//------------------------------// // 21: Scars of the Past... // Story: An Overlord Apart // by OblivionShadow //------------------------------// Twilight and her friends left the dining hall and began to walk toward the path that would have taken them up and out of the Netherworld. The sound of wings caught her attention and she looked out as Sorkeno and Kaiana soared past them. The two dragon’s wings beat and the wind from them buffeted the side of the Dark Tower. “Wow,” Rainbow called as her own wings shielded her from the wind. “What brought both of them up here?” Twilight shrugged and watched as they circled around and landed above them in the same area that Hunter had been using to play with the baby dragons. She didn’t see a baby with them but she paused before they approached. “Stay back.” She said to them and they all looked to her. “Just in case they have one of the babies with them.” “Oh right.” Applejack said aloud and looked uncertain. “Ah didn’t see one but Ah wasn’t lookin’ either.” “Neither was I,” Fluttershy said to her. “We can’t go near them yet.” “They said it would be months until anypony was allowed near them. Aside from him of course.” Rarity chimed in. “You think he might let me see one?” Spike asked. “I’m a baby dragon.” “We can ask him,” Twilight said to him as he slid from her back. “But we should wait until it’s a good time for him.” “That reminds me. How long have we been here?” Pinkie suddenly asked. Twilight considered her friend's question and started to think it over. “Almost five, no six months.” She replied. “Maybe a little less.” “Wow,” Rainbow replied and leaned back on her haunches at the information. “We have been here a while.” “Yeah. Ah didn’t even think about it.” Applejack replied with a chuckle. “We keep in constant contact with our families so Ah didn’t even worry bout it.” “We should have a party. You think he would be okay with us using the Netherworld for a party?” Pinkie asked the Alicorn as she bounced in place. “We can ask him. I’m not sure Pinkie. He didn’t allow it the first time we asked.” Twilight pointed out. “It’s been a while since then though. We are closer to him then we were before. Maybe he would allow it if you asked.” Fluttershy said to the purple mare. “Me?” “Yeah, you and he are really good friends right?” Pinkie replied with a happy smile. “We are close I guess but I’m not sure if it will matter who asks him.” She defended. “You still have a question to ask him, dearie.” Rarity teased gently as the mare went red at her words. “Rarity!” She yelped and covered her face with a hoof. “I haven’t even thought about it since you mentioned it before.” “Ask him what?” Rainbow asked, her eyes mischievous. “Nothing!” Twilight yelped. “What are you shouting about?” Sorkeno’s nose emerged from above them and Twilight yelped in shock as he looked at them. “Nothing.” She replied to the golden dragon. “It was nothing. How are you today?” “I am fine Little Princess. And yourself?” “Good.” She squeaked out and glared at the white mare as the dragon pulled his head back and the mares looked at him once more. “Do you have one of the babies up there?” Fluttershy quietly asked. “No. We left the Draglings in the nest.” The dragon replied and pulled back to allow them to approach. Twilight trotted up the stairs and looked up as Kaiana was talking to Hunter. The Alicorn smiled and then noticed that his armor was half off and she looked back at her friends as they went past her. “No…wait…crap.” She cursed under her breath as she knew that his scars would be obvious. She could see that his flanks were covered but not his shoulders. The only one to see the panic on her face was Spike as he stopped at her side and looked ahead and he understood after a moment. “Uh oh.” He voiced aloud and looked at her as she cringed and walked slowly forward. Hunter was looking to his armor as a tap to his hip caught his attention and he went still. At his side, Rainbow Dash was staring openly and he felt a tremor go through his body as he realized what had caught her eye. He knew that she had seen some of the scars and he was ready to stop her questions a bare moment later. “What made those?” Rainbow asked him. Hunter paused and looked to the rainbow maned Pegasus, his expression uncertain. “Pardon?” “Those.” She replied and pointed to the right shoulder. He looked in the direction of her hoof and he could see the deep scars showing. His armor was loose around his shoulders and they were showing above the top of the armor. He rolled his shoulders and the armor slid into place, while he buckled it down to make it stay. He said nothing in response to her question and then ignored the stares of the others. He saw Twilight was looking at his face versus the area where his scars began. She had already seen them. “So what happened?” Rainbow pressed. “Nothing...” “Was a pretty ugly looking something.” Rainbow interrupted. He glared at her for the interruption as he moved away from the group. “They mean nothing. Just forget that you saw them.” He snapped at her. “But I did see them.” Rainbow pressed on as the golden dragon appeared at the edge of the balcony. Hunter turned back to her and a growl escaped him. “You’re asking for something that you have not earned the right to know.” He growled. “How have I not earned the right to ask questions?” She argued. “We’re friends.” “You can ask but I reserve the right to not answer those questions. If I asked you questions you do not wish to answer would you tell me?” “Well no,” Rainbow replied. “But you can tell us.” Kaiana snarled as she surged over the balcony and surrounded the Overlord with her body. Hunter stayed still to allow her to move as she chose. She snaked her head out to the rainbow mare and snarled, a flame in her throat. “Watch your mouth little pony.” She growled. “You are a guest here and that does not give you the right to expect anything of your host. Questions can be asked but none are expected to answer if they choose not to.” The silver matriarch growled, her anger on display. Hunter said nothing as he climbed up her side and got his head above her body, allowing him to look to the mares that had backed up at the vehemence of the silver dragon. Rainbow wisely backed away from her and Twilight came forward and bowed her head to the she dragon. “I am sorry for that. Please accept my apologies Lady Kaiana.” Twilight used her more formal speech in her apology to Kaiana despite using her name many times before. “I am not upset at you, Dear Princess.” She crooned to the Alicorn. “I still have belief in you and your words. Kindly keep your friend in her place. This is not her home.” Twilight raised her head and nodded to the she dragon. “I will make sure it doesn’t happen again. I know that Rainbow didn’t mean to be so RUDE.” Rainbow said nothing at the dragon’s angry glare and the withering glance from Twilight seemed to get her moving. “Right. Sorry about being so mean about it. I won’t ask again.” She assured them. “I will accept the apology,” Hunter said as he finally got free of the coils of the dragon and stood on her side as she moved under him. His hooves moved gingerly across her scales as she uncoiled until he stood tall on her side once more. “Do not let this happen again.” His voice was steel as he spoke to her. “Got it,” Rainbow said and nodded in understanding at his tone. Sorkeno came up from behind the silver female and looked over the small group. “It is ill-advised to insult the Master of the Netherworld and then try to force answers from him. You would do well to recall whose home you are in. Ensure that you do not make the same mistake again.” Sorkeno spoke evenly to them as Kaiana continued to eye the mare. “Understood.” Rainbow nodded as she shrank back from the looks coming from both dragons. Gnarl approached from the far side of the room and waited for the Overlord to look to him. “Master.” He said as the Overlord looked to him, red eyes bright. “Yes, Gnarl?” “Your next appointment has sent word that they will be a bit late. Light Gaze sends his deepest apologies to you for the delay.” The advisor said to him. “Understood. I will go and get ready for him ahead of schedule.” Hunter said to him and looked to the silver dragon who nodded to him. She lowered her snout to him and he jumped from her side to her nose and he quickly trotted up past her horns and settled behind her head, his grip strong on her scales. The dragon walked back to the balcony and she slid over the edge, her silver wings spread and carried the Overlord away from the group of them. Twilight watched as he vanished and she sat down heavily in place and glared at Rainbow who looked away from her. She watched as the dragon looked down to the mares that were sitting close to his paws and he lowered his head to them as he scooted his body back. “Do not upset him like that again.” He warned. “His business is his own. Unless he deigns to give the information, willingly. If it is mentioned again I will ask that you leave the Empire.” He said as he looked over to Twilight. “All of you will have to leave.” She nodded and got to her hooves again. “I am sorry for what happened.” “I do not blame you for what happened Little Princess,” Sorkeno said to her and a claw went out to her and he used it to lift her chin when she bowed her head to him once more. “I do have something to ask of you.” He said after a moment’s hesitation and his claws circled her barrel as he gently lifted her to sit on his snout, allowing him to speak more privately with her. “Of course.” She said once she settled on his snout. “Anything I can do you know I will.” “That is true.” He said to her. His eyes blinked at her and he gave a low sigh. “Those scars are a part of him, albeit a very sore part. Despite their age, they are still fresh to him.” She nodded as he went on. “He is self-conscious of them. He strives to keep them hidden at all times. While there are times where being hidden is a good thing, sometimes that action makes the wounds more toxic.” “What do you mean? Toxic?” She questioned. “They are a part of him that reminds him of other things and ponies that have hurt him. He hides them to keep from being questioned about their origins. He goes to great lengths to keep them hidden and that has become a part of his life that he cannot escape. He cannot escape them.” He went on. “What can I do? I can’t make them vanish.” “Of course not. I ask that you reassure him. He has grown accustomed to you and values your input. I wish for you to reassure him and bring a smile back to his face. I will trust you alone with this task.” He said to her. “But…What did happen? Soft Touch said that it was his story and I respect that. But…I’m not sure how to help if he pushes me away.” She lamented to the golden dragon, whose gaze softened. “She is correct. It is his story to tell, but in time that story can become a poison. It is still his choice is he speaks of it or not. I only ask that you ensure that knows that you will listen to him without judgment.” Twilight was quiet as she thought over what had been said. She recalled how when Spike had asked they were quickly hidden. And when they had played volleyball they had to wait while his armor was changed to hide both his lack of a cutie mark and his scars. She had not seen all of them and hadn’t asked since that first and only time with Spike. The purple Alicorn was quiet as she looked to her friends and leaned back over the dragon’s nose. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to help Sorkeno real quick!” She called down and the others waved to her in reply. She looked back to the golden dragon. “Lead the way and I’ll try.” Sorkeno stayed still as she went to the notches in his scales that had been put in place by Hunter and she tucked her hooves in place. She had to spread her hooves a bit more than was comfortable to sit in them properly. She tapped his scales with one hoof and the dragon turned to take her away from the others. She watched as his body slid over the ground and then over the balcony. She inhaled sharply at the sudden free fall and she managed to bite back a scream. Her hooves held tightly and she closed her eyes for a moment as the dragon's wings snapped open and his wings carried them into the Netherworld. The Princess looked back as the Dark Tower fell away behind her as the dragon soared up higher into the Netherworlds cavernous landscape. She hunkered down lower on the golden scales and turned to face forward as the sight of lights caught her attention. She saw Kaiana sitting on a balcony outside a large window and Sorkeno pulled up to land close to her. The purple Alicorn released her grip on the golden scales and she walked out onto his snout to ask him what she needed to do now. His claws gently gripped her and he set her gently on the stone floor under them. Kaiana looked down to her and leaned her head over to Sorkeno who spoke quietly to her and she nodded at his explanation. Kaiana lowered her head and looked at the nervous mare. “You are welcome to try to soothe him. I fear he is more upset about the intrusion into his privacy than we knew.” She admitted to the mare. “Please ease him if you can.” “I will try.” She whispered to her. The mare stalled at the window and Sorkeno nudged her past the window to an open door to the right of the window. She raised a hoof to knock but the dragon pushed her past the door frame and into the room. Her mouth dropped at the sight of the large pool-like bath off to her left and the cavernous room ahead of her. The ceiling was easily over thirty feet high or more at the least. Braziers of fire were lit along the edges of the room and statues of dragons sat in place against the walls. She walked out from the corner she was in and into the main room. She looked past the pool and to the right of the room to see a large bed covered in furs and a thick comforter. She couldn’t see Hunter anywhere and for a moment she was worried he had already left. “Twilight?” She froze at the sound of his voice and slowly looked over her shoulder to see him standing outside of a huge closet. His eyes were wide at the sight of her and she slowly turned to face him. She tried to speak but the words lodged in her throat as her cheeks flushed. He wasn’t wearing any of his armor and she could see the deep scars that crossed his right shoulder and went down the right side of his chest. “Come to gawk?” He growled at her. “No!” She quickly replied. “No, I promise you I didn’t. I was... I was… Asked to come to talk to you.” She finally began to explain. “By whom?” “Sorkeno.” Hunter looked uncertain for a moment at her admission and he looked to the balcony and then back to her. “And his reasoning was?” “He wanted me to make sure you were okay.” She explained. “He was afraid that you were hurt more than we knew by Rainbow.” Hunter was quiet as he considered what she had said and then walked toward her. “I’m fine.” “Kaiana seemed worried as well.” She replied as he stopped a few feet from her. Hunter’s annoyed expression faltered at the mention of the silver matriarch. “I was offended that’s true.” “I know she shouldn’t have said anything. I never told them anything about them.” “Of course not. You swore that you would keep them to yourself. I appreciate your discretion. But that does not really explain why you are here.” “Sorkeno may have thrown me in.” She joked to him, trying to make him laugh. He gave an amused noise and looked to the balcony once more before he seemed to relax and walked away from her to the wardrobe on the other side of the pool. Hunter fell quiet as he considered why the dragons would have wanted her here. “So what exactly did Sorkeno ask you to do?” She looked thoughtful for a moment. She exhaled and squared herself up to him to speak. “He said that it is your story to tell but in time the story can become toxic and can start to poison you. He wanted me to reassure you and let you know that if you wanted to talk about it I will always listen and not talk about what you tell me .” She explained quickly. Hunter could feel a sense of shock wash over him as she spoke and he nearly stormed out the door to give his favorite set of dragons a tongue lashing. He paused and looked at her as she panted for a moment and then looked at him once more. “I took that to mean that he wanted me to make sure you were okay. You don’t have to tell me or anypony anything if you don’t want to. I will always listen. I owe you that at the least. You have listened to me complain and obsess many times so far and haven’t judged me for it.” She said to him. “I also took it to mean that they are worried about you. He said it takes time for you to hide them and that it has become a routine to relive what happened every time you hide them or see them. I think they fear that it will start to poison you and turn you into a pony you’re not.” Hunter felt his eyes slowly widen at her. “That’s what you got from him talking to you?” “I may have read a lot into it.” She admitted with a sheepish look. “Or I overthought it.” He snorted a laugh and looked at her. The purple Alicorn stood across the pool from him and he considered the mare in front of him. She was well aware that he could have been infuriated by her intrusion and still did what she had been asked to by a worried dragon. She could have lied to him about why she was there and told him a story. Instead, she stuck to the truth and was honest with him. Despite his first inclination to throw her out and rage at a golden dragon, he stopped. “I had retaken the kingdom for a couple of years when I got a call from Everlight about a small situation.” He began as he turned around to look away from her. “I had allowed the Governess to remain at the head of Everlight after she swore fealty to me. I was…twenty one when I got the call from my sources in the city. I chose not to use Sorkeno to go there. I used one of my Gates.” “I saw the Netherworld Gates in the Empire and they were even bigger than the one in Nordberg and they were amazing.” She prompted. “Yeah. Grubby and the diggers really outdid themselves getting them all back in working order. We had lost them after my father vanished. Once they were back in our control I used them often. I chose to use the Gate to get there faster and tend to what I thought was a small situation that would not require a chunk of my army to accompany me. I…chose to leave without them.” He paused and he heard Twilight’s hooves on stone as she moved forward. He glanced over his shoulder and she was at the very edge of the bathing pool that separated them. He looked back to the window that was in front of him. His eyes scanned the walls outside of the window as the lava in the walls flowed. “I left the Gate and was ambushed just beyond it. I was knocked out by a hoof to the head since I didn’t have my helm either. Left it behind as well.” He said and he saw her looking more concerned as he spoke. “I awoke in a cage within a hole in the ground. My armor was gone and I could see minions were being held in cages similar to my own. They were the guards that were stationed in the city to protect it. My magic was able to break their cage doors and they, in turn, freed me.” He could hear Twilight breathing heavily behind him. A glance over his shoulder had her stepping back a step before she trained her eyes on him. He looked away from her and a hoof went over the deep scars that went from the middle of his shoulders on his back and then went down his right shoulder to the front of his chest. The scars had not healed well and his fur was a significantly lighter color over them. His fur had lightened to almost white over the scars making them stand out even more on his black fur. A sigh pulled from him as his hoof went back to the ground and he went on. “I moved around the grounds that we were being held in and found that there was a gate that we could get out but there was no way to open it. It was too thick for the limited minions I had with me and my magic could not open it. When it opened I thought we were being saved but it opened into a wide space that I later realized was an Arena.” “No.” Twilight’s voice was a bare whisper as a hoof went to her mouth. “So when you asked that pony, Top Quote, about the Arena you knew more than you let him think?” “Yes. I have intimate knowledge of the Arena that was there. I was in it. When I mentioned the attempted murder of myself I meant the use of the arena as a killing ground.” He admitted to her. “He gave her the idea of the Arena, but he was gone by the time I was placed inside it.” Twilight shook her head in disbelief and sniffled for a moment before training her gaze on him once more. Hunter was quiet as he thought back to that day. His mind was clear on what had happened and he could still feel the pain that came from the wounds that he had received. “I was not well versed in how to summon Sorkeno and at the time I did not call on him. When I walked out of the underground space I had the minions at my back with that was it. My weapons had been taken and I had no way to find them at the time. I have since learned spells to summon them and if needed I can find them with another spell. I could hear pony’s talking and looked above me to see a spectator’s box. The governess and a few of her supporters were inside.” He explained. “When I called out to her she told me to fight for my life and if I won then maybe she would release me as a servant of hers.” He chuckled at the memory and a glance to Twilight showed her shock at his tale and he looked away from her once again to the window. The black stallion paused before speaking and his hoof went to the scars on his chest once more and he closed his eyes as the memory washed over him. “They released several monsters that were small but there were quite a few of them. Just your basic creatures but enough to overwhelm if you didn’t plan properly. After a few rounds, I had gotten myself a weapon and was not wholly dependent on the minions to keep me alive. The arena was slowly cleared and we were the only one left breathing. We were close to the middle of the arena when the far door was opened. A Chimera erupted from the other door and charged us.” “A Chimera? Are they normal in this area?” “No. They are no indigenous to the Netherworld Empire. This one looked pretty worse for wear. By the look of it, I think it had been beaten into a rage and it acted as it saw fit. So I was not sure what I was looking at when it came toward us. The minions stayed in front to keep it from getting to me but they fell pretty quick against it. They had been stripped of most of their armor-like me so it wasn’t pretty. We backed up and eventually, we were pushed up against the wall of the arena. It got past them and I was able to fight it back for a while. Not easy to dodge a tiger's claws and a snakes tail. The goat mostly kicked when given the chance.” “How did you escape it?” He chuckled and looked back to her. “I didn’t.” His gaze went away from her and went back to the window. “The snake got a grip on my foreleg and the tiger swung down its claws and caught me in the back between my shoulder blades. I spun to get away from the snake and that dragged the claws through my shoulder and chest. I escaped the snake and didn’t even fully notice the claws until I had escaped them. The pain didn’t hit me until later due to the adrenaline. I was free of it but my shoulder was on fire and I…lost my temper.” “How do you mean?” “That same darkness I used in the Empire?” She nodded as understanding came over her. “Used it against the Chimera. I used everything around me to fight back. I picked up every weapon that was close to me and the dark magic coated every inch of the weapons and poisoned them. I brought them to bear and buried them in the animals hide. Not the fastest way to die but it began to burn the creature from within and killed it over time. I released my magic and collapsed in place. The remaining minions enraged the monster further and drew it away from me so I could drag myself into the shadows and hide as best I was able. Black fur did me a big favor.” He looked back and Twilight had tears going down her face and horror in her eyes. He looked at her and he could see her legs shaking as she stared at the scars on his body. He turned around and let her see them. The Alicorn was silent as he waited for her to come to understand what he had said. “What…Next?” She whispered out. “The Chimaera died shortly after I hid and the minions came back to get me to my hooves. In that time I had reached out to Sorkeno and I knew he was coming. It would take him over two hours to reach me though. Everlight is further away than Nordberg and it would take time for him to reach me. The minions kept me standing as the ones that weren’t needed to keep me standing went to get the Governess. She was dragged from the spectator seats and was dropped in front of me. I am sure I was quite a sight.” He chuckled. “How bad was it?” She asked, her voice quiet. “The cuts were over an inch or two deep in places. Since I had twisted away from it wasn’t as bad as it could have been but it was devastating.” He admitted as he looked to the scars. “I had blood going down my legs and sides which meant I was losing a lot of blood too fast. I had her bound for trial and collapsed again. They dragged her away from me to keep me from having to listen to her scream about…whatever it was. I had stopped listening to her since the pain was starting to hit me by then. I remember screaming and I do know I kicked a few of the minions as they tried to stop the bleeding.” He looked out over his room and then to the window that hid the two dragons, who’s shadows he could still see in the window. “You didn’t have the blue minions?” “No. They were in the Netherworld. I was a fool that day.” “You trusted your ponies to not hurt you.” She started. “I was a fool. I should have known better. That was the day that I abolished the noble caste. I chose to remove the titles after this happened.” She fell quiet and looked at the ground for several seconds. “What happened when Sorkeno got there?” Hunter barked a laugh. “I was still on the ground by the time he arrived. The bleeding had stopped but I did not have enough blood in me to move around easily. They had moved me into the middle of the arena to keep me warm. I had lost enough blood that I was going into shock and they were trying to keep me awake. Sorkeno landed in the arena and they gave me to him. He warmed me and I was able to get back to my hooves after that. He tried to get me to leave and go back home but now I was angry and chose to stay and exact punishment on those who had tried to kill me. I couldn’t move very fast but I got around fairly well. I was trying not to tear open my wounds so I ended up limping heavily on both forelegs since the tears began in between my shoulders. I should have gone home and had it tended to but I was being stubborn and I was an even bigger fool for it.” “What do you mean?” “It ended up infected.” He admitted with a chuckle. “As I said, I was a fool.” He said to her and she shook her head at his tone. “I chose to stay and bring down my judgment. I had her dragged out in front of the ponies that had been part of her council and what not. Some servants were there and I was now wearing a long cloak to hide the wounds. I called her out on her murder attempt and she tried to tell me that I was overreacting.” “Overreacting!?” Twilight nearly shrieked. “Exactly. That was about my reply. I lunged forward and slapped her hard enough to knock her down and tear open my shoulder and back in the process but I was beyond caring at that point. Sorkeno roared and that kept the crowd under control as I accused her of rebellion and proceeded to bring down my sentence.” “Which was?” “I sentenced her to the Arena.” He replied. “What?” “I put her back in it and had Sorkeno burn it to the ground. He destroyed the structure and brought it down around her. Once it fell he burned it to nothing and left it as ash.” “Wow,” Twilight said aloud. The black stallion went quiet as she processed what he had said. He allowed her time to understand his words and let her come to her own conclusions. “What happened when you got home?” She finally asked. Her voice weak and he could hear it quiver. “Sorkeno brought me home and the blues had to tear it open to clean it out. Their magic is strong but it can’t remove infection when its hours old and set in. The worst part was I was awake for the whole thing.” She cringed as he spoke. “The blues were able to clean it out but they had to leave it open due to the depth of the injury. It had to be cleaned frequently due to the depth and the trauma to the muscles and flesh. I got very little sleep and nearly refused to eat due to pain. Only Sorkeno could get me to eat anything and I slept out on the balcony with him and Kaiana. After a day or so the blues were able to heal it but it had been so broken that it left the scars you see now in place. My fur is actually nearly white over it so they show up against the rest of my coat.” He looked at the mare as she sat down and he watched as tears once more began to stream down her face and he felt his heart lurch as she began to openly cry. His mind suddenly slammed into place as he realized that she was not crying over what she had learned, she was crying for him. He surprised himself when he gathered his muscles and leaped the pool, nearly landing in it. The Overlord wrapped his forelegs around her, pulling her to his chest. He held her tightly as she sobbed against him, her hooves gripping his fur. The purple Alicorn held him as he set his cheek on her head and tried to soother her. He could feel her shaking against him as she cried. He ran his hoof through her mane and halfway down her back. He saw her wings fall to the ground at her sides and he kept holding her. He whispered to her and she slowly calmed again him. His magic summoned some tissues and he set them in front of her as she wiped her nose. He took another and wiped the tears from her face. He cleaned up her face as best he could and tried to smile for her. She sniffled and hiccupped and he pulled her to him once more. “Shush now. It’s all right.” He whispered to her. “It’s in the past and that is where it should remain.” His voice was quiet and barely above a whisper. “But.” She hiccupped against him. “Shh.” He laid his cheek against her head behind her horn and nuzzled her gently. “It’s all right.” She snuggled against him and he stayed still for her. The mare sniffled and calmed once more against him. He pushed her gently away from him and she tried to smile for him. He smiled at her and she sniffled as her eyes once more landed on the scars on his body. He reached out and gripped one of her hooves in his and set her hoof on the deep scars on his chest. She looked nervous as he let her go and sat still. He watched as she moved her hoof through his fur and followed the scars along his chest and shoulder. He lowered his head and neck, allowing her to see the beginning of the scars on his back. “They’re just…so…huge.” She whispered. “They aren’t easy to hide that’s true.” He admitted as she ran her hoof from his back in the path of the original wounds. “But you do get used to them.” “You say that. But…Are you really okay with them?” He chuckled. “For a long time, I looked into every book I could find on how to hide them completely. It was hard when I realized that they can’t be hidden forever and I had to relearn how to act with them. They hurt for a long time and wearing anything was agony. I managed to wear a cloak but walking hurt and I was not able to go anywhere alone for a long time.” “How long?” “About a year. I refused to even leave my room without at least ten minions in heavy armor. Wrath was at my side at all times. I had left him at home as well that day. Wrath still sleeps at the end of my bed, though now he has to compete with Dezhara.” He added with a chuckle and she sniffled through a laugh. “But it took some time. Gnarl had to deal with me jumping at my own shadow for a long time and even then I would strike out if it caught me unawares.” “What do you mean?” “For example, I had a servant come up behind me and I ended up kicking him in the chest out of nerves. Thankfully I didn’t hit him very hard but it was enough to earn me a bit of a reputation of being harsh to my servants. They all ended up learning to keep me at a distance due to my actions. I didn’t stop that belief since it worked to keep them away from me.” “You were worried they were going to attack you?” “More like I was worried they would knock me out and I would find myself bound once more. I was…not at my best during that time. Gnarl had to pick up a lot of slack since I was too freaked out and would hide with the dragons for days at a time. He used the policies from my father’s time as a guide thankfully. He was well aware that I had removed the noble caste, which made their titles and all that came with it useless, and he upheld that choice. Eventually, I got my confidence back and took my place back and the rest is history. I was still nervous for a while but it didn’t stop me for long.” Twilight took her hoof off his fur and leaned back. “It’s amazing they thought that they could kill you. You’ve fought back from so much and still kept your throne.” “It’s just what I had to do. I refuse to fall to anything less than a Lair of dragons.” Twilight barked a laugh and covered her muzzle with a hoof. “I’m pretty sure there are no dragons that would stand against you.” “The only ones that might be the ones in the mountains. Sorkeno led a group back in the old days and they are the ones that remain. Kaiana was the only adult that went with him.” “And she is your mom.” She replied. Hunter chuckled. “Exactly.” “They would face off against your dragons if they came down against you?” “Yes. And my army. The reds are immune to fire, the greens poison, the browns are the strongest, and the blues are immune to magic. Except for the Netherworld magic. And Sorkeno can fight against any and all types of dragon fire. Fire, Ice, water, it doesn’t matter.” “How? I thought he was just the leader of them?” “Golden dragons can use any and all types of dragon flames plus a few that as solely able to be used by them. They are rarer than the white and black combined. I think there is only one every generation. Or less I think.” He shrugged and she chuckled at his uncertain look. They both chuckled and she flushed red as she realized how close she was sitting to him and scooted back. He realized that he was sitting on her tail and he started to scoot back from her. “Agh!” He yelped as he fell backward and into the pool bath behind him. His head came out of the water and he groaned as Twilight began to laugh at him. “Are you okay?” She asked as she giggled through her hooves. “I’ll live.” He replied. He hauled himself out of the water and stood in place, water dripping from his fur and mane and tail. Twilight’s magic covered her horn and a towel appeared in front of him and he gripped it in his hooves. She conjured another and began to dry him off as well. He shook himself off when she backed up and he flipped his mane back and then flicked his tail to toss some of the water from it. “Well. I don’t need a bath tonight.” He quipped earning him a laugh from her. She was quiet as he was finally dry and she stepped up closer to him. “Thank you for telling me.” He looked at her and then to the balcony. “I suppose you would have found out anyway.” “I doubt it. Soft Touch wouldn’t even talk about it for more than a sentence.” She countered. “Gnarl may have said something then. I did not say for them to keep their silence. My actions afterward may have led them to think that they would be in trouble with me if they spoke about it.” He admitted. “Still. You could have sent me packing and that would have been the end of it.” She said to him. “True enough. But at the same time maybe Sorkeno was right about that.” “Which part?” “It would have started to become poisonous. In time maybe that’s true. Well, now you know.” He said to her. “Thank you again.” She said to him as he went to the room that held his bed and she watched as a set of armor slid over his frame and buckled into place. “Oh.” “Hmm?” “Umm.” She looked at him as he came back into the room, a black cloak going over his back and then over his flanks. “I…” “What? Now your tongue-tied?” She laughed and rubbed the back of her neck with her hoof. “In a month is the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot.” “Ahh yes. I got the invitation to it.” “You did?” Shew asked. “Are you going to go?” “Not planning on it. I have never been to Equestria. Why?” “Well. My friends and I are going to go.” “I assumed as much. You’re a Princess and your place is there.” “Would you…Umm…” “What?” He asked her, his head gave a slight tilt. “Would you go with me?” His eyes went wide as she spoke and he could feel his mind blank at her question. He could see the strong flush across her face and he paused at the sight. ‘Oh by the Dark. I admit that was the last thing I expected her to ask.’ He knew that he needed to answer but his mind had gone completely blank. “Can I get back to you about it? I mean I need to talk to Gnarl if it’s possible.” He said to her. “Of course. You have a kingdom to run and it wouldn’t be fair to expect you to drop everything.” She rushed out, a blush still on her face. “Master. Are you ready for your…Princess Twilight?” Gnarl said as he looked from the stallion to the blushing mare. “Gnarl!” Hunter wailed. “What have I said about knocking?” “We have never discussed it before, Lord.” “We might need to,” Hunter complained quietly. “Sorkeno brought her here to talk to me about Rainbow and her lack of tact.” He quickly made an excuse and Twilight frantically nodded. “Yes, exactly. I was asking if we could make it up to him somehow.” She rushed out. “She just got here.” He added in and she nodded. “I see. Well, Light Gaze has arrived and your audience is ready to begin. He once again adds his apologies for being late.” “It happens. I’ll forgive it this time.” He replied. “I will meet you down there Gnarl.” “Of course Sire.” The minion bowed as he turned and left the Overlords private quarters. Hunter watched until he was out of sight before he sagged in his armor and whistled in shock. “Oh man.” Twilight sat down and put her hooves over her face, which was still bright red. “Wow. That was…” “Awful?” She shook her head. “Uncomfortable?” She shook her head again. “Really damn awkward?” “Yes!” She wailed in reply and hid behind her hooves once more. “Yeah, that was bad.” He agreed and sat down. “I am so getting a lecture from this.” “On what? Keeping your guests out of your room?” “That too.” He said to her. “As well as being careful with mares in my room.” She looked up at him and her eyes went wide as her face went even redder. Her wings came off her back and she gripped them in her hooves and hid behind them. She whimpered behind her wings and he began to chuckle and soon it evolved into full laughter and he held his sides as he laughed. He saw Twilight’s face come out from behind her wings as he fell to his side laughing and she tried not to laugh with him, but failed and was soon holding her own sides as she laughed with him.