Oblivion looked up the narrow path that he recognized. The sun had gone down already and the night had begun to set in. He had wanted to arrive there before the sunset but the slight altercation earlier had slowed him down. The Alicorn was quiet as he walked up the hill toward the vineyards stable. As he neared it he saw Geralt’s mare, Roach standing untacked in the stables only horse stall. The mare raised her head to see him and nickered to him. He had always gotten along well with Geralt’s horses and this black mare was no exception. He walked over to her and she reached out her nose to him. He raised his claws and scratched under her chin.
“Hello, lovely girl.” He said softly to her. “Please tell me that your owner and his ward are here.” He said to her, his voice a whisper.
A gasp caught his attention and he looked to find a man he recognized by sight staring at him. The Alicorn laid his hoof slowly back to the ground and watched in silence as the man walked up to him.
“You are not from here.” He said, timid as he approached the tall stallion.
Oblivion remained quiet as he approached, he knew enough to know that speaking now would be a bad beginning to the evening. If he remembered right this was the steward of the vineyard, they called him a Majordomo. But for the life of him, he could not recall the man’s name. He wore a pair of dark-tinted glasses on a thin wire frame. His clothing consisted of a dark coverlet with a tan shirt under it. His clothing was in the typical Toussaint style with the thighs covered in a very poufy style with the lower leg covered in a darker color and he wore a pair of boots that went up to his ankle. Oblivion said nothing as he timidly reached out and gripped the lower part of the leather mask he wore to hide his horn and allowed the man to tug gently on him, leading him out of the barn.
“You are not a horse that I have seen before. Though the leather you wear is clearly an ornament of some type. Come now.” He said and began to lead the Witcher toward the main house. “We also must tend to the passed out man that rides you. No saddle, no bridle, is rather…foolish.” He said aloud and the stallion managed to snort in reply.
Oblivion allowed him to lead him and when they reached the main courtyard the steward halted him and was glancing from statues in the courtyard to the stallion. “Stay.” He said and began to mount the steps.
Oblivion managed to not roll his eyes at the declaration, though it was a struggle. He glanced back to the man on his back and he was still drunkenly passed out in place. Oblivion shook his head and looked up to see the front door. He couldn’t see it completely and he backed up several steps to watch the door. The front door opened and a familiar white-haired man appeared. He approached the small fence and stared down at the stallion in the courtyard.
“Do you know that horse and his rider?” The steward asked and he joined him at the fence.
“Can’t say that the horse looks familiar. Never seen a horse with an ornamented headdress like that outside of games and other events.” Geralt replied, his voice stoic.
Oblivion watched as the other Witcher pushed off of the fence and started down the dirt ramp to the courtyard below. His stride was fluid and carried him silently down the ramp. His orange cat eyes shone in the low light of the evening moon. He kept his hair back in a ponytail at the back of his head, similar to the hairstyle Oblivion had adopted in Equestria. It kept his hair out of his face and eyes. He wore a white shirt that could be outfitted along the back with a Witcher's blades and held in place by the leather straps running across his chest and back. A deep scar ran from just under his hairline, through his eye and curved to go under his cheekbone. He had other slight scars along his face that didn’t take away from his looks. The others were older and had faded while the largest of them was clearly the newest.
Geralt reached out and laid a hand on Oblivion's neck, patting it gently. “Easy boy.” He said and reached under the unconscious man’s chin and lifted his face up. “Don’t know this guy. Not sure why he ended up here. Unless the stallion sniffed out Roach and came to visit.”
Oblivion had to admit it was good to see him. He had never been particularly close with any of his fellow Witchers. Though should they need him, he would come to their aid at a moment’s notice. They would do the same for him. He had missed them to an extent, but now he needed to get Geralt alone and speak to him. Geralt dropped the man’s head and began to pull on the body, Oblivion snorted and pulled away.
“Easy now.” Geralt said to him and moved to stay at his side.
Oblivion could feel his hand go back to his neck and he kept going in circles, trying to drive off the skittish majordomo. He snorted and rolled his eyes at the timid man’s approach.
“Barnabus? Go back inside, he seems nervous with the two of us here.” Geralt ordered and glanced at him.
“If you insist.” He replied and fled back to the house.
Oblivion stopped his prancing as soon as he heard the door close and looked to the other Witcher. Geralt stopped trying to handle the drunk on the stallions back and looked to the horse more closely.
“Quite the set of eyes you have, boy.” He said as he now stared back at the stallion and put his hands on the sides of the stallion's face.
His grip was gentle as he looked over the stallion’s features, though they were obscured by the helm he wore. Oblivion had never had scars that went over his face. His worst scars were the newest on his back and the old ones along his chest and sides, with one of the worst to his outer right thigh. They were hidden under his thick fur now, so they could not easily be seen. Geralt was silent as he stared at Oblivion. The stallion stared back, his eyes not blinking as the Witcher backed up a bit from him. The Witcher's nose suddenly twitched slightly and Oblivion waited for him to speak.
“I know that scent. But that’s not possible.” He said and backed up from the stallion, his hands dropping to his sides. “That scent is from a Witcher's concoction. The man you carry is no Witcher.” Geralt had now backed up over a foot from the waiting stallion. His hand moved to the dagger he kept on his thigh and a snort from the black horse made him pause.
“Geralt.” Oblivion finally could not hold back and speak to the now uncertain Witcher.
Geralt jerked back like he had been physically struck. He looked up and around and saw nothing. Oblivion waited and took a step up to him, stretching out his neck to put his muzzle beside the other man’s ear. “Your guard is down.”
Geralt yelped and leaped back a considerable distance from the stallion. His eyes were wide, but that was the only indication of the alarm in his gaze. The Witcher finally put the dagger away and stood across from the stallion. His eyes stared as he seemed to be searching for the right words. “Oblivion?”
The stallion gave a bow of his head and held his head higher, allowing Geralt to see his lips moving as he spoke to him. “Well done. It’s been a while since we last spoke.”
“It has been some time. What happened to you?” He asked, his voice searching as his eyes went over the stallions frame.
“First, can you remove the drunk from my back? His weight is pushing my swords into my spine.” The stallion replied and nodded to the man on his back. “He is from Castel Revallo. That was the name he gave before passing out completely.”
“I know the place. I’ll have him sent home come first light. Or when he wakes up.” Geralt pulled the drunk off Oblivions back and took him to the stable and laid him down in a stall to sleep off the last of his drunken stupor. “Where have you been and what happened to you? Run afoul of a sorcerer?”
Oblivion gave a wry chuckle. “No. It’s more complex than that, I fear. It’s no curse, so relax.” He replied and Geralt nodded to him as he spoke.
“Over here. We can speak freely over here.” He said and motioned for the stallion to follow him.
Oblivion followed his fellow Witcher to an open area under several large trees in the far back of the property. The stallion was quiet and waited till they reached their destination before looking to Geralt and shaking his head.
“One moment.”
Oblivion sat down and reached his hooves up to pull the helm off and dropped it to the ground beside him. He watched as Geralt’s eyes widened at the curved horn that remained after the helm was removed. Oblivion stood up and his wings spread from his back and stretched out, their size on display as he rolled his shoulders to get the stiffness out of the appendages. He shook his head once more and let his mane settle against his neck.
“Much better.” He said aloud as his wings settled back into their place at his sides.
“What in the God's name are you?” Geralt asked, his voice held a hint of uncertainty.
“That’s rude.” The stallion chided the other Witcher. “But a valid question. I am what is called an Alicorn.”
“And that is?”
Oblivion chuckled at Geralt’s blunt speech. “From what I know it’s a mixture of all types po…horses. An Earth Po…Earth horse. A Pegasus and a Unicorn.”
“Earth horse?”
Oblivion growled internally. “A type that is bred for working the land. The others are sky and magic.” He explained.
“Odd. I have heard of the other two in myth, but the first is not known to me.” Geralt replied and reached out to gently pull the curved horn down for him to look at. “So this has magic?”
“Normally, yes. But in this world, it’s just a horn.” Oblivion clarified. “Let me explain.”
Geralt backed up and nodded. “Please do.”
“First. How long has it been you last saw or heard from me?”
“Almost a year.” Geralt replied after a moment of thought.
“Gods. Hasn’t been that long to me. But I suppose time moves differently.” He replied and then began to speak more to the attentive audience he now had. “I took a contract to kill a Leshen and during that fight, a second one appeared. As you can imagine the fight was grueling at best.” Geralt grimaced and nodded in understanding. “So I was able to get them to focus more on each other and called for my mare.” Oblivion paused and looked toward the stable that housed Geralt’s black mare. “Anyway. She reached me, but so did the Leshens attack.”
Oblivion paused and turned to show the scar across his back to Geralt who grimaced visibly at the large scar. “As you can imagine the ending was predictable. Both of us fell.”
“It killed you both?” Oblivion nodded. “That explains why you vanished into thin air.”
“Truly.”
“So how are you alive?”
“I awoke in another world. I was put into this form by the Heart of that world, it is called Equestria” Geralt raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “I know. The name threw me as well. If you heard the names of some of the other places you would have to hold back a laugh as well.”
“Hmm. So how did you get there? None of us can travel like Ciri can.”
“Of course not, that’s impossible.” Oblivion replied and turned to face the Witcher. “I was brought there by the Heart of the world. She brought me there when this part is a bit odd, so bear with me.” He informed the Witcher who leaned against the tree trunk and waited. “She brought me there to help stabilize their world. It needed somepo…Ugh. Live there long enough and their way of speaking catches you. It needed someone to guard the Spirit of their world. What that means is that my job is to make sure that their spirits do not fall to corruption or other problems. I also keep the World Spirit in balance. Though if I’m not sure what happens if I am not there.”
Geralt was silent as he listened. “So without you, their spirits will fall and break?”
“If I understood correctly yes. I have never been gone to test the theory.”
“So how did you get back here?”
“That, believe it or not, was an accident.” He admitted and shrugged. “I was sent to find a pony that had… What?”
“Pony?” He had given the horse Witcher a look that told him he was laughing in the inside.
Oblivion growled, then snaked out his neck and nipped his teeth into Geralt’s forearm. The Witcher yelped at the bite and backed up, looking at the bite. “What kind of teeth do you have?” He complained. “I’ve had Nekker bites that hurt less.”
Oblivion opened his mouth and showed the sharp fangs that hide inside his mouth. “I have been told they look like I have a mouthful of knives. Accurate description?”
“Yes. Please continue.” He replied and held his hand over the bite.
“They call themselves ponies. So that is what I call them as well.” He replied and waited for Geralt to go back to the tree and pay attention. “Anyway. The pony I was sent to find was hiding out in an old desert ruin. Turned out the ruin looks almost identical to the elven ruins we have here. I confronted her inside and she was able to push me through an active portal. I came to a forest in Velen. The only difference is that I was not in my original form.”
Geralt checked the bite to his arm and then looked to the black Alicorn. “I have to admit that’s quite the tale. I believe you though. You’re not the type to exaggerate things like this. Especially since your standing here talking to me as a horse…Alicorn.”
“Hard to argue the fact of it, that’s true. So I ran into Johnny in Velen. He brought to my attention an old tale about a tree that can connect to other worlds. Though I cannot use it as far as I could tell. I can probably get it to react, but I am thinking I may need Ciri’s help to get back.”
“Ciri? Why?”
“The Lady of Space and Time. According to the tale, only those who can see the seams in the worlds can use the tree. And the only ones who can trip across those who death cannot touch. Only those who have met death and walked away can use the paths it will show.”
“Ciri has never died, nor come close.” Geralt replied.
“She has not, thankfully. But I have.” He replied.
“Right when the Leshen reached out and hit you.”
“That was the time I walked away from it. The other is that death cannot touch me.” Geralt pushed away from the tree and gave him an uncertain look. “In that world, an Alicorn is immortal.”
Geralt’s eyes went wide as he leaned back to the tree. “You cannot die?”
“No.” The stallion breathed back to him and looked out over the vineyards. “Believe me, that is a fact I am still grappling with.”
Geralt pushed away from the tree once more and approached the stallion. “I am sorry.” Geralt said to him and reached out to the stallion.
Despite having their emotions locked away even a Witcher can feel if they are inclined to. Oblivion allowed the Witcher to lay a hand on his head, just under his horn and he closed his eyes at the contact. They were silent as time slowly slipped past, and they remained still as stone. After several minutes Oblivion opened his eyes and nodded in thanks to the other Witcher.
“Have you seen Ciri?” Oblivion asked.
“Yes. She should still be in Toussaint.” He replied.
“Where?”
“She was coming here most days. She went out to see if she could get an invite to Anna Henrietta’s next ball. She should return late tomorrow.”
Oblivion nodded. “I will need a way to hide my horn and wings while I am here. Unless we can go to her.”
“We might have better odds of finding her there. Her aids have been trying to get her to back to Vizima.”
“I need to speak with her first.” Oblivion said, his voice held a bit of urgency.
“I agree. I can get Roach ready and we can head out now.”
Oblivion nodded, Geralt stopped and picked up the helm from the ground, and trotted with Oblivion back to the courtyard. Once they reached it they slid the helm back into place and Geralt trotted up the ramp to alert his majordomo that he would be heading for the capital city. Oblivion went to stand by Roach and waited for the Witcher to return. The Witcher returned, after changing into his own armor and began to saddle up his mare and Oblivion stood in silence, waiting. He tacked her up and then approached the black stallion, a rope halter in his grasp.
Oblivion looked at him, then back to the rope. “I know, Oblivion. But if you’re just following me then it will make people wonder how.”
Oblivion grumbled but nodded. “Fair point.”
Geralt slipped the rope over his head and fastened the rope halter in place, then tied the rope to his saddle horn. He reached back into Roach’s stall and pulled out her rug. He unfastened the saddlebags from Oblivion's body and clicked his tongue at the clear chafing from the straps. The saddlebags were set aside and he undid all the buckles on the blanket and tossed it over Oblivion's back, hiding his swords and wings. He buckled the girth strap loosely and then buckled the chest straps and the strap that went around his hind legs.
“Thankfully, you’re not too much longer than Roach so this will fit for now. Now you just look like an extra horse with some ornamented gear. Traveling with me should help keep people away from you.” Oblivion nodded as he picked up the saddlebags and fastened them to Roach’s saddle. At Oblivion's glance, he explained. “Those have rubbed a line through your skin. Roach is fine carrying them until we go to send you back.”
“That will have to work then.” Oblivion agreed and waited for the Witcher to mount and then trotted at the mare’s side as they left the vineyard. “Hopefully we can catch her and soon all will go back to normal.” Oblivion said aloud as they moved to the main road.
“I agree. While I am glad to know that you are alive, it is clear that you are needed elsewhere.” Geralt admitted as they trotted forward. “I am glad that you are alive, Oblivion.
“That makes two of us.” The stallion replied with a chuckle. “I do feel that I am needed there. If only for the balance that I help provide. I can hope that the World Spirit is under the Hearts control once more. That will mean the ponies are safe until I return. Otherwise, I am not sure what will happen if I am gone for too much longer. Time seems to move slower there.” He stopped speaking as they passed a wagon. “So I am not as worried about the time frame.”
“That’s how it sounds. But still. We do not need to tempt fate.”
Oblivion nodded in agreement and looked ahead of them. ‘I hope they are all well. Sasa watch over them in my stead.’ He thought to himself and hoped in a way the feline might have heard him.
Sasa yowled as the bandages were placed on her shoulder and then tightened. Fluttershy rubbed her fur as she made sure the wrap would hold and keep the wounds clean.
“I’m so sorry.” She said and tried to placate the yowling feline with attention.
Sasa stopped her complaints and rubbed her forehead against the mare's shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Just have not needed any tending in a long time.” She wrote out in the sandbox.
“I‘m just glad you’re okay.” Twilight said to her as she stayed close to the feline. “Are you going to go back to the farm with Applejack?”
“No. Unless I am needed I will remain at the Library.” She replied after scratching out her last reply.
“It's fine, kitten. If Ah need ya, Ah’ll come get ya. But if ya hear from him?” Applejack said to her.
“You will know.” Sasa replied. “You will hear me and Twilight screaming.”
Twilight smiled and nodded at the cat’s commentary. “She’s right.”
The mares chuckled and then were quiet as the small group began to leave Fluttershy’s house.
“Be careful everypony. It’s dark out.” The butter yellow mare said to them as they left.
“Thanks again, Fluttershy. Have a good night.” Twilight called back to her and waved. Her magic kept the sandbox close to them, allowing them to pause to use it if needed.
Sasa walked just in front of them and made sure they stayed on the path. Her cat eyes allowed her to see the path easily as it led them toward town. Her mind went over the sight of the Nekker and the blue flames that had fought it with her. She could not use his flames without her connection to him. What had drawn them to her aid she didn’t know or understand? She had never had the need to test his flames so she had simply not bothered to try her luck with them. Behind her Applejack and Twilight followed her in silence. She looked back to them and they paused to allow Applejack to head home to the farm.
“Get home safely.” Twilight said to the orange mare, hugging her and then backing up.
“No problem, Twi.” The mare assured her friends. “Ah’m glad we sent Spike back first. Is pretty dark out.”
“I agree.” Twilight smiled.
Sasa was quiet as she nuzzled the orange mare and they watched till she left their sight. Twilight still held the sandbox and the two began to make their way to the library. Sasa watched the path ahead. She glanced to the side and saw the sad look on the purple Unicorns face. Sasa purred and then gave the mare a gentle bump with her hip. The mare yelped and looked at the now smirking cat.
“Very funny, Sasa.” She chided and then bumped her back.
The pair made it back to the library and sat down in the main front room. Spike joined them after a few minutes and sat down close by.
“Hey, Sasa?” He spoke to the feline as she looked to him. “Where did those blue flames come from? I really thought Oblivion had come back.”
Sasa nodded her head. She raised a claw and began to write a reply to the dragon. “So did I. I was certain that he was going to step out of the forest.” She replied.
Twilight was quiet as she read the message from the cat. “I thought you could use his flames when you needed them?”
“Not without him being somewhat close by. I haven’t been able to call on them as I would normally since he left Canterlot.” The cat clarified.
“So you can’t use any of your skills?”
“I still have my normal abilities. For example. I can’t use my blink ability to its full without his magic.” She replied. “Its power is weakened significantly without him. I can’t go through a door without his power to amplify my own.”
“Oh. Wow. That’s a bummer.” Spike replied.
Sasa nodded. “Normally, I would be able to do basic skills. My eyes sight and other are fine but without him, they are weakened. I have my appearance and my sight, but I do not have the magic to accomplish anything else.”
“Appearance?” Twilight asked her.
“Do you recall when he was injured by the dragon?” They both nodded. “When he was unconscious then my appearance changed, did it not?”
“It did. You lost the mist that comes off of your fur and became more tangible.” Twilight replied.
“She did?” Spike asked.
“You weren’t there, Spike.” Twilight replied. “I never mentioned it.”
“I lost my enhanced vision as well. So. That tells me that he is not injured or unconscious. Just missing.” Sasa replied to them.
Spike looked to the Unicorn mare and then back to the feline in the room. “So that means he’s not hurt?”
“Correct.” Twilight replied as Sasa nodded. “He’s just not…here.”
Sasa nodded again and gave a one-legged shrug. “For now we only have one option, we wait.” She wrote to them. “We have no other choice. We are not the only ones out hunting for him. We must hope they find something.”
“Who?” Spike asked her.
“Luna, among others, is trying to find him through her connection to the Dreamscape. We have to hope she finds a clue.” Sasa said to them.
“Hopefully, she finds a clue for us.” Twilight said aloud. “It was pretty clear that he had not been in the forest since the day he left. So that was a dead end. But what in Equestria was that thing that attacked us?”
“That was a Nekker.” Sasa wrote to her. “It’s a monster that I have fought before.”
“When?”
“With Oblivion. I had heard of them from him but I had never been near one until we went hunting the monsters that were killing ponies. The mare that we found sent a portal full of them after the guards and myself. We were training and allowing Oblivion to rest in peace.”
“What was wrong with him?” Spike asked.
“Nothing. He just had not slept in a few days.” Sasa responded with a purr. “We were attacked by easily ten of them. I called out to him and he came to see what was wrong. I and the guards fought at his side as he drove the mare away and killed the group of them.”
“Wow. Over ten of those things?” Spike said to her, his eyes wide. Fear in their depths as he stared at her.
“Yes. It was overwhelming to see. But a Witcher never blinks.” She replied.
Spike shook his head. “I would have blinked, I admit it.” He said with a nervous chuckle.
Sasa reached out and nuzzled the baby dragon gently. “You have friends who will look out for you, little dragon. You are not alone.” She said to him.
Twilight nodded and ran her hoof over his spines in comfort. “Exactly. And when Oblivion comes back you will have him to back you up as well.”
“Yeah. You’re both right. I can’t wait for him to come back. I want to ask him about the other monsters he’s seen.”
“If you ask nicely he might even draw them for you.” Sasa wrote to him.
“That’s right! He can draw.” Twilight commented. “Can he draw the monsters as well? We have seen him draw the runes but nothing more than that. I don’t think.”
“He can. He taught Apple Bloom how to draw a Wraith and a Troll.” Sasa commented back.
“That’s so cool.” Spike replied, the fear leaving his eyes, leaving only wonder and awe in its place. The baby dragon jumped up and looked to eh feline and mare. “I’m gonna go to bed. You gonna stay up for a bit Twilight?”
“Yes. I have a few things I want to ask Sasa about.” She replied and nuzzled the drake.
“Night.” Spike yawned and headed for the stairs.
Once he had gone the mare looked to the cat. “So you can’t use any of the abilities that need him?”
“Correct.”
“So how did that flame come about?” Twilight asked her.
“I honestly have no idea. I wish I did. I truly thought it was him.” She replied.
“Me too.” Twilight said to her, her head hung as she remembered the feeling of relief at the sight of the blue flame. Then the crushing loss that came from finding out he was not there with them.
“Perhaps it is there in case of dire need?” Sasa wrote out.
“Maybe. A delayed response?” Sasa tilted her head at the wording. “Sorry. I mean what if it’s the flame he left with you in case you needed him but he wasn’t here with you to help?”
“I suppose that’s possible. But still not something that makes sense to me.” Sasa replied.“I can only use his magic if he is close by. If I had tried to Blink through a door when he was gone from Canterlot I would have run into the door.”
Twilight giggled at the feline’s response and reached out to her books, her eyes scanning the titles. “Magical theory volume…5.”
The book hovered from its place on the shelf to land solidly in front of the mare. Her magic scanned the pages and finally stopped once finding the pages that she sought. “Here we are. Residual Magic. The act of having magic is dependent on them…Blah blah…Nope…No…Wrong paragraph.” Twilight scanned the page once more, a curse rolling off her lips as she scanned it once more. “There we are. Okay, it says that residual magic can be left in place when the magic is used often enough or if the magic is potent enough to leave an aftereffect of itself in place.” Twilight read it aloud and looked up to the feline across from her.
“Well. The magic from him is certainly strong enough to leave an echo of itself behind I suppose.” Sasa responded.
Twilight nodded in reply and set the book down on the table. “So does that mean it cannot be used again? Or will it respond if you are in need of it?”
“Without a way to test it, I have no idea.” The Spectral cat replied.
“Right. I have no desire to find another of those things to test it out. So he fights against those?”
“He does, yes. He is obviously much better at it and they fall quickly to him.” Sasa replied, her tail flicking behind her as they spoke.
“That was…terrifying.” The mare spoke up, her voice low as fear lanced through her at the memory of the creature.
“They are. I froze when I first saw one. He, however, has fought hundreds of them, if not more. He doesn’t fear them. Despite having his emotions taken from him he can feel to an extent.” Sasa wrote out. “But he has grown used to them and does not even blink any longer at their appearance.”
“I can’t even imagine fighting those on a constant basis. I would be a nervous wreck if I was in his hooves.”
“Like I said. His emotions are nearly gone so he does not feel the fear. He has to view them differently than a normal being.”
“What do you mean?”
[i]“He does not see them as anything more than a monster that needs to be fought. Kind of like a morning warm up.” Sasa explained. “I cannot speak for him, nor can I say that is the exact way he sees them but I can tell you that he does not fear their claws.”
“Do they have teeth?” Twilight asked her. “Maybe if I can understand them more I won’t be so scared.” She explained at the uncertain tilt of the felines head.
Sasa nodded and began to explain what she knew. “I do not know as much as he will. But I can explain what I do know. They do have teeth, but they are not their first means of attack. The claws that you see are their main way of fighting. They use them almost exclusively. I’m certain that they will use their teeth if needed but I have not seen them use them personally.”
“So the claws are used first?” The feline nodded. “So the teeth, are used…after the fight is over? If they won?”
“Yes. For more details, we would need to speak to Oblivion.” Sasa replied.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought. He needs to just write a book about them and then I can read it.”
Sasa nodded, a growling laugh coming from her. “I do not know if they have types, but I have only seen the one type, thankfully.”
“That’s comforting.” Twilight replied, sarcasm in her voice.
A laugh rumbled once more form the felines chest and she reached out to nose the mare's shoulder. Twilight rubbed her forehead and stood up, her magic returning the book to its place on the shelf.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to go to bed.” Twilight said as she turned to the stairs. “It’s been a stressful day.”
Sasa nodded and began to follow the mare up the stairs. Her shoulder ached but she could ignore it long enough to mount the stairs and follow Twilight into her room. The feline laid down on the floor close to the baby dragon’s basket. She waited as Twilight got into her bed and huddled under her blanket and fell asleep. Sasa could hear her breathing change as she relaxed and fell into a deeper sleep. Sasa sat back up and looked to the window in her room. The Spectral Tiger looked through it to the moon high in the sky.
“Chosen.” Sasa’s voice was quiet as she tried to reach him once more. She was met with silence and she collapsed back to the floor in frustration. She allowed her eyes to close for a moment and then they snapped open as the feel of magic caught her attention and she sat up. She got to her paws and looked out the door to the hallway the connected the bedroom with the rest of the library. She walked out on silent paws and found a familiar Princess sitting out in the main library. Sasa walked down the steps and reached the Princess of the Night and nuzzled her gently.
“Sasa. Our friend, how have thee been injured?”
“A Nekker was in the Everfree and it came out when we appeared. Oblivion would never forgive me if something happened to any of them.” Sasa replied to the question Alicorn mare.
“Does thee need anything?”
“No. I am fine. I will heal just fine. But thank you anyway.”
Luna nodded and sat back at the cat’s insistence. “We have had no luck in finding our missing friend.” The mare said to her, sorrow in her voice.
“It will be okay. Oblivion is not gone completely.” Sasa insisted to the mare.
“Is thee certain?”
“I am connected to him and I would die without him. He was rendered unconscious once before and I lost my intangibility, my heightened senses, and the mist that comes from my coat. I have not lost any of that. That tells me that he is awake and in good health.”
“Are thee certain?” She asked again.
Sasa nodded and rubbed the sand to allow her to speak to the mare. “Yes. I have never been more certain that he is all right. While he is not here to prove it, I know in my own heart that he will return to us. Have faith in him.”
“I want to believe what thee says. But we are…afraid.”
“Of what, Luna?”
“Of losing our friend. He was the first that we were able to speak truthfully too.” The mare admitted after a pause. “He did not expect us to be anything more than we are.”
The cat replied, a tilt of her head showing her confusion at the mares words.
“We did not need to be a ruler in his presence, we could be a simple pony. He asked us how we were doing and normal points of conversation. There was no formality in his words.”
Sasa nodded in underrating. “That is how he is. He can see past what is on the surface. He will return to us, Luna. How the same faith in him that he has in the rest of us.”
Luna closed her eyes and wrapped her forelegs gently around the tiger and held as tightly as she dared, her grip light to avoid hurting the cat. “Thou are right. We are not giving him the credit he is due. Our friend has never doubted us, so we must believe in him as well.”
Sasa nodded as the mare released her and nuzzled the mare. “Let the others know that we have not seen any sign of him here. There was no recent sign of him in the Everfree.” She relayed to the Royal.
“We will alert our sister. The others have gone to the last place that he was seen. He sent a letter alerting us to the Wraith that he had put down.”
“I remember that.”
“Yes. Blue Blood and Shining Armor both went into the near-desert.”
“Why?”
“Oblivion had asked a pony to take him to a ruin inside the desert. They found that same pony and he is leading them to the ruins. We will not have any contact until they return. We hope to hear good news.”
“I hope so. Even a sign of him would be nice to hear. If they find him that would be even better.” Sasa replied.
“We agree.” The Alicorn replied with a smile. “If we are alerted to anything we will send a letter. How are the others doing?”
“Everyone misses him. I think Twilight and Applejack more than the others.” Sasa admitted. Luna gave her a questioning look and the tiger went on. “Applejacks family adopted him when he came to Equestria. So they are close to him and I think she has not told Granny Smith or Apple Bloom that he is missing. She told Big Macintosh but he will keep it to himself unless asked to do otherwise. I know it would crush little Apple Bloom. Granny Smith would be devastated as well.” Sasa informed her.
“We did not know that. We will make sure to be careful of our words.” Luna replied. “And Twilight?”
[i]“She and Oblivion get along well. She has always been the first to ask him questions about where he is from among others. He borrows books from the library so he is here fairly often. His desire to know things is not quite equal to hers but they seem to get along well.”
“It is good to hear that he has been welcomed and is part of so many other lives. I know he is well liked by our nephew and the Captain as well.”
“That’s true. I hope they find a trace of him.” Sasa replied.
“As do we.” Luna stood up and made for the door. She looked back and smiled warmly at the tiger.
She vanished out the door and Sasa watched as she began to use the Dreamscape to return to Canterlot. Sasa waited till she vanished and then moved back to the stairs and began back up the stairs to Twilight's bedroom. She stopped and glanced back to the night sky and a smile tugged at her muzzle as she moved back to the bedroom and laid down on the floor close to the bed.
“Good night, Chosen.”