//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 : Hunted Pegasus // Story: Branded by Friendship // by redstone //------------------------------// The sun was barely rising above the horizon when three shadows crossed the square leading to the town’s library. Whispering in a clandestine fashion, they reached the front door and waited there, as if preparing something. “This is it darling, you know what to do.” “Actually I have no idea. You two just came to my cloud and basically ponynapped me.” “I’m sorry for waking you up, but this is an emergency. An animal could be in danger; you can sleep when we are finished. If that’s okay with you...” “Yeah yeah, whatever. I still don’t understand what we are doing at Twilight’s house this early in the morning.” “I already told you: we are here to make sure that the disgusting creature that crash landed two days ago is okay. I personally care more about Twilight’s state of mind but...” “I came to see it yesterday, but Twilight would not even meet me! Spike went to the basement and told me that she was busy. I really don’t like the idea of that poor thing trapped down there, just to be experimented upon.” ‘Squee’ “Not that Twilight would ever do that of course.” “I actually heard a very interesting piece of gossip yesterday.” “Can I go back to sleep now?” “Shush. Some of my clients told me that Twilight caused quite a scene in the morning, apparently she was involved in a very risqué type of... Shall we say erotic role playing, with the creature in question.” “Wow... No no no I don’t believe you. Twilight would never take advantage of some poor animal like that. She is the queen of dork, she plays by the rules and everything!” “Well, my dear Rainbow Dash, that’s what we are here to make sure of now, aren’t we? If Fluttershy’s fears can be put to rest, isn’t that worth a few minutes of sleep?” “Well if you put it that way...” “Marvelous. Shall we begin? First off, we need to make sure that Twilight is still asleep. Dash, you will fly to her room to verify, and also look for any sign of our mystery guest.” “Why can’t we just ask her?” Rainbow Dash was really reluctant to spy on her friend, it didn’t feel right, even for a good reason. “You saw how she was two days ago, and after what happened yesterday... I’m really worried about the poor little thing...” Fluttershy was peering through the front windows, as if hoping to see the object of her worries walking around inside the library’s main hall. “Okay okay I’ll do it. But you owe me one, Rarity.” The cyan pegasus took flight, landing soundlessly on the balcony leading to Twilight’s bedroom. The room was dark but she could still see inside: a flight of stairs going down that led to the common hall, stairs going up leading to Twilight’s study where she kept her telescopes, and the mezzanine, slightly elevated, where she slept. A whisper came from down below. “Make sure it is not sleeping beside or under her bed.’ She opened the door noiselessly, creeping silently towards the mezzanine. With the agility of a cat, Rainbow Dash cleared the steps in a graceful leap, approaching the bed. Outside, Rarity and Fluttershy pricked their ears, ready to charge inside if anything went wrong. They didn’t have to wait long before Rainbow Dash returned, bearing a slightly shocked expression. “So, did you find it?” Fluttershy didn’t like the look on her face. “It’s not hurt is it?” “Uhhh no? Not Really? I don’t know.” “Did you see it or not?” Rarity had little patience, she too had given up on her beauty sleep for this. “What has Twilight done to it?” “Nothing bad... I think... Is it hot out here?” “Wait, why are you blushing?” The white unicorn looked suspiciously at her pegasus friend. “Who’s blushing? I’m not blushing!” “That’s it! I’m going in.” Fluttershy spread her wings and was about to fly to the balcony, but the other pegasus intervened. “No wait! I really think we should ring the doorbell.” “But, what about...” “Trust me on this one.” ---ΩΩΩ--- Someone was ringing the doorbell. Someone was ringing the doorbell again. Someone was ringing the doorbell and was about to be transformed into a skunk. Twilight slowly woke up, it was definitely too early for anyone to visit the library, too early for a friendly visit, and much much too early for anyone to be disrupting her slumber. She could hear Spike mumbling and stirring to answer the call, so maybe she could return to sleep. She tried to turn, but found that she could not. In her mind fogged by lethargy, she thought that maybe the covers had snared themselves around her, so she wiggled a bit to get free. The mass holding her didn’t budge, it even tightened its grip, grunting like a bear. Her brain could not process that information, blankets and grunting didn’t add up. “That’s it, I can’t take it anymore: I’m going back to Canterlot right now.” It took her a few seconds to recognize Spike’s voice, and a lot more time to focus on the blurry face of her little brother, standing right in front of her besides the bed. “You have your fun, I’m moving back with Night Light and Velvet for a while. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them anything about... This. ‘Urk’” Spike shouldered his trademark bundle on a stick and started to climb down from the mezzanine. Twilight heard him grumble under his breath, muttering something about “impressionable children”, “crazy human” and “hormones”. He closed the door behind him as he exited the room. Very slowly her brain began to function again. Something was definitely holding her, she could feel a warm object pressing against her back, like she was sleeping leaning on a furnace. She felt drowsiness building up again, her body falling prey to the comfortable warmth, her eyelids closing and opening more and more slowly. Blink, she could see the rising sun shining through the window. Blink, the door leading to the main hall opened. Blink, a white unicorn’s head popped up from the lower ground of the room, climbing the steps to the mezzanine. Blink, three ponies were watching her, one with a very embarrassed look partially hidden behind a waterfall of pink hairs, another with a blushing blue face and eyes avoiding her gaze and the last, holding a white hoof in front of her mouth, barely concealing a huge conspiratorial grin. ‘Whatever.’ Twilight gave up and was about to sink into merciful oblivion when a voice sounded just behind her ear. “Gnnn... Pork chop sandwiches...” That voice, what it had said and the drool flowing onto the back of her head snapped her right out of it faster than the bitterest blackest bitter-black coffee. She realized that the thing that was holding her was in fact a pair of arms, slid under her forelegs and crossed over her chest.Which meant that what was snoozing right behind her was... “Mès! Please wake up!” “Nuuuuuh...” “Don’t worry about us darling, Spike let us in but we will wait for you to be --how should I put it? Presentable?-- outside.” With a stifled giggle Rarity led both pegasi to the door. “No! I’m not... This is not...” The trio disappeared from view, leaving a frazzled Twilight and an awakening Mès. The man yawned, sniffed unhappily at the hairs covering his nose and took some time to analyse the situation. “Why are you in my bed?” “You are the one in mine!” “Oh... And why are you in my arms?” “You tell me! Did you take me for your teddy bear or something?” “I don’t know... Was that some of your friends I heard just now?” “YES!” “Was one of them a pegasus?” “Two of them actu... Wait why do you want to kno...” Taking less time that it took to say ‘Don’t you dare’, Mès disengaged himself from his bedmate, threw the blankets covering his and Twilight’s legs away and jumped from the bed directly to the floor under the mezzanine, dragging one of her white sheets along with him. In just a few seconds he had left the room and was flying down the staircase after the three ponies. ---ΩΩΩ--- “Told you we should have waited downstairs.” Dash looked apprehensively at the front door they had just closed, giving Twilight some space. “I didn’t think it would be so... Sensual.” Rarity crooned. “I didn’t take Twilight for the spooning kind of girl.” “Eeep” Fluttershy tried to bury her face deeper under her long mane. “Did you hear him speak?” Rainbow Dash wanted to steer the conversation into safer territory, if only to respect Twilight’s privacy. “He said something about sandwiches.” “Well, males do tend to crave some restoration after that kind of physical activity.” She noticed Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash staring at her. “What? I read about it in a magazine.” “Yeah right. So why are we still here anyway? I have a lot of work ahead of me today.” The cyan pegasus was fidgety, flexing her wings and stamping her hooves. “I... I still want to make sure he’s okay...” “Okay? He’s more than just okay. Did you see him drooling?” “I assure you dear, he looked quite happy to be where he was.” Fluttershy was about to respond when a noisy cavalcade thundered inside the library. It sounded like someone was rushing down the stairs, the big stompy footsteps coming to a stop just behind the front door. Suddenly a second set of hurried hoofsteps followed the first, ending with a resounding crash. They all pricked their ears to listen to what was going on inside. ”Aouch...” “You okay there?” “No, I just missed a step...” “Didn’t anyone tell you never to run down a flight of stairs?” “Well when I see a big stupid human running after my friends I tend to get a little worried.” “I just want to see the pegasuses!” “Only see them?” “Well, maybe ask them a few questions...” “And...” “... Tickle them?” They heard a big feminine sigh. “Mès, remember when I told that I had a friend that was easily startled? She is out there right now, and I would like you not to freak her out, if that’s not too much to ask.” “Don’t worry, I’ll behave myself.” “Right...” The door unlocked, revealing a bed-maned Twilight, with a sour complexion and bags under her eyes. She didn’t invite them in, and her expression was less than welcoming. Morning Twilight was not the best Twilight on normal days, and this one was already pretty disastrous. “Hi girls. What brings you to my little slice of Tartarus?” “Well...” began Fluttershy. “We wanted to make sure that the thingy was okay and now that we saw that you took care of his thingy... Uuuh I mean him we’ll be on our way ‘kay bye.” Rainbow Dash tried to fly off at top speed, but an azure magic aura pinned her wings against her body. “What Rainbow Dash is trying to say is that we came to check if the creature who appeared two days ago was healthy. Fluttershy came to visit him yesterday, and your refusal gave us the false idea that you could have been... Mistreating it. We can now see that this wasn’t the case.” The white unicorn leaned in closely and whispered only to her counterpart. “Unless he likes it that way, of course.” “What... No... I...” Twilight was having a hard time finding her words. Trying to buy some time she looked around, until her eyes rested upon the window next to the front door. “GAAAH!” The other mares followed her gaze, finding that the creature in question, eyes bloodshot and wide open, had pressed his forehead against the glass and was observing them like an owl. The moment he realized his position was compromised, Mès quickly ducked out of sight. “Let’s get this over with... Please come inside.” The mares silently entered the room, finding themselves face to face with the human inside. Mès had fashioned himself a new toga from Twilight’s bedsheet, making a knot over his shoulder. “Ladies, this is Mès.” The man bowed his head in a quick courtesy, she droned on with a tired voice. “He is a human, a being from another world. He will be my guest for the foreseeable future. I hope you can get along.” The three ponies greeted him with varying enthusiasm. Twilight noted that both pegasi were somewhat panicky, whereas Rarity was very analytical, eying his choice of clothing skeptically. “He is not dangerous in any way.” She yawned. “Just don’t let him pet your mane.” ---ΩΩΩ--- The introductions had been brief, Mès having heard about Twilight’s friends the day before. The mood was definitely awkward as they all sat around Twilight’s study, a tray of biscuits, tea and strong coffee between them. The room was at the top of the tree, a floor higher than the bedroom, the walls bearing a few select books and some equipment for star gazing and charting the night sky. The fire place was bare, all the guests looking at it to avoid encountering Mès’s inquisitive gaze. All except one. “So, Mès is it?” Rarity locked eyes with the human. He looked away quickly as he had before, as if something was bothering him. “You seem to be very interested in our pegasi friends.” Rainbow Dash shifted in her seat and Fluttershy whimpered just a little. “Why is that?” “Wings.” Mès pointed to Fluttershy’s wings, making her shake from the attention. “Winged equines have always been something of a dream to me. Seeing a pegasus, a real one... I just can’t believe it.” “Oh?” Rainbow Dash looked less alarmed. She realized that he was not acting like a crazy pony, he was just like another fan of hers. This was a territory where she was comfortable. “Have you never seen a pegasus from up close before?” Mès shook his head. “Well then take a load of this!” She extended her wings and jumped into the air, sending papers flying around the room. “Pretty awesome uh?” Mès was looking at the display with interest, but not the adulation she was hoping for. He turned to Fluttershy. “Why don’t you show me your wings like your camarade?” “I... I guess I can... If you want me to.” She stretched her trembling wings. “Is that enough?” Mès turned towards Twilight with a grin and pointed to the canary pegasus. “I like that one!” “Hey, what about me!” “I don’t really like loud mouths that blow their own horn.” “Oh yeah?” “Yeah.” “Well I have a lot of better things to do than stay here with some creep that doesn’t recognise awesomeness when he sees it, I’m out of here!” With that she bolted out of an open window. “Rainbow Dash, wait for me!” Fluttershy called meekly after the cyan pegasus. The human was obviously healthy, well treated, and his constant staring reminded her of a cat watching a mouse. She wasn’t sure if it was polite to follow Dash, and the longer she thought about it the less she felt her excuse would make sense. Rainbow Dash was most probably miles away already. She finally had decided to leave anyway when Mès spoke to her in a pleasant tone. “You are not going to leave, are you?” “Hmm actually...” “Your friend is still here.” He pointed to Rarity. “It would not be nice of you to leave her alone, now would it?” His voice was now dripping with honey, the sugary words trapping the poor pegasus. “Well... I guess not...” “So you will stay?” “Y... yes?” “Good.” Having cared for animals almost all her life, Fluttershy could read a lot in just a little bit of body language. And the way Mès was shifting his weight screamed of a predator about to pounce on its prey. She let escape a mighty ‘Meeep.” before dodging completely by instinct, avoiding being snatched up just in time. Mès crashed into her long chair, but in the same fluid movement rolled towards the pegasus, following her as she escaped towards the lower floors. “Come back here! Your squeaks only make me want to rub your belly more!” As the man gave chase, the two unicorn left in the room looked at each other, one with a questioning look and the other with a tired expression. “Shouldn’t we stop him?” Rarity had understood that Mès had no foul intent, but he still was an imposing figure. “Don’t worry, he just wants to tickle her.” Twilight’s nonchalant words were proven true when the screams from downstairs transformed themselves into laughter. “Oh, looks like he caught her.” “He certainly has his own ways to charm a mare...” Rarity sipped her tea, keeping an eye on Twilight’s reaction. The purple unicorn was adding sugar cubes to her coffee mug, a lot of them. “So, did the Familiar Spell make him get into your bed?” “Yes.” She answered looking at her friend resentfully. “And you knew it from the start, didn’t you?” “Of course, your reaction was quite amusing, but not one that I would expect from somepony caught in the middle of...” “Don’t say it...” Twilight gulped down her coffee, basking in the tingling sensation spreading through her body, brought by the caffeine. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to clear up all misunderstanding with the townsfolk. You made quite a scene yesterday.” Twilight groaned at the memory. “As for Rainbow Dash...” “She did react very strongly to Mès’s words, didn’t she?” Twilight served herself a second helping of the bitter beverage. The brew was not very good, she usually trusted Spike to make her coffee palatable. “I think she was not ready to find someone she qualifies as a --let’s say-- scholar, in your position. She didn’t want to be here in the first place, so she just took that opportunity to flee. I didn’t know her ego was so fragile when it comes to carnal relations.” “Great... That’s just great.” Twilight slurped noisily, making a face. “Blerg, how does Spike manage to make it taste good? I followed the instructions to the letter!” “Spikey Wikey has his own talents. In a few years he will make a very decent bachelor.” Rarity put her empty cup down, relaxing on her long chair. “The little dear told us that he had some business to attend to in Canterlot, and that he intended to stay there for some time, is that a problem?” “I can’t blame him. Mès and I have been giving him some mixed signals, and after this morning...” “And how are you dealing with your impromptu guest?” The two unicorns listened to the scuffle coming from the lower grounds: if the happy ‘squees’ were any indication, it seemed that both pony and human were kicking it off. “He doesn’t strike me as the thinking type, he seems more like a brash...” “Idiot, infuriating, slobbering disaster of an alien being.” Twilight huffed. “I’ve never seen you react this way before. “ Rarity observed her companion with a calculating look. “It is quite... interesting.” “What do you mean?” Twilight looked curiously at her friend. “If you had seen all the things he did... He blew up half of my laboratory, almost destroyed all of my cooking equipment and got his saliva in my hair! Twice now! And that’s just for starters! He ridiculed me in front of the whole town, drove me crazy with his stories about donkeys, gave my leg a hickey...” “What was that?” “... Nothing?” Rarity smiled and gave Twilight an odd look, making the purple unicorn uncomfortable, her eyes not meeting the white unicorn’s. After a few moments Rarity relented and changed the subject. “Never mind that, let’s talk about what you are going to do.” Rarity’s expression was now serious. “Am I correct in assuming that you did not intend to put a Familiar Spell on him?” “Yes!” Twilight gathered herself and looked gratefully at her friend. “I did some research, and it seems that Mès had a cursed rune on his right hand, and when my magic touched it the Familiar Spell triggered itself, as well as a human spell.” “Human spell? Mès’s species is gifted with such magic?” Rarity was extremely surprised. Ponies were not the only species that could control the world’s natural magic flow, but those who could express it in spells and incantations were very rare indeed. “So you were serious about him being from another world... How did he get here?” “Failed teleportation from what I can gather.” Twilight frowned. “I think he was trying to teleport himself and another human across a long distance, and on the way there the energy transfer was intercepted by our world. It must have been a very powerful signal for this to happen...” “Do you realize what this means?” A thought had just occurred to Rarity. “Mès is the first ambassador from another species, coming from another world or dimension... And for all intents and purposes the first thing we did was to we enslave him!” “I didn’t think of it this way...” Twilight considered this unsettling idea. “But Mès was already a slave in his world so... That doesn’t make it any better, don’t take me wrong!” She exclaimed when Rarity looked shocked at her words. “Nevertheless, I think you should report this to Celestia right away. You are not making your case any better by waiting for so long.” “I know. Trust me, I realize in how much trouble I am.” Twilight’s ears dropped. “I’m just giving Mès some time: I think there is something in his past that he is afraid to face, the least I can do is making it easier for him.” “That is quite noble, but think of your position, your studies, your family! What will they think?” “Don’t know. I guess first they will have to accept Mès as part of our life from now on. I don’t know where he will fit between my parents, Spike, Shining Armor... And Celestia.” “You realize how much she cares for you, don’t you? The princess would never punish you for something you had no control over...” “What about hiding the truth? You were all there when it happened, and what did I do? Did I ask for your help? Did I trust my friends enough to help me?” “You were distraught, not thinking straight...” “I don’t make excuses for myself.” She exhaled, bracing herself. “As soon as Mès is ready, I will confess to Celestia.” The two unicorns stayed in thoughtful silence, thinking about what the future could hold. When the distant bell tower sounded seven times, Rarity and Twilight both stood up, the unicorns levitating the tray and silverware to the staircase. “Is Shining Armor your brother?” Rarity asked curiously when they reached Twilight’s room. “Yes, did I never speak of him before?” the purple unicorn looked confused. She took the door leading to the lower floor. “No never. Why is that?” “I guess the subject never came up...” “Most people tell their friends about their families, you know that don’t you?” Twilight didn’t respond: they had reached the main hall, and they had found Mès and Fluttershy. “Hi there.” Mès was sitting cross legged on the ground with a big smile. He didn’t stop petting the reddening pegasus curled on his lap as the unicorns passed in front of them, taking the dishes to the kitchen. They were both giggling. “What? What’s so funny?” Fluttershy squeaked, she really had to learn to say ‘no’ when animals wanted something from her. But at the same time she could hardly stop herself from purring when Mès scratched her ears with one hand and brushed her coat with another. As far as crazy maniacal feral creatures went, Mès was pretty gentle and kind. She decided to forget about her worries and enjoy the cuddling a bit more.