//------------------------------// // Chapter thirty Five // Story: Mare In The Everfree Forest // by MoonLily //------------------------------// I was laying on my back as both princesses were sitting around in case of something happened. I felt the ring being unlocked and taken off. I let out a gasp as my lungs started burning. I kicked my back hoof as I felt hot as if I could melt. I looked up as Celestia was the one holding my shoulders down. Red was staring down as he moved the gauze.  “She still has a crack in her horn but it's not as bad as when it happened.” I let out a whine as I felt something cold being placed against my horn causing me to shiver. I felt my fur turning to flames quickly but died down as I felt the ring being placed on my horn. I let out a gasp laying on the pillows huffing. “That hurt worse than the hoof in my chest” I groaned as I laid back against the pillows. “Unlocking and locking your magic will. The ring has some seals made from Selene and Solis since your magic makes up your whole being. we had to find a way to safely block your magic off but allow you to fully function” I sighed as I looked up at him. I felt him try to move my hooves causing me to scream. “OW!” I sat up looking at him “Warning next time” “Okay so you still need to work on your legs and hooves” he hid behind Celestia I rolled my eyes as I looked up at them still. “Fine” I laid back on the pillows sighing with my eyes closed. “This is hitting you hard isn’t mother?” I swear Jr could read my mind at this time. “Kind of, just never thought I would have to fight my grandfather and not like this anyway. I just feel like the ground is falling under my hooves and I cannot stop myself from falling with no net. sometimes I feel like I have rope just to hang myself with during this whole ordeal” I sighed closing my eyes. “Mother what would you have done if I never saw you that day?” “Live my life in the Everfree like normal till I ran into Discord. then we might have gone through this. But just keep moving scared something might happen if I was caught” “What if I had brought Luna to the house while you were around?” “Then some pony would have gotten his flank kicked by his dear old mother. Or I would have lied like I did that night. But then I would have the guilt killing me like it did. Seeing Twilight freak out because I was not use to being confided to a space made me think of Luna. When she would freak out if Me or Necro or you and the others were sick. it just hurt” I kept my eyes closed as I stayed laying on my back. “So many possibilities?” “So many” I sighed. I could hear silence in the room causing me to open my eye. I noticed the others staring at me as I could hear the rain hitting the glass. “It's not nice to stare” “Just worried about your mental health mother” “Just need some time to think about things Jr. so much has been tossed at me recently I never had the time to truly sit down and think about things and what is going to happen.” “How about we give you some time to think and process it” My eye opened as I watched him and the others leaving the room. I could hear Rarity talking about the fabric as she had my knight commander armor in her magic. Looking up I noticed Luna was the only one left. “How are you really?” “To be honest, not sure,” I noticed she walked around laying beside me her eyes staring down at me “I don’t want to go through this Luna. I rather spend my time actually teaching magic to Twilight and having your sister force information out of me, than fight him” I felt her wing covering me as she moved closer. “You don’t have to do this alone” “I know you all keep telling me that. I do feel kind of bad as most of this time I've been avoiding Twilight and not filling out my sentence your sister gave me” my mouth had a smile on it. “I think my sister would understand what is going on now. Especially since Equestria could be in danger from this alicorn” “I am shocked that you two didn’t try to flirt with him. he is a male alicorn” I chuckled s I felt her kiss my neck. “I have you and I think with Celestia having Twilight may have to with it. But that stallion felt off or wrong being around” she laid her head on my chest as I nodded. “Couldn’t see it till now” “Just think of this. You don’t have to stand court with him staring at you.” “I rather spend time in court than being the one putting the sword through his heart. If he has one. Luna when do you think he stopped being my grandfather and turned into this twisted thing?” “I think ot was just in the making. But it went overboard when he killed your village.” I closed my eyes and let out a soft huff. I could not wrap my mind around everything that has happened so far. my eyes opened as I felt her hooves rubbing my legs. I could feel her magic wrapping around my hoof healing the bite marks. “No more blood magic. You won’t need it after the fight” “I promise” I could feel her hooves working the kinks out of my legs but I let out a small whine as she hit a few knots. “I’m not hurting you am I?” “No just sore. I need to get up and do more” I tried to sit up but I found myself being pushed into the pillows. I looked up at Luna my cheeks turning red. “You are going to take it easy and work at this slowly. You do not need to push yourself to heal faster. Yes, he is waiting and he can stay waiting for us. For now, you will be my aide and we can work on your walking while working court. I will bring my scrolls and work here giving you something to do. I can also ask my sister if you can still teach Twilight a few spells while in the castle. I will assume she will be alright if she can sit on a few of them” “I will tell you that I did learn how to cast magic from him. I don’t know any other way” I could feel my cheeks warming up. “I think it would do you both good on teaching each other. You can teach Twilight and Celestia and she can teach you. Magic has come a long way since we had active roles in protecting and ruling Equestria” “After the holiday Luna. I will give myself to Hearths warming Eve to get better. But after that, I will need to go north to face him” “Why after the holiday?” “So I can at least spend one holiday with you that I do not want to be injured or half alive. I do owe you that” I watched her lips turn into a smile. “I think that would be a good idea. This way you can work on your mental health as well. I would say you would be fine since you never had an issue walking into a fight.” I simply nodded as I knew she was right. She is always my voice of reason. I could feel her magic wrapping around the room and window. I noticed she had a fanged smile sitting on her lips. a chuckle escaped my lips as I felt her kiss me. “Is this what my week or month going to look like?” I broke the kiss watching her. “Oh no I am going to spread this out since you're staying here” “Well, then I am all yours” I leaned up and kissed her again. I knew this wouldn’t be a solution for the issues I was having. But this was a nice distraction till I was ready to deal with it. I found myself in her hooves the rest of the day along with filling the room with my voice. I should really give Cadence a talk about those spells she taught Luna. Night came and Luna left to work on the court. I was wrapped up in blankets with my hooves propped up. I found myself standing in a field of snow. glancing down I noticed I was wearing my knight commander armor with my sword attached to my back. Looking up I noticed a blizzard around me causing my heart to pound. my ears twitched as I could hear laughter. my blood ran cold as I knew that laughter. I pulled my sword from my back ready for anything. My eyes caught the sight of a black shadow moving throughout the blizzard causing me to back up. I felt my hoof stepping on something making me glance down. It was Jr his body was covered in snow. my eyes caught the other bodies lying in the snow and I dropped my sword. Celestia lay bloody with a missing horn and wings as Luna looked the same. the others were all missing different parts causing me to back up. “You caused this” his voice hissed through the snow as I felt a pair of claws wrapping around my neck. My hooves were shaking as I watched him walk into my field of vision. He had more eyes opening on the side of his face. he had fangs appearing in his mouth as black arms were coming out of his side. “What are you” I spoke up feeling the hand crush my throat. “I am sorry but I cannot hear your voice anymore” he grinned while walking closer. I tried pulling the claw off of my throat. I could feel the nails enter my skin as I looked at him. “I knew you would survive the little wound I gave you. I am shocked that you haven’t come to find me sooner” he growled as he walked closer with black ooze falling from his muzzle. I kept staring at him till I noticed the snow stopping. “THATS ENOUGH!” I noticed the snow turning to ice as Luna walked into view “This is my realm and I will not allow you to harm others” I could see her wearing her armor with her sword at the side. I heard my grandfather laughing as I felt the claw crushing my neck. “This is between me and her” “You are dragging this into my realm. You said you would wait and you shall wait!” Luna shouted as I watched her. I found myself dropping as he laughed. “Your right I did say I would wait.” I felt his eyes sitting on me “You better come prepared”