My morning begins with a thud. My eyes open to a red blur, probably Gale who is trading blows with somepony in a black cowl and armor. Trying to get a grip of the situation, I back up a bit but get into a defensive position, waiting for my eyes to fully come around. But before I can see clearly, I hear a loud BANG. Or is it a squish? Well anyways, I finally turn around to the scene of Gale standing next to a pegasus lying on the ground with a good cut across his chest.
"Oh good morning." He says after putting down a blood coated dagger that he was holding in a strange manner. It's structure is very mysterious. The blade's shape is fashioned in a way I've never seen before with no racial origin that I can recall. Like a crescent moon that's been broken in half, turning one half the to face the opposite direction and reattaching it. After staring at it for a while, I manage to speak.
"Who in Equestria is this?!?!" Are my first words of the day. Gale's face is as indifferent and smug as ever.
"Oh this poor fellow?" He talks like he was completely oblivious to the fact that he was just attacked. "Judging by the armor and cowl, I'm gonna guess he was a Dark Brotherhood before he and I got into a misunderstanding. But no worries. This isn't the first time that the Black Sacrament was performed to attempt to have me killed. They must have not gotten the message the first time when that other agent didn't return to the sanctuary." He says like he's sympathizing for the stallion he just slaughtered before smiling at me with a blood splashed face.
"Nice little dagger you got there." I decide to completely disregard the complexity that is his mind and learn more about his peculiar blade.
"What this old thing?" He gestures to it like its nothing special "Its an old blade...A really old blade. I can say its about a thousand one and a half years old. Made it myself you know, and used at first to send Nightmare Moon to where the second part of her name refers. It had an enchantment to bind any being in place which bought Celestia enough time to use her own magic to banish the old mare. But all that magic is gone now. Used it all up a long time ago. Since then i've just kept it as a souvenir from those times. I call it Equilibrium since i've used it for both bad and good deeds."
"Did you make it during your time as a human?" I ask thinking about how complicated it would be to hoof craft such a strange shape.
"Yes in fact I did." He replies as if he were having some sort of interview. "Sometimes I miss having hands. It was so much easier to do so many other functions with limbs like those." I raise my eyebrow at this.
"Whats so special about these hands you speak so highly of?" I ask curious of whats so mind blowing about these human limbs.
"Well it enables humans to pick things up without the use of unicorn magic or any of that fancy business." he smirks to give a counter to my brash tone. I divert my attention to the imagination. The thought of being able to pick things up without magic would revolutionize pony technology. I should keep that as a mental note just in case I ever feel like designing a device to do such wonders. "It may seem amazing to you, but it really isn't much to humans." he adds. I pout, envious of his former ownership of hands. He nods in recognition of my envy and decides to change subjects. "We should probably get going soon friend. There is much work ahead of us as i've chosen you to be my sidekick for this journey." he chuckles, only to irritate me more, but I sigh and nod in agreement to his terms. I mean if we were to split apart, there would be nothing left for me in life. I'd forgotten everything prior to waking up in the mobile prison, and I'd probably get arrested again somehow. I felt pretty beat up when I woke up in that box. "And so we're off!" Gale roars before charging out the cave like a soldier in the front lines.
"Gale wait up!" I try to call after him but my attempt to do so is in vain. I was trying to call him to my attention so we could investigate a mysterious looking carving in the wall. I approach it slowly, almost sluggishly, hoofsteps not even making a sound. But as I get closer to it, I begin to get a bit dizzy. I can't pull away. My body is on a set course for the wall. I try looking at it again, and the carvings on the walls are glowing. Still with the inability to back off, I move forth, dizziness magnifying intensely. I'm trying desperately not to pass out, barely noticing an aura coming from the one of the carvings on the wall flying at me. As the strange light, and I make contact, everything becomes silent for a second, as if all of Equestria, or even the world has come to a pause. After a few seconds of being frozen in time, or what felt like it from my perspective, I emerge with a new wave of strength while subconsciously galloping out of the cave to meet Gale. Its bright and sunny out of the cave. The intensity of the sun hurting my head a little bit, because I was in the cave for so long with just a small fire to supply illumination. There is no wind outside of the cave this time, so Gale isn't as fast as he was yesterday, but he's still swift without being in his element. I'm already sweating profusely by the time I catch up with him. "Where exactly are we going?" I ask in between pants. This is starting to remind me of yesterday.
"Well...I don't know yet." he says after pondering the thought for a moment. "But we're looking for somewhere we can properly fit you to be my sidekick. Probably the closest settlement." Gale answers bluntly. Finally noticing that i'm not grimacing over his continuous sarcasm, I can tell that i'm getting used to him. So we dash forth to the horizon, searching for a sign of civilization.
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The sun is nearly set now. From the windows of my quarters I can see streaks of fiery orange bleeding through the curtains. The guards aren't as careful as usual. Probably because they have families of their own and are getting ready for the summer sun celebration in three days. Such a short time, but I can't shake this feeling that something will go wrong in Gale's plan...No. Impossible. This took centuries of planning and careful observance of detail. Its completely foolproof. Only three days left Luna. You're almost mine again...
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Night time is upon us, and we've finally reached a settlement of some sort. No, its only a cottage, but It will have to do. I'm completely exhausted, and even Gale is sweating. "Must have lost a couple pounds on that run." Gale jokingly conjectures. I chuckle a bit, because that one was actually kind of funny.
"Let me ask whoever lives here if we could stay the night." I offer to go ahead of Gale. Knowing his sarcasm, he'll probably just anger the owner of this here cottage. I trot up to it as gentlecolt like as I can and give the door five light knocks with my hoof. After a moment or so, the door opens slowly, and just a few inches with lots of creaking. Something squeaks.
"Um...M-may I h-help you?" is what I think I hear it ask.
"Well yes. I think you may be of assistance to me and my friend here. We've been running all day, and we've gotten sort of lost. Do you think we could stay here for the night just until we can find out where we are?" the door now opens to the most beautiful pegasus I have had the honor to have ever laid my eyes upon. Even Gale is gawking at her sheer grace.
"Well...if its only for the night, I-I think I can have you stay here." she backs away, softening her voice even further. She has a light yellow coat, her cutie mark is made of three pink butterflies, and her eyes are a calming aqua green. Her pink mane covering the majority of her face makes her look doubly cute. Even the way she has her wings folded so tightly is attractive.
"Thank you very much miss...uh" I trail off. I forgot to ask her name, and I feel my cheeks getting really hot. I'm probably blushing heavily.
"My name is Fluttershy." she squeaks in a way that makes me want to break down and just tackle her with a hug, but I know that it would only make her even more scared of us than she already is. However, her name suits her timid attitude and her unlimited cuteness. She backs away into her cottage, which i'm going to guess means to come inside. Gale and I look at each other in a very confused fashion before heading into the cozy looking inside of Fluttershy's home. Finally some real rest after sleeping in a dark cave for a day. Turns out that Fluttershy is fast at preparing for guests, because she has bedrolls out for Gale and I before we even have time to talk to her again.
"Thank you Fluttershy." I try putting on my best smile to keep her from backing away again. It works, because she just shyly smiles back before getting a fire started in her fireplace. Gale seems to be having trouble keeping his smirk up. Fluttershy must really be leaving an impression on him.
"Well...goodnight. Let me know if you need anything." Fluttershy says before going up the stairs.
"She's something else isn't she?" I ask Gale trying to imitate him. He still stares at the stares, infatuated with the pegasus that was standing there only a moment ago. Then out of nowhere, his gaze breaks into a grin that takes up the majority of the lower half of his face. "Gale? You okay?" I'm beginning to feel a bit worried for the poor colt. He must be inexperienced with mares, even though he's spent a thousand years with Princess Celestia. "Okay then...well...we'd better get some rest. I need to get properly suited up to be your partner remember?" he gives a slight nod in vague recognition. We both slip into our bedrolls, and a pleasant slumber.
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A thud from outside is heard by me. This time, I had a good sleep. So i'm wide awake immediately and go to check out what made the strange rumble. I take a quick look out the window of Fluttershy's home. Outside is Gale battling a dragon with his "hand crafted" dagger. Rushing outside with the sudden realization of the situation, I come to Gale's aid. Of course I can't really be of much help to him, because I don't have a weapon or armor. I take a quick glance around to see if there is anything that could help me and Gale fend off something as big as a dragon. Nothing but a petrified Fluttershy behind a bale of hay and my hooves. Feeling helpless, I decide to leave the situation to Gale. He's immortal, and he has quite the handiwork with his special blade. I hear the dragon say something. It is only for a split second, and it is only one word. "YOL!" and then out from it's mouth comes an inferno. I think for sure that Gale couldn't have survived that. But of course he does. He's immortal. When the flames disappear, his scorched body bubbles, and regenerates in seconds. In the instant of regeneration, the dragon's expression changes from confident, to shocked, giving Gale time to hop onto it's head and stab through it's scalp. As the dragon's life disappears from it's eyes, it's scales begin to burn. Gale backing away, doesn't know what is happening himself. The aura from the burning scales are being pulled into me. And for a second, I think back to the wall in the cave, and I see the carving that was glowing. But instead of being unreadable like the way I saw it yesterday, It says "Force" and I finally get a bit of understanding to what the carvings meant. Before the thought disappears from my head, I find myself inhaling deeply. Taking in more air than I ever have before. Looking straight into the forest ahead, I give a huge shout. "FUS!!!" I hear myself scream. The trees bend in the direction where my voice traveled.
"You never told me you were Dragonborn!" Gale's face is wrought with joy and mirth, while he seems completely oblivious to the fact that he was just scorched to an ash and then reborn in no time.
"Whats a Dragonborn?" I ask, afraid of my new found power, I have no choice but to ask Gale what just happened since he seems to understand what or even how I did that. My frantic inquiry is interrupted by a nearby squeak. I just noticed that we completely forgot about Fluttershy. Gale and I find her passed out near by. Still behind the hay bale where I saw her when I first came out to the sight of Gale doing battle with a giant winged lizard.
"Lets get her inside first. I'll tell you later when she's conscious again." Gale says, sounding worried. I nod in agreement immediately before we both carry her inside her cottage.