//------------------------------// // Chapter 46 // Story: Refined Starlight in a Broken Vessel // by the-pieman //------------------------------// Not feeling up to heading back to the messy and empty library, I figure I can do something with the candy I just bought. Even though school isn’t in session I can still find the children. I haven’t seen anyone other than Myrna and kinda Twilight since I got out. I guess the best place to go is the Frothy Mug. I recall something about cider as well, but honestly I find it hard to believe that it’s as good as the CMC said it was I mean... apple juice, cinnamon, sugar, maybe a few other spices, what else is there to really do with cider? Guess I can ask later. I get to the bar relatively easily and, as usual for midday it’s pretty quiet, few patrons, all that “slow day” stuff. I sit down at the bar and set my bag of goodies on the counter next to me. I give Stoic a greeting nod which he returns. The two other ponies in the bar are sitting off to the side and having a game of cards, while in a different corner, closer to the bar itself, I can see Berry’s kids playing quietly, one of them building with blocks, and the other drawing. So for the most part I just sort of sit around, thinking to myself on how to approach anything really. I’m just in this sort of... miasma. Is that even the right word? I don’t really know. It’s not quite apathy or this dark cloud over my head it just feels like I’m going through paces to make things happen, but I’m not actually making anything happen. Like a hamster trying to go somewhere on it’s little wheel. “So...” I ask aloud. “How do normal folks deal with nothing to do?” Not really aimed at anyone in particular, I’m open to any suggestions. Safer than asking /b/ at least. “Well, some get hobbies,” Berry says, stepping over, “And some get jobs. Depends on if you wanna have money or free time. Personally, I play with my fillies or plan out new ideas for my business.” she leans on the counter, smiling. “So, anything I can getcha, Anthony?” she offers. I think for a bit. “Nah, not today. I mean, I have no idea what my limit is even with my Core. Dunno how much I can take in the alcohol range when I don’t have a Super Filter in the middle of my chest.” I pause. “That and I spent my last Bit on candy, so... yeah, there’s that.” I decide to continue with her suggestion. “So if I were to get a hobby, I don’t really know what’s available around here. Most of my previous hobbies involved collecting stuff, or tech that you guys don’t have access to.” “Hmm... Idunno much about tech... how d’ya feel about woodworking?” she asks, eyebrow raised. “I can whittle stuff into smooth or sharp edges but that’s about it, nothing fancy. Haven’t even done anything like it since I was a Scout. What a waste of time that was...” “Scout? Like the military rank, or...?” “Boy Scouts. Basically they’re a group who ‘turns boys into men’ in various ways. Teaching them how to survive out in the wilderness, carve, climb, make fires and hunt with the barest of materials... kind of like a school of sorts for ‘survival in any situation’.” Berry nods. “That sounds like a good program.” she comments, but I shake my head in response. “I got pretty sick of it when I joined. It was... not as advertised.” I sigh. “I learned more from their handbook than any of the actual instructors, and... it just wasn’t my scene. There were so many ‘scout meetings’ and so little ‘doing’ that it was like they were quite literally all talk and no action.” “Aaaah; sounds like you’d do well in a pegasus school; Stoic’s told me a few stories from his school days, and the hooves-on approach was the default.” she says, sliding a white drink to me. The mug of drink steams slightly. “Uh... I don’t have any money...” “It’s alright, it’s on the house for ya. Steamed milk, with a little dash of vanilla flavoring; Ruby loves it, thought you might, too.” I decide to give it a shot. “Not a bad idea, the pegasus school thing that is, but I can’t fly and I’m pretty sure I’m a little old for school... speaking of, Twilight had a test to take today in Canterlot. Took her friends with her and she still isn’t back. It’s what, three or something? What sort of test takes that long?” “Twilight’s got a test in Canterlot? That must be something important. Last time we’d heard something about her being tested, she almost obliterated the town by accident.” Berry shakes her head. “As for what kind of test it could be, well... idunno, maybe she’s being trained to be a noble? Her folks’re from Canterlot, right?” “I guess so, but if she’s going to be a noble, wouldn’t that mean that she’d stay in Canterlot for... the rest of ever? I mean, as far as I know, most of Canterlot’s nobility is political. At least, that was my impression.” I think that over. “She could end up an ambassador for Ponyville, but what sort of training is that gonna take?” The barmare thinks, hoof to her chin. “Hmm... I have no idea. Maybe she’s getting her own land ‘cuz she saved the world from Nightmare Moon?” Berry suggests, sounding puzzled. “Maybe. Or heck, it could be something else. Maybe she’s being appointed as a new princess.” I say. “I mean, it kinda fits. One, she’s related by blood to someone who married existing royalty, her brother and Cadence. So her being a princess at least on paper is totally on the table, depending on how hierarchies go around here. On top of the fact that she’s pretty much ‘Celestia’s Chosen’ we just don’t really know what she’s chosen for.” Berry and Stoic nod at this. “You’ve got a good point,” Berry agrees, “And frankly, I don’t know her all that well, so I don’t really have anything more than speculation. You live with the mare and you’ve got no idea.” “That’s actually a problem I have with Celestia in general. She doesn’t really... explain her actions. I may be stubborn in this way, but I just don’t trust a leader who keeps things secret when they really don’t need to be, or just acts so... Idunno, two-faced.” “Well, why should she explain herself to us? I mean, I trust her just fine. She’s been doing the job perfectly well for a thousand and more years; until recently, there hadn’t really been any disasters or anything in Equestria.” “Yeah, a lot of people say that, but it just seems... unrealistic. Unless something happened recently. I mean, what did change so that all this crazy stuff happens? Personally, I’d like to be informed, or at least be told what is known.” Berry nods. “The only thing different, right before everything changed... was Twilight showed up. Shortly after, Nightmare Moon attacked Ponyville, Discord attacked Ponyville, the parasprites attacked Ponyville, there was that shortage of grain centered around Ponyville, though that turned out to be a marketing scam by some big company based in Manehattan... oh, and those two hucksters tried to buy out Sweet Apple Acres from the Apples, and then tried to cheat them out of the farm.” Huh. “And me showing up, then demons showing up. And yet, none of that is related to Twilight in any real way... Too much of a coincidence, but no solid connection. I’m not saying it’s being orchestrated but... you know.” Berry smiles and replies, “Well, the connection is obvious; you were brought by Twilight, who summoned for Nightmare Moon. Duh.” she snarks. “And the universe traded one evil for another huh, guess that figures.” I joke back. “I mean, come on, eternal night? What kind of plan is that? At least I’m creative when I do bad stuff.” “Pfft, bring back the night so we can’t see your face anymore.” she replies. Stoic, washing a glass, smirks. I return the facial gesture. “See, this is why I don’t get along with Twilight. She’s too... straightforward. Doesn’t take jabs, or any sort of back-and-forth. She’s a great foil, best straight man I could ask for, but she just...” I chuckle. “She just doesn’t have that... thing I need from her to really get along. I like her, she’s nice, but just so different and I tend to not like the idea of changing myself just to bridge a gap in a relationship. So I give her a hard time like I would any friend.” “Fair enough. From what I’ve seen, she’s pretty high-strung though.” “She’s fun to prank and make fun of, not with.” I say, repeating her statement in my own words. “I mean, why do you think I like Discord so much?” Berry shakes her head. “That I’m not sure of... he just seems so menacing. I mean, we ponies like to smile, sure, but his... it just doesn’t seem like it’s a happy smile.” “Oh, it is. Trust me, it is. The problem is he’s like a kid. Nobody was ever able to tell him ‘No’ or when to stop. So he doesn’t, and assumes it’s all fun. I’m no registered psychologist, but I can tell the difference between being malicious and not knowing better. I mean, you’re a mom, imagine if your kids we’re basically spoiled brats their whole lives because they never listened to you.” She nods. “I can understand that, sure, but I still don’t think I like him.” she says. “Which is fine. Ya don’t have to like everyone, after all. I just think he deserves a chance at being put in time-out rather than a nationwide demonizing. Of course, that’s not up to me, but I just like having my opinion being considered. May not always know what I’m talking about, of course but... I’d rather take part in things that affect me or my point of view. Voice your opinion, or you can’t change anything.” “Yeah, I suppose.” she sounds like she’s starting to lose interest in the conversation, though that could just be me. “Alright, I guess I’ve whined in your ear for long enough, I’ll see you later. Have a nice day.” I grab my bag of candy and finishing the drink given to me, I start for the door. Passing the table the kids are sitting at, I put a small bag of the pop rocks I bought in front of them. They stare at the bag. I just say “Enjoy the candy.” and they look even more interested. I leave with the rest of my goodies, figuring the fillies will tell their classmates about it next time they’re at school. Leaving the bar, I begin looking for other things to do. Though my conversation with Berry does make me think. What is this unspoken connection between Twilight and everything getting weird? The big question is, does Celestia see the connection as well, and if so, what does she make of it? I mean, I doubt she planned for events to go like that but it is something that is hard to overlook. She has to have at least an opinion on it. The other question from there... why not talk about it, not even to Twilight? Or if she has, why tell Twi to keep it a secret? That’s the thing, I can’t tell what Celestia is thinking with some of her... odd decisions. I mean, she’s smart, I’ll give her that, nobody could run a country for centuries and not learn a few things even if they started out a total idiot. But... she just has this... I’m not sure. I can’t tell exactly when she’s lying and what she’s lying about, but she just seems untrustworthy. Sure, a lot of people could stand to take my advice, but thinking of Discord, how was I the first one to explain to her that if you keep punishing someone, they’ll eventually lash out? And if I wasn’t, why wouldn’t she extend that to Discord? Doesn’t add up. On the other hand, it would be interesting to do a bit of research on her. But that would require digging through the library’s mess of books on the floor to find the history books. Laziness, or education? Laziness. Definitely laziness... I figure I could wander through Ponyville, find what else there is to do. But what is there, really? I meander around, looking at buildings and try to come up with something. I’ve had two people thus far suggest a hobby, but what could I do that would entertain me and I wouldn’t get bored of it? Hmm... y’know, I have to wonder; is there a swimming pool in this town? Like, a public one? I know I saw a bowling alley somewhere around here, but Idunno if bowling alone sounds like it’d be fun for even a little bit. Also, it tends to be pretty pricey. This place needs a rec center or somewhere you can get information on what is actually in the town. It is pretty big. And really, I’ve hardly explored any of it. I had a map of Whitetail woods, but not one of Ponyville itself showed up, now that I think about it. Maybe it’s in another book, but I honestly don’t really know what Ponyville looks like on a cartographical level. Where can I go to get information without having to sort through the library? If you want to know about a town, ask the rats. Question is, where do I find the rats? What sort of ‘underground’ does Ponyville even have? Unlikely to just randomly trip over it, but what does it take to really ‘know’ this place? On the other hand, do I want to know? Guess not. I just want something to do. I’m just... wandering. I need to do something! Nothing presents itself though, and I have no clue as to where I need to start searching. I sigh and decide to return to the library. Maybe I will find something there, maybe I won’t, I just don’t want to be immobile. And the place is exactly as I left it, a mess of books and papers everywhere. So many books, and not a single clue as to where I’d find one I want. Practically wading through the piles I enter the kitchen for probably the fifth time since I moved in. Getting hungry is annoying. If I had money I could probably expand the pantry in here, go shopping. But without any more Bits I’m stopped there as well. I search the cabinets for something I can eat and, recalling the massive platter of food I got the other day, decide to at least work my way through it. God I’m bored. I could set something on fire. Oh, great, you again. I’m fucking bored, what do you expect!? To not have myselves show up. Yeah well, when all you have is yourself... Fuck you too, pal. I am you. I know what I said. At least I’m not monologuing anymore. It’s introspection. Fifteen minutes of telling yourself you’re bored isn’t introspection. Got a better plan? Punch something, burn something, sit in your room and listen to music. Shut up you moron, we would if we fucking could. How many of me are here today anyways? I count about five maybe, hard to tell. That’s reassuring. Hey, safety in numbers. There’s only one of us, dipshit. Two heads are better than one. How about one head and the same voice overlapping itself inside it? Now you’re trying to define what I am. Categories are important for organization. Who are you calling organized? Fuck my life. Whiner. Is this the part where we fight over who gets to be in charge? Nobody’s in charge, ever. Boy, if that were true. Amen. Am I going to do anything productive? Tomorrow you’ll wake up do a bunch of stuff and then go back to sleep. Am I seriously doing this? Everything you know is wrong, black is white up is down... Fucking hell. Hey, we could be emo instead. Is that really worse? Define worse first. Worse would be when you try to compromise with yourself rather than fighting. Have to agree. How long is this gonna take? Which part? Who gives a fuck? I pause, looking over at the clock. It’s been an hour and a half, and I’ve literally just been here, talking -no, thinking- to myself... kinda I... I need a hobby. I need a hobby now. I hope I can find the books on origami or something, because otherwise I’m going to go from ‘crazy’ to ‘lost cause’. The problem there is that I’ve already been over this. And Origami is boring. Oh don’t you start. It started when I called it ‘crazy’. That was about fifteen years ago. You’re not going away, are you? You remember what happens if we do, for good, right? It’s a slippery slope pal. Ugh, I need to get out of here. Where is here anyway? The library. Why am I such a smartass? Why do I ask stupid questions? Because I’m a dumbass, of course. Nobody’s arguing that. Are we agreeing? Have to admit, I’m waiting for air raid sirens now. They don’t have those in Ponyville. Yeah, ‘cause they have no idea what ‘prepared for assault’ means. I’m jarred from my ‘introspection’ by a loud, sudden BANG at the door, followed by some more subdued knocking a moment later. Honestly, it sounds like someone drunk had tried getting into the library and briefly forgotten how doors work. I sigh and walk up to the door, pushing the books aside with my feet as I pass and open the door. “Can I help you?” A tall pegasus on the other side of the door gives me a toothy grin. “Do ya got any booze in there?” she asks, already pushing to get in. A series of what look like leather straps hold a sheathed sword under one of her wings, the handle looking very simple in design. “If there was booze in a public library, Twi’d probably get shut down pretty fast.” I point out. “Also, if she drank, she’d be so much easier to deal with.” The pegasus looks around. “No booze? That sucks. So, whatcha doing right now, little bro?” she asks, stepping on the books in passing. I can’t help but wince, she hasn’t wiped her hooves and Twilight’s gonna go on a rampage when she sees the results of this. “Nobody’s ever called me ‘little bro’, not even my older sister. Also, who are you calling little, shortstack?” I estimate I’m about half a meter taller at the very least. She’s bigger than most ponies, but she’s still puny. She ‘pats’ me on the hip with a hoof and nearly knocks me over into a pile of books. “‘Cuz you’re really young, so you’re the little brother. C’mon, let’s go find something to do. Or somepony to do. Either way, I’m bored already. Let’s have some fun!” “Define what sort of fun we can have in Ponyville. I exhausted most of my options months ago.” I deadpan. Granted I haven’t really looked around, but there can’t be that much else to see in a farming town. “Ah c’mon, farmers always have the best booze. Oh! Maybe we can go fight something, there’s that big scary forest on the edge of town, right?” she suggests, “Bet a dragon would be fun to fight. Good warmup. Get it?” “I heard better puns in kindergarten. Last I knew, the biggest threat in the Everefree are Changelings, and I’ve been roped into a sort of peace treaty with the buggers. Though if you know of someone who won’t mind getting punched in the face I’d be down with that I suppose.” The violent nature of this pony is... rather jarring. That’s pretty odd, all things considered. I’m willing to bet they’re putting up some sort of façade, trying to act like what they think I act like. Meh, I’ll see where this goes. “And afterwards, we can fight each other. Oh, have you had any kinda training? I hope so, or you’re gonna get your face pushed in. I can’t fix that too well, but the scars’ll look great!” she says, practically prancing into the late afternoon sun. “I haven’t had any real training in anything but basic swordplay.” I answer truthfully. “All other times I’ve tried to get any actual combat learning, they just wanna stick to breathing techniques and stances. No real self defense at all. I gave up on that years ago.” “Ah, swords? My favorite. So, fighting first or drinking? I mean, fighting sober is easier to follow, but drunken swords? That’s just awesome.” “You ever get told that you’re trying way too hard?” I say, getting tired already of this bullshit. “Sometimes. I don’t care, to be honest; why change just cuz someone else doesn’t like ya?” she asks, heading for the Everfree at this point. I sigh and follow after. I guess I’m gonna have to humor her until she stops paraphrasing statements I’ve made. This is as annoying as those fans who misquote actors’ lines in front of them. Almost immediately, I notice something’s off as she enters the forest; for one, she doesn’t even hesitate before just trampling through the undergrowth, with none of the ‘this might be bad’ type of reaction even some of the Changelings had; whoever this is, she’s so overconfident she’s ignoring the forest entirely. “Hey, look for some wood that glows green, or the really bright blue flowers! Don’t touch the flowers though, we’re just looking for ‘em.” “So, what’s your name, you never said.” I figure if I can get her talking about herself, she’ll drop this front of hers. She just seems way too... on my level for a pony. Also, I’m wondering what she meant by younger. I’m not a genius on pony physiology but I highly doubt she’s much older than me. And by what account does she consider me her brother? I have to wonder if she’s sane, honestly. Wouldn’t want her to get hurt just because she’s nutso, so I follow into the forest. “I’m Gladius. You’re Anthony. You see any of that wood yet?” she asks, shoving a rotting log aside and looking around. “Whatcha want from it?” Getting a little... iffy on sticking around her. “Oh, Timberwolves come from it, and they hunt in packs. Good way to get ‘em angry is to bust up some of the Wood, and then you can get the whole pack to fight! ... I haven’t fought a full Timberwolf pack in ages.” she says, a slightly-manic grin on her face - as something growls not far behind me. “Tell you what, Gladius. You head back to Ponyville before you get yourself hurt, okay? Dunno what you’re on right now, but there’s a difference between bravado and actual skill...” She turns to face me, looking confused - then looking above my head with a growing grin. A second growl, this one deeper and making my shirt blow in the resulting breeze, sounds from right behind me. I turn around carefully. I’ve got the feeling whatever it is, isn’t friendly or happy, and is probably trouble. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a massive wall of wood, thin lines and whorls of glowing green running through it. At first I think it’s a tree made of that wood she’d mentioned until it moves and the leg that’d be behind me shifts aside to let a huge, canine head lower itself down to get its eye near me. I have that ‘not friendly’ feeling again and ball up a fist, before recalling an important fact. I’m depowered. If I die from this, I am haunting this damn pony for a century. A scream -a joyful scream, even- rips itself from Gladius’ throat as she launches herself at the giant Timberwolf, the sword held by the grip in her teeth. A flap of her wings flings her right at the wooden animal’s head, and she stabs into the thick wood and vines. At first, I wouldn’t think much of it, except that she crows happily at the stab wound, which immediately ignites in response. A gout of rust-red and bronze fire pours from the wooden wolf who makes sounds of anger and pain, rearing back and throwing Gladius off with an indignant squawk. I, for my part, begin doing my best to duck around the distracted creature and aim for the way we came, planning on getting away from this with only minimal injury. Worrying part is, the moves this pony is using are... on point. A second battlecry announces her diving in from the sky, taking the Timberwolf on the nose and shoving that into the dirt, while also ripping the sword out and across the thing’s eye in another gout of flames. Howls from nearby are closing in but... damn, this is actually pretty awesome, in an action-movies-are-cool way, but I really wish I wasn’t experiencing it first hand like this. Because in most action movies, the main characters tend to get really fucked up. If I end up in the hospital again, I’m going to have this mare taken away. She’s clearly some sort of unstable war vet. I decide to make my retreat a bit more hasty, and make a dash for the entrance to the forest. Only about twenty feet down the trail, I’m greeted by a cackling Gladius crashing into the ground ahead of me, feathers askew and fire in her eyes. And no, that’s not a metaphor, there is literal flames pouring from her eyes, and I’m more than a little worried at this point. “Anthony! Stop runnin’, and get in there! You need a sword? I got a spare!” she shouts, flicking her wing and a two-foot-long length of sharpened bronze embeds itself in the mud at my feet. “C’mon, you wuss!” “I’m not a wuss, you’re a fucking psycho!” I reply, grabbing the pony by her scruff and doing my best to drag her back to town. “We need to get out of here before someone gets hurt.” “Ah, c’mon, don’t be a downer! I thought you were cool.” she says, beating her wings and pulling me along towards the battle; I, of course, let go. “I don’t care if I’m cool or not, I’m not a complete dipshit and know a battle I’ll lose when I see it!” I defend. “Dunno if you heard, but I’m kind of lacking the ability to actually beat the shit out of things, meaning I can’t save you if you get your ass handed to you!” She turns around, and I see the Timberwolf behind her; it’s not rearing up to attack though, there’s a lot of it smouldering, and it looks in pretty bad shape. “Just grab the sword! You’re a damned champion, whether you wanna be or not!” she shouts, just as a smaller timberwolf moves into view between town and me, the sword between us. I scowl and grab the sword. “When this is over, I’m going to beat the shit out of your skull until you grow a brain and can understand the differences between ‘want to’ and ‘actually can’.” Taking a deep breath in, I hold the shortsword in a hand-and-a-half position, straight up right in front of me. I move my feet into position. I haven’t done this since Summer of 2011, and that didn’t involve an opponent with malicious intent. I wait for the Timberwolf to respond, taking small steps to it’s right, and keeping my stance as solid as possible. The wolf growls, ‘only’ about as tall as my hips, but it seems determined to attack - if a little uncertain. It growls again, before getting ready to charge, judging by its stance. I do my best to mimic the movements my instructor taught me. It’s not the same, but treating the wolf like the sword and arm of another person is the best I can do in this situation. I tilt my sword a bit to the side, getting ready to deflect a standard ‘stab’ move. The wolf will have a lot more momentum though, so I should probably move out of the way at the same time, if the mud on the ground allows me to do so while keeping balance. I focus on my motions in my head and take breaths as steadily as possible. Can’t panic. And never make the first move. If they can see it coming, they’ll have the first advantage. What else was there? Damnit... been too long. Is my grip even right? Was it left leg ahead, or- focus! The wolf lunges forward, and I’m forced to dodge to the side, sword coming down in an involuntary chop - more instinct than training there, but it’s hard to remember technique in a real fight. The sword, much to my amazement, is heavy and sharp enough that the hit on the wolf’s shoulder makes a sound like an axe before being tugged out of my hands, embedded in the wood. Shit, there goes that option. I have to get close if I want a chance at survival. Why’d that bitch have to drag me into this? Okay, keep calm... as calm as you can. Deep breaths... maybe I can get the sword back. Just don’t do anything fancy or reckless. Another sword, this one with a much simpler guard-wrap, something I’ve never actually had when using the training swords my instructor handed out, slams into the ground, smoking slightly. A glance to the side from me and the wolf lets us both see Gladius, teeth on the giga-wolf’s ear, getting rolled into the mud and come up the other side, still biting and trying to wrestle something the size of a small truck. And, from the look of things, winning. Whatever drugs she’s on, I want some. Maybe not for everyday use like her, but... damn. However.... I now have another sword, and time to actually think this round. Grabbing the handle, I feel my breathing slow and an odd sense of calm settle over me. I can do this. I don’t know how I know, but I can. Steeling myself, and returning to my defensive stance, I grip this sword tighter and prepare for a second strike. This time it seems I can remember a bit clearer. Handle in both hands, off-hand behind primary, left foot back. Even the wolf looks less sure now that I have my ground, and my confidence swells. Blade slightly to the right of my center, held at a very slight angle outwards, and a firm grip. When it lunges, I’ll pull my sword to the left, and deflect with my blade standing vertical the entire way. Then, follow with horizontal swipe from the right, catching them as they try to reorient from the deflection. I can do this! I have no idea what comes over me, but I give the wooden-skinned wolf a glare and actually egg it on. “Come at me, bitch!” The wolf’s eyes narrow, before it lunges, my hands moving almost as if they had a mind of their own. The blade of the bronze sword hits the wood and -instead of catching- slides through the wood like the slide hammer I’d used for chopping firewood; the strike was off-center, and ‘only’ shaves off a quarter of the wooden head from muzzle to neck, but the canid yelp of pain tells me that it was enough. The wolf begins backing off, head held low and remaining ear back, and I’m faced with a choice; leave a hostile wood-animal-thing to potentially leave the forest and attack the town, or be merciful and let it be. Not taking my eyes off of it, I figure the safest but most effective thing to do... I move around it and deliver a downward diagonal slice, usually a response to a deflected lunge, taking out one of its back legs. They don’t seem to bleed really, so I figure crippling it permanently and letting it live would work best. If it does come back, it’ll have a disadvantage I can exploit. Not exactly humane, but... necessary. The wolf cries out, hobbling away to the edge of the clearing where it does something that sends a thrill of fear through me - a series of sticks from the ground fly through the air and bind themselves into the shape of a new leg, and it bounds into the woods. Shit. Turning back towards where Gladius is, I see her sitting and staring at a large pile of flaming wood. Well... that certainly solves that problem... however, I need to ask her what the actual hell is going on; she’s not a unicorn, so how is she throwing fire around? Why didn’t she tell me these Timberwolves can just regenerate? What kind of drug is she even on?! I grab her yet again, and pull her towards the forest entrance again. “Come on, we’re going to talk about this once we’re back in town.” I also make sure I keep a grip on the sword I grabbed from her. “Over drinks!” she amends, grinning happily. “Where’s the tavern?” she asks, looking up at me. The fire isn’t coming out of her eyeballs anymore, so that’s good at least. Idunno about taking her to the bar, though, given the copious amounts of flammable liquids there, but... well, actually, no, now a drink sounds pretty good. Also, why does my everything sting? A glance down reveals that I’m covered in tiny scratches; nothing showing more than maybe a dot of blood that’s already clotted, but damn does that sting. Sighing, I lead her to the Mug and figure I can ask about a mental hospital I can get her checked into. I enter the establishment for the second time today. I really hope Berry knows a good place I can drop off this crazy mare at. THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD Oh, who the hell is knocking so lou- Okay, trying to open my eyes is a terrible idea. What did I do to Celestia that she’s upped the sun for me this morning? Wait... when did I go to bed? I’m still fully dressed... and not in a bed... Looking around with my eyes half-shut and squinting, I see I’m definitely in the library again, and it’s a bigger mess than before, with a few books completely ruined. Shit, Twilight is going to learn dark magic just so she can torture me to death and back to life again. Also... there appears to be a very large Timberwolf head now mounted to a board and waiting to be attached to a wall somewhere. Given that the head is heavily charred and the size of, well... me, I’d hazard it’s from the one Gladius killed yest- Wait, where’s Gladius? THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD Everything damn it all! Why is everything so loud?! “Anthony! You alright in there?” comes the muffled voice of Berry Punch, apparently though the library door. And yet, in spite of being muffled, it’s the most painfully loud thing I’ve ever heard in my life, including both the concerts I’ve been to. “You were pretty drunk last night, I just wanna make sure you got home okay!” “‘M fine...” I mutter, hopefully loud enough for her to hear. Wait... I got drunk? Damnit. I sigh and do my best to sit up. Eventually finding myself on my feet and very wobbly, I feel the weakness in my legs like I hadn’t eaten in way, way too long. I head over to the door and open it as slowly as possible, hoping to let in as little light as possible at a time. I also note that the hinges haven’t been tended to in the last... year. I cough for a sec, and groan out a proper reply. “Sorry to worry you...” Berry looks up at me in worry. “Yeah, I hadn’t seen you get drunk before; did you do that regularly where you’re from?” she asks, a note of concern in her voice. She has taken it down a bit, and I’d guess she’s recognized my hangover. “The sheer act of getting more than a bit fuzzy in the head officially breaks my life-long track record. I don’t even know how I act under the influence... please tell me I’m not a violent drunk.” I plead. “No, no, you weren’t anything bad, if a bit more ‘down’. Mostly you chatted with several of the other patrons, and then started explaining, ah... I believe was something called Who? Or Doctor Who? I think that was it.” I sigh and grasp my throbbing forehead as I lean against the doorframe. “Okay, so I geeked out, that’s fine. Long as I didn’t-” “Of course, after that, you came back here with two mares and that third one that came with you to the Mug.” I wince as my brain vomits violently. “Motherfucker... This is not what I needed...” I sigh. “Okay... I’m just going to hope I didn’t do anything, and go on from there. As for the mare that came with me... she was... do you know of a place where I can take someone who is mentally ill and very violent?” “Mentally ill? She seemed quite fine, even if she did drink like she couldn’t feel the alcohol. Really boastful, though, I hope she never meets Rainbow Dash.” “She basically lured me to the Everfree and... uh... I don’t remember much but I know that whatever happened there resulted in us being back at your bar.” “She said you’d helped her take out an Alpha Timberwolf and a whole pack of others; I’d guess from your scratches she wasn’t lying.” Berry says, then jolts, apparently, remembering something. “Oh, you left something at the bar, I brought it along and... huh...” she pauses, looking into her saddlebag, before looking puzzled. “The sword isn’t here, I could’ve swore I’d...” she trails off, looking next to my leg. A glance to side reveals the sword, gleaming softly in the sunlight, leaning next to the door. “She probably left out the part where she started that fight... This is hers, but with her acting the way she was, I say we keep weapons out of her reach.” I sigh, grabbing the sword and... woah. A wave of dizziness comes over me and I stumble a bit. I go to grab my head and I feel... actually a bit better. Not by much, but... the hangover is less. “Anyways, uh... do you know who the other mares I left the bar with were? I want to apologize for... anything that might have happened.” “Oh, yes, it was Flitter and Cloudchaser; Flitter seemed especially snuggly with you.” Berry says, shooting me a small smirk. “Y’know, when you aren’t acting so high strung, you’re surprisingly charming.” “I’m pretty good at faking charm.” I agree. “Alright, well I’ll see if I can track them down. I hope I didn’t do anything regretful. Thanks for checking up on me. Oh and if you see Gladius again... remind her she shouldn’t go about picking fights with Everfree wildlife.” “Will do. You’re gonna want some water and heavy foods in your system, it’ll help the hangover. Seeya later, Anthony!” I nod and wave before closing the door. Heading to the kitchen, I get a glass and fill it up at the sink. That and the mountain of leftovers I still have from the restaurant Myrna took me to will work. Once I’ve hydrated and eaten I head upstairs. I guess I’ll take a shower, get myself cleaned up and hopefully wake myself up faster. As I get to the bottom of the stairs, though, two pegasus mares are coming down them, both with identical colors and the same messy frazzle of notably unkempt hair. “Hey Anthony!” one of them says, coming over and nuzzling my belly with her face and hugging me. “Thanks for listening to me last night, it was really nice to have somepony to talk to.” before heading towards the door, the other smiling and nodding as well. Okay... as long as that’s all that happened, I think I’m safe. Thank goodness. Last thing I wanted to do was lose it to some random chick, let alone a pony... sighing in relief I head upstairs and when I get to the bathroom, I hear water running already. Figuring there were only so many options, I knock on the door. No answer, but just to be sure I knock a bit louder. “Yeah? Whozzat?” comes the response from inside the bathroom; it’s very definitely Gladius’ voice. “The guy who you dragged into random combat and got absurdly plastered. Just a heads up, he’s pretty pissed off.” “Awesome. You wanna spar once I’m done? Or come and join me? I noticed you didn’t join when we got really started last night, ya just kinda passed out in that chair.” The tone in her ‘come join me’ makes it pretty clear she doesn’t mean for just showering, and my face twists into a scowl. “Thank the stars I didn’t!” I hear a snort from the bathroom at that, “I have a reputation to maintain you know, and it’s actually one worth maintaining!” “Yeah, you save people! Also, no need to thank me, but you did look pretty awesome when you finally squared up on that one wolf.” “I mean a reputation that I won’t get in someone’s pants at the drop of a hat, if I lost my damn virginity to a pony I’d wring your neck!” “Ah, c’mon, you seemed pretty close to what’s-her-name, Twitter? She seemed to like ya.” I grasp my temple. “You are a real piece of work, you know that? Who the fuck raised you? Vikings?” “What’re Vikings? And besides, nobody raised me, we’re stars! Why should we be anything less than ourself?” Wait... oh shit, don’t tell me she’s... When she called me her ‘brother’... I grasp my temple. “Oh, you’re one of those damned Constellations... what, you think Lyra didn’t give me enough shit to worry about? Now you send another one of you down to screw with me further?” “Oh, right! I totally forgot, I was supposed to come and check on ya.” the sound of the water stops. “The others felt ya dim, and I thought, ‘Hey, he’s a big boy star, he can handle himself’, but Coronae said someone had to go and check on you. So we volunteered, and you’re fine, right?” she calls out, sounding like she’s towelling off vigorously. “Would have been a lot better if you hadn’t dragged me to the forest to get attacked, then somehow convinced me to drink my brains out! I came back with two complete strangers and this isn’t even my actual house! Twilight’s going to bite my head off if she finds out about any of this!” “Ah, we’ll just get that servant of hers to take care of it. Hey, I know! Let’s go fight a dragon or someth- oh. Oh damnit.” she cuts herself out with a disgruntled-sounding snort and opens the bathroom door, looking around. “Get the door and tell Galeam to go fuck himself, he needs to lighten up.” A moment later, there’s a loud knock at the door downstairs. If that’s who she says it is, I could use a guy who listens to reason right now. Sticks up butts aside... he’s the right guy for the job. I head downstairs and, opening the door, see Galeam standing there. “Hey, I got a bit of a problem. Your ‘sister’ is being a right cunt and I need her out of here ASAP.” Galeam’s scowl deepens, and I actually feel a bit afraid as he simply walks past and partially through me, his side turning to darkness and starlight for a few moments until he stalks up the stairs towards the bathroom. Assuming this is taken care of quickly, I may be able to clear up this mess before Sparkle gets back. I look over the books on the floor and take note of the ruined ones. Question is, how did that even happen? I mean, what would we have done that would ruin them? Several have muddy tracks over them... one appears to have dried blood flaked onto it... a bunch look like they were simply trampled and forgotten, ripped in the process... A loud ‘THUD’ comes from the upstairs, followed shortly by some shouting and the sound of something being thrown through a window. A moment later, a similar thud as before sounds off, this time right outside the window I’m nearest. Gladius appears to be in a crumpled, swearing heap on the ground. My biggest question right now is how such a violent, reckless, heedless jerk could be in a position of power. Let alone one of such monumental scale. When will folks stop putting morons and people who may be actually mentally challenged in positions of power they never earned? Moments later, Galeam cannonballs from the second story right into Gladius, grappling her and putting her in a pony-style sleeper hold, before both start turning all black and starry, fading away after a moment. Aaaand leaving a massive dent in the lawn. Great, one more thing I’ll be yelled at for.