//------------------------------// // VIII // Story: Stories of a Warden // by Rosencranz //------------------------------// Volume 1 VIII “A loving father, sad for the rebellion, the distance between himself and his children, sad for their defiance, their forgetting, of the things he had done for them, the love he had heaped on them.” -Raymond A Foss, Holding His Anger Dad...? Could it be? It was impossible and yet... here he was. His father, here, standing right in front of him. Had he been calmer, he might have come up with an explanation. Something rational. But somehow, in his fury-twisted mind, his father’s presence made sense. Perfect sense. Roads stared as the other pegasus unfurled his mighty wings and stepped down from the ragged stump. He was as large and powerful as ever, a sick grin twisted across his face, his eyes burning under a heavy brow. With a flick of his head, he shook his bright orange mane out of his eyes, the mane that had earned him the nickname “Firebolt” in his performing days. He stalked over to Roads, steely muscles rippling under his slick black coat. He flared his wings, towering over his son. Roads flared his wings back, taking a step forward with all the menace he could muster, chest burning with fury. The other pegasus threw back his head, a booming laugh filling the grove. “Roads!” he said, the word filled with bitter amusement. “Dad,” Roads spat, anger seething through his voice. “Good to see you again, boy. Looks like you’ve lived up to all of my expectations.” He glanced over Roads’ shoulder, to his bleeding hooves. “And then some.” “No.” He had only ever openly defied his father once before, out of fear and shame. This was different. After all these years, to finally see the stallion again... Roads wanted to leap forward and tear his throat out. “Of course you did. You left your friends behind.” “It was an accident.” “It was on purpose, and you know it.” “Liar.” “You were too weak to help them.” “No!” “Too pathetic to save them.” “Shut up!” “Look at you. I was right, I was always right. You’ve spent your whole life trying to prove me wrong--” “You are!” “And yet here we are. You failed, Roads--” “I didn’t!” “You’ve always been a failure.” “Quit! Just quit talking!” “See if you can stop me--” “--I will--” “--failure.” “Shut up!” He screamed, and launched himself at his father. “Shut up shut up shut up shut up!” With each word, he threw a punch at his father, and each time the stallion seemed to glide away from the blow. Seeing this, he fought with increased vigor, his hooves flying left, right, all over, a flurry of strikes glancing harmlessly away from him. One of Roads’ rear hooves hit a rock and it sent him careening forwards, his face crashing into the ground. He gathered himself and got to his hooves, and when he looked up, his father had disappeared. “Over here, Roads...” a taunting voice called. Roads whirled around to see his father standing just a few feet from him. Kicking off his back hooves--ignoring the pain--he beat his wings forcefully, diving towards the other pony. He ducked his shoulder, trying to tackle him. He landed heavily on his stomach, the ground knocking the air from his lungs. Roads twisted around to see that his father hadn’t moved; he seemed to have simply passed harmlessly through the other pony. Any other time, he would have questioned it, but now... now his mind burned with rage, and with a roar, he charged other pegasus once again. And once again fell flat on his face. “You’re wasting your time,” his dad chuckled. “But then, that is what you’re best at, isn’t it?” “No.” “You’re right. You’re not particularly good at anything, are you, Roads? Which is why your friends are going to die.” “They’ll be fine--” “Maybe if you weren’t too stupid and ignorant to figure out what was going on with the island before you got captured. Maybe if you weren’t so weak and useless, you could have actually taken down Princess when you had the chance. Maybe if you weren’t so clumsy and helpless, Chief wouldn’t have had to stop to help you out of the mud when you tried to escape. “And maybe then your friends would have a chance to survive. But now?” He laughed a long, cold laugh that resonated with sadistic glee. “Now you’ve left them. They’ll die, and since you can’t pilot the zeppelin, you’ll die, too.” “I’ll go back for them, then. I’ll save them from the pit,” he said, getting to his hooves. “Because that worked so well last time. Besides, the islanders would slaughter you as soon as you set foot in their city,” he said, relishing the thought. “I can take the islanders. I can figure something out,” Roads said, burning with conviction. “Not a chance. You’ll die. Alone.” “Come with me. You can help me.” His father laughed again. “You’re not worth helping.” Roads felt his anger rising even further. “That’s how it is, then? You criticize me for doing nothing, but you won’t even help me?” The bigger pony just shrugged. “I’m not the one with something to prove. I don’t care if you think I’m a hypocrite. I’m still right.” “You’re no better than I am.” He chuckled at that. “You’ve got it backwards, Roads.” “Shut up. I need to think.” Okay, he thought. I have to go back for Summer and Chief. Everypony dies if I don’t. How do I get past the islanders? Stealth? “Not an option,” his father said. Roads looked at him curiously. Had he spoken aloud? He wasn’t sure. His mind was frenzied, running at a fevered pace, and everything seemed jumbled and quickened. “...you’re too clumsy,” his father continued. “And a pegasus surrounded by earth ponies sticks out like a sore hoof, even at night. And even if you didn’t, there’ll be more guards around the pit, now that there’s been an escape.” “Fine, I’ll do something else!” What else is there? Negotiation? He heard his dad laugh behind him, but he ignored the noise. No, Summer already tried that. Force? His father’s laughter grew to a roar, booming hatefully in his ears. “You--haha--you want to take on--hahaha--an entire island full of pissed-off natives by yourself?!” The old stallion’s sides heaved with the force of his malicious cackling. “I could... I could make some sort of weapon.” “He wants to make a weapon! Little Roads, attacking the village. Everypony look out, he has a weapon!” His father reared onto his back legs, gesturing wildly to the the trees around them, a showman before an audience. Roads sat down, hooves over his ears, trying to ignore his dad, trying to think. His mind raced, fueled by humiliation and rage. There has to be something. Something the islanders left behind. Something I can use... Nothing came to mind. Something I can make, then. I could fashion a spear... but what would I carve it with? And even then, that’s not going to get me far against all those islanders. What else could he make? And array of crude weaponry flashed through his mind--cudgels, clubs, pikes and such, each more useless than the one before it. Even if I had something real, something well made, I still couldn’t use it well enough... Conventional weaponry is out. But what if... What about some kind of potion? I’m a passable alchemist--“You’re a terrible alchemist!” his father cried--perhaps there’s something I can brew up. A strength elixir, maybe. Or perhaps an invisibility potion. I could even make something volatile, something that might explode, or burn or... no. It was no use. The islanders had confiscated all of his alchemy equipment along with everything else. But he was definitely on the right track. He needed to stick to what he knew, play to his strengths. But what’ll be helpful? What skills do I have? “None,” the other stallion said flatly. Roads just ignored him. He was on a roll, now. He was finally getting somewhere. I know a lot magic... Unhelpful. He couldn’t do any of his own. Ley lines, then. I know a ton about them. But how did that help him? If I could move a line, maybe get a nexus to form inside the city. It could cause enough chaos that... no. Controlling an entire line required tons of preparation, and a very, very skilled magician. That was out. What if I just drew on a line, then? Used its magic as my own? That was it. That could work. But he hadn’t felt any lines in the city, and even if he flew to a different line, attuned himself to it, and absorbed some of its magic, by the time he got back to the city, it would be long gone. Ley magic, even in a fully attuned line, only lasts a few minutes. But... he knew he was on the right track. He just needed to get the magic from the nexus, to the city. To store it somehow, to be used later. If only he had-- That’s it! The engine! It was perfect. He could fly to out to the Zephyr, rip out the engine, and charge it with a nexus--it was already imbued with Motion magic, so the energy from the center of the maelstrom should have been compatible. He could then use that magic to fight his way to Summer and Chief. It was brilliant. But it wouldn’t be easy. If he wanted the engine to absorb the power from a nexus, he would have to physically immerse it in the heart of a line. That would be dangerous, given that he, by extension, would also be in contact with the nexus. Which wouldn’t be too harmful, in theory, but still... it had never been attempted. Nopony had ever been crazy enough to try it. And even then, if he wanted to use the ley magic, he would have to have enough of his own lines de-polarized to let the magic flow through. Horesapples, he thought. My lines have already recovered from the Lotus, and I can’t get to any of my Attunement potions... Although... the Lotus extract had depolarized his lines, and he didn’t see why the fruit itself wouldn’t have a similar--if lessened--effect. If he could douse himself with water as Summer had before the delirium set in, he would probably be alright. He would retain the fractured lines, but still be clear headed. Of course, that meant it would be difficult--if not impossible--to fly while he was still attuned. Still, though, this island wasn’t that large, no matter what Princess said. He could make his way from the Lotus grove to the city without a problem. It would just be maneuvering through the town itself that would be difficult. Still, it could work. It was crazy, yes, and dangerous, but it was his best chance. His only chance. “It won’t work,” his dad said, snickering. Roads ignored him and kicked off into the air, unfurling his wings and taking to the sky. The cool night air blew against his wings as he flew steadily towards the zeppelin. His father flew behind him, barely visible in the darkness, but ever-present nonetheless. The older stallion flew smoothly and powerfully alongside him, every inch of his body streamlined, toned, and muscular, ready for great bouts of speed and control at a moment’s notice. Somehow, the pegasus had managed to fix his mangled wing, and lose all the weight he had gained since he stopped performing; he appeared to Roads not as he had in his last childhood memories, but instead as an athlete in his prime. Roads wondered briefly what had happened to him before pushing such thoughts aside. He needed to focus on finding the zeppelin. He knew the general area where the vessel should be, though in the dark it was difficult to make out; he nearly crashed into the balloon before he realized where the darkness ended and the zeppelin began. After flying down to the undercarriage, he found the space in shambles. Ropes and pieces of crates were strewn about the floor, rails and metal bars, bent out of shape from the storm, jutted at odd angles, almost invisible in the night. Roads felt his way slowly across the floor, trying to avoid bumping into anything heavy. More than once he tripped and fell to the floor, raising large bruises on his sides and shoulders. It didn’t help that his rear hooves, slippery with his own blood, could barely find purchase on the slick iron floor. After a moment, though, he managed to stumble to the control panel. Roads cracked open the metal hatch that guarded the engine, squinting as the gem within bathed the undercarriage in a red light. Twisting his head to the left, he caught his father grinning a mad, delusional smile, his beady eyes glinting in the crimson glow, black wings flared against the night sky. A hellish gargoyle. Roads just turned away from him, focusing on the engine. He searched around in the drawers under the control panel until he found Summer’s toolbox, grabbing a set of pliers and a pair of wire cutters. Using the tools, he sliced and pulled his way through the copper matrix around the gem, then ripped the stone out of the console. He found it larger than he had thought it would be; it seemed only one small face had been visible from the outside, the rest of the jewel hidden by copper. It was heavy and rectangular, just longer than his head, its underside set in bronze. Jutting from the sides of the bronze settings were the remnants of the matrix. Roads took the gem and laid it across his back, wrapping the thin copper wires around his chest and flanks. He then bent some of the remaining wires into loops around his forelegs and at the base of his neck, hoping he could help conduct the engine’s energy closer to his ley lines. Ideally, he would have fixed the gem to his head, right where a horn would be if he were a unicorn. The back would have to do, though; even in his enraged state, he could still see that affixing a massive gem to his face would be... impractical. “You look ridiculous,” his father said, looking him over as he bent the last lengths of copper into place. Roads shrugged. “It’ll get the job done.” “It’ll get you killed.” “Might as well try. I just have to charge it, then I’ll be set.” He turned and stared out over the horizon, where circling clouds caught the silver light of the moon. His father followed his gaze, and his smile widened. “Oh, brilliant. You’re going to fly into a nexus. How amusing it’ll be to get to watch you die at sea. I was hoping to see you eviscerated by a guard, but this’ll have to do.” “Shut up, dad.” How did he even know what a nexus was? No, it didn’t matter. He would have time to figure that out later; right now his friends were probably being tortured by Princess. The image of Summer’s gashed and bleeding side flickered through his mind, making his blood boil. Fury reinvigorated, he dove off the side of the zeppelin, heading out over the coast. He flew out over the ocean, his father once again trailing along behind him. It wasn’t long before he reached the outskirts of the storm and felt the wind begin to cut into his sides and wings. “Last chance to turn back,” his father said with a smirk. Roads ignored him and sped into the clouds. Within moments, he found himself blinded and drenched by the rain, the powerful winds of the maelstrom whipping him this way and that. At first he tried to resist being hurled about by the storm, but then the old lessons his father had taught him sprang to his mind. Fly with the wind, not against it... Never let a gust catch you across the wing... Keep your legs tucked and watch for anything that got sucked up by the wind... The lessons sure seemed to be working for his dad; the stallion glided effortlessly through the storm, unimpeded by the raging winds. Roads, on the other hand, was straining to stay aloft and in control, riding out one burst of wind into the next, drawing ever closer to the center of the maelstrom. He cursed into the storm, screaming obscenities at it, at Princess, at his father. His words were lost in the winds, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t shouting to be heard. By the time he burst through the clouds to the calm center of the tempest, his wings and back ached and burned, wracked with exhaustion. He gasped for air, drained by the effort, and took a moment to gather himself. Glancing down at the whirling sea below him, he saw the towering white orb that moved the waters. The nexus. Its surface glowed and rippled, giving off an eerie, pale mist that hovered above the ocean. He was relieved to see that it hung slightly above the surface, instead of underwater as he had previously imagined. Out of all of the ways the giant ball of energy could kill him, at least drowning wasn’t one of them. Still, he didn’t want to fly into it, what if-- “Scared?” Roads heard his father’s voice, and glanced above him to see the stallion hovering just over his left shoulder. The other pegasus wore an expression of cocky condescension as he peered from Roads to the nexus. “I knew you couldn’t follow through with it. You just don’t have the heart to--” But Roads was already gone. He had fallen right out of the sky. Wings pinned to his sides, Roads tried not to think about what the magic might do to him once he breached the surface of the orb. He tried not to consider being torn limb from limb, or being crushed into a tiny ball of flesh and shattered bone. He tried not to think about the magic shutting down his organs as his tortured screams filled the air and-- And he was in. He cried out in fear and surprise as he was surrounded by the glow of the nexus, panicking as he felt the magic flowing through and around him. His ley lines weren’t depolarized, yet still the energy was overpowering enough to flow right through his body, giving him the sensation of being flattened by some enormous power. He felt as though he were encased inside a giant pressure chamber, as the magic pressed and pushed against every inch of his body, inside and out. He closed his eyes, no longer flapping his wings, held aloft by the energy around him. He waited as long as he could, face curled into a grimace, arms and legs wrapped tightly around his body as he tried to endure the feeling of being crushed to death. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his old formula came back to him. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that he was only being affected by the tiniest portion of the nexus’ energy; were the power directed at rather than through him, he would already be dead. It was a sobering thought. It didn’t distract him for long. As the gem on his back peaked in absorption, he felt more of the magic act on him. He screamed as the pressure began to mount, no longer merely unbearable--now actually excruciating. He had to get out. Roads flapped his wings, straining to leave the nexus. It wasn’t nearly as easy as entering; here, the air was so thick with energy it was like flying through wet cement. The force on his body was now strong enough to force the air from his lungs; he realized if he didn’t make it out soon, he would die of asphyxiation. If, that was, his insides didn’t hemorrhage first. No. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t supposed to end like this. He didn’t even get a chance. He didn’t even come close to saving his friends. Maybe Dad was right all along... “Well, of course I was.” Roads opened his eyes to see his father, bathed in the white glow of the nexus, flying just before him. He tried to reply, but he didn’t have enough air. “Cat got your tongue, Roads? Such a shame to die silent.” That set his teeth on edge. If he was going to die, he deserved to at least go out cursing his father. He felt his fury coalesce into a grim resolve. I will not die here. Roads mustered up the strength for a few last, desperate flaps. He felt himself move a few feet and then-- Air! Fresh, life-saving air! He was free, flying just above the nexus. He gasped and coughed as his lungs resumed working again, spiraling up and away from the white orb in the meantime. He wanted as much distance between himself and the deadly sphere as possible. “How disappointing,” his father said, flying up to meet him. “Oh, well. There’ll be plenty of other opportunities for you to get yourself killed tonight.” Roads gritted his teeth. He was through with his dad. He had been jeered at, mocked, and followed all the way into the storm, even taunted as he was about to die. Enough was enough. “Stop! Just stop it! Go away, leave me alone! All I’ve ever wanted you to do is leave me alone!” His father cocked an eyebrow, peering at him curiously. “Oh, but Roads, you’re so wrong. You’ve wanted so much more from me. You always have. Even as I burned your books, you sought my approval. Even as I yelled at you, you still wanted to impress me. “Even when I beat you, you still wanted me to love you. You know it’s true.” He did. “And that’s why you’re weak, Roads. No matter what reason Summer and Chief give you, that’s why you’re weak. That’s why I never loved you. That’s why no one ever will.” Roads was silent for a long moment, head down, eyes on his hooves. On hooves that had been roughened and cracked by this island. On hooves where copper wires circled sinewy muscle and glowed with magical energy. When he finally looked up at his father, his eyes were cold and furious. “I'm not weak anymore.” And with that, he turned and flew once more into the storm. _________________________________________________________ Roads collapsed from exhaustion when he reached the shore. It had been as difficult to leave the maelstrom as it had been to enter in the first place. His father had jeered and heckled at him all the way back, relentless, even though Roads could hardly stay aloft. Now, he lay on his side in the sand, utterly spent, his father standing over him. The stallion was saying something, but Roads wasn't listening. He was deep inside his own head, trying to find the strength to get back up and seek out the Lotus grove. Instead, all he found was anger, pain and rage. That would have to suffice. Gritting his teeth, he pulled himself up from the sand, ignoring the pegasus beside him, and staggered off into the jungle. His wings were too spent for flight at the moment, so he was forced to walk. The flora was every bit as thick as he remembered; he had to push and fight for every inch of progress. Eventually, though, he came to the old path that Chief and Summer had cut on their first day on the island. He followed the path through the gorge—thankfully chimera free—to their old campsite. It appeared to be in even worse condition than the zeppelin; the islanders had scavenged it for food and supplies, leaving behind only broken wood and torn scraps of canvas. In the ashes of the previous day's fire were Strongsteed's dog tags. Roads walked over and slipped them over his head. It clinked against the copper around his neck, so he passed it under the wiring, lodging it firmly over the side of his neck. Right over the jugular vein. Every extra bit of protection counts, he thought. Roads took off again, wincing as pain shot through his wings. His muscles screamed for him to stop, to land and walk again, but he didn't have time. Celestia only knew what Princess could have been planning for Summer and Chief. It was not long before he located the Lotus grove; the rows of trees stood out plainly against the chaos and disorder of the surrounding jungle, even in the dark. He landed quietly, grimacing as his broken hooves hit the ground. Making his way over to one of the trees, he looked up at the fruit, feeling a pang of embarrassment shoot through him. The last time he had been here, he had made a fool of himself. But this time would be different. It would have to be. Rearing back, he placed a forehoof against the trunk of one of the Lotus trees to steady himself, and with the other he picked one of the fruits. He held it away from himself, trying not to give in to its mind-numbing aroma. He ached to eat it. He needed it. He had to fight it for the time being, though. Princesses, he was hungry... No. Not yet, Roads. You have to get closer to water first, he told himself, taking off again. His father flitted along behind him. This time, he headed around the mountain, to the villagers’ side of the island. It wasn’t long before he could see the fires of the natives’ city burning in the distance. A twinge of desperation grew in his stomach. Landing by the river, he scanned his surroundings, wanting to be sure none of the natives were out and about. If one of them stumbled across him while he was under the effect of the Lotus, he was done for. Fortunately, the area around the river was uninhabited this far away from the town. With the exception of his father, he was completely alone. Now was as good a time as ever; he needed to get this over with. Roads sat on his haunches, staring at the fruit in his forehooves. Would he be able to control himself this time? He certainly hoped so. If not, Summer and Chief were dead. And so was he. Better not lose focus then, he thought, and bit down hard on the fruit. Its juices spattered across his chin, fumes filling his nose, making him feel dizzy and lightheaded. He chewed quickly, and in another bite, consumed the rest of the fruit. He stood up, unsteadily, and began to wobble towards the river. He could tell the muscle relaxant was already beginning to take hold; his legs felt weak and useless, his balance utterly decimated. He fell on his side, gasping as the world seemed to rotate independently of him. Everything seemed brighter, suddenly, and fuzzier. He felt his rage begin to dissipate in his chest. The deliriant was beginning to work its way into his mind. Keep it together Roads. For some reason, he heard the phrase in Summer’s voice. Summer... He wished she were here. That would be nice. Oh, but it was still nice, even without her. If only he could get into the water. Wait, why did he need to get in, again? He couldn’t remember. Everything was growing so hazy... No, snap out of it Roads, you have to focus! Water. Right. Clearing out the deliriant. Roads crawled towards the stream, inching along with one forehoof, unable to stand. It was just a few meters away, but it seemed so far... Why even bother? He could get in the water, and then he would just have to deal with the pain again. He wasn’t hurting now. Not his hooves, or his head, or anything. He felt perfectly numb. Why go back to the hurt? Because I’ll die if I don’t. And would that really be so bad? Everypony was always so hung up on death, but really, it might be a nice change of pace. Like sleep. He could just die, just let everything go and float off into nothingness. Why bother trying to survive? No matter what he did, he would die eventually--even if he got off the island. Everypony died. Why prolong inevitable? What else is there to do? But was it really worth it? When he could just stay here? Just stay, and be happy for the rest of his life--however long that was? You know what? It is. I’ll just stay here. No need to get in the water. I’m happy now. Everything is all right. He was less than a meter away from the water’s edge. His father was standing in it. “Having fun, Roads?” he asked. Roads nodded. “Good. I figured you would.” The stallion smiled a condescending smile that made Roads’ anger flare in his chest, even under the effects of the Lotus. “Nice to see that you’ve finally come to terms with yourself. With your weakness. You’ve been fighting it for so long, it’s about time you gave in. About time you’ve accepted what you are.” Roads frowned. “No...” “No? Oh, how disappointing. I thought that you had finally gotten over yourself. Had given up, just like you always should have.” “No.” Roads’ voice was more forceful now. “Oh, don’t do this, Roads. You aren’t cut out for it. You’re weak and useless. Don’t fight the drug, just let it help you. Be the failure I’ve always known that you are.” Roads’ brow furrowed. His anger was back, and it cut right through the pleasant haze of the Lotus. “You’re wrong.” He dragged himself to the edge of the water with his forehooves, took a deep breath, and plunged in. It was pleasant--enough that at first he thought it hadn’t worked and the Lotus was still in effect, but then he realized it was simply still warm from the daytime. When he pulled himself out of the water, his mind was clear and pulsing with anger. “I told you I’m not wea--ahh.” He fell to his knees, suddenly feeling the power of the gem on his back. A familiar writhing overtook him as his ley lines realigned, allowing the magic from the gem to flow through them. After a second, the feeling passed, and he got to his hooves, suddenly invigorated. He was still bodily exhausted, but below that was a curious sensation he had never felt before. A feeling of power. Of sheer might, moving through his body, nearly bursting from him at the endpoints of his lines. He raised a hoof, pointing it at a tree on the opposite bank. All he had to do was flex his lines and... A bolt of white light surged from his hoof, streaking across the river and colliding violently with its trunk. There was a massive ‘pop’ and then a series of creaks as a large portion of the wood was ripped away, leaving it to collapse into the water. Roads looked from the felled tree to the fires of the city and--for the first time that night--smiled. He tried to take off, wanting to head immediately into the city, but found himself unable to fly. That was strange. He had intended to leave his lines in their traditional polarity, and simply change their alignment, so that he could still fly short distances. It seemed, though, that every possible “bead” of his lines had completely reoriented to accommodate the gem’s magic. Which meant that--no. Surely not. That would be impossible... wouldn’t it? He gave a quiet gasp. He must have become perfectly attuned to the nexus. Which should have been impossible--perfect attunement required weeks of preparations, rituals performed by powerful magicians. A pony couldn’t simply shift their entire ley structure without even trying... could they? Still, there was no better explanation for why he couldn’t fly, for why the energy coursing through his lines felt as natural as anything he had ever experienced. But how? It must’ve had something to do with diving into the nexus. That had to be it. When he had time--when he was safe--he would have to investigate. But as for now, Summer and Chief needed him. And he was finally able to help. He glared down into the natives’ city, feeling the power of the nexus surge through his veins. It was time he stood up for himself. For his friends. He was ready. Pushing exhaustion aside, he trotted briskly down the river bank, his father slinking quietly behind him. The stallion had muttered something about letting him “get himself killed, with no help from me,” and fallen deathly silent. Still, his patronizing smirk never left his face. It wasn’t long before they came upon the outskirts of the city. Tiny shacks tilted this way and that, some freestanding, others leaning against the canyon walls. They were, at present, low, barely more than tall river banks, not even high enough for the islanders to cut their homes and caves into. This was apparently the area of the city where the less “desirable” ponies were kept; there were few guards and many beggars. Many of the islanders--several decrepit, even by the natives’ standards--slept outside here. In the dark, Roads nearly tripped over several of them. Still, it was fairly easy to avoid detection. Here, the guards appeared less trained. Few were alert, and several were sleeping at their posts. Roads shook his head as he passed two guards, curled up back to back, deep in sleep, their spears cradled in their arms. This was almost too easy. With any luck, I’ll be able to make it most of the way to the pit before anypony even realizes I’m here, he thought, ducking behind a shack as one of the few vigilant natives, making his nightly rounds, passed him by. It wasn’t long, though, before the banks grew steeper, now large enough to be terraced and to accommodate cave dwellings. There were more torches, more islanders, and far more guards. Roads had to be careful to slip past each one, darting from shadow to shadow as he avoided being caught by the light of the fires. Eventually, though, his luck ran out. He had just ducked out of the way of one patrolling islander, hiding in a patch of deep, chest-high grass, when he realized another was coming his way, armed with a blazing torch. He held his breath, hoping the other pony would angle away from him. No such luck. The native drew closer and closer until finally he stopped a few meters from Roads, peering up at the sky. Roads took the opportunity to scurry over to a nearby shack. He ducked around to its side, pried open the door, and slipped inside. Just as he closed the door, he heard a loud scream ring out from behind him. He whirled around to see that he had awoken a rather horrified islander, who had begun to shriek hysterically about the stranger in her home. From outside, he heard thunderous hoofsteps approaching, the shouts of the guards growing ever closer. Oh, Sweet Princesses... He took a breath, gathered himself, and burst back outside. He found himself staring down the points of three spears, each leveled at him by a very, very pissed-off guard. There was a small pause, then the three began to advance on him, the tips of their weapons pressing against his chest, drawing pinpricks of blood. Roads backed away until he felt his flanks bump against the shack. Inside, the mare he had awoken was still crying. One of the islanders muttered something to the other. “What’s on his back?” Roads peered intently at him. If only you knew... he thought. He heard the hoofsteps of more ponies approaching. Twisting his head, he saw that somepony had apparently alerted reinforcements; a large cadre of guards were making their way down one of the terraces towards him. He looked back at the natives surrounding him. Now or never... But could he really hurt these ponies, unleash the force of the nexus on them? The image of Summer, slowly bleeding out on the granite floor, laying at Princess’ hooves flashed through his mind for the second time that day. Yes. Yes, he could hurt these ponies. And he did. He reared up, back against the wall, as white light erupted from his forehoof, catching one of the guards square in the chest and glancing against the side of another. Roads dove to his left as one of the spears embedded itself in the shack, rolling onto his side and firing off another bolt of magic. This one struck the remaining guard, flinging him into the air and sending him careening into one of the shacks, shattering its thin wooden wall. Getting to his hooves, he dashed off down the river, heading towards the center of the city. He heard screams and shouts behind him, saw islanders emerging from their huts and caves to gawk at the strange Equestrian ransacking their town. Within minutes, it seemed the entire town was awake. Guards poured in from every which direction, closing in on Roads. He just kept running, adrenaline and anger coursing through his veins. He felt sharp, alert, dangerous. A guard leapt into his path, and he sent the other pony flying with a burst of magic. Soon, three more took his place, blocking his path. Roads turned and scampered to his right, leaping onto the roofs of one of the shorter huts that rested against the base of one of the terraces. He dove backwards as one of the guards hurled a spear at him. It missed his face by inches. Rolling over, he got to his hooves again and scrambled up onto the terrace. It was lucky--this was one of the thinner ones. Only one pony at a time could walk across it. Galloping down it, he pushed his way past the unarmed natives, nearly toppling off the side as he struggled to avoid colliding with anypony. Soon, the terrace widened, and he came upon two guards, one carrying a torch, the other a cudgel. He skidded to a halt, narrowly avoiding having his head bashed in by the mace. Throwing himself away from the guards, he landed on his back a few meters from them. He raised both forehooves, pointing one at each, and let loose two bursts of magic. One met the first pony’s face, sending him tumbling backwards, head over hooves. The other missed entirely, and in a split second, the guard with the torch was upon him, beating him savagely with the lit end. Roads raised his hooves defensively, trying to take the brunt of the blows with his limbs. The islander pinned one of his forelegs to his side. Roads struggled to fend off the torch with the other. The torch cracked across his ankle and he howled in pain. Bolts of light arced over the other pony as he struggled to maneuver under his attacker. It was no use. The islander was too close; Roads couldn’t angle his hoof properly. He tried focus, attempted to tap into the magic flowing through his head. Angling his forehead at the other pony, he gritted his teeth. Even though he didn’t have a horn, he could still use the lines ending in his forehead. If he could just ‘flex’ them properly, he could-- A blast of energy sent the other pony flying over the edge of the terrace. Roads glanced over the edge, saw that the native had survived, and then got up again as he heard more guards approaching behind him. In front, the terrace sloped downwards, meeting the natural ground a ways away from him. He sprinted down the hill, crashing into somepony who seemed to be either a very burly citizen, or an unarmed guard. Either way, the islander was less than friendly. As he fell to the ground, Roads felt strong forehooves wrap around his chest and neck, pinning him down. He struggled, writhing and twisting, and finally managed to jam one forehoof against his would-be subduer’s chest. The bigger pony let out an agonized scream as a burst of energy ripped him away from Roads, cracking his ribs and sending him flying into a nearby torch. The lantern shook with the impact, then fell into the thatched roof of a nearby hut, setting it ablaze. Roads glanced at it for a second, then took off again, evading the spear of a guard who had caught up to him. He twisted, glancing over his shoulder, and saw the guard gaining on him. Planting his forehooves in the dirt, he let his momentum spin him around. The native leapt at him, then cried out in surprise as a levitation field caught him mid-jump. He hovered in the air for a moment before Roads sent him flying into the canyon wall. Looking up from the pony he had just dispatched, Roads caught side of more guards sprinting both sides of the river banks, and streaming towards him from the terraces. It seemed he was surrounded. Almost. He took a running jump and dove into the river. Roads had never been a great swimmer, but the current was fast and strong enough to whisk him away from the guards. A few of them charged after him, leaping into the water, whereas the rest tried to follow him from the banks. He let the stream carry him a ways before he managed to catch himself on a rock and clamber back onto the near bank. Standing up, he glanced around, and realized he was in the center of the town, a large circle where the river was deepest and the banks were widest. The area was clear of huts or houses, and instead filled with crops. He recognized this as where he had fallen during his escape. And it was empty. He peered at his surroundings, confused, before he caught sight of the guards. They had blocked off the exits where the canyon thinned again, lining up on both banks to either side of him. Many had also made their way up to the system of terraces, preventing him from escaping up the ramps. Still, none of them made their way down into the circle. They stood, stock still, utterly silent, staring at him. Watching his every move. Waiting for... something. He didn’t know what. It was eerie, but in his state of rage he felt no fear. Only a grim apprehension. His father landed beside him, ruffling his dark wings. “Where’ve you been?” Roads asked. “Waiting. Watching. Hoping not to be disappointed.” He looked over his shoulder, staring at the guards. “Pathetic,” he spat. “Not fit to call themselves stallions, any of them. To think, all those ponies, and not a single one can even stop you. Makes me sick to look at.” Roads shot his father a glare. The stallion turned back to face him. “So, you came all this way, and you’re not going to help them?” “What?” he asked. “Your friends. They’re in the pit over there. You’re not going to let them out? Good choice. They’re too good for you, anyway.” Roads’ eyes widened as he realized that this clearing was where the pit was located. He reared onto his hind legs, head twisting, searching for the tell-tale stakes that marked the opening of the-- There it was! Roads dashed over to it, grabbing the torch that rested nearby. He held it out over the pit, peering down into it, searching for Summer and Chief. It was empty, save for Strongsteed. “Hey!” he called down to the earth pony. “Where’re Summer and Chief?” It took a long time for him to respond. It seemed he had just eaten, and was locked in a lotus-driven stupor. Eventually, he tilted his head slightly upwards and mumbled something under his breath. “What? Say it again, louder,” Roads said. “Princess...” Roads cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean, Prince--” “Welcome back, Roads,” came a purring voice from behind him. He whipped around to see Princess grinning maliciously at him, Summer and Chief held aloft beside her in green levitation fields. “So sorry to keep your friends from you, but we had some things to discuss. Some punishment to mete out. These two have been very, very... naughty.” The magic surrounding Summer and Chief disappeared as they were flung bodily towards him, each hitting the ground with a loud ‘thump.’ Summer cried out in pain as she landed; Roads looked down to see that she was bleeding again. She opened her eyes. He gasped. Her left eye was... wrong. The iris had been drained of color, the pupil replaced with a milky whiteness. It stared off into space, independent of its mate, which glanced up at Roads. “Hey... Roads...” she panted, pressing a hoof to her side. “Glad... you could make it...” She smiled weakly--delusionally--a faint wheezing erupting from her throat that might have been a chuckle. She closed her eyes again, resting her head on the ground. A molten fury enveloped Roads. He ground his teeth, muscles tensing, and glared up at Princess. She was still smirking. “What’s the matter, Roads? Can’t stand what justice looks like?” She spoke in tandem with his father. He turned to see the pegasus walking towards her. Stopping just beside her, he shot Roads a malicious sneer. Then he seemed to slide sideways, into her, it appeared, flickering translucent as their bodies merged. And then he was gone. Absorbed. Princess appeared the same, utterly unphased, but when she spoke again, it was his father’s voice that Roads heard. “They got what they deserved.” A bolt of white light caught Princess full in the chest, sending her flying backwards off her hooves. “Chief!” Roads shouted quickly, turning to the earth pony. “Grab Summer and get out of here! Remember the first cave we came across the first day of exploring? Head over there with Summer. I’ll stay and hold off Princess and the guards to give you time to get away!” “I’m not leaving you alone to--” “Yes, you are! Go!” he shouted, gesturing to the nearest ramp. Chief stared at him for a second, and had just opened his mouth to speak when a flash of green light passed just over his head. He twisted, grabbed Summer, and sprinted off. “I’ll come back for you!” he called over his shoulder. No, you won’t! Roads thought, and nearly said--but he had bigger problems. Princess was up again and casting spells left and right, trying to catch Chief on the run. Her focus on the earth pony was broken as she leapt away from a burst of magic Roads sent flying towards her. A magical shield erupted around her in just enough time to dissipate a second blast of energy. When she looked up at him, for once she actually looked confused. “You’re just a pegasus! How are you doing that?!” she called, in his father’s voice. His only response was to telekinetically rip a massive rock from the ground beside him and fling it into her shield. The magic wavered, but didn’t break. “Doesn’t matter,” she said, the smirk returning to her face. “I’ll kill you anyway.” A gout of flame erupted from her horn; Roads was forced to dive away as it incinerated the spot where he had been standing. Rolling over once, he got to his hooves, just in time to dodge a blast of energy from Princess. Beside him, the natives’ crops began to burn, lit by Princess’ spell. He scurried away from the flames, hurling another bolt of magic at Princess as he went. It dissipated harmlessly across her shield. He could hear her laughing a maniacal, demonic laugh inside the barrier as she cast spell after spell, each setting a different patch of vegetation ablaze. Roads ducked away from her, turning to see Chief finish fighting his way through several guards and sprint up a terrace, heading for the forest. His dads’ voice rang in his ear as she bombarded him with more flame spells. “You come to my island--” A gout of flame exploded just over Roads’ head, singing his mane as he ducked away. “You attack my home--” Most of the field was ablaze now, shining red and orange against the night, smoke thick in the air. “You terrorize my people--” Roads sprinted and scurried this way and that, trying escape the inferno raging around him. “And you think I’ll let you get away with it?” The voice was suddenly softer--and much, much closer. Roads whipped around to see that she had teleported just behind him. She was standing in the flames, the heated tongues flicking magically to either side of her. The firelight danced in her eyes, flickering over an expression of devilish glee. Roads didn’t even have time to raise a hoof before a fireball struck him in the side, hurling him to the ground. He landed heavily, winded and badly burned. Angling his head forwards, he sent a burst of energy slamming into the shield. It flickered, buckling slightly under the force of the blow, but still it held. How is that even possible? he thought, grimacing. For all intents and purposes, he had a Celestia-damned nexus strapped to his back, and Princess was deflecting his spells like they were nothing! Then he looked more closely at the glowing gems set in Princess’ floral crown. Maybe he wasn’t the only one drawing on a nexus... His observation was interrupted as a glowing aura surrounded Princess’ horn. He rolled to his left just before a blast of magic ripped the ground he had been lying on to pieces. His mind raced as he dashed away from Princess, ducking low through the crops, hoping she would have a harder time hitting him if she couldn’t see him. Okay, I can’t penetrate the shield. Not directly. Maybe indirectly? Come on, Roads, think! You’ve studied dueling, you know how this works! The first rule of duelist survival, what was it again? Always have a shield up, right. I can do that. I hope. He spun around, facing Princess again, a white glow forming around his hoof as he tried to erect a barrier to rival hers. Nothing. The aura fizzled as the spell failed. Of course it failed! he thought. Motion magic doesn’t work that way! Idiot! Then a thought struck him. Perhaps his barrier didn’t have to be magical... Roads spread his forehooves across the dirt, lowering his head and shutting his eyes as a magical glow erupted from his forehead. A few feet below him, he formed a magical displacement field, anchored to his lines, that pushed up a ring of earth around him. He took a step forward, a small grin forming on his face as he saw the ground ripple and move with him. Excellent, he thought. He couldn’t see Princess, but if he lowered the displacement ring for just a moment, perhaps he could catch a glimpse of-- “Woah!” he cried, diving to the ground and raising his shield again as a ball of magical fire sped past him. Princess had cast the spell as soon as she saw the barrier lowered. Which meant that she must’ve fired blind, simply aiming at the center of the ring and waiting for it to be lowered. And if she was going after his shield instead of after him... He lowered his head again, channeling the nexus’ power once again. A second displacement ring split off the first, taking the ground with it, forming two identical barriers... then a third... and a fourth. Roads could feel them draining his gem; holding up this much ground took absurd amounts of energy. He couldn’t keep this up for long. Fortunately, he didn’t have to. He let all four drop at once, and some insane part of him wanted to laugh as Princess let loose a horrendous burst of magic--pointed directly away from him. Instead, he reared onto his hind legs and channeled as much of the gem’s energy into a single spell as he dared. There was a burst of white light as it sped through the air at met Princess’ shield. With a flash of green, the shield faded and died. Roads wasn’t sure if the barrier had been weakened by his past spells, or if this one in particular was too much for it; either way, it worked for him. He telekinetically grabbed a gargantuan boulder from beside him and sent it flying towards her. Princess whipped around and deflected it, just before it would have crushed her. With a burst of magic, she erected another shield. This one was more feeble; Roads dissipated it with a single spell. A horrified look passed over her face as she realized how vulnerable she was. Dodging another spell, her horn lit again, and Roads coughed and gagged as smoke from the nearby fire settled over them, obscuring his vision. Flinging a hoof over his stinging eyes, he raised another ground barrier just as two spells came flying towards him through the haze. Lowering his barrier again, Roads swept a glowing hoof through the air, magically dissipating the smoke. He glanced around, alert, nervous. Princess was gone. A burst of green energy caught him in the right wing, sending him spinning through the air. He landed heavily, an anguished scream escaping from his lips as pain ripped through his left side. Glancing down, he saw that the wing was tattered and broken, half of it bent at an unnatural angle. Its blood ran thick down his side. He gritted his teeth, raising another barrier, trying not to black out from the pain that seared through his wing. His anger kept him conscious. He wanted to hurt her. Wanted to hurt her badly. Letting his shield collapse, Roads let loose a pulse of energy that spread in every direction. To his left, he saw Princess materialize in thin air, and surround herself with a weak shield. As the pulse faded, the shield faded--and so did she. It’s an invisibility spell! he realized. Focusing hard, he whipped a massive ball of dirt and dust in the air, then telekinetically spread it through the air, evenly, in a wide circle around him. If Princess came close enough to him, she would disturb the dust and-- There! A ripple in the floating dirt. Roads sent two spells barreling towards her. Princess didn’t have time to drop the spell and cast a shield. Two bolts of light slammed into her, flinging her into the air. She crashed to the ground, and struggled to stand up again as a third spell struck her. Then another. And another. Finally, she lay still on the ground, face down, one leg twisted and mangled, bleeding beside her. Was she--? Had he--? He galloped up to her. He had to know. Roads stood over her motionless body for a brief moment, staring down at her. He looked up, and saw her guards standing on their terraces, weapons at their sides, many slack-jawed and incredulous. He prodded Princess with one hoof. She didn’t move. Roads reached down... rolled her over... Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t breathing. He leaned in to check for a pulse-- The eyes opened again. A malicious smile spread across her face. “Fool.” Before he could react, Princess grabbed one of his hooves with her good foreleg, horn glowing devilishly. He recoiled, pushing her head to the side telekinetically just as a bolt of lightning erupted from her horn. Even with his intervention, it still ripped through his left wing, leaving a burned hole between two of the bones. He flung her off before she could cast a second spell. “Guards!” she cried. “Kill him!” And with a flash of green, she teleported away. And the islanders descended on him. Roads turned and galloped towards the ramp Chief had taken, where the line of defense was a few ponies thinner, casting spells as he ran. By the time he reached the ramp, most of the natives before him had fallen. The remaining three advanced warily, fear flitting across their faces. One launched his spear at Roads. He caught it in the air and launched it back at him. It buried itself in the ground between his forehooves. The guard paled and took a step backwards, shaken. Brushing the other two aside with his magic, Roads continued up the terrace. It wasn’t long before he reached the woods. He galloped a fair distance in, until he felt safe enough, then collapsed against a tree, utterly spent. His anger began to fade, replaced by exhaustion, but his nerves stayed on end, a twinge of apprehension running through his stomach. He could still feel the energy of the nexus running through his lines, but after his struggle with Princess, the gem on his back felt weaker. He felt weaker. His wings hurt, his side hurt, his hooves hurt. His muscles shook and tremored, threatening to give out. Sagging against the tree, he tried to catch his breath, but found it was little use. His chest heaved, tight and nervous, his mind still racing. He felt vulnerable now, entirely defenseless. If some of the guards had followed him... if Princess teleported out to meet him... He wouldn’t be able to fight back. He was sure of it. The forest around him took on a grim visage; the night wind rustled the trees, pockets of darkness flitting this way and that. He twisted his head this way and that, nerves rubbed raw from constant stress. He needed to fight off exhaustion, needed to stay vigilant! Princess could appear here out of nowhere. In the darkness, in the jungle, he would never see her coming. She would be on him before he could even react. His eyes flitted across the trees, searching for the tell-tale outline of the malicious unicorn. It seemed she was everywhere--her silhouette in every shrub, her eyes flashing at him from between every tree, every breath of wind carrying the rustle of her grim footsteps to his ears. Roads pressed against the tree, ears and eyes twitching, cold fear clutching at his stomach. He tried to muster up more courage, more anger, but none came. He was just too exhausted. Too tired of fighting. But not tired enough to give up. He knew she was here, following him, watching him. He couldn’t let her take him unawares. Suddenly, a loud crashing echoed through the forest, the sounds of leaves and twigs being broken, of hoofsteps heavy on the ground. Princess! Roads’ ears swiveled every which way, trying to keep track of where the sound was coming from. He couldn’t tell. Not even as it came closer. And closer... And closer... And finally it was almost upon him, the hoofsteps roaring in his ears, a frightful din thundering through the trees, louder, louder, louder and then it-- A dark shape moved in the corner of his eye. A white light flashed in the dark. A cry. A wet thump. A deathly stillness. Roads channeled magic slowly through his forehooves, letting them illuminate the forest. Just before him, the broken body of a mare lay still on the ground at the base of the tree. Roads moved closer. Saw that her coat was red. Princess! No, that wasn’t her coat. Her coat was--oh no. Nonononono! He edged closer. Rolled her onto her back. It wasn’t Princess. The mare was young, far younger than Princess. And very, very dead. Her coat was grey. Roads looked up and saw the tree she had fallen under. Its trunk was coated in blood. There were bits of her stuck to it. No, please, no... Roads began to shake uncontrollably. He tilted her head towards him and saw that her eyes were still open. They stared at him. Quiet. Accusing. Cold, yellow, and dead. They asked him why. He didn’t know why. Tears ran down his face, dripping onto hers. He fell to his knees, cradling her neck in his forehooves. Something fell onto his foreleg. A canvas bag. Filled with fish and a rope net. She had been fishing. And he killed her for it. No, no, no... The yellow eyes kept staring. Kept asking. Kept accusing. Please... please... don’t... no... His mouth worked silently, forming empty words. Nonsense words. He gave a despairing moan. Still shaking. Still clutching at the dead mare’s shoulders. He thought he might be sick. The eyes kept staring. He was sobbing now, trembling, silent in the night. The eyes kept staring. He reached down with one hoof, intending to close them. The tip of his hoof touched her brow and he jolted to his feet, dropping her on the ground. He sprinted into the night. Fleeing the eyes. _________________________________________________________ An hour passed before he made it to the cave. The flickering light of a fire greeted him. Roads stumbled to the mouth of the cave, head down, breath coming in ragged gasps, tears still flowing down his face. When he looked up, Summer was limping to meet him. He took a few weak steps towards her, expecting a harsh reproach for his desertion. Roads shut his eyes, wincing away from her, waiting for the words. He would take it. It didn’t matter any more. A pair of forelegs wrapped around his neck. He felt her mane against his cheek. He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Come on,” she said, leading him into the cave. That was it. “Come on.” She had started a small fire, arranged rocks around it as they had in the old campsite. He collapsed onto one. She sat down beside him. He tried to speak, but the words didn’t come. He felt numb inside. Cold. Dead. He was quiet for a long time. “So, how was your day?” Summer asked lightly. A weak attempt at humor. Her voice was laced with concern. Roads didn’t respond for a while. He just stared into the fire. His stomach took a turn as he envisioned two cold yellow eyes staring back. He looked away from them sharply, meeting Summer’s warm green one. She looked at him quizzically. “What?” “Aren’t you mad?” he asked. She raised her eyebrows. “Mad?” “That I left. That I deserted again. Again. Even though I said I wouldn’t, even though I--” Summer gave a weak chuckle. “Well, sure, you left--but you came back with a giant magical weapon strapped to your back, helped us escape, took out half the guards, and set half the town on fire. So, no. We’re not mad.” A slim smile crossed Roads’ face at that. He felt as though he had lost something today. A small part of himself. Something he couldn’t quite get back. But at least he still had Summer and Chief. Wait, where was Chief? “Already asleep,” Summer told him when he asked. “I wanted him to head back into the city and help you--and I think he did, too--but once we got here, he wouldn’t leave. Said that in my condition, and without magic, he couldn’t afford to leave me alone in a cave. Actually...” Summer got slowly to her feet. “He asked me to let him know when you got back. Wait here a sec.” Roads shrugged. What else did she think he had to do? As Summer walked over to the other end of the cave, Roads’ gaze slid to her side. It appeared her gash had gotten worse. Then she turned slightly and he saw there was another on her other side. No, the original was on that side. It seemed she’d been given a new one--a worse one--on this side. A cold fury washed over him once again. So the eye wasn’t enough? You had to slice her open again, too? he thought angrily. He wished he could have killed Princess when he had the chance. Like you killed that mare? A shudder passed through him. With that, his anger subsided. He suddenly felt very cold. Roads glanced over to Chief and Summer. Chief had gotten to his hooves, and was telling her something she appeared surprised by. She was raising her eyebrows, tilting her head back slightly. She said something he couldn’t hear, and he nodded curtly. She gave a slight shrug, leaving him to lay down again. When Summer returned, she looked stunned. She sat down across from him, staring into the fire. “What’d he say?” Roads asked, curiosity piqued despite his exhaustion. “Umm... it’s hard to explain,” she replied, one hoof kneading her forehead. “Basically, that he... approves of what you did today.” “‘What I did today?’” “Yeah.” “You mean coming back for you guys?” “Well... no.” “What?” “He’s more interested in what you did before that.” “He doesn’t know what I did before that.” “He said he didn’t need to. He had a way of explaining it, like you had... found something.” Summer seemed to struggle to get the right words out. For a unicorn usually so quick-tongued, she appeared to be having quite a bit of trouble. “Found something?” “Or, found something out. Or--jeez, I dunno, Roads. He should really just tell you himself.” “Tell me what? You’re not making any sense.” “Tell you... tell you... you changed. In the forest. Before you came back. He said he knew something happened to you. Something big. Oh, Princesses, it sounds so stupid when I try to say it--” “--no, it’s fine. I understand. He’s right, I think.” “He is?” Summer asked, looking at him inquisitively. “Yeah. When I was out there I saw... saw, uh--” Saw what, Roads? Your father? Saw him turn into Princess? Sure, tell her that. Tell her you’re going crazy. “I--uh--I dunno. I saw--I--” Roads started to feel a quaking in his chest. He looked across the fire to see Summer peering intently at him from across fire, worry etched across her face. “Are you okay?” she asked. “I--my dad--in the forest--I--” And then he broke down. “I can’t, Summer. I just--I can’t. I’m sorry, I just--I--” “It’s fine, Roads--” “I just, I don’t really--” “Roads!” He quieted at that, staring at her, grimacing, hooves drawn up around his chest. “It’s fine, Roads. Let’s talk about something else.” Roads nodded weakly. “What... what happened while I was gone?” Summer shrugged. “The guards took us down. Knocked us out. As soon as Chief and I woke up, they dragged us to Princess’ chambers. ‘Punishment,’ they called it. She got my eye--some blindness spell, the same one she used on Strongsteed--and cut me up pretty bad.” Summer paused for a second, looking herself over. She gave a grim laugh. “I hope the stallions back home are into one-eyed mares. One-eyed mares--and scars.” Roads shrugged. She looked fine to him. Better than fine, even. He blinked. What was he thinking? He pushed the thought aside. “Granted, I’ll have to make it home, first. One more gash like this, and my chances aren’t good. Hell, I would’ve...” her voice trailed off. When she spoke again, her voice was weaker. More timid. “I would’ve died there if it hadn’t been for Willow. Stitched me up as soon as Princess was done.” For a second, she stared pensively into the fire, lost in a thought. Then she cleared her throat, and seemed to snap back to the present. “Anyway, Willow patched me up while Princess got at Chief. The eyesight spell didn’t work though. She cast it over and over again, but he just absorbed it. Too much built up resistance, I guess. Anyway, that drove her pretty crazy. She was just about to start beating on him when you showed up. Some native came in, told her what was going on. She told him to keep you in the city, pin you down ‘til she could get there. I guess she figured she could stop you. Or, at least wanted to be the one to do it.” A lean smirk crossed her face. “Looks like she was wrong. What happened after Chief and I left? Did’ja kill her?” “No. Not Princess. She was too good. I had a chance, though. But even with the nexus, I was outmatched, most of the time. I’m surprised I even made it out alive.” “How’d you do that, anyway? The whole ‘magic’ thing?” He took a deep breath and gave a low sigh, before launching into a detailed explanation of how he had built the weapon. He was careful to avoid mentioning that most of his work had been spurred on by his father. It was best, he decided, just to let her think he was tough enough to do all that on his own. Although, looking back, it was now clear he had been alone the entire time. He tried not to think about it. Instead, he focused on trying to help Summer understand the details and theory behind the weapon, finding it helped calm him down. It took his mind off... things. And Summer, to her credit, listened attentively. He supposed she wasn’t one to disregard a way to create a weapon that could go toe-to-toe with Princess’ magic. When he had finished, she gave a low whistle. “Wow. I never would’ve thought I’d get saved by a spec,” she said with a grin. “But, hey, there’s a first time for everything. So, do you need help getting out of that thing?” “What?” “You seem to still be wearing my engine,” she said lightly. He glanced down at the copper wires circling his forehooves. He had forgotten that it was even there. “Oh. Yeah, sure.” Summer stood gingerly, a pained expression crossing her face as she got up from the rock, and walked over to him. Together, they bent back the wires until Roads was able to shimmy his way out of the contraption. As the magic running through his lines faded, he felt a new wave of exhaustion roll over him. Suddenly, he felt even more powerless and vulnerable than before. Behind him, Summer set the engine gently on the floor, staring at Roads’ broken wing. “You should probably get Chief to look at that,” she told him. “Is he asleep, yet?” Summer glanced over to the other side of the cave. “Yep. Looks like I’ll have to take care of it.” A twinge of alarm passed through his stomach. “What do you mean, ‘take care of it’? What are you going to do?” “Just stay here, I’ll be back in a sec,” she said, walking out of the cave. She turned her head, talking to him over her shoulder. “Chief found a banana tree in the woods earlier; check by the rock on the other side of the fire, we saved a few for you.” She winked at him. “The Aggregate’d be pissed if we let another spec die of starvation.” He nodded, suddenly ravenous. He realized he hadn’t eaten in over a day; the food in the pit had all been laced with Lotus, and he had refused to touch it. He made his way around the fire, finding a small pile of fruit waiting there for him. By the time Summer returned, holding a bundle of reed stems, the fruit was gone, and Roads was lying on the ground, wincing as his shriveled stomach cramped from the new influx of food. “You really shouldn’t have eaten it all at once,” Summer pointed out. “Wow, thanks for letting me know.” Summer rolled her eyes. “Come on, turn over, let me see that wing.” Roads did as he was told, waiting on the ground as Summer collected a few lengths of thick wire from what was left of the copper matrix. “What are you doing?” he asked as she knelt over him. She ignored his question. “Okay, this is going to hurt a little.” Roads’ eyes widened. “Why? What are you going to--AHHH!” He screamed in pain as Summer grabbed his wing and wrenched the upper half back into place, setting the broken bone. Stars exploded behind his eyes as his entire right side throbbed and smarted, stinging miserably. It didn’t stop hurting until long after Summer had bound it in a splint made of reed and wire. “Why wouldn’t you tell me you were going to do that?!” he cried. “I didn’t think you’d let me do it if you knew what was coming,” she shrugged. He gave a dismissive snort and sat back up on his rock, staring into the fire as Summer settled down across from him. He was silent for a long time. He was thinking about the eyes. “Hey,” she said. “Mmm?” “You alright?” “I dunno.” “Hey, listen, if you wanna talk about it--” “No,” he said, shaking his head. He didn’t want to relive what had happened in the woods. “Fair enough.” He shot her a curious look. “That’s it? No ‘toughen up’? No ‘don’t be so soft’ stuff?” “No,” she said firmly. She almost looked offended. “Why would you think that I would even--” She sighed, pausing. “Look, Roads, this kind of thing... it’s different from before. Earlier, that was just fieldwork stuff. You were being whiny. Today... well, I nearly died today. I should’ve died today. “This is the kind of thing that gets to anypony. I’d expect you to be shaken up. Hell, I’d think there was something much more wrong with you if you weren’t. It’s hard on all of us.” Roads snorted. “Not Chief.” Summer shook her head. “Well, not Chief. But Chief’s had bigger things happen to him before. This whole sort of thing, that used to be Chief’s whole world. Me, I only have to deal with this kind of thing if something goes really wrong, but that pony...” She shuddered. “Look, when you’ve been through what Chief has, nothing shakes you up anymore. Trust me, you don’t want to be like Chief. Tough’s one thing, but what Chief is... well, Chief’s just plain messed up. Not as bad as Princess, mind you. She went on and on after you were gone, for hours it seemed like. Told us all about her dead husband, and how Celestia killed him, and how everypony was out to get her. She’s completely out of it. Almost made me feel sorry for her. “Well, until she half-blinded me and then sliced me to pieces.” Summer shuddered. “She’s a whole different brand of crazy. I don’t think Chief’ll ever be like that, though. He’s got too good a grip on reality for that. Probably hurts like hell, but at least he stays sane.” Roads broke into a cold sweat as memories of hallucinating his father flickered through his head. He was unraveling, just like Princess. How long until he started hurting ponies because of his delusions? Still, at least he knew they were delusions. Maybe that meant he wasn’t as insane as Princess. Then again, he hadn’t realized what had happened until just recently. Everything had seemed real at the time. He was coming unglued. A danger to himself and the ones around him. Roads the insane. Just as crazy as Strongsteed or Princess. No, no. It was impossible. He wasn’t going crazy. It was just the... island magic. Messing with his head. That had to be it. All that energy in the air, buzzing around, fiddling with broken ley lines... it had just toyed with his mind a little. Nothing serious. Was that what had happened to Princess? Roads tried to drive the thoughts from his mind, focusing instead on Summer. He had missed some of what she said, but she was still talking about Chief. He nodded, pretending to have been listening. “...and even he’s got stuff that sets him off,” she was saying. “Except, with him, it’s little things. Ponies like me, we’ve only got problems with stuff that nearly kills us. Ponies like him... Ponies like him will kill for things most folks wouldn’t even notice.” “What happened to him?” Roads asked. “If you’re even allowed to tell me.” “Well...” Summer thought for a moment. “I doubt he’d mind you knowing, now. He trusts you now, after today. Still, there’s not a lot I can tell you--he keeps things from me, even. And I’m the only friend he’s got left.” “Left?” “All of the others are either dead, or in hiding.” “Why? What happened?” Summer sighed. “It’s a long story. I only know parts of it. Honestly, I think the only reason he even tells me anything is because I remind him of his wife.” Roads shot her a look. “You and Chief are like... a thing? Really?” Summer laughed at that. “No, no. It’s nothing like that. His wife, Honey Dew, she was my older sister.” “Oh. So, you knew him before you started working together? Was he ever, you know... not like... this?” Summer shook her head. “I didn’t get to know him until after he stopped working the guard a few years ago and I contracted him to do security work on a project. Before that, I’d only met him twice. Once at my sister’s wedding, once at her funeral.” Roads’ eyes widened. “She’s...?” “Yep.” “I’m sorry.” “It’s fine. I hardly knew her. She left me and my dad when I was eight to move out to Canterlot. I didn’t see her again until she got married. We never really got caught up. So... I’m fine. Chief, though... not so much.” “What happened?” “Childbirth. Some sort of hemorrhage, or something. They saved the baby, though. Chief’s daughter.” “Oh.” “It tore him up, when she died. I think the only thing that kept him going was his daughter. And after he lost her... well, the pony you know now wasn’t always as stable as he seems.” “What happened to his daughter?” “Well, it’s hard to explain. He’s never fully told me everything that happened, he just mentioned some things once when he was drunk.” “I thought he didn’t drink?” “Well, he doesn’t. Usually. Except for once a year, on his and Honey’s anniversary, when he gets absolutely hammered. That’s happened twice since we’ve worked together.” “I see.” “Anyway, so basically what happened--so far as I understand it--has something to do with the work he used to do with the Royal Guard. Apparently he was in some special unit or something, because when I tried to look up his years of service in the public record, it said he worked for his first few years in Unit 33, then got transferred. And then several years later, it said he retired. But it never said what Unit he transferred to. “My guess, he did some sort of undercover work, or something. I really have no idea. All I know is, it had something to do with this crazy cult, a group of madponies trying to take over Equestria by bringing back Discord or some other manure--he was drunk when he explained it, it never made much sense--and anyway, they found out where he lived and what he had been doing. “And one night, he left his daughter with a foalsitter and headed out to a bar with some friends from the Guard. While he was gone, a bunch of cultists came to his house. By the time he got back, they had slaughtered the foalsitter and tied up his daughter. He tried to fight them, but he was too drunk. “They got him down, too, and they created sort of ritual for his daughter. They made him watch as they petrified her. ‘Just like Discord.’ To set an example, they said. Apparently, they were going to kill him, too, when one of his friends from the Guard showed up, and cleared them off. I was never exactly sure how that worked, he was never clear on that, either. “Anyway, what little was left after his wife died, the cultists pretty much destroyed. Chief blamed himself, mostly, for what happened, really tore himself up. Blamed the alcohol, too; it’s why he won’t touch the stuff now. “But there was also a part of him that blamed the cultists. A very, very vengeful part of him, it seems. Chief won’t tell me what it was he did after he lost his daughter, but I did some looking around. Turns out, in the few months after the incident with the cultists, Equestria got a new serial killer. Apparently, bodies started turning up all over the place, all apparently unrelated to each other. It lasted about six months, and then the killer just disappeared. “They said they found nearly fifty bodies, and suspected there were more that were never uncovered. My theory is, those were cultists Chief hunted down, and somepony down at the guard found out about it, and forced him into early retirement.” “He might have killed fifty ponies, and they just let him go?” “No evidence. Not a single trace. Moral of the story: Don’t make Chief want you dead.” Roads shuddered. “And now?” “Now, he’s doing better. But honestly, it’s not like he’s ever gonna be quite right again. Where Chief’s been... you just don’t come back from that.” Summer looked at him from across the fire. “So... “No. You don’t wanna be like Chief.” Roads sat up, burying his face in his hooves. Images of Chief’s daughter, petrified, his wife dying in a hospital, Summer bleeding at Princess’ feet flashed before his eyes. His father beating him, Princess’ demonic smile, those cold yellow eyes... It was too much. It was just too much. His shoulders shook as he cried quietly, trying to hold back the tears. His body was wracked by silent sobs, his hooves wet against his face. Books in a fireplace, a filly turned into a statue, a tree covered in blood... It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It just wasn’t. It wasn’t right. He felt Summer’s hooves around him; she had walked over to embrace him. “Summer,” he choked. “I killed somepony, Summer. In the woods, after I fought Princess. I was scared, I thought it was Princess again, and I just panicked, and--” “It’s fine, Roads.” She leaned in, sitting, resting her head against him. He tried to gather himself. Eventually he quieted, lowered one hoof from his face, returning Summer’s embrace. She snuggled up against him, taking his hoof in hers. They sat there for a while, still against each other, utterly silent, watching the fire. She shifted slightly, gently caressing his hoof. “It’s tough, Roads. It’s hard on all of us,” she said quietly. He nodded, looking down at her. Into her soft green eyes. She leaned up, nuzzling him gently. Roads blinked. Was she...? Yes, she was. For a second, he did nothing, utterly bewildered. And then a voice rang out in his head. Just go with it, Roads! But did he really want to do this with Summer? She leaned her head towards him again. Yes. Yes he did. He tilted his head slightly and their lips met. Gently, just a brush. And then again. Slightly more forcefully this time, slightly longer. Summer’s lips parted slightly; without thinking, he followed suit. He felt her forelegs wrap tightly around him, her tongue, soft against his, working its way into his mouth, and he pulled her closer to him. The kiss seemed to last for a long time, before Summer pulled away. And then kissed him again. And again. And again. She leaned back further, drawing him down with each kiss until he found himself on the ground beside her, holding her tightly. She gave him one final kiss, more gentle than the ones before, and then pulled back slightly. She wore an amused smile, a curious sort of grin that made Roads’ heart flutter. “Goodnight, Roads.” “Uh...” Don’t screw this up! “‘Night.” Yep, that would do. Summer nuzzled him softly, then lay her head against his chest, closing her eyes. He lay awake for a moment, a strange warmth in his chest, trying to make sense of what had just happened. He couldn’t. He was just too tired. He would sort it out in the morning. Resting his chin against her mane, he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.