Chapter 5
I groaned as we walked past what must have been the hundredth ore deposit, not a single one ‘speaking’ to Lance or me. Trudging along behind the other two, who were talking about Lance’s past, I narrowed my eyes. I kick a rock, causing it to fly past the two and hit a wall..
Bronwyn turned to look at me, clearly annoyed at my actions. She raised an eyebrow, stopping in her tracks. I stopped as well, staring at her suspiciously.
“That’s not normal,” she muttered, staring right at me.
“What?” I asked, raising a hoof in confusion.
“Your Ego,” she started, looking me over. “It’s changing.”
When she didn’t elaborate, I sigh. “What do you mean?”
“The Ego that was infused into you to unlock your Ego is fading, your own replaces it over time. But your soul is… different.”
Lance looked at me in awe, “What’s that mean for her? Is it good or bad?”
Bronwyn stared at me for a moment longer before looking to Lance. “The normal color of Ego is Cyan. But hers,” her eyes shift back to mine, “is starting to become darker.”
“Huh,” Lance said with a cock of his head. “It's starting to look like Luna’s mane.”
I look at my hoof and see the glow around me had changed from the light cyan color to a dark indigo with little white sparkles mixed in. Like the night sky.
“Well,” Bronwyn says in a fake tone. “Aren’t you full of surprises, little horse.”
“Why don’t you let me show you some of my surprises,” I reply in a low voice, staring straight into her eyes.
Lance held up his hooves. “Hey guys, let’s stay on topic please.”
Both Bronwyn and I sigh, relenting.
“So, what does it mean for my Ego to be this color?” I ask, at least wanting to know that much.
She shrugged, “It could mean a lot of things, but to be honest, it usually just means you have damage to your soul.”
“... Wonderful.” That would be my luck. Wonder what it was that damaged my soul?
“But we need to get back to searching, we could be here a while,” she said, waving for us to follow. Then she stopped, turning to me with a frown. “If your soul is that color, then there is a possibility I know which metal you’re attune to.”
My suspicious look didn’t drop as she then led us down another passage.
We walked for a few hours, with Lance answering any and all questions she threw his way. She was very interested in his time before the Watcher showed up, actually laughing loudly at some of his stories.
If she had an angle, I couldn’t see it. I want her to try and betray us, that way I can deal with her and we can move on with our mission in peace.
“Try this,” she finally says over her shoulder to me. She steps aside and I see a strange ore deposit. It looked exactly like my aura; the night sky dotted with stars. “Starry Night, also known as Deep Space. It's a metal that only appears in a single dimension. I’ve never seen anyone who could use it, so give it a go.”
I frown as I step past her and up to the large ore deposit. At first, I thought nothing would happen. But as I neared, my aura began to almost reach out for it.
“That one…” a voice that sounded vaguely like my own echoed in my mind.
“Eh,” I said awkwardly, watching as my aura spread out around the ore. “I think I heard a voice in my head just now.”
“Yep, that’s your metal then,” Bronwyn said, trying to sound unimpressed, but a hint of amazement shown through.
“That’s badass looking,” Lance said with a wide smile.
I looked the ore deposit over, unsure of how we’d cut any of it away. “How do we…”
A series of blue blurs hit the ore as a chunk fell away. I glance to my side at Bronwyn in annoyance as she sheathed her sword.
“There you go,” she said with a large smirk.
“Yeah,” I walked over and lifted the ore, my aura seeming to absorb into it. It felt like it weighed barely anything.
“Wow, let me see that,” Lance said as he stepped up, holding out a hoof.
I reached out and let him take it, but the moment he tried to lift it from my hoof, he couldn’t. He looked at it in confusion and grabbed it with both hooves, straining as he tried to use his whole body to lift it from my hoof.
“What the hell?! How are you holding something so damn heavy?!” He asked in astonishment.
“It’s not even heavy?” I looked at him in confusion. Is he messing with me?
Bronwyn stepped up, her smirk still there. “It’s attuned to her soul already. That’s the wonder of Ego weapons; they are completely connected to their owner, and refuse anyone else who tries to wield them. Right now, that ore will be attuned to her until she steps away from it. Once it's infused fully with her soul by a smith, then it’ll become a real Ego weapon.”
I stared at the chunk of ore in awe, amazed that something like this could exist.
“Ooo! Then let’s go find mine now!” Lance started hovering in place, looking to be about to explode in excitement.
“I actually may have an idea for you as well,” she said, walking forward. “If you’re an Angel, then there's a few ore’s I know of that may fit you.”
As the two of them walked away, I stayed staring at the ore that looked like the night sky, mesmerized by the swirling pattern of the metal. It took a moment, but I tore my eyes from the strange ore and threw it into my pocket dimension. I galloped to catch up to the others.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“Okay, try that one,” Bronwyn said with a frown as Lance ran to another ore deposit, the twelfth one so far.
“Nothing,” he yelled back to her, looking panicked as he desperately wanted to find his special metal.
“Hm,” she rubbed her chin. “That was the last Holy kind of ore I know of. I thought for sure it would have been one of them.”
Lance didn’t look like he was anywhere near ready to give up as he turned to us, “Well, let’s keep trying!”
With a sharp nod, Bronwyn spun on her heels and headed for a different tunnel. “We can try a few different places.”
As Lance walked towards where we’d been sitting, he stopped and looked right at me. Eyes wide.
I blinked back at him, not sure what he was seeing or thinking. “You good?”
“That stone you’re sitting on, Break said it's speaking to us.” Lance had an entranced look on his face as he looked at what I was sitting on.
Hopping up, I turned to look at what he was interested in, and raised an eyebrow. It looked like nothing special.
“That one?” Bronwyn asked as she came back to stand beside him. “You sure?”
“Positive,” Lance said as he stepped closer, his aura being pulled towards it.
Bronwyn just blinked, staring at the ore. She stepped forward without a word and pulled her sword, slicing a chunk off for Lance, who took the piece and held it up.
“What is this metal?” he asked in amazement.
“It’s…” She looked puzzled, “Iron.”
“What?” Lance asked, his amazement and wonder dying in an instant. “Just iron? Is it like holy iron? Or some kind of special kind?”
“Nope,” she said in disbelief. “Just simple Earth iron.”
Lance just stared at the iron ore, dejected and disappointed. “So my Ego weapon won’t be very strong, huh?”
“The type of metal doesn’t affect the durability,” Bronwyn assured. “Ego weapons are indestructible, and can only be destroyed by a vastly stronger Ego weapon, or if the user dies. The type of metal just affects its looks and some of the qualities of the weapon itself.”
She draws her sword and holds it before us, letting us finally examine it up close.
“Mine, for example, was forged from a material that the gods of my world used. It's filled with my Ego and righteousness. If my mother was to be believed, it was the same kind of material that the hero of my original world used to defeat the ultimate evil.” She twirls the sword and returns it to its sheath. “My point is, the material is usually special to you for a reason. And for some reason, iron is what you’re drawn to. Your weapon will be just as special as any other Ego weapon, so do not dread it.”
Lance didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. “Thank you, Bronwyn.”
She smiles as she pulls out three return charms, giving one to each of us.
Wasting no time, we all use the charms and appear at the entrance to the mine.
Like a young colt, Lance took off running for the teleport hub, yelling over his shoulder, “Come on, guys!”
I shook my head with a smile as he ran off. Then I looked at Bronwyn, and my smile faded.
She stared back at me, also frowning.
We didn’t say anything, just stared at each other.
“I don’t like you, lady,” I finally said, voicing my opinion out loud finally and directly.
“The feeling is mutual, mule,” she replied back, putting a hand on her hip.
“You ruined my ear,” I said with a bit of a growl as I pointed at my ear with a wing tip.
She smiles back at me, “yes, I did. If it makes you feel better, I was aiming for your eye.”
“You only had the upper hand because of that sword, if you’d had a normal weapon like I did, the outcome would have been much different,” I said, glaring up at her.
She crouched down to my level, “if I recall, you were on the defensive the entire fight. Using that teleport and time stopping ability to avoid me. I don’t need a weapon to out match you.”
A smug smirk crawled onto my face, “Yeah? How’s the bite doing?” I lick my lips mockingly.
Her frown returns as she stands up, staring down at me. “If Lance hadn't stopped us, you’d be dead right now.”
“I could say the same thing to you,” I stared defiantly back up at her.
“Guys?! Come the fuck on!” Lance called from the teleport hub doorway up the hill.
The two of us stared at each other coldly, but we both turned and headed up the hill towards Lance.
Lance stopped us before we could walk past him and enter the hub. “Is everything okay between you two?”
There was a pregnant silence between us before I sighed and smiled. “Yep, all peachy.”
“All is well,” Bronwyn replied, a fake smile also on her face.
“Good!” Lance said happily as he flew around us and grabbed me around the neck with one foreleg and pulled Bronwyn down to our level, placing his other leg around her neck. He pulled all three of us into a hug. “I know we had a rough start, but I know we’ll all be best friends at the end of this journey!”
I stared daggers at Bronwyn, her eyes glaring back into mine. Lance may think we can all be friends, but neither Bronwyn or I will ever like the other. That was clear.
ooo000<^>000ooo
“What kind of weapons will we get?” Lance asked as we entered the building that housed the Soul Smith, according to Bronwyn that is.
“That’s heavily dependent on you,” she replied, looking around the workshop for the owner. “The Soul Smith will take the ore and infuse it with half of your soul. It will then reveal to him what kind of weapon to create, and whatever is produced will be exactly what fits you.”
“Haven’t seen you in a while,” a male anthropomorphic cat said as he walked in, looking between all three of us.
Bronwyn walked over and pulled out a box, “It has been a minute, but I did bring you the materials I promised.”
The cat man grabbed the box and opened it, his whiskers raising as he smiled, “Now that’s just perfect. You’re amazing, Bronwyn.” He then looks at Lance and me. “What of them?”
“They need their Ego weapons forged, and I knew you were the best in the plains, so I’ve brought you new customers. You may thank me now.” She joked, making me shake my head.
“Paying customers?” he asked, looking at her with a skeptical look.
She pulled out a bag and tossed it to him, “I’ll be paying this time around.”
The cat man caught the bag, sniffing it. A large smile appeared on his face, “Oh, you shouldn’t have.” He then looked at the two of us. “Alright then, who’s going first?”
“Me!” Lance all but screamed as he ran forward and produced his iron ore to the cat.
The anthropomorphic cat raised an eyebrow in amusement as he took the ore, his own hands glowing as he did so. “Ah, iron. Simple and basic. The metal of the noble spirit.” He walked to a table, waving Lance over.
The feline lifted the ore onto the table and began to run his hands over the iron, seeming to absorb the leftover Ego that came from Lance. He reached out and took Lance by the hoof, pulling him closer.
A bright glow began to radiate from the two as the cat ran his free hand around the ore, muttering something.
“Ah, that’s interesting,” he finally said, the glow receding.
“What is?” Lance asked, looking starstruck.
“I know what your Ego weapon is,” the cat said, taking the ore and walking towards the back. “Stay here.”
As he disappeared through a doorway, Lance started bouncing in glee. “Ooo, I wonder what I’ll get?! Maybe a badass sword like yours?”
“Maybe,” Bronwyn replied with a thumbs up. “Whatever it is, it’ll be exactly what your soul wants.”
An hour passed, with Lance flying around in circles above us, not able to sit still.
“How long does it take?!” he asked as he passed us.
“Not long for us,” Bronwyn reassured. “Forging Ego weapons is not like normal blacksmithing. He takes the ore to a specialized dimension and uses the forges there to perform the work. It takes months, sometimes years, to forge a single Ego weapon.”
Lance’s eyes widened in horror at this, “Years?!”
She chuckles at him, “Which is why he went to a different dimension. The one he goes to does not follow the rules of time as we know it. He could be in there a thousand years, and it wouldn’t age him at all. It’s honestly very fascinating!”
“But how long till he comes out for us?!” Lance asked in a panic.
“Could be any minute now. At worst just another hour. An hour out here is two months inside there, and on average it takes three months or so to craft a Ego weapon.”
Her reassurance seemed to calm Lance, who went back to flying in circles.
True to her word, a few minutes later the cat man returned, holding a wrapped bundle.
He placed it on a table and Lance shot down next to him, staring at the bundle. “Is it ready?!”
“It is, son,” he chuckled as he unwrapped the bundle and revealed the item to Lance.
On the table sat two gauntlet style gloves, the knuckles slightly larger. They were a mix of gray and cyan.
Lance deflated, “Gloves? But I’m in my pony form, I can’t even use them!”
The cat smiled, “You don’t seem to understand how Ego weapons work. Go ahead, pick them up.”
Doing as he was told, Lance picked them up. The pair of gloves morphed before their eyes into hoof gauntlets, able to fit on his front hooves.
“Whoa!” Lance exclaimed, surprised by this.
“Ego weapons are a part of you, they’ll change form to fit you. No matter what you change into, they’ll change as well,” the cat informed him.
“What do they do though?” Lance asked, putting them on his hooves.
The feline took a stance and threw a punch into the air, “When you hit someone or something with them, they will cause you to hit much harder than you should be able to, and will absorb all the impact force into themselves. So you can punch a boulder, destroy it, and feel like you just threw a simple punch.”
Lance smiled at the gauntlets on his hooves, “That is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Look at you, Lance,” I said with a smile, “becoming a real one hit wonder.”
He just rolled his eyes, grinning ear to ear, “Ain’t a thing that’ll wanna mess with me now.”
“You’re up, little missy,” the cat said, looking at me.
I stepped up to him, pulling out the Starry Night ore and placed it on the table.
He whistled when he saw it, “When I saw your aura, I should have known this was the metal you’d give me.”
We performed the same thing he’d done with Lance, holding my hoof as he ran his hand over the ore, muttering in a low voice.
Once he was done, he looked surprised. “Oh wow, that’s rare, very rare.”
“Huh?” I cocked my head at him, but he just took the ore and left the room.
“There’s something strange about you,” Bronwyn said with narrowed eyes. “I don’t know what, but I’ll figure it out.”
“You do that,” I said, squaring up with her.
Lance stepped between us, not paying us any attention as he held up his hooves, “Just look at these! They fit so well! Break and Dawn say that a half of each of us are these bad boys, it feels like I’m holding each of them in my hooves!”
I ignored Lance as I stared over him at Bronwyn. She stared right back. We would definitely be fighting again soon, and this time, it would be fair.
ooo000<^>000ooo
13 hours later, next morning
“They’re finished!” the cat man called out, waking me up from my slumber on a makeshift bed on the floor.
I groaned as I sat up and looked towards him as he placed a bundle on the table, looking exhausted.
“I’ve never had to work so extensively on an Ego weapon before, but they are truly amazing!” He said as he excitedly waved me over.
As I stepped up the others were just making their way towards us.
He unwrapped the bundle to reveal many different kinds of blades and talons, all with the night sky pattern swirling across them.
“You’re a unique customer,” he said with a wide smile. “These all attach to different parts of your body, and are able to absorb into you! Able to extend and retract at will! It’s simply amazing! And they just look so beautiful!”
I reached out and touched one with my hoof. It reacted to my touch, glowing slightly, begging me to pick it up and wear it.
“Let me,” he insisted, his hands glowing as he picked them up and began to put them on me.
Four sets of talons were attached to my hooves, sinking into my skin. He then placed blades on each of my wing tips, they also sank into me naturally. Then he lifted up the strangest set of blades. They resembled dentures, with little blades where the teeth should be.
“Open,” he said.
I slowly opened my mouth and he placed the dentures into my mouth, the blades going all the way around my teeth on both the top and bottom. They retracted into my gums, but I felt no discomfort. Instead, it felt right.
“Don’t worry, Ego weapons can not harm the one whose soul resides inside them. The blades will not cut or hurt you at all, no matter what you do,” he said, looking me over.
“Let me see, Scamp,” Lance asked as he came up to me.
I smirked as all the talons and blades extended naturally, I looked at him and gave him a wide smile, the blades taking the place of my teeth.
“Jesus, you look terrifying,” he remarked, looking both amazed and scared. “I seriously pity the next person to piss you off.”
My eyes involuntarily flicked to Bronwyn, she was just smirking at me, looking me over. “Yeah, I pity that person too.”
“So elegant,” the feline commented, examining the blades that covered my wings. “You will be a ball of fury now.”
Lance laughed, “trust me, she’s always been a ball of fury.”
I retracted the talons and slugged his shoulder playfully.
“We should be going,” Bronwyn interjected. “You two need to get used to using your Ego and weapons.”
“Ooo yes!” Lance said as he turned to face her. “I’m one hundred percent down for that!”
“Yeah,” I said, retracting the rest of the blades. “I’m ready as well.”
Bronwyn eyed me, knowing exactly what I meant.
“Let’s get moving,” Lance said, already heading for the door.
“Enjoy,” the cat said, bowing as he eyed us.
“Aye,” I replied as I turned and walked for the door, flicking my tail in Bronwyn’s direction. “Let’s go, woman.”
This irked her, but she didn’t respond as she followed.
Yeah, don’t like being called things other than your name, huh?
I worked my mouth as I brought the blades back out. Oh yeah, I’m going to love these little babies!