//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: Lone wolf in Equestria // by Xinrick //------------------------------// I sat just outside the town. It had been about two months. My training was going well but slow. For some reason this Earth stuff is more difficult than I expected. “Yeesh, never thought it would be this difficult.” I said, scratching my head as I tried to get better at my Earth magic. "Eh, you're doing good." Leaf said, laying on their back next to me and looking up at the sky. “Do you even care about my training here?” I asked carefully, finding these two months with Leaf…strange with how he’s been acting. "I find there is little I care about these days. Some days it hits harder than others. Despite that I try and keep a smile on, but all in all, putting effort into anything is… difficult." Leaf said. … Okay I wasn't expecting that. “Well…wasn’t expecting that…” I muttered. “So, what about you? What’s your story.” I asked, slowly raising rock’s around carefully. "Well, in life I was a twin. My brother and I got along well. How could we not. We lived simple, but hard lives farming the lands we were born on and just getting by day by day. Sadly, that all came to an end when some raiders came to the village." "I'm sorry to hear that." I said carefully, given how each one of the Arrancars's deaths I've heard never ended on a good note… "We were stabbed, and thrown into a hole that was being dug in hopes it would be a well. My brother and I bled out in that hole, it was dark and… we woke up some time later." We? “Wait…you and your brother…both turned into Arrancar?” I asked carefully. "Yeah. The both of us are of Earth." Leaf said with a nod. “And…where would your brother be?” I asked curiously. "Still in the hole." “And where’s the hole?” I asked carefully. “Also, why didn’t you help your brother get out of the hole?” I asked, finding that a tad sus that he just…left his brother in a hole. "Oh I did when we first woke up, but I had to lock him in there when Nightmare made me that offer." I immediately drew my sword and pointed it at Leaf. “Better be quick on the explanation before things get dicey for you.” I said, immediately thinking this bastard locked up their own brother because they joined Nightmare. "... I am… tired, Have been for a long time. Even when I was alive I was tired. Becoming this… it was like a joke. A laugh at my expense because some cruel cosmic being thought 'I want you to march until I say stop'." Leaf said, sighing. "Nightmare made me an offer, she'll take away my tiredness, my apathy and end it all, and all I had to do was feed her information about you, whatever I learned from Claire over the last few years, and do my part when you came along here." “So…at the end of the day, you decided to make that ‘cosmic joke’ more real by following Nightmare?” I asked bluntly. "Better to work with a demon I can see, a demon I know, than one that hides behind a faceless, voiceless visage of myself. Do I regret making the deal, yes, obviously. I miss my brother. A deal however is a deal. Even if her promises are empty and hollow, it's better that that pitt that just would stare at me, draining me of all my wills and joys not even bothering to make me think I'm worthless, just made me feel so empty." “And there’s nothing I can do to make you see reason and stop this before it gets out of control?” I asked. "Part of me wishes, but that isn't possible. I'm bound by our deal." Leaf sighed, sitting up and I put my blade to their neck. "Claire is a nice girl. I am glad you found here, truly. It's the happiest she's been since I've known her." “I’m…glad you didn’t hurt her, and tried to train her…” I admitted. “Where’s the hole?” "Three miles east of here. I can't stop you from getting him out can I?" “Is your contract binding you to fight me?” I asked. "No. Nightmare knows I'll lose…" He sighed, looking off to the distance. "I genuinely loved this village…" The eruption behind me was only second to the immediate scent I knew all to well from my training with the Grim Reapers. The smell of Death. Early, unused time and life fading immediately. I turned… it looked like roots raised out from the ground all around the village… and they skewered through every zebra villager… even the children… No one was spared… I turned, blade raised but saw Leaf was gone. “Motherfucker…” I growled. “Shit…” I growled, rushing off to find Claire as I hoped to Mom that she was okay. I ran through the roots that raised high into the air like vines. Blood was soaking the dirt and dripping like rainfall. I could hear crying ahead. Carefully, I moved through the roots and corpses, finding Claire on the ground in tears. She looked unharmed but she was covered in the blood of Zebras. I immediately grabbed and pulled Claire into a hug, a tight hug. “It’s alright…it’s going to be alright Claire, I’m here.” I said softly, trying to use my presence and soft words to try and help her relax. “Just…just focus on me…” She held onto my right and continued to cry. How could she not… everyone in the place she called home for the past few years just died in front of her… “It’s…it’s going to be alright…” I said softly… “Ms Claire? Mr. Starrk?” We both turned around…seeing two Zebra children…the mask’s…oh no…”Wh-what happened?” “C-Canto…Sangoma…” I said slowly, seeing them both…turned into Hollow’s… “A-are you okay?” Sangoma, the zebra mare that wanted to grow up to be a great Shaman, asked worriedly. “You’re…covered in blood…” I… how? I…I thought they had to go through the Soul Chain not…immediately into that…”W-we’re fine…” I said carefully. "C-come here. Please." Claire managed to say, the two foals doing so and she hugged them both tight, still crying. "We're here Ms. Claire." Sangoma said as she hugged her back. "We promised to make you proud of us." Canto said readily, hugging back as well. I got us all cleaned up and Claire and the two foals I took with me to Polkadot's. It was… a mess. Claire was being comforted and getting to know Derpy, Polkadot and Alex. I had to take the foals to a specialist… back home to see if there was anything worrying about them suddenly turning to Hollows. The doctor here was apparently a specialist with undead species. He was some kind of Litch, that much I knew.  "Hmm… interesting." He hummed as he looked the zebra foals over. "What's interesting?" I inquired. "Well, the children are indeed Hollows. There is however a unique mutation." "What kind of mutation?" I asked. "Is it dangerous or something?" "On the contrary. It actually rather beneficial." The Litch Doctor said. "From what I know of Hollows, they usually feast on souls, making them an immediate target for Vasto Lords and Grimm Reapers to execute." He started. "However, the nature of their world and reality has altered this. Rather than needing to feast on souls to survive, they feast on magic." "Well…I suppose that makes sense, given the kind of world Equis is." I admitted. "So, they just feed off the ambient magic in the world and will be fine?" "To survive and grow they will need direct nourishment. Luckily, mana potions can do fine. A bottle of B grade mana potion should last them a day." "Right…" I said carefully. "So…gonna need a lot of Mana to keep them fed and growing…hope I have the money for it either here or back home…" I frowned, cause while I was getting payed by Luna it wouldn't last forever. I picked the foals up… I never actually did work for the Reapers before heading back to Equis…  I just went right back after graduation. Hmm… I'd rather not but… maybe I can ask mom? I sighed, deciding to call up mom for some advice here, as I know I can’t just ask her for everything but at least Advice is good and safe. "Yes hun?" Mom asked as she picked up. “Hey so…I need some advice on taking care of two new adoptive kids…” I said carefully. "What kind of advice?" “So…both of my kids are Hollow’s now, and they need a lot of Mana to survive and grow…but I don’t know if the ambient mana in Equis is enough and also…I uh…don’t really have the money to get them the stuff they properly need.” I said sheepishly. "I'm assuming you'll wanna feed them Mana Potions then, or at least food items that are notorious for their high mana contents. If that's the case I can get you whatever they'll need." “Thanks mom, you're the best.” I said with a smile. “I…know your not allowed to join in too much with my nonsense here…but thank you.” “Who’s pretty lady's voice?” Sangoma asked innocently. “That…would be your grandmother.” I admitted. "Now those sound like sweet children's voices." Mom said, chuckling. "Well if you want me to meet them before they're all grown up you best hurry up with that Nightmare entity. I'll send the potions to your Assistant." “Thanks mom, and yeah, Sangoma and Canto…two…innocent children turned into Hollow’s because someone was Deal Bound to do horrible things…” I said carefully. "You're welcome, and please, take care." Mom hung up. I sighed. I felt guilty having to ask her but I guess it's better in the end. Ah, there's my shipment of potions she sent to… me… holy… One Million SS Rank Mana Potions Gifted to Mike from Mom. … Not even gonna ask how she has so many, let alone SS Rank… “Uh…sure.” I said honestly. “That’s…that’s a lot of potions…” I blinked, unsure of what would happen if I gave them one of these potions, either mana poisoning because of an overdose or they somehow phase out of existence due to it somehow acting like some stupidly strong sugar for these kids. I took one bottle out, letting the two share it. Thankful they didn't phase out of existence nor did they get mana poisoning. They just each gave a burp then drifted off to sleep almost like newborns. Guess SS Rank would be like them eating twice their weight in magic. I sighed, but smiled.  Once I was back on Equis I dropped the foals with Claire and rushed back to the Zebra Lands. Finding the hole where Leaf imprisoned their brother was easy. Once upon a time it was almost a water well, the stone foundation at least was built but it was covered with an unnatural metal lid that reaked of dark magic. Likely Nightmare's doing. “Alright, let’s see…” I muttered, immediately just grabbing it and trying to pry it off the well. Thankfully, it was pulled off without issue. Inside was an all metal interior that- A blur jumped out of the darkness below. Turning I spotted a Zebra stallion land and start happily hugging the ground. "Oh sweet fresh air and freedom…" They said happily. They were identical to Leaf in every day save his bones were part of his lower jaw and neck. “Uh…howdy there.” I said sheepishly. “I uh…you doing okay?” "One moment… I haven't tasted fresh air or seen sunlight in some years…" They stated. “Take your time.” I nodded. I stood as he seemed to just take in the air and dirt for a while before he finally stood back up and turned to me. "I am Branch, if you have freed me I take it my brother…" “Leaf…” I sighed. “Leaf told me his story, then murdered the entire Wood Village…” I shook my head. "He-WHAT?!?!?!" Branch shouted. “He said he was Deal Bound to Nightmare…he knew he couldn’t win fighting me so he…distracted me…as two children turned into Hollows because of it.” "Oh Leaf… what have you gotten yourself into…" Branch said, sighing as he turned down to face the ground. "I can't apologize enough for my brother's actions. Let alone the lives he took." “He said he loved the village…I’m sure he never wanted to do this but he was bound by his deal…somehow.” "It's… likely that demonessess magic at play…" Branch said. "My brother is many things… but a murderer…" I sighed. “The only person he left alive was my girlfriend Claire, who he trained for a year and befriended but…” I sighed. “It’s…he told me everything he could before leaving…” "Knowing my brother, he took the deal because he was spiraling. When we were alive I always worried about him. And he hated when we became what we are now. Sure, for a time he enjoyed the powers, but it was a short lived distraction." “Yeah…he explained it all to me, how much he didn’t want this life, how he felt like he was in some ‘cosmic joke’ and all that…he was tired.” "My brother has always been battling his own demons. I am just shocked he'd choose to work with one." "He said he would rather know the face of the god like being making fun of him then some faceless nobody." I brought up. "Heh… that sounds like Leaf…" “So…how do you want to deal with Leaf?” "I… do not know. I need to process this…" “Alright.” I nodded, not wanting to ask him for training this soon cause…there’s a lot to process. “Want to head back to my place to get something to eat and drink?” "N-no thank you. I just… need to process this alone…" “Take as long as you need.” I said softly. To be continued...