//------------------------------// // Friends // Story: Shadow of Equestria // by Igris //------------------------------// ‘They look so weak.’ For him, these ponies really really looked weak, the only trait of strength he could find is their reserves of magic which overwhelmed his own. He could also tell that some form of magic was shared between them. How he could tell that you say? It’s because while they walked to the yellow pony house, he was manipulating magic in a way that enhanced his vision. It took sometimes but because he got the hang of how magic worked, he could morph his vision to see magic in a form of aura. And when he looked at the ponies, he would have covered his eyes if he had some. ‘At least I know why they seemed so powerful when they fought the Manticore.’ It made him flinch a little when he found out that they could possibly kill him, which again was not very good. If he was aware about their unbelievable amount of magic earlier, he would have done the same thing he did with the humans, hide and wait until they go extinct. But he couldn’t do that right now as he was already involved in a friendship relationship with them, and he knew that friends don’t flee their friends without looking suspicious. And any trace of suspiciousness can lead to the possibility of death with beings of power. “So…. um monster? Where are you from?” Asked the Rainbow maned pony. Honestly, he didn’t even know where he came from because he was always travelling around his world without having a single place he could call “home”. “Rainbow Dash… He is not a monster.” Said the yellow pony while glaring at the Rainbow Pony. ‘Rainbow Dash.. So that’s her name. She certainly is quite colorful.” “Well what do you want me to call him...her?” Rainbow Dash was clearly confused now. When the other ponies realised what she was confused about, they too started to be confused. “Uh… Are you a boy or a girl?” Asked Rainbow Dash. Technically, he was neither as their species literally reproduce by infecting other species and hoping that the virus had the reproduction factor. So because he was technically neither, he just shrugged not knowing how to answer. “Uh… I still don’t know what you are.” Said Rainbow Dash. “Are you a girl?” Asked the yellow pony, stopping in her tracks. He honestly didn’t care what he was, but he guessed that he took quite a liking into the male side. So he shook his head. “Ah so you’re a boy then.” Continued the yellow pony. He nodded. “Okay… And what’s your name?” Asked the Rainbow Dash. He started to think that the Rainbow pony would become more annoying if this continues but he didn’t care right now as he was already starting to think about what to do when the time of his introductions with their leader comes. “Rainbow… He obviously can’t reply to questions that doesn’t need a yes/no answer.” Stated the yellow pony. Now he really wanted to know her name as she was quite smart. “But Fluttershy! Why can’t you talk to him then?” Huffed Rainbow Dash before turning around. This made Fluttershy sigh and the she proceeded to continue to walk. “That’s because he doesn’t speak.” Said Fluttershy like it was a fact. If he could speak he would, but his physical morphology wouldn’t allow such… ‘... I can speak… If these ponies can I might be able to speak no?’ ...a feat. If he could first stop interrupting me the story might go to a point where he can speak. What he thought is neither false nor true, ponies can speak through magic but they are taught since their childhoods. But he would have to test this later as they were already in front of Fluttershy home. ‘Quite natural for a highly intelligent pony. It seems like she is fond of animals.’ He could see the many many animals hiding inside the little yellow pony house, he didn’t even need to have eyes to picture their terrified faces. ‘Animals instincts always surprised me.’ That’s when he could tell that the ponies were not normal animals, well they weren’t the first time he saw them with horns and wings, but this pushed this normalness more now that he saw that these ponies seems to take other animals as pets. How human like, he may have found fellow anomalies. “Oh… Don’t worry! He’s not dangerous. See?” Said Fluttershy to her terrorised little friends while pointing at the pink pony who seems to have appeared out of nowhere on him.  Her desperate attempts to show that he was harmless doesn’t seem to work as the animals were still cowering in fear. This made her a little sad but she understood them as even it took her everything she had just to speak to him. She turned around and looked at him with a little hint of sadness and shame in her eyes. “I’m sorry…” She said with shame. ‘I seriously don’t understand why she’s apologizing.’ He shrugged in hopes to make her understand that he doesn’t understand, but it didn’t work because Fluttershy took it the wrong way. She thought that he was used to this kind of reaction towards him, which was true but she was sad because of it. ‘Poor thing… He never had friends then…’ Was the thought that went through her head. ‘Poor thing… She has to deal with these troublesome animals then…’ Was what went through his head at the same time. The irony of this misunderstanding made it worse as they both started to feel bad about each other without even the same reason. And for some reason Pinkie Pie understood this and started to laugh madly, which only got her weirded out looks from her friends who watched her roll on the ground. Then, to his surprise, a little bunny came out of the house. Fluttershy looked like she was happy to see it, but he didn’t understand why. He didn’t even understand why she housed a bunny that by his looks looks more annoying than the other animals. But he gave it some respect as it even went up to him, kicked him on one of his claws, and immediately started to jump around while holding its weak leg in pain. The combination of the Pink pony laughing like a mad mare on the ground plus the little rabbit holding its leg in pain with Fluttershy trying to help the little bunny while the other ponies looked at the whole scene with an unmoving giant mass of dark and virus in the middle made the supposed to be serious situation too comedic for his own tastes. This randomness of course infected the other ponies laugh or giggle, as to what they were laughing or giggling at he wasn’t sure. But he didn’t hate this at all, for him it certainly is a new experience, while unexpected it isn’t unpleasant at all. To be honest, he was ready to laugh or giggle too, if he could. A heart is not exactly what a deadly Elder Dragon that spreads a deadly virus has. He himself was not sure if he had a heart to begin with, he just assumed that he was only filled with the virus and nothing more. On that matter, he didn’t even think he was remotely organic the moment he sent himself into isolation, there isn’t even anything in the human books that said that Elder Dragons are biorganic life forms, they are just said to be living natural disasters, or even Gods, and Gods don’t feel for the mortals. ‘How problematic.’ Problematic indeed, he knew that feeling emotions was a sign to be alive and have a heart, the many books about human psychology told him so. For now he would put such thoughts aside and only bring these clearly distracted ponies back to reality. *Rrrrrgh* He growled and fortunately for him, they immediately stopped and became petrified even. “R-right.’ Said the purple pony. “...” “...” “...” ‘It doesn’t seem like they can talk. Well then, I’ll go make myself at home.’ After that, he started to walk towards Fluttershy’s garden, then he pressed against the ground to shape it to its liking much like a cat, and just like them he rolled up and started to sleep, or he made it look like he slept. He was after all curious about what they would talk about if he seemed to not be hearing them. ‘Let’s see your true selves.’ He knew how to act around terrified beings, he had his dose of them through his whole life after all. And he exactly knew how to act to know how they thought. Those who are greedy or hateful towards him will normally attack him right now, if not this means they are still cautious around him showing signs of reasoning. If they don’t attack him and leave this means they are simple victims of nature, cowards that only scavenge the residue of the stronger predators. And if none of these, then this means that they truly trusted him to stay here, which would surprise him a little even if he intended them to think that way. “Poor thing, he must be tired from the battle he had with the Timberwolves.” He heard what sounded like Fluttershy say. ‘Foolish beings clouded by emotions, follow your instincts instead of relying on what you saw.’ Or so he would like to say. He didn’t like to see beings with obvious signs of intelligence reason like this act with this much idiocy. Well at the same time it showed that they have intelligence, emotions is something not all beings have, he is a living proof of that. “It doesn’t surprise me, you saw how he fought and from his size I don’t think he is used to move this fast.” Said the Twilight. ‘If only that were true, I wouldn’t be this bored of my current life.’ For some reason, he couldn’t help but criticizing everything they say. He thought that it was because they showed him pity, which was exactly nothing he was expecting. This of course would frustrate him who always think he can expect everything. Of course, he could tell from just this little purple pony’s analysis that she was very very smart, maybe smarter than Fluttershy. This little eavesdropping would continue if he was not interrupted by something trying to climb on him. He used his scales to sense what was doing it and he was quite surprised to sense that it was not one but multiple animals. Not only that but he could sense that more and more of them started to climb on him. If he wasn’t who he was they would all be dead by now. Now this may be why they seemed to be doing what they were doing, of course there’s were still smart animals that were hiding far away from him. “So, how do we call him? It is quite rude to call him “monster”, “he” or “him” all the time no?” Said an irritating voice to him. It was Rarity. “Ah don’t know ‘bout that, he might not like ‘t.” Said an unknown voice. It was Applejack but because she didn’t speak as much as the others he didn’t know who it was, but it didn’t take him long to assume it was her as it was the only one who seemed to have this kind of speech. ‘Indeed you thought right, I might not like it depending on the name you give me. But it’s still true that it’s rude to call me that way isn’t that right narrator?” Do not speak directly to me. Now as for the names, he could make a book about them but he didn’t and he honestly couldn’t right now with how many fluffy animals stacked on him. Him whose patience was so strong that he stood still for so much time that his entire body became a statue, started to be impatient from simple little animals that annoyed him. Poor him indeed Fluttershy. ‘Quiet.’ While he was trying to not murder every single thing that stood in his way, the Main 6 set up for the name Obsidian, and as for how and why? Let’s not go into the private space that is their collective minds. The girls now brought back to reality noticed the situation Obsidian was in and so they started to giggle. This humiliation continued until he growled, a growl that sounded much more threatening than the last one. Of course the animals quickly ran away so fast a cloud of dust replaced their previous location. But for some reason the ponies were less affected by the threat, traces of fear still hung in their hearts. Night started to fall down without them even realising it, so they told their goodnights without even being bothered by the newly named Obsidian sleeping on Fluttershy’s garden, they even told him goodnight even though they were only whispering before walking away to their homes. For some reason, Fluttershy did more than say goodnight, she started to pet him on his head and she was obviously starting to be interested in his feelers, but she didn’t pry too much as she knew that animals like him love their privacy. So after the little pat on his head, she went into her home. Now this gave him the space he needed to think about them and their behaviours. ‘As stupid and immature as they acted, they still hold some interest. Those named Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy are especially interesting. Twilight held wisdom and intelligence with how she analyse and even reason with situations she is confronted with, this means she must be the leader of their little group. Pinkie is honestly a bizarre entity, I don’t think she qualifies as a pony and even if she can master the matter known as magic, this is no reason for her constant unpredictableness. Her sudden apparition on me was proof enough that she is not bound by the laws of physics. Logic will not do with her I already sensed that. And as for Fluttershy, hm… I do not know how I should describe her but I know that she is smart, strong and kind when it’s necessary. Her attitude towards animals shows it, she holds authority and yet doesn’t impose. I might seriously become attached to her, as for how much attached, it remains to be seen. But overall, they seem to be quite the group and it will definitely not be as lifeless as my old life. I’m looking forward to what they have to show me.’