~Episode 2: New Endeavors of a Nightmare~
Warmth. This was the first feeling that greeted me as I stirred. Not to mention a rather comfortable softness, indicator that I was resting in a bed and was not thrown in a dungeon or worse, being executed as expected.
I snorted softly. This was a viable option after ‘she’ had appeared.
My eyes suddenly snapped open as memories slowly aligned themselves. A slight panic gripped my heart as I jerked upwards.
‘The Princess!’
A wince was my reward as a stinging pain greeted me from my barrel.
‘Right. The accursed Sun Witch attacked me,’ I thought as I ceased my movements in favor of taking in my surroundings, forcing myself to stay calm. Nothing all too hard considering I was the epitome of calm.
‘A rather cozy looking room, with a bedside table, a vanity mirror, a wardrobe…’ I thought before I finally spotted the princess.
She was sitting on a chair, while the upper half of her body was leaned over the bed, just like in a cheesy doctor show while a slight line of drool was running out of her mouth.
Ignoring this cliché and the undignified line of drool that was in no way proper behavior for a Princess of her status I could feel a huge weight lifting off my shoulders as a content sigh escaped my lips.
‘She is well,’ I thought. I didn’t know what exactly happened after I blacked out, but neither me nor the Princess were in chains, so that is definitely an advantage. It meant if things got too risky we could flee.
Well, as soon as I’m fully healed.
I quickly opened the menu and went into my stored items. It was easy enough to find a bottle of ‘Frog Sweat’ and chug it down.
My wounds healed with a flash, making me smile slightly. I quickly stood up, letting the bedcovers fall from my wolf body. This was then I noticed bandages wrapped around my midsection.
‘Fluttershy. The animal caretaker,’ I quickly concluded, as the whole situation seemed to make a lot more sense now. If the timid pegasus was able to chew Celestia out, she might as well together with the Princess have saved my life from her.
Just as I was about to make my way out of the bed, the Princess stirred.
A yawn escaped her as she tiredly rubbed her eyes. She quickly spotted me however and just as I bowed before her now smaller self she wrapped her arms around me, before drawing me into a tight hug.
“Thou art alright!” she cheered happily as she pressed my small form against her chest, making me feel a tad embarrassed.
“P-Princess! A mare of your stand shouldn’t hug their underlings!“
Of course the Princess ignored my advice about etiquette, like she always does and rolled her eyes.
“Just give us this moment, Fenrich. We were most distressed about thine state.”
I sighed before going limp in her hug, capitulating to her wishes.
“All is for my Princess…”
The impromptu hugging session thankfully soon enough ended and I was released so that I finally could get out of the bed and attend my duties.
“You must forgive me Princess if I’m not briefed-“ I started to say before I finally registered the change in my voice, which made me smile confidently. “That changed back faster than expected,” I replied casually in my usual baritone.
The Princess however seemed to…pout?
“We preferred thine squeaky tone. It was quite amusing,” she explained with a small teasing grin.
An annoyed groan past my lips.
“I actually hoped that you would mature, but I see that this is a lost cause. Even more reason for me to stand at your side.”
The Princesses pout seemed to intensify at my slight jab, and I couldn’t help the smile that slightly tugged at my lips.
I missed her.
But not everything was sunshine and rainbows right now. This expression by the way is one of the worst ponies have come up with over the centuries. I mean, sunshine and rainbows? It was a clear message from Celestia: Praise my sunshine or be punished with rainbows! Rainbows hereby the Elements of Harmony. It was quite alarming how she would weave her influence even through the language. Don’t even get me started on how ponies use her name like she was a goddess.
But now I’m rambling, or procrastinating to be more precise. Even a being such as me wasn’t immune to guilt. And this guilt was tearing away at me since the fateful events of yesterday. It was simply something that I had to get off my chest.
As I was on the ground on my four new paws, standing before her I bowed, my head lowering to the ground in shame to a very surprised Princess of the Night.
“Forgive me, Princess. I have failed you yet again.”
Luna adapted a sad smile as she looked down at my diminutive form.
“No, my most loyal comrade. Thou didst not fail us. If anything, we hath failed thou. And we art sorry for that.”
“But Princess-!”
“No buts, Fenrich. Thou didst whatever thou couldst to keep us safe in our weakened form. And we greatly appreciate thine efforts. But things now have changed.”
I looked up, surprised at her words.
“Changed, Princess?” I mused before understanding dawned on my face as I stood up once again. “You used the opening of the argument to finally rid yourself of the Sun Witch? What a formidable technique! Just as to expect of the Ruler of the Night, the Terror of Shadows, the Silent Blade of-!” I said, before being interrupted by a cough. I quickly ceased my statements and bowed my head humbly in apology to let her speak.
“Well, tis not quite like that.”
“Oh? So something even more cruel and nefarious? Like throwing Celestia’s bound form in a barrel of acid? Or even better, a barrel of carnivorous parasprites? Or did you give her maybe a one-way ticket to the sun? In my opinion this would be the most fitting of-“
“Fenrich,” Luna interrupted in a serious voice, making it clear that she wanted to explain the matter head on. Just like expected of her!
I bowed my head at her yet again.
“Forgive me, I’m all ears Princess.”
Luna gave a nod of approval before she wanted to start, but stopped to bite her lower lip. In the end she sighed, making it seem that she had troubles to believe how she defeated the false sun goddess.
She is always so modest!
“Well, while thou were unconscious we have…conciliated with our sister.”
I nodded approvingly.
“A great and truly abhorrent plan! While I was unconscious you have conci-“
And the gears in my head began turning.
“CONCILIATED?!” I exclaimed in equal parts of shock and horror. “But Princess, surely you jest?!”
She shook her head, while she held it low, sadness gracing her features.
“We were afraid of this talk with thou, Fenrich. Since we know thine feelings for her.”
I shook my head.
“This shouldn’t be about my feelings Princess. It should be about yours. She has sent you to the moon for a thousand years after all. Surely, you haven’t forgiven her for that transgression?”
“We…deserved it. Eternal night wasn’t the right course of action and our sister had to stop us. She even forgave us for turning on her!” she said the last part in a desperate plead which made my stomach turn.
‘She is being suppressed by this foul wrench again,’ I mentally noted, ‘This might actually jeopardize my plans a bit. Or at least delay them.’
A sigh escaped my lips as I accepted her words, no matter how foul they seemed.
“…So what is your new course of action Princess?”
“We art still thinking about it. This new world is strange and I hath a lot to learn to fit into it.”
I nodded. It was understandable that she needed to first gain knowledge of the past 1000 years to be the perfect ruler she deserved to be. Her foresight was truly splendid!
Another bow followed.
“I’m glad to hear this. I have already prepared an essay of the most important changes over the last 1000 years for your convenience.”
The Princess looked surprised before she smiled and nodded.
“Very good, Fenrich. We hath almost forgot how favorable it is to hath thou as our right hand in our endeavors.”
“But of course. I’m also confident that our changes will soon revert back as demonstrated by my normal voice once again. Not that I doubt you would be able to conquer and strike fear in all the hearts of ponies and other creatures in the world without it.”
At my words she shyly looked away, making me raise an eyebrow.
“Well, thou see…”
But just before she could respond the wooden door suddenly burst open revealing the pink weird mare, dressed up in what could be defined the outfit of a jester, while the rainbow plague trailed right behind her looking annoyed.
The pink thing instantly pulled out a canon from a pocket dimension which was well strategically placed in her hair and with that showing interestingly enough a demonic trait off. A trait which I noted at the back of my mind for later confrontations with her.
She then aimed the canon at the Princess, and I immediately stepped in front of her. But what flew out of the cannon wasn’t a projectile, but a lot of confetti and seemingly other party gadgets if the party hat that now was now seated between my ears was anything to go by.
Additionally a large banner suddenly hung above the just opened door. It read ‘Get well soon FenFen!’
It is suffice to say that one of my eyes had the slightest twitch at this madness that just was unfolded before me.
The pink anthro mare meanwhile seemed ecstatic as she bounced around the room and SUNG some foalish song while juggling cupcakes.
The weak rainbow mare seemed to be the only one of the two who behaved normally since she simply gave me the stink eye.
‘Seems like I have to deal with a circus clown and a ridiculous rainbow mop first.’