As I cuddled the mares, a uneasy feeling hit me like a train. It felt like unholy anger, the likes I have only felt once, and it was mine that time, not someone else’s. Whatever it was, it felt powerful. “Crap...looks like I’m going to need to get started sooner than I thought….” I said as I looked out the window.
After we were done and I put on my coat, we all headed out to get the paperwork for the orphanage set up. Along the way, we bumped into a few of the girls, Rainbow and Applejack to be specific. “Howdy there Luna, Eclipse, Shy. How y’all doing after that party last night?” Applejack said to a cringing Rainbow.
“Come on AJ, keep it down will ya?” Said the LGBT maned pegasus.
“Hangover?” I asked.
“Yeah….I may have overdone it last night.”
“Um...Why haven’t you asked Twilight for that anti-hangover spell like you did during cider season?” Fluttershy asked
“.....Y’all haven't seen her today have ya?” Applejack said, giving a look as to say ‘Y’all stupid.’
“We haven't checked up on her yet no. Should we be worried?” Luna asked
“Eclipse here should know.” AJ said, gesturing to my stock still form.
“She didn’t….” I said
“She did, and if you don’t stop her, well I’m not paying for the aftermath.”
“It is best if she is alone...but she has Trixie….and I don’t see any lasers just yet….I think we are in the clear for now.” I said relieved
“What are you two talking about?” Luna asked
“You don't want to know.” All the rest of us, Fluttershy and Dash included, responded.
Three hours later….
The paperwork…..my god it was torture! I just got a taste on Zeke’s life whenever the multiverse isn’t in danger and I can tell, the paperwork is going to suck! “Why so much paperwork! And that was all the written permission to even get property! That wasn’t even the orphans permission!” I say exasperated.
“You did ask for this Lorem so you have no one to blame but yourself.” Luna says with a small smile
I thank the girls, thanking them for saying they’d handle the paperwork while I’m gone as long as I make it up to them. I walked out to the center of a open field some miles away from Ponyville before summoning one of the Oathkeepers. “So, what's the deal?”
Your Mark of Mastery will be different than any used today, to the point to where X will notice what I have done and probably get me in trouble because of what it entails. First, you will be sent in alone. No hearts will reach out to you, and I can not help you, as I will temporarily locked away from you. I can not tell you what awaits you, But I can tell you that what you will face will be worth it in the end. You will have to rely on your strength of heart and the heart of the other you to see though this, otherwise neither of you will survive. Your first goal is to find peace with one another. How that comes to be is up to you two. Next, where you will end up is different for everyone, so just know that the only thing you can count on to expect is seeing the other you without Oblivion, and that is it. Other than that, know that those you meet, if you meet anyone, will forget you after you leave, so don’t bother making any friends or allies. You both will be under constant attack, unless you are fighting each other. They will them swarm on the winner. She takes a breath I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn't a quick way to get back Oblivion Eclipse, know that now, because if you fail my head is on the line.
“I understand.” I said to reassure her.
No you don’t! Eclipse, people have died doing this. Only about five others have ever done this successfully, and they had years of preparation. You want to know how I send you to your testing area? I literally kill you! And who knows how long this will take if you come back at all!
“So?” I ask “Oath, Half the things I’ve done should have killed me, even back on earth. I have a bad habit on surviving when I shouldn’t. Besides, you’re not going to talk me out of this. I will do this. I can’t keep being the weakest link, I need to do this. If not for me, if not for those I care for, for Oblivion.”
Sigh. Fine. But if you don’t succeed I swear to Kingdom Hearts I will find you and end you myself, got it? Oh and before I forget, take off your jacket. Oblivion and I will look after it while you are gone. Same with your wayfinder.
I sighed and hesitantly took off my coat and placed the green wayfinder Unum gave me on top. “So, what now?”
Now for the part that is going to break my heart. I-I'm sorry in advance. She said as she floated out of my grip. Before I knew it I heard the air being cut, followed by me grabbing at my throat. The familiar feeling of blood coating my hooves is one of the last things I felt as I stumbled and fell, passing out before I even hit the floor.
When I came to, it was like waking up in a dream. I could tell it wasn’t the Station of Awakening, but it sure as hell felt like it. I groaned as I opened my eyes and sat up. The area around me….it was hard to describe to be honest. It was like I was in a place that I had been in all my life, but I knew I had never been there before. Or I was going to be here despite being already there. Confused yet? I sure as hell was. I heard another groan and turned around to see Wolf sitting up as well. It was at this point I noticed I wasn’t in my pony form, but my human one as I stood up. Thankfully, I haven't forgotten how to walk on two legs as I take a step towards him.
“Stop right now or I’ll kill you myself.” Wolf said, his voice strangely not sounding as distorted as before. He stood up, also humanoid which only increased how messed up he looked. He looked like a Balverine from the Fable series and a Human had a child with red irises and black whites. He was just creepy looking, but thankfully we both had clothes on or it would be both creepy and weird. He looked around before turning to me. “What the hell have you gotten us into now “Eclipse.”” He said, making air quotations around my name.
“This is OUR Mark of Mastery, Wolf. Oh and don’t bother trying to summon Oblivion, it won’t work.” I responded
“I could already tell jack ass, you don’t have that bitch of a keyblade drawn. But I don’t need a blade to kill you.” He said with a wicked grin.
“Wolf, we talked about this! We don’t need to fight!” I said exasperated
“Bullshit and you know it!” He yells. “Want to know part of the reason why I fight you? It isn’t just because of the Light being a ass!” Before I can react, he knees me in the gut. “It isn’t Just because I’m stronger!” He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me to where my feet can’t touch the floor. “It is because every time you dump your petty problems onto me!” He then proceeded to punch my face, all while continuing to talk. “Getting angry? Suppressed! See an asshole who deserves to die? Here you go Wolf! Eat up on those emotions so I don’t have to feel them!” He then stops and brings me to look into his eyes as blood runs down my face “And worst of all, worse than even not caring that those go to me, you dump your major crap on me as well! You dumped your Killing mood, which mind you, still hasn’t stopped and shows no sign of slowing, on to me! That is torture in itself! But that's not all, of course it’s not!” He growled as he tightened his grip around me. “You dump your guilt of not only your kill, but of mom’s death onto me as well! Every day, while you get to play and laugh with that stupid bitch Twilight I feel that agony, unable to move on! All because of you! No more! I-I can’t deal with it anymore! You will feel my pain!” He yells as he places both of his claws on me and yells, pouring darkness into my as I start to find myself back into the memory I have long since suppressed.
I was only seven when it happened. All my life my mom had me hidden away in our two bed apartment. I now know it was for my safety, as well as hers, hell even at the time I think I understood to some degree. Mom was a prostitute. She claimed that she was infertile, but when she found the man she loved and well, you know, it was like magic. Two months later she check in with a physician and found out that she was pregnant with me. She would always laugh at this story, and say from the day my mother and father met, I was a survivor. She would go on and talk about my dad, on how he was strong, handsome, even if it was in her eyes, and how in his own way, very brave. One time, I asked where is dad, and her smile flattered a bit. She then said “Your dad….He couldn’t stay with me sweetie. He had to get back to his work, to his life, though he said that if he ever found a way, he would come back for me. Don’t mistake me Colin, I may have many people come over, and some may even spend the night, but your dad is the only man I will ever love other than you.” After that I never asked again.
I loved her so much. Whenever she was done with work, she would shower and then check up on me. Sometimes, if it was a aggressive customer, she would hold me close in bend and simple rub my head of light brown hair, humming. She would always sing for me whenever I felt hurt, afraid or alone, and her voice was amazing. If I could still remember it completely I would do everything to try and replicate it, because nobody could match her voice. I wished that my mom would never leave me, and she would promise that whenever I asked her to. This was not a easy life, but it was one I was happy to live.
One day, she came home with some good news from her pimp. Being one of the few pimps who would actually care for his girls and their home life, he found out my Mom had a kid. He said he wouldn’t tell anyone as long as she didn’t tell the other girls about the small pay raise she would get to help support me. She was so happy that day, A light shined in her eyes as she grew hopeful, saying that with the money she was getting, we could save up for maybe a actual house, or even a way to find dad. We treated ourselves to cookies that day as we both were gaining and my mom was singing. Things were finally looking up in our life.
Later that same night, one of mom’s regulars came in. I was in my room, like my mom always said after a certain time so that I don’t turn off any customers. He wanted some time with mom but she said that unless he was paying, she wouldn’t do anything with him, especially since he didn’t make an appointment. I heard him slap her. I gripped my doorknob my stopped from exiting. This was not the first time mom had a aggressive customer, so was uncertain why I was so needing to exit the room now. That was until I heard the sound of a blade being drawn.
In a panic I slammed open the door for him to turn to me, the smell of booze clear in his breath. “Get back inside that room kid, your mommy and I are just going to have some fun.“ he said turning back to my mom. To this day, I don’t know what came over me, but despite being seven, and never seeing a knife that wasn’t being used by my mom for cooking, I stood my ground.
“NO! You get away from momma!” I shouted, my red eyes glaring at him. He growled and threw my mom against the wall before walking over to me.
“You snot nosed brat!” He shouted before going to stab me. It had to have been the instinct in my blood because next thing I knew, I had his knife and had stabbed him in the leg. “You bitch!” He yelled. Before turning to mom, shouting. “You better watch yourself Aurora! Next time I’m here you’ll pay for this!”
I ran over to mom and hugged her, crying while she tried to comfort me. I snobbed and hiccuped until I passed out in her arms. The next day I awoke to chuckling. “Oh so the kid is awake now? Perfect! This runt will get what he deserves, but first, for dear ol mom.” I was tied up to a chair with that man I stabbed, as well as a few other creeps. I spotted a few of them with guns, but assorted around was many different tools, from cutting tools, to hooks, and a camera setup to record it all. I looked over and saw mom coming to. And when she noticed me and where we were, she started to scream at the people holding us here.
“Let my son go you monsters! Kill me if you want but let him go!” She screamed as she fought against her ropes.
“You would know all about monsters, having given birth to one, didn’t you? Don’t lie, everyone know only the Ventral family can have red eyes. And your son there has them. Hmm, I wonder what that could mean, right boys?” The stabbed man asked as the rest of the crowd all agreed, chuckling and asking themselves how much they think I would sell for. I was scared, so scared. I called out for mom before one of them hit me and I just continued to cry after that. “Shut up!” He turned back to my mom. “Make sure the boy watches while the rest of us have our fun, got it George?”
“Got it boss.” Said a big guy behind me. My head was grabbed as I was forced to look at what they were doing to her. They put her through hell as they played with her body, both for their sexual desires and sick ones, cutting her open all while fucking the life out of her. The entire time, she never broke, constantly yelling at them, saying they’ll pay if they don’t let me go. All while they recorded this sick shit. At one point, they cut her stomach, only getting the skin and pulling from both sides with hooks. It was at this point the George guy was to occupied getting his kicks to realise I had gotten the ropes loose. My mom noticed, as with I can only assume to be her saying run with the last of her energy.
Before I could act on it though, gunshots ran out throughout the building. I started to panic and ran, thankful that we were in a place I recognized not far away from home. I ran home, ignoring the screams as I ran into the home, locked the door and ran to my room to cry. It was later that the Pimp burt though the door, shouting for my name, when he found me he sighed in relief and had me go with him. He was the closest thing I had to a father for that year before he found some friends to take care of me. I never thought of them as family though.
Before he gave me away though, he gave me my colored contacts and had me go with him to my mom’s funeral. I think that was the first time I met the Ventrals. Looking back, they were probably the ones who attacked the sickos who killed my mom. When I walked up to the case to say goodbye, it was everything I could not to breakdown. She was buried in a meadow about a mile away from town, the same meadow she would take me to for picnics. Eventually it was only me, the pimp and another cloaked man. The man gave me a look before he to walked away, and the pimp took me home.
I returned to the now to notice black tattoos covering my arms and hands. “Now you know what you make me relive, day after day. I hate you, so much. You have caused me nothing but pain in my life!” Wolf yelled at me as I collapsed as tears filled my eyes. “And now, it is my turn to be free of you.”
To be continued….