
Walking out of the changing room, Celestia reached the spa area. The attendant was quietly waiting by three separate tubs filled with hot water. Two other assistants came by and then waited. Celestia took the largest tub, Cadance the in-between, and Twilight took the smaller one, leaving the largest one for Celestia.
Silence, that was all that reigned during the entire session. Not a single word was said. Seeing that Cadance wasn’t trying to use her eyes, Celestia lowered her defenses. And that was when she started to enjoy the treatment. How long had it been since she had gotten a proper pampering?
Now that she thought about it when was the last time she wanted to look attractive for another pony? It felt nice, looking forward to meeting a pony that wasn’t her student or related by blood.
How much did he change? Did his mane stay the same? Did he age? No, don’t be silly, Celestia. It was only for one year. He couldn’t have changed that much. What about his eyes? Did they change? The entire problem began because of his problems with it. He said he missed me. Maybe I should play a bit with him? NO! I can’t risk hurting him again.
“Auntie, do you think Arden could passively sense the emotions of those around him?”
Hearing those words, Celestia’s ear twitched a few times. All of her thoughts were interrupted, leaving just one.
DID HE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT IT?!
“W-what brought that up?” Celestia asked while suddenly turning to Cadance.
“EEP!” The attendant doing Celestia’s hooves screamed in response.
“It’s just a thought I had. I mean, think about it. According to Valkyre Heart, Arden began to sing something that resonated with her feelings towards Mind Walker. And he wasn’t using his eyes back then. It makes sense, right?” Cadance kept her eyes closed.
“D-do you think it he could identify whose emotions they are?” Celestia asked as her body stiffened.
“Without his eyes? That’s not possible. What I am saying is that if there are strong emotions near him, he might be able to sense something.” Cadance explained without much care.
Thank the stars. Wait a second. If that’s the case, and Cadance has the same ability, oh.
“After all this time, you’re crushing on a stallion? And Arden nonetheless,” Cadance spoke with a mischievous smile.
Following this announcement, a set of gasps occurred from the spa attendants. Looking at the attendants, Celestia saw them giggling and smiling at her.
“I, I—” Celestia stuttered while trying to find some way to excuse herself. Maybe Twilight could help her out? After that event in the changing rooms, Twilight would not be willing to help her out of this mess. She hadn't spoken a word since the spa pampering started. Twilight kept her muzzle partially submerged the entire time they were there.
'I upset her that bad, huh? I need to find a way to compensate for this mess.'
“Don’t try to deny it, auntie,” Cadance replied with a smug face. “The emotions spiked when I brought him up. And Twilight is out of the question after my quick check-up.”
“B-but,” Celestia stammered. Her mind was darting around as she tried to think of a method of damage control.
“Listen, I won’t get in the way, but I will help you prepare for the date,” Cadance said with confidence as she got up to leave, quickly putting on her silk robe. “My domain is love, you know?”
“Cadance! Wait! I—” Celestia said while trying to get up. However, the flustered princess ended up falling on the floor.
“I won’t take a ‘no’ for an answer. I am going to help you see this through,” Cadance replied before leaving the room.
“I may have placed myself in quite the conundrum,” Princess Celestia said once Cadance had left.
'It’s going to be alright. I’m just going to step out, and then I’ll greet everyone. No one is going to attack me.'
Repeating those thoughts as if they were a mantra, Arden made his way towards the front door of the hospital. Zecora walked with him. At least she made Arden feel calmer. He could use his eyes to check what the ponies outside were thinking. However, he didn’t want to know.
Not even his heart wanted to know.
What Arden wanted was a chance to talk. A chance to sort everything out. It wasn’t a matter of understanding how they felt. It was a matter of making amends. Arden had to apologize for lying about his talent, and they had to apologize for the attack.
“Everything will be fine, Arden,” Zecora said as they approached the door. “The cerulean isn’t alone anymore.”
Replying with a smile, Arden pushed the doors open.
“SURPRISE!” Five mares screamed at the top of their lungs while holding on to forced smiles.
‘It’s alright. I’m alright! I’m gonna be ok, right?’ His breathing was picking up, Arden felt as if the world was starting to swirl around him. Something was wrong. Was there a threat? Were they trying to get him again?
Just then, Arden felt something grabbing hold of his wrist. Staying between the five and him, Zecora held his hand that had reached for his blade.
‘I, I didn’t even notice that. Damn it! Why this didn’t happen during the, oh yeah, I was probably under the effect of an adrenaline rush. I probably overlooked all the details during that.’
“It’s ok, Arden,” Zecora said in a soothing tone. “No one is planning to hurt you.”
Putting on some effort, Arden managed to let go of his grip on the sword. It was foolish to expect that he would have been healed from the trauma and the rejection in one go. The talent was working just fine. The problem was the fear of being attacked without warning again.
“S-sorry. I guess I just had an episode of PTSD or something of the sort.” Arden stuttered while using his right arm to hold his left arm.
“What is that?” Applejack asked while scratching the back of her head.
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Arden replied with a half-smile. “It means that if I’m exposed to certain situations. I am likely to have some issues keeping my cool.
And that I should probably postpone my visit to Canterlot for a few days,” he muttered under his breath.
“I see, darling, it seems we made quite a mess last year.” Rarity spoke with an awkward laugh. “I am truly sorry for the trouble we caused!”
“In a sense, I am both angry and grateful,” Arden replied as he turned to Zecora. “Thanks to you all, I met Zecora. And she saved me from something I’ve been doing to myself for quite some time. And then, I guess we hit it off.”
“You helped this one too,” Zecora said with a smile.
“OH! So we can assume you two are a thing?!” Pinkie shouted before bouncing around them. “I want to know more! Zecora! We never threw you a welcome party! I have to remedy that!”
“Then I guess you’ll need to prepare for two,” Chrysalis said from behind the remaining four mares. They nearly jumped thanks to that. “Zecora is not going anywhere in town without me. I’ve been in that hut for far too long. I want to know more about this place!”
‘Your ability to lie is insane,’ Arden mused before giving Zecora a push. “Go with them. I’ll get my home cleaned up in the meantime. That way you can see it without a layer of dust covering everything.”
“You can relax. At the first sign of trouble, I’ll call you out.”
Arden froze in place for a second. ‘That was Chrysalis’ voice. How did she?’
“Zecora permitted me to set a link with you while you were asleep. I have another one set with her. So, everyone can speak with each other regardless of the place we are. However, I can only cover up to the town’s boundaries.”
“I am amused and concerned at the same time. I guess I should expect that many tricks from you, right?” Arden thought while staring at Chrysalis. “I hope I get to be that proficient with magic one day. I’m counting on you teach.”
“I doubt you will ever be as proficient as me. But it is good to have a goal. Seriously though, if I call, you run.” Chrysalis said while turning away from him with haste.
“This is going to be AMAZING!” Pinkie shouted as she dragged all of her friends away like they were feathers.
‘I guess I should ignore what just happened. Ok, rush to the library!’
Running as fast as he could, Arden entered the library, which was open, and then closed the door. Contrary to what he expected, the place was cleaner than when he had left. There was a small letter on the table emanating some very pleasant perfume. The letter had a purple wax seal in the shape of diamonds in it.
Picking up the letter, Arden felt the perfume fill up his nostrils. The thing was impregnated with it, and the folding was done with extreme care. Opening it up, Arden began to scour the contents.
Dear Arden,
I am well aware that apologizing to you isn’t going to be enough to make it up to you. We caused some serious trouble because of a rushed decision. I called you names and nearly killed you. And if that wasn’t enough, our actions made you go into the brink of death even after your body recovered.
If you ever need help with anything, please, do not hesitate to ask. I’ll do my very best to help you in any way I can. And don’t worry about coming to work for a while. Take your time to acclimate yourself to our village.
There are a lot of things I want to say. And a lot of questions I want to make. But for now, I want to tell you that Big Mac and Red Heart told me and the others about how you and Zecora saved us. You have no idea how grateful I am for that. Even after all we did, you still came to help us. If that isn’t proof of your alignment than I don’t know what is.
I will support you no matter what, now and forever. Just like you went out of your way to help us even if you were in bad shape.
Thank you.
Your friend,
Rarity.
P.S.: I took the liberty of making some spare clothes for you. Just in case. Come see me if there is any issue with them.
Smiling at the piece of paper, Arden saw a single teardrop fall on the paper.
‘I guess that means I need to pick up the slack. Better find a way to come around that fear of them!’
(Canterlot castle)
Something that shouldn’t be known to the public can end up in the headlines of gossip magazines in a matter of seconds. That is how things worked in Canterlot. However, there was an even quicker way to spread a rumor, the castle servants. It didn’t matter if the servant worked in the kitchen, the gardens, the rooms, the hallways, or the laundry; if they caught wind of some kind of gossip, everyone and their mothers knew about it.
The latest piece of news to reach these big-mouthed ponies was nothing short of scandalous. There were rumors that Princess Celestia had found a romantic partner. The main suspect of this being that pony Celestia spread the word about. That was the trigger for a bunch of nobles to hire private investigators to gather information on him. The name of the said pony was Arden Sila.
So far, the investigations ended up being a wild goose chase. The guy was a mystery beyond everything. Some investigators teamed up to try and make some sense out of what little information they had. And so far, all they managed to get was confirmation on data the Princess had already disclosed about him.
First, the stallion came from another land. Second, he was strong enough to pull a cart that required a minimum power level of twelve hundred. Third, his eyes did change like the eyes of a possessed being while he kept his mind. Fourth, he was faster than any other unicorn. Fifth, he was capable of triggering a harmonious heart on his own.
“Do you think we should mention this to the rest of the staff?” Soft Hooves asked her friend, Gentle Breeze.
“I’m not sure. I mean, it is THE gossip of the century.” Gentle replied while scratching the back of her neck.
In other words, those two mares could probably cause an uproar in a matter of hours.
“Yeah. But then there is the fact that the Princess might have a bunch of nobles and reporters bombarding her if this got out.” Soft continued while folding some towels.
“Soft.”
“I mean, I can’t blame the nobles since they have been at it for what, the last thousand years? And then this pony comes out of nowhere and wins her over? Of course, they are going to have issues with him.”
“Hey, Soft.”
“As for the reporters, well, that’s what will sell tons of copies. Every single pony in Equestria has been wondering what the Princess’s preferences were since, I don’t know, forever. And now we got the answers. Arden Sila, I bet that he has a bunch of stuff we don’t know about to get the Princess so enamored with him.”
“SOFT!”
“What is it?! I’m not done talking about the Princess’s lover!” Soft screamed while turning around to see her friend. “Oh.”
At least ten servants were standing by Gentle Breeze with their jaws hanging. Soft tried to lift her hand and beg them to keep it quiet, however, they bolted out of the room before she could say anything.
“You are too much of an airhead!” Gentle scolded while shutting the door tight.
“I guess I just tossed flammable fluid in a fire,” Soft replied while letting out a nervous laugh. “I might have ruined the Princess’s love life.”
“You think?!”
(Pinkie’s room.)
Checking all of the windows and possible exits, Chrysalis tried to make sure that if anything went wrong, both Zecora and she could escape. The room was on the second floor, however, they could easily slide down the roof and then reach the groundfloor safely. Therefore, their escape was pretty much guaranteed, especially taking into account Zecora’s prowess in hunting and fighting.
“HERE WE GO!” Pinkie screamed with an accent that Chrysalis recognized from Arden’s memories as Italian. Pinkie placed a big cake on top of the table. “This one is on the house! Consider it an apology gift from us for all the hassle we caused you.”
“This one’s thanks, you have,” Zecora said with a smile on her face. “Being accepted to wander and enter the building in this town, is more than this one ever believed to be possible.”
“I’m grateful as well,” Chrysalis replied with a half-smile. “It was quite inconvenient to not be able to get supplies for potion crafting.”'
“We’re mighty sorry for all the trouble,” Applejack intervened. “We never dealt with zebras like you two before. We were scared, that’s all.”
“That’s t-true,” Fluttershy agreed while shaking her head up and down with haste. “B-but we are grateful that y-you helped our friends.”
“Enough with the chit-chat!” Rainbow said while slicing a piece of cake. “Time to eat!”
“You should be more grateful, darling,” Rarity reprimanded while taking a sip of tea. “From what I heard, you almost led an assault on Zecora and her sister here. I also heard that both you and Big Mac had quite a hard time getting past Arden’s defenses.”
Chrysalis watched with amusement as the cyan pegasus blushed and stuffed her mouth full of cake. Grumbling at the comment, Rainbow tried to look away from Chrysalis and Zecora.
“I’m sorry for almost making the town go on a witch hunt,” Rainbow replied with her head turned to the side. “I was too focused on helping my friends to think straight.”
“Need to worry, there is not,” Zecora said while waving her hand. “All is well when it ends-”
“Enough with the downer stuff!” Pinkie shouted with annoyance. “I wanted us to talk it out and get to know each other!”
“But of course, how does the pink one desire to do so?” Zecora asked with a soft voice.
Feeling a chill roll down her spine, Chrysalis watched as Pinkie’s face contorted into a grin. The pink pony rushed around the room as she searched for something.
“AH-HA!” She exclaimed as a bunch of boxes fell off the shelves in the room. She then jumped on top of the table, barely missing the cake on top of the table. “We can all take turns telling stuff about ourselves and asking things to each other. How about it?”
“You want us to spin that thing in your hands, right?” Chrysalis asked with a frown. She knew what was coming. Of course, that caffeine driven pony would try to use that to get acquainted with them using a game. “How do we decide who starts?”
“Zecora starts, of course!” Pinkie said as she placed the bottle in Zecora’s hands. “We’ll sit in a circle on the ground, then you spin the bottle. The one that is on the other side of the bottle’s mouth will have to choose between a challenge or answer a question truthfully.”
Letting out a sigh, Chrysalis followed the rest of the group as they sat around in a circle. Pinkie had already set seven pillows on the floor for them. It was all too perfect, she was trying hard to figure them out. Or to find out something about Arden himself. After all, they wanted to apologize to him truthfully as well. Meaning that she and Zecora were their best bet on figuring out how to do so.
Zecora placed the bottle on the floor before giving it a spin. Chrysalis watched attentively to see where the bottle would land. When the bottle finally lost its momentum, it stopped on the seamstress.
‘That should be interesting.’
“Now, you ask Rarity if she wants ‘truth’ or ‘dare’,” Pinkie said with excitement.
“Does the alabaster unicorn desire to tell the truth? Or does it desire a challenge?” Zecora asked while scratching her cheek.
“I choose truth, darling.”
“What did Arden do in your store?” Chrysalis nearly fell flat on her face upon hearing that question.
‘What a waste of a turn,’ Chrysalis mused as she watched the dumbfounded seamstress chuckle at the question.
“Well, Arden cleaned up my workspace. Swiping the floors, and collected the rest of the cloths and threads left after my bursts of creativity. He even performed once to one of my clients at my request.” Rarity smiled brightly. “Thanks for not asking anything personal from the get-go.”
“So, does that mean you are a tailor?” Zecora asked while tilting her head.
“Yes. To be more precise, I am a fashionista. I design new clothes and trends and sell them. If you ever want a new set of clothes, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Rarity reached for the bottle. Giving it another whirl, the bottle this time stopped in front of Fluttershy. “Now, dearie, truth or dare?”
“T-truth.”
“What did you think of the moment Arden stood up to defend Zecora?” Rarity asked with a smirk.
‘Is she scouting to see if he caught the eye of any of the others?’
“I-I was scared. When that song started playing, I felt as if something bad was going to happen. The air felt cold, I thought he was going to cast some kind of powerful spell. I-I’m just glad nothing violent happened from that.”
“Is that so?” Rarity commented while scratching her chin.
“Hello! Sorry, we’re late!” A pair of ponies spoke as they emerged from the stairs.
“We had to close the spa,” the blue one said as they approached the group. “Truth or dare? Can we join?”
“Of course!” Pinkie shouted in excitement as two new pillows suddenly appeared by Chrysalis’ side.
Fluttershy spun the bottle, making it land on Zecora this time.
“This one chooses to tell the truth,” Zecora replied without hesitation.
“U-um, well, I-I, I want to know if, if you are afraid of living in the forest?” Fluttershy asked while staring at the ground. “E-Everfree is a dangerous place.”
“This one will not deny that there are many creatures that scare her within those woods. However, that forest is my home and it bears many plants required for this one’s potions and other concoctions. And trained into hunting and battling such creatures this one is. Therefore, even if this one is afraid, she shall stand up to protect her life. Comment on your bravery this one has to. Not many ponies would have rushed into the Everfree the way the yellow one did.”
Watching with amusement, Chrysalis suppressed a giggle at the flustered pegasus that desperately tried to hide her face behind her mane. Zecora spun the bottle once more, this time landing on Rainbow Dash.
“I’ll take a dare! Time to shake these things up!”
“Zecora, you can ask any dare you want, as long as it doesn’t put Rainbow’s safety at risk,” Pinkie explained while pretending to smoke a pipe that created soap bubbles. “Like asking her to not fly for a set amount of time. Or drinking up a big bottle of cider in one go, for example."
‘When did she get that prop?’
“Allow this one to think.” Zecora frowned for a moment. She then stood up and went to the corner of the room to pick up a big stick that was flat on its ends. “The cyan pegasus seems to be very eager to use her wings. How about balancing on top of this staff for ten seconds using only your wings?”
‘Welp, things just got interesting.’
“That is a good one, Zecora!” Pinkie shouted while giggling uncontrollably.
“U-um, t-there is a slight problem with that,” Rainbow replied while her face was turning red. “Our wings are sensitive to the touch so we kinda...” She seemed concerned about what could happen if she did that.
“Are you afraid of doing the dare? Is that what I am hearing?” Chrysalis commented with a smirk on her muzzle. “You bark a lot. But no bite at all, such a shame.”
That was more than enough to make Rainbow glare at Chrysalis before dashing to pick up the staff and then made her wings support her upside down on top of it. Suppressing her laughter, Chrysalis watched as Rainbow crossed her legs and gritted her teeth. The sensory receptors inside a pegasus wing were easy to trigger, and they tended to have a ‘special’ effect on them. It was customary to only allow those they trusted completely to touch their wings because of the ‘special’ sensations caused by it.
Ten seconds passed and then Rainbow dropped from the pole with her legs still crossed and then sat on the pillow, allowing the staff to fall on the floor with a thud. She was chewing on her lip hard. Zecora picked up the bottle and handed it to Rainbow who made it spin on her hand before making it dance on the floor. This time it landed on Lotus, the blue earth pony from the spa.
“I take a dare,” Lotus said with a cheeky smile.
“Pinkie will pick a random outfit from her wardrobe. And you have to wear it,” Rainbow replied with a smirk.
Raising an eyebrow at the dare, Chrysalis watched the Pink pony rush into a wardrobe with her eyes closed. There was a moment of silence as the wardrobe suddenly started to rock around. Suddenly falling out of the wardrobe, as if she had been shoved out of it, Pinkie emerged with an outfit that one would see in a cabaret dancer. Black and purple cloth along with some ribbons and a big purple feather.
“Do YOU think you can pull a look like that off in front of Arden, sister?” Chrysalis asked while examining the dress top to bottom. “Or would you rather repeat what you did last time?”
The response to that was a very flustered Zecora, one whose eyes started to dart around without a moment’s rest.
‘I wonder if Arden would like that dress. STOP! JUST STOP! I said I was going to trust him. Not fall for him. I claimed to be his partner because it would keep me safe.’
Shaking her head, Chrysalis looked back at Pinkie, only to see that she had somehow pulled out a screen out of nowhere. It took a few seconds, but Lotus came out from behind it wearing the dress. It looked good on her, however, she didn’t seem comfortable in it.
Sitting back on her spot, Lotus made the bottle spin again. This time, landing on Chrysalis. Lotus turned to her before staring at Chrysalis for a few seconds. Scratching her chin, Chrysalis weighted which options could give her a better chance to mess with the ponies in the room. A dare would probably lead to her doing something silly, while truth, depending on the question could lead to interesting reactions. Looking at Lotus, Chrysalis realized what she wanted to ask.
“I will take the truth,” Chrysalis said in a low voice.
“What did you mean by ‘last time’ when you spoke with Zecora just now?” Lotus asked without hesitation. Chrysalis smirked at the predicted result.
“I meant my sister’s very first time. I never saw the things she did before. If someone had told me that my sister could be that determined I would have called them crazy. The way they went on and on. I’m not even sure how much time those two spent going at each other.” Chrysalis suppressed her laughter as each of the mares turned into red lollipops.
“This one does not know what she speaks of!” Zecora replied as she tried to defend herself.
“M-my goodness, dear,” Rarity spoke while she fanning her face. “I-I didn’t take you to be that, energetic.” The mare was working hard to keep her composure at that moment.
Scanning for more amusing reactions, Chrysalis saw Rainbow with both her wings fully extended as she seemed to be trying to process what she had just told them. Fluttershy fainted and her body was now lying on the floor limply. Lotus and Aloe were staring at each other and then looking back at Zecora. Pinkie Pie, on the other hand, had a blank expression as if she wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. As for Applejack, Chrysalis had a feeling that Applejack wasn’t buying the story. However, she was still turning red and trying to hide behind her hat.
Before she could continue to defend herself, Chrysalis took a spin at the bottle.
‘This is starting to get fun.’
(Wonderbolt academy)
“Hello, mother, father,” Light Feathers said into the device Spitfire had brought in the other day. It was a prototype, directly from the Canterlot mages. Another byproduct of research inspired by knowledge brought from the outsider known as Arden Sila. Half-expecting silence to reign inside the room, however, static came out of the box.
“Light Feathers. Can you hear us?” The static was everywhere, but that was undoubtedly his mother’s voice. The mechanism worked. How? On the outside, it was a speaker with a microphone underneath it! Sure, there were a bunch of runes inscribed in it. But there were no known ways to do something like that! So far, the closest thing they had were radio stations, and they were a one-way only means of communication. This box didn’t even have wires!
‘What else are they cooking up in that Academy? Magic image projection messages? If it happens in real-time, the data has to be transferred in a matter of seconds. Scratch that, less than seconds. I can’t believe this! How does it work?!’
Letters could take from days to months depending on the number sent to the post office.
Being a Wonderbolt trainee didn’t warrant special treatment and the training regimen didn’t give much time to visiting home. Add that to the fact he had been injured, and you have a homesick pony without any means of checking in on his family.
“YES!” Light Feathers said as he grabbed the microphone, “Yes, mother! I can hear you! Is father there with you?”
His mother replied with a sad voice. “Yes, he is. But they only allow one pony on each of the cabins. So, I’m afraid only I can speak with you today.”
Feeling tears fill up his eyes, Light Feathers considered how he should tell his mother about the accident. They had supported him for so long. Paying the best schools they could afford, his parents made sure he entered the Wonderbolts. And now, because of a stupid mistake, an error caused by outdated information made him crash and fracture his wings. The doctors managed to save the wings, but his performance was reduced significantly, to the point he was no longer capable of keeping up with the Wonderbolts.
“I-I’m so glad I can speak with you,” Light Feathers wiped off the tears, “I-I wish both you and father were there to hear me. But I’m glad you two are ok. I’m sorry to change the subject, but you mentioned that there were more cabins. What do you mean by that?”
“A nice talk goes a long way,” his mother replied before letting out a giggle. “Well, it is still being implemented. But while the brains in Canterlot are working on some more advanced devices, Princess Celestia has been setting up these stations that allow instant communication over long distances. It’s been up and running for a few weeks now. That’s why we sent you that letter with the time and date. They are even speaking of making them portable. Some say they might have a way for these to send images as well.”
‘This is insane. If I had one of those portable devices, I might have been able to avoid the accident. All of us could avoid accidents like that. But we would need a support team to keep up with the updates. Wait...’
Racing faster than he ever thought possible, Light’s mind rushed through the idea. He might be out of the cards in the everyday activities of the Wonderbolts, however, he could still support them. Make sure they were always updated and safe from avoidable dangers. A team like that was mandatory. Those in it had to be able to convey information concisely and be able to keep their cool while handling the information.
That little device had given him a second chance. He could be part of the Wonderbolts, a significant part. All he had to do now was—
“Son, are you there?” Light’s mother called from the device, causing Light to snap back from his thoughts.
“YES! Mother! I’ll contact you again when I can! But right now, I have to speak to Spitfire!”
Rushing through the Academy grounds, Light went straight to Spitfire’s office. He didn’t bother to knock on the door.
“Captain, Spitfire!” Light shouted, causing Spitfire to quickly hide a piece of parchment in one of her drawers. “I’m sorry for barging in, but I have an idea that might be able to improve the safety net for our fliers!” Raising an eyebrow at the comment, Spitfire gestured for Light to sit down.
“You see...”
(Library)
‘I guess I should check on them. The house is as clean as it will get. Although, they are probably having a good time. Chrysalis hasn’t contacted me, so, everything must be fine.’
Looking through his window Arden saw the second floor of Sugar Cube Coner lit up, meaning that the ponies inside were still awake. He had already gone through the books, placing them back in their original spots. Rarity had done a good job putting everything on their shelves, however, her organization skills were lacking, but he did appreciate the sentiment though.
Even his bed was tidied up. And it had some kind of perfume applied to it. However, he didn’t have anything to do now. Aside from sleeping, that is. Which, at that point, wasn’t the best thing in his mind. Maybe a walk around town during the night could make things more interesting. There were fewer ponies around, therefore, he would feel more comfortable when wandering around.
Heading towards the front door, Arden was surprised by a knock on the door.
“Coming Just give me a sec!” Rushing towards the door. Arden was greeted by a familiar face. “Hello there, Big Mac. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Night. Mind if I come in?” Big Mac asked with a serious voice.
‘Something is off,’ Arden mused as he felt his left arm tense up. ‘I left my sword upstairs. I can put up a shield if the situation calls for it. And I don’t think he can keep up with me if I start running.’
“Sure thing, come on in,” Arden replied with a smile. Basic courtesy was needed until any kind of threat was presented, or so he thought.
Walking in, Big Mac followed him inside. Arden offered a chair before heading to the kitchen. All he could offer at the moment was a glass of tapped water. How did they have tapped water there?
Big Mac spoke from behind Arden. “Hey, Arden. Sorry about the other day. I went on a rampage and nearly took out the ponies that wanted to help my sister.”
“No worries. Though, I do have something to say about threatening Zecora, don’t ever do that again.” Arden hadn’t noticed it, but when he spoke to Big Mac, his eyes had turned white for a moment.
“I-I don’t intend to,” Big Mac stuttered with his hand trembling a bit, “I do want to ask how you held me back. I put all my force behind that punch you grabbed.”
Charging up his horn. The gauntlet Arden had summoned during that event manifested. “Instead of just creating a wall to block your attack. I made armor that would absorb your vectors and then redirect them at you and let me stand against the continued force you applied to me. Then, I used what Zecora taught me to turn the situation around.”
As soon as Arden mentioned Zecora’s name, he saw Big Mac’s eyes light up for a second. “How strong is Zecora?”
‘Did he see something interesting?’
“Well, I can’t exactly tell you how strong since I don’t know it myself,” Arden replied while scratching the back of his head. “I know she is way stronger than me. The only reason I managed to get on top during our sparring sessions is that I’m armed. In hand-to-hand combat she has me beat.”
“Sparring? Why would you be sparring?” Big Mac asked with a frown.
“Well, I wanted to help out in her everyday life, but I lacked the skills necessary to do so,” Arden started as he raised his left hand to his earring. “We started with tracking and herbalism. Then moved on to potion crafting. One day, however, I almost got killed by a timberwolf. That’s started to spar.”
Big Mac seemed to have picked up on his gesture. Almost as if Arden had pulled a lever, the big guy seemed to enter an alert phase. Perking up his ears and narrowing his eyes, seeming to carefully analyze Arden’s left ear, then Arden’s right ear.
‘Is his focus on Zecora or our relationship?’
“Is that so?” Big Mac said while scratching his chin, his eyes locked on the earring Arden was touching. “Those work like engagement rings then?”
‘Definitely on our relationship. Now, his eyes lit up when I mentioned her. Maybe I can press a bit further on the topic and see how this goes? At least he doesn’t seem to be out to get me. On the surface that is.’
However, there was an issue, how to explain the earrings? Arden knew that the accessories represented a relationship. But Zecora never mentioned anything about them being engagement rings. Now that he thought about it, Zecora never went further on the subject beyond the basics about where they stood. And the explanation was short. The earring symbolizes a bond, how deep it went wasn’t clarified.
“I don’t think so,” Arden replied while leaning on a shelf, how could he get out of that corner? “I’m not sure how to put it. But I think this is more like a way to show that two members of the tribe are trying to establish a healthy relationship and make it grow into something more. But I passed out for some time, literally, so I don’t have the specifics. My guess, ok, is that I should check with Zecora to see how the details work on this.”
“So, you two are still working things out?” Big Mac inquired while looking out the window. His expression had softened and he didn’t seem as tense or attentive as before. Meaning that he was either disappointed or satisfied with the response he got. However, there was something else in Arden’s mind now.
‘Later I should thank him for making me think about this. I’ve kinda been going through the motions here. Going through a relationship like that could be problematic. Then again, what do I know about relationships? Nevermind, I can get over this later. For now, I guess I should find a way to keep this conversation going. I need to get used to talking to these ponies again. This should do just fine as training wheels.’
“You can say it’s something like that. I’m still wrapping my head around the concept of being in a relationship like that. Not to mention the fact we did it.” Arden spoke in almost a whisper, a bit of heat taking his cheeks. “Before I got here, I thought that being in a relationship was a dream. And technically speaking, I only met her because of what you all did. So, I have some degree of gratitude towards all of you.”
Nearly slamming his chin against the desk, Big Mac fell from his chair with a loud thud. It would seem he wasn’t expecting a shred of gratitude to come from this situation. Which was understandable, look back on it, who would thank someone who could have killed you if the chance was given? However, to Arden’s surprise, the big guy got up with a meek smile on his face as he scratched the back of his neck.
“Well, I guess the entire town can say that they are grateful you’re giving us a second chance too,” Big Mac replied before walking up to Arden and offering his hand. “So, thank you for your kindness.”
Looking at the stallion’s hand, Arden hesitated for a moment before reaching out. He saw the scenery change color, he accidentally used his eyes. Curiosity took the better of him.
'Rival. Friend.’
‘The voices speak way less now. I won't complain about it, it's better than dying. And a friendly rivalry, huh? Things like that can push others forward. Considering how all of us started this thing, I’m surprised that something like this came out. I’m excited about this. Let’s see how this goes.’
“I guess everyone is trying to make things work. Am I right?”
“You bet,” Big Mac replied before heading out the door. “See you at work tomorrow!”
“I am not in love with him!” Chrysalis whined as she slammed her hand on the floor. The sweet scent of cider saturated the air while all of the mares tried to dance in the rhythm of a record player’s melody.
How things got that far? Chrysalis was unsure about the answer to that. All she could remember was the truth or dare, then something about a dare involving a barrel of cider. Then everyone got intoxicated and Pinkie appeared dressed up in a toga. Now everything was fuzzy and the others were persistently telling Chrysalis that she was in love with Arden.
Somehow, Pinkie managed to convince all of them to put on togas as well. The one Chrysalis had on was a bright lavender with a lavender piece of cloth around her waist. She looked like a character from a story Arden had seen before, what was her name? It started with an M, the main character was the son of Zeus or something.
“Listen, do you care for him?” Applejack, the least drunk of the mares, asked while pulling Chrysalis up.
“NO!” Chrysalis shouted before bobbing her head to the side, heat flushing up to her face.
“Yes,” she muttered under her breath.
“Do you want to be with him most of the time and enjoy the time you two share?” Pinkie, the second least drunken mare, asked in a tone much different than her usual one. And, for some reason, her mane was deflated making her look much more serious.
“NO! NO-NO!” Chrysalis denied before looking at the floor.
“Yes,” she said once more with a quiet voice.
“When you are with him, does he make you feel beautiful?” Applejack asked before picking another mug of cider.
“Y-yes,” Chrysalis replied while making her mane fall in front of her face.
“Then just admit that you’re in love with him!”
“I won’t say that I’m in LOVE!” Chrysalis cried out louder than the music playing.
Suddenly stopping, all of the mares looked to Chrysalis. Their eyes fixed on her as huge smiles started to appear on each of their faces.
‘What? What did I do? I only said that I wouldn’t say that I, that I. Oh, no. It happened. It happened. How did I let that? Why? When did I drop my guard? How did I let him sweep me away like that? NO! It’s the alcohol talking! That’s it! I am drunk and I am vulnerable to suggestions! They made me think that because of how much they pushed the idea! My system is saturated with this because I drank too much and I no longer have a place to store it! So, my body is trying to process it and the waste is doing this to me!’
“Bring another mug! Zephir has admitted it!” Zecora appeared by Chrysalis’s side with her arm around Chrysalis’ neck. “It’s time to celebrate! Get her a drink!”
Handing her a mug, Pinkie appeared upside down before disappearing again. Chrysalis didn’t even think, the alcohol in her system was clouding her thoughts even more. And in that drunken state, she concluded what should be her next course of action.
‘Let’s drink these thoughts away!’ she screamed in her head, drinking the mug in one fell swoop.
“FOR ZEPHIR!” All of the mares cheered as Pinkie handed mugs to the guests.
“So, any signs of them today?” Arden asked the copy of him that sat at the top of one of the towers by the castle of the two sisters. Leaning on the window that overlooked the forest.
The copy let out a bored yawn. “No. Same as always. Why bother? You know that one of them tried to make you submit, right?”
“Alias, I promised Celestia I would help out with her sister. But now that I know the story, I want to save both of them. They both deserve a second chance. Just like we got our second chance.”
“You mean like YOU got your second chance,” Alias said with a half-smile. “I’m an artificial soul. I told you that when you were resting these past few days. If you die, I return to the sword until I get a new master. And did you settle on that for my name?”
“Yeah. I think it suits you, considering you are an alter-ego of mine after all. Speaking of which, if you ever want to talk with-”
“No, thanks,” Alias replied without flinching. “I did my part. Unless the situation calls for it, I’ll remain here watching what you do and see. I’m not a doer. I’m an observer.”
“If you say so,” Arden replied with a shrug. “Is there anything, in particular, you wish to see?”
“I want to see how you handle Zecora and Chrysalis,” Alias replied, which resulted in Arden losing focus for a second, which, in turn, resulted in him falling out of the castle and waking up.
‘WHAT WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!’ Arden screamed in his mind as he felt the sunlight hitting his face. ‘Time to wake up, I guess.’
Getting off his bed, Arden walked up to the window and saw some ponies walking around town. Setting up stalls and opening up the windows, they seemed to be preparing for the day.
‘No time like the present.’ Arden walked into the bathroom to take a shower, brush his teeth, and use the chemicals to clean his clothes before putting them on. With that out of the way, Arden went to the balcony where a telescope was resting pointed at the sky and started to watch the ponies going by their day. ‘I missed this. Seeing others, being with others. I can only imagine how Zecora felt being alone for so long. Oh, yeah, I wonder how they are doing. Chrysalis never called in yesterday. If there is someone cautious around ponies, it has to be her. I doubt she would ever fall for a trap or anything resembling it.’
A low growl snapped Arden out of his thoughts. He had to get food, but he lacked the money to do so at the moment.
‘I could ask the mayor for a payment in advance this month,’ Arden mused as he returned inside, ‘Just to cover my food. Or I could ask for some of their produce on the farm in exchange for my work. I bet I can make a nice dinner for those two with the stuff they got there.’ Immersing himself in the task of searching for a cookbook, Arden didn’t notice the increasing movement outside. The sound of hooves quickly trotting around chaotically was just an afterthought while he searched for the book.
That was until he heard the sound of knocking on his front door. Shaking his head sideways to clear the foggy thoughts of figuring out how to cook, Arden headed to the door without much thought. He unlocked the door and then opened it.
“How may I-”
Cutting his speech midway through, Arden felt his entire body tense up. Practically the entire town was at his doorstep with what looked newspapers in their hands. Some had magazines, however, that didn’t matter. What mattered to Arden was something else entirely.
‘Run. Run. Run. NO! I Don’t know what is happening. But I can’t just keep running! Come on! Ask what they need! DO IT! JUST DO IT!’
Gulping while clenching his fist, Arden mustered all the courage he had to bring out the words. “Is there something I can help you with? I don’t think the library is open yet, however, I can help you with any questions.”
A flood of incoherent questions and shouts started to occur as Arden felt his legs slowly try to make him run. Sweat started to form on his forehead as his eyes started to dart around. The scenery changed into a red cacophony of mixed feelings of curiosity, envy, anger, joy, confusion, disbelief, awe, and so forth. His heart-rate spiked as he felt the urge to run increasing like a tsunami ready to wash him away. Closing his eyes shut, Arden grabbed hold of his chest as the weight of those voices seemed to be giving him a heart attack. The feelings were stronger than before, clearer too. Had he gotten more sensitive? Or did his unbalanced emotional state trigger it?
“Everypony, please!” The mayor called out from the middle of the crowd. “Please, let me through. Arden, I sincerely apologize for this mess. However, it would seem as though your relationship with the Princess has become public knowledge. So, there will be many ponies, myself included, curious as to where you two currently stand. Speaking as a politician, when rumors like this appear, the best approach is to address it.”
Snapping his eyes open, Arden stared at the mayor in confusion. “What? What do you mean?”
“This,” The mayor said while handing Arden a newspaper with a big picture of Princess Celestia with the words Romance is in the Air plastered on the front page.
A new scandal has taken over Canterlot! According to sources directly from the castle, Princess Celestia seems to have finally fallen for a pony. The pure princess never swayed by any of the nobles, artists, athletes, or famous ponies, in general, has confessed to the Princess of Love, Cadance, her feelings towards a mysterious stallion that arrived in Equestria a year ago. Not much is known about this stallion other than his talent, appearance (see the picture distributed by Princess Celestia herself less than a year ago bellow), and the obvious connection to her.
The name of this pony is Arden Sila. This unusual stallion is a pile of questions without many answers aside from the information disclosed by Princess Celestia weeks after his arrival in Equestria. There is no register of his entrance in our fair country, meaning the stallion entered through either unknown means or illegal means. On top of such an unknown method of entry, the country from which he came from is unknown and described by Celestia as FAR AWAY.
While some speculate he might have used such talent to control the Princess, the unknown nature of his talent doesn't allow to draw any conclusions. The only known pony to even come close to this talent is Princess Cadance, who, according to her words, only allows her to see the love a pony feels for something or another pony and boost that feeling to the point of making a pony confess. However, that is the ability of a royal. There is no guarantee that this stallion is capable of such a feat.
Now, there are many questions regarding the relationship between the sun princess and this mystery stallion. How long has this relationship been occurring? Are the mysterious disappearances of princess last year related to this strange stallion? What is the task Princess Celestia has given this stallion? Why was he allocated to Ponyville?
The last question has multiple theories running across Equestria. Could it be that the Princess sought to hide this stallion from ponies that she had proposed to? Was his life in danger if he remained in Canterlot? Was the princess planning something with this stallion that required his identity to be hidden? The fact that he had access to the castle's throne could be a sign of his proximity with Princess Celestia even before all of this began?
There are more oddities regarding this unknown unicorn who possess the strength and durability of an earth pony. His magical potential is currently unknown, however, some accuse him of utilizing doping magic to increase his physical capabilities. Another oddity lies in his zodiac, for he is the only known male to have been born under the sign of Virgo and surviving the surge of power given to those born under this zodiac (information disclosed by Princess Celestia herself less than a year ago). Is this stallion truly a stallion?
In regards to information collected about this stallion, it is currently known that his last place of residence was located in the Ponyville library, The Golden Oak Library. However, his status is currently unknown as multiple private detectives were sent to town, according to residents from the town itself, to verify the background of this pony and acquired no results. This elusive stallion might be the most wanted in all of Equestria.
The uproar caused by this news led to multiple mares and some stallions to declare their interest in meeting the one who ensnared the Princess of the Sun, untouched by time and ponies alike. Some are even paying for information about his whereabouts. We are yet to hear an official declaration from the Princess regarding the subject.
However, one thing is certain, all equestrians will have their sights set on this mysterious stallion of unknown origin and birth. Could it be that we are looking at a new Prince of Equestria? Or is he just an entertainment for the Sun Princess?
Lowering the paper, Arden looked forward. Only to be met with Zephir’s eyes before being yanked into the house and locked up inside. All of the curtains were closed and some sort of dark wall of fog appeared in front of every window and door inside the house.
Feeling the uneasiness from the stares melt away slowly, Arden looked at his savior that had her back turned to him. She still had his wrist tightly held in her grasp.
“Thanks for the help, Chrysalis,” Arden said through the link. “I was about to lose there. How did-”
“I WANT IT!” Chrysalis cried through the link before tackling Arden and pinning him to the ground.
Some believe a nightmare is a dream that took a wrong turn somewhere in the dreamer’s subconscious. The mind can be as kind as it can be vile. At that moment, Chrysalis’s dreams were plaguing her. The sight of Arden and Zecora together appeared before her. Smiling and enjoying each other’s company, the couple walked away from her. Chrysalis walked up to them.
“Hello,” Chrysalis greeted with a half-smile. “How are you two doing?”
Both figures turned to her, their faces contorting into terrified expressions before running away screaming. Chrysalis looked at herself, was she walking out in the open without a disguise? The answer was yes, and it bothered her.
‘Why are they scared? They know about my appearance. Arden even-’
The sudden appearance of light made Chrysalis lose her train of thought. Floating by her side, Chrysalis saw a window while a familiar tune played in the background. Approaching it with caution, she saw a familiar scene. It was the first time she had to fend off a pony. The mare was kind and willingly listened to many of Chrysalis’s complaints on the role she was interpreting. And when things evolved, Chrysalis in her naivitée decided to ask something that derailed the entire conversation.
“MIOHUH*(, would you like me if I looked different?” Chrysalis heard in the back of her head.
“Why wouldn’t I?” The kind mare replied with a smile, “You’re still you, regardless of how you look.”
Turning away and dashing away as fast as she could, Chrysalis tried to escape the sequence of events that followed.
“MONSTER!”
“No, wait! I just—”
CRASH
“GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FIEND!”
“Over there! The monster is over there!”
“Get her!”
She was shouting and hollering behind her forcing Chrysalis to open her wings and fly away. Screams and insults continued to follow before the black void surrounding her transformed into a familiar and welcoming sight. It was Zecora’s hut. Rushing inside, Chrysalis locked the door behind her.
What she saw in there stung. Arden and Zecora lay together on the bed, while an image of Chrysalis slept alone in the corner.
‘NO! We are past that! They accepted me! They were with me the whole time! They trust in me! Leave me alone!’
The frightening screams were growing louder outside. Covering her ears while sitting with her back against the door, Chrysalis cried while ordering the memories to leave. Those words were lies. She wasn’t a monster. She’s never been a monster! Arden saw through that! He looked at her with kindness! Zecora did the same! Chrysalis was not alone. She was more than a tool for her mother. More than a monster that fed off emotions. She did not have to feel afraid of what she was and could stand proudly and show the—
No, she had to hide. If she was proud and certain of what she was, she wouldn’t have to hide. If she was confident in her strength, she wouldn’t hide from her mother. The constant fear of failing her kind, of failing her friends, wasn’t something she wanted to feel. She wanted confidence. To stand up against the things that scared her, and be just like Zecora in that regard.
‘Zecora, you were so lonely, so fearful of being rejected. Yet, you stood up and went to the village that didn’t welcome you to face them. When someone tried to make contact, you fled in fear. However, when that pony was in danger, you pushed the fear aside to help them. You saved his life, at the risk of him leaving. Faced your fear of being rejected again, the fear of being loved and hurting the one you wanted to protect. Chased a creature that evaded and tricked you multiple times, only to befriend it.
You faced your greatest fear, which made you feel like you destroyed a relationship you cherished to save me. You're beautiful. You don’t need to be changed to attract the eyes of others and earn their kindness.
I can’t. I have to change my body. I have to lie about my feelings. But, just like you, I changed. I have someone I don’t need to hide from, just be myself. He can look at me the same way he looks at you, right?’
“As if,” Chrysalis’s voice sounded from behind her. “Why bother with us? Especially when he has her? Have you seen what you did with Celestia? You brought her closer. Even fewer reasons for him to be with us. We are a changeling. Parasites. Monsters.”
“NO!” Chrysalis screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Then, try it! Take the trial and see if he looks at us the same way he looks at Zecora. Oh, yeah, we don’t dare to do that.”
Gritting her teeth, Chrysalis stared down the image of Zecora and Arden before her. Those two were a part of her life. Her life.
HER.
'They belong to me. And I'll get what I want. Right. Now.'
Yawning and immediately regretting opening her eyes, Fluttershy felt the effects of drinking cider the previous night. Being the light-weight that she was, even a small amount was enough to force her to get drowsy, drink a little more, and bye-bye inhibitions and reasoning. Which often led to her neglecting many of her life choices on the following morning, she had an entire pack of calendars hidden in her house after an episode that led to pin-up pictures she prayed no other pony still had.
'Oh, dear.' Fluttershy winced at the sight of her clothes. It was a rather revealing toga that seemed to fit her body too well to not be tailor-made for Fluttershy. 'Why is it so warm? Did I get a blanket? OH, DEAR!' Letting out a muffled yelp, Fluttershy realized the answer to her question. She was snuggling with Zecora's sister on the floor, who happened to be whimpering and being in a nightmare, given her closed eyes and tears that is. Something that seemed to change as the zebra began to grit her teeth. Quietly moving away, Fluttershy nearly had a heart attack when Zephir's eyes snapped open.
'I must be half-drunk still. I don't think her eyes should be shining. They look so pretty, though.' Fluttershy mused while trying to suppress the headache nailing her skull. Pretending to be asleep, Fluttershy allowed Zephir to move away from her grip, resulting in Fluttershy's arm hitting the floor with a thud. There was something wrong with the look in Zephir's eyes. A mixture of fear, determination, and desire. Fluttershy knew that look very well. She saw it every single day when she looked in the mirror. It was the look of a pony who wanted desperately to succeed at something that terrorized them.
Watching closely, Fluttershy saw Zephir walk up to where their things seemed to be stored. Zephir picked up Rarity's purse. 'What is she doing? She wouldn't steal from Rarity, would she?' Right before Fluttershy's eyes, Zephir picked up a bunch of lipsticks Rarity carried in her purse at all times, never go out without color to match the occasion, she used to say. Checking the colors of each one, Zephir placed each one back in the purse until she found a green one. 'What a strange color to pick. Her eyes are dull-looking now, why is that?'
After applying the lipstick, Zephir searched the purse once more. This time she pulled out Rarity's eyeshadow. Using the dial on it, Zephir altered the color to a green that matched the lipstick and then applied it. Placing it back on the purse before returning it to the pile, Zephir quietly moved away towards the stairs.
'She still has her toga on! It's not clothing for the outside!' Fluttershy panicked as she looked back at her toga only to realize that she had also lost her underwear. 'I hope Zephir still has hers!' Fluttershy prayed before dragging herself across the room in search of the missing undergarments. A task she needed to complete before the others woke up. Otherwise, they would need to go to sleep again, only this time, with a lump in their heads.
(WARNING! ADULT CONTENT AHEAD! THIS IS WEIRD AND FILLED WITH SOME WEIRD THINGS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!)
There he was. She tasted the positive emotions emanating from him, so easily absorbed. So addictive that she could no longer feast on another and hope for the same results. Her mind shut off as her target stood before her. A key to her Kingdom. A key to her subjects. Her key.
He was hers and hers alone.
And as such, no one else would see what was about to happen. That moment belonged to her as well. The ponies outside had no business with them. Therefore, using her magic, Chrysalis sealed the library from prying eyes. Only one other creature would be able to access that place now, and she was fast asleep, for the moment.
"I WANT IT!" Her voice exploded through the link as she lunged at Arden. Her eyes locked on her prey
"Chrysalis! Have you gone mad? You need to—"
"I am not done speaking! You! YOU BELONG TO ME! And from my property I have demands. Demands that you will listen to and fulfill!" Chrysalis ordered through the link.
"Chrysalis! Someone will see you!" Arden replied before she forcefully pushed her lips against his. His thoughts became jumbled as he couldn't respond anymore. In her current form, Arden couldn’t retaliate. Her power was comparable to that of Celestia, if not greater. Chrysalis opened his mouth with ease before shoving her tongue down his throat.
"Naked. Both of us." A blink of green magic warped their clothes on the couch. That was their moment. And it would be done on her terms. "I'm am Chrysalis. I am the queen. I am your Queen. I am the queen of the hive. A hive you will provide." Another flash of green flames caused them to appear on the ceiling as Chrysalis kept them from falling as her insect nature allowed her to cling to the ceiling.
Suddenly backing up, Chrysalis watched as her prey coughed and wheezed in an attempt to breathe. Looking over her shoulder, she saw what had been used to bring pleasure to Zecora. Both Zecora and Arden had to tease each other for him to reach that state. Chrysalis, on the other hand, had managed to do it with a mere kiss. Many ideas cycled through her mind as she observed her prey.
"I'll eat that." She muttered, positioning herself so that her privates were placed on top of Arden's muzzle. Her magic made sure that his muzzle was surrounded by her most intimate parts. The difference in their sizes made it so his muzzle was buried, causing her to moan in pleasure.
Opening her maw, Chrysalis allowed her tongue to slowly slide out of her mouth. Her tongue encircled Arden's shaft as she gently kissed the tip. She had visited the fantasies of many ponies while making them enjoy the illusions she created. Thanks to that, she knew many ways to please and entrance those she feasted upon. There was a delicate way to approach that position and create an optimal scenario. However, the drunken lust dominating her mind didn't allow for her knowledge to be put to use.
Quickly pulling back from the kiss, Chrysalis swallowed the entire thing in one go. Though she could emulate the reflex to vomit, she did not share this characteristic with the ponies. Chrysalis began to suck, moving her head and tongue up and down rhythmically. She could hear the stallion's groans and feel him shivering. His attempts to escape caused her nothing but bliss as his muzzle rubbed against her walls.
Arden's constant contortion sent her into a lustful bliss the likes she had never thought possible. Based on the behavior of the previous ponies she had tricked with her illusions and spells, Chrysalis had him quickly approaching his climax. His hands kept tapping into her ankles rhythmically, three taps followed by a pause. She had seen that gesture in some of his memories, however, her pleasure from his movements pushed her into a drunken stupor that she had never felt before.
'Keep going! I need to keep going!' Chrysalis thought. However, she felt something happen. Something was moving inside her, pressure in her lower abdomen forced her to back away from her devouring. Her jaw dropped as the movements continued to occur in greater frequency and force. Mouth agape, she couldn't help but let out a loud moan as she felt Arden attempt to open his mouth. And then, her entire lower half began to tremble. At that moment, Chrysalis felt something exiting her with considerable force as she seemed to reach her limit.
She arched back as the feeling of something exiting her happened twice more before her vision began to blur. It didn't take long for her to pass out.
‘Thank god, she finally stopped! Why did she turn into Celestia?!’ Arden thanked while finally freeing his body from the unconscious queen, coughing, and wheezing. ‘Nevermind. Ok, clothes first.’ After getting his garments back on, Arden proceeded to pick up Chrysalis and take her to his bedroom. He had to hide her before anyone noticed her there. The protection spells she placed on the windows and doors were holding for the moment, however, he had to make sure her secret wasn’t exposed. Even after what she did, he still felt the need to keep that secret. If not for Chrysalis’s sake, it was probably for Zecora’s.
After taking the body and making sure it was completely covered by the blanket, Arden returned to the front door. Luckily for him, it would seem that Chrysalis’s magic was getting weaker after her collapse. Trying his best to remain calm, Arden opened the upper half of the door. The crowd outside stood there silently, staring at him without letting out a peep. It was as if all of them were holding their breath.
Arden stared at the crowd, feeling a lump in his throat. He wanted to explain to them that he was in a bad situation. However, nothing that he wanted to say come close to his mouth. The thought of provoking the crowd made him shiver. He stood there for several seconds before something came out. "I, I need to speak with Walkyre Heart and Mind Walker."
Stepping forward, a gray-maned mare stood between him and the crowd with open arms. “Listen up! As the mayor, I declare that the library shall remain closed until Mr. Arden has finished his business! He has gone through enough harassment for one day! Leave or I shall have the guards to escort all insist in remaining here to a cell.”
Turning to Arden, she said, “If there is any trouble, you can find me at the city hall. I am truly sorry about this, but I believe it would be a good thing if you took a bath.”
“I appreciate the concern. But, if you would excuse me, I need to talk to those two in private,” Arden said as he saw the guards approach the crowd. Making way for them, Arden opened the lower half of the door. “Mind, I need you to come inside. Walkyre, please wait here until I’m done talking to him.”
“Whose feathers are these?” Mind Walker inquired while holding a white feather he seemed to have found inside the library.
Quickly throwing a jab towards Mind, Arden picked the feather. “There is no feather,” Arden muttered, Mind seemed to open his mouth for a moment, but closed immediately after. “No. Feathers. Here. Now, I need to know two things. One, how well can you handle a spell to make everyone inside the library invisible to those outside? And two, can you make these walls soundproof?” Arden asked with a somewhat softer tone.
“Um, warding spells like soundproofing a room aren’t my specialty; therefore, I would say that I can soundproof one room. The illusion to hide anyone inside, however, that I can do for the entire library,” Mind replied while scratching his chin.
“Good enough,” Arden replied while placing the feather in his pocket while heading to the front door. “Can you please soundproof my room? I would also appreciate it if you made everyone inside disappear. I can make my room impenetrable. I’m thankful in advance for the help.”
Opening the upper half of the door, Arden poked Walkyre’s shoulder. “Can you go to the Cakes’ house and find Zecora for me? She is the zebra that appeared with me when I returned to town.” Walkyre simply saluted before taking off towards the bakery.
‘ Ok, she is acting as if I was her boss. I'll check that later. Now, I wait.’ Arden concluded while heading to the stairs to his room.
“Please, soundproof this room once Zecora is inside,” he asked at the bottom of the stairs before heading up. With a silent nod from Mind, Arden made his way to his room.
‘What do I do now? I believed her to see me as a friend/tool. But I heard it. Lust, Love? Why? Why now? And what did she do to me? She shoved something down my throat. But what? Moreover, what do I tell to Zecora? I know Celestia explained the herd thing, but I never thought I would put it into practice! I don’t know if I can even pull that off!’
It didn’t take long for him to hear a knock on the door. “Arden? It’s me, Zecora.”
“Come on in,” Arden replied before Zecora entered followed by Mind Walker that quickly cast a spell inside the room before leaving quietly.
“What has happened? Is the cerulean unwell?” Zecora asked while Arden created magic walls in front of each entrance to the room.
“I’m ok. The issue here is Chrysalis,” Arden answered with a weak voice before he stopped for a moment. Running his hands up his mane, Arden took a deep breath. “And something happened. Chrysalis came here. She was acting weird, almost as if she was drunk. She pinned me down. She… she kissed me, then she used her magic to get us both naked before she sat on my face and sucked that part.” He shrank at every word that left his mouth. He could have tried harder. It was his fault for being too weak to fight back.
Zecora didn’t respond. Glancing at her, Arden noticed Zecora sat by his side and was looking at Chrysalis over his shoulder.
“The changeling drank a lot last night. And, as much as she might deny it, she screamed very clearly to all at the party how she felt about you.” Zecora placed her arm over Arden and brought him closer.
“She said she loved me?” Arden inquired with a neutral tone while leaning against Zecora.
Zecora chuckled. “No, she screamed, “I won’t say I’m in love!” That one is far too stubborn to say that out loud after claiming that she planned to use you as a food source only.”
Not noticing the half-smile that appeared on his muzzle, Arden chuckled too. “That sounds like something she would do. But, aren’t you mad? She was drunk, so she can’t be entirely blamed. But still, she forced herself on me. And I was unable to do anything. Even after everything you taught me.”
“You speak as if this one should be mad at you. When the irresponsible and disrespectful act was done to you. While this one understands and has some concerns with Chrysalis’s behavior. She does not believe Chrysalis would have acted in such a way if Chrysalis was in complete control of her senses.”
“I know, but it still feels bad. I feel like I did something to hurt you.”
“This one is glad that you worry so much for her, but this one told you before that the number of companions her mate manages to win over is something that shows how strong they are. And this one is sure we can make everything work out if we talk about it. Now, is the blue one sure he is not feeling guilty because he might have liked it?”
Arden frowned at her question. How could he like the idea of being pinned to the ground? Or was it the ceiling? Things got weird there for a moment. How could he like the concept of being dominated? That is not how he imagined sex would be. His first time with Zecora was closer to the ideal he held in his head about how intercourse should be. An experience in which both parts paced themselves to feel comfortable with the process. What he experienced with Chrysalis was forceful, direct, fast, and strange above all else. How could he enjoy something that made him feel fear?
However, something in that act made him feel flustered. Just recalling the event was enough for his cheeks to flush and his heart starts racing. Shaking his head, Arden managed to find the words to answer Zecora's inquiry.
“Are you serious?” Arden shot back confused as to why he felt so nervous about the question. “She just pushed me down and did things the way she wanted to do!”
Suddenly, Zecora pushed him down and held his arms in place. Arden struggled to free himself from her grasp. He was no match for Chrysalis, but he knew he was able to put up a fight with Zecora, or so he thought. Firmly gripping Arden’s wrists, Zecora leaned closer to his face.
‘Damn it!’ Arden cursed while grunting and trying to turn things around. That was when Zecora used her legs to prevent Arden from using his legs. ‘I lost some progress while in that induced coma.’
Zecora purred in his ears. “The cerulean came to this one because he wanted to protect her from dangers. He wanted to have control over the situation. When he learned about his mental condition, he quickly took action to take control of things. The cerulean tried to help this one because he didn’t want to feel helpless. The cerulean learned how to hunt to control his chances of survival. The cerulean needs to control situations that make him feel threatened. But do tell, does he feel threatened now with this one overpowering you? Does this one pinning you to the ground make you feel your life is in danger?”
Arden felt his heart race. Sweat formed on his forehead. He kept struggling until finally resigned to the fact he was unable to do anything. He felt his cheeks burn while staring at the huntress above him.
“Now, answer this one. Do you feel threatened?”
“Y-yes,” Arden replied with his voice trembling.
“Does the cerulean think this one would hurt him?” She inquired while looking into Arden’s eyes.
Arden stared boking straight into those green eyes, Arden felt the anxiety subside as his heart continued to race. This time, it was similar to what he felt during the first time. And strangely enough, it resembled what he felt when Chrysalis did the same.
“No. I know you won’t hurt me,” He replied with a calmer voice.
“Yet, here you are. Nervous. Excited. The cerulean may not see it, but he enjoys this position, as long as you’re with someone you trust. You may call it a preference. You seem to prefer being in control of your life, but in moments like this, you are ok with letting others take the lead.”
Sitting on Arden’s hip as he lay there, Zecora grinned while letting go of Arden's arms. “Well, it does seem to push you to the right mood quicker.”
Arden let out a sigh as he covered his face with both hands he allowed his hands to fall. “I have a kink. Nice. Why am I learning more about myself here than back home?”
“It is better than never learning. However, here is another question; were you afraid when Chrysalis did this?”
“Yes, I completely panicked,” Arden admitted with a small smile.
“What form was she in?” Zecora inquired with the same serious voice.
“She was herself when she pinned me. But she turned into Princess Celestia halfway through. And given the fact that there was a shit-ton of ponies outside with questions because of some unexpected news. The fear was given.”
“Then what were you truly afraid of?” Zecora asked while laying on top of him. “The act, afraid that she would hurt you, or something else entirely?”
Arden held his tongue. The obvious answer was the act. But that wasn’t the case. His immediate worry after getting that mess done was protecting Chrysalis’s identity.
‘Wait. She was about to force herself on me. Did I jump to that worry because I knew she wouldn’t hurt me?’
Arden groaned. “How can you get what’s wrong with me in a matter of seconds when I have to do a deep dive to figure out the basics?”
“Call it intuition,” Zecora replied while getting up. “At any rate, what should we do about Chrysalis?”
“For now, we let her rest. Then we make sure she won’t be trying to remove my gut with her stubbornness. This has been one hell of a morning. Oh, right! I should warn you about the weird scandal in the newspaper.”
Arden began to explain the news about the rumor of his supposed romance with Celestia as well as her apparent confession to the princess of love. He also took the time to explain how Chrysalis ended up unconscious and what she probably prevented him from doing to the visitors that were at his doorstep earlier that day. As he explained things to Zecora, he felt something strange. Lightheadedness followed by some dark spots in his vision. They happened two times during the conversation before leaving him alone with just a slight headache.
Arden was lost in the conversation and didn’t realize how much time had passed until he heard grunts coming from his bed. Arden walked up to the drowsy changeling who was struggling to sit up.
“Hello, please do not jump on me,” Arden said in a low voice as he helped Chrysalis sit up.
“Urgh, remember me to never drink again,” she grumbled while holding one of her hands to her forehead. Suddenly her eyes shot open as her cheeks flushed. “I, I was drunk! I didn’t mean anything!”
“It’s ok,” Arden said while gently stroking her head. “Even though you scared me, you didn’t hurt me. Moreover, I’m glad you are that fond of me. I won’t say that I will be the best partner you could hope for. But I’ll promise to be the best partner I can be.”
“W-what?” Chrysalis asked with a trembling voice.
“I love you too Chrysalis, just as much as I love Zecora,” Arden replied while breaking the hug to look into Chrysalis’s eyes. Her expression was of utter disbelief as tears filled her eyes. She started sobbing before taking a deep breath to try and talk.
“That’s not the sort of thing you can take back! You can’t turn your back on me now. Do you hear me?! I’ll hold you to that!” Chrysalis said while pushing Arden away.
“That’s fine. I don’t intend to. But I do have a few things I want to ask.” A grin grew on Arden’s face.
“What is it? I won’t change into someone else just to make you aroused! You’re stuck with me!”
“That was one of the requests, more specifically, to keep your form when we are alone or doing that. But, do keep the disguise up until we can make sure no one will attack you. As for the second question, what did you shove down my throat?”
“What? I didn’t shove anything down your throat, did I?” Chrysalis replied while scratching her head.
“Yeah. When you sat on my face and fit my muzzle on your vagina. Something came out of you and was forced down my throat.” Arden explained while trying to hold in the embarrassment.
Chrysalis turned to him as her pupils shrunk. She seemed aware of what he was referring to. But didn’t seem to believe it. “From there? B-But, I’m not ready yet. I couldn’t possibly have. No, I’m not supposed to have them. Only a complete queen should be able to do it.”
Arden frowned at the bits of information she shared. “What are you not supposed to have? Wait, did you lay eggs in me?”
“If it came from my womb, probably. But I’m not supposed to have eggs. I didn’t receive the royal treatment to become a mature queen yet.”
Arden had flashbacks to a certain movie about a thing that laid eggs in its host and the hatchling burst out of the host’s chest. “Please, don’t tell me I’ll have a changeling bursting out of my chest.”
“If I did lay eggs. I doubt any of them are fertile. The queen needs to be fertilized at least once to produce a viable egg. So, if I did lay them, you would simply, digest them?” Chrysalis gave a less-than-reassuring smile. She then let out a sigh before hunching over. "Ok. I don't know what's going to happen. I should be infertile. There should be nothing going on down there," Chrysalis said as she held her hands near the lower part of her abdomen.
"Well, not like we can do anything about it now," Arden replied with a chuckle as he leaned back on the bed.
"Is the cerulean not worried about this?" Zecora intervened.
"I have been in several situations in which I could potentially die since I arrived. I think I might be slowly getting used to that. It's less scary than dealing with a bunch of paparazzi," Arden replied while feeling the headache subside. "Ok, I might be starting to get slightly worried."
Arden waited for something to happen. However, all he felt was a sudden pressure on his stomach. This was followed by an audible rumbling sound. It started rumbling for about two or three seconds, subside for about thirty seconds, and then repeat the cycle. There was no pain or any urge to vomit or use the restroom, just that repetition.
"Ok, I might get a stomachache or a bit of diarrhea. But I don't seem to be dying or being poisoned," Arden said while holding his abdomen. "So, we better shift this conversation to the one that seems to be outdated in her biology."
"Excuse me?" Chrysalis inquired with an offended tone. She then chuckled before adjusting her mane. "You're right. What do you suggest?"
"Well, I might be able to help with that," Arden replied while holding his belly. "I was trained as a physician. If I had the tools, I might be able to check with you. But I would need you to share everything you know about your physiology. How you heal, how you digest food and emotions, and where your organs are. I can even take a look into your vagina to check if there is anything odd based on your descriptions I can point it out to you."
Chrysalis' cheeks flushed as she closed her legs and moved both hands in front of her privates. "You're not poking your head anywhere in there."
"Who said anything about poking my head in there? If we have the tools I can just use them to spread your walls and look in there. It would be uncomfortable, but it would allow us to see what was happening. I would love to have an ultrasound device to check your uterus as well as ovaries."
"I, I don't have that. The ovaries that are. It's more like an egg sack. But you're not putting anything in me."
"Is the changeling sure she wants to keep that statement?" Zecora inquired with a smirk.
"Oh, you know what I mean, dumb zebra," Chrysalis grumbled before glancing at Arden. "You better not start getting too full of yourself. You're not getting any tools in me."
"But I am getting myself to a doctor. Just to be sure," Arden replied before tossing his arms around both Chrysalis and Zecora. "You know, I should get you two up to speed about what I am here for. At least the general idea."
"What does the Cerulean mean?"
"I was sent here for a mission. And in three years, I am going to need to check on someone's heart with my eyes. Now that I think about it, I should have a talk with Celestia about this mission," Arden added while falling back on the bed. "I should introduce her to you two. For the sake of sharing all the details that won't put both of you at risk."
The room grew quiet as they rested on the bed. Arden could see Zecora and Chrysalis staring at each other with inquisitive looks. Arden suddenly stood up, walked to the window facing City Hall, and then turned around with a toothy grin, some slightly sharper teeth glistening in his mouth as he spoke his decision.
"Time we pay a visit to Canterlot City. I'll ask for a favor from the mayor. Then, we take a trip by train to the castle. You two better get some changes of clothes ready for us to travel."