> Silver's ''Choose Your Adventure'': Book One - Mirror > by SaulLaski > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter First - An Understandable Quest... > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- For some ponies, life is fortunate; they are born into the nobility, they have everything at their grasp since they're newborns. For some, their future is... Unstable, unfortunate. It's not that they're lucky or not, it's their birthright. For our case today, the Royal ambassador Crunchie Cookie, Referred to as Crunch, was quite the pony in matters of physical strength, even among his fellow earth ponies, but also in combat. His military career was handed to him on a silver platter ever since he pushed his friend in the mud, showing excessive strength, and a divine blessing shone on his flank! Taking the form of crossing swords, he knew he had to go into the guard and find a place for himself. After many battles, the loss of an eye and some strength in a rear leg, he was still able to lodge himself a place at the castle. A desk job. Good pay grade. Good work environment. The chance to brag about working at the Canterlot castle. Anyways. Ours subject clearly isn't such an honest, good folk. It's one of a certain ashen grey unicorn. One quite slender, though muscular in shape, a Unicorn at that. Crunch's senses thought of him as a warrior, though he was nothing like that. ''Ambassador, the newfound will soon wake up. Our healer is done with him.'' Crunch was shaken out of his thoughts by the apparition of a Tall, dark blue pony with a black spot on her rear. The flowing mane that soon got over the teal eyes of the Alicorn in front of him was tickling his nose. Wait, tickling? ''Princess, could i ask you to step back a bit?'' the princess's neck bent back upwards, and the unicorn's head was able to raise back again too. Both were in the compact doorway leading into his office, both were awkwardly standing, and clearly uncomfortable talking to each other. The ''day guard'' ambassador cleared his throat, angled his head and sighed. He looked at the Alicorn in the eyes, and sighed. This day was going to suck. ''If your highness might allow me to ask, what is it you wanted for me to do with the kid?'' Crunch's question echoed in the Night Princess's mind. There wasn't a lot of options when faced with such a dilemma. They had to hide a fugitive from the hippogryph's, and they couldn't afford another pony in the guests quarter of the castle. The only option was to resort to emergency measures; those that were never used, actually. ''I believe there is still a place in shady hollows, a retreat for undercover agents that won't be of any use soon. Alas, we don't have much time to chat. What is it you wanted to ask me?'' The Princess had huge, teal colored eyes. Slitted eyes. Crunch felt like the Alicorn could almost see his deepest thoughts... And, nervous, he backed away a little bit, retreating into his chair and almost stumbling. Looking back up, he saw the commanding air of the Princess. The ''Warrior Goddess of Equus''. Crunchie swallowed and looked down. ''Nothing else, your Highness. I'll be on my way, if you'll excuse me.'' The earth pony squeezed threw the tiny space behind his desk, and walked out of his office after Luna had went to her business. The ambassador made his way to a room nearby his office, and upon entering he looked at the other pony in the room, lying on a bed, and cuffed to it. There was an ashen-grey Unicorn, with a off-blond, even platine, almost bleached looking colored mane with pale blond streaks. It sat messily on the Unicorn's head, it's length hiding the eyes still closed. The left one had a slight scar running over the eye, but he only noticed because of the light shining right on it. Otherwise, it was almost... impossible to distinguish it. In fact, the color was slightly yellowed in the room because of the sun. The Unicorn was strictly Silver in color. His mane was almost trans-lucid... He could see the scar running along the unicorn's closed eye, as the sun's beam shone on it. Suddenly, it opened it eyes and gasped. ''Where the fuck am I?'' **Magic change of POV** I opened my eyes to see another pony looming over me, almost creepily, as if he's been observing me. I feel almost looked-raped and point an hoof at him. ''Who the fuck are you!?'' The other pony was shocked by me awakening I guess, and stepped back in surprise. ''Who are YOU? You've been found behind her Majesty's Throne! Even though you were unconscious, it is ill-advised to teleport into the Throne room of the Sun Princess!'' I looked at him. I was shocked, confused, and most off all, i had an headache and a freaking weird sensation in my chest. I looked down to notice... ''I'll repeat my question,''The Guard lifted a hoof and pointed at me, as if to intimidate me. I quickly silenced him with some magic.''We're I'm from, you'd be dead for having put theses restrains upon me. Look into my eye and tell me, now, Who is that princess and where the Fuck I've landed?'' The pony was taken aback by my words. I could see- no, sense... The nervousness, or the agitation he felt. He wasn't used to be talked to this way. ''Al'right. Sorry, i'm being rude. This is the worst sleep I've had in months...'' Recalling his earlier question in more detail, i made eye contact with him and calmed my expression as most as possible. ''My name is...'' It took me a few seconds to remember my name. The guards... pony... Steeled himself, visibly, and nodded, as to encourage me. ''I'm Silver. I Forgot what my family name was, however...'' The armored pony chuckled a bit. ''Family name? You're a noble then?'' I shook my head at the statement. ''No. I was from the Clergy actually, and we went by our family names... And i forgot how it's pronounced.'' My tongue felt weird in my mouth. As if too tick, or something. Too wide? Why was i feeling so hot? ''Hey, can you open a window or something? I'm sweatin' up something crazy in here.'' The other pony nodded, and went to open the window. I took that moment to look at my restraints, wich felt like cuffs, but felt like wood. I tried to magic them away, but my horn felt odd against my head. The magic i used earlier was fine, though? I had used it without thinking, and now that i concentrated... It felt as if i had even forgot how to levitate stuff! Simple stuff. ''We've found you behind the throne room. You obviously sneaked-teleported there cause it took a few minutes at least for a guard to notice your tail. You were unconscious.'' The other pony had come back, and he removed the blanket covering my chest, letting it fall and cover my from my mid-section, to the bottom of my rearlegs. One even poked out thanks to his move. ''You were discovered behind the Throne of Princess Celestia, Regent of the Sun and Ruler of Equestria.'' He cleared his throat a bit. ''I'm Crunchie Cookie. Please call me Officer Crunch.'' I nodded, acknowledging his name. ''Officer... Crunch. I don't know how i ended up there actually. Honest. Last thing i remember, i was... Back in my town, north of the Griffin Kingdom.'' The other pony recoiled a bit. ''Wait, Where? Griffin Kingdom? There's nothing north theses mountains. It's the frozen North!'' I scuffed, really just tried to bit back a chuckle. ''No, Officer. It's nothing but green valleys. Snow in winter, Rain in summer. And the nearby rivers are growing each year... That just means more fish. Nothing's Frozen out there!'' The Officer looked at me a little more intensely. ''Al'right... I don't know what to do of you, honestly. I was supposed to bring you in a Safe House, take a few relaxing weeks off by taking care of an out-cold prisoner in a safehouse. Now... Seems like my report will bring the worst attention ever and even more problems my way!'' The pony sat, the armor clanking weirdly at the sudden movement. ''Shit... And with Princess Celestia gone this weekend, i don't want to report to Princess Luna of all Things!'' I cleared my throat to get his attention. ''Look, Officer Crunch. Can you release theses bounds? I'm not violent. I won't run away either... And i have a deal.'' -=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=- ''This is the worst idea ever.'' I looked at the Officer, undressed, sitting across me. We were on a speeding train, headed towards the Town of Hollow Shades. ''It's gonna be alright! I used to do the same thing back in my days! We call this 'Procrastination'!'' Crunch sighed. ''Nope. Still don't think it was such a good idea. I might get demoted if i get caught. All of the paper work...'' I only smiled. I had shaken down the best deal in history: let him have his vacation in Hollow Shades, get my share of the fun and, in exchange, i only had to tell him about my culture and town, and the way to get there to initiate diplomatic relations. All fair, no? ''Yeah, well if you don't get caught, you get a few weeks, or months, of laid back fun, and nice sights.'' I took out a brochure i had sneaked in my tail when we passed by the ticket booth earlier. ''The town is perpetually covered in darkness, thanks to the thick canopy. But thanks to the tourists industry, there is another little ''town'' apart from the shadows of the Canopy, and we get to chill there! I'll be sunbathin' and readin' away my sweet liberty time...'' The Guard's ears perked up. ''Liberty? Wait a minute. What was your occupation back in your town? Anything i should know?'' I chuckled a bit. ''If you must know, I'm taking care of Sick elderlies.'' I let that settle in a few seconds, making a little sigh. To seem a little tired and, over-worked a bit.''They like having me around, and make for good conversation. But...'' ''I've been stressed out lately, there had been a few losses lately. Taking care of the sick also means taking care of... The departed. The loss, the mourning...'' I cleared my throat and perked my ears up, to set a slightly lighter mood. Lets change subjects... ''I was also the president of the book club, and last month, we liked... philosophical, or psychological thrillers. Stories of murder, drug lords, or other criminals... And their view of the world. Their philosophical daily challenges. Moral choices. You know?'' His looked had changed from a wild array of confused states. It finally settled with a Frown. ''Are you making fun of me?'' He was good. Really good. Ponies usually couldn't tell when i was joking around, with how serious i look. ''Ehr... Yes, actually?'' I must have sounded confused, cause he grinned. ''Tell me the truth. I'm good at reading people.'' I sighed. ''You win, Officer Cookie. I'm a tough one, but i can concede over such amazing deduction abilities. I went too far with the book club thing. Should've picked another genre...'' He lightly kicked me with a dangling rear leg, almost playfully, before jerking his chin up while fixing me. He wanted me to clear up my mess. ''Al'right. I do take care of the dead though. I worked the Clergy, remember? They are old ponies. They died regularly. I... Assisted the local church.'' ''I was the one cleaning up after the dead. Clearing their rooms, distributing their belongings according to their wills, and then i either burnt or put the bodies to the grave. I also helped the Church in dealing with... Magical problems. Look, i was working with the dead a lot and people came to me.'' I let myself slip. The perceptive fighter raised an eyebrow and raised a foreleg to interrupt me. ''People? You treated ponies and griffins, then?'' I nodded. ''Not only Griffons. I was... A specialist. Of any and all creatures... As well as their... Families. You must understand that my work is, in a way, confidential right? Just like yours, in a certain way.'' Crunch nodded too. he reached for his drink, an iced tea of sorts, while i reached in my tail to retrieve a black case. ''You mind if i smoke?'' The Pony nodded and opened our passenger car's window. Being alone together, The Officer didn't mind. If anything, he still had is Royal Guard Badge. I took out a case out of my tail (I don't know how it held, and neither did anypony. It's a perk of being a pony, i guess) And opened it. Inside rested my pipe, my medicine and some tobacco leaves, cut and dried with special ingredients. More ''medicine.'' Actually a mix of Illicit Drugs. I've came to name it Medicine. Concentrated Opium and Poison Joke Extract was kind of a mouthful. I took out the tobacco mix from a Tin box, and sprinkled some on my Pipe. It was a crystal pipe, though the bucket was a special affair. It was specially made for earth ponies; inside the pipe was an enchantment that would heat up the crystal part of the pipe, while the bottom and mouthpiece remained warm enough not to burn anypony who would touch it, even by accident. The crystal was purple, almost prune-sh in color, and turned a vivid pink when heated. ''It was for my dad, actually. It was his colors''. I must've thought aloud, for Crunch smiled. ''Was?'' It almost had a sarcastic tone, or i heard it that way. I decided to reach with my senses, and see if i could sense his emotions, only to discover that he was pained. 'Odd.', i thought. ''Yeah. He died before i could give him, actually. It's a rather... Sad story.'' For our emotions to be combined, somehow, was it coincidence? ''I lost mine too, actually.'' Deus Ex Equus. The Universe always tried to bitch me when i used my powers! ''Might i ask how, Officer?'' The pony sported a dark expression, but upon hearing my words, he forced a more stoic one. ''Yeah, it's alright. I didn't know him. It hurt my 'Ma a lot tho'.'' He reached a hoof to his tail and took a case out. It was a dark-green case made from assembled, colored leaves of some kind, pressed together to become solid. He flipped it open and took out a rolled out cigarette. He looked at me and nodded at my pipe. ''Mind lightin' me?'' I took my pipe with an hoof and held it to his face. He bit (with his ''lips'') on his cigarette, and inhaled. My Pipe's spell slightly ignited the tip of his cigarette, but it took a little while. I had to motion with my head for him to keep inhaling, and it eventually caught fire. ''How come it doesn't light things up?'' he asked, with an inquisitive look on his face. ''It is for medicinal purposes. Not Recreational. As in, it heats up instead of burning. It's an enchanted crystal, not a usual enchanted fire ruby. My father had a lung disease, and i had to go to the Griffin Kingdom to have it made... By a special Griffin who had a Unicorn Friend. They designed it so it can ignite his medicine... Now mine, without making it burn. So as not to have smoke in our lungs.'' ''It Eventually killed my father, to smoke his medicine instead of taking only the vapors. That's why I'll most likely have to give it to my son one day. Or I'll have to make him one somehow, if the need arises.'' Crunch's expression sombered up. ''Basically, what you're saying is that your hereditary disease... Is a lethal one?'' I nodded. ''Only if i smoke, if I'm lucky. Can't say for sure. It also weakens my condition, as to why i'm so fit; I need muscles more than any other unicorn only to hold myself up.'' I shifted a bit.''Also, my job requires sometimes to... Run. You know, death strikes at any moment after all. And i need to be there quick to help families grieve.'' Crunch nodded. ''It's a good thing, then. I like ponies that can keep up when i walk. Usually i have to slow down for everyone, only the princesses can walk as fast as i do. And you, it seems.'' I nodded. ''Yeah. It made us catch this train pretty quick. I wouldn't have wanted to wait hours standing around, doing nothing. So Boring.'' We stood there in a companionable silence, each smoking. At some point, he caught a whiff of what i was vaping. ''Hey, is that... Poison Joke, mixed with Tiger lily? Those are controlled drugs, you know!'' It was more stated than asked. ''Yeah, i know, Officer Crunch. I just told you i need to relax my muscles, and help my lungs. If i don't get to vape theses, I'll be as stupid as hay- no, scratch that. That would be an insult to that Hay's IQ. And if i don't get the medicine in my lungs at least once a day, I'll cough blood. If push comes to shove, it'll prove my condition.'' The guardspony lowered his intimidating glare and stance, and opted for a more relaxed one. ''Yeah, i know. I just don't want you to be in any trouble... So I'll allow it, but not under certain circumstances. You understand?'' Again, i figured it was more of a statement than an answer. If i was caught by other guards, and given a ticket, i was on my own. ''Al'right. I'll play your rules. You can't play nice for me, and i understand that. Thanks for allowing me behind closed doors though.'' He blushed. Reaching with my senses, i could sense his nervousness. What could it mean? ''Is there something you'd like to ask me?'' I rolled my eyes. My shape was pretty feminine by most standards, and my mane was freekingly long. Most thought of me as a girl until i spoke; my groveling, deep voice was a dead giveaway. Plus the drugs i vaped, with my condition, gave me a raspy voice and breath. "what about your second parts?" I was slightly confused at first. I simply raised looked down at my seating form, my sheath on display, and looked at Captain Crunch. "Honestly. What other proof do you need?" He didn't miss a beat, even though his face became beet red against his clear blond coat. "Well with the way you've been raisin' your tail, I was surprised you wasn't ashamed about your... two-gender-thing?" I got on my hind legs, held myself against the suitcase shelf over the seats, and looked at my Frank's reflection in the window. I could see my cutie Mark on my flanks: A flame with an eerie glow surrounding it. didn't know when I got it actually, and the constant reminder is annoying me more than anything. but the subject of my thoughts then wasn't my cutie Mark. it was my vagina. yes. I had a vagina right over my scrotum. under my asshole. I had. A. Plot. And it was Fabulous. Mesmerizing. Hypnotizing... It seemed ready to swallow the world. At the very least, some phallic shaped objec- Wich I immediately shook away from my thoughts. Who was I kidding? What was I Thinking? was I about to get a hard-on while looking at myself? Suddenly... It was my turn to blush. And I was reminded by something even more embarrassing. 'you've been raisin' your tail...'' "wait a second. I-I've been showing off all d-day?" Crunch nodded, and I melted back into a seated position, covering my face with my hooves. slightly shaking. "What's wrong? I- is it because I haven't been... replying to your..." I shot a hoof towards him. "Don't even finish that sentence! What the fuck? How in the Tartarus is this happening? TO ME?" Okay, to be honest, I was only on the verge of breaking down. I've been through worse honestly. After some time to collect myself, I looked at Crunch. Definitely avoiding eye contact on this one. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen. Before I woke up, I remember only having a sheath, okay? well, and my tailhole of course... But it's not the point. sorry I've been... sending mixed signals. I'm promised already, to a mare thank you very much." I then shot him an apologetic glare. "Look I'm sure there will come a time when we'll get touchy feely, all friendly and cupcakes and rainbows. but for now, even though I'm extremely friendly, I'd like to remind you that you are a royal guard on duty. Don't get me wrong, I like the attention. Just... Let me clear my head. Hear my story. Then we can get on the road to friendship if you want. But I may warn you: both my former townsponies and my family, as much as my friends too, used to hate me a lot and I wouldn't hold it against you either if you would start to hate me too, once you know the real me." Surprisingly, the other pony only swapped seats to sit next to me. He looked me in the eye, and I could feel both apprehension and an empathetic feeling from him. he responded with my energy at that moment and I felt something. I felt like he could feel me too at that moment. feel the spiritual aura emanating from me, going out in small waves like you'd feel when you're out swimming and your friend drops heavy rocks next to you in the water. And, surprisingly, for the first time of my life... I felt another wave emanating from him as he spoke. "I do not claim that this is love at First Sight. I only wish to tell you that, I know I am a guard, under service of the royal crown. but... You appear innocent to me.'' He took a moment to swallow his nervousness, and another powerful wave lashed out from his very heart.''That means that, whatever my report will show, you'll be free to leave. I only wish for one thing, however.'' It was my turn to swallow. My heart rate rose a bit... Quite a bit.''Will you stay with me for some most-needed vacation? Whatever what might happens between us?" I was struck. Never before have I felt auras like his. Was it because that I just woke up? was it because he was the one to wake me up? Who was this pony? "What do you know about ghosts and stuff that magic can't explain? Do you wish to know? Do you fear monsters? Do you fear Evil?" I laughed. My eyes started to glow, the color of brushed aluminum. It glowed fiercely. That pony was insane. 'The town hated me. they came to respect me.' That voice... I knew whose it was. my father's. "I'm sorry. let's just brush this aside until we get somewhere we can talk. Where we'll be unheard. Then we'll sort things out between us... If you still want me by morning.'' I looked away, at the moving scenery, through the window. It was wonderful. The feeling of moving. Of leaving things behind. Moving on, away from home. From memories of Dad. From Mom. From all of them Colt Cuddlers wich had their way with me. For disrespecting me. How laughable they were... Pityful. Pony Thrash. ''I'm sorry. I'm letting the anger take control of me again. I shouldn't let it talk that way.'' ''It's okay. I understand... I can be pretty hot blooded myself. You did just woke up, after all.'' It was true. The golden pony was right. The green strands of his mane flowed just like the passion emanated from his words. And i knew just what to do. ''Just one thing... How long have i been sleeping?'' He looked at me again, with wide eyes. Catching the light. It was like looking into the primordial fire. Why was i having such lustful thoughts? ''You were asleep nineteen months. I've been guarding you personally all the time. I've... Told you a lot of things. You were my best friend all along actually...'' I almost didn't hear what he said past the nineteen months part. ''Wait. How long? My mother needs medication. She's alone... Nineteen months? I hope she had enough money...'' An hoof flew to my lap. ''Hey. Slow down.'' I made eye contact. First mistake. His ember eyes where practically glowing now. Just like mine, if i had bothered to ask myself. ''She's okay. They're all okay. But i can't tell you more. That's all i know... And don't ask how. I just know, by touching you... It's a small power of mine*'' I nodded. ''Okay. I won't ask... And I'll trust you.'' His aura had glowed strongly just now... And i could see wings of Fire on his back, with my third vision. It was empowering... And almost hypnotizing. Second Mistake. My coat shone slightly, and the area with my crotch seemed to glow. And... Had i looked, i would've seen my sheath melt and dissolve into my stomach's coat. Then i would've seen teats emerge, and grow. They became somehow large for my shape. And also... My female parts... I started winking. And leaking... A bit. ''Crunch... I mean, Offic-'' ''You can drop the Officer Part.'' His eyes... I was starting to like them, for some reason. ''What do you mean?'' He tilted his head, and a sun ray, as some deux es equus, caught the flames, and i could feel both our lust at the moment. And i didn't care. I started to move my head towards his... And it just happened. Our tongues danced with each other, almost instinctively. I could feel the heat flowing from the waves his aura projected. I bet he could feel mine. Stopping after a few moments to catch our breaths, i almost couldn't hear him whisper, ''Don't stop you idio-'' before i slightly bit his lip with my predator canines. He yelped a bit and i could feel his aura becoming way warmer near his crotch. And i could feel an hoof making contact on mine at the same time. I almost recoiled, but instead we kind of just melted into a passionate kiss that lasted a few seconds. The sweat started to form against our faces, making our manes cling to each other. We almost dropped to the ground... But instead he fell over me on the bench. And with his whole body pressed against mine, i could feel his full erection lodging quite firmly between my teats. Wait, Teats? ''Woah there nelly!'' I jerked by head back suddenly, and i suddenly felt a worried twinge in his aura. I moved to his neck to give him a kiss, then a little bite, before moving back to take a look at our parts. His was pretty long and... Quite large. I'd seen larger and had way worse in my barn-door to be either impressed or worried, however. To be quite honest, i have had mixed feelings earlier about having female parts... But right now? I bit his neck again, slightly harsher. He moaned and moved over to nip on one of my ears, and we started playing a bit with our necks. He'd move to kiss my tender, sensitive neck; i'd flick my tail against his swollen balls, only for him to bite my ear. His herbivore teeth made for a perfect bite; neither too stingy nor weak, as he had that earth pony maw strength. We fumbled for a bit, until he took a few seconds to catch his breath. I breathed too, having quite a heart attack and needing some air in my delicate lungs. My hip hurt a bit, but when we found the perfect position a little bit earlier (And that i'd shut the blinds) He moved his head, letting the sun making them glow again like earlier. His shaft was so warm... I was slightly amazed at how long he had held himself there. ''Silver, please... I know how amazing this feels, but this is still our first date. Can we just cuddle and not go any further for now?'' I nodded a bit. It was quite a bit steamy, to be honest. ''Al'right. D'you need something to drink while we're at it?'' He grinned, and he reached in his tail to produce a bottle of Hard Cider. ''I was prepared for a vacation, after all!'' With a little help from my magic, i produced a floating orb of hard cider, with two swirling tendrils that acted as straws, for lack of a better term. Until, only a second or two after conjuring two, i merged them in one while wiggling my eyebrows at Crunchie, getting a chuckle out of the Stallion. ''Come on, you look like a Stallianova when you do that. Reminds me you had a shaft earlier!'' I giggled at that, and restrained my urge to frown. Giggling? It was... Almost fine by me at this point. No denying your femininity when you've soaked yourself (and your partner) with love juices. ''Something wrong with that? I didn't hear you complaining until now. Just moaning, actually...'' And i shot him an almost hungry grin. He gulped. ''It's just, I've been called a colt cuddler and laughed at when i was a colt. And... Even though I'm almost middle-aged, it still gets under my skin sometimes...'' I nuzzled his neck, before angling my head and giving a peck to the edge of his shaft. He blushed furiously, but his Aura became quite strong, and a musky odor emanated from the waves of his aura. He was still hard. So... Rock, Solid Hard. I couldn't hold myself. Stockholm's syndrome has left me needing for more in the past, and i was getting... Pretty Lusty. Was i in heat or something? I had just became a Female. ''Cheer up big guy. I won't act too Stalliony when I'm like this, if it helps...'' I said while swinging my hips a little. The sensation between my boobs and against my winking clit was amazing. Pretty sure he didn't need aura powers to feel just how hot i was getting. I was slightly blushing, getting wet again and my inner pussy muscles screamed for flesh. ''And... I can get you a ride if you need to re-affirm your Stallionhood, If you want...'' I spread my right leg, the one dangling in the air, to let my lips kiss his shaft. Not my mouth-lips, the lower kind. And he liked it very much. Almost bit back that moan, but still let it through with his grovelling voice... That Stallion grunt and lust wave was so strong, i almost came from it and the contact we shared. ''Please... I know i want it.'', i said in a whisper. I kissed him and he replied in kind. We were getting quite into it, when a knock against the window took us both by surprise. ''Hollow shades, Ten minutes! You should wake up in there!'' I heard a Stallion, most likely the Conductor's Assistant. ''Buck!'', i heard him whisper. -=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=- I woke up in the small bed we shared. It wasn't much, but it was, all in all, a beautiful hotel room. Bright color on the walls, plenty of artificial light in the day that died out, letting only swirling light-bugs flying around our room. Being in Equus, theses tended to be friendly to ponies living here, and left us alone most of the time. At night, they flew off the window with a small door they had. They didn't stay, unless asked, for any nightly activities. Some left even if asked, as is known by anypony living in hollow shades. It's a shame they couldn't talk. I bet they had interesting stories... Unlike mine last night. We got straight-headed following the train incident, and went back to a date-basis. Crunch hasn't been that romantic or lusty in comments, though he is quite attentionate. As one would be to a friend... A Close friend, but a friend. ... I had to speak up. I had to clear the air, be forward and define our relationship. We were clearly engaged in a way, after what happened. I had never met anypony before which i could feel their Aura like that. Such powerful wave... The very memory of it was almost enough to melt me back into a lustful state. Wich i had to control now, by the way. When we were about to leave the train yesterday, some magic made my male parts grow back, and teats vanish, right when i stood up. For some reason, my plot disappeared too. But when we laid back in bed at night, they came back... And the bed was quite wet this morning. Only foreplay last night... But god. Amazing foreplay. I had never been this close to cum in years, and felt so relieved waking up the morning after. It was... A whole new experience. The muscular stallion across from me, eye closed, eye-patch still on, was still sleeping. His chest... Muscular chest, heaved with each breath. I couldn't help but nuzzle and give him a few pecks along the neck, and reach lower, to his chest. Dreamy ribs. Muscular legs and toned flanks. I couldn't help but cover them in kisses again. He tasted divine. Smelled like a rain forest. Earthy tones against black coffee and humidity. Heavy air. Sweat. Pheromones. His fore-hooves were so strong. He was empowering, instead of intimidating like other ponies his shape were. And his Height... He was a whole head taller than me. Like the difference between Celestia and Luna, he teased me about. I could picture it, but I'm sure he wasn't as tall as the princess like he bragged about. I was almost mistaken for a filly when i was female, because of him. Not that i whined, quite the opposite actually. It turned me on. I covered midsection with peck, avoiding his sheath until i had nothing else but his lower legs to kiss. His flanks and cutie marks where divine. They tasted like honey, almost. It was delicious. And he squirmed in his sleep when i bit there... So sexy. I was getting wet again. I positioned myself in reverse and dripped my juices on his nose. It woke him up, finally. ''Good morning, Princess Juicy Flanks. Can i get a hello first?'' He teased me by blowing on my pearl. I winked furiously and he bit my outer lips. ''He-Hello, now please get hard. It's not the first date anymore. Satisfy me my Prince!'' I almost shouted. I was blushing, not like he could see it, and bit almost feverishly his sheath. A second later, i was getting ready to bob my head up and down... ''Woah. I'm really sorry, i don't want to kill the mood but... I gotta...'' I sighed. ''What, Pee?'' He nodded. ''All right. Just go already...'' I moved out of his way, but laid back in bed, in reverse according to the pillows, and spread my legs wide. ''But you know what to do when you come back...'' He jumped out of bed and ran so fast to the bathroom, i almost couldn't see him. It was like he teleported... And i giggled at that. My female spying days came back to me, almost, but i swished my tail to get rid of the thoughts... and swipe the wet bed a bit. Poor cleaning crew... I almost didn't have time to dwell any further, an almost heavy-weight rested against my stomach a second later. ''Ready now?'' I didn't miss a beat, and i showed him my best half-lidded stare. The one that screamed, ''rut me like there's no sun tomorrow''. I didn't have to ask twice. My perfectly lubricated entrance felt a flat head asking for admittance in my love dungeon, and i said yes by swallowing him right up to his middle ring in one jerked motion. He almost screamed in pleasure. The moan that hit my ears was so pleasant, i couldn't help squirming against the cock filling me. ''Please, I won't beg you, but... You know what i mean. Make it rough.'' He nodded, and i felt him push forwards slowly, until he sheathed himself completely in me. The whole time, i swallowed him from inside, my walls lactating him, begging him to go faster with my hips, rocking against his shaft... But he followed my dance, and moved on his own rhythm, canceling my actions. Making me beg for more. I was melting against the mattress, the sheets under us in a mess. Soaked. ''I know i shouldn't say those words, but damn it! I love you inside me, Crunch! Don't you dare stop!'' The magic words being out, i felt a wave from him... Inside me. It was so powerful that i came. And it pushed him against the edge, too, taking him out with a grunt. I could feel the gushing liquids swirling against ever edge of my cavity... And i could feel my stomach bulging slightly. If i hadn't been exploding with fluids already, i would've came again. In fact, I'm pretty sure i blew up twice that day. No regrets whatsoever. Fuck Yesterday's me. I was wrong to doubt this feeling. This full-ness. This... Warmth. This proximity... I wish i had shared this with somebody else long ago. I wish i had done it sooner. Why had i kept this from myself? Denying true pleasure? Or was it... Him? ''Hey Crunchie. I... I didn't mean that... I love you thin- Scratch that. You know what i mean. I don't want to scare you off...'' He shook his head. His clinging mane, his glowing eye. His shaft rubbing my insides, the warm liquid slowly gushing out. The orgasm riding off. And his words. ''No. I love you, Silver. With all of my heart. Don't ever leave me... Promise?'' His head tilted again, like yesterday. In that candid pose that just screamed cuteness. His perked ears, almost bulging from slight bite marks. His messed neck full of saliva and fluids. His mouth finding mine. Our dancing, fighting tongues. We were both dominant, you see, and that's what i liked about his kisses. They always wanted... No, claimed, dominance. And i let him... It was good to be taken by someone who didn't try to stab me seconds prior. ''It's the first time i feel so full... And i don't see any weapons. It's such a good sign... I could cry from the joy.'' He lifted a hoof to caress my cheek, and kissed my warm face, under my eye. It felt slightly wet... ''You are crying... It's a good sign, I'm sure. I love you, and I won't run. I know you won't... But, could you please just answer one question?.. You don't have to if you don't want to.'' I giggled a bit and ran an hoof against his neck, another danced in swirling patterns on his ribs. He almost purred... And almost glowed. I'm pretty sure that, to any observer, our love would feel like a little star for how we shined in the sun cutting through the blinds... ''Sure. Ask away.'' I pecked him slightly on the lips, and felt a small wave of nervousness. ''When you said weapons... Do you mean... You've been... R-raped?'' It was almost unheard of in Equestria. I was even surprised he knew that word. ''Well, yes. I've had these gender swapping problems before, when i was younger. I couldn't understand it, back then... But yes. I've been raped. Multiple times... Actually, this is my first time... Without being threatened. It's... Surprisingly good. I feel like i can share everything with you...'' I had to wipe a tear out of my eye. ''Damn pheromones. Damn hormones. Making me cry after such a good orgasm.'' I pushed me head against his neck, and let him pet me on my back, ribs, and flank. His strong hooves could be so delicate... And his eye. He didn't need to smile. I could understand any emotions he had either by feeling them, or looking at that fiery orb of Passion. He must've caught me staring, for he cleared his throat. ''Actually... You're also the first pony I've been with... Ever since I lost my eye and spouse in the war.'' He shifted a bit closer to me, making our whole bodies pressed against each other. Such warmth... ''You know... I can see that you are broken. I am, too, in a way... And i want to fix you. Like I somehow know... You can fix me.'' I nodded, taking a whif of his mane. Of his embrace. I took a few moments to enjoy the contact of his hooves and arms around me. Of our tails swirled together, clinging to our plots. The slightly damp bed. The annoying sheets. The air... Musky and heavy with humidity. I could get used to this. ''Al'right. Let's stop this touchy feely nonsense. We should get cleaned. Together?'' He purred in my ear. I couldn't say no, as he dislodged himself and i shivered from the pleasure his offer sparked within me... And the suddenly cool air against my side. As soon as he stood up, he offered an hoof. I took it in mine, kissed it, and then attempted standing. My knees wobbled... And i felt something against my tail. Something sticky, now running against my leg... Until the magic hit me. As if by instinct, i was now cleaned of any fluids, as was my companion and our bed. ''Uh. Would you look at that...'' He wiggled his eyebrows at me, an attempt to copy my move i did on him yesterday. It was quite effective. ''Thanks for Unicorn magic, i guess?'' I offered with a grin. At that, both our stomachs grumbled. ''Shall we get breakfast, my fair Maiden?'' -=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=- [End of Chapter 1] No rolls have been made, Only a Basic Introduction. The protagonist has a new fuck-friend, make what you will with all of this. As of now, Goodnight! Please comment, please Stay Tuned for other chapters! And, Remember! You can already have a say in this Story! Peace Out! > Chapter Second - ...Given Context > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Music... It always had a way with emotions. It sets an atmosphere. It embraces us... Makes us reach other realms, known only by our imagination. Luna was wandering the always of the Canterlot Castle. She was lonely... Being back, after only a few weeks, from her banishment. From the pain and sorrow, guilt, and remorse she made her Sister endure... Don't misread this. She didn't feel like she didn't want to be here, with her Family, back to herself thanks to the new generation of Heroes. Heroes that will take Equestria's fate in their hooves. Just like she failed to do that last time. She thought she could control the nightmare. Make her obey. But no one can fully comprehend the Night. This beautiful, Seductive Mistress. She had her way with lesser, mortal creatures. And immortal ones alike. She felt her heart rise into a song. A single guitar could be heard echoing, thanks to Equestria's Magic. ''See the animal in his cage that you built Are you sure what side you're on?'' She sat down, and looked at the Moon. ''Better not look him too closely in the eye'' The guitar's strings vibrated, and the Lute-alike instrument carried air, and a sorrowful melody. Slightly off-tone, but still as melodious and... Pained. It could be seen in the Everfree Castle, Roughly at the same time. It was nearing Dusk, and the Sunset looked beautiful with his pinkish, gorgeous purple hues. The darkening red past theses colors was reflecting in the Pony's face, strumming an instrument, and his voice joined the Princess'. ''Are you sure what side of the glass you are on?' ''See the safety of the life you have built Everything where it belongs'' The princess' heart skipped a beat. She could hear him, singing to her Night. She whispered a small thanks, before keeping up the Song. The soul she thought she had lost had started... Opening, again. Like an old wound after being purged of the Infection, only leaking a little plasma, to close the gaping wound. ''Feel the hollowness inside of your heart And it's all right where it belongs What if everything around you Isn't quite as it seems?'' The monochrome Stallion's hooves danced on the Mandolin's Handle, pressing only the right chords, leaving plenty of room for the other strings to flow their magic in the air. He was heartbroken. It could be felt in the music... And the notes shifted slightly off-beat for a second, as he got momentarily distracted. Remembering his part, his job in this world, he sighed before letting out his deep voice sing. ''What if all the world you think you know Is an elaborate dream? And if you look at your reflection Is it all you want it to be? What if you could look right through the cracks Would you find yourself find yourself afraid to see?'' Almost screaming that last part, his baritone voice resounded with his empathic magic, and the bass was carried all the way to Canterlot, or so it was told on this sorrowful night of Melancholy. The princess almost weeped when the magic hit her. She ran to the edge of her gardens, taking the view of Equestria. Of the Everfree down below. From where the blow came... From where a kindred soul was weeping away too. She rose on her hindlegs, supporting her weight against the Gilded, Golden fence. ''What if all the world's inside of your head? Just creations of your own Your devils and your gods all the living and the dead And you really oughta know...'' The Stallion heard his Princess. He heard her Plea. He pushed away the stool he was resting his hindlegs on, and teleported to his abandoned Castle's roof. As he took in the crisp, refreshing air, he could see waves of tender emotions floating his way. He drank them happily, and Sang for his Princess. To giver her Courage. To let her hear what was in his heart. ''You can live in this illusion You can choose to believe You keep looking but you can't find the ones Are you hiding in the trees?'' They both went for a duet, only for a few seconds. ''What if everything around you Isn't quite as it seems?'' The princess' heart poured freely, all the negative emotions that rested in her mind where purged towards the Everfree. Towards her Past. She will find the Stallion. She will find solace... In a like-minded, Broken Soul. Her voice, piercing the air, the duet having been ended for now. It was so Liberating! ''What if all the world you used to know Is an elaborate dream?'' She saw the Dreamscape. She felt his presence, out there, out of reach. The pony never slept, so she could never visit him. It was most annoying! But her thoughts were directed to the song, as their hearts combined again for the last echoes of their hearts. ''And if you look at your reflection Is it all you want it to be? What if you could look right through the cracks Would you find yourself, find yourself afraid to see?'' That last note was carried, and held, until their energies somehow made contact. The Stallion, in the slight confusion, slipped and fell through a hole in the roof, and his neck visibly bent the wrong way as it impacted the top of the Throne. His body dangling on the back, his head looking outside. At the beautiful, Warm Sun. He was feeling cold, and shivered as his lasts thoughts directed him to his Son. Silver. He etched a rune against the Throne's back, using the gushing blood, flowing from a cut on his neck. The bone... was visible through the cut, as he could feel the cool air blowing on it gently. Giving slight relief. It will all be over soon. He thought about his son... About the magic they shared. He hoped he would be ready for his role. Being the elder, now... He was only twenty one. He might get crushed... But he couldn't waver. He will be seeing his son soon enough. He will be able to guide him. As the spark of life died from his eyes, the emotions he had drank started to swirl within him. Unknown magic rose from his chest... And the body disappeared in a flash of ashes and light. -=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=- Present Day -=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=- 'Silver, wake up.' The commanding tone tore me from the embraces of sleep. I was floating around in a void of some kind. Under me, I could see nothing but a circular shape, and more void. No light, apart from the swirling arcanic patterns, painted on some ribbons floating over, under, and around Me. The runes and arcanic symbols resounded with an unknown power, giving a weird purple color to anything that could be visible. I suddenly took conscience of the voice. Looking down, i saw a shape under me. It was... Me? The circular shaped lit up, and i recognized some kind of Mirror. The one Dad told me about. Suddenly, I started to tear up. I knew what this meant, after all. But i wanted to be sure. ''Are you... The past me?'' The shape nodded. He rose and flew towards me... Until the mirror's surface undulated not unlike water, and he emerged in a shadowy, aetherical form in front of me, stopping at my height. So that i could speak to him. ''Indeed, son. I am... Departed. You know what you have to do. You're the last generation, and you know what that means. Your filly will hold extraordinary powers.'' I let a few moments of silence settle in between us. I almost never saw my father. It was the rules, we had to be our own person. Apart from a few childhood memories haunting my nights, this was the first time i saw him in years. ''You... You Jerk! Do you know how much mom was hurting after you left? Do you know just how much i had to work when she fell in a depressive state so intense i had to... To loose my life away! To Kill! To Hunt and to- And i just... Fuck You!'' I moved to hit him, but the tendrils of Arcanic energies just flowed around my hoof. I couldn't touch him. I moved my hoof back, and lowered it to the ground. I locked my eyes with my Father's. He was an empath, like me, and he could feel the seething rage flowing from me, emanating from my heart. My empty heart. But... He could also see the relief. The love i had for him had never faltered. He was still my Mentor, my Idol. My Ideal that i had to... Surpass. So that my daughter might become... ''So, it has worked. It's in my hooves now. And... I could... Birth a god? An Alicorn?'' My father nodded. The resentment and hurting in his eyes, following my punch, had subsided. He was always calm, collected, stoic. His expression was always hard, even if he cared for everyone with all of his heart- he didn't show it. He teached me that. You could never look weak, even if your goal is to help the weak. Even if, deep inside, you're weaker than them. Don't ever let it show. Control the conversation, and put them at peace with their inner demons. You can kill them. You will Kill them. Don't ever hesitate. Don't get too scared.'' The memory helped calm me too. It was my memory of his face then- his eyes- that were engraved in my mind. ''I could never forget the Face of my father. It was the very first thing i learned when i told my Dad i wanted to become a fighter like him. He had simply held me, and... Are you still that same person? Are you still... You?'' He shook his head. ''I became one with my father, and his father, and all o' that. We're merging. We're all the same person anyway. Just like i know you understand me when i say this. It isn't as dark as the first thought. It's all... Calm. Soothing, even. I don't even get lonely! I think of you and... Of your... Mother. And I'm okay. I float and think about happy stuff. Really... Thank Luna it worked! I couldn't wait to see you... To tell you how much...'' His voice had started to break down. He moved a hoof, instinctively, to wipe a tear, and sniffed. I'm pretty sure he couldn't cry, but don't ever tell him that. ''Yeash, give me a break will you! It's only been years since i last saw how handsome my son was. Is. You've grown so much. I'm proud of you, Silvie.'' I blushed. ''Dad! I told you i hate that name! Drop it!'' And then, my ears perked up. ''Wait. You can hear my thoughts?'' My Father, Monochrome, or Mono to anyone really, nodded. ''Yes. We're already merged, you and i. I merged with the Spell Core at my death. I wish i could've perfected the spell, but as it is, the only sensation we aren't linked with is touch. So... He walked around me, and inspected me more closely. ''Luna, Heavens, you're so much looking like me! That ritual will always amaze me. And, best of all, I don't even need to become your Tulpae. I can simply exist, here, within you...'' And then he saw under my tail. ''Hum... Sweetie, I know you've always had trouble with gender swapping spells... But this-'' I silenced him with an hoof. ''Dad. I'm my own person. And, if you must know...'' I thought about Crunch. His face. His smile. His beautiful eye... Reflecting like an Ember. My dad blushed. ''Wait- this is incredible! You've... You've become what i always wanted. You're not ashamed of you abilities... And you're perfectly balancing that sexuality spectrum, son- I mean, Silver. He looks like quite a catch.'' It was my turn to blush. Never before had we talked about... Sexuality... Openly. And it used to be a pretty sensitive subject for me. I always looked like a filly, even younger. And those braids weren't helping! ''Thanks dad. It means a lot. But... You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Cause, you know, I'm good. I'll tell him you said hi, so don't worry yourself okay?'' He nodded. ''I'd love to. Maybe one day i could meet him, if i find a way to project myself out of your body. Insofar, I've been trapped in this mirror. For some reason, when you're here... I can dive on the other side. But something tells me one side or other is the same coin... Eh eh.'' He chuckled like an idiot. 'Like a pervert', i almost kept myself from thinking. But he didn't mind, he only perked an eyebrow. ''Hey kid. Let's make up for all of that lost time. Tell me about your friend... And I'll tell you how I met your mother.'' Fuck. That was a chance i couldn't pass... But at the same time, we did have other things to discuss. ''Okay, deal. But first... You have to tell me, what's going to happen now? I'm lost, far away from home. I think mom needs my help... Cause I'm not in Longhay anymore. I'm south of the Griffin Kingdoms... Should i go back home?'' Dad shook his head. His slightly darker mane shone a bit, and i could detect he was using magic. ''Nope. All we've got left is Daddy Sombra's scrying spell. But it could take a few days until it bounces back here. Do you want me to check up on her?'' I nodded. ''Please. And, also, care to remind me... What is my task, as 6th Generation?'' He smiled. ''Of course. I'll do the spell later. But, since you ask, why not make that little history lesson in song?'' At that, he cleared his throat, and a guitar fell from... I don't know where. It's a void. Shut the fuck up. He took the guitar and counted under his breath. ''three, two, four-'' As the first few notes were strummed, my heart got swallowed up, and i could feel my eyes glow. Dad's magic was sharing images just like he did to share information back in my youth. ''Long ass fuckin' time ago, In a town called LongHay-hall There lived an Humble Family, Hoof deep in Spiritual's'' I could see our old house, and the vision quickly dived inside the Kitchen's window. I could see my family praying. ''But there was a black pony, And he knew just what to'do~'' A black colt, a pegasus, came into view. He slid on his rearlegs, holding a lute, streaming violently an intro-solo. ''His name was AetherColt, and he refused to step in line: Going everyday, doing lame jobs, getting bored' He wrote a tasty jam, And wrote a Spellbook, Wich he hid! The pegasus strummed three notes in quick succession, and he aged up visibly. ''OH, The Dragon's Ball, They be Dancin' As i Stepped inside the Cave!'' The kitchen swirled in a maelstrom of colors, and the interior became more... Dark? ''I Slayed them all, Pocket'd the Change, And then I ran Away!'' I could see a party of Dragons, as they were all having fun, sparring and drinking next to lava pits. A huge Dragon sat unto a throne. I could see the Pegasus, same as before, Bursting into the cave; Sunlight came through holes in the natural roof, and the blade carried by the Pegasus Shone wildly before the dragons all fell to the ground, in one slash from the Dexterous Pegasus, who zipped by every Dragon throat and slit them open. The blood's gushing around everywhere took the treasure hordes, and everything was washed away in a torrent of blood and lava, until The sun could be seen again. We were on a boat, at Sea. Treasures bulging from chests scattered on the deck. ''On the waves, i Be Rollin' On the Boat, i be Rockin' To Equestria, i be Venturin' Everfree, i've been Wanderin' '' ''On the sea, Past Canida! Leavin'-Longhay, Behin' Pawlan' To Equestria, i aim my Hoof!' To The Everfree, I'll Be Free!!' '' While we were on the boat, we rapidly zoomed past our home, leaving the shore. Leaving Pawlan, our native town. Down to Cowrea, Bovine kingdom where our forefathers where known for their cheese, past the pass that was always stormy. We passed between the Ibex Empire, known as Ib'Xian, though we passed by the port of Hong Prong, and the Island where the mythical Neighpon and the Xian pass of Shanghay led us to the Archipelago under the legendary Kingdom of Haven. Haven's Pass and Haven's Archipelago are where i had trained with my Father. He always aimed for the Kingdom of Haven, city in the clouds. He wished to go there... And had found a way, as it seemed. I saw him with a weird... Shape over his body. Like a skeleton, with wings... And he flew towards Haven. And then i saw my home in Longhay-Hall, village between Canida and Pawland. We where back where we started our boat Journey! What the fuck? I turned around and saw my mom. She was, as usual since she was out of meds, FURIOUS. And i was her only living target. She was holding plates in her telekinesis. She grinned madly and started rhythmically throwing them at me. ''You've Left me to die, son, why were you ever born? Your Sister's ten times better than you, Luna loves him more!'' She had been using illusionary magic and shown me just how much my sister was better than me, covering her in jewels and praises, while she kicked my flanks and laughed at my exposed breasts when i fell. She invoked images of Nightmare Moon, our only representation of Luna. Mother's Deity. She was the Head of her Nightmare Coven. Now reduced to a crying mess of angry, sad feelings, and being an earth pony, with a certain nightmarish horn, she was beating me senseless with her psychological abuse. ''This music that you Sing for us comes from the depths of Tartarus, And Equestria's The Devil's realm, he wants you to Loose your ways!'' She showed me what Matriarchal Dominance meant, by kicking me exactly in the middle of the crotch to make me want to puke. Had i been male, i would've been castrated by the blow. She summoned images of Tartarus and countless nightmarish creatures, and malevolent spirits trying to kill me. Running around, still dodging plates mind you, i was overpowered and fell to the ground. I began sobbing slightly, and couldn't hold tears back. ''You'll become a mindless puppet, Nightmare The Old will pull the strings! Your heart will lose direction, and Discord it, will bring!'' My only irrational fear, Discord, Enemy of Ponies, Chaos Bringer and Eternal Doom of Equus was shoved in my face, and my mother made it feel me in... Weird Places. I was about to let a squeak, but she made the illusion vanish and she pointed her Horn at me. A menacing piece of Dark crystal, making her turn mad unless she is brought some other, purifying crystal. Wich is too rare for us. Did i mention the only known vein in the whole world has been depleted by her, in a mere month? ''You'd better shut your mouth, better watch your tone You're grounded for Months, now pay up your Loans!'' She had been harassing me for all of my job money, and whenever i would come Home from work. Even if i gave her the money gently and without making eye contact, she beaten me up with her sword. We were... A trained family, and my mother was a war hero. PTSD and Black magic crystal horn don't mix well, father used to say. When he was still around... He left when she became head of Coven, if you must know. ''Don't let me here you whine, don't let me hear you cry y'self' out! You gotta Worship Me, when you're in mine's home!'' And then i was hurled in my room, a simple cavern of crystal under the house. Where the vein of medicine used to be. Since i was the only one knowledged enough in Crystals and Magic, i was the one who tried to revive the vein. With little to no success. When i would get a little mineral water out of the rocks, my mother would barge in my room, feeling it, and beating me up to get it. Even if unusable in water form, she gulped it down, and felt better for a few minutes. Crying and holding me, being sorry for the abuse. The guilt was killing her. But it was all she could do to stay alive. I looked up at the Stars, out the little window I'd made, to let sunlight through. I needed to know if it was day or night in my room, after all, and the concept of hours and minutes was unknown to me until i arrived in Equestria. Equestria... I remember longing for that Land. Where I thought everything was easy, sunshine and rainbows. No death everyday. No spirits to hunt. No mother to... Abuse... And i felt horrible. Other ponies appeared as aliens to me. Since animals had more emotions than them, i tended to have pets to keep me company. Friends. Other species were alright in my book too, but ponies where i grew up where nightmarish monstrosities. They prayed for the return of the Nightmare and the death of the Sun. Back then, I only knew Luna's name, since a star had shaped it out for me. Quite literally. I remember that song, that song which changed my life. When i sang for the first time, and saw one of the mythical stars helping the Nightmare escape talk to me. The song went a little something like this... (Dad's magic was making me a livid memory recollecting, though didn't bother showing up) ''Dear Nightmare can you hear me, I am Weak and Self-Loathin'... I'm asking for your Guidance, Won't your rays Shine my way~? I Need a real, sentient friend, who will teach me how to smile, My father taught you to be Evil, but Fuck, he can suck a cock! Equestria is not Tartarus, it's magical and Light; I'll never be home as long as I am stuck here with my mom...'' And then i decided to Run away. And the Stars Shone, and a Mythical creature appeared before me. Discord. ''I hear you brave young Silver, you are hungry for some Quests; But to on your Way, Sacred doors you must unlock Escape your family's Abuse and this oppressive Entourage On a journey you must go to find your new inner circle~'' The Nightmarish mix of several Creatures appeared to me. And i saw where he came from. Could he be...? I stopped his singing with an hoof, ''Wait! You're... Actually Evil? You're not just Chaotic? Why would you help me out?'' and i realized as soon as the words left my mouth. He wanted something in return. ''I can tell you where to be headed, pony, but not the way. You can wander around, never finding friends; but I'll give you advice you cannot ignore.'' He grined Wildly. I was still slightly afraid, but excitement took over real quick in my head. ''I won't lie and I'll be clear on your destination. But it will be a quest; you must make your way there yourself. Deal?'' I took a few seconds to think. The apparition smiled, and reached a lion paw for me to shake. I had so many questions... But it was no time to hesitate. A chance like this i could never find again. I needed to get the heck out of here. I needed to breathe and follow what father said. Become my own person... That started with personal, life choices right? I took the paw with an hoof, and a surge of power erupted from my leg. A tendril of chaotic magic shot out and spiraled around my 'arm', and went for my heart. It didn't hurt, neither did it feel in any ways unpleasant. I just felt... Normal.* ''In The City of Fallen Deities, where the Mountain meets the sun's rays; You will form a strong alliance, With six Chosen friends; To find your fame and fortune, through Dream Valley you must walk You will face your inner demons, now go, my, son, and Ruuuun!'' And so i ran away from my sick Mother. I ran away from my poor little sister, Silence, who couldn't do shit against my Mom. And she Hated our Religion just as me, so I hoped Mother wouldn't beat her up in my absence. But i discarded those toughts. I had a long, and fastidious quest. I won't explain all of it. I'll just leave my travel itinerary somewhere... At the bottom** of my ramblings. ''So he bailed from fuckin' Longhay, with anger in his heart And he journeyed far and wide to find the secrets of Discord's song But in the end he knew that he would find his new entourage And his new Familia~~ Yaaaah, Rah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Raye-yayayayaye-yeah! '' And i finished with a series of black notes, letting the sound slowly die in the night... And looked at where i was today. Now that i had heard other music genres in my travel, i was almost ashamed at how that all sounded like. But... It was a pretty defining moment in my life. Yeah. That was it. I know, it doesn't make much sense. But so far from the pony Capital, songs had a weird beat and melody. And judging by Trot Reznor, only artist that i knew, tempo and dissonance didn't mean bad. It meant boundaries. And boundaries are meant to be crossed, as i learned while traveling. Anyways. I think it was time to wake up and tell all of this to Crunch. My past. My father. My heart... Being a void with spells to keep me alive. Drugs weren't to keep me alive, by the way. They were to keep me Sane. Thanks to my Mother! And fuckin' Genetics! -=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=--=¬=- I just knew, today, that my life was going to suck. Crunchie wanted me to come clean about my past. After all that I told him, I could understand his... apprehension. I knew I made it sound like I was a bad pony. And I was. Probably still were. No, Scratch that. I definitely Was a bad unicorn. After all, I left my mother and Sister. I left my old life behind... And I left Selene Behind too. Oh, Sorry. You probably need some more context. You see, back when I first arrived in Equestria... I somehow ended in the Forsaken Woods, mistaking them for the Everfree, where my father had left. It was all that I knew; I had to enter Equestria through Dream Valley, and make my way to the Everfree Forest. When I first arrived in New Seaddle, and walked through the plains leading to the somber, forbidden Forest, my first thoughts went to Discord's words. I had to find... Friends. And THAT is how I met my first travel companion. You thought Crunchie Cookie was the first one I scoped out? He had been in my sights for a long time. War Hero. Martyr and Savior. And... Selene had pointed him to me. Metaphorically, of course. Her Father, Shining Cristal, told me that I had to find a Pegasus in the Everfree. Shining had been a friend of my father's, And Selene a long-known friend. When I turned 13, her family moved to Cloudsdale, or some other cloud city... And I lost sight of her. At first, we mailed... But her replies always took longer and longer to reach me. By the time I fled my household, I suspected she had forgotten about me. But, somehow, Fate always finds a way to bring like minded individuals together. And that's how I found her on my way to the Forsaken Forest. She had walked by my side, saved my hide and cook breakfast countless times. We knew each other inside and out. And... Selene had a crush on my sister, Silence, ever since she found out what the folds between her legs were. And I loved her like family. Even more than that; in colder climates, we had to... tumble in the hay, only to stay warm enough to live another day. Anyways. When I found the Everfree Castle, she just Got accepted in the Royal Guard, and those nineteen (more like twenty now) months had helped her rise in grade and responsibilities alike. Nowadays... She was no longer the shy Pegasus I once grew up with. She was intimidating; and her night pegasi wings were larger in wingspan than most griffons our age. She was fast, quiet, and likes to gossip a lot. Her dark purple, "Midnight" purple according to her, was only outshone by her eyes, Golden pools of comprehension and kindness. Her dark red mane was always silky as a cloud and smelled of the richest of dark wines. Her now commanding, authoritative stance and glare demanded respect and submission. There was no asking questions when she was around. She had wonderful leadership and orginazational skills... But lacked in the social department a bit. As we say, "you can get the pony out of the job, but you can't take the job out of the pony". She was constantly under her Officer Personna and won't let anypony talk back to her. And I liked that about her. She had always been such an honest, if not a little brash person. But I knew that under all of that bravado was the kindest, softest of emotional mares. She enjoyed going to the spa or taking a relaxing walk in the nature over much anything else; and behind closed doors... She could be pretty alluring. I loved the way her hips swayed when she walked. How her tail would sometimes move and let me peek at the pinkiest of folds, and the sweetest aroma around. She once winked at me she caught me starring: and she now called me a filly fooler as an... embarrassing reminder that everypony thought of me as a mare. Well, the new parts helped, I guess. Anyways, I had to come to my senses and explain all of that to Crunchie... And hope he'd still be around by noon. Usually, ponies either puked at the beginning of my tale, and asked that i stop there, or they just listen to everything and turn tail. I was afraid of what he would do. With the little time we already shared, i know he wouldn't just up and leave me. But we could loose what we already had. And I wasn't planning on that. And so, I woke up with a delicious tongue invading my mouth, and hooves feeling up my sides and one of my ears. I smiled into the kiss and let myself get properly wakened up by Crunch. His lower Hoof slowly went to my flank, and i playfully bit his tongue when he pinched my cutie mark. I looked up to him, and his wonderful eyes. They almost looked golden this morning... Since my shining eyes reflected in his. Both blushing, we continued kissing, and exploring each' other's bodies with all manners of hooves, mouths and tongues. Until the fun couldn't last anymore. It was getting late. We were... Getting hungry. And so, i looked up at him, after we had stopped wrestling with our mouths. ''Good morning... Care to have something else then me for breakfast? I'm about to starve out there... Not that you don't taste good.'' Crunchie chuckled. ''Pretty sure I couldn't get my coffee as you, even if i dropped as many sugar cubes as Celestia does.'' The cheesy pick up line worked it's charms, and i was feeling more than humid down there. I nuzzled him, before pushing myself slightly away from him, to help me stand up. As soon as my neck rose from the bed, however, stron hooves found their ways around me and pulled me back in the loving pony's embrace. I could feel his hot breath against my neck, as he covered it in kisses. I couldn't suppress a giggle, and we both fell in some companiable silence of half-laughs and kisses. After a few moments, he stood up, and slid me on his back. He was just tall enough, and my tail barely brushed the ground while he took me to the bathroom. Of course, as soon as i wasn't in a laying position anymore, the magic surrounding my erogenous zones would clean them. The only cheat to avoid that was for me to stay perfectly still; and let my new Coltfriend carry me around, even feeding me so that i would't ruin the romantic bath. It smelled like Valeriane and Roses, as well as a few hints of Poppy. That was why it was so relaxing... ''Look Crunchie. I need to... Tell you about my past. And about the last few days... Especially what I've seen of Equestria before you met me.'' And so i went ahead, and it took more than a few baths to get through the whole story. I'll let you imagine what we did between each baths. Apart from me confiding, some sex and a little talk, i had cleared the air between us. ''Look, I'll take good care of you. I think I can understand your Condition, and even why you did all of this. But... You need to understand something. We're in this together now. Wich means... You won't be alone trying to figure all of this out. You've got me now... And I don't plan on skipping town on you. Just tell me what you want me to do!'' I looked up at the Pony's expression. He was still somewhat unsure about me, that I could tell. I didn't need any empathic powers either. I could see the nervousness in his expression. ''There is still something I haven't told you. You know... When i talked about my father... I had intended to keep this from you for a bit longer. I wanted to give us a chance. If you still want to be with me... You'll hear what i have to say. And I don't expect your understanding. I merely ask that you keep holding me... And tell me again you won't run.'' Truth is, i knew he was going to be scared. Scared as hay. Heck, I still haven't come to terms with it myself! And i've been 'doing' this for a few hundred years now! ''It's going to be okay. I'm broken too, remember? I'm pretty sure what you're about to say can't live up to what I've seen in the war. Go ahead, i'll be right here when you're done.'' He picked me up from my seating position, and laid me in bed next to him. He pushed against my sides until i turned on the side, and then he held me close. Closer than what i deserved. ''Alright. You've been warned... It's unbelievable, Unconcievable, and to be quite honest... I don't know yet if I'm a friend or Foe to Equestria in all of this. I won't ask you to follow me to tartarus and back... Heck, I couldn't even stay with my father when he left. I'm only good at leaving others behind... But that is not the point to this little story. Maybe i should start with the hard facts first... And work around the context afterwards?'' I looked up at him with an inquisitive look. He only nodded. He was going to let me talk, and i'm pretty sure he won't stop me, not even to ask any questions. To be honest again... I think i needed that. ''Ok. First... I'm not a pony. I'm... Nothing, i guess.'' I cleared my throat, and looked away from him. ''My body is equal parts complex spellcraft, and void. Pure nothingness. In fact, that's how i get to feel other's emotions. By suppressing mine... And reaching out to them. I think you can understand now why it's such a problem, and why i've been hated so much... I'm not only a grievance counselor. I'm also... Well, let's start smaller. Do you know what happens when you die?'' Crunch only shook his head. I could see the questions burning in his mind. But he wasn't scared. The only waves i could feel from him... Where loving energies. Positive emotions. He was trying to get me to open up. He was doing a good job. ''Well, when a pony, or any sentient creature dies- that includes even the smallest of critters- Their souls... Their souls end up roaming the world, and if they had unfinished business... I don't know how, but they appear to be able to interfere with our world. Usually, they are trapped in Limbo. A dimension... I'm made from. I don't have a real mother... Or family. My father built me. I'm not even... Alive.'' ''The reason I'm telling you all of this... Is because I was the only one able to see spirits where i came from. So, I helped spirits with unfinished business. Killing bad ponies, setting the lost spirits' living relatives at peace with their mourning. Serving as a link between the living and the dead.'' Crunchie lifted an hoof, and caressed my cheek, begging me to keep going. I swallowed my nervousness and kept talking. ''Luna, this is the first time I'm telling anypony about this.'', i muttered under my breath. ''Alright. With that being said... I hunted spirits. Evil doers. Heck, Discord himself offered me a way out. And, even if i sometimes regret it, he was right. I needed to get out of there.'' I cleared my throat. I was slightly thirsty and my dried throat wouldn't let me keep going down that lane. I shook my head softly, before looking back into the fiery orbs of my companion. ''Anyways. That's how i ended up roaming the world, looking for the one who created me. I still consider him as a biological father of sorts... Since I'll be merging with him when I die.'' I took a little pause for dramatic effect to let that sink in. It was a tough pill to swallow. The stallion Mare Crunchie has been sleeping with wasn't even alive. ''Let me stop you right there... Just for a second. You said you weren't alive. But the warmth, your blood pulse, your warm breath... How can you not be alive?'' I gave him a peck on the lips. To give me some courage, for what was coming next. ''How much do you know about... Imaginary friends?'' The question left him perplexed. He tilted his head, and a ray of sunlight got caught in the passionate flame in his eye. I held him closer, tighter. ''I know... Next to nothing, I guess. I had one when i was way younger... But I grew out of it when I made my first friends.'' I nodded. ''Good for you. You don't want to be caught with a Tulpae when you're not asking for one.'' Crunchie narrowed his eyes. ''Tulpae? Isn't that mind affecting magic?'' And... I nodded. ''Yes. It is still considered illegal pretty much everywhere around Equus. Zebricans used to have some, acting as Shaman counselors. But, over the years... Tulpaes became... Connected to each others, just like we can connect together. Exchange words- pure magic, in a way. As we are, right now, when you kiss my neck... It is mind affecting magic.'' I started blushing, but I needed to convey my point. ''Just... On a lower level. Just like... When my teats surround your shaft. When our eyes meet. Heck, even when we arrived at the hotel; You asked the receptionist for our room. You did magic just then...'' He nodded. ''So... Magic really is around us. Neat.'' He nuzzled my neck. ''Have I been a good... Spell caster?'' He asked, slightly biting my neck. I had to suppress a moan coming from down my throat. ''Yes, you've passed the test. With flying colors... And fluids.'' We both chuckled at that. ''On a more serious note... I need to tell you just how fucked my case is. Even I don't know much about this, apart from what I 'need to know','' I said while shaking my hooves in an 'air quote' kinda move. ''This story starts a few hundred years ago. Aetherpony... I guess it's how his name translates, found a peculiar kind of magic. By trying to tamper with it, he awoke a Tulpae. One that had his own sentience, his own thoughts... The first generation. When he died, the Tulpae he created, named Amphiaraus... Possessed the body of his First Born. It resulted in the birth of no common child. One with unrivaled Intelligence That pony was my forefather. Each time the loop was made, the resulting children had incredible potential. But they tended to die young... And then, my great-great-something-grandfather decided to do something about it. By taking some drugs to heighten his mind, he affined the first Tulpae, and made something better out of it. He named it... Solon. One of the wisest, most powerful of sorcerers. He was only rivaled by Starswirl the bearded, If they would've both lived in the same era. But for his time, Solon was the most powerful mage in the kingdom. And he had only one wish. To ascend and join Celestia and on Equestria's throne. He wanted to expand Equestria... And create a peaceful land. For eons to come. And... Here we are. My Father was the 5fth generation. I, myself, am the 6th. I only know that... My daughter will be a goddess. Nothing short of Celestia. I would become the strongest magical deity on Equus... If only. Birthing a daughter will cause my death, and the spell will only allow me to merge with her. I will have all of my past lives memories... And powers, inside one being. The complete god. The Domain-less God. The Supreme one... That is my fate. I don't know yet if my motivations are still to save Equestria. Is it to burn Equus down and start from scratch? Is it to kill any other Alicorns? Only to be the last remaining deity figure in this universe? Am I... Going to loose you? Outlive you? Outlive everypony...?'' My eyes had started to tear up. I was crying, great! Bring me a bucket, for me to puke in, Damnit! ''I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm not who you thought I was. I'm not innocent; I've already shed enough blood. I'm far from innocent.'' My eyes steeled themselves. I regained some kind of composure, being held by the strong hooves of my companion. I felt... Empty. But the good kind of empty, just like when you cry your heart out, and have no more tears left. ''My heart is actually a massive Spell Core. I can't make sense of it, but I can understand it. What it wants. It wants blood... To fuel the ritual holding my body together. In fact... I will need to kill soon, only to keep breathing.'' I shook my head, giggling nervously. ''And it's not even the worst of it. There's a mirror inside me. I can only see it when i sleep. And, inside the Mirror... Is my father. Merged with all the other past me's. And by that, i mean, look. My family used to pray for Nightmare Moon's return. Only me and my sister ever liked the sun. We used to escape my raging mom to gaze at the sun... And wish to be anywhere but out there, in Canida. There were only Diamond Dogs and Catfolk. We were the only unicorns... Among Pegasi, in our Pony village, halfway between Canida and Pawland.'' I looked into his eye. My expression was one you could see on bloodthirsty predators. ''The only way to refill my magic being with blood or emotions, i tended to scare away and kill dogs and cats. I couldn't come to hurt a Pony... But it's only a question of time. Of choice. Of opportunity.'' Finally, Crunchie started to let out , tiny waves of fear. A small trickle of hatred down there too, but it was mostly toned out against the... Massive sadness? ''I'm so... Sorry you had to kill all this time. Sorry you had to run, only to have a better chance at staying alive. If only for a few weeks... Wich turned to be years thanks to the key she gave me. But now is not the point.'' I cleared my throat. My eyes were slightly puffy, and i lost that maniac look. I even let my ears droop a little. ''Thank you, i guess... But you still don't know about Selene. You shouldn't feel empathic for me... For what i did.'' He put an hoof against my lips. The warm touch was welcome, even though he silenced me. I've killed for less. ''Hey, it's okay. No need to add anything. Whoever Selene is, or was to you, I don't care. You're next to me now. You feel warm, and you love me. I wouldn't dare ask for more...'' We stayed like this for a while. We didn't need words. We were just... Two broken souls. Glued together with Duck Tape or something. But we held to each other, like mountain flowers cling to rocky walls. I hoped it could stay that way. If only a little while... ''But i still got to talk to you about her. Before I met you... She was the only other pony that i desired. We traveled together for... The biggest part of Two years. Maybe more. I wouldn't know, we had no calendars on my journey.'' I rubbed an hoof against his muscular chest and ribs, letting my hoof slowly caress the toned out muscles and solid bones. I could get used to him... ''Long story short... When we arrived in Ponyville... I had to kill her. She knew too much... And I needed the magic. She offered herself to me... And I...'' My eyes were leaking again. With little disdain, i realized there was a bit of blood. I hadn't smoked yet today. ''I just had to. And, I guess I'm thankful to her. Even though the times and adventures we shared were wonderful... It couldn't last between us. We were both... To aggressive. And she was head of the Lunar guard...'' Crunchie's eyes shot open. ''Wait, are you talking about Selene Moon? THE Selene Moon? But she ran away four years ago! And... You might not be ready for this...'' I scooted closer to his face. ''Tell me.'' My eyes shone a bright silver color, and Crunch's eyes narrowed. ''Hey. No mind control magic. I want to help you but... Not like this.'' My eyes toned out, and I gave him a sheepish grin. ''Sorry. Do tell me though!'' I gave him a peck on the lips as an apology. When he drew me back in for a longer kiss, I melted against his touch, and let myself calm down a bit. Our fur matted in sweat. His coat was still so soft... And his ears, so adorable. I could never get tired of the way his tongue danced with mine, struggling for dominance. Going over my sharp canines. The way he slightly sucked on my lips, as if to draw me closer... The exchange died down. We locked gazes. ''Look. I Love you, okay? But please try to stay calm. Cause I sure ain't.'' He swallowed a nervous lump (and some of my saliva, I'm sure) before adding, ''I saw her two weeks ago. She was still in command. At the Princess's side.'' My eyes bulged out a bit. ''She survived?'' > Chapter Third - Peaceful Sleep, and Journal Entries > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Months ago... Everfree Forest. Night. Cold wind blows through the thick Canopy. ‘Demon magic. Don’t ask how it works; just kill whatever comes out of the lake’, I told myself. I was in dire need of Magic. I needed to kill something, and whatever passed for rats in this forest didn’t have nowhere near enough spiritual energies. I needed blood. Warm blood. Soft tissue. Anger. Sadness, confusion... Fear. I needed to feed on something, And Selene could feel it too. ‘’Suppose you can’t take my emotions? I could try and be scared of you...’' Always so selfless. It was almost annoying. When she didn’t hide her personality with a tough shell of violence and commanding authority, she was nice. Too nice. You know, like theses ponies too nice just because they figured out that friendship went two ways? Because they wanted something in return? That I Could Deal with. That I knew. But Selene was the complete opposite. She acted tough and bossy, even violent. Then her shell shatters and she cries like a little filly. She complains about her hooves hurting after a few hours of walking. And her limitless Kindness.. She stopped at nothing to show comprehension and Kindness. She never tried to ask for anything back, either. She just wanted... Smiles. That’s all she wanted. All she needed. To see other ponies light up, to see them happy was all it needed to boost her batteries. If only it could be as easy for me. ‘’I wish. You can keep brooding and it’ll be a snack, but until I find something warm and defenseless... Just don’t wiggle your flank in my face too much.’' We were deep in the middle of some cavern. I remember my Father telling me about all corners of Equestria, and now that my journey was about to end... I remembered a little legend. And I was hungry. Might as well take the time to check it out, no? ‘’And why are we here again? Weren’t you supposed to find some kind of abandoned castle or something?’' She pointed out of the cave, towards a Castle we had seen in the Distance. It nestled on some big island off the Everfree Coast, and the only way in was to walk a narrow... Un-Trustworthy bridge. Ergo the reason for my presence here. ‘’I don’t know. Should I? Or should I take care of my hunger first? What if I can’t keep it in and kill my father when I see him?’' It was the best point i could make at the moment. And it seemed enough. Selene just frowned and lifted a dark purple- No, Midnight Purple wing to wipe the sweat from her brow. It was already slightly wrinkled, even though she was around 23. She worried too much, about everything. But she never let it show, for it was a sign of Weakness. And I wouldn’t allow weakness in my Future Army’s ranks. Only physical weakness... Or elderlies, if their magic was strong enough. ‘’Alright. Why don’t we stop for a few minutes? You look like you could use a break. Muscles and all that.’' I sat on the dusty, rocky ground, and patted the area next to me with my long tail to remove any dust or debris. It was also to make the bird pony come to my side and sit. She looked at the rocky, sometimes crystal-y walls around and over us. ‘’Is this place safe? I mean, it looks old. What if the ceiling caved in on us?’' She motioned for my horn. ‘’You’re all dried up. Would you be able to hold a few hundred meters of dirt, rocks, and the potential centuries-old trees over our heads?’' We were actually a few thousand meters under ground. When we first found out the Central Leyline’s strange activity, we thought this cave to be the origin. Now... I wasn’t too sure about that. I knew that we were in the Temple of Baal’Bek. This temple had been built to protect some lake- Ponies called it the Mirror Pool. In fact, it was called the Axeinus, scientific name Aveir’nus. It was sourced to a mystical river, which flowed from the Colterado Springs. The water had interesting magical properties, but The river, up to the Everfree, used to be called the Euxine. It meant ‘’Hospitality’' or something like that, in some language. The river was smooth and the currents mild. Though, it’s name changed to Axeinus when the coasts became inhabited by savage creatures long ago. Today, the pass between Gildedale And Glascow was pretty friendly again, but the name Axeinus- meaning ‘’Unfriendly’‘, or ‘’Savage’‘. The magic in the Water had influenced the Poison Joke growth on the coasts. Instead of usual jokes, the plant would turn a pony’s mind completely insane and violent when stepped on for more than 3 steps in a row. Don’t ask, it’s magic. Some plants had similar effects, like the Whispy Ferns. Any unicorn that would take more than seven steps in this foliage, exactly identical to usual Ferns, would make the Unicorn forget everything he knew, slowly, but surely. The curse couldn’t be lifted by usual means. And somehow, Selene had been prey to theses effects. One of the reasons we got along so well, i guess. We were both broken. As broken as my former boat! And i was reminded of our boat. The one we had to ditch at Glascow. The closest thing I had that could compare to an actual home. And the memories I had of the Queen’s Sails were all so dear to me. She helped me come clear with my past, by letting me move on with my life. Going where I wanted. Where I Needed to be. Here, in Equestria. And then, for some unknown reasons.. I thought back to the exchange i once had with a certain, powerful unicorn. ‘’It takes more than potential or intelligence to become a Hero to Equus. You need more than charm and wits.’' The pony back then turned his back on me. But i could still feel the darkness in his expression. ‘’You need to be chosen. And trust me, this isn’t something you can ask on heart’s warming. The universe is the sole jury.’' Memories of the Old Unicorn were never unpleasant, but the opposite couldn’t be said either. I knew, as i knew how to breathe, that the memory wasn’t mine. But it was my forefather’s. Which, in turn, meant mine own memories from a few decades ago. I had dwelled enough on my shit, so much that I didn’t feel the touches at First. But when i got pressed onto my back with a familiar light load, and my mouth got invaded by another tongue, i was shot out of my daydreams. Selene wanted some attention. She needed it, more than the smiles she so desperately tried to ignite within anypony. I didn’t know the cause, but I didn’t care. I needed the emotions too. We had started being close enough to be called lovers, i guess. If one-way highways could be called love. To be quite honest, i loved the mare to death. As a friend... But she needed the proximity of such a relationship. I needed the emotions, like any changeling. But I wasn’t a living creature like them, horrible as they were. I was something else. Something incomplete, magical in nature, with little to no free will when you looked at it, from a bigger picture. My ancestor once decided he wanted to save the world. With Feelings. He was way ahead of his time; Friendship was a foreign concept back then. And so, i wasn’t made for friendship. I was made so others could cope with death. Joyful, isn’t it? Up until now, there was something... Some feeling that things weren’t right. I had seen this before. But i shook the feeling away. There was no sense to be had with theses feelings; after all, i could feel the emotions of others. Not mine. I pushed her off me after a little tongue wrestling, then got up and started walking. Selene caught up pretty quick. That’s what i like about our relationship; having spent nearly two years with her (maybe more, time flies), I didn’t need to speak, just like she didn’t either, in certain situations. In fights, it came in pretty hoofy. A glance and we could formulate moving patterns. Don’t ask me how; after the third or fifth Dungeon/Cave, we just knew each other... In and out. And it included fighting, cooking, social cues... A lot of stuff. And being an empath... I could somehow know what she was thinking. The stream of information i collected while reaching out to her was almost mind-numbing. Luckily, i knew my way around after the Seed of Corruption incident. Her heart held no secrets from me. Suddenly, i felt something angular bump against a rear hoof. It wasn’t as hard as a rock either... Looking down, I found a book. Without even thinking, i flipped it open. I recognized it as some kind of Spellbook some Unicorns tended to keep. Or Old Earth Ponies, old gods that used to manipulate the leylines before unicorns became a thing. I won’t hold any secrets from you, reader. Here is what i read: ‘’Sometimes in life, Dreams can fuel you. They can help you overcome your fears. But certain dreams... We called nightmares. To explain our fears. To explain what was wrong with our reality. The thing about Nightmares, is the more you’re scared, the less you control the dream. And the less you’re able to wake up before the horrible scene plays out, and you find yourself cut open and your spoiled organs just laying around, in a big pool of warm blood. I know, from personal experience, that waking up never is an easy task. Even if you consider it objectively: it’s all about knowing how your brain works. And knowing the little differences between life and reality. Take him for example. He studies neurology and multiple ‘’science pet projects’‘, has gotten himself a degree of some prestigious scholarship. He’s the good guy in this story. But before we start said story, there are some things you might need to know about who he was, who he became, and who I am, the one laying down this story for some obscure reference, or maybe even my own pleasure. Though nothing in this is pleasant. Let alone beautiful, or majestic. It is all about luck and choices. I am simply a commoner who has come to understand. Get a new perspective on Things, and got the lucky straw out of the lot; And so i have one and only wish for you. Please, stop reading. Theses are not the adventures of some great hero. Of a man finding love and an answer to his own psychological demons. He might get relief once in a while, but this story is far from happy. If you have read up until then, please, stop reading. You’d better be out there enjoying the warm beams of the sun, or maybe finding solace into the eyes of the moon. You might still, in fact, see beauty in things. You still have a chance. Go back. Go listen to some tv show, go read another hopeless book. This manuscript should appear to you as something worthless of attention. For the others that really are up for it, though, i guess I’ll keep writing. My name is Orpheus Apokryfes. But most know me as one or other of their neighbors, mailman, or fruit stand seller. In fact, my true job was to keep watch on someone. This one is the ‘’good guy’' i told you all about earlier. I’ve had a lot of stories. A long life of immortal with countless wonderful stories of love and friendship. Of adventures, wanderings, musings and, I’ll admit, procrastinating in my early years. I didn’t have any idea of my power back then. Before i met theses gentleman and got involved in something far, far greater. Anyways. You’ve come to witness the story of who would become my protégé. He’s had many names through history, his most famous being Ebon Fireheart, Mad Alchemist. He was part of some bloodline, that prayed to the stars. That knew the Great Old Ones. The Old Earth Ponies. He could understand them... And his madness was fueled by the corruption of the world. Of the royals. Of Unity. But for now... In this tale, he was called Lens Cristalum. A particular time, living under a peculiar government and having to find himself through the chaos everywhere around... You see, You have to know that, first, he used to be human like us. As of why he was so properly ignorant and useless, without any talents whatsoever, i leave that up to your elucubrations. The truth is, he was a junkie. He enjoyed dissociative drugs, such as Ketamine, mushrooms, and Nitrous Oxide, when i found him. Though, Somehow, he had a lot of potential. I saw something in him... And gave him what he wished. A second chance. We’ll start simply when his new life started. Since he’ll be amnesiac, you might see that story under a different point of view then mine. Oh, how i wish you will. You made it this far. Somehow, you got curious. Fine. For those that still can, look away. -------------------------------------------- ‘’Well. That was interesting... ‘’ And that was the Preface. I looked at Selene. ‘’Should i keep reading?’' Seing her perplexed look, I showed her the book. ‘’Dont tell me you don’t know whose this is. We’re in his resting place, After all.’' I tossed her the book. We had reached a small turn in the cavernous passage, and i had been walking with the book pressed against my nose. Selene looked at the cover, and gasped slightly. ‘’You can’t be serious. Don’t tell me this was the Apokryfes Family Burrow? Werent we in Tal Baak’s temple or something?’' She reached with an hoof to caress the hard cover of the book, entranced by the swirling arcana flowing from it. It was as visible as your breath in cold climates, but had a will of its own. ‘’Bal’Beek, you mean. Theses old laguages are so hard to pronounce already. Try to remember them words. Enough confusion as it is.’' I wasn’t scolding her, of course. My hoof pointing at her errors was simply so that she could grow from it, and she knew it. I was a scholar at heart, and liked exactitude. Half-flanked is not the way i rolled. I went full-flanked. Yeh, that sounded better in my head. Yeesh. ‘’Bal’Beck? Bal’Beeck? Horsefeathers! How are you saying it so naturally? Cheater!’' She flipped open the journal, sneaking it from my hooves, and tried to find another word to pronounce. ‘’Do-Pa-Mi-Ne. Dopamine. See, this is easy! You never give me the easy stuff first.’' The sleight of hoof maneuver was so fast i barely saw it. But, at her words, I only chuckled. She could be such a featherbrain sometimes. But i liked her for it, and she liked my wit. That’s why we were a good team! Idiocy rhymes with entertainment. Intelligence rhymes with boredom. ----------------- Again, i suddenly wake up with a stressed snort. My head still feels like it’s heavier than normal, but not by much. The forest around me is alive and well once again. Before me rests a large bear... Made of leaves and twigs. And he’s looking at me. Intently. Brain command: Emergency protocol 19. I jerk suddenly and find myself standing. Light shines around me. My eyes felt... Awake. Like they themselves decided to wake up and act on their own, and then decided to waste their energy... or release it? By glowing. The creature appears to have some form of conscience. It can be taught to obey--- --- No signs of hostility- -Unarmed, though it’s claws and teeth can surely kill m-- ---paw moving towards VIP. I slightly backed away from the paw. The creature looks slightly pained but does not say anything, it’s ears drooping slightly. I clear my throat to test it’s reaction to sound. His head jerks back towards me, his ears rising instantly. -New pattern saved. Database Updated. This beast has fine hearing. I stare right into his eyes and relax completely my face, so my expression might be as neutral as possible. ‘’Did you just helped me?’' The creature growls slightly. It appears to be trying to talk back... But only lets out a meowlish moan. Quite groveling and... Twiggy. Like leaves rustling in the wind in a mudslide. I sigh. Looking at this bear is somehow nostalgic... I used to work with social/communication oriented people. They used to tell me about ways to speak with people using another language. I sit, and raise up my hands. Huh... I mean... Hooves. This is going to be hard. The bear approaches his head, sniffing me slightly. Wait... Brain, analyse target’s sex. -Female. I unvoluntarily take a sniff... I somehow knew the answer already. ‘’Fuuuuuuuuck.’' ---------------------- Theses next scenes... I only have been told rumors about it. Since i only want to write a registry of this pony’s adventures, and do not intend this to be interpreted wrongly... I will simply fast-forward until our protagonist finally breaks free of a tree-built bear. Again, I am sorry to intrude. Please, do not let your heart sway. What comes next will not be something nice. I insist, take a moment. Breathe in, breathe out. Brace yourself. I will continue. ------------- The vines swayed and opened, like a magical breeze told them to part ways for us to enter. And so we did, side-by-side, smiling. The interior was a mess. It’s the only thing that poped in my mind when i saw the interior. There was dirt everywhere, knocked-up pieces of wood, and burnt stuff in a pile in the middle of it all. My companion’s eyes turned red. There was something in the-- -Protocol 19 Engaged. Hostiles nearby. A light came out of the thing on my forehead and a beam made a quick survey of the area. What was that voice in my mind? Suddenly, my companion jerked forwards. A vine like claw grew from her leg and enabled her to reach something next to a hole in the wall of the cavern. Something bled. Hard. My eyes shone and i could see something... A beast. Made of Darkness. The fire in my vision grew blue and the walls red. There was two piles of twigs in the fire. One larger than the other. Two crystals that shone like crazy. A telekinetic field took them both and re-shaped them. Two crystal lenses. -Emergency Crafting Protocol Engaged. -New Warfare Plans Added: (Crystal Lenses). -Crafting (Crystal Lenses). A bright light shot out from the thing on my forehead. Mettalic twarps shot out from the ground and shaped themselves. Some leather bags in a corner got ripped and the leather floathed up in strips, held on my right. The crystal lenses placed themselves on the left. The metalic twarps shaped themselves to match the plan... -Crafting.exe Launched. The three telekinetic fields, helped by the weird light from my forehead, grew weirdly out of proportions and disappeared. Ana to Kata Reached. Assembling in three... two... one. A brain spasm. Hard. My forehead shone a thousand colors... -Crafting.exe completed. Energy levels at 65%. -Obtained (Crystal Lenses). -Equip? -Y/N The letters were right there, in front of me. Glyphs running around and re-assembling themselves. Gears. The thing on my head was a crystal. The same from the lenses. The light it glowed with was programmable. I could see it now. The Darkness had fled during the whole ordeal. Weeds was crying over the pile. not having seen the crystals of the weird strapped vest i now had. I need a mirror. I went in the other room, and found surprisingly advanced stuff for bears. A... Shower with sand? I won’t ask. There was a mirror. There was a mettalic shape going the whole lent of my neck, having fused with my body. The crystals were now held over my eyes in a dome-like shape. Bringing up an hoof, i touch it and feel the edges. They are none. It’s fused with my skin. Somehow... I don’t panic. -Adrenaline soothed with endorphines. Madness and panic averted through chem usage. Do you wish to read the levels? ‘’NO!’' i shout, noticing a point in the middle of my vision. It won’t go away no matter where i look, it’s following my iris. I hear crying. I suddenly realise that it’s weed. Should i go confort her? I walk through the door and find her sitting in the middle of the room. Her eyes fixed on the piles of timber. I go and slowly sit next to her, and reaching a hoof, nudge her side. She leans on me, and i can feel her sides heaving. Her respiration isn’t normal. Her body language screams despair. ‘’Hey, Weed...’' She sniffs and an almost whinny sound gets out of her snout. and pressed her body against mine. Text flashes in front of my eyes. -Upgrade available. Find Metal. It flashes three times, leaving me enough time to read it, and vanishes. ‘’Whatever i can do right now, tell me. I’ll do it.’' She whines. ‘’If there’s anything... Anything i can do... ‘’ My throat feels weird. It clenches. My mouth is getting dry. I can feel her sorrow and despair. An hint of anger... ‘’I think i feel how you feel... Wanna hunt that vapor thing down?’' Her eyes perked up. The metal brace on my neck scooched over my left ear, and one brace detached itself and slid back in my body. -Ketamine levels rising. Operation started. A metalic branch rose up from another place on my neck and moved towards my jaw, and my throat felt numb. My vocal chords grew. I could feel them. My ear itched and i felt like scratching it, but i couldn’t while leaning against Weed. She needed my body against hers, without a doubt. My ash-grey coat she took such a time to clean when we met. until she fondled with... That memory still feels so wrong. Why do i keep thinking about theses things? My ivory hooves hid a charcoal-grey fetlock, wich felt leathery and somehow sticky after all of today’s walking. My stomach was waaaaaay too empty too. I suddenly felt very self-conscient right now. The grief and silence was so thick... Broken by the occasional soft whimper from the wall of a monster leaning on me. I was then reminded i was a small, very little pony. I felt somehow crushed against her, and started to feel her poky twig sides. /T- Weed, let’s get out of here. We can’t stay here staring at them for all eternity. Some fresh air will do you good. /T- If you think so, Lens. My head jerked suddenly, and we both backed away in astonishment. She suddenly took conscience of my upgrades. /T- WHAT IS THAT?? STAY STILL! I’LL KILL IT! A vine shot out from her back. /T- NO!!! WEED! Calm down! /SIT! And so she sat, the vine retreating. /T- How can we understand each other? What in the twigs is that!? I sighed. /T- i don’t know myself. It’s that thing on my forehead... That crystal. She nodded. =Policy Protocols Engaged. Do you wish to set this language by default? ''no.'', I said to the floating text. Begone! -Communication Default Language will be set in English. Subconscious will keep Timber.Lang active. She tilted her head. ‘’No?’' ‘’I mean Yes! Hum, Nevermind.’' I looked around and sighed. How could i explain this to her? ‘’How did you get this stuff on you? It seems like it’s grown... From you.’' I shook my head. ‘’It’s what it is. It grew on me while i was fighting that darkness thing... I’m lost. I don’t know.’' ‘’Daemon. They’re the ones who burned the forest.’' She shook her head in turn, and i saw a tear drop. ‘’Whatever. We’ll get revenge in time.’' I stood up, only to fall back on my haunches. Why was I so tired? ‘’How can we talk?’' Her ears perked up and pointed me a bit, and I recognized it as her being... Interested? ‘’I don’t truly know. There was that voice, now this text... That thing growing on me, those lenses, that crystal on my forehead...’' I was as lost as that sounded. It was Terri-bad. Worse. I was a very long way from home and i couldn’t understand where I was yet. Where I had to go, neither. ‘’You linked with me. You linked with my forest. You just now wish to avenge my young... What is it you want?’' She was sounding a bit desperate. Confused. But... She was happy? My eyes stared into hers. They turned a more royal shade of blue, and i could see a slight glow emaning from her cheeks. ‘’I don’t... I don’t know. To be honest... I can’t remember much. I feel things. Weird things. Emotions... Memories. I feel lost. Away, Long away from home. I’m just... Tired. Maybe we should eat a little something and rest up. The day has started. We’ll sleep until noon or so.’' She nodded, and turned around. ‘’In fact... Could we... Can you... ?’' I nod. ‘’Sure. No need to ask.’' I moved to the two piles and let my energy flow through my crystal. The twigs got chilled, then turned to a dark sand before vanishing. ‘’I return you to the center of it all. Might you find your place and be reborn, lost souls. I bid thee fair travels.’' A light shone and two blue orbs appeared. They had a weird mist inside. A telekinetic field from the crystal took them and passed them to Weed, which she took with a paw. A tear ran down her cheek. Her tears were a mix of light and actual liquid, which dissipated as soon as it lost contact with her twigs. -Pattern saved. Damn text. ‘’Thank you. Thank you ever so much... How could i ever repay you?’' I smiled soflty. ‘’I don’t even know what i did. But i did it from the warmth of my heart... I do not wish anything, if not a little food for tonight. We need to sleep while we can.’' She nodded and went to a corner. There was a few flowers in a basket made of woven twigs. ‘’As a pony, that’s about all i have in here that can feed you. Fruits outside might be ready tomorrow if i give enough energy in my sleep.’' I nodded. ‘’Alright, Well i guess... I’ll sleep-’' ‘’Please.’' The tone was commanding, but reeked of nervousness. It was also whispered, not said. The tone she used made me feel like... On the verge of a breakdown. I sighed. ‘’Of course.’' She went to lay in a corner and stared at the two orbs. I went and leaned next to her. ‘’You know by now i won’t bite. Come closer.’' I leaned against her and craned my neck to look at the orbs. I could see smiling twig-bear faces, or various memories of them running around outside in a wonderfully rich forest, or sleeping in a big pile in the cavern, joyous smiles plastered on their faces. ‘’I’ll miss them dearly.’' I nodded, my throat too dry to talk. The vibe suddenly shifted, and it went lower. It got melancholic, but not sad. ‘’They were more precious to me than anything in the whole forest. I saved them and let the forest burn. Those Daemons made me choose between my own or my home...’' A tear formed itself in my eye. ‘’The oldest, you would’ve loved her. So much like me in younger times. The vigor, the brashness, the force... The heart.’' She sighed. ‘’Now, my heart is broken. But i have a friend on my side. It helps. Really...’' She pressed herself against me. I let out some energy for her to take- wich she took. ‘’I feel better having you around. I’m not alone, at least. The whole forest died. My friends... My familly... The spirit has choosen me to protect them. I failed.’' She dropped her orbs and they retreated in her twig-body. ‘’But i won’t fail you. I promise.’' ---------------------------------------------- Selene and I looked at each other. ‘’Humans. Becoming ponies. Befriending... Timber... Bears?’' Selene shook her head in disbelief. ''And that strange magic, the crystals... Weren't they the first Exo? So that technology has been around for that long...'' The entries were dated, about six or seven centuries ago. Selene's eyes bulged out of their sockets. ''I know! If we could find the crystal horn he had, we could reproduce it with the mirror pool! We could make infinite Starswirls!'' The manic spark in her eye told me to back off a bit. She could be... Excitable, sometimes. And it wasn't a safe thing. ''Are you sure it's such a good idea? Archwizards and Powerfull Maguses, Sorcerers plaguing the land? the impact on the other races? The earth pony technology growth? You ever think about the future too?'' I had advanced slightly on her, and pointed a hoof at her. ''You should think before coming up with theses ideas. In a fight, we'd be dead.'' And i knew i was right. It was only factual data- she had too much on her mind. ''Yeah... After thinking about it, it might not be such a good idea. With everypony stronger, there would be a need for tighter security. Made of stronger stuff. And more laws. That all seems like too much of an headache to actually be worth trying.'' She looked around, her tail slapping the ground slightly in annoyance. ''Anyways. We should be going. I think I heard something down this path.'' And so we kept going, until we reached a final turn in the cavernous hallway. It ended up in a massive room; a big lake in the center. And in the middle of the lake, a small pedestral... With a glowing blue rock. Selene's eyes brightened, and her demeanor quickly became more cheerful. ''Hey! I think we found your food source! And what is that thing?'' She asked, pointing at the glowing stone. ''It looks like...'' She walked ahead, going on the edge of the lake. ''Careful now! We don't know the true powers of the stuff.'' I approached and squeezed out my eyelids, trying to get a better look at the stone. ''Okay. We're gonna need that rock... But how will we ever reach it?'' Selene smirked. I knew that look, that spark in her eye. ''You can't be serious?'', I asked her. She only nodded before jumping in the lake, sending droplets of water everywhere. Catching the light of the rock, it cast a few little rainbows around me. But my eyes were focused on the water. ''Come on, come on...'' Finally, she emerged... Twice. ''Silver? Love Silver! Love Silver!'' Okay. I didn't need to guess which was the clone. I drank a little love, extending my senses. It didn't taste as good as freely given love from pony's, but heck. I wasn't a changeling and i wasn't picky. ''Okay, step back. We'll use your clone to make copies. With about five of them we could make a bridge leading to the stone.'' The clone nodded, and jumped in the water. Soon enough, we had exactly five clones, and Selene was leading them to make the ponyfied bridge. As she gave instructions, I gazed at the clones. I knew there was a spell to cast them away, but I didn't know it. I knew how to kill though. Finaly, the clones ready, we made them lay on their bellies in the water. Without fully immersing themselves, they wont be copied. I reached the first Selene clone and put an hoof on her back. She giggled. Another... And the weight was too much. She started sinking. ''Selene... I think you will have to do this. I'm too heavy for... Well, you.'' Selene shrugged, and without an ounce of hesitation, she scooted over the edge of the pool. She stood up on herself, and the clone didn't dip much. ''Alright. Looks okay to me. I'll try to make this quick.'' Using her wings to balance herself, she walked up on the line of clones on the ground. I knew that if she attempted to move her wings, the ceiling over us could crash at any moment. Hoping her wings didn't catch too much air, I could only look as she made her way to the small island. She had to squeeze through some columns to reach inside, and for a few seconds i couldn't see her. Then, I saw an hoof shooting out from the columns- holding a peculiar... Horn sleeve? Made out of crystal. The outer edge wasnt exactly straight, while the ''Horn socket'' had the same ridges any unicorn horn had. Selene extracted herself from the small island, and attempted to walk on her line of clones. Looking up at me, smiling, i could see her hoof come down next to her clone's shoulder... And she slipped in the water. ''Selene! Are you okay?'' I only saw bubbles coming up to the surface. After a minute, i dropped the book and jumped in the pool, looking for her. As soon as i entered the pool, a shockwave of magic sent me flying. I impacted with the ceiling, and a huge chunk of rock cracked. As i fell on the ground, i could see the shockwave had sent the crystal thing towards me. ''Ow...'' I rubbed the back of my head and stood up. I wasn't even wet. I looked at the lake.. No sign of Selene. Even the clones were gone. ''Selene...?'' I Called out, but only my echo replied. My romp fell on the cavernous floor. I just sat there looking at the unperturbed water for a few minutes. I didn't even notice the roof cracks running, widening slightly. Only when some dust fell over my eyes, i dared to look up. I barely had the time to grab the crystal and book, before a huge rock fell in front of me. Panicking, i teleported out. As i channeled my magic... I saw an hoof poking out the water. But the spell released itself from my arcanic hold and i blinked out. ---------- I looked up at Crunchie, my tale about Selene now finished. He was holding me closely, and i had wept a bit at the end. My eyes were still moist, puffy and red, and i smiled with melancholy. ''You know... I left that crystal at the old castle. The book too. We could... Take them back, after your holidays? Pretty sure I should at least use theses artifacts. Selene died for them, after all.'' Crunch simply nodded. His eye was filled with compassion, and his heart was beating steadily. I knew now that this pony would become my rock, for the rest of my days. He could take care of me. I could take care of him. I didn't need Selene anymore... Even though i missed her. I missed her everytime i saw the moon. Everytime it was raining. Everytime i boarded a train... Or ate under a tree. I knew she missed me, too, wherever she was.