//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: Ab ovo // Story: Machinations of a Trickster // by Deviance //------------------------------// It began with a soft breeze, gently flowing over tender skin in a caress that tickled the man laying on the ground. The features on his face were familiar, old, but not worn. There was a hint of something soft and unblemished in the skin, the set of the muscles around the jaw and eyes; all spoke of something innocent and fresh. A blanket of comfortable warmth blanketed the figure from the sun above, shining down from a bright blue sky with only a few scatterings of fluffy white clouds. A pair of eyes slowly opened to take in the sight, blinking rapidly from the sudden strike of light before holding up an arm to shade his face. With a yawn he stretched his body languidly, He sat up and looked around himself with a gaze still on foot in the dream lands, observing the wide expanses of rolling idyllic hills and distant fairy tale-esque woods. Then his brows furrowed, ever so slightly. And as the blanket of sleep and dreaming gradually lifted from him, they kept furrowing deeper and deeper… until his eyes went wide, and his jaw fell open. "Oh, no…" he whimpered, making himself wince a moment later from how pathetic it had sounded. He rubbed at his eyes and just barely managed to suppress the impulse to pinch himself; it would have been too cliché. And as memories of the last days' events flooded back into his mind his hands rose up to cradle his face while he shook his head in denial. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," he whispered to himself as he tried to shake off this new reality like it was just a bad dream. Annoyingly, a distant bird's cheerful singing refused to give him such a luxury. Dragging him back to the solid reality with its bright colors and picturesque landscape. With a pained groan his mind finally admitted defeat and he fell back with his back to the ground, staring up at the sky with an empty and hopeless expression. “So, are we done with the drama yet?” a voice cut through his agonizing, and the man closed his eyes with a painful wince when he recognized it. “It wasn't enough you got me stranded in fucking candy land, now you gotta follow me here to twist the knife?” the man answered without opening his eyes, voice hollow and drained of all emotions. “What's the matter, had a rough night out on the town? Did someone make some trouble for the hell police and steal a poor old man's oar? You know, he's had that thing for millennia... maybe he'll need to start using his hands now. Doesn't sound like his job got any easier,” the voice of the god cheerfully chimed in. “So give it back, then,” the man snapped and sat up, boring his angry gaze into the shirtless familiar figure standing over him a few feet away. His usual grin plastered over his face. “Do you see a UPS sign on my juicy pecs? No, I didn't think so. You were the one who so cleverly stole it, it's your shit to handle now. Besides, mythical artifacts like that... they change, when things around them change. You stealing that thing is the kind of act belonging in a legend, and I doubt old Charon even could take it back now. However you got it, it's yours now; bound through the kind of events that mean a lot more than you ever planned for.” The man sighed and stared at the god hopelessly. “Fine, add it to my list of debts, then. So what now? You leave me here laughing, content with whatever fucked-up game you decided to play because you were bored or something and thought it clever?” Something vicious and cold flashes for the briefest of instances in the god's eyes, but the grin never left his face. There was something threatening in the way he leaned forward and spoke softly to the man sitting on the ground. “You're the one who's been playing fucked-up games for the last few years, now, little mage-ling. Thinking yourself clever enough to outwit the rules and what... con your way into the wisdom and power souls far greater than yours clawed, carved and earned their way into?” Every softly-spoken word sunk into the man like heavy stones, piercing whatever flimsy surface tension protected his mind and filling him with their terrible weight of truth. “You're a little trickster wannabe, so it's time now your cleverness is put to the test. You want to go home? Resume the true destiny you've been trying to shortcut for so long? You can, it was part of our deal after all, but you'll only find it and get out of this world if you can answer this question: 'What does it mean to be a trickster?'” The man on the ground stared up at him and blinked, dumbfounded. “I... what?” With a sigh, the god produced an apple from the air and bit into it, looking at the man with undisguised disappointment as he chewed loudly and slowly. “You tried to be clever and play games of wit with magic and eternity itself, you tried to walk the road of a trickster by your own choosing. You think it was a coincidence I was the one who appeared in the void to collect you? Please, I know you're what we in the business call a 'fixer upper', but try not to embarrass yourself too much.” The god let the words flow out in mumbled sentences while he continued to chew, apple juice flying out in sporadic sprays as he spoke. “So, by your own choosing the lessons are shaped. Now go out into this pastel-colored world and learn the answer to the question, 'what does it mean to be a trickster?' Do that, and I promise you you'll have your way home open, and more than that, the way to all you've craved for so long. Without restriction, and perhaps even without an end.” The man's heart drummed a wary rhythm against his ribs as he listened. Maybe it was just another trick, to keep some sadistic game going purely out of entertainment. But then again, the god has signed a contract with very clear wording- he couldn't break that. So maybe, just maybe, he was speaking some version of the truth. A smile played on the god's lips like he knew the punchline to a joke the man was yet to understand. No doubt reading his thoughts as soon as they appeared within his mind. “So... what are the terms of this deal, then? Find the answer to the question you posed and I'm free to go home?” the man asked carefully with narrowed eyes. “Nah, I said if you manage to find it you'll get all you need. You played a game you didn't grasp, thinking yourself clever. Now it's time for you to either grasp it, or... well, I have no doubt you'll manage to get yourself into enough trouble to make it into something unpleasant. Even when I managed to get you sent here in this training wheels of a world.” Unease settled like a cold coiled serpent in the man's gut, squeezing hard. “Fine, I'm a mage. I get the whole 'cryptic hints' part, I've done it myself several times to others. But do I at least get a direction or whatever to set me on the right path? It's a whole fucking world. I'm gonna guess it's pretty big,” the man objected while motioning with his arms to the landscape around him. The god rolled his eyes and tossed the half eaten apple over his shoulder. It disappeared mid-air a second later. “I've been dropping you so many helpful hints already, you're just too dense and I need to deliver them into your brain with a hammer. Besides, you've been given enough gifts as it is. Didn't you notice your body?” The man blinked, then looked down at himself. At first it seemed nothing had changed, then he looked closer and started blinking rapidly. His pale skin was somehow... fresh. Like it had a slight sheen over it, and as he traced his fingers across his arms it felt far softer than he could ever remember it being. “What the fuck,” he breathed. “You really need to start watching your language here. This is a PG-13 kind of world... at least on the surface. But you didn't forget you quite literally died, did you? The world here is kind of a softie, though, and since you helped put an important piece of it back where it belongs, it decided to help you out. It shaped a new body for you, straight out of the essence of the world itself. A copy of your old self, with some minor changes since it created you out of your spiritual imprint rather than your parents doing the rowdy rumba.” The man felt his eyes widen as he focused on his senses and the difference was immediate. He'd just not noticed it earlier while he was busy bemoaning his fate. His eyesight seemed clearer, and he could almost taste the air around him with various smells and scents filling it. The grass against his skin felt immediate and powerful, like every nerve in his body was on overdrive and feeding him impulses far beyond what he was used to. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can find a mirror to jerk off to later. Point is you already got all you need, more than enough, actually; I think you just got two or three extra decades added to your lifespan, so you got plenty of time.” The mage stopped his hands as they roamed around his body to feel out the differences, and glared up at the god. “So what, are we done now and I just go on my way?” "So quick to anger. So slow to comprehend. A foal stumbling in the dark, so to speak, if we're keeping in the theme of this new world you get to call home for a while. But, you're right. New world, new body, new destiny, I guess you need a new name... " The god walked over to him and leaned forward until his face was just a few inches away from the mage, and he smiled wickedly. “I think...,” he glanced over at the oar laying at the man's side, “Karon, seems fitting. In memory of the ferryman carrying lost souls back home to where they belong.” “You're joking, right?” Karon asked, his voice straddling the border between disbelief and disgust. The god blinked down at him, then rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself. “Even when using a hammer... just too damned dense.” He then proceeded to straighten his back and his usual smile returned. “Time for me to go,” he said and turned his back to the mage and began walking away, his body becoming more and more transparent and ethereal with each step. “Hey, wait! I still want to as-” the mage called out and hastily rushed to his feet. But he was too slow. With a laugh like the shattering of glass filling the air the god vanished, leaving behind only the echo of his amusement. Karon stood glaring at the spot where the trickster god had stood. Then shrugged his shoulders and glanced around himself. His jaw became set as he picked a seemingly random direction and began his journey in this new world and its vibrant lands. His every step a silent vow to unravel the mystery the god had been driving him towards and reclaim his destiny. It would have been more impressive if he wasn't barefoot and naked. *************************************************** Karon trudged through the lush meadows of Equestria, the sweet scent of flowers doing little to lighten his mood. Despite the picturesque scenery, a sense of foreboding hung over him, as if the very air was laced with whispers of deceit. After all, if everything was as idyllic and innocent as it appeared he doubted this world would have made a fitting setting for whatever lesson or trials the annoying god had set him towards. He scrutinized his hands, turning them over to reveal the fresh sheen of his skin. It was an uncomfortable reminder of his altered state—like waking up in someone else's body, but with your own scars. Familiar yet alien at the same time, and a reminder that everything had changed. Not a part of his life remained the meddling god hadn't dug his claws into and rearranged for his own unknown ends. It's a strange thing, when you feel like a stranger in your own body. The thought was invasive and persistent, that his own flash was no longer a safe harbor. But then again, according to the god it wasn't his doing- it had been the world whose surface he was currently stomping across with a mean look on his face. And if that was true, then it was less likely there was some kind of hidden programming hidden in him now. However, that might have been a lie too. Maybe the god had built into a kill switch in this new body he could activate with a flicker of will. Karon snorted. If the god had wanted him dead, he wouldn't need such convoluted means to achieve it. Besides... He had felt the world reach out for him when he crossed the ethereal borders between hell and... Equestria was it? Or was that the name of the kingdom, not the world? Whatever the case might be, the more he considered it the more convinced he became that the god hadn't been the only fingers reaching into and tinkering with his mind and body. But Equestria's touch had been noticeably more tender. “Cool, haven't gotten laid in like two years and my first piece of action is a planet fingering me gently,” he muttered to himself. Within his own mind there was only silence. A hollowed out feeling resided back in the spot Twilight's presence had been. Even though it had been only a few days she had grown to feel like a part of him, an annoying loud part that wouldn't shut up, but a part all the same. He had spent so long focused obsessively and singularly, it had been uncomfortable at first entertaining another voice, a different perspective- at first. But it had become valuable, even pleasant having something... else, than just his normal single minded devotion and self. “Yeah well, shit happens,” he muttered to himself darkly again, his tone in stark contrast to the cheerful singing of the birds from a nearby patch of woods. He glared over at the source of the noise, then spotted a glimmer through the trees and headed towards it. Passing into the shade beneath the boughs of the large trees, until he found the source of the glittering light- a freshwater river. The trickling sound of the water awakened a thirst in him he hadn't been aware of before, and he quickly knelt down before the edge and cupped his hands to collect some of it. Bringing it up to his lips and taking a careful sip at first. If there was anything wrong with it he couldn't smell or taste it. Not that he would know what to even look for in such a case, but at least he had made the effort. He drank deeply and greedily of the freshwater, bringing his hands up and down several times with the cupped water. Until he finally felt a cool and satisfied feeling spreading throughout his body, and he let his arms feel down into the river current while gently stroking them back and forth. Then he noticed something in the reflection. It was a bit harder to tell with the river current creating smell ripples across the surface, but when he looked down at himself he could see his eyes clearly on his face. Because it wasn't his eyes anymore. His eyes had been gray, but the eyes looking back at him now were a bright amber, almost glowing with orange light as it caught the midday sun's light. “Well, fuck,” he whispered, reaching up with a wet finger to gently prod the edge of his eye. It was indeed real; he was forced to admit to himself after a few seconds of poking the gelatinous sphere, and he let his hand fall down into his lap. "Great," he muttered to himself. "He turned me into a traffic light stuck right in the middle between go and stop." He froze for a moment after he words reached his own ears- there had been something far too accurate and unnerving about that comment. “Well then, maybe you should stop talking to yourself,” he continued muttering out loud, rising up from the ground and brushing off his knees. He looked around himself. The forest was similar to the ones of his own world, just... brighter, more vibrant and almost too clean and pretty. Like someone had decided to open photoshop and edited reality with it, getting rid of all the rough edges. There were patches of flowers spread out across the forest floor, catching the sunlight wherever the trees hadn't reached out to obscure it. Twilight Sparkle, the only familiar person in this kaleidoscope vomit of cheer, was out there somewhere. Whatever else he needed to do that was where it would begin. Thinking back to the brief stories she'd told him about her own life, he remembered her village, Ponyvillage or Ponyvale or whatever it had been, was supposed to be set somewhere like this. Since he'd gotten transported here together with her soul he couldn't be too far off from wherever she was.  Feeling lighter in his step Karon began his journey again. The sun gradually passed over the sky as the day lengthened as he continued ahead deeper into the forest. He kept a watchful eye at the sky to make sure he wasn't walking in circles and kept true towards north. Hours went by with little happening, except him managing to spot a few curious forest critters poking their heads out to watch him pass by. Until the forest suddenly changed, the grand trees and wild placing of them broke off into neat lines, and all the trees became... apple trees? Karon stopped and looked to his left and right, noticing a clear division between the forest behind him and the orchard he'd apparently strayed into. His eyes were drawn up towards the apple trees, and he saw the red fruit dangling in a tantalizing sway from the gentle breeze brushing across the crowns. His stomach announced its emptiness loudly with a growl, and his mouth began watering as impressions of sweet fruit flesh and juice danced in his mind. “Damn that fucking god,” he growled even louder than his stomach, thinking back to all the times he'd conjured an apple and eaten it. Had the damned entity installed some new craving for apples into him? “No, no I'm just hungry,” he thought to himself with a sigh as he stared up at the apples. “So what are you waiting for?” A voice whispered in his mind, drifting up from the far deeps of his unconscious library. He recognized it as his own. Looking around himself he spotted a branch that had fallen off, and he walked over to grab it. Stepping back and squinting up at the nearest tree, he took careful aim then threw it up towards the nearest cluster of apples with a huff. The branch struck the trees, sending a scattering of leaves and half a dozen apples falling down in a clutter, bouncing and rolling across the ground. With a grin he walked around collecting his prize, biting into the first one with a satisfied sigh. He barely had time to devour the first before he had begun on the second, juice trickling down his chin with each satisfying crunch of the soft apples. Within minutes all that was left was a pile of discarded cores at his feet while he licked the juice of his fingers. Then he turned his eyes up towards the tree once again and narrowed his eyes, the amber color flashing greedily with a hungry flame. Then his head snapped to his left as he heard someone call out something in a lilting melody, the words almost sounding like singing, with a.... southern country accent? Karon saw how a waist high pony came charging towards him at full speed. Orange in color and with a blonde mane underneath a... “Is that a goddamned cowboy hat?” His own voice asked in dry disbelief at the sight. His eyes confirmed that indeed, it was. But unlike Twilight, this particular pony didn't appear to have a horn on her skull, so a different kind of pony then. As she drew nearer Karon spotted a tattoo of some kind on her flank, in the shape of three bright apples. Then he blinked, and he glanced down at his feet to what was left of his lunch, and he remembered that he was standing in an orchard... that someone probably owned. And there was a very angry-looking pony running full speed at him shouting, who happened to have a bunch of apples tattooed on herself. “Shit, maybe that fucking god was right, maybe I am dense,” his inner voice had to admit. And with that thought, he quickly reached down to grab his oar then turned around and started running in the opposite direction of the screaming pony as fast as he could. ******************************************* Applejack watched as the strange creature ran away, its two legs stumbling and wobbling along with its frantic pumping. She had just barely caught it while it was preparing to snatch another pile of their famous apples. With a frustrated snort she came to a halt next to the tree the creature had been pillaging, noting with a grimace almost half of all the juiciest apples had been devoured cleanly. “Damned... hairless monkey,” she complained, and adjusted the hat on her head. Then frowned, as she remembered the direction the creature had taken off in. North-east, straight towards Ponyville. “Tarnation,” she huffed and set off into a gallop again, hoping she could reach the village by the road before the strange creature managed to get there through the woods. Who knows what mischief it might cause otherwise. ******************************************* Karon ran as fast as he could, which admittedly wasn't particularly fast at all. The uneven forest floor kept him stumbling his way forward, with twisting roots and small rocks seemingly appearing out of thin air to harass his bare soles every time they struck the ground. Swearing under his breath at ever other step he continued through the forest. “Shit, that little pony looked really angry. Do they take apple theft seriously in this world? They're horses, maybe sugar cubes and apples are really sacred to them or something... am I a wanted criminal now?” “Grand theft apple, now that is something to put on your criminal resume. Everyone in prison is gonna end up as our bitch at this rate,” A dry sardonic voice said, drifting up from the depths of his subconscious. “Could be worse. I could just be some disembodied voice backseat driving,” Karon answered while narrowly dodging a low hanging branch. “You are, since I am you. What's next, a 'yo mama' joke directed at us?” His breath coming out harder and harder in ragged wheezes, Karon didn't deign to reply, only focusing on keeping the burning in his legs under control. He pushed himself to keep going, trying to put as much distance between himself and the orchard as possible. Maybe the pony would be satisfied with just chasing him away. Or maybe she was already busy gathering a mob with pitchforks and torches. Whatever the case it would be better the further away he was from his petty crime scene. Ahead of him he saw a break in the tree line, with small flashes of what looked like buildings visible between the trees. He slowed down at the sight and let the oar still clutched in his hand fall to the ground with a soft thud. Putting his hands down on his knees and taking deep greedy gulps of air. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he had exerted himself like that. “Back in hell. Did you already forget that little incident?” The voice commented dryly. Karon didn't reply, only squinting his eyes shut with a shudder as memories of his journey through the infernal dimension rushed back to him. The oar right next to him was more than enough of a reminder. But unlike the memories the oar didn't instill him with dread; there was an energy within it for sure, but it seemed calm and neutral in its nature, not the savage hunger he had felt around himself in hell- almost like it was waiting for something patiently. Shaking off the thought Karon glanced through the tree line, and could clearly see what looked like a village there. Or maybe a hamlet was a better fitting description. He picked up the oar and slowly began making his way forward until he stood at the very edge of the forest, hiding behind one tree trunk while looking out from the side. Picturesque might be the best way to describe the place. Charming little cottage houses, all of them with their own design and quirks while retaining the same country aesthetic. Nothing mass produced as far as the eye could see. Just a small town that seemed to be sprung out of the architectural wet dreams of a Disney movie. It was mostly quiet. He could hear in the far distance some shouting, but it wasn't a panicked or aggressive kind- just some locals calling out something to one another loudly. All else was merely the sound of the breeze and birds singing. “Fuck no. This is too idyllic. This is a Lovecraftian horror setting, mark my words. They're all happy cultists and as soon as night falls we're gonna get sacrificed to the deep ones.” “Ahh, that explains it, you're the pussy section of my brain. No wonder you've been so silent until now.” “No, if I'm any specific piece of our mind I'm the smart and wise one- you know, the one you've been ignoring so far for most of your life.” “I seem to have managed quite fine considering all the challenges faced with my intelligence and wisdom.” “And yet, we ended up here.” Karon didn't answer. He scowled then stepped out from behind the tree. Using the oar as a walking stick he walked straight ahead into the town. Doing his best to keep his movements slow and relaxed, giving no sign of hostility. “So, what's the odds we can make ourselves understood with the ponies here, or them understanding us?” “Close to zero. But if we get one to relax we might be able to telepathically give at least an impression of Twilight and then just point to see if they can direct us towards her.” “Well, that assumes the pitchfork and torches scenario is out of the picture.” “Life's a gamble.” With that encouraging though Karon continued deeper into the village. His arrival didn't go unnoticed; townsfolk froze mid-trot, their eyes widened in collective alarm. A few foals scurried behind their guardians, peeking out with a mix of fear and fascination. Karon tried to smile at them peacefully, then waved awkwardly. “Am I supposed to make the fucking Star Trek sign now and say 'I come in peace' or whatever else?” “Just smile and wave dammit! Smile harder! Wave happier!” With no better advice appearing in his mind Karon started waving frantically around himself like he was on a parade. His grin stretched painfully from ear to ear, and he was pretty sure the strain was making one of his eyes twitch nervously. A mare with a dark mane like cotton and violin tattooed on her flank blinked at him, her mouth agape. He chuckled dryly, then tried to make soft cooing noises without meaning other than making himself seem harmless; his voice barely audible under the cloak of unease that hung over the crowd. “I don't think this is working!” “Never underestimate the tactical value of acting like you're on crack. Keep going!” The voice insisted. Karon's gait slowed as a tickle of awareness creeped up his spine. He turned, catching the flit of teal from behind a cotton candy cart — a unicorn with eyes wide as saucers and a mane that looked like it had been combed with an eggbeater. He taught he caught the image of a golden lyre tattooed on her flank. The creature was doing a terrible job at nonchalance, her horn peeking out as she spied on him with what appeared to be a blend of terror and fascination. "Great," Karon muttered under his breath. "Got myself a stalker now too." “Or a circus freak enthusiast.” The voice added gleefully. He resumed his march through Ponyville, each hoof-fall of the townsfolk around him like a drumbeat in a parade he never wanted to lead. Their high pitched whispers were unintelligible, but their glances spoke volumes — curiosity laced with the sharp edge of suspicion. At last, the library came into view, hollowed out of a grand oak. He instantly recognized it from the glimpses into Twilight's memories. The sight would've been charming if not for Karon's mounting frustration. He approached the door, noting the intricate carvings that seemed to dance in the sunlight. Not bothering to knock, he pushed it open and stepped inside. Leaving behind the curious crowd outside. ****************************************** Rainbow Dash casually drifted through the air in circles inside the little book filled room, her face one of utter boredom. Below her Rarity stood next to the bed, her hoof slowly stroking a wet towel over the forehead of Twilight's unconscious body. The white unicorn had a serene and patient expression on her face, only wavering slightly when Dash let out a loud groan of frustration. “Do you want to take over, perhaps?” Rarity asked out loud without taking her eyes off Twilight. “No, what I want is for them to finally figure out what's wrong with her! It's been almost three weeks now, they better come up with something soon.” The pegasi responded. “They're doing everything they can. The princesses are just as worried as we are about her, I'm sure they'll find a solution as soon as possible,” Rarity reassured her, but the tone felt forced even to her own ears. Dash didn't reply at first, letting the unsaid implications hang in the air for a moment. Then she let out a frustrated groan. “I just hate waiting and not being able to do anything,” she said and raised her hoof, ready to start boxing with an invisible opponent. Rarity replied with a tinge of irritation creeping into her own voice. “Yes, so you've repeatedly told me at least once an hour for the last three weeks.” Dash opened her mouth to give a response, her eyes alight with a fire now that she finally had something to engage with. But stopped when she heard the sound of the entrance door opening from below. She raised an eyebrow and looked down at Rarity slightly puzzled. “Wasn't Fluttershy supposed to take over at sunset? It's not even midday yet.” Rarity frowned slightly, then quickly removed the unseemly wrinkle from her forehead and replied calmly. “Maybe she decided to come early. Or it's just someone looking for a book; it is a library after all.” Rainbow Dash snorted. “When was the last time any pony ever came here to borrow a book? They're all afraid Twilight will shout their ears off if they return it with a coffee stain or something.” Both the ponies glanced over to the bed sadly at the same time, before a wistful smile graced their lips. Rarity was the first to break the silence. “Let's go down and see who it is. Maybe it's finally someone with good news.” ****************************************** Karon walked inside and looked around. Thankfully the ceiling was generously high, for a pony, that is. Which meant there was still room for him to stand up straight with still several feet of empty air left above him. Then he remembered there were supposed to be flying ponies in this world too, so maybe their architecture came with flight traffic in mind inside as well. Around the spacious room shelves upon shelves stood filled with books. With several piles of them placed on the floor when there wasn't enough space on the shelves. Karon looked around with a wry smile. “Looks familiar. No wonder we managed to join our minds for so long without descending into collective insanity.” A sound broke his musings, and he looked up towards the stairs lined against one of the walls, and saw two ponies appearing through a door at the top. One white with a purple mane and a little horn sticking out from, the second a light blue color with a mane that looked like a candy factory had vomited all over it; more than that, she also had wings. The sight sparked some semblance of a memory in his mind, and he quickly scoured it for the names of the two he knew Twilight had mentioned to him more than once. “Dammit, I got nothing.” “Don't look at me, I barely paid attention to her endless babble.” “Uhhh, shutter... stuff. Fluffy... pie. For fucks sa- Daring Dasher!” he exclaimed, pointing towards the ponies who observed him with growing alarm written on their faces. Karon let his arm slowly fall down and he sighed, looking up at the duo. “You don't understand a single word I'm saying, yeah?” he asked, clinging to one last bit of hope. They both stared down at him, then the purple maned one opened her mouth and a melodic chain of words flowed out in a soft and precise voice. And as expected, he couldn't understand even one of them. He pointed up at them, then all around the library. "Twilight," he said, the name a plea and a command wrapped into one. "Where is she?" They just blinked at him. Not a single syllable had sparked recognition in their eyes, and the light blue one had floated up into the air with a flutter of her wings, eyeing him with suspicion... and what looked like anticipation. Karon sighed once again, then threw his hands up in the air. “Fuck it, let's go.” He began walking towards the stairs, and barely had he taken a second step before the light blue pegasi had swooped down and hovered right in front of him. She spoke something quickly and harshly, her voice kind of hoarse and not as elegantly flowing as the purple one's had been. She held out a hoof in front of her in the universal sign to stop, something akin to a challenge gleaming in her eyes. “Fucking... bitch. Are we getting called out by a god damned pastel pony?!” Karon's eyes widened and he blinked rapidly, staring at the little creature hovering right in front of his face, her hoof held mere inches from his chest. And he could feel all the anger, the fear and pure injustice of the last few days welling up inside him. And he leaned forward, feeling her hoof push against his chest as he stopped his face only when he could feel the pony's breath on his face. “Fuck you, you Nickelodeon reject,” he growled. She didn't understand the words, but the intent was clear and he saw her eyes narrow in response. The sound of her wings increasing into a rapid thrumming like she was charging herself up. "Move," he growled, more to himself than to the ponies. And with a burst of determination, he sidestepped Dash's outstretched hoof and bolted for the stairs, leaving the pony in a flurry of confusion and color. She recovered in an instant. Turning into a rainbow-colored blur that zoomed to the stairs to block his path. With a smug grin she held out her hoof again, eyes twinkling with the mirth of superiority, and Karon felt something in his chest just break loose in response. He ran forward and grabbed the outstretched hoof, bathing in the fraction of a second he got to see her surprised expression as he did so, before he spun around in a circle and let her go. With a yelp she flew through the air and slammed into one of the bookcases with a loud crash. Dozens upon dozens of books tumbling out of the shelf and falling down on her, eliciting a very clear “ouch,” with each one that hit her head. Karon allowed himself a grin before he turned and hurried up the stairs, seeing the white unicorn hesitate as he came charging. Then at the last second a look of determination came over her and her horn started glowing. The instant it did he could feel a humming spread throughout his body, a slight psychic pressure pushing down on his mind; he realized she was trying to lift him up into the air. The magic in this world was unfamiliar to him. He didn't know the power sources, the leylines, the way dimensions overlapped or interacted with one another- and he had absolutely no connection to draw from regardless of what they were. But if there was one thing he still possessed it was his own mind, his own energy, and this unicorn had just blatantly tried to take charge of it with pure willpower. “Hell no,” Karon growled, creating his own psychic bubble and pushing harder against her. Her eyes widened when she felt his resistance and realized he could use magic as well. And her efforts increased tenfold at that instance. But in the end it wasn't enough, he was too alien for her to wrap her mind around, too strange to the usual energies her inherent magical skills were accustomed too. And her psychic grip slipped after a few seconds. A look of fear appeared on her face when she lost control and Karon came running towards her, or rather, the door behind her. But before he reached it, a sharp burst of pain appeared on the side of his head, and his vision suddenly swam with an unfocused blur as he stumbled and stopped. “What the...” he muttered and reached up to rub at the center of the pain gingerly, then looked down at his feet to see what had struck him. It was a book. Still dazed, he looked over to the floor to see Rainbow Dash sitting where she had crashed, surrounded by a pile of books and a fierce expression on her face. Then she grabbed one more of the heavy tomes and flung it at him with a yell. He managed to dodge it in time, turning his head towards the white unicorn and the door promising safety just a few steps ahead. Then his eyes met with the unicorn's, and he saw the calculations run through her head. She knew there was something odd about him that wouldn't let her take him directly with magic. But then her eyes snapped to the floor where the book that had struck him a moment earlier lay, and slowly her gaze turned up towards the huge shelf lined with hundreds of books right next to Karon. He followed her gaze and felt his stomach drop. “Woman, don't you even th-” Then the entire shelf was enveloped in a light as her horn shone, and a torrent of tomes fell down on him in a literary waterfall. With an all too feminine-sounding whimper, he felt himself fall down the stairs together with hundreds of books bouncing around him in a chaos of ink and paper. He landed on the floor with an ear-piercing clatter, and the books bounced out across the entire library floor. The first thing he heard once silence fell and all went still was the light blue unicorn giggling. And with a groan he pushed himself up the floor and stood on wobbly legs. He glared over at the pegasi, then slowly reached down to grab one book in each hand. “If it's war you want,” he began, smacking the two books together in a challenge. “It's war you'll get,” he whispered. The door to the library was suddenly flung open with a loud bang, and Karon's eyes snapped over to see the same cowboy hat wearing pony who had chased him out of the orchard rushing in. She came to a screeching halt as soon as she took in the scene in front of her. Then her eyes fell on Karon and widened in recognition. She spoke something and straightened her hat in a gesture she somehow managed to make threatening. “You,” Karon replied the same, pretty sure he knew exactly what she had meant. They both stared down one another, the tension building in the silence as both waited for the other to make the first move. Then Karon shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, before yelling out a battle cry that came straight from the heart, before hefting both books and preparing for combat. “Your apples were mediocre anyway!”