//------------------------------// // The Descent // Story: An Exceptional Discovery On The Nature Of Pony Names // by L Pondera //------------------------------// The freedom of the open sky was absolutely unmatched anywhere else in the world. The crisp scent of moisture from the clouds and plains below was the very essence of calm and peace. It was a sensation that had to be re-lived as far as Geiger was concerned. His only regrete being that he would wake up having been dreaming of flight, dreaming of the feeling it gave. Only, he would be stuck to the ground, unable to fly. Much like his discovery, the joy it gave was fleeting and left a slight pain once it was gone. The desire to feel the open sky was as strong as the desire to bury his forbidden knowledge. "You've gotten awefully quiet back there, did you fall asleep?" Vera chimed, her eyes focused ahead while her ears swivled back to catch a response. "The novelty has not worn off such to allow that, nor do I think will it ever." Geiger half shouted in response. The weight of what he had done still pressed against his thoughts. The next answer he had better find had best be his reasons for finding answers. That, plus, the hidden facts of Vera and what she seemed to know about it. To understand an enigmatic creature, for she was beyond a simple pony, would be to know something more about the world she came from. And, by extension, what they knew. Because, at times, Geiger felt he still didn't truly understand his discovery. Yet, he had gained a certain level of control over the ability it gave him. Not being a natural talent at anything except magical detection, this didn't correlate. Even with the exhiliration of flight, his mind somehow kept a focus on the facts and questions. "We'll be landing over there on that mesa. Just for a short break, so try not to fall asleep." Vera announced as she shifted her wings to veer her flight pattern. "Right, I'll try not to." Geiger half shouted again. Dispite what he said, he had gotten into the habit of napping during the two day trip. Having travelled a meager distance, thanks to Vera's uncanny ability to spot ponies whom might be able to recall their passage, and thus evade them. She certainly seemed quite capable of stealth and navigation. Giving little by little some insight into her prowess and experience. Not that Geiger doubted her at all, seeing nothing but honesty in a facade covered face of scowls. Knowing her reason and motives to a certain degree helped. Even the fact that she was keeping secrets only added to the honesty, if that even made sense, to Geiger it certainly did. In short order they landed, or rather, Vera did. With ease and grace like always. Geiger dismounted, awkwardly and slowly, like always. Their location, while different from hills south of PonyVille, was unchanged from the previous stops as of late. Vera, the undaunted and seemingly restless mare whom Geiger was embaressingly dependant upon for the past two days, did her usual. This consisted of of laying on her legs, folding her wings, closing her eyes and swiviling her ears about. Mostly to keep tabs on Geiger. He was the kind of pony that even if they wanted to, they just couldn't survive out in nature. To them, the poisonous stuff demanded to be touched. And everything else looked poisonous, and therefore had to be. Thus pleas for salvation were unfortunately common. "How did you get so patient?" Geiger humbly asked, initiating another of their common back and forths, or so they would be if Vera did much talking. "Years of practice, many, many, years." Vera softly coo'd from her stationary rest. "You cannot be that old, I doubt anyone is old enough to be so patient... as to deal with... well, me. I've gotten on everyponies nerves since I was three. And I do mean everypony, literally." Geiger responded slow and quietly. "Are you actually trying to ask me my age? Didn't your mother ever teach you not to ask a mare that?" Vera smirked. "Oh I wish. She wasn't around long enough after I was born to give me any of that advice. She died, and my father was a wreck, threw himself to work so hard he sorta... died too. Hmm. I cannot recall what he even looked like right now. Comes and goes." Geiger mused. "Thankfully I had my dear grandmother. Though she never gave me any good advice, well, not like that. Used to get teased about her, eveyone said she was touched in the head, which was true. But, that didn't make her any less sweet and kind. As hard as it is to believe, she actually taught me independance. The lessons stuck, they just didn't cover running from the law or living in the woods." He monologed. "That's a sad story there doctor." Vera coolly replied. Geiger hesitated for a moment. He actually hadn't thought of it like that. He had always seen it as a matter of fact, and nothing more. He had never actually pondered the sadness of his own foalhood! It was too late now to start crying over it, but for the first time, he actually felt some pain stinging him deep down. "I. I never actually considered that. I was sad when my grandmother... Huh. I never felt sad about it before." Geiger thought aloud. "It's not a bad thing. You can feel bad, so you aren't broken." Vera announced, slowly cracking her eyelids halfway open to peer at Geiger. "You must've been real young, so it didn't bother you because you couldn't understand. Once you grew up, it was already old news. You're either real positive, or real thick for it not to click until now." She finished before slowly shutting her eyes again. An immediate well of conflicting emotions sprang up inside Geiger, effectively choking him. He was relieved at Vera's statement about him not being broken, as he feared he might be incapable of such emotion for a long time. However, the coldness of Vera frustrated and confused him. She was extremely perceptive, so was she just ignoring his suffering? Was he suffering now? The very fact that he never got to know his parents had never bothered him until now. He didn't know Vera very well, but he knew she wasn't being cruel. She had a cold side that without provocation would appear. Something in her past must've been sad too, at least that is what Geiger concluded. It was only logical given how he was feeling. Then again, he was a bad example since he normally didn't feel emotions. A place that could possibly be as violent and Vera described would certainly be a hard place to survive. And quite likely to cause sadness and suffering. "We do have it pretty good." Geiger pondered for the first time. The words of Golden Compass finally seemed to sink in. In just the few days he had known Vera, he could clearly see and sense a troubled nature. Geiger had nothing in terms of understanding outside his own senses, so he went with what he could figure out in his logical and detached way. Though these new emotions seemed to be eroding the structures of reason. "What about your parents?" Geiger inquired quietly. "Dead." Vera flatly replied, the coldness from her voice enough to freeze a lake. Her reply left Geiger stiff and cold, as if she had cast an ice spell on him. He knew it had to be something like that to make such a mare, maybe something even worse still, but how she said it made his blood run colder than winter. Then, something different started to happen, he started to feel rage. "Are you a windago? Or do you just hate your own family?" Geiger nagged. Vera's eyes slowly cracked open, from a glare to a heavy lidded gaze. "I keep forgetting. For Equestrian's, things are different. They don't understand suffering, not like we do." Vera muttered softly, not looking at Geiger, but rather past him towards the heart of Equestria. "What's that supposed to mean?" Geiger said, losing some of his anger. "It means you're lucky. Maybe I'm just a bit jealous. I shouldn't take it out on you by being the ice queen ruling from her frozen fortress with her mighty army of penguins." Vera deadpanned as if she hadn't just made a joke. The disarmed Geiger failed to muster a retort for a while. Trying to grasp his anger, after all, who was he to judge? "I don't feel lucky." He finally replied. "No one really does. No, they just feel like something isn't going wrong for once. My father... He was such a patriot that he honestly was a real bastard. I loved him very much, but that doesn't mean I liked him. It wasn't entirely his fault, no, much of the blame goes to my homeland. The violence and hate wore down many ponies. What was left was broken souls." Vera softly spoke, as if reading a bedtime story. "Still, you shouldn't be so used to the fact." Geiger uttered under his breath. "I'm more than used to it, I accept it. It is how things are. So I deal with it by rationalising it. It's a fact, ponies I knew are dead, ponies I know are going to die. By accepting this before hoof, I am able to face it much easier." Vera responded as she finally looked directly at Geiger. "Is that how it was with Sir?" Geiger asked. "His passing was... A surprise to say the least. If any pony could have survived such a place, it would have been him." Vera said as she took a deep breath. "What was he like?" Geiger questioned, sensing the "daddy" questions were not welcome. Data was insufficent to raise the topic of mommy. "Good or bad, he was a spectacular pony. Kept telling me to be an artist, make something of myself in a way that wasn't... I don't know how to put it. A giant of a pony, strong and smart. We were real close. In the end, that's what did us in." Vera remembered. "What do you mean 'did you in'?" Geiger said with a sense of forbidden nagging him. "His name isn't 'Sir'. We all called him this funny knick name since he didn't care for his real one, said it was un-fair to fate him. We were cousins of quite a popular family. When times got tuff, we went into business together, working for some bad ponies. We still would be if it hadn't been for the change." She took a moment to pop some stiff joints before continuing. "While I was doing something in Saddle Arabia, he was here. It was one of the few times we weren't working together. By the time we both got back, a lot had changed for us. He didn't feel like doing that kind of stuff anymore. I... I was feeling strange after my trip." She took another pause. "He started talking about making a difference. Wanted to become a scientist, just like he talked about when we were foals. I told him he wasn't doing it alone. So we both volunteered to the same place. Wasn't long before we got into trouble. Suffice to say... Everything about how it happened doesn't seem right. Now he is gone." Vera concluded. "That only raises more questions." Geiger replied, helpless to overcome the wave of curiosity. "Darkness. That is the poison of my homeland. It is not literal lack of light, but rather, enlightenment. Too much suffering to see through the pain. When he and I volunteered, we wanted to stop being victims of the pain. He wanted so badly to make a change. I just wanted so badly to be free from the sorrows. Instead, we were rewarded with horror." Vera spoke, growing more agitated. "I couldn't imagine." Geiger stammered. "And that is why you are lucky." She announced with a slight shift of her wings. Geiger stared for a few moments, unable to respond. He had many theories in his head, yet, none of them could come close to the reality he was gleaning. Something so awful was beyond his possible understanding. Maybe that of any equestrian. Her remark about "Un-fair to fate" brught back memories of his discovery, why he had made it in the first place. "Do you have happy memories?" Geiger asked, more sad than angry now. "Yes, quite a few. Dispite our circumstances, my ponies are prone to celebration and joy. Most of my memories occur during the dark days of my past. All the same, I treasure them." Vera answered, with a very slight grin. "That's good." Geiger grinned, gladly allowing the mood to adjust. "He was a lot of those happy memories. Always out to make us laugh. Yet, he was so serious, maybe that is why he was so funny. Could say something ridiculous with a perfect straight face." She fondly recalled. "What kind of science was he into? Alter failed to make it clear." He asked. He immediately regretted the question, as her face fell to an angry scowl. After a few moments it relaxed, becoming tired and aged. Like she was an entirely different pony than moments earlier. "He had many interest. This made him valuable to many ponies. He knew a lot, and did a lot. Many of his ideas, he shared with me, some we worked on together. This one idea, a simple idea really, yet, looking back... So dangerous. He and a friend, one I didn't know too well, they began working on it. This was after we decided to make a change. It's all such a tangle of memories now." She hesistated with a few slow blinks and soft turns of her head. "The answer... To the one question that drove him the most. It destoryed them... us. I don't like to talk about what happened, not in the least. The question though. That has haunted me ever since." She said with some difficulty. "What question is that?" Geiger cautiously inquired. "Why?" Vera spoke so softly Geiger barely heard it. He almost collapsed from the shock. It had a deep simularity to his recent life. But more so than that, was the very question itself. Why? "Yes, the one question to rule them all. Why? Why were we a land of devastation, while others were not? Why can't we stablize our borders? Why can't we fix it? The many answers one could find to those questions. But only a few could possibly be the right one, yet which?" She slowly, and mournfully said. "We sorta came to this one answer. But, that only served to create more problems. In our history, we have one moment, one very crucial moment in time. This moment is the key to the 'Why' of things. I wanted to uncover the truth to that history, he wanted to re-create certain factors. Both were equally important to getting the answer." She paused, the memories replaying in her mind. "What happened then?" Geiger pressed. "That's enough story time. I need a short break from flying and you need a short break from riding. I could also do with less sentimental conversation. Equestria has a way of clouding the mind with it's soft and sweet drug." Vera announced, shutting her eyes. "To think, I used to be called the 'Diamond'." She mused to herself. "Alright then..." Geiger replied. Their conversations weren't always so stimulating. But it seems she had warmed up to discussing certain subjects. Maybe it was his frial nature? Or, possibly, the time they had spent? Maybe, just maybe, he was asking the right questions, and she was wanting to give those answers. To share her story, her history, least it be forgotten. Even by her. He observed the horizon, Canterlot was but a tiny point sticking out. Like a saw tooth, it stood proud. Patriotism was never really Geiger's thing. He never previously cared where he was. Now, going into exhile, he felt a twinge of pain at leaving home. Something Vera could elaborate on, if he hadn't exhuasted his conversation options for the day. He took this moment to ponder the collector's pursuing him. Would Scribe pop out on him at any moment? Would the others show up to tackle him? He looked back at Vera, whom remained unmoved. Since she could hear so well, Geiger assumed all was well. What he didn't know, was that all was not well. Meanwhile, south of PonyVille... "Really... Hummm. This really complicates things." Razor Wire quietly said. Wind Sock gave him a nod and went over to where the others were. Having just reported on Spyglass' behavior. Not one to nark, the fact he just did so, showed the level of concern that had been raised. Razor didn't like things being kept from him. Not in the least. Most especially in the field. It made him very paranoid, left him feeling betrayed and pissed him off to no end. He was now on alert, and would be checking over his shoulder more often. Whatever she was afraid of, was bound to be unpleasent. Spyglass sat in the middle of the collectors, their gazes boring into her like drills. She knew they wanted answers, but was she brave enough to tell them? How could she tell them? How does one even begin to tell others about such a thing? The situation was well out of hand, and she was too deep to see a way out. That's when Scribe arrived. Looking very agitated and tired. "We need to talk." She said to Spyglass, whom nodded. "Hold on!" Razor interjected. "What?" Scribe curtly replied, eyeing the captain with a look of the inconvienced. "I think WE need to talk, all of us." He stoutly said, showing the hardened veteran glare. It fell flat against the stone wall that was Scribe. "No." She replied, continuing to walk away from the group with Spyglass. It left Razor even more irrated, but also stunned. No one had ever brushed off an officer like that before. Certainly not him. The rest of the team were equally left there, stunned. Once they were far enough away, Scribe opened up. "What happened?" She concerningly asked. "I saw him." Spyglass weakly croaked. "YOU... You saw him?" Scribe forcefully replied. "With Geiger." Spyglass moaned. Scribe stood there, in silence, trying to think. Before more could be said Razor lumbered up, wereing a sarcastic faux confused face. "I don't think I heard you right. I said, we need to talk. All of us. Including you. And since I'm the one in charge around here, I expected to hear an emphatic 'Yes Sir!'. So why didn't I hear that?" He said adding gestures to the group and himself. "Pewter is the boss, not y-" Spyglass started saying, looking the meanest and toughest she had in days. "Out here I am the boss!" Razor boomed, startling both Frack and Sock and completely terrifying Clap. "I don't care what you think you are!" Spyglass retorted. "We are overdue some answers damnit! I don't care who you think you are, out here I am in charge." Razor yelled, glaring down on Spyglass with a look of fury. Before an exchange of blows could be delivered, Scribe rerouted them. "Geiger is not alone. The pony he is with is quite possibly dangerous. No, IS dangerous. Which means this matter could quickly move out of our jurisdiction." Scribe cheerily spoke. "Why wasn't I informed?" Razor snapped. "Above your pay grade, not wanting to dissued you? Whatever the reason, take it up with Pewter, you know, the real boss." Scribe replied, with a hint of tart. Razor glared, entirely unsure. "Maybe I will." He responded. Back to... His ears swivled, his eyes scanned and his nose sniffed. Listening for any sounds, looking for any trace and smelling for the trade mark scent. He was searching harder than ever before. Because, never before did he have such motive, such drive. His motives seemed absolutely clear, yet entirely nonsensical. This did not deter him though. He had reasons, that's all that mattered. She was going to be tough, really tough. But there was an element of surprise, and the additional changelings he brought with him. Plus, she had to be fatigued, this stacked the odds. "Stay low, stay alert." Alter whispered to the others. Then, he caught it. A wiff of that unmistakable scent. She was near. With a simple click of his wings he alerted the others, and together they were off. Dun dun dun! She heard them first, then she felt their presence. One she recognized. It confused her, all the same, she suddenly stood up. Geiger jerked out of a daze he was in, and like a cub picking up on the pack leaders signal, began searching her eyeline for threats. Detecting unfamiliar magic. With a soft breeze four changelings appeared, fluttering before them. "Why are you here Alter?" Vera asked the most menacing one. "Oh, no reason really. Can't I just visit? No? Well... There is an urgent matter." He replied, rather innoccently. "What is it?" She said with a roll of her eyes. That was when he transformed. Stretching his limbs into spiney prongs and increased his jaw size. Like a grotesque demon he lunged at Vera, the other three changelings swooping in to attack her with their own sharp claws. Her pupils flared with shock, her massive form contorting and moving with surpassing speed. She evaded the lunge with a hasty side step and dodged the fliers with ducks and back steps. She quickly guaged her surroundings, checked on Geiger who simply stood there with a horrified gaze. Deciding to take the fight away from Geiger, she backstepped and glided off the mesa, leading the changlings away. For Geiger, it played out like a scene from a comic. The transformations, the sudden attack, her reflexes. The fact that he didn't know what was going on. Finding himself suddenly alone, atop an impossibly steep cliffed mesa. Trapped... She had to bank and weave around the sharp dagger like claws the changlings sprouted. Once her hooves hit the ground she broke out into a sprint. Ducking the ariel attacks and having to change direction when Alter struck, his slashes more violent and dangerous. His jaws snapping at Vera's head. One changeling came swooping low ready to plant himself on her back. She carefully tracked him, waiting for her moment to counterstrike. He slowed himself and began extending his claws. She rolled over and with hind legs kicked him fiercely in the gut, using her shoulders and lifting her hips up, she extended the kick. The crushing blow sent the changling into the air in a tight arc. He hit the ground and began heaving and fighting to catch his breath, his extra armored shell was cracked, almost crushed. He wouldn't be geting back up for awhile, if ever. She quickly rolled back over, just in time to avoid another ground raking attack from Alter. The mesa far enough away for Vera to relax a little. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about the doctor. Have some of my friends looking after him." Alter laughed from his hideous maw. "It's me you want, for some reason. So why bother with the theatrics?" Vera replied, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her face. "Simple leverage." He groaned. "So you don't think you can win this? Awww." Vera smirked. With a hiss Alter resumed his assualt, the remaining two changlings alternating between close slashing attacks and stunning spells from close and medium range. The added intensity would make a normal pony nervous. Vera... She began to crack a smile. Taking advantage of a slight miscalculation, she stood on her hind legs and quickly punched an attacking changling. The first blow, with her right was to his gut, completely stopping him mid-flight. The second blow also from the right was an uppercut, forcing his head back til it faced the sky. The third was from her left, into his right wing, crippling it. Once all his momentum was gone and he was falling towards the ground, she kicked with her right hoof into his chest, sending him a fair distance. Incapacitated. "Let's get along with the climax. I have literally been doing this all my life. Bring out the deus ex." Vera growled with a smile, returning to all fours. "As you wish." Alter bowed. He quickly transformed, his wings growing leathery then feathered. His size scaling up. His shell giving way to fur, dark gray fur. His ears grew and became bat like. With a fang filled smile, Alter, now a mirror image of Vera, took a fighting pose. "Now then, it's time." Alter said in Vera's voice. "Not flattering." Vera hissed, going on the offensive. A flurry of exchanged blows, a callus burning sun up above and desert prairie below. The patches of tuff, dull grass. The scent of dirt mired by sweat. The endless expanse interrupted by high rising mesas. Like a western and a kung foo movie had a baby, their fight played out. Swinging down with both forehooves, Alter brought them to bear on Vera. Slamming them into her back. Her legs nearly buckled from the force. But she remained standing. She used her left wing to swat away the remaining changeling. The remaining changeling was of little consequence. His spells evaded, his blows brushed off. Growing tired, his moves become sloppy, unlike the dueling Vera's whose stamina was greater. Another swat from her wing and the changeling resigned to the ground. Just leaving her and Alter. Alter, sensing the growing disadvantage, produced his horn. It looked unnatural Vera's body. Black, curved and with a large hole in the middle. It glowed with a blue-green aura and fired bolts of lethal energy. Using every instinct, every drive, she leapt side to side to avoid them. Only to have Alter charge her down. Pummeling her with hate filled punches and kicks. Then fly up and away to evade her. She could play that game as well. She leapt up while simutaniously giving a great flap of her wings to propel her into Alter, knocking him from the sky. Pinning him to the ground she began pounding on his, or rather, her face. In mild panic, mostly rage, Alter kicked her away and rolled himself upright. Leaping in time to avoid a kick. Before his hooves could touch the ground Vera's left forehoof slammed into his ribs, sending him sideways a few feet. He watched her eyes give a small flash, in reflex, he took to the air. Barely in time to avoid the sudden explosion. The very ground he was kneeling on had erupted in a moderate explosion. In response he fired a few spells while flying around his target. She dodged them, with grace and ease no less. Only to his fury did he notice her holding a piece of rubble. She threw it right at his head with more speed than he had anticipated. As a result, when he turn to avoid it, it was still able to graze him, scraping at his psuedo flesh and pelting his ear. Not a hard blow, but just enough to slightly tweak his equal librium. Enough for Vera to launch into the air again, this time with all four hooves aimed at his chest. He tried to dive, but it was too late. While they didn't land directly center, the left of his chest took the full blow. Once her hooves made contact, she bent her legs, let momentum carry her a little closer, then, she kicked with all her strength. Sending Alter to the ground like a meteorite. She landed next to him, half expecting him to be dead. He most certainly wasn't. He amassed his aura and blasted Vera back with it, scrambling her senses. With all her availible fortitude, she stood up and looked at her foe. "What's this even about?" She asked, unable to discern the motives for such a betrayal. "It's about you. It's always been about you." Alter said, breathing heavily, swaying a little. "You are the perfect predator. The. Perfect... Even when I am wearing your skin, fighting with your muscles and flying with your wings. Even when I add the magic of my horn. I am still not strong enough, fast enough nor smart enough. I can be anyone! ANYONE!" He yelled. "I can beat anyone, always have. So why can't I beat YOU! Why can't I beat you! I am you, and I still can't. I know your style, your skill. And yet... From the moment I met you, I knew. You were something more. Something we all should have been striving to be." His glare, admiration and rage. Like he loved to hate her. "I thought my magic would let me overcome you. Surpass you! But it hasn't. What are you? Do you even know?" Alter spat. "So that's why... You served me, only to observe me. Seems cliche." Vera moaned. Alter hissed like a snake and fired several spells at Vera. Piercing violent spells meant to mame. As hard as she tried, she couldn't dodge them all. One slashed her left shoulder, narrowly avoiding her wing. Another smacked into her right fore hoof, cracking it. The final one slicing through several feather tips on her right wing. The rest all came within inches of her. With a deep breath, Alter rushed her, horn first, ready to gore her. Her legs wobbled a bit, the spell's effects were very strong. With all her remaining focus, she stood to her hind legs, watching as her mirror self came ever closer. With as calm a breath as she could manage she relaxed. Just as Alter got to her, she turned her hip, pivoting her left side back. Using her left fore hoof, she pushed down on Alter's neck, forcing his head down. With her right fore hoof she lifted up on his chest. Momentum did the rest. Alter went ass over head, his horn gouging the ground. When it got to a rock, the tip cracked off. In a mere two seconds, Alter was slammed on his back, his horn cracked and his strength gone. With a few more short breaths, Vera turned around. She brought her right fore hoof down on Alter's face with all the force she could muster. With a wet crunch it slammed down, the crack in her hoof growing from the force. She winced a little before bringing her left hoof down. Her shoulder was burning hot, but not her hoof. Before should deliver the devastating blow, the weakened changeling struck out. Stretching his claws right into Vera's chest. She reeled back from the wound. As she did the changeling grabbed Alter and began flying away. She slumped back on her side and watched them vanish. Her labored breathing interupted by soft chuckles. He watched her glide off, like some super hero. Dodging blindingly fast changelings and spells. Geiger was an instant fanboy. Ready to cheer on the great hero from the side lines. Which he was, until... One glance over his shoulder, he saw two changelings, each with their legs set like sharp pitch forks, fluttering calmly. He nodded and looked back at Vera. She had grown rather small in the distance. He couldn't even see what was going on anymore. Still, he tried. "Darn, I can't see what's happening. What about you?" Geiger turned and asked the nearest changeling. It took him a few seconds, then he started thinking. "Should I tell him?" The other changeling asked his comrade. "Together." The other replied. Geiger yelped and jumped away before they could grab him. His every desire was to run. But he wasn't very good at running. Still he tried a bit. Much to the changelings confusion. In a few tries, they managed to get Geiger cornered. Forced against the edge of the mesa, he could only cower. The feeling of being helpless so strong. Cue flashback No. 8. "You're not helpless, you got to me on your own didn't you?" Vera said while pulling Geiger from a giant tumbleweed he had gotten into. "But I am always needing your help." Geiger whined. "Needing help doesn't make you helpless... Well, by definition it does. But you know what I mean." She replied. :End: As they grabbed him and began carrying him off, he gave it thought. He had fought off the collectors, right? Sure he got beat up, but he lived didn't he? Why was he being a wimp? Was it just a force of habit. The helpless nerd getting pounded by bullies. His grandmother would always have to clean him up when he got home. She had gotten fed up with it. Cue flashback No. 873746. "Why don't you just stand up to them? Do you like getting knocked around all the time?" She had scolded. "No." He cried. "Then do something about it! You're a unicorn right? Let granny show you how a unicorn punches a bully!" She told him. :End: Beneath him the ground scrolled like a moving backround. The air whipped his face, and lack of anything solid below made him feel terror. He loved flying, but not being dangled high above the ground. He squirmed and tried not to scream. Wanting only to escape that moment. He dug deep down in himself, looking for the answer. I know how to protect myself, I know how to survive, not in the woods or on the run sure... But to live on my own, take care of the bills. Sure I forgot a few times, but when it came due, I always paid in full! He gritted his teeth and began to struggle. Only to elect rolling eyes from his abducters. Then he shouted. "Let go of my purse!" "What?!" The changelings said in unison. With a bright flash of his horn he blasted the changelings away. Normally it would have simply knocked them back, but with the added strength of his discovery, it sent them off like shooting stars. "Haha!" He laughed. "Ahhh!" He screamed. Where a foal would have been amazed, Gravity was smug. It's almighty pull was ready to remind Geiger of something. No badass was immune to it forever. As he plumeted to what was certain demise, he gave a thought to his life. Compared to the past week, everything was boring. Everything was mundane. Well, not anymore! He surrounded himself in magic and braced for impact. As he hit the ground he let his aura go fluid, absorbing the full impact and slowing him very quickly. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself safely on the ground. Still surrounded by aura. "I'm alive! Yay!" He cheered. Before he could break out in a dance, he heard a soft boom behind him. Turning around he saw a tiny plume of smoke and dirt. "Vera..." He whispered. He was no side kick. He was no backround pony. He is an underdog. A dark horse. "I'm coming! To help, maybe. Might just watch you kick flank." He yelled. He began running toward the faded plume. As he did he saw another plume of dust rise up and several spells fly around. In urgency he thought about trying something. There was teleportation spell, one he hadn't done before. It was pretty advanced, and he wasn't the best spell caster. But he had to know what was going on. With a deep breath and a few "Please don't explode or only teleport half of me" 's under his breath, he teleported. For a first try, it wasn't bad, wasn't great either. Once he arrived, he found most of his fur singed. A few spots danced in his eyes before he could see. What a sight it was. A rather busted changeling lay not far off to his right. All around there were deep gouges in the earth and spell burns. Some grass burned. There was a slight crater, blackened, and a divot, large and somewhat pony shaped. Then he saw her. Bloody, slightly singed, a few feathers trimmed and smiling. Her heavy breath beating down on the ground, her legs shook as she tried to stand. She looked at him and smiled even more. Speechless, Geiger just stared at her. She looked dizzy, kinda blurry. It must've been quite the fight to make her blurry. "Look at you doctor. Slowly turning into a regular badass. Nice touch of gray there. Premature and all." She chuckled. He nodded, not really paying attention. Was his still wrapped in aura? He began reaching out with his senses. The two incapacitated changeling were alive, barely. Vera was alright, not perfect, but much better off. She was even healing. Guess she knew healing spells. Really incredible, given she wasn't a unicorn. The spell, it seemed kind of familiar... "How..." Geiger began to say, though he trailed off. He had used up a bit too much magic. His discovery was burning up his strength rather quick. Before he passed out, he dropped his aura. Able to now catch a breath and see better, he looked at Vera more closely. Her eyes glowed with a familiar light. The very same magic he had discovered. But how? She was using it to heal herself, but more passively. Unlike Geiger, who used it like an actual spell, trying to "cast" it. "What the... cotton candy poop." Geiger slowly mouthed. She merely looked away from him toward the horizon. Unable to see even a tiny tiny version of herself being carried away. She'd be seeing Alter again. Next time, she wouldn't go easy on him. She let out a tiny laugh. "That was entirely unexpected. And... not good. Delays, delays." She shook her head, looking back at Geiger. "Let me guess... You have questions?"