//------------------------------// // Two New Victims Before the Bridle Charade // Story: MLP - New Game Plus Postmortem // by Reizthefakebrony //------------------------------// As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the blinding rays of the sunlight. That hurt my eyes. I guess that spending seven entire nights sleeping in the darkness of my mound actually does affect my retinas. I wasn't too used to the sun anymore. I felt something cold and metallic beneath me.... And that thing was the giant metal dragon, when in reality is actually a stone one created by Melkior to kill me but ended up being corrupted by me anyway. Seriously, that guy asked for it. He tried to ambush me, only for me to surviving his encounter, corrupting his dragon, stealing his iPod and earplugs and shot him with a freaking plasma cannon. I had to admit. For someone, possess that huge, winged, metallic spikes shooting, bulldozer but for me is... A hassle... I'm not kidding. I cannot even think to return in my home or even go to Ponyville while riding this beast and possibly terrorizing the ponies who would see it. But I cannot risk to returning there on foot. Sure, I have still my ninja speed but since I didn't ate anything, I wouldn't go this far. My stomach was even grumbling to remind me of that. "Arrrgh! There's no point in remaining here starving!" I muttered. "What I have to do now?" I pondered about any valid way to get out of there without any kind of problems that would had putted me into serious troubles. I couldn't find a valid alternative..... Until a idea struck entered in my mind in the last minute. Is screwed up but nonetheless valid. I half grinned, because I'm feeling very uncomfortable to put that into practice. "I guess I had to do that with myself... But first, a little disguise." I said as I pulled out a green cloak from my bag and put it on. Then, I made the most dangerous thing that I never thought to do: Use the DNA Twister on myself. And with that, I had engulfed my own body with the red thick, liquid vortex. The first contact was enough to struck me with a sudden pain that instantly seized my entire body. And damn if that hurts. I ended up collapsing on the metallic surface of the dragon, which didn't minded me at all. As the pain of my incoming transformation wasn't enough, the ones of both my beaten up face and that of my hurting back flared up once more. After one minute of suffering, the pain slowly dissipated, allowing me to slowly rose up... On my own two legs. I took a look to my temporary new body. Is that of a pony-sea drake hybrid bipedal one gifted with partially small gills, a snake tail, a very long mane, scales covering half of my body, spiky and yet still bendable pony ears, an altered voice and dragon fingers armed with claws instead of my hooves. Not wanting to wait any further, I cautiously used my new fingers to put the earplug on my ears, turn my iPhone's on and took a look to the audio's list that this tool has to offer. Melkior must be some kind of snobby, music maniac because she had almost everything, including metal, rap and even punk. I put on Holy Diver and then proceed to do the rest. "Hey, dude!" I said to the dragon with a half demonic voice. "I don't want stay here any longer! Let's go! Now loyal to my instruction, the dragon started to flap his giant wing and flew upwards as it was adjusting it's altitude. Being on this metal dragon, I stumbled and almost end up falling down during it's maneuver. I managed to grip at the scale with my claws and struggled to climb atop of his back as he settled it's on flying trajectory. I was able to return to my previous position after three minutes of trying to avoid the fall. I then adjusted my cloak and looked forward. The wind that rushed toward me never felt so inspiring. That was justified by the dragon flying speed, but what makes it very appealing was that being combined with the landscape scrolling below me. Besides, there's also a very tremendous vertigo that prevented me to fully enjoy that. I understand Rainbow Dash flying around and enjoy it but it's not for me. "What I had to do now I wait until we reach the place that I want to visit before going home." I said calmly in contemplation, still with that demonic voice before shivering almost shocked by that. "I never thought that this new voice would had sound so intimidating. No one would recognize me... At least they saw my cutey mark." Ignoring my mane vibrating for the wind, I was just brainstorming about various random things. The one thought emerged and caused me almost burst laughing. The possibility of a alternate universe in which the Royal Guards were all being dubbed by Christian Bale's Batman through 80'style bad dubbing is colossally hilarious. After a few minutes of flight, I have arrived to where I wanted, using the smokey dragon's mountain as a point of reference. If I'm not wrong, that must be Dragonshy o' clock. Seeing the mountain in the distance, I turned off my iPhone and ordered my dragon to slow down it's speed. As I was almost getting close to it, I heard Fluttershy's voice echoing from there. “Listen here, mister," Fluttershy's echo said. "Just because you're big doesn't mean you get to be a bully. You may have huge teeth, and sharp scales, and snore smoke, and breathe fire, but you do not hurt my friends! You got that?” "Ok, Fafnir! Turn around!" I commanded before looking to the landscape beneath us while trying to resist my vertigo. Yes, I called the metal dragon like that. No Nibelung Ring included but who cares. Alternatively, I would have called him, due to his now steeled appearance, Heavy Metal Fafniram. I immediately scratched that idea since the name is too long and too obvious. Fafnir was flying above the Everfree Forest. Specifically: The lake where the Mane Six faced the sea serpent. I was mentally panicking for what I'm going to do but I then told myself that there wasn't any alternative at this point. I put the iPod inside the bag and took my aim. "Listen up! After about one hour, go toward that smokey mountain and take possession!" I instructed. "I will go on my own until the next time!" I looked out towards the river below us. I would have given myself some dragon wings but since I'm not such a big flyer as Rainbow Dash, so Instead I have done the same thing that John Matrix has done in Commando: Dropping myself down toward the river from the an elevated height. Which is what actually happened. "WHOOOOOOOOAAAA!!" Too freaked out to think, I could wait for my dive toward the large part of the river to be completed, hoping to not end up touching the terrain instead. I may had died once but twice is not contemplated. The wait and the vision of the fast-approaching area beneath me were both a unbearable combination. And I was running out of oxygen. The fall mercifully ended with me entering successfully in the water. Being underwater, the descent slowed down. I felt dazed and more tired than before. I should had been drowned in my normal conditions. Thanks to these gills, however, I could still breath, giving me all the time to adjust myself and mentally recover. I looked around the underwater zone, and fortunately the sea monster was nowhere to be found. Nine minutes had gone by and my dizziness is still going on. And that doesn't get even better if I have to talk about the persisting pain in my back. Courtesy of both Photon Gladion and Melkior that didn't let me rest properly. Tired to remain immobile, I swam toward the shore. "The only thing that I'm worrying about right now is maybe somebody heard my own demonic scream that I made during the fall... I just hope to not get spotted." I had emerged from the lake and walked through the forest. Passing by the river that was coming from Ponyville, I followed that path basing on it's current. If it flows toward the lake, that means I was going for the right direction. "C'mon, Allen. Just run in ninja speed toward the exit and you can rest." I said to myself one second before my vertigo, my exhaustion and my hunger were kicking in simultaneously, disorienting me. "Just... Ignore them!" Without wasting anymore time, I jumped at the top of some random tree and leaped at the tops of other ones while being careful to not stumble, hellbent to get out of the forest. I end up almost falling multiple times because of my dizziness and fatigue. Once out, I continued my own tree jumping until I saw my mound. I fell down and attempted a light landing, only to stumble and collapsing on the soil instead. "Not.... Now!" Guided by my own persistence, I tried to get up, only to fall twice in a row. I managed to rose up in the third attempt and wobbled toward the entrance. Seeing the stone coffin, I couldn't wait to sleep... But not before one last hassle. I had removed my own green cloak and putted back in my bag. Then I had unleashed the red thick vortex on me to return to my normal appearances. As the pain started to seize my body once more and ignited the pain of both my previous injuries, I struggled to not fall. As my body started to change, I forcefully headed toward the coffin. Once it's on my reach, I climbed it and exhorted myself to go forward until I had abruptly fell on my futon, with head perfectly falling on my pillow. In the same moment the transformation was complete, my consciousness instantly cut me out, making me fall into the blackness. I was expected it to happen. Dreamland, I'm coming.... And no. I'm not talking about Judeau's RPG Maker game. "There's one last thing I need to do. You had just to wait a little bit." "You know that I can't." "You made a promise with them, remember?" "Allen... I know that you want the best outcome from the end of my crisis but... There is still on thing unresolved." *Slice* *Splash* "Why?" "Is... not that simple for me.... And you know why!" "How much long you intend to sleep!?" A awfully familiar female voice muttered. "Wake up!" Groaning, I opened my eyes. And I'm already irritated since it's like being brought back from my sleep against my will. I looked up and saw a square blurry light with darkened figure covering it. I could see someone at the top of the coffin but my vision was very hazy. As it slowly adjusted itself, the figure turned out to be none other than Iron Lilly, who was actually looking angry and worried simultaneously. I couldn't help but feel strangely surprised by that since that was the first time I saw her like this, because the other ones she was on her own guard due to the times I had turned part of her life upside down or she was simply hating me, though that I don't think that Is just that. My head is a little groggy. Then again, what was I about to ask her?.... Oh yeah. "What time is it?" I asked weakly. "It's afternoon," Lilly said irritated before facehoofing. "Right now I can't tell if you were just unlucky or that misfortune of yours is intentional." "Photon Gladion told you what happened yesterday?" I demanded. "And how!" Lilly muttered. "I met him as he was galloping through the forest like crazy, as he was panicking. As I had stopped him and pretended some explanation, he stuttered about you falling inside a squared hole that opened under your feet and being devoured by it." Whoa! Did Photon had seriously thought that Melkior's closing had seriously crushed me? "Let's just say that another one of those entities ambushed me from underground and kidnapped me just because he wanted to torture me." I said bluntly, not expecting nothing from her. "Look at my face." "Yes, I noticed that." Lilly replied disturbed. "You should be in the hospital for the record. I mean, you took all of the beating. And let's not forget that you had carried me and Twilight, much to your back's expense. How though you are?" "I'm not this resistant," I responded as I was about to close my eyes until I remembered something. "Did Photon told me something else about me?" "He hadn't told me anything else but..." Lilly assumed a very confused expression. "He acted very weird when he talked to me in the office." "Strange?" "Photon just.... asked me if there's something wrong with his own ideas. I don't even know what happened or what you had done to him. So I decided to confront him in his office, in this morning. But he was nowhere to be found.I found a letter on the table in which he says that. 'he will leave the Royal Guards for a long time in a journey to cleanse himself of his flawed ways.'" I gave her a very confused glance. "What?" "I thought that maybe you will explain that, Violet." Lilly said with a half inquisitive tone, glaring at me as I was the culprit behind his sudden decision. Lilly pulled out a royal scroll from her helmet and gave it to me. I began to read the content and.... What the hell I'm even reading? Dear Lilly I'm sorry If I am asking you to tell them this, but I don't have the guts to talk with Princess Celestia and Luna about that. Tell them that due to existential and moral reason that I am unable to tell, I renounce to my rank of Lieutenant and leave the Royal Guards. I thought that I could improve and inspire my own comrades, but I was wrong. I couldn't even protect that pony from being devoured by ground. However, there's something that I want to make clear. And is my pretense of love toward Luna. I never realized that was a very misguided one, until now. For these reasons, I'm going into a journey to cleanse my on flawed ways and find my own illumination. Lieutenant Photon Gladion I froze up in disbelieve. Is that some kind of a joke? Because I couldn't believe that Photon actually wrote this. Did Photon just decided to become a Buddhist pony or something? Giving the scroll back to Lilly, I noticed her dumbfounded expression. It's like she didn't expected my own reaction to this. Which was a very confused one, because I don't know if I have to feel disturbed or laugh. And regarding the 'being unable to protect that pony' part, I call it bullshit. When Melkior opened the ground beneath my feet, Photon simply galloped away like a coward terrorized, not giving a damn about me despite the fact that he was supposed to protect me.... Ok, I had previously corrupted him and ordered him to give me the photos in order to destroy the evidence of me having those powers, but that because he tried to blackmail me. A now he's writing this apology letter? "What the hell was he even thinking?" "It's not all. Just flip the letter." Lilly informed. "Even in the back?" I asked. Lilly nodded while showing me it's back... What? I forgot, I had to thank a powerful warlock for make me realize my own mistakes. Thought that I still hate him. Look who's complaining, weirdo. Lilly putted away the scroll and stared at me, probably hoping that I'm not involved at all... or maybe she's believing it's the case. "Do you have something to do with his sudden retirement?" Lilly demanded. "My answer is simply no because I would gain nothing from screwing with him." I remarked. "Also, before I fell in that pit, I went outside for a moment because I wanted to take some fresh air." "............... Pretty much justified since is proven time and time again that living here is not healthy at all." Lilly reminded. "You should be in the hospital." "Then why I'm still there?" "Because I don't want your enemies to appear there and make a real carnage." Lilly got a point about that. Still, they could at least try to send me some home medic to take care of me and giving me some painkillers... If someone of the alternate Granite Dagger doesn't appear out of nowhere and kill him of course. Damn it! "Could they at least send me a medic that is also escorted by the guards?" I proposed. "The Princesses were thinking about that," Lilly responded. "However, if what you said about your attacker being able to do something tremendous like opening the earth beneath you is true, that makes more difficult for us to guarantee your safety and that of the civilians as well." That really pissed me off. I cannot even predict when the next one could possibly appear, and I can't even afford a proper health treatment. "That sucks." I commented. "We are all in the same boat." Lilly said bluntly. "By the way, take this." Lilly tossed me a small cardboard box at me. I merely flinched due to the box not being so heavy. I slowly opened it and found three water bottles and a package of medium sized cupcakes. I won't even make a reference because of it's own now saturated nature. "Thanks." I said formally. "Just don't consume them all. And most of all NOT THERE." Lilly commanded before heading toward the outside. Ignoring the pain of my injuries, I rose up and putted the box behind the coffin. I would had putted the box or at least the content in one of the shelves but not now. I then laid down again and pulled out my iPhone out of my bag. I could guess that it broke when I dived into the lake but as I pulled it . My hooves weren't useful to press the screen buttons, but they didn't prevented me to press the one to turn it on. I pressed it... And it turned on like nothing happened. What the fuck? It didn't broke?... That's not normal. And now that I'm noticing it, my bag was instantly dried up. It was soaked with the lakes of the water some hours ago. Does that mean that all the stuff that I have in my bag has some sort of RPG Inventory Menu Armor that keep my items still functional and polished after the bag was soaked, burnt or even bombed!? I won't even call it suspension of disbelieve because I'm still questioning about that sort of things. Hopefully I'm not in the Homestuck universe. "So many question for this disturbance in the universe... Which I hope is not entirely made of pixels or something." I whispered while turning the iPhone off and putting it back in the bag. "Because if that is the case, please turn off." One hour later, evening fell upon my mound, made more evident by the absence of the lingering sunlight, being replaced with the moonlight. I slowly come out of the stone coffin without taking my bag. Then I, took three of the cupcakes and one bottle of water and went on the outside. Lilly was watch over me while having her own food but I didn't minded her that much as I started to eat. I started to miss the food of my own world. These three sweets that I ate and a quarter of the bottle that I had drunk were my only dinner. And boy if I never felt so hungry since yesterday. I spent the next hour contemplating about the dream that I had when I had passed out for the fatigue. That was something very nostalgic. There was someone I knew and respected, during the mess that I had faced in my previous life. We also fought together... Until something went horribly wrong. That is one of the things that I regret so hard..... But it's only in the past now. "Is there something wrong?" Lilly asked, seemingly worried. "Nothing." I responded calmly before returning inside my mound. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to sleep." I headed toward the coffin and entered inside. I laid down on the futon and put my head on the pillow. I'm going to have a hard time to sleep as I tried to not thinking about that. I was tempted to use my iPhone to listen some music but I wasn't in the mood to do it. I'm not depressed. I'm just considering... If I didn't had my own powers in my past life, on the first place. Maybe I shouldn't. But that made me consider one thing. Is frustrating that I'm reborn here only to face the same shit that I had faced before. Fortunately, it didn't take too long for sleep to come. Which was a relief. Because insomnia would had made me gone nuts. In the next day, I slowly opened my eyes and yawned. The pains are still hurting me but with even less intensity as before, something in which I'm satisfied. I was asking to myself what to do but I was then interrupted by the 8-bit sound, almost startling me for a moment. "I have the impression that its going to become an irritating running gag." The familiar RPG text box appeared on my right. I took a look at it... That was something that I wasn't expecting at all. Book of Healing: A tome who allow the user to heal any wounds or disease but has still to master one spell to make the text of the next page to appear, which is why only the first page is available. "Let me see if that Is not a scam." I whispered to not be heard by Lilly. As the text box disappeared, I rummaged in the bag until I found a beige book with a sword and a cross being depicted on the cover, which is kind of weird, if not lazy. I opened and took a look at the pages. True to the premises, only the first page was available while the other ones were all blank. I began to read... Well, the first page. It was only the start and yet that was the part that I currently needed. Page One: You can exercise the power to heal the wound of the others, appeasing the pain and remove the lesser lethal poisons. But will take a very long time and constant use of that to close the wounds and restoring body tissues for good. That was a good thing... Except that this book didn't gave you any instruction on how to use it. I guessed that I had to concentrate my mind to put it's energy in my hoof while pointing it on the interested part and channeling it. That was the typical mumbo jumbo thing that I was supposed to test at random. I putted my hoof on my back, concentrated... And my hoof glowed with a very silver light. I felt some energy going through my body, relaxing it and removing pain... and it's slow to do it's job. I won't even complaining since I didn't had anything better to do. In about twenty minutes, I cured my backache, but regarding my own beaten up face, I only half fixed it to not rise any suspect. Besides, maintaining my concentration on the healing was very tiring. I understood that is only the first level and that it takes a little longer to recover, but I wasn't expect it to go as slow as molasses. I was about to take another nap... Until Lilly called me out from the outside. "How much do you intend sleep?" Lilly asked sternly. "Just get up already. I have a commission to do." It's a miracle that she didn't noticed me using my healing abilities. Stuffing the healing book in my bag, I came out of my coffin and went outside. I putted on another cloak for the occasion. This time being a silver one. Now that I'm thinking about, thanks to the Ninja Gaiden reward, I had a apparently endless variety of cloaks, camou and outfits. And Considering that I would even selling them, I will be probably rich... But considering that Rarity could have some moral monopoly over fashion, I tossed that idea into the garbage. "Maybe on an emergency case." I whispered. "Did you say something?" Lilly demanded. "Nothing." With Lilly's usual suspicions regarding me, we traveled into Ponyville and encountered a group of pegasi Royal Guards who were her subordinates. I saw the face of some of these ones being a little repressed. I think they hate her usual stuck up attitude too, even if it was toned down a little due to my action. Lilly talked to three of them for a minute before sending them back to Canterlot... And I was almost close to be caught. The point was that she had sighted Fafnir flying in the sky above Ponyville and that a witnesses heard 'something' fell from it in the Everfree Forest while screaming with a very demonic voice... Which was me. "Hopefully they didn't found anything that will connect the dragon or my screaming fall to me." We and the rest of the pegasi guard ponies spent four hours to discuss about the my enemies, lunch included. We were only in six and the atmosphere was filled with a piece of mistrust. I was in part a very suspicious individual for a few of them outside Lilly, so I couldn't even blame them for that. They asked some questions which I responded with half sporadic answers. Mostly because many of their questions are sporadic. After a seemingly infinite talk, Lilly escorted me back to my mound with a very half frustrated visage. Probably she would see the day in which she didn't have to see that place ever again. As we had arrived, the sky became slowly darkened and started to rain. That didn't surprised any of us. Lilly was previously informed about the weather patrol having accidentally skipped the sprinkle schedule so they had to put this whole storm to made up for they own laziness. According to what I heard from Lilly, I can assume that is the 'slumber party' day. Which means that big thunderstom won't even take part to Twilight's misguided party... At least I don't have any alternative. "That is gonna suck." I commented. Being mentally exhausted by being among Lilly's subordinates and being pressed, I headed toward the mound without even thinking when I was startled by a roaring sound of the lightning falling behind me, accompanied by Lilly's brief scream. I turned toward her, only to see her collapsing on the ground with her mane standing on end her half burnt armor. "Holy shit. " I commented while approaching her. "Lilly didn't had any kind of truce from this crap, isn't it? First she was accidentally corrupted by me, then got psychologically shut down by Arga and now she's struck by a lightning... I'm feeling a little pity for her." She had obviously lost consciousness like a victim of a lighting dart being launched by some drunk Zeus. I was worried about her conditions so I took her Inside before she got really soaked and used my healing powers to cure her wounds. She didn't regain consciousness already but I didn't care, because I wanted to have some liberty... Without making damage, of course. I returned to the outside, not giving a shit about the rain. Even though that reminded me of the time in which I was in that graveyard before I met Aunt Death. At least being someplace else was a change of pace. But that doesn't excuse that meteorological screw up. The weather service is apparently unreliable despite the fact that weather itself is mostly a titanic responsibility. Outside being bathed, I had the dilemma. The wind was transporting parts of the raindrops inside my mound and is cold as hell. I remembered that the mound has metal doors but I completely refuse to die by asphyxiation. Taking in count that Lilly is still inside. I couldn't find any solution until I found one. "That looks like a job.... Yeah, whatever. Ninja mcguffin and stuff." I concentrated my mind and materialized huge ice shards that rained around the mound, encircling it at all except for the point nearby the entrance. These glacial things were high enough block at least part of the rain. Only three points were missing to complete the whole ice fence. Nothing seemed to go wrong. "AAAAAAAAAAARRRGH!!" "GUAAAAAAAAAAAARR!!" Until two female screams pierced the air. Freaked out by that I looked upward. Two winged figures impaled by the ice shard whizzed down on two of the remaining spaces to cover. I flinched as their landing ended with the huge ice pieces stabbing the ground, with bloodstains on them. I was paralyzed by the rapid sequence in which that happened. My brain was about to black out until sudden, pained, weak moans gave a rude awakening. Slowly recovering, I looked down to ascertain if what I am thinking was true... It is. Two pegasi mares, a blue maned dark-yellow one and a pink maned green one, were laying and convulsing in front of me, with the ice shards piercing through their chest while blocking them against the ground. Their looked very shocked, probably watching their lives passing in front of their eyes. Their agonizing moment lasted for a handful second until they died for real... I hate to think that but I had accidentally killed someone again. As the time with Twilight wasn't enough. Ignoring the rain, I stared at them for a moment until I remembered that Lilly was still laying unconscious. I have no intention to being tagged as a murderer. Panicking but trying to calm myself down, I was about to hide the bodies but then, a idea came into my mind. The same idea that I hated to repeat most. "I had to commit another FUCKING CORPSE REMODELING, ISN'T IT!?" I would had avoided that, but since the two pegasi are both dead because of my own assumption that no pegasi was flying during that storm and my own stupid idea, I had no alternative. I have no time machine for that. I facehoofed very hard in horror for that. "I had to do that shit again, isn't it?" Knowing what to do, I focused my mind to melt the bloodstained shards with multiple fireballs while setting free the two corpses. Second, I dragged both of them inside my mound, putted Lilly behind the stone coffin and covered her with the blanket. Third, I took off my soaked silver cloak, tossed against the wall and prepared myself for the most dramatic part: I pulled out that nasty keyboard cube from my bag and pressed the button, materializing all of the surgery equipment, electrodes and some other machinery. "Let's start this crime against nature. Again." As I did it in the last time with Twilight, I have to turn these two mares into Remodeled Corpses as well. AKA Zombies with still normal appearances. I proceeded with the same procedure with different circumstances. I cloned their bodies and used their clone's organs and tissues to repair the damages. Then I supplied them with their blood. I was lucky that Lilly was still unconscious due to the lightning effects... I'm actually feeling guilty to be happy about something like that. "I hope Twilight is enjoying her slumber party, because mine own is going to be a very gory one." What remain to do now was reactivate their brains and, stabilize their metabolism into a normal one. All of that while keeping them unconscious. A scene that I had saw already. That whole thing lasted about one hour and half. A very clement lapse of time compared to the previous surgery. Eager to close this other disgusting chapter of mine and not wanting have to do with that again, I pressed the button and the whole equipment was suck into the cube once more. I just realized that the cube sucked in the cloned bodies as well. That may had happened with the clone Twilight too, but I didn't care at this point. I wanted to get out of this pinch that I made with my own hands as soon as possible. The problem was how bring both of them into the hospital. Make two long travels from the to Ponyville Hospital and vice versa was something that I didn't want to do. Having considered their weight, I don't want suffer another backache. An yet...Wait. Weight? Size? "That's it." I said inspired, having found a valid idea. I used the DNA Twister on the two pegasi and turned them into Seabreeze, which are small and very light to carry. I then putted them inside the bag and galloped toward Ponyville, headed to the Hospital. Arrived nearby the entrance, I silently entered inside and put the seabreezefied mares. I then reverted them into their pegasi forms and activated my invisibility technique and strongly knocked the door before leaving. I galloped away from there as fast as I could, but not before having heard Redheart's voice coming from behind me. "Who's there!? Where.... Oh, Celestia from above!" I hope that she noticed their current conditions since I don't have this whole time to check that out. I reached my mound after twenty five minutes, with my heart pumping fast and my breath becoming rapid. I was tired but not too much like the previous days. The incomplete ice fence was still there, and since I don't want any other incidents of accidental impaling. I had deactivated the stealth mode and thrown multiple fire balls at every ice shards, melting them into large puddles. Since it was night and the thunderstorm is still going on, I entered inside and closed the two metal doors, leaving only a chink that allowed the air to enter. I then went inside the coffin and laid down on the futon. Having given the blanket to Lilly in order to protect her by the cold, I had used only my pillow as a substitute blanket. I closed my eyes, waiting for my sleep. That slight fatigue helped me out with that and was grateful to it for once. Because I wanted to forget my second time resorting to Corpse Remodeling. I'm felt very unclean twice in that moment. I was greeted by a pure darkness. Despite this blackness, I think to know what is going on. Aunt Death will show up, just to confuse me even further. My suspects about what she has cooked this time didn't delay to become founded. A spotlight suddenly illuminated the center of the room, revealing a dark cloaked figure being, of course, Death herself, being sat in a couch. As she alone wasn't enough, the situation became more absurd I was hearing some classic music accompanied by a heavy metal scream in the background. I was taken aback by that nonsensical moment. Which disturbed and confuses me at the same time. "Welcome, my dreamer, to Moronic Puppeteer Chronicles Theater." Death said as she was some kind of anchor man. "On Tonight's episode we are going to talk about a pony trying to deal with the idiocy of a very particular event. Ignorance reigned supreme. A event in which the motto 'Don't judge a book from it's cover' is handled horribly. That is... The Idiocyning." "Is that a Shamaylan reference? But it's not even a word." I pointed out, confused. "Oh, c'mon," Death retorted. "As your new life wasn't confusing enough." I woke up, this time more rested and without that headache. I took a look at Lilly, who was still laying unconscious behind the coffin. I would had tried to wake her up...... Nah, I let her as she is instead. I suited myself my own personalized ninja outfit with platinum mouth mask and violet hoof gloves, and ran at high speed toward Ponyville. In my arrival, the town was deserted, much to my surprise. That would seem like the work of another Granite Dagger. That wasn't the case, which made me a little happier. I know what was going on. Zecora visited the town and the inhabitants were cowering in fear like idiots. Because they were uninformed. Yes, I'm fully aware that these are the events of Season 1, but that is the type of episode which idiocy must be dealt with the right timing. I headed toward the Sugarcube Corners. I walked nearby the window unseen and eavesdropped the Mane Six, Spike and Apple Bloom discussing, and badmouthing Zecora. I can already feel their ignorance. As they were talking, I putted on the freezing gauntlet and the iPhone's earplug on my ears with anticipation, turned the device on and scrolled the song list to find a valid one while ignoring their talk. "The Everfree Forest just ain't natural." Applejack said. "The plants grow.." "Animals care for themselves..." Fluttershy said. "And the clouds move..." Rainbow Dash added. “All on their own!” they chorused dramatically. "Yeah, keep talking," I whispered. "Your information is relevant as the professor who was claiming that people were dreaming sorely in black and white before there was color in TV." And then there is that part with Pinkie. I was fully prepared to deal with it, just to help me concentrate while plotting my own version of that episode. "And that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil... stuff! She's so evil I even wrote a song about her!" Pinkie said with her usual exaggeration. "Here we go..." Rainbow Dash said in resignation. Not this time. And fortunately, I have the earplugs of this iPod to protect me from Pinkie Pie's incoming song. She's an evil enchantress She does evil dances And if you- I pressed play before walking away from the tree house as my ears were protected with something that is far even more awesome. Yea.. Check it out, see The only thing you need to do right here is, Is nod your fuckin head Yeah, yeah Break ya fuckin neck bitches Yeah, yeah Here we go now.. Busta Rhymes is awesome, and I'm very lucky that this song is even included in this ipod. Against Pinkie's one that exuded accidental ignorance, he is my savior. I hid behind a wall of a house nearby the bakery and waited for Apple Bloom, the only sane pony in this paranoid parade, to leave the group behind to follow Zecora. After some minutes of waiting and listening Busta Rhymes like a liturgical chant of a church mass of hip hop's nephilims, Applejack's little sister came out and galloped toward the exit of the town. Taking that as the signal, I used the DNA Twister on myself, one more time. This time turning myself into demon-pony hybrid. That didn't make any sense since I'm wearing a ninja outfit, but what I had really altered was my voice. "Check... And check." I said with a deep but not so demonic voice. "Much better." I galloped very fast, Following Apple Bloom's tracks. In one minute, I found both her and a cloaked zebra, being obviously Zecora, at the forest where the infamous blue flowers are located. I had observed the scene from behind the bushes. Apple Bloom tried to go further but the Mane Six arrived to stop her. As I had predicted, they came in contact with the Poison Joke flowers... And possibly inhaling them. I could had just prevented that coming but I had pretended to have saw nothing. “Apple Bloom! You get back here right now!” Applejack yelled. “Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!” said Zecora. “You keep your creepy mumbo-jumbo to yerself, ya hear?” Applejack retorted. "Too much being absorbed in your own paranoia to even. Fucking. Listen to her?" I whispered in annoyance. I let them do their talk as Zecora leaved their sight in a puff of smoke. I could had told them what was really going on but I preferred to wait the right moment. I quietly leaved the area. Far away from their nonsensical discussion, I jumped at the top of a tree and leaped toward one after another, making my way toward Zecora's hut. Once arrived, I landed in front of her tree house and headed toward the entrance. I knocked at her door twice. Zecora slightly opened the door. I was welcomed by her surprised face. "The timing of your appearance is so out of blue? Who are you?" Zecora demanded, obviously rhyming. "You know that plant named Poison Joke, right?" I asked, still with a deep but not so demonic voice. "Of course I know about the plant you spoke. In contrast to the other poisonous plants, ts results are like a joke." Zecora confirmed. "The point is I need the cure for it's symptoms," I lied of course. "I need an entire cauldron of that for six ponies... Possibly tomorrow." "The quantity of time that will take me to do that is almost low. So why tomorrow?" Zecora demanded. "Let me enter and I will explain you why." I said formally. Damn, if acting is a real pain. Still, I discussed with her about the cure and gave her a fabricated explanation about me having six friends who were goofing around with the flowers, ignoring the fact their effects will prevent them to do their job. won She actually bought that excuse and decided to help me out. I had also asked her to let me take a look at the book of Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-all That Are Simpy Super. And for a valid reason. "Which page is depicting the cure?" I asked. "This one. Clear as the sun." Zecora said. With that, I leaved Zecora in her work and galloped away from the hut, travelling all of the way back to my mound. Once arrived, I turned on the iPod and selected the song with the ID number being identical to that of the page of the book. I then returned to my normal appearance and took off my personalized ninja outfit. With nothing else to do, I went inside my 'house' and took a look at behind the coffin to check Lilly's conditions. She's still unconscious, which made me worry a little bit. I was about to go to the outside... "Violet..." Lilly's voice said, weakly. I flinched for a moment. I turned toward her to see if that was real, and it turned out that it is. I saw her slowly recovering her consciousness. That was a good new for me, but is also a frustrating one since my plan was going to be sabotaged by her. "Did you remember what happened?" I asked calmly. "I... I... Was struck by a lightning... If I'm... not wrong..." Lilly said groggy, as she glanced at the blanket covering her. "Is that your blanket?" "Well... Yes." I responded. "Whatever.... I'm just... Too tired to... Deal with you... Just... Let me sleep..." Lilly said falling into her sleep. Leaving her to her rest, I spent the rest of the day listening some music. I was also trying to master the first page of the healing book but the only thing that I had done so far with it was fully healing my beaten up face. Nothing else. It will take me a little more time to get past page one. As evening greeted me, I ate two cupcakes and drunk a quarter of the bottle of water, like the previous day. After that, went outside to do some free style acrobatics and headed toward my 'bed' after an hour. If that coffin can be called like that. Still without any blanket at my disposal, I had once again used my pillow as one. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep. As usual. Seriously, If the Mane Six are the Elements of Harmony, the I should be the Elements of Sloth... If that count. Waking up by a very unusual and yet almost harmless nightmare, I took a look at Lilly, who was still sleeping. "Sorry, Lilly," I whispered. "I have to go." I was about to leave... Until I heard her voice. "Just wait... Until I recover...." Lilly said weakly with a confident tone. I rolled my eyes and went out of my mound. After having transformed back to my demon-pony hybrid form and putting on my own personalized outfit from yesterday to cover it, I traveled all the way to Ponyville. Once arrived, I hide myself behind a wall of a house nearby the Twilght's tree-house, waiting for the Mane Six to leave. I didn't even bothered to watch them since I don't want be tagged as stalker but I know they were affected by the Poison Joke flowers. Twilight has a floppy horn, Rarity has messed up hairs that covered her eyes, Pinkie Pie's has her mouth by her tongue obstructing it, Rainbow Dash can't just flying in the right way and ended up falling upside down and Applejack was shrunken at a tiny sized. Fluttershy... Looked ok but I know what happened to her. I scanned the main room until I found the copy of the Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-all That Are Simpy Super book. I took it as mine and went out the library. Leaving the town, I headed toward the meadow where the Poison Joke flowers were located. I took the occasion to take three Poison Jokes as samples and wrapping them with a red cloak, that I had used as a container that I had stuffed in the bag. Their pollen didn't affected me since I was also wearing the hoof gloves and the mouth mask. With that, I ran at ninja speed toward Zecora's hut. As I was reaching the area, I stopped on my tracks and hide myself behind a tree. I could already hear the voice of Rainbow Dash, who was practically grunting and crushing at random. "Alright, guys. Come in. It's theater time." I said with slight confidence. Passed two minutes, I saw a blown maned Rarity, a Pinkie Pie with a swollen tongue, Fluttershy and a Twilight with a floppy horn coming out of the bush. I won't even joke on the latter's condition since that would be immature. Even for Japan's standards. They were finally catch up by a Rainbow Dash flying upside down, driven by the tiny Applejack. As they were approaching the house, I decided to get in action. Is time to put my altered voice into practice. Disguised and voice altered as I am, they couldn't recognize me. "No!" I said while walking toward them, getting their attention. "No! No! NO! Stop! STOP! What heck are you doing!?" "That's mah line!" Applejack yelled with high pitched voice due to her current size. "What the heck are ya doing!?" "And why wearing a mouth mask?" Rarity added. "To protect myself from the pollen." I responded bluntly. "What pollen?" Twilight asked. "Look, I know that you don't trust Zecora," I paused. "But did you had at least listened and understood what she was really referring to when you were retrieving Apple Bloom?" "Why bother to even listen," Applejack retorted. "She was putting curses on us!" "It's true! Look at us!" Twilight muttered, gesturing to her floppy horn. "What do you-" Rainbow Dash was saying something but I had stopped her just in time. "Be quiet for a moment and let me give you a hypothetical scenario," I proposed, ignoring Rainbow's sullen face. "I know what happened to you, but let me ask you on thing... What is the real thing to blame?" "What are ya talking about? Of course is was Zecora!" Applejack said convinced. "No!" I said one second before chuckling really nervously and slowly walking toward Applejack. "You can't be serious. Say that again. Come on, I know it's dangling on the tip of your tongue. Let me hear it just once, please? "How many time I had to tell ya?" Applejack insisted. "Zecora had cur-" "WROOOOOOONG!!" I abruptly interrupted her with a very demonic voice, startling her and the rest of the Mane Six "W-w-what just happened?" Rarity said freaked out, literally trembling. Ignoring Rarity's question, I pulled out the convoluted red cloak and opened in front of them, revealing the three Poison Joke flowers. The Mane Six gasped in surprised for that. "Are these the flowers that we saw yesterday?" Rainbow said confused. "There are." Twilight confirmed perplexed. "That is the real source of your problems!" I said, resuming my own deep but not so demonic voice, gesturing to the flowers. "You came in contact with these and probably inhaled that." "Ah'm not buying that for a single second." Applejack retorted. "You're protecting Zecora, isn't that it." "Oh, for the love of..." I said with slight irritation as I pulled out the book that I took from the library, much to Twilight's shock. "Where did you took that?" Twilight inquired. "Just let me show you," I said to Twilight, opening the book and showing the page that depicted the cure. "Here. Page 27." Twilight was reluctant at first but then gave a quick glance. That page explains a lot regarding the Poison Joke and how to cure it. "You finally understood, right?" I asked, sternly. "Understood what?" Rarity demanded. "Explain yourself!" Rainbow Dash demanded. "Are you telling us that Zecora has nothing to do with our own conditions?" Twilight said. Before I could respond, Apple Bloom's voice made her presence known. "What the hay is going on?" Apple Bloom demanded. We turned our heads toward her, being in front of the hut. The Mane Six were shocked to her being there except me. "You are just in time." I said confidently. "Wait, Ah don't even know ya. Who are you?" Apple Bloom asked. "Just answer me one question, for the ponies who are present in this moment," I replied while closing the book and putting it back to the bag. "They said that Zecora cursed them. Seriously... Isn't that right." "This isn't a curse." Apple Bloom affirmed, causing the Mane Six to gasp in shock. Not wanting to waste my time even further, I had convinced the Mane Six to not create any more problem. As we entered, Apple Bloom provided the ingredients of the cure to Zecora, who did the rest. As I talked with her, I had explained that the Mane Six are the six ponies I have talked about.Twilight and her friends formally talked to Zecora and eventually apologized to her, shrugging off their hostility. "Actually, I do have this book, but I didn't look inside because the title was so... Weird," Twilight admitted. "Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-all That Are Simpy Super. I...I... I'm so sorry, Zecora. I had the answer the whole time, if only I had bothered to look inside." "Maybe next time you will take a second look, and not judge the cover of the book." Zecora said tranquilly. With the job being done, I was about to leave... Until Twilight stopped me. "Don't even think to leave now," Twilight said sternly. "You had to give me that book back once I am cured." "Of course," I said nervously. "Is not like I wanted to keep that by myself." I would had gave that book back to Twilight anyways. And... Why is she starring at me with suspicion?" "I know that because I am a very devoted herbalist," I informed. "I studied any kind of plants, I saw their effects and I know how to deal with them. Still, You cannot just blame the first stranger creature that you see because of some gossip." "Why I'm having this weird sense of deja vu." Twilight demanded, suspecting somenthing I cringed a little bit, fearing that my cover didn't work in the slightest despite having removed the freezing gauntlet. "Oh, fuck no. She couldn't have recognized me again." "You seems to know something about the flowers." Fluttershy butted in the conversation with a deep voice. "O-of course," I lied but I couldn't do otherwise. "I studied almost every plant, I saw their effects and I know how to deal with that." Putting aside that Twilight was still suspecting me, she asked Zecora to mix up another batch of the herbal bath. That being said, we had returned into Ponyville. While they were directed into the Spa to prepare that, I returned into the library to put Twilight's book into its place. I exploited that moment to return back to normal. I then entered into the Spa and catch up with Apple Bloom and the now cured Mane Six. Zecora leaved the area for moment, probably to take some other ingredient. There are also the two mare of the Spa. Twilight continued to stare at me with suspect as she seemed to recognize me. I wasn't even nervous at this point. "What's wrong, darling?" Rarity asked to Twilight. "Why I have still that lingering sensation that I know who this guys is?" Twilight demanded. "You know what? Screw it." I said with my own normal voice as I took off my outfit and tossed away. "Happy now?" The Mane Six reacted in shocked awe. Apple Bloom was just confused for my own reveal. "Now that Ah'm thinking about, we never asked him his name." Apple Bloom pointed out "Violet Tower." Twilight called me irritated. "What!? Is he that pony that sis talked me about?" Apple Bloom said worried. "You can tell that, Apple Bloom," Applejack responded. "He first almost prevented us to take the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon and in the last second, he turned against her, freezing her temporarily." "Although I ended up being blasted by her after that failed attempt." I pointed out "Technically... That is true." Fluttershy almost agreed. "Fluttershy, even if that is true, there still that question," Rainbow pointed out. "How can we possibly trust some pony like him!?" "I can't believe that we were deceived and lectured by this fashioncidal demon!!" Rarity muttered with exaggerated emphasis, with the other ponies who aren't me looking at her as she was a sort of inquisitor while Twilight simply rolled her eyes before glaring back at me. Here we go. Once again looking like the bad guy It seems like I had a very long way to gain their trust. I was about to do something until... "But there is something that I don't understand," Twilight said, turning her glare into a perplexed stare. "What are you trying to gain by resolving our problem?" "Let me ask you a very legitimate question first," I said almost annoyed. "There are some books in Equestria that featured the Zebras and probably their cultures, their history and their ways to perceive magic and yet you didn't know who they are or not even bothered to find out anything about them before giving any judgement what so ever?" Twilight was about to respond but then halted her words. The same thing happened to the other five Elements of Harmony. They glanced at each other. Some of them doubtful and some of them unsure of what to think. All of them, however, shared one thing: Embarrassment. But before that philosophical question could be answered, two things suddenly smashing through the wall like the freaking Kool-Aid man. The Mane Six and Apple Bloom were freaked out as hell while two winged figures made a very rough landing on the center of the room. I recognized in horror who they are. "No! Not the two pegasi that I had turned into zombies!" As the Mane Six and Apple Bloom were distracted by them, I had turned myself invisible through ninja mcguffins and leaved the Spa without being noticed. In thirty minutes of exhausting running, I finally returned to my mound. I had entered inside to check up Lilly's conditions when I had a very unexpected visit. Zecora was nursing the female pegasi Royal Guard. Noticing my presence, her face shifted into a very wary one. "You weren't this honest with me. And yet you look so bad as you seemed to be." Zecora said. "It wasn't my intention to deceive anypony but... Their ignorance triggered me very hard." I responded. "I understand your reasons, but it seems like that you too need a few lessons." Zecora retorted. I paused for a moment but then admitted my own defeat. "You got a point." "Could you.... Just.... Discuss somewhere else?" Lilly asked with a tired tone. Having remembered that Lilly needed to rest, we went out and talked about a few things. Including my own misadventures without mentioning my identity and that of the Granite Dagger's members. Zecora couldn't help but questioning... Why I'm living inside a mound. More than a question it's a running gag. Hopefully nopony will expect a T-shirt out of that. Zecora was about to go back to home but then... This happened. "I apologize for this demand, but did you have at least some friend?" Zecora asked. She couldn't known, but that triggered a series of memories of my previous life. I had many of them but... Only a few of them survived while the other were all perished. Some killed from the Granite Daggers, and some of them having face a fate worst than dead. My previous adventure wasn't surely a happy one. That doesn't change one thing. I'm living my own new life now. I had to put aside that past but without even forgetting that. I took a moment to think about my next words, and after a short time, I pronounced the most simplest sentence. "I had." Next Level Up: 1)Psycho Potion: A seemingly endless potion that amplifies the powers of who drinks that with the side effect that It will turn him half insane, which effects last for about three hours and recharges it's content in one hour. 2)Defensive Book: A book that allow the user to perform defensive abilities but it took some practice to master as the first page is the only one available and the other were colorless since they must be gained. 3)Gravity Manipulator: A artifact who gives the owner to control the gravity around him at a certain radius of about three yard.