//------------------------------// // Ch - 12 - Minefield // Story: A Fatal Error Has Occurred // by Orderly Disassembly //------------------------------// The screaming ended as quickly as it’d started. A single shout and a flex of arcane might from the Nightmare was enough to silence them. It felt like all eyes were on me, but I knew that a few were drawn back to the monarch. The Nightmare leveled an annoyed stare at me. I smiled back as I pulled myself to my feet. I went slowly, careful not to move towards the child I’d tripped over. After I was on my feet, I took a few steps away from the little one and bowed. “Greetings, ponies. There is no need to fear me. I serve her majesty on the podium.” I tilted my head up to look at them. “And I do apologize for my… grim appearance, I assure you I always looked like this.” The tension in the air didn’t budge, and the Nightmare seemed to be bracing for something. Urgency bled into my conscience as I scanned my surroundings for an edge, something to lower their guard, something to divert their attention from my appearance. I saw a large crowd before me, full of angry ponies. A few were even stepping forward with grim scowls. Notably the majority of that group seemed to be caravaneers. There were a pair of alleys to my sides, but I didn’t want to run. No, that’d just be an admission of not belonging, and the Nightmare doesn’t care enough to vouch for me. If she did, she would have already. And… the child! The foal was tearing up because of a little gash on their knee. It was the perfect opportunity! I straightened before stepping towards the child, and the crowd collectively stiffened. I even saw the ethereal glow of magic hovering above the Nightmare’s face. ‘Tread lightly or else’ is a message that needs no words. I give the crowd a long look, making a point of acknowledging their threat, before kneeling down beside the child. “Are you alright, little one?” The child didn’t meet my eyes but answered anyway. “N-no, my knee is h-hurt, sir.” I tilted my head. “Yes, I suppose it is, mind me asking how it happened. “Well, I was s-standing around, and you fell over me. I-I fell down to…” The stuttering kid barely made sense, but I could pick out his words. A few of the ponies were getting close, and I spotted a couple wicked wicked-looking knives amongst them. However, I did my best to ignore them. Panicking now means death. I reached up to one of the tattered sleeves of my coat before pulling a strip of cloth off. With careful precision, I tied the makeshift bandage around his leg before patting him on the back. “I’m sorry that I caused you harm, little one. Do you mind pointing out your mother for me?” The little colt sniffled before pointing out an orange mare with panic written all over her face. I wanted to relish the fear, the apprehension, but I was all too aware of the knives waiting for me to slip up. “How about this: I’ll walk you over to your mother, I’ll be passing her by on my way to my liege, Guardian Moon.” The colt looked up at me. “W-who’s that?” I pointed at the Nightmare. “Why, that’s the Princess on the podium. See?” He followed my gesture with his gaze before tilting his head. “B-but isn’t that Princess Luna?” I nod along with the mistake as I continue. “Yes, she is, but I call her Guardian Moon because Luna is an old word for moon, and she guards the people.” I present him a wide smile, careful not to go too far with it. He cringed regardless but smiled back a little. “That’s, uh, k-kinda cool, s-sir.” I chuckle as I push myself to my feet. Sadly, I wasn’t able to keep all of the derision out. “It is indeed, little one, but how about we go over to your mother before she has a heart attack, hmm?” The colt giggled before standing as well. “Ok!” I strolled forward to the front of the crowd with the colt trailing behind me. At first, they made a solid wall of scowling faces, but the panicked scrambling of a desperate mother was more than enough to bowl over a few of the citizen sentinels. “My baby!” She rushed right past me, clipping my hip and sending me stumbling. The crowd seemed to inhale all at once at that, holding their breath for the moment I'd snap. I didn’t give them that moment, instead using the opening the mother made to wade through the crowd.  I bumped into a few and almost tripped over one of the smaller adults, but they begrudgingly let me pass. Though I heard a few menacing murmurs as I did. Once I reached the other end, I found a clearing before the podium. I put my back to the Nightmare as I moved off to the side. Her glare followed me the whole while, judging, weighing my worth against an unknown cost. I could almost see words on the tip of her tongue, but she didn’t speak. Not aloud or through our connection. I wonder why? I decided not to poke at her through the link. Offending her right this second would’ve been a bad move. Best to keep quiet. I settled in place before the crowd but off to the side, hoping to be lumped in with the Nightmare. And to my relief, it seemed to work. Slowly, the iron glares of the citizenry grew more muted, eventually withering to suspicious caution. The Nightmare broke the sudden silence. “As you can see, my servant is no monster. At least, not anymore. He has done several regrettable things and has agreed to serve the crown directly as penance.” The Nightmare’s lie was masterfully weaved into her aura, making it barely distinguishable from the rest of her corrupting soul. I could see something else there as well, hiding just beneath the surface. It twitched and blackened but remained as if she was trying to kill it but couldn’t. I loved it. A pony called out from the crowd. “How can you be sure he won’t turn on us?” A few murmurs of agreement followed the statement, but they were silenced by the Nightmare’s commanding voice. “You doubt my ability to control a mere skeleton? Do you take me for a weakling?” Her glare was now leveled on a member of the crowd, and with her attention elsewhere, I could sneak a closer glance at her code. As she rambled, I picked a few things out from the numbers that made up her being. I saw the undulating power of determination dominate the surface, likely it was the fire of passion that stoked her ambition. I saw a smog of hazy hate strangling the image of a sun. And lastly, I spotted a quivering. It took me a while to pick it out, but the Nightmare was making a long-winded speech about the night or something. The quivering was shallow, barely even visible. It made her whole soul shake, both her part and the part Luna yet occupied. An emotion they shared that ran straight to their core.  It wasn’t determination, they seemed proud to present that emotion. It wasn’t rage or hate, I found that piece of them already. The uneven rhythm and the unpleasant imagery evoked by the endless lines of one’s and zero’s ruled out happiness. Pride?  No. Hunger? No.   Hesitation?  Closer but not quite. Fear. I had to suppress a chuckle at the thought. Why is the truth so funny? Why is reality as strange as fiction? Of all the things she felt, she held onto fear the most! And here I thought I merely put her off guard earlier. The more I looked, the surer I became. The more sure I was, the harder it was to not laugh. The Nightmare’s voice cut through my distracted mind. “Is there something funny, servant?” I found that she was once more glaring at me and that the crowd was staring at me as well. A moment of panic sent my mind scrambling for an answer, my mouth dutifully presented it immediately. “Uh, yes actually.” “And what would that be, subject?” Venom dripped from the Nightmare’s voice by the gallon. Shit, why am I acting before I think? Didn’t I learn my lesson in Tartarus? I burned away the self-pity for the moment, I needed to patch up this situation. “Oh, nothing much, just a joke from my childhood. It just popped into my head and reminded me of some good times.” The Nightmare cocked an eyebrow. “Care to share it?” A jolt of memory lanced through my mind, and I nodded as I answered.  “Definitely. Ahem, what is a skeleton’s favorite instrument?” The ponies at the front cast each other looks as I heard mutters reach out from the open air. I decided to move on before things got uncomfortable. “A trombone!” I tilted my head and gave my voice a happy twist, but it all felt so stale. I could tell the ponies saw through it a bit, but I heard giggling over the quiet grumbles of adults. I suspected it was the colt… I smiled at the sound, and the newer mask seemed to convince the crowd a bit better. Then again, I was genuinely happy, happy that I thought quickly enough. It was a risk, but interacting with that foal was paying dividends. The Nightmare had a supremely unimpressed expression stretched across her face. I felt her disappointment wash over me but didn’t allow myself to react. I was put on the spot and just went with the first option I had, so this outcome was acceptable, if not completely ideal. I stood stock still as the Nightmare went back to her speech, though her momentum had taken a significant hit because of the tangent. I couldn’t care less about what the people of the town thought of her; it had no real bearing on me, but I’d need to curry favor with her later somehow. How I’d do that was unclear, but I was sure opportunities would present themselves. They always do. The real question to ask at the moment though, is what do I want to do? I know that I want the Nightmare to fall, and Celestia must pay for her part in breaking the deal… “And now, I must bear you all farewell. My servant and I have important matters to attend to.” The crowd began a polite stomping, their version of applause, I assume, but a pair of ponies stepped out from the crowd. One wore a singed baker’s hat, the other had an apron on. The one with a hat spoke in a confident female voice. “Your Majesty, I understand that you are busy, but I’d still like to offer respite regardless. My own home is not enough for you, but the innkeeper has a suite that may suffice. Forgive me if this is a transgression, but I entreat you to stay for a night or two so that I may properly thank you as a baker should.” With her piece said, she bowed and stepped back, the silent stallion with an apron following suit. The Nightmare worked their jaw. I saw thoughts race through her code, but I couldn’t pick out anything in particular. However, I could make a few guesses. The only good reason to stay would be to recover her magic reserves, as I’m pretty sure ponies have a finite mana pool that replenishes while they sleep.  Otherwise, staying here would be a waste of time. Unless my guess at her goal is wrong. Then again, she’s not entirely a pony anymore, and admitting any sort of weakness, even natural ones, seems anathema to her mindset.  I cast a look at the Nightmare as she opened her mouth to answer. “Very well, subject, my time may be valuable, but my duty is to my people.” Nearly every function in my head froze and recalibrated at that remark. A gentle smile shone on the Nightmare’s face. The swirling smog of hate had withered to a mere whisp. And strangest of all, the numbers revealed her words to be genuine. As my mind rebooted, the crowd cheered, and the Nightmare hopped down from the podium. The evening sun shone on her black coat, but the twilight sky reflected off of it, giving her a purple highlight as her horn glowed with powerful magic. The sun finally dipped below the horizon, and the moon slowly climbed into view. The Nightmare sighed before turning her gaze to the crowd once more. “I know that my sister’s sun warms your backs and nurtures your crops, but while I remain here, gaze onto the night in wonder!” Behind her, a dozen comets streaked across the night sky, seeming to shower an unseen place with meteors. However, my blue eye saw the numbers, saw the truth. And that truth sent a shiver down my spine with the memories of a ghost of a dream. …And they know you… I pushed the unease down, presenting a joyful smile as I began to applaud the display. It took a moment, but others began to join, and seeing their fellows doing so, the rest followed suit. Best to distract myself, and hopefully, she notices my support here. A little favor here and a small act of aid there can add up quickly when someone is judging your worth. Thunderous appreciation rang through the cool night air. The sounds of joy lasted through midnight and into the coming morning. Yet I couldn’t quite shake the feeling of being watched. They may know me, but They do not care, and I pray to whatever god that had forsaken me that They never would. Numbers swirled, my mind stuttered and rebooted several times, and my smile grew brittle. However, I did not break character. I couldn’t afford to. The tithes of knowing… So I smiled, and so I smile Cuts deep… -chap fin