Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter (I'm made of stupid.)

Early morning.

Walking down the streets of Canterlot, Equestria's capital, I keep to the shadows and away from others; I mostly just do not want anyone to hear the obscenities I often mutter under my breath. Most of these are directed at myself.

"First day of school, well…. shit" I grumble to myself. "This is going to be so redundant, but if I don't go, it's gonna raise major red flags with the folks." I sigh as I continue my solitary stroll, my thumbs stimming in a circle on my palms.

"When I was in high school some stuff was useful or important, like basic algebra. Damn, I almost finished tech school too, and now... I'm starting over from what is basically high school again... great. At least fate had the decency to give me the correct gender for my new body, albeit a bit younger and…shorter? Or is everyone else just much bigger? Still not used to that, having a new body, a new life. Dammit, I hate thinking about this! I should be trying to figure out how to expedite my ass to graduate early, assuming I want to spend as little time in as possib-"

*Clonk.* I collided with something. Ok who am I kidding it was someone else because I just wasn’t paying attention, My lack of spatial awareness has led to a bruise getting first class tickets for my FUCKING HEAD and startlingly, a narrow escape from being impaled by a unicorn's horn as I looked up bleary eyed.

"Oops! Oh, my goodness, I'm sooooo sorry!" exclaims a purple unicorn mare with blue hair, a purple stripe matching her tail. Her glasses sit just below her eyes, and she wears a semi-formal white dress shirt and a black skirt. She reaches down to help me, apologizing profusely.

I remove my hood to reveal my face, a gray Batari colt with golden-orange eyes, albeit with cat-like slit pupils. My bat wings, covered in leathery black membranes, twitch slightly. My mane transitions from silver to light blue at the tips. I notice the mare's initial surprise at my appearance but remain unfazed. But it took all the strength within me not to yelp when our eyes met.

’Well fuck. I just ran into what is definitely this world's version of Twilight Sparkle, clearly ascended into an alicorn; because why would standing on two legs instead of all fours change whether she ascended or not? Goddam alicorns are tall as shit. Wait is she running the country yet? I couldn’t find out anything about a School of Friendship or Celestia or Luna retiring. Shit dude, focus up.’

"Other than the massive fucking bruise you gave me, it's fine," I deadpanned, oblivious to the unicorn mare's subtle cringe at my choice of words. I casually swear like a sailor, as if it's nothing out of the ordinary, my voice maintaining a monotone and dry cadence. It's clear that my spilled textbooks and papers are now scattered all over the cobblestone sidewalk. I look around to it all and say, “Well I better start picking up my shit. Excuse me.” Clean and concise. Leave no room for suspicion, you cant.

I was about to start collecting my shit on the ground when I got the feeling of dread in my stomach, I started to get uncomfortable with her looking at me like she's sizing me up. Her inquisitive lavender eyes studied me for a moment almost like hiding malice, could easily be a mask, and then she smiled warmly, as if she brushed off my earlier choice of words. "No harm done," she said, her voice soft and soothing. "Accidents happen. Allow me to help you gather your things little guy."

With her magical prowess, Twilight Sparkle levitated my scattered textbooks and papers back into my arms. I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude mixed with embarrassment and fear as she effortlessly restored my belongings into my bag all neat and tidy then levitated it all into my arms.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle," she introduced herself, her tone friendly and welcoming. "And you are?"
I hesitated for a moment, realizing I had not introduced myself properly.

’Shit. Say something moron before she starts getting weird like the other mares.’

A mocking and spiteful voice calls out from deep within his mind; one he cares not to hear from today.
’Yeah and those weird mares were just trying to get to know the new FRESH. MEAT. APFFFFAHAHAHAHAH!’

’OH, I AM SO NOT DEALING NOT DEALING WITH YOUR SHIT TODAY. STAY QUIET.’

"I'm Eclipse," I replied, trying to muster a more polite tone. Should I bow to her? Shaking my head clear of my thoughts. "Nice to meet you your highness."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes twinkled with curiosity. "Oh you don’t need the honorific especially after well you know...” I didn’t have any idea what she meant but nodded my head to be safe. “Eclipse, that's an interesting name. Are you new to Canterlot? I don't recall seeing you around before." I nodded, feeling slightly more at ease with her friendly demeanor but still keeping my guard up.

’At least she is not acting as weird as Rosary, or her little entourage. Twilight regardless of how old she got seems to have stayed the nerd; and was the nerdiest of her friends with basically zero fucking rizz. I don’t think I have to worry about her in particular going predator mode on me but I’ll smack a hoe if they try some shit… Who am i kidding I’m way too weak and all of them are consistently bigger and stronger. What the fuck.’

"Yeah, I just moved here from Hollow Vane. I am starting at the Equestrian Prep-school of New Horizons today. It's my first day.”
Twilight Sparkle's smile widened. "Ah, how exciting! I'm here to give the opening ceremony for the school. It's a wonderful place, and I'm sure you'll have a great time here." Twilight kept note that THIS must have been the colt Luna was referring to.

"I hope so," I replied, with as much faked optimism as I could muster. "Thanks for helping me out, Ma’am."
She waved off my thanks with a gracious nod. "No problem at all, and please just call me Twilight, ok Eclipse? If you ever need assistance or have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Enjoy your time at the academy, and I hope to see you around."

With that, Twilight Sparkle bid me farewell, heading toward the school's entrance to prepare for the opening ceremony. I watched her go, feeling a mixture of awe and relief. With a deep breath, I gathered my belongings, straightened my jacket, and made my way into the school.

The large looming monolithic complex in the distance pulling me closer like a magnet, walking closer to it oddly fills me with dread despite its bright colors and cheery soft architecture that basically screams “‘this is a safe place, trust us!”’

But.....I just cant. Not after what she said...

“If we find your soul wanting, we will have you bare judgment before the wrath of the moon and stars.”

I snap from my daze and continue towards the monolithic building offering a new horizon.

"Fuck it, We ball. Can't stop here. Forward is the only way out."

Chapter 2: Abyssal Surrogate (Bumbling Jackass)

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I finally made it to the entrance for the damned mega school, cause thats what I'm calling it, and it was something to behold. Above the arched entrance made of a gleaming platinum, there is an engraved school crest featuring various symbols representing different magical creatures. Three Hands outstretch from the center of a star, the star is embroidered with the flags and iconography of what I can only assume to be untold millennia of culture. Surrounding the Star is what can only be described as a depiction of the globe, the sun behind to the left; the moon to the right. The white stone bricks tower into the sky on a scale that nearly matches Canterlot Castle.

The main entrance features ornate double doors made of rich, polished wood, with stained glass panels depicting scenes of what can be assumed to be a peaceful world, a world that converged and learned to exist in brotherhood.

Looking at the doors filled me with nausea and a moment of terror, like looking down at the razor maw of a great white. I stood still in place a scant 20 feet from the doors letting other students pass me by, most seem to be giving me a decently wide berth which was unfortunate...

’Seriously, why do I feel like I'm going to hurl? These random ass headaches are going to be the death of me.’ It was all I was thinking as I feel down gripping my head in discomfort with my hand.

Other students that took their time waiting at the entrance to gossip and hang out with family or friends to see them off, but they couldn't help but notice somepony having some kind of a nervous episode standing in the center a few paces from the entrance doors.

"Hey what's up with him?"
"Wait are those bat wings?"
"Why is he just hunched over there?"
"Poor colt needs his alpha."
"He looks like he's about to throw up something fierce..."

Normally I have a good record of keeping attention off of myself. My last two and a half years of high school could attest to that, but it seems I'm breaking new ground ever since my forced relocation.
"Fucking enhanced hearing." I mutter under my breath wiping the saliva with my jacket arm.

Unfortunate was the word I used, as drawing attention was going to happen from freezing up where I did. Yeah, turns out just standing there in everyone's way is kind of an eyesore. I was feeling an absolute nightmare blunt rotation of emotions, it left me utterly oblivious to my surroundings as I my vision began to swim and spin. Someone clearly didn’t notice me tripped over my form, knocking the wind fully out of me. Sending someone sprawling onto the cobblestone with me.

“Watch it will you!” I looked over to see an ebony gryphon with emerald eyes and gray fur.

“Seriously another one?” I did not know I said this aloud but come on it's barely been an hour and I have already had two fucking collisions with other ponies when all I want to do is just keep to myself and silently get through this shit.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” The gryphon quickly stands with an athletic handspring but refuses to offer a hand to help me up. As he continues to stand over me for a second, he looks surprised but then starts to grin in a way I DID NOT like. But whatever shit was going through his mind was derailed as a campus-wide announcement was made for all to hear. How? Magic or some shit man; I got scared because Twilight as well as a Cadence, suddenly appeared on a big projection above the entrance out of fucking NOWHERE and with a happy smile started talking to all students entering the building. I yelped a startled “Oh fuck!” Cause a few near me to flinch and the Gryphon to look at me intensely.

“Attention and good morning all current and newly admitted students and visitors, please make your way to the auditorium so we may commence the opening ceremony for this fall’s new year. School staff inside will lead you newer students, so you do not get lost.”
Cadence jumps in and adds, “But let's be honest there's going to be a few curious explorers, I'm betting some are hearing this lost looking for a bathroom!” Her giggle had contagious properties, and many students around me started to laugh too. "We are both so happy as both Chancellor of the school and Dean of Magic Enrichment to welcome you all!"

The gryphon turns to me after the projection blinks out of existence suddenly and says, “You're not cut out for this place and it'll chew you up and spit you out.” He says puffing up his chest but, like what am I supposed to say to that? Who talks like that?

“Uhhhh.”
“...”
’Brilliant jackass, now he's just staring again.’

“Whatever dude you seem to be a bit overwhelmed anyways so that warning was me going easy on you this time, next you better be good at something, give me a good show of sorts or I’m going to be disappointed. TRUST ME. You do not want to do that newbie. But honestly I feel that's going to happen anyway.” Raven cracks the knuckles of his talons "You look pretty pathetic down there….weakling." That freaky ass grin he was wearing comes back in force.

“I don’t.... even know you?” This finally prompts me to get off the ground.
‘Dear god please don't have the first student I talk to be some sadistic fuck.’

He flicks my snout and says “WELL let me enlighten you. Name's Raven and I'll pulverize you if you make a fool out of me again. Got it?” His eyes narrow and he's glares at me. ’Ok he's definitely the jackass now.’

“Well then, anyways I’m Eclipse. Guess I gotta make my way to the auditorium.”
’Short and sweet; let's just try to ignore this insane bird and get through this shit.’

Reaching the threshold of the grand entrance, I steeled myself for what lay ahead. But Raven was not done with me.
“So why did you enroll?” He asks with arms crossed, trying to feign interest. “Not many Batari enroll, let alone leave the castle undercroft from what ive heard, so what's with you?”
‘Two things. First why the fuck do you want to know, you a fed? Second. What? Undercroft? Batari don’t enroll?’

I take a few glances around me and see that yes, I'm the only “Bat Pony” attending the school and by extension the only one in broad daylight. A few ponies and even two reformed changelings looked to be almost studying me from the sidelines watching whatever happen unfold.

‘No one from the compound came with me, we're the others seriously all homeschooled? I’m way too oblivious for my own good. Granted I'm pretty sure I was the only guy my age, in the whole town before getting dragged up this damn mountain.....Again.’
…......
’Fuck why am I here?’

It was a genuine question, of which I had a few similar like; What am I even doing? What was the fucking point of arriving here? Is there a way get back home? If there was would i take it? The last one outright terrified me. I did not know in my heart if I could or even wanted to face those I would return to. Or if they would even be there. Ive had a little more than half a year to sit on them and it still hurts.

The inky black. The poison that goes to the bone. A force to numb the heart.
A familiar feeling. The want for the absence. B̸̌̐͌͗̈̐̂͛́͜ủ̸̬͖̯̇̉̚͠t̷̡̗̰̜̰̭̯̗̆͆̃̔͑̿͑̐̉̌͜͜ ̷̨̢͕̠͇̖̬̠̩͓͗̅͛̈́̈́̚͠t̷̿͆̿͝͝ͅh̴̺̎̈́̈ë̷̯̤́̄̿͌͋͠ ̷̼̹͓̼̱̈́F̶̬̺͎̜͈̭̅̎̓ẹ̸̜̩̤͎̥̩̌̄̏͋̈́̚ȃ̴̦͓̠͗̓̾́̐̍ṙ̸͎̝͔̿̋̔̈́͌͆͘̚ ̸͈͙͙̗̘͈̄̑͋ͅR̷̡̩̓̽̇̓e̸̼͑̈̃̈̎̌̕͝m̵̨̺̮̩͙͖̘͔̋̕ă̶͓͚̦̅̇̔̒̆̿͐i̶̻̣̗̲̗̹̤͎̪̫͗̋̃̐́́͆́͗͝n̵̡̝̮̞̽̃̓̕s̴̼̖͇̪̣̮̭͉̃̅̎͜

(3rd Person Perspective)

7 months before Eclipse's arrival to Canterlot.

Hollow Vane, 7 miles outside of the Quarantine Sector.

Hollow Vane, a quaint town nestled on the opposite side of Mount Canterhorn from Ponyville, was once the largest haven for the Equestrian Batari population. The mountain itself housed a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, a cave system that could snugly accommodate half of the current Batari population in all of Equestria. Though a tight fit, it became a refuge for those who chose loyalty to the solar princess after the banishment of the lunar sister, oh which those who were loyal to lunar/nightmare at the time decided they would no longer reside in Equestria.

Over the years, the Batari population dwindled dangerously, reaching a critical point where they were deemed an endangered species, fading into the realm of rumor and legend for centuries. The surprise of their sudden return swept through Equestria, their existence once believed to be a mere myth by the population. With the reform of the cleansed lunar sister, prepared to share the mantle of responsibility with her solar counterpart, the Batari emerged from hiding and returned to their homeland.

The returning "Bat Ponies" or "Night Ponies" brought with them not only a new culture but also a resurrected religion—The Umbral Embrace—and an ancient and esoteric form of magic intrinsically tied to them, known as "Stellar Weaving."

The Umbral Embrace taught that nightmares were not mere dreams but omens and messages from Umbra, their deity of worship. The Batari sought guidance through dreams, believing that confronting their deepest fears in the dream realm unlocked the full potential of their powers.

Stellar Weaving, their magical art, allowed communion with stellar bodies for visions, the creation and dissipation of shadows with physical mass, manipulation and cleansing of dreams, and the crafting of esoteric curses.

The Equestrian population was initially unsettled. The revelation that what had been dismissed as a foal's scary tale was real, practiced by beings wielding strange, eerie magic, seeking to be accepted as neighbors, did not sit well. Initial tensions gradually eased, and Hollow Vane even experienced a slight uptick in population.

The current day Batari population is viewed as mostly estranged and nocturnal hermits that keep to their own enclaves. Only on special occasions will you see one in public, for the few that you do usually worked as guards for the lunar princess.

Now, the narrative shifts to a moment of change as a sickly green light lingers on the northern forest horizon. Something transpired during the celestial clash of the two sisters, such a battle between godly beings so many years ago, yet in current times affecting the forest north of Hollow Vane; now known as the Quarantine Zone or "The Jade Forest." Stories circulated that those entering the forest were touched by a jade light—either never to return or emerging changed, their transformation so horrific that some wished for death, or worse, to have stayed dead.

This curious yet perilous forest stood toe to toe, roots to roots, with The Everfree—a perilous realm known for its chaotic nature and an abundance of monstrous beasts rarely venturing beyond the tree lines.

If one asked a citizen of Hollow Vane on this day, they would speak of being spooked by the unusually bright glow of the forest lights. Some were even roused from sleep, mistaking it for daytime. However, the townsfolk staunchly refused to acknowledge The Jade Forest unless absolutely necessary. Imagine their collective surprise when guards ponies, and their night princess; all ponies presently marching were in protective suits were seen moving into the forest in droves.

The militarized force was clad in protective gear that would prevent any wild or dormant magics to discharge on the battalion as it moved towards the target of the operation as well as from whatever else lurked in jade wooded depths.

The lunar princess held her fist up high to signal the battalion to stop. She then clears her throat before using the royal canterlot voice.
"Here me now my loyal soldiers and subjects! Tonight we search for the Jade Heart and put an end to the madness this forest spawns once and for all! We will find its beating wretched heart, AND WE SHALL CLEAVE IT FROM ITS FETTID NEST!"

With The soldiers thoroughly rallied and the Hollow Vane residents equally spooked at what she may be talking about; the lunar princess faces towards their objective and starts to cast a spell. The locals only see Princess Luna and all the ponies she commands present first becoming shrouded in a thick black haze, before the haze disappears with them along with it.

Chapter 3: Revelations (Bad Habits)

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It was easier to blame everyone but myself.

Down I spiraled. I was not literally falling because I was comfortably sitting in my chair at the desk for my computer. Emotional scars were always the hardest to heal. I was (subjecting myself) being subjected to a never-ending abyss of self-loathing interspersed with drug abuse, the vapor hits my lungs and clouds my mind while the chemicals mix with my blood going to my brain. Yep, Sufficiently high as a kite.

Correction-HIGH AS FUCK.

I move away from the computer to go to bed with the usual numbing thoughts of what should have been, followed by what can only be described as; pointless arguments with figments of my imagination as my brain cooks up the worst scenarios. Constantly. Some times they contain my friends, other times my family.

‘They only tolerate me when I’m around.
The only reason I haven’t been kicked out is that I’m their only son.
I would be so much less a dam burden if i just disappear-‘

’NO…….no………..inhale……exhale……just stop it and breathe.’

In the end, the only thing keeping me from losing my shit was a handful of things you could get addicted to. The not-so-generational wounds of which were mostly psychological and emotional, instead of physical. Not that I ever acknowledged them. Not that I could anyways, It would be too painful now to do that.

This was the spiral. Something I called my current life. Trapped. Make mistakes. Make excuses. Refuse to own up. Hide like a coward in hope it goes away. Blame is shifted to make more pathetic excuses. Hide like a coward. There is no getting out. They hate you. Make a mistake. Snap and yell. Vent the frustrations. Have them ignored. (You misheard something certainly, you could still make things right.) Hide like a coward. Shift the blame. They only tolerate me. Waste away. Waste away. Waste away……..’Pathetic worthless waste of air.’

I was startled and woke up from my daze feeling like I was moments from hitting the ground after freefalling. One moment I was inwardly spiraling to god knows where, the next I was somewhere else. It just wasn’t my room. This spiral was different. I opened my eyes to dreamlike vista of colors and lights colliding and refracting to make this kaleidoscopic image that was SERIOUSLY ABOUT TO FRY MY EYES.

One moment I was climbing in bed, the next I'm nearly blinded and feel weightless. Any attempts to vocalize the sudden burning sensation behind my eyelids were met with deafening silence. I do not know how long I drifted like this, but it was driving me mad. The lack of sensations across my extremities gave it the feeling of a sensory deprivation chamber except the asshole behind the chamber door is trying to burn out your retinas.

‘God I don’t know what’s happening but I just want this to fucking end and soon.’ I groaned to myself inwardly about how much life is starting to suck right about now; before I am caught off guard by a new voice.

’Thats real fucking pathetic sounding from my perspective, didn't you say you wanted to disappear?!’ The voice sounded like it belonged to a guy that likes to fuck with you but distorted with a constant bassy growl that gave my skin goosebumps. ‘wait did it sound like....no I'm just imagining shit. This is all a dream! Right? RIGHT?!?’

’Wrong’

‘Who’s there!’ I yelled silently and opened my eyes again. Sound didn’t travel in this place. All I saw before me was a candle with a lit wick. This would probably be the most bizarre thing if it were not for the M.C. Esher kaleidoscope nightmare happening on my periphery. As well as that the candles' flames burned green and quivered when the voice spoke again.

’Little man. Little coward. Oh I can think of all the fun and wonderful things youll get yourself into~. When you wake up be sure to greet the family for me!’ The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. It paralyzed me locking all my joints and it started to feel harder to breathe.

I didn’t have the strength to say anything as it felt like all the life in my now weightless feeling body is all but sapped. I feel my stomach lurch as I fall. The last thing I remember hearing was a chorus of laughter as I fell into a jade light that completely overtook me.

Hollow Vane

To call this afternoon a shock to the system for Guards Mare Rosary would be quite an understatement. There she was minding her post, watching the village entrance for...really anything at this rate. Not that there was a lack of creatures or crazy happenings, quite the opposite in truth. Every other day there's reports of howling or the roars of beasts in that damned forest. Her fellow Guards Mares even reported seeing shadowy figures move in the corners of their eyes when turning in from their post.

’So tired. When is the next rotation?’

Rosary Looks down to her watch tucked under her sleeve, it read 4:00am.

’Two more hours of this shit and I can finally get some shut eye. Note to self; never try to do your job while running on three hours of sleep...in three days. Mother of bucking Umbra I'm such a moron for going to the Moonlit Revelry.’

She Immediately smacked herself for that.

’NO! Don’t think negatively like that, your best friend was getting married and wanted to celebrate.’

Her mind starts to slowly recollect the events of said party...

Rosary Zeal walked up to a large, suspended platform. It hung from the trees by thick rope and was made of thin but sturdy logs that matched the surrounding forest. This was the location of the Moonlit Revelry, or the Lunar Gala. The Batari had made it to one of the most important nights of the year not only for social status, she dressed to look the part. Her green dress perfectly fitted to her charcoal fur and complimenting her lemon yellow and amber mane with black tips like scorch marks, a black under-suit and skirt accentuates her feminine form.

She stood out but not too much to overshadow the lucky mare of the night the annual celebration was, impromptu, dedicated too.

Speaking of the lucky mare. Here she comes now…
Niria Shadowheart. Beautiful beyond measure was her childhood crush. So graceful was her gate. She wore a red silk dress that accentuates her cherry streaks in her black mane and tail.

“Rosey you look amazing!” The stygian mares stared at each other for but a moment but to Rosary it felt like forever. She was lost in the moment, with the one pony that matters in the whole world to her; on the night that matters the most to her. So bittersweet was the moment to Rosary as she knew her feelings could never be reciprocated...

The guards mare on duty was awoken from her daydream suddenly the heavy hooffalls of ponies in armor was hear from behind. She didn’t know what to make of what she was seeing.

Princess luna, and a company of 150 guards ponies both lunar and solar. Except for the Princess all the ponies present were wearing some kind of padded garb. The metal used for the guards uniform armor all but missing except for the studded intricate gloves one group of unicorns were wearing.

‘Whats going on?’ She was in awe as Princess Luna, HER Princess, The Night Mother, The Progenitor of ALL Batari, was approaching her.

“Be at ease my little pony there is nothing to fear. (Yet.) Please can you state your name and rank?”

Rosary was silent for a moment before she caught her composure. “Yes ma’am, Staff Sargent Rosary Zeal reporting!”

“Good, now what is your current assignment?” Rosary paused. It should be obvious right? Is this a test?

“Im on the night watch to monitor if any threats from the forest approach the village ma’am! Do you have any orders for me?” The princess nodded.

“Astutely observed Staff Sargent, I need you to return to the town have put it on lockdown. I do not want to see any pony hurt and they will be safest if they lock their doors and hunker down for whats to come.” This brought a dreadful pause to Rosary, why a lockdown? The last thing she said was incredibly disconcerting; enough so that she had to ask even if it broke decorum.

“Your Majesty….. is the village in danger?” The princess was not perturbed by the question and strangely was seeming to ignore her as she was staring off into the forest. Princess luna’s form and silhouette faded to all black like a shadow cast in the sun before, The soldiers were gone and so was the princess. It was if at one moment she was in front of her and in another she was gone. But Rosary still has her orders and flys off towards the village cathedral, she has a bell to ring. She must warn the village of the looming threat, but how can she explain it to them in the panic when even she doesn’t know the cause.

Luna arrived with her soldiers in an alcove. Her spell was mass teleportation locked in on the signature she was alerted to from Canterlot. Magic felt from the other side of the Canterhorn Mountain? Definitely worth investigating; Faust knows what threats this could possibly entail. Many of the magical devices brought for this trip started blaring alarm tones.

"Your Highness! We're picking up a large energy disturbance!" A few of the soldiers with the detection gear were dreading these readings and were moments from freaking out. "Quickly, give me a status report! Is it the same energy signature? Quickly!" The Princess was about to say more but the blaring alarm tones were hitting a fever pitch. At this one of the soldiers with the gear decided to voice his thoughts.

"Damn it, the magic sensors we brought are about to fry and overload at any second if we keep them on." The guard turns off the device and hocks it deep into the woods. "Whatever is in this forsaken place probably has more magic than all the Alicorns combined! The sensors said a lot was converging at our location, and if that's true NOTHING can save us from whats coming, we’re dead! Dead!"

With this some of the other soldiers murmur with fearful trepidation, even more look to their Princess for guidance. She would need to have that guard evaluated for if he was fit for duty after this. At least the others kept their composure but she could tell it was just barely hanging by a thread. One that could snap at any moment.

Luna holds her head high and starts to cast a spell before saying, "Guards form up around me!" As they convene to her location Luna augments the spell with her sorcerer blood, she entwines raw mana with her force of will and with it she sends forth a magical sphere that expands outwards in all directions with that the 50 foot diameter Sphere of Invulnerability is complete. Everypony is safe inside; and just in time too as the Jade light arcs from the clouds. The light coalesces into a radiant sphere that grew steadily in size. Everypony down below was forced to watch as this gargantuan mass of unstable magic swelled like a balloon before it rapidly collapsed.

Luna didn't want to believe what she was seeing but she could swear that there was something or somepony(?) obscured by the baleful energy. Lurking inside is the silhouette of a small thin figure, in the space where their eyes should be glowing orbs of dark green and black flames are soon snuff and replaced with a shining golden orange. The coalesced energy dissipates as soon as it arrives as a figure falls from the sky into the tree line unnoticed by everyone except one.

The ponies present take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief as the storm lulls to a slumber, one of the unicorns closet to Princess Luna steps off towards her. "Ma'am You're going to want to see this."

The Princess looks to what the guard has in her hands, the same device that was signaling alarms earlier still on and functional but the line reads flat. "Mind telling me what I'm supposed to being seeing here?"

"Ma'am all the aberrant magic we picked up and tacked down was here on top of us moments ago and now its gone, and not only that it seems the surround environment had some if not most of its ambient magic drained." This was not a good sign to Luna. Her thoughts raced upon hearing the report before remembering something.

"I want everypony to fan out and search the area for any disturbances. I'm certain I saw something in that anomaly and I have a feeling its still in the forest." Luna didn't know why but she felt something deeply wrong in her stomach at a thought, ’if a pony could harness an anomaly similar to one they witnessed they they could be a very dangerous foe for all of Equestria. They would be utterly monstrous.’

There wasn't long before a disturbance caught Luna's and a large majority of the guards off kilter; as two guards came back to the spot the teleported to carrying a Batari Colt. They both were carrying his arms across their shoulders and quickly got him to safety. Safety being a huddle of eleven guards with him unconscious in the center. The two that carried him approached Luna. "Your majesty we have a huge problem! We found a civilian and a colt no less all the way deep into the forest crumpled against the base of a tree!"

Luna was expecting to find maybe some twisted sorcerer or demi-lich come out of hiding and thus this expedition would turn into a dangerous monster slaying quest, just like the good old days. But a colt? When did he even get out here? ’Was he responsible for the anomaly?’ No thats just utterly preposterous; the poor colt's herd is dying knowing he's missing especially if he was local. Luna decided then she would take him back to Canterlot Castle to get him checked in at the royal infirmary, and follow up with the locals of Hollow Vane after to see which alpha he belonged to.

Princess Luna looks to the Batari colt and notices that his clothes were dirty and torn in spots. He couldn't have been any older than 14 or 15 and was average height for a young colt his age. His gray coat is standard but what catches her curiosity is his mane color and clothing of choice; Bright gray with blue faded tips. His blue hooded clothes had a pair of gray and black battered scarfs wound around his neck and collar and his black pants were torn at the legs. ’He has cuts and bruises all over...He was also born with a nonstandard mane color for most batari, I wonder who his sire and dam were…’

"Everypony there's been a change of plans, we'll have to postpone the search with a civilian in danger. We'll be returning to Canterlot, I should have enough mana for one last mass teleportation." Luna Wasted no time, quickening the spells casting process but this starts to immediately make her feel her well of metamagic drain as she pushes through a wave of fatigue, her mind reeling from the whiplash of what just happened. It was worth it in the end as casts the spell from before as the she, the guards and the colt they rescued all fade to black from the forest before fading in at the gates of canterlot castle.

"Quickly get the colt to the infirmary and get me a registry of any ponies that have gone missing in the hollow vane on my desk and I want somepony back down there to check in with the guardsmare I talked with at the gate…..as well as their commanding officer. Everypony else return to your stations and you are not to disclose to ANYPONY what happened today is that clear?" They all salute before going to report to their commanding officers, some going to the barracks.

Soon the princess is left to herself and proceeds to her room and get some well deserved rest; after reaching her room she was met with a welcome face. "Ah Luna you’re back already! How was the search? Are you injured?" ’Tia you were always the worry wort.’

"Sister please you must learn not to coddle me like a foal after my outings, I'm fine. Just tired mentally and physically. I had to use a lot of my magic get everyone out of the forest." Celestia knew when something was on her sisters mind.

"Oh? surely there was something of note to tell me then?" Luna relented and told Celestia of what occured on their investigation; there was no chance of Luna leaving out finding the colt and she knew it Celestia's maternal instincts kicked in immediately when she heard. "Dear Faust the poor thing.”

Today has been quite strange, Luna was awoken to a magical surge; one that almost every unicorn with developed magic could feel and The royal archivists and the canterlot institute of sciences was already looking into what exactly happened within the hour.

According to the report on lunas desk, the Surge was felt because aberrant magic was coalescing towards the north side of the mountain. Abberant magic is a very misunderstood phenomenon because unlike chaotic or harmonious magics they have grounding in the reality that is Equestria and its ponies and the rest of the world. Aberrant magic is NOT from this world. Its invasive and ten times out of ten manifests as highly dangerous weather, natural disasters, or new breeds monsters showing up for the first time. She thought she was going to find the Jade Heart or at least one of its aberrant spawn…

So why in tartarus did she end up finding a colt?

Chapter 4: Waking Up (Pact Magic)

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’Now the real fun starts.’

Canterlot Castle Royal Medical Ward.

Beep.....Beep.....Beep.....Beep.

I was gradually awoken from my slumber to the sounds of a steady EKG. I was expecting to wake up in my bedroom, the climate of it staying mostly warm all year round meant I was very cozy but only in my room. The course bedsheets roughly contrasted to the soft silky blanket I usually curled up in. The EKG began to pick up in cadence as I started to feel the palms of my hands, then run my fingers along my arms, down my legs....I slap my hands to my face and start to kneed the flesh and feel everything. Every detail in excruciating lucidity, raised the EKG rate with each new discovery.

"What....?" It was barely above a whisper. I couldn’t think of anything else in this moment except how Im….wrong. I was covered in fur, I felt hot, and my arms and legs felt so sore. All I could do was curl up on my sides and close my eyes. I didn’t hear what I was saying or of there was anything coherent said in the first place. I just really wanted to hug something right now and clutch it close to my chest and head, I didn’t know why but I knew it would be forever out of reach…

Was I crying? I think I was crying at least. Even as a “grown” adult at 24 I was still a massive crybaby. Always have been all my life. No. Thats not entirely correct though. I was until recently. Was finding very hard to muster a tear in recent years. Guess I’m just shocked I was able to cry still. I forgot how sincere it makes one look if genuine. I hated how vulnerable It made me feel. I remember how ugly I looked. Guess at some point my tear ducts broke or I became too numbed or apathetic to feel emotionally invested…..

C̶̢̺̘̣̗̪̝͈̓̾͠ ̴̧̡̧̱̰̪̞̞̯̦͕̦̫͈̹͉̟͙͚̥̮̲̱͎̪̻͍̗̜̙͉̰͕̤̻͈͎̹̰̙͉̠̪̣͊̉́̐̇͐͑̈́̏̌̔̐̈́̔̋̊́͊̋̆̚͜͜ͅͅͅ ̴̛̮͛̀̀̾́̿͐͘ ̸̢̧̖̮̻̤̞̮͕̘̠͉̗̌̑͌̆͊̽̍̈́͛̇̈́̅̈́̕̕͠y̸̢̧̡̡̡̮̥̰̱͇͓͚̘͍̗̩̤̖̙̖͇̬͍̿̑͂̊̐͛̾̊̽̌͐́͛͗̋̃͒͋̊͂͊̈͌͛͛̾́͑̈́̎̿̇̐̂̐̀ͅ ̷̧̧̡̧̧̪̬̬̤̤͔͔̼͇̤̦͚̯̳̫͈̝̳̹̖̤͖̻͙̥̣̮̰̻͕̹͖͓͖͍̫̜̹̳̩̘̳͉͆͋̊̔̉̆̍̀̃̊͜͝͝ͅư̷̛͚̝̎͋͊̂̀̊͒̈́̓́̊̈́̂̃̒̔̀̈̐̅͐̄̓͐͑̄̅̉̈̌̈́̓̅͐̂̈́̔̀͊̌͘͘̚̚͠͝͠ ̸̡̲̠̪̦̠͎͋̉̇̎͋̍͑̒̿̿̾̒̍͒̃̆̐̏̈́̂́̈̃̐͝͠͠ ̶̡̡̣͍̰̠̳̮̭̖̭̜̲͎͇̮̥̗̦̣͚̬̦̞̩͉̘̬̾͛̃̉̃͊̃͊̑̓̄̕̚͜͝e̸̡̢̡̧̛̤̖̱͉͈͓͓̝͎̞̤̙̩̭̟̝̪̱̖̦͚͈̦̥̱͓͕̩͙̲̰̜̤̥̗͙̔̂͌̈́͆̓̋͊̒̎̉̂̈́̈́̈̅̇͆̀̒͆̎͒̇̌͆̉̒̐̚͘͝͝ͅa̶̧̧̢̡̨͔̼͓̼̳̬̻͇̩̭͕̣͒̈̊̑̎̏̀͑̈́̌̋͑ ̵̡̡̢̡̢̧̧̡̧͉͎̝̫̜̺̰̩̘͎͈̳̩̝͓̘̤̮̝̠̯̼̘̹͓̲̟͎͇̤̱͚̟̱̱̜̞́͌̄̌̀̒̓͂̈́͗͒̎̊̑̓̍͗͆̿̇̌͒̆͑̄̽̀̓̍̋̏̃͋̍̈́̀̇̃̆͗̎̓͜͠͠͝͝ͅ ̵̧̨̡̯̞̩̣͉͚̰͙̗̙̞͕͕̝̭̼̱͉̘͎̘͉̳̮͖̲̩̫͓̰̥͕̟̜̜̣̩̟̫̰̣͔̀̈́̋̅̉̄̈̐̈̋̿̾̽̒͂̈́͋͌͂̇͛͛̄͝ͅͅͅ ̷̧̢̡̛̤̟̺̟̜̬̹͓̣̜͓̦̟̣̼͙̫̭̙͎̘̭̼̫͖̙͚̟̭̤̼͙̺̘̞͖͓̪̬̮̽̊̆̌͗́͊̅̒̐̒̐̔͒͂̌̈́̿̂̕̚͜͜͜͜͜ͅͅȩ̶̛̹͉̮͚͈͔͕̣͐̈̎́̿͆͂̓̀͐͑͆̅̈́͒͗͊̇̍̀̇͋͒͋̊̂̓͗̓̾͋̎̄̔̾̾̌̆̕̕͘̕͜͠͠͠͝͝?̶̛̯̫̩̞̣̩͎̳̜̘̦͇̙̙͔̳͍̬̭̺̊͆̆̋̾͂̾́̉̈͐̑́̓̾̋̈̆̇́̊́͂́̏̓̌́͒͆̿̍͒́͗̀̈́͂̾̐́̾̈̕͘͘͠͝͠͝ͅ

{̶Aberrant Invocation Acquired: ̸̹͐M̴͖̀ị̶̡̾̕n̸̝̬̄d̵̯̟͐ ̶̬̼̇̋ő̵̺̻f̴̻̹̄͊ ̵̡̰͛͘t̶̬͗h̷͇͌e̶͉̠̕ ̶̨̉R̵͇̊ù̷̘̙́ń̶̢̰͋ě̶͙͇̄ ̴̩̜̉K̸͈̍̄ē̷ͅé̶̳̻̈́p̶̡̱̂e̷̖͕̎̉r̷̡̓̂ }̶

Ḧ̶̡̛̛̙͍̹̰̳̜̮̣̥͎̙̘́͊̐̈̌̆̾͑̐̒̔̎̔͂͌͋͊̀̕͝ͅo̸̧̡̮̞̜͎̘̝̮̰̺͉͈͂̉́́̀̋̊́͂͌̇w̸̢̙̘͇͚̩̟̪̼͕̩̟̐͐̒̽̈́͋͗̀͌̈́͐̇̾̿̊̕̕͝͠͝ ̵̡̤̩̱̣̮̼̠̥̱̱͎͚͍̰̠̙͕̘̘͊̓̐̇̅ͅả̴̢̘͙̮̪̟̌̑̅̾̎͛̿̀͋̂̈́̎̍̊̈̀̎̉͑͐̚͠͝b̶̛̮̝͑̽̄͛̍̈̈́̾͛̓̈̀̏̑̅̅̎̀́̌̊̕͠ờ̷̡̧̝̪̳͓͇̝͍̳̰̯͍̜͇̗̗̦̪̠̩͖̖̝͛͛̾̏̄̋̏̓͛͗̌͗̐͌̃̏͛̕͠͝͠͝ͅ ̸̡̨̡̝̰͕̘͈̝̖̰͍̦͇̖̠͙̭͚̙̥̬̒ͅt̸̰̺̣̻̖̞͓̦̟̠́͑̇̋͆̃̒̈́̽͆͘͝ ̶̡̌̎̌͑̊̀̊̀́͊̓͂͐͆͌̀̈̐̈́̚͘ ̶̢̖̲̗̳͓̣̠̞͕͔̗̥̭͎͍̯͔͇̜͙̇́̃ͅo̸̢̪̝͕͔͈̥̱̰̻̤̗̲̩̻̻̗̗̱̤͐̿̀ẅ̶̡̛̛͈̱̖̘̲̗͍͙̻̙̈̾͊̐͛̏̀̅͊͆̏͒̊̈̈́̀̒́̀͌͠?̷̬͓̗͕͔̬̣͓͉́͋͋͑̓̇͐̑̓̉̈́̅̄͂̅̾̓̔̑̄̎͊̀͘ “Fffffffuck! my…..my head!!!” The pain was Indescribable. Immutable. All-encompassing.

H̶̓̋ͅe̷̩͛̓y̴̩̱̾ ̴̳͈̋̑ḱ̵̡i̷̮̫͒d̸̟̖͊͒d̸͎͖͠͝o̴̊̈́ͅ?̴͔̫̏ ̶͕͐̕C̴̏͋ͅà̶̯n̵̨̈́ͅ ̶̭̓̌y̵͎̲̿o̶͖̅̒u̷̮̾̾ ̴̫̲̏h̶̛̞͒ê̷͖̆a̸̮̳̿r̶̢̎̓ ̶̣͊̚m̸̖͛̀e̷̱͎̚?̸͚͔̍ ̸͉̈́T̷͇͆Ḫ̷͓́I̵̢̯̐́S̷̖̓ ̶͉͕́͊D̵̖͗A̸͕̓M̵̭͓̑͋N̶̤̮̊͒Ë̷̱͈́D̸̯͝ ̵͖̜͐T̷̙̈H̶̯̠̃͘Ḯ̸̞̲̄N̷̦͉͝G̷͖̣̐ ̸̬̔͜O̷̢͑͘ͅÑ̵͓ ̷̖̕Ô̸̜R̷̺̝͝ ̷̤͐N̴̮̿O̸̱̓̽T̸̘́̿?̶̹̈͗!

I’m so fucking sweaty; dear god I need to be cold and I don’t care how. Dear god why is it so dam hot. Nothing matters except finding a damn bathroom. Not the ringing in my ears. Not the blurring colors of the things around me; whatever they are. Nothing except not throwing up on myself.

When I got to a door it felt oddly large, but that didn’t matter. I yanked the door open to find salvation. My vision started to narrow and tunnel in on the one thing on my mind.

A toilet.

’Hallelujah…HRK- oh fuck’.

I was out of time. The bowl was the target and a safe haven……

The weakness shoots through my body and leaves me splayed out on the tile floor, head and chin resting in the edge of the toilet lid.

Princesses Luna and Celestia walked down the gray hallways of the medical ward. “Its only been a day and they can’t find anything about the colt connecting to a missing ponys report.”

Celestia knew well enough how any mare can get when a colt was endangered or left cold and alone; without a herd. Its how she eventually adopted Blueblood and while he has his moments she never could regret taking him in.

“Luna you should give this more time. The time and attention this case deserves and the colt himself. Speaking of which how is he?” Celestia placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder as they walked to lean into her.

“Ah his room should be close!” Luna made sure to speed up her pace while she rounded the hospital ward hallway corner. Two doctors stood in front of a patient room about to go in. They paused and bowed in reverence to their rulers. “Ah, your highness, are you here to see the young patient?” Luna nods.

“Is this his room?” The doctors nod back. “Yes your highness, you may see him but he still might be sleeping. We were going to check on his condition right now.” While entering the patient’s room they hear coming from the bathroom to the side the sound of flushing and a pained groan.

“Auogh…ffff-……..ffuck this.”

What they heard next were exceedingly unpleasant noises associated with the sick and ill.

“Your highnesses can you please wait outside in the hall for a moment?” The princesses nodded and quietly stepped outside into the hall with a grimace after hearing those sounds moments ago.

‘Y̴̙̍o̶̳̒u̴͙͝ ̸̘͊d̶̳̍o̴̱͝ņ̸̈́e̶̯͆ ̷̠̅ý̵͉ȇ̵̞ẗ̴̮́?̸̨͋ ̷̤͝I̵̛̠f̵͎̄ ̶̰͠y̵̙̒o̷͚̎u̷̟̿ ̴͕̐ḱ̸͓e̸̡͊ė̶̟p̸̦̀ ̴̟́p̶̢̈ú̸͕k̶͉̽ĭ̶̼ṉ̶̂ǧ̵͙ ̴̫͝l̵̝̚i̶̠̋k̷͍̄e̵̮͂ ̴̻͌ẗ̸̻h̵̟͌a̴̦̕t̶̘͘ ̶͕̀y̷̲̌ơ̵̢u̸̹̓l̶̜̔l̶̨̀ ̵̣̕ḧ̴͖ȃ̶͙v̷̹͝e̸̛̫ ̵͉͒l̵̢̂ḯ̸͜ḱ̷̮ë̴̬́,̴̡̕ ̸͚͌z̴̭͗e̶̯͐r̶̢͛õ̷̳ ̸͕̓b̶̛̬ō̶̝d̵͙̑y̷̌͜ ̷̙̎w̷̯͠e̶̹̚ï̷͙g̷̦̅h̶̯͒ẗ̴̘.̵̝̚ ̷͇̾I̷̽͜t̵̠͐ ̵̰́w̸̩̍ó̴͚ů̵̙l̴͙̐d̶͔̕ ̴̢̈́b̷͍͛e̶̤͐ ̵̫̇r̴̳̚e̶̢̿a̸̞͒ĺ̵̦l̴̡̉y̶͇̚ ̴̟́f̴̘̈́u̵͉͗c̸̱̏k̵͖̾ì̵̮n̶̹͌g̴͔͑ ̷̮̀c̶̊͜o̴̪͒ǫ̴͋l̷̹͊ ̸̞̆ï̴̱ḟ̷͇ ̸̜͋y̴̛̼o̶͖̔u̶̖̓ ̵̧̇d̴̝̚i̸̫̒d̶͚̏n̶̻͝t̶͙̂ ̷̡͐d̸͇̈ỉ̶̡ë̵̺ ̶̻͑o̷͙̍f̵̜͆ ̴̠͗s̵͔̋o̵̘͋m̶͕̓e̷̡̔t̵͕̀h̸͈̚i̴͔̒n̷̼͝g̶̼̽ ̵͉͛s̸̞͝t̷͚͑ǘ̵̦p̵̩̆i̴͚͝d̴͎̓ ̴̯͆l̴̥̋ị̵͐k̶̤̀e̴̢̽ ̵̬̀d̷̢̉ȇ̴̩h̶̽͜y̷̘͠d̷̪̽r̷͙͝a̴̬̋t̸̲̄i̵̼͒ŏ̵̡ņ̷̀,̴̳͠ ̶̠͘o̸̻͘r̴͉̉ ̸̞̀s̸̮͌t̶̘̐ã̶̬r̷̘͊v̴̨̆a̷̮̎t̵̫̚î̷̡o̶̩͒n̴̺͌ ̵̬̆b̸̯́ē̴̦f̵͒ͅò̸̬ŕ̷͜e̵̩͗—̷̟́’

“Ssstop talking! Please stop it hurts…my head hurts so much.” The agony was slowly fading from my body.

’Oh! wait………shit you responded that time. FINALLY! For fucks sake kid, it took you damn-near forever to start listening to me fucking harmony probably running interference. Chances are she thought you were one of its precious natives I bet.’

“What are you talking about? Are you in my head?” My confusion was continuing to build upward like weights on my shoulders. Getting up my vision was finally starting to clear; as I began looking around I caught a sight at the only mirror.

’Hey kiddo.~’

“Oh fuck.” I pulled up my arm the reflection did the same. I pulled at the eyelid to check if I was dreaming. The eye dilated and I felt the furred palm against my head. It feels real. The left eye was then completely engulfed in a green light as I heard the voice of the….other again.

’I mean, you dont look half bad I guess. If i had any manual control I’d make you look a lot better; but whatever a soul presents, as a soul is.~’

“Wait…..Wait wait WAIT! What the fuck is going on?! Who the hell are you!” I nearly shouted. My episode must have caught someone’s attention. Those weights of confusion on my shoulders were starting to feel a lot heavier.

“Hello? Are you ok in there? If you need somepony to come in and help dont be afraid to ask.”

“What the hell?” Who’s even out there? What kind of question was that last one? Ok wait just slow down. You heard an EKG. The bed felt like shit. They sound concerned. This is some kind of hospital. Ok so maybe I’m safe but why am I here?

’In due time. Our connection is strained and there’s something I need to do, and to do that I need you to take these.~’

“What are you-“ was all i could say before the pain came back but stronger than before. My skull felt like it was about to burst. My chest felt like it was on fire. My limbs felt heavy as lead.

{Aberrant Invocation Acquired: Uncanny Sight}

{Aberrant Invocation Acquired: Eldritch Spear}

{Attention! Otherworldly Patron Unrecognized. Substituting in Patron abilities best suited. Attention! Two Patron types recognized.}

{Multiple Class Features Acquired: Among the Dead, Awakened Mind}

{Pact Magic Acquired: Awakened Spells, Undying Spells}

Something else spoke with a dull tone and with each word I felt worse. As soon as I thought It was done talking I was hit with another wave as it kept droning on and on. I’ve had enough as I slowly trudged to the door clutching my head and gut.

Opening the door I’m greeting with strangely equine humanoid alien- wait what the fuck am I saying. Those a ponies right? I get this could all be a wild drug dream but those are ponies just more human like. I heard them say somepony through the door. I look like…..I look…….Oh fuck. This is…..

The doctor and nurse watch as the colt stumbles back from the bathroom doorway for a step before slipping and falling unconscious after hitting his head on the tile.

“OH MY GOODNESS!”
“Quick, get him back in bed and check his scalp incase he needs stitches!” With the new commotion going on inside, the princesses knocked on the door.

“Is everything ok in there? There was shouting, and now I’m a little worried for the young one.” Luna sternly said about to open the door anyways before the nurse popped out her head.

“Your highness maybe you should come back sometime later. The patient slipped on the bathroom tile and needs to rest. Hes lucky he didn’t seriously injure himself.” The nurse sighed before bowing to the princesses. They took it as a sign to come back later. But Luna had an idea. To check in on his dreamstate and see if theres any nightmares to banish. Yes she will protect his dreams. She really wanted to do something for him and it would be no different than her duties as princess of the night and keeper of dreams.

He was still a mystery but maybe through his dreams she could piece the puzzle together more. Besides she only saw him unconscious and have yet to even speak to him. She…wait. Should she shirk the rest of her duties just to indulge in a curiosity? Was it just a curiosity though? He was found in that damned forest of all places.

Tonight Luna will be getting some answers.

Chapter 5: Take everything and leave me with nothing but hate.

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Void is all I saw, this place I found myself in felt ethereal, almost....dream-like? The walls of the hospital bathroom are gone replaced with only an empty expanding dark. looking around there was....well...still nothing.

Turning my thoughts inwards I felt the weight of everything crash down around me. The image in the mirror was burned into my mind, and everything just felt so real. “I was awake….it….it was real. Ok so where am I?”

I saw something strange yet familiar? It was a wax candle; the wick had a bright green flame, and then it all started coming back to me. The night I went to bed, the flashes of light as a voice taunted me, and waking up in a new body. I had one thing going through my mind; “WHY WAS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? of all people to get, for lack of a better word, fucking isekai'd to another world. And of all places Equestria? WHY?”

I was nearly shouting to nothing and no one but was interrupted when that strange-familiarity made its presence known.

”Why why why, wha wha wha, gonna keep crying and whining or do you want to do something about it?”

"You’re that thing I keep hearing, W-What do you want! S-Send me back h-h-home now! I know for a fact you can if you could bring me here to begin with!" I was shouting, I was so angry that this thing was playing with my life. Yet it scared me to no end.

”Already nutting up? pf-HA! yes….welllll I'm surrrre you want to go home immediately but that's no longer…. on the table-“

"Wait what? WHAT?!?! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN!?!” I was livid, the hell does it even mean ‘no longer on the table!?!’

”DO. NOT. INTERRUPT ME.”

The realm I was in quickly grew dark and filled me with an overwhelming sense of dread.
The other voice turned downright evil when angered. I was at this voices mercy, it could do anything to me.

"what do you want from me?"

”The golden question! Right now I only need to teach you some things and after that you'll be on your own for a little while.”

The room got brighter as and the other dropped all the anger as suddenly as I seemed to have triggered it.

"Wait wait wait wait wait. Wait! What is the point of doing this? you took me from my home! My family and Friends! How do I know if your not just lying and I'll never get to see them again!"

”Well do you want to see them?”

……..

This was the last thing I expected to hear but it felt like a cold knife finding perfect purchase in my heart.

"What? What kind of question is tha-" this time it interrupts me.

”Its actually a very fair one, at least for you in particular. Fuckin idunno jus take sum time to think about it ye’self….*ahem* Now lets get to brass tacks; take your left hand and extend your index finger, then flick it up with your wrist.”

I'm silent. Mostly because what he said essentially stunlocked me in place. Is this a game to him? Two questions were burning at the edges of mind. If I didn’t ask them now things wouldn’t get any clearer. I need something. ANYTHING to help make it make sense.

“Why was it SPECIFICALLY me you did this too? Was this some stupid fucking cosmic lottery?! Did you pull a damn name out of a hat?!?!”

”Hmmmmm. Ok I’ll tell you why I need you; In return I want you to do what I said with your hand. Does that sound like a deal?”

A deal with a, more than likely literal, devil. He would tell me what I want, at least if he wasn’t totally lying and all I had to do was flick my wrist and finger. Fuck it why not. “Deal.” I extend my finger, then I flick it upward. As soon as I did something filled my Vision; it was a gray embroidered box that was eerily similar to a character sheet in a table top rpg.

Level 2
{Name: None}
{Race: Batari}
{Title: None}
{Class: Warlock}
{Subclass: Corrupted}

Ability
Strength 7 [-2]
Dexterity 18 [+4]
Constitution 10 [0]
Intelligence 12 [+1]
Wisdom 8 [-2]
Charisma 15 [+2]

Features
{Aberrant Invocations: Uncanny Sight, Eldritch Spear, Mind of the Rune Keeper}
{Among the Dead}
{Awakened Mind}
.......

“I’m sorry, but what the hell, warlock? And why is there no name? Shouldn’t it just say……say???” It was then I realized something truly mortifying. I couldn’t say my name, and it wasn’t because I forgot it. I physically just couldn’t move my mouth to say the name when I thought of it. Nothing is making sense. I was going to plummet into insanity and it’s all that thing’s fault. If I wasn’t panicking when i was awake, I’m certain I would look incredibly distressed now. I was hyperventilating a storm as i felt a burning in my eye socket as it started to glow. It glowed a sickly Jade.

”A little bonus magic thanks to a pact from moi~ Well kid a deals a deal. Now, you and I have a VERY special bond. One that---that---shit! Damn it! I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING YOU WHORE! I need to cut this short…..Hate me if you want but the blue bitch cant know of this. This is going to be much more unpleasant than when you were awake by the by.”

“What THE FUCK are you talking about now?! I’m still not even sure I believe you or ANYTHING after what's been happening….hahahHA…AHAHA! WHAT THE SHIT!…..and now you're on about-on about some nonsense. NONSENSE YOU HEAR ME! I want absolutely NOTHING to do with you or ANYTHING you wan-“

The ‘status’ screen disappeared in a fizzle before I’m suddenly knocked over prone on my back. Something hit me extremely hard and sent my vision spinning before I realized I was being pinned under the weight of, what i think is *maybe* a pony, In alleyway; the maybe-pony was wearing black and green robes with a strange mask that looks like a crying face. I said it was only *maybe* a pony because it had an aura of wrongness to it. Its shoulders bulged way towards the left creating an off-center hunch. Its eyes glowed a deep amber orange, its circumference had a balefire green outline around each. Its grip around my wrist felt cold and icey, while its weight on my lower torso felt sharp and jagged.

The figure punches me in the nose and hard, so hard I begin loosing consciousness. ‘wasn’t this a dream? Whoever they are, they got me good. I haven’t had to take a punch In….wait have I ever? Shits getting hazey now and I can’t think clearly.…oh well can’t do anything about this now.’ This was more of a condensed version of my stream of consciousness getting spliced with simmering anger; most of what was omitted was strings-upon-strings of swears, screams, and pleas to anyone or thing out there that could help.

Next thing I know I’m in a dank cellar cuffed to the wall. The only door swings open and the figure wearing the mask is back, with friends. They have rusty and blood coated dental tools…..’No nonononono.’ “STAY AWAY!” Struggling did nothing with the cuffs hold me against the wall. They approach slowly and one pulls out a syringe with a smokey green liquid that sloshes around like something foul and acrid. All I could do was writhe in defiance and wait for whatever sick and twisted plans they had for me. “I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU! ALL OF YOU! GET OFF OF ME!!!”

The figure with the syringe whispers into my ear, “Incomplete. Added [] will catalyze the transformation.” They then grab my eye by the lids to hold them open for the syringe needle. I wanted this person to die horribly. My mind pulls all the repressed and depressive traits, as well as the unsafe for life thoughts to bubble and roil under the surface when enough stress is applied. The needle goes in my eye. The room starts to feel cold. I started to realize one thing in a moment of lucidity and calm. It was only a calm before the storm of a hurricane. And just like Catrina, I Raged.

All I can do is scream. I do so as one last ditch of defiance; producing a scream containing the utter frustration of more than half a decade of utter dissolution, disassociation, desperation, and despair; they are first set to prime in my throat and lungs. Next utter rage both properly guided and misplaced at the individuals, the concepts, the instances, and the FUCKING INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS! ALL of it compounding upon itself tenfold before releasing into something that can only be described as heartbreaking and horrifying. All I can feel is hate. Hate towards the devil that did this to me. The fiendish fucker that took everything from me and left me here like THIS!

“ENOUGH!”

In a flash of radiance the abductors disappear and where they and the cellar stand now resides Princess Luna. Luna quickly approaches the young colt curled into a fetal position; she didn’t see much but as soon as she entered the dream realm for the night, the colt, she and her group rescued, was having a terrible nightmare.

Figures were corralled around the colt, he was in dirty rags against the walls of a cellar, awful tools of torture laid strewn across the floor while something foul stirred in a strange syringe one of the figures was pressing towards- Enough was enough. Luna will not stand to see one of her subjects suffer in such a horrid manner.

And then they were gone. For Luna commands the dreams and banishes nightmares like she has for millennia. Dream magic she learned for the oldest Batari clans used to save an unknown Batari. Would almost be considered ironic. Not the point, she needed to know if he was safe. This was also a perfect way to figure out what about him is seemingly eluding her, like shadows in the corner of the eye.

Reaching out to put her hand on his. Luna tries to comfort him. “Please young one, you are safe now. The nightmare is gone…”

The Colt fearfully tries to move away as he curled inward into a fetal position on his side. Before Tucking his head low to his chest luna could hear his quiet muffled cries. She saw his mane was unkempt and wild, his eye was bloodshot and wide with abject terror. She doesn’t blame him given the prior events not but a moment ago, but who were those figures?

Luna saw he was beyond traumatized by…..whatever in tartarus was happening in his dreams. A subject for another time maybe.

“Now now, No more tears. You can rest soundly now that Ive cleansed your dream.” Luna went to bring him in closer, taking his whole body and picking it up gently. He wasn’t responding verbally to anything she said, Just shivered uncontrollably.

Lifting him was incredibly easy due to how small and light he was even in dreams; barely older than a adolescent foal now that she got close to properly inspect him. Luna wrapped the growing foal in a hug with her arms then her wings after. His resistance to the touch being weak flailing and squirming. Luna taking note of how his wings barely move but to twitch and ‘flop’ like a fish pulled onto land.

The batari shivers uncomfortably at first before settling into the warmth of the sudden and unexpected embrace. He looks up with the side his head unknowingly pressing against her chest and asks “why me?”

Luna was unsure what he meant when he asked but was most likely referring to the graphic nightmare he was having. Its not unusual for young fillies and colts to wonder why they would have such awful nightmares happen; those that do ask are usually victims of recurring nightmares and not one offs.

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore, you’re safe now under the light of the moon. You know I’m mean well so, what is your name young colt? Your Princess of night is here to protect you”

He stammers, “G-g-g—rey—ghaaaa!!” For a second he sounds like he was going to say something but it turned into nothing but a pained juvenile croak, one of someone experiencing loss. “It’s all g-g-gone….all of them....” He started to sob even harder.

Luna didn’t know what to say. If the words he spoke were true then whatever happened to this colt was incredibly traumatic before he was found in the Jade Forest. It’s entirely possible he lost his entire herd. She decided to bring him in closer.

For Luna now, most her forms of gathering information would be ill advised. Luna decided in this moment it would be better to try and question him sometime when he wakes up; but it would have to be another day. This would require a more delicate approach than norm.

She casts a spell to grant him a calm, dreamless sleep and appears in dreamspace and sighs. “Its going to be a long couple of nights…”

One More for the Reaper, Dig a Little Deeper

by Solus Eclipse

Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter (I'm made of stupid.)

Chapter 2: Abyssal Surrogate (Bumbling Jackass)

Chapter 3: Revelations (Bad Habits)

Chapter 4: Waking Up (Pact Magic)

Chapter 5: Take everything and leave me with nothing but hate.