Echoes of the Ancient

by Wandering Axioms

Act 1.4

“Love me, as though there were no tomorrow...

Take me, out of this world tonight...

Take me, make me forget my sorrow...

So when I wake tomorrow, I’ll know our love was right!

Kiss me, as though it were now or never...

Teach me all that our hearts should know...

Love me as though there were no tomorrow...

Oh, my darling, love me, don’t ever let me go..."

Aiden had been running that old song through his head over and over for the last half hour up until the train finally pulled up to the Canterlot Station, humming it gently, just to keep his mind occupied. He made certain to keep out of sight of the dozens of guards clad in golden armor as he slipped off the back of the train, still holding a half asleep Lyra in one arm.

“Come on, Lyra,” he said placing the filly on the ground, giving her a gentle shake. “Time to wake up, dream warrior!”

Lyra groaned as she shook her head, her unkempt mane flipping back and forth. When her eyes opened, she immediately clamped them shut again as she placed a forehoof over her muzzle. “Ugh!” She moaned, followed by a shush from Aiden. “What is that awful stink?”

Aiden pointed to the metal grating on the cobblestone floor from which the horrid stench was coming from. “Sewers, my dear foal,” Aiden pointed out, mimicking a posh accent. He lifted a finger in response to the horror that overtook Lyra’s face. “And before you ask, don’t worry; the answer is ‘no, I won’t drag you down there with me,’ I’m just using the sewers as an alternative to having to sneak from shadow to shadow, avoiding everyo-” he stopped and corrected himself. “Everypony’s line of sight.” He paused as he lifted said grating out of place. “I guess you want to see your mom and dad first, right?”

Lyra anxiously nodded her head.

“Alright,” he chuckled. “I’ll try my best to keep track of you, but you can help by stopping over the gratings you see in the streets. Stamp your hooves on them a few times, so I’ll know it’s you that I’m following.” He prepared to lower himself into the tunnel. “Are you ready?”

“Uh huh,” Lyra nodded again. She then exhaled a tired sigh. “You are so getting a bath before we see the Princess...”

The disgusting sewer water came up to just below Aiden’s knees. The tunnel itself was also made of cobblestone. Aiden placed the gas mask back over his face, in an attempt to stifle the horrid smell. Every now and then, Aiden would stop right below a grating, light illuminating the tunnel through it. He would stay there until a small set of four hooves would stop right above it. Aiden would then tap a finger against the grating to let Lyra know that he was there; she would then move on in the streets as Aiden proceeded to the next grating in the tunnel.

“Another shot...”

Aiden spun in circles, searching for where this voice suddenly came from. He saw nothing in the darkness that surrounded him.

“Another shot...” The voice repeated itself over and over again.

“No!” A second voice shouted in a concerned tone. “Sergeant Marsh is suffering from severe shock and exhaustion! He needs rest; you’re gonna end up killing him!”

“Did I ask for your opinion?” The first voice calmly retorted. “Remember who funds this shithole of a nuthouse.”

The second voice sighed. “Very well...”

The first thing Aiden noticed aside from the bright light he was staring directly into, was the fact that he was restrained. He was lying down on what felt like a bedding of sorts. His eyes adjusted to the light after a few seconds. He recognized his surroundings almost immediately. Padded walls, the light above him, the leather strappings holding him down by the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. He was wearing a white jumpsuit, and he was surrounded by three men. He knew what was going on.

Interrogation.

“Good morning, Sergeant Aiden Marsh,” the man to his left said . He was wearing a pitch black business suit and a fedora. What little features he could make out, were pale skin, brown eyes, and a thin nose. He recognized his voice: “Another shot...”

To his right stood a bald, middle aged man in a doctor’s uniform. By the door of his cell, stood a tall guard, clad in full security armor.

“I am Agent Constantine Becker,” the first man introduced himself. “I’m with Network Central Authority, and son,” he leaned in closer to Aiden’s face and smiled. “You are in a hell of a lot of trouble.”

“Come on,” a masculine voice from the surface said. “Let’s give it another shot.” Aiden let out a sigh of relief knowing that it was only an unpleasant memory brought on by familiar words. He was about to continue to the next grating to inform Lyra that he was still following her, when he listened in on the conversation occurring above him.

“You’re insane, Line Rider,” a second voice said. “We almost got caught by the guards with the last mare we tried to rob. You and Firestone wanna risk it again, be my guest, but I’m staying out of it!”

“Aw, come on, Northwind, don’t be like that,” the voice of Line Rider said.

“Common criminals,” Aiden thought spitefully.

“Yeah, in fact I see the perfect candidate!” A third voice, probably that of Firestone, said.

“Where?” Northwind asked.

“See that little unicorn filly?”

“The green one?” Line Rider asked.

“Uh huh,” Firestone replied.

“No!” Aiden’s mind screamed as he broke out into a full sprint, his boots splashing the water on the surrounding cobblestone walls. “Not on my watch; they’ll have to go through me!”

Lyra picked up her pace, skipping several sewer gratings, when she felt the sensation that she was being followed. Turning around, she saw three ponies: a pale orange colored Earth pony, a white pegasus, and a navy blue colored unicorn. She resumed a pace somewhere in between a trot and an all out sprint when the pegasus lifted into flight.

“Hey, wait up!” The pegasus laughed as he circled above her, while the unicorn and Earth pony flanked her at both sides. Lyra looked around, seeing that the street has been cleared out of ponies. She jumped when a bolt of thunder rang out in the skies above Canterlot.

“Look at her,” the Earth pony laughed. “She’s scared of a little thunder!” This resulted in the other two laughing with their companion.

“Home is just around the corner...” Lyra thought to herself as she sprinted as fast as she could to get away from the three crooks. “I’m almost there!” When she came to the corner, she nearly screamed to see the white pegasus land in front of her, an evil grin on his face.

“Now that’s not polite, young mare!” He taunted as though he were scolding her. “Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to ignore somepony when they’re speaking to you?” She tried backed away from him when she felt her flank bump into something. Looking up, she saw the face of the orange Earth pony staring down at her. Her heart was racing. Behind the pegasus crook stood her parents’ house, no more than a few meters away; the lights on the upstairs were on, so somepony was definitely home. If she could just make a break for it...

That’s exactly what she did. She sprinted as fast as her little hooves could carry her. The three ponies behind her laughed. She couldn’t see it, but she heard the pegasus behind her lifted into flight again, while the unicorn and Earth pony gave chase. Her left forehoof couldn’t have been more than a centimeter from the front door, when she felt a familiar sensation around her tail hold her back. Turning her head around as far as it would go, she saw that the unicorn’s horn was bathed in a light blue aura. The same kind of aura surrounded her tail.

She sighed and hung her head in defeat. “What do you want?”

“Oh, we just wanted to talk,” the unicorn said in his best fake innocent voice.

“I’m sure you guys do,” Lyra sighed. “Look, I don’t have any bits on me or anything, so can I just go home? Please?” Lyra looked up at the pegasus, trying to whip up some tears.

“This is your place?” The Earth pony asked, but he didn’t wait for Lyra to answer. “Ah, this is where those two musicians live...what’re their names?” He prodded the cobblestone street as his mind searched for the answer.

“Lyrica and Septimo; those are their names, Firestone,” the unicorn answered for him.

“No way!” The pegasus yelled excitedly. “This could be our most profitable hit yet!”

Lyra shook her head in disbelief. “These three are unbelievable...”

Aiden knew enough of these three crooks that he just wanted them to shut up. Seeing Lyra held in the unicorn, Northwind’s magical grips, however, nearly made his blood boil. He would make sure that he would pay dearly for laying even a single hoof on his friend. The pegasus, Line Rider was in the air, eyeing the house anxiously. As for the Earth pony, Firestone, he was still talking to Lyra, but Aiden couldn’t hear what he was saying.

He wasn’t sure how strong the other two were, but Aiden guessed that it would be in his best interests to deal with Northwind first since he was the one who could use magic; primarily, he just wanted to free Lyra so she could seek shelter in her home. He approached cautiously, the occasional thunder from the storm above hiding his footsteps all the way. He kept his gas mask on in hopes that it would look intimidating.

Aiden towered over Northwind. It seemed that your average stallion in this place was just shy of four feet tall, but Aiden was five foot eleven.

Line Rider turned around mid flight, and was clearly anxious to speak his mind. The only thing he saw was a tall bipedal...something standing over Northwind. It looked kinda like a Diamond Dog, aside from the fact that it stood much straighter, giving it a taller look. Its eyes were bright red, but something was wrong with them; they looked as though they were made of glass. It actually felt more appropriate to compare this creature to an ape, as it clearly had fingers, all balled up into fists. Line Rider couldn’t see the creature’s expression, but he could feel that it. Was. Pissed. He didn’t catch any more features of the thing before it extended a long arm and wrapped its fingers around Northwind’s still glowing horn, making him gasp in surprise.

Aiden lifted Northwind into the air almost effortlessly, and spun him so that the two of them were staring each other in the face. Oddly, Northwind was blushing, as if Aiden’s touch was somehow...turning him on. Aiden was disgusted by that thought and decided to just express what was on his mind.

“Turn it off, before I decide it comes off,” Aiden spoke in a cold tone. Almost immediately, the aura that surrounded Lyra’s tail vanished. Lyra couldn’t hold back a gasp and a smile at the sight of her dear friend coming to her rescue. Aiden released his grip and Northwind landed on his flank with a loud thud.

“W-what in Equestria are you!?” Northwind whispered, quivering with fear. Firestone and Line Rider stood on each side of their partner in crime, giving Aiden spiteful looks.

“I’m giving you one chance to run,” Aiden said, unflinching. “That’s more than most get.” He looked over to the unicorn filly who was grinning from ear to ear. “Lyra, get inside; I don’t want you to see this.”

Lyra frowned, as though she wanted to watch the impending fight. She opened the front door, but turned around and spoke directly to the three robbers. “He’s gonna kick your flanks!” With those five words, she blew raspberry at them and shut the door.

Aiden returned his attention to the three crooks at his feet. They stood as tall as they could, but he still towered over them. He cracked his knuckles. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

As if on cue, the black clouds above them cracked open, rain pouring out. Line Rider immediately flew up into the air as Firestone charged him. Northwind, who still had a shocked expression on his face, jumped back and began charging up an energy blast with his horn.

Aiden stepped aside, and grabbed Firestone by his orange and red streaked tail. Aiden then threw the Earth pony in the direction of Northwind. The unicorn still managed to get a blast of magical energy off before Firestone collided with him. Aiden dodged the blast as it hit the building behind him, leaving a small scorch mark. He turned, looking for Line Rider, only to see that the white pegasus vanished. Some partner, Aiden mentally scoffed, turning back to the two other criminals.

“W-wait!” Northwind begged while attempting to scoot away, Firestone was still recovering from being thrown. “I-I’m sorry! My thieving days are over!” Aiden still approached. “I’ll give everything back and turn myself in!!” He clasped his forehooves over his head. “Please, don’t hurt me!”

Aiden crouched down to Northwind’s height, grabbed him by the chin, and looked deep into his brown eyes. “If I so much as see you near Lyra again,” Aiden growled. “I will rip that horn off and shove it so far up your asshole that you’ll need to open your mouth to cast spells! Do you understand me!?”

“C-c-crystal clear!” Northwind nervously laughed.

“Good, now take your friend and get the hell out of my sight!” Northwind immediately complied, lifting a still barely conscious Firestone with his telekinesis.

Aiden turned his attention to Lyra’s house. The light’s in the downstairs windows were on, and he could see the silhouette of a small unicorn filly embracing a full grown unicorn stallion; an Earth pony mare soon joined in, followed by a smaller Earth pony, most likely her sister, Octavia. Aiden smiled behind his mask. “Good to see that they’re making up, but I kinda wish I could be in there...”

“There it is!” A familiar voice to his left said. Looking over, he saw none other than Line Rider, but that was all he saw before he was tackled to the ground by another pegasus; this one, wearing the gold armor like the guards seen patrolling the streets during the day. Next to Line Rider, stood three Earth pony guards, and a single unicorn who looked like a higher ranking officer, decorated with various gemstones on his armor.

“Ugh, fuck my life...” Aiden mentally groaned, as the guard’s full weight pressed down on him. He tried to struggle, when he noticed the officer’s horn was glowing. Examining himself, he noticed that his body was surrounded in the same aura. “Well, this is just perfect,” Aiden quietly huffed. The guard punched his chest with a hoof.

“Silence, beast!”

"Beast?" Aiden thought. "I'm not the best looking guy, I'll admit...but beast?"

“Captain, what do you suggest we do with this thing?” One of the Earth ponies asked.

The unicorn officer trotted up to Aiden, and eyed him curiously. “Her Majesty’s Court of Mages would have a fit over this thing. A creature unlike anything anypony has ever seen before...one that speaks, nonetheless.” The unicorn turned to Line Rider. “You say that this creature attacked you and your friends?”

Line Rider nodded anxiously. “Yessir! The three of us were just on our way to our own homes because of the storm, when this thing popped out of nowhere and attacked us! I guess Firestone and Northwind got away...I hope.”

Aiden gazed at Line Rider hatefully. Somehow, he must’ve sensed it behind the mask, because Line Rider retorted by sticking out his tongue.

“I see,” the captain said, still eyeing Aiden curiously. “Well, that’ll be all, Mr. Rider. We’ll take care of things from here.” Line Rider nodded and flew off. The three Earth ponies approached.

“Orders, sir?” One of them asked.

“I want a carriage down here now,” the captain ordered. “We’re getting this thing off the streets before anypony sees it.”

“Yes sir!” The three Earth ponies saluted.

“Stop!!”

Aiden struggled to turn his head. As he looked to his left, he saw a familiar green colored unicorn standing just outside of her house. Her horn was aglow with a golden aura. A full grown mare stood behind her.

“Please, Heartstrings, come back inside!” She pleaded with her daughter.

“I’m not letting them hurt my friend!” Lyra replied; she turned her attention to the pegasus guard whom had Aiden pinned to the street. “Get. Off. Of. Him. Now!” Aiden had never heard Lyra this angry before. Apparently her mother hadn’t either, for she recoiled slightly at the bitterness in her own daughter’s voice.

The mare was soon joined by a grey unicorn stallion, her father, Septimo without a doubt. “Heartstrings!” He said in a stern voice. “Listen to your mother! Come back inside this instant! We’re not letting you run off again!”

A small filly about the size of Lyra, but grey and with no horn came to the sides of her parents. “Mom? Dad? Why is Heartstrings upset? And what is that thing the soldiers are fighting?”

“Get inside, Octi,” Lyrica said, practically pushing the foal.

When the pegasus holding Aiden down refused to budge, Lyra shot a burst of golden energy from her horn. It was obviously quite powerful for a unicorn her age, as it sent the pegasus guard flying; he landed just shy of the wall of the building on the other side of the street.

The unicorn applied more force to the restrain spell on Aiden to keep him from moving. He looked over to the three Earth ponies. “What are you waiting for? Get that filly under control!” They complied, surrounding Lyra on all sides except for the back. The captain turned his attention to Aiden. “As for you,” he coldly stated. “I think you could use some rest...”

His horn flared again, and Aiden felt a tidal wave of fatigue wash over him. The last thing he saw before his eyelids shut was, to his horror, the three guards forcing Lyra to the ground.