When the chemicals in your mind are that of a child, it's very easy to get caught up in an emotion. That said, after the initial rush of soul crushing terror it comfortably rested on mild panic rather than outright terror. So I think I'm alright. My mind still runs away on me though. Knowing I have a phylactery ready is a huge relief. So the real challenge is not doing something stupid.
Oh and the Cinnamon Rolls helped too. Also choking on my pride was a great distraction, I can't believe Luna was comforting... Still I was finally alone and had some breathing room. Luna was fetching a healer, because now that the spell was dropped the magic wouldn't slide off my eye sockets or broken horn. It had taken way, way too much to convince her to leave me alone for a bit. Still the meditation helped.
There's scrabbling outside in the hall and my door opens. I raise an eyebrow, there is about five of them. “Okay then... I thought Luna was fetching a healer. Not a swarm of them.” I muse out loud and there's a cough.
“Most of us are here for observation and in case something goes wrong.” One of the doctors/nurses tells me and I'd roll my eyes if I had them.
“And with so many in such a small room you're going to be bumping into each other.” I note wryly.
“We are used to working in close quarters to each other. There's nothing to worry about.” Another one says and I huff in a slight amount of nervousness.
“I can't see, for all I know one of you is carrying an axe.” I remark acidly and there's some shuffling... oh no... Alright there's no window, one exit and it's packed. I remember the contents of the room and a plan forms. I hear one take a step and I jump into action. My torn wings won't let me fly, but they make jumping easier as I soar over the chair and throw it towards the group. At the startled exclamations I jump to the top of the bookshelf and mostly make it. Easily pulling myself up I leap towards the upper part of the door and manage to snap my wings out in just the right moment to carry me over the rest, and I hit the floor running.
“Wait! What the...” One of them starts to shout but I'm going so fast that I'm clearing a corner at this point. The echoes of my hoof falls is enough for me to know where the walls generally are so I don't smash into any. Magic wraps around me and I use much of my own to shatter the hold it has on me while trying to ignore the nightmare headache.
“Wait! What's pan...” someone else shouts but I've cleared another corner and the voice is garbled in my mad sprint. It takes me a moment to realize that, that someone else was Luna but I'm committed to getting the hell out of danger. So I'll explain myself when I'm safe thank you very much. I hear the wind howling and I charge out an open door ignoring the exclamation of shock from whoever it was I just slid under and I'm outside.
It's very cold and the wind is blowing hard but I keep moving. I keep running and for a moment I feel something laughing sinisterly. It feels like a living spirit but its very powerful. Okay going the other direction then. Suddenly I run out of a pressed path and slam into a snowbank. I stick my head up and keep trying to move through the biting cold. I make some progress before I sense something else coming at me. Two somethings. From the direction of the massively powerful spirit there is a huge source of magic. That's bad. From the front there's a much weaker spirit that I can tell even without eyes is a wendigo. Not too bad.
I make my choice and charge the wendigo. Someone shouts something, but I block it out as I twist and slam the spirit taking care to avoid the mouth. It tries to coil around me with the wispy parts of it's body, but a slight amount of magic makes my body heat invasive and harmful to the beast. I manage to get a couple good punches in, both of them disrupting it's spirit form. The massive source of magic is still coming so I send massive disruptions into the half elemental ghost, and throw it into the path of the spell.
The spell avoids it! It's homing in on me! I try to get some more distance but its too late! I'm surrounded by magic and there's a huge surge of it before... I'm back inside. “What?”
“Well that was a merry chase...” Luna notes in a dry tone as I pant from both the excitement and exhaustion. “What made you think any of that was a good idea?” she asks as she holds me with one leg. Probably making sure I can't use magic to bust out again but I still struggle. It's helpless but I struggle none the less.
“One had an axe! When they don't answer it means they're getting it ready!” I half shout justifying my actions and there is a silence.
“No... the awkward silence meant they had no idea how to respond to that.” she tells me and I pause. That... might make sense.
“Oh... oops.” What else can I say. “Still, there have been so many times where I ended up in a huge fight that started exactly like that.” I say trying to justify my actions.
“Well you certainly know how to make a run for it.” she remarks in a clearly annoyed tone. I should be kissing up so that the physical goddess doesn't get angry. But no, I have my dignity. What's left of it at least.
“It was either fight a difficult battle while crippled or run.” I explain quickly and she pauses for a moment, and I feel her muscles move in a way that I think means a nod.
“It's a little difficult to walk with one leg holding you up. If I put you on my back will you run again?” she asks me and I sigh.
“No... I just panicked...” I say. “It's harder to keep myself calm without that stasis spell.” I tell her and I feel her head dip a little. So she nodded?
“Why did you have it up in the first place?” Luna asks and I groan a little.
“It works as a sort of shield. A stasis spell on my mind prevents foreign magic or chemicals from affecting it. I used to have it on all the time but now that I'm honestly thinking about it, it had been weakened.” I explain scrunching my eyes a little. “Due to all the changes of my body chemistry, all it was doing was stopping the physical changes from affecting my head. The resistance to outside chemicals and magics was gone.”
“And your panic attacks?” Luna asks me, she sounds much more gentle now.
“Have you never had opium or alcohol?” I ask her and she stops entirely.
“It never happened.” She says simply in a stiff tone. There's a story there.
“Alright then... anyways changing your body in any major way like age, gender, or race can and will have similar effects. Two of these things suddenly crashing into someone is more then enough to completely throw anyone off balance.” I tell her in a matter of fact tone. She hmm's for a moment and seems to be considering it.
“Yes that makes sense.” Luna admits. “I have some... experience with great personal change.” she tells me and I nod. There's silence for a few minutes as we keep moving on. I guess we're going either back to my room or the medical wing. I hope it's the medical wing, because if not than I've seriously underestimated just how fast I am if I got this far from my room.
“So you found him! Thank goodness!” Someone exclaims and an eyebrow goes up.
“You scared us near witless! Why did you run?” Someone else asks and I scratch the back of my head. This is awkward and odd. I'm not used to people caring so much, and it will take a long time to get used to it.
“Shortly before finding his way to Canterlot Borealis was horrifically attacked. The most recent had him cornered in a small cave by a group of four individuals.” Luna says and my empty eyes open for a moment before I close them again.
“Borealis?” I ask confused. I don't even know what that word means and she wants to use it as my name.
“The second part of the Aurora-Borealis, the northern lights. I've been thinking about it and your name is now Thanatos-Borealis.” she tells me and my jaw drops.
“That's the most stupid thing I've ever heard.” I tell her, all tact.
“I think its clever myself. The first part of your life was a thing of fear, death and cruelty. So Thanatos. The second part which has begun is a mystery that is to be guided by the night. So Borealis.” She tells me, and it's clear. Whatever she's been reading, or whatever stories she likes are the things of nightmares. That or she has had opium in the last twenty minutes.
“Princess...” One of the doctors says hesitatingly.
“Yes, Sound-Practice? What is it?” Luna asks.
“In my humble opinion, the name Thanatos-Borealis is a little... much.” Sound-Practice says and I find that I like him already.
“I think it's a wonderful name! It's such a mysterious and elegant title!” A female doctor says says with a sigh in her voice. That sigh was far from innocent.
“You also think that Saddle-Rippers are high art, and have a collection of over five hundred of them.” Sound-Practice says wryly and I'm confused again.
“What's a Saddle-Ripper?” I ask dreading the question.
“Badly written romance stories that appeal to mares who pine for an impossibly perfect lover.” Sound-Practice says before anyone else can say a thing.
“Alright listen 'Mom'. Just because I could pull the whole mysterious lover act for a night a few years ago does not mean I'll put up with a name like that!” I tell Luna seriously, drenching the word Mom with as much biting sarcasm as I can. Granted I'm really stretching the definition of 'a few' but the point stands.
“That's the first time you called me mom...” Luna says, sounding... silently overjoyed. If that makes any sense.
One of the doctors. Another male, this one unfamiliar. Coughs to get our attention. “If we could get to what we came for. I'd like to get our nameless prince started on his healing.” he says.
“What is this going to take? Are you going to put the eyes of something else in my head and transform them permanently or something?” I ask and there's a slight huff.
“That's old practice there. No. We're going to be placing enchanted patches over each eye after filling them with a special cream. The patches will cause your body to use the cream as the material to make new eyes. Unlike the Snake-Eyes method you mentioned this has never failed. Also over top the patches you're going to start wearing a Sight Headband. This will let you see during the few days it takes for you to grow your new eyes.” He tells me and I'm gaping at this point. “Something wrong?” he asks and I shake my head. “Overwhelmed?” he tries and I nod.
“Let's do this quickly before he looses his nerve again.” Luna says and I'm floating off her back and lowered to the floor. I sit down apprehensively and she puts a hoof on my shoulder. I feel magic wrap around my head and I open my empty eyes.
“Hurry up, I feel like I'm about to panic.” I say just in time for a cold glob of... gunk to soar into each hole and fill them both up. I try to close my eyes by reflex, but they're held open by magic as a little more gunk flows into each, a spell is then cast on the stuff and it feels more solid. The magic on my eyelids fades away and I close them quickly. Just in time for a patch to seal itself onto each eye and I can feel a gently hum of magic from each. “Is that it?” I ask as the magic holding me still fades.
“Yes it is. Although we do have a Sight Headband here for you as well.” Sound-Practice says and a circle of soft cloth is slipped around my head. It closed softly to hold itself in place somehow and there was a tingle of magic before the world around me was suddenly visible.
“Whoa! It certainly works fast!” I remark turning my head around quickly to get a look at everything around me. Sound-Practice is light green with deep red hair in a cut resembling a bowl. His marking is a flat piece of wood with a metal clasp on top, there is a piece of parchment with scribbles on the wood with a large green check-mark on it.
I look up and it really drives home just how huge Luna is. I'd blink if my eyes weren't sealed shut. “Feeling better?” Luna asks as my jaw drops a little.
“More realizing how out of my depth I am.” I try to say calmly as the fact that I can make out constellations in her mane starts to hit home. I take a look around and see the doctors. They're all smiling at me and most have very pale coats with dark hair to contrast. I'm interrupted from examining them in closer detail when a guard rushes up from the opposite direction.
“Princess Luna! There's trouble in the castle! When we uncovered Prince Justicar as the murdered pony we realized that the Changeling was still impersonating him. We tried to lure the beast into an ambush but it caught on and got away!” The guard explained and Luna looked shocked then furious.
“Anything else? What wing was it last seen in?” She asked seriously and the guard swallowed. Hmm... he must have gotten in a fight or something, he's in pain...
“Eastern wing nearby the pegasi barracks. I would not be surprised if the wretched monster has impersonated a guard and is in fact aiding the search effort to find it.” The guard says and I think for a moment before grinning.
“How heavy is your armour?” I ask and he blinks. “Look for the guard who's not comfortable in his armour! If the changeling was impersonating a noble for any length of time, then the armour will feel like wearing an anvil!” I tell him and his eyes widen. There we go a bit of surprise and a twinge of fear. The pain is from the armour.
“Right! That's perfect!” He says and he's about to take off but I tell him to wait. “What is it?”
“I can do even better. I can sense pain, and discomfort is a very minor pain. So if you can have me walk in front of all the guards, I can pick out which one is in the most pain from the armour.” I quickly explain and Luna looks pensive for a moment. The guard's eyes widen for a moment and I feel an increase in his fear.
“I'd rather you didn't...” Luna begins before I rush up to the guard and slam him in the face sending as many disruptions into him as I can. “What are you doing!?” she shouts just before the guard's form wavers and shifts into a black insect pony with fly wings, a jagged horn and holes in his body near the hooves. The fangs and slitted eyes are a little intimidating though. He glares at me eye to eye and we're practically butting heads as he snarls at me.
“You are one ugly bug.” I say seriously, a predatory smile crossing my face as I get ready to slam death energies into this creep. Time for a fight. Then the changeling is slammed into a wall after being covered by a dark blue magic aura for a brief second. I'd blink if I could. “Hey I wanted to fight him!” I protest looking up at Luna.
“Absolutely not! Why didn't you tell me that you suspected him?” Luna demanded and I shrugged.
“I didn't really have time to.” I say watching the changeling struggle against Luna's magic and fail miserably. “Besides I've run into shapeshifters in the past. You need to shock them to get any kind of advantage.” I remark rolling my shoulders a little. Wererats... I really hate them. I walk up to the changeling and glare at it at point blank.
“What do you want food?!” it demands in an echoing gender neutral voice, and I ignore it focusing on the feeling of it's soul. Its... odd. Like a fully a grown shard rather than an actual soul. Still this is unique enough that it will be easy to find again.
“Just figuring out how to easily uncover and attack your kind.” I tell it as I take a feel of its aura. Tainted and incomplete. Like having an enormous bug with far too many legs crawling on my skin. “And done. That was easy enough.” I remark and its eyes grow wide, just before Luna's magic grabs me and drags me back. “Yes?” I ask looking up at her casually.
“No going near the soulless monster.” she tells me sternly.
“Actually... it's only mostly soulless. There's a shard in there kind of like infusing gems.” I remark and Luna looks down on me in shock. “I use a splinter. A piece so small that it's grown back in less then a minute. That thing is a shard. Take out a piece that huge and its like sticking a knife in your soul.” I explain and there is a silence as everyone, changeling included are staring at me.
The silence is profound for a few moments. “Oh grow up already.” I tell them disappointed that a physical goddess, five healers and a being brought to life through soul splitting are all staring at me in discomfort. “Have none of you ever heard of soul splitting?” I ask and the silence persists. “Oh come on you were made with it!” I protest pointing towards the changeling.
“Soul magics are... a relative unknown.” Luna tells me and I sigh.
“You know what made this one?” the changeling asks and Luna puts a wing between me and it, I poke my head out regardless.
“I know what makes you live and think. But I don't know how your body was built. Now if 'Mom' here would let me at both you and a lab I could figure that out pretty quickly. Granted, you'd die horribly.” I tell the creature and it stares at me with a mild look of terror. That's probably as much as it can feel about anything. It's clearly more a living golem than anything else.
“Right...” Luna says and I can finally hear some other guards coming and I glance down the hall and see not only two unicorn guards but... another in bright purple armour.
“Bright purple armour? What in the hell?” I ask mostly to myself.
“Oh hush, you've met Shining Armour.” Luna tells me. THAT'S Shining Armour?! What? Why purple?
“Princess! You caught him in record time ma'am.” Shining Armour says saluting smartly. He's certainly bigger than most... although Doctor Payne is nearly twice Armour's size...
“It was a joint effort. My foal here was the one to unmask the beast, after that it was easy to pin it down.” Luna admits pulling me in a little closer. “Now let's get you away from the monster. I don't want it to just ruin your day.” she says and my jaw drops.
“I've woken up with more horrifying things cuddled up to me! I scare more horrifying things!” I tell her flabbergasted, this thing is barely a threat and she's horrified for me?
“That's not going to happen.” Luna tells me clearly and I'm lifted onto her back again. The view is nice. I can see everyone's gobsmacked expressions.
“The waking up with monsters in my bed, or my scaring the living daylights out of them?” I ask simply and she turns to give me a stern look. I just smile. This is actually fun.
After a moment her expression softens. I don't know why but it just does. “We still need to find a name for you and it's clear you're a little picky...” she says sounding a little wounded.
“Rejecting Thanatos-Borealis is not being picky, its being sensible.” I tell her and I see Shining Armour mouth out the words 'Thanatos-Borealis?'.
“And you have a better idea?” Luna asks me and I shake my head. “Oh? Why not?”
“I don't really want one. My last name got me hurt.” I remark wryly remembering the feeling of naming magic ripping me apart.
“Are you ever going to stop being paranoid?” Shining Armour asks and I shrug.
“Probably not.” I say with a grin. “Still, you're only paranoid if your wrong.”
“And in what way has this paranoia been justified?” Luna asks me and I simply point to the changeling that's being fully restrained by the guards. “Right... you need to let it go though, such things are rare.”
“Not around me they're not.” I tell her and she sighs.
“If you say so. Still Captain Shining Armour, where is Princess Cadance?” Luna asks and Armour raises an eyebrow.
“She's probably with Lady Celestia. The changeling panic has stirred up the nobles again.” he says and Luna nods. “By the way... how did you sense it?” he asks and I scratch the side of my head.
“I can sense pain and souls if I focus. It wasn't as comfortable in the armour it was wearing as a guard should be, and when I mentioned this it felt fear which in some ways is a pain in the soul.” I explain and he's staring at me with a curious look. “Can I help you?”
“Can these things be taught?” He asks sounding fascinated.
“It can, and it cant.” I say and once again I have everyone's attention. “Think of it like this. It's not magic so much as a... proto-magic. You need certain... experiences to develop them.” I explain and there's further silence. “Can we talk about this away from the manufactured creature which most likely has a telepathic connection to the rest of its kind?” I ask and all eyes turn to the changeling who had been listening intently.
“Right. Take that scum away.” Shining Armour orders and the changeling is dragged off.
“So where are you bringing me now?” I ask Luna and she smiles at me.
“Well we can't just keep calling your foal now can we?” Luna asks gently. “So I'm going to have Cadance who's more in tune with the times to lend me a hoof.” She tells me and an eyebrow goes up. I have a bad feeling about this.
(So anyone think they can do better than Luna's suggestion? Throw some names at me and I'll see if there's one I really like.)