Branded by Friendship

by redstone


Chapter 9 : Reunions

Where am I? What are these creatures? What happened to my wife? If they did anything to her... Wait, what is that orange horse doing?

‘Her name is Applejack, she’s a pony and it looks like she is about to tie you up.’

Who said that? Get out of my head!

‘Why did you do that? Why did you hurt them?’

They were in my way, they said they had Aurora as a hostage. I had to bring them down.

‘I don’t know who Aurora is, but you have no excuse for what you have done. Violence is never the answer.’

Silence coward! I don’t know who you are, but stand in my way and I’ll turn you to ashes, like everyone else. As soon as I have control over my body I’ll kill them all, and I’ll roast the purple one’s tongue.

‘Don’t you dare touch her!’

Or what?

‘Or I will... I will kill you!’

Big words for such a little voice. Can you do it? I doubt it, you sound so green and foolish.

‘I would. I planned to hurt someone before, the one that put his brand on me.’

Did you go through with your plans?

‘No. I just couldn’t.’

You are just a sheep, I’ll show you how it’s done. I can’t kill the purple one, but I sure can incapacitate her. Unless you can stop me. Tell me weakling, how are you going to protect her?

‘Please, please just don’t hurt her...’

You can’t even threaten me properly? How can you hope to keep anyone safe if you stay so gutless? Think brutality is above you? What will you do when you can’t save her with just words?

‘...’

Don’t have an answer? Good, because there is none. When you have something dear to you, sacrifices are needed. You need to be strong. You need to be ready to do anything. You can’t stay a child forever.

‘...’

Don’t judge me. I am what I need to be to protect my family. I never enjoyed it, I did it out of necessity. And now it’s the only thing I know, it’s the only thing I have left. I don’t even remember how to be anything else than a murderer, I don’t remember what is was like to be happy. This is not what I wanted to be. But how could I ever change back after what I have done?

‘...’

Answer me dammit! Don’t leave me alone!

‘...’

Help me.

---ΩΩΩ---

The woman stirred quietly, stretching like a cat. She felt rested and at peace, the ground beneath her soft as a cloud; had she fallen asleep on a mossy forest soil? She could feel the warmth of the sun on her face, so she guessed that morning had come for them. Time to move out and search for cover. Instinctively she reached out to her sides, trying to find her husband. The absence of his snoring meant he was already awake, probably gazing at her like he sometimes did, blushing when she caught him in the act.

She found no-one, but her hands did close onto soft pieces of cloths, and she realized that she was lying on a bed, clothed in a stranger’s robes. In the next instant she had fully awakened, her eyelids fluttering to disperse the last of her drowsiness. The young girl cried out as she woke, the total darkness confusing her. It took Aurora a few moments to remember why she could not see a thing, the memory of her body’s condition returning little by little.

Her legs were gone, her eyes hollow, her chest carved out. She had never been vain or conceited about her beauty, but the loss of her womanly attributes still shook her. She had tried not to think about it the day before, but now she could not help but wonder: how would Mès react to her disfigurement? She knew the man could stare at her eyes for hours, and even if she teased him about it she still enjoyed this rare sign of affection. The man was usually too shy to show his true emotions. And she had lost those eyes, so precious to him. She laughed out loud.

“Well, someone is on a good mood.” The voice was familiar, and Aurora welcomed it.

“Good morning Celestia.” She had a smile as she turned towards the princess, sensing her presence a few paces away from her bed. “Or is it afternoon already?”

“The sun has just started rising, I take you had pleasant dreams?“

“I’m afraid my sleep was dreamless.” Aurora sat as best she could, leaning on her elbows until she was upright. “I was actually laughing at myself.”

“Do explain.” She heard Celestia moving closer, her footsteps muted by a thick rug.

“I just imagined how my husband was going to react when he finds out I don’t have any breasts for him to fondle anymore.” Aurora chortled again, breathing in Celestia’s scent. It was the same perfume as yesterday, fragrant and natural. “Can you imagine? Here I am, crippled and blind, and the only thing I can think about is worrying if a boy will find me pretty. Didn’t know I could be such a girl.”

“There is nothing wrong with being a little silly my dear.”

Aurora felt a wall of pillows building up behind her, yet Celestia hadn’t moved closer. Perking up her ears she perceived a faint crackling sound coming from the princess and the pillows behind her, she concluded that Celestia must have been using her powers, and not her hands. Something she did more often than not. Curious.

“I have never been one to pamper myself or dye my hair, like most citizen girls.” Aurora made herself comfortable, shifting her robes to accommodate the stumps she had for legs. “I actually find that attitude very ridiculous. I never knew I had it in me to be like one of them.”

“Oh, is that all?” Celestia tried to hide a giggle, a sound Aurora had grown to love coming from her. “You are quite prideful, aren’t you? Where does this superiority complex come from I wonder.”

“I don’t know, princess” She put as much sarcasm as she could in her last word, which was a lot. “Maybe it comes from the fact that I am smarter than most of these girls? And more well learned. More knowledgeable, more logical, stronger, independent...”

“And don’t forget a very big head for a matching ego.” Celestia sighed in fake disapproval. Aurora heard her move about, then she perceived a clicking metallic sound, not unlike the wheels of her wagon. Then the princess spoke again. “I had a wheelchair brought to my room while you were sleeping, I modified it to match your needs.”

“A chair on wheels? Really?” Aurora tried to imagine what the contraption could be like. She crawled on her hands, taking care not to strain her distended belly, until she found the side of Celestia’s bed. She then extended her arms, trying to find it until Celestia pushed the chair towards her.

“It is very safe, and it will permit you to move on your own.” Aurora grasped the object in question while Celestia explained how it worked.

She felt the metal structure, supported by two lean wheels with soft material on their edges. The material in question felt strange, malleable yet firm at the same time; it was no wood nor leather, and Aurora could not determine what it was. Celestia told her it was rubber, something she knew nothing about. The part where she would sit was made of cloth, it was tough and cushiony. One strip of fabric would support her bottom while she could lean back against another, it seemed that the material was made to be flexible. After some trepidation she managed to sit in it without help: she had to carefully transfer her weight from the bed to the chair by the strength of her arms alone. It was a good thing she was no frail city girl.

“Are you comfortable?” Celestia had proposed her help, and had remained quiet after Aurora had politely declined.

“The bottom is soft enough, I can reach the wheels easily.” Aurora spun experimentally the metallic wheels a couple of times, getting a feel for the directions. She revolved, went forward and backwards bumping against the bed until she understood how far each stroke got her. She finally tried her balance by stopping abruptly. Her body rocked slightly but she remained seated. “This metal is astonishingly light, yet it feels sturdy, the balance is nice too. I don’t think there is a risk of me falling off, except...” The girl turned her chair towards Celestia, having already perfectly grasped the way to control it. “Do you have any stairs in your house?”

“This is a castle, do you know what that is?” Aurora shook her head, the word foreign to her. “Imagine a stone house...”

“Like a roman house then.”

“Only it is very large...”

“Like a domus?”

“And very high. Canterlot is more than a dozen stories in height, and we are in one of its tallest towers.”

“Oh.” Aurora made a face. “Well I better get started if I want to get down before night time then.” She rolled her wheelchair forward, making a beeline for the exit. She had mapped the room at best she could the day before, relying on her audition above all. She knew precisely when to stop, just in time not to collide with the heavy double doors. She turned once more towards the princess, who was observing her silently. “Are you coming or do I have to throw myself down the stairs?”

“You are a very surprising girl, did you know that?” Celestia’s crystal laughter rang out like a shime, eliciting a satisfied smile from Aurora. “And don’t fret about stairs, I enchanted your wheelchair to stop whenever you get too close to one, or any hazard for that matter.”

“Magic again? You sure do rely on it a lot.” The woman patted the contraption, as if expecting it to purr. “Can you make it move by itself too?”

“I could. I thought about a ‘come to life spell’, but they can be unreliable, and in this case dangerous, so I prefer not to use one.” Celestia joined Aurora and the merchant heard the doors being magicked open, the joints giving away only the slightest groan. As she crossed the threshold she perceived the presence of two people guarding the entrance to Celestia’s door: the sentries shuffled as they passed, no doubt saluting their princess. “Anyway if you want we could go get breakfast in the royal dining room, it is on a floor directly beneath my tower. The only pon... The only ones that have access to it are myself, my sister, guards and retainers.” Aurora noted Celestia’s slip up, but could not understand it just yet, she started working on an explanation. “I will arrange a room for you in the same floor, that way you won’t have to deal with stairs or unwanted attention. Does this seem fair to you?”

Aurora nodded solemnly, knowing that she was being given a great honor, and she decided to show some proper etiquette as gratitude.

---ΩΩΩ---

“Wheeeee!” Aurora excited squee came to a stop when Celestia released her telekinetic grasp on her wheelchair. She had carried the sitting woman down the long flight of stairs, and Aurora had apparently greatly enjoyed the sensation of levitation. Her expression was now positively childish, the big goofy grin a contrast with her usual calculated one. “Again again again!”

“Maybe later, let us eat fist.” Celestia could not hold back another fit of giggles when she saw Aurora’s clear disappointment, her sulking expression adorable. This girl could be as clever and mature as an elder matriarch, then in the next instant she could transform into a babbling little filly. The princess was reminded of a certain purple unicorn she had taken under her wing many years ago. The difference was that with Aurora she could permit herself to act with familiarity, her regal attitude slipping away more and more, whereas with Twilight there would always be a wall separating mentor and pupil -- until the unicorn reached her full potential, that is: something that seemed unbearably faraway to the lonely alicorn. “Come, I will present you my sister, Luna. She should be having super right now.” That got Aurora’s attention.

“I’d love to!” She followed Celestia’s voice and was soon rolling at her sides, the princess sometimes correcting her path with magic. “Did you say super? Not breakfast?” The two friends went along a corridor lined with beautiful stained glass windows, doors leading off to other parts of the castle punctuating the walls.

“Luna’s daily schedule is not the same as ours. She is, what you could call, a creature of the night.” The merchant nodded, putting her questions aside for the night princess.

Before long Celestia noted that Aurora was turning her head at every sound she heard: whenever they passed a window she would turn to listen to the singing of birds, when they passed a small fountain she gave attention to the sound of rushing water and whenever a guard saluted them she would always perceive his movement. She stared at them with her blind eyes until even the most well trained soldier would shift uncomfortably, and when the ground was no longer padded with a soft red carpet she aimed her ears at the sound of Celestia’s hoofsteps, analysing the clops with raised eyebrows. The princess feared the inevitable question, but Aurora only nodded to herself before turning towards another guard, giving him a death glare until he squirmed. Celestia knew that soon she would have to tell Aurora about her equine nature, but she dreaded her reaction; her body didn’t need any more stress.

“How are you dealing with your blindness?” Celestia asked with concern. “Did you rely on your eyes a lot? You seem to be a little overwhelmed.”

“I won’t deny that blindness is something I don’t welcome. Our species does not possess sensitive noses like pigs, or the heightened hearing of a fenek.” Aurora pricked her ears towards her friend. “Or even the sight of horses.” Celestia tensed involuntarily, and the woman perceived it, her ears wiggling. She turned towards the alicorn with a triumphant look. “Got you again. I should start keeping score.” The princess realized with a start that Aurora was waiting for such a reaction from her. “We humans have our own way of coping with the loss of a sense or two, don’t we?”

Celestia didn’t answer right away, Aurora’s attitude was definitely not to her taste. Before she could admonish the woman for her nasty behavior, Aurora’s boastful expression turned into a terrible mockery of a smile, full of scorn and pride. The alicorn had not seen the merchant make that kind of smirk yet, almost a sneer, and she found that this expression coupled with the empty eyes were surprisingly unnerving, almost frightening. That face full of contempt would bring anypony to avert their eyes, shamed, but the princess’s eyes never wavered. She only saw a reflection of another smile she had known: Celestia only needed to imagine Nightmare Moon’s slitted eyes filling those void orbits, and the likeness was remarkable. The memory sent a pang of melancholy into her. They marched and rolled in silence for a few heartbeats, locked into a blind staring contest.

“I’m sorry.” The woman’s smile softened, becoming meek and regretful. Somehow it seemed that Aurora had felt Celestia’s mood change. “I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” She paused in her strokes. Her wheelchair lost speed before stopping completely. She stared blindly at where her knees should have been.

“You could just ask me, you don’t need to be so devious.” Celestia said, a little coldly. She stopped and faced the human. “Why must you make so many efforts to seem unlikable?”

“It’s the traveling merchant way.” She declared sadly. “When dealing with customers we are all smiles and jokes, but when we are faced with someone who has knowledge or goods we don’t possess, we are relentless. We unsettle people, we push them to their limits and get better deals. Or we try to get information out of them, doing our best to get the better of them. At any cost. My first years on the road alone were rough. I learned the hard way.” Aurora shuddered under her robes, her arms closing around herself. “I became what you see, hopelessly spiteful. Can’t say it helped me make friends until now. I always scared away the few people I got to know for longer than a few days.” Her face was showing real anguish, she seemed so fragile at that instant that Celestia felt her heart break. “I usually move so much anyway, I never see them again. Life as a traveling merchant is a very lonely.” A silent sob rocked her body.

Without a second thought Celestia acted instantly, seeing the woman’s emotional distress. She slowly brought her muzzle to Aurora’s face and gave her a gentle nudge, transmitting her understanding. Aurora brought her arms to Celestia’s head, and her hands began to lightly trace the outline of her equine features, a genuine smile warming up her face. Her sorrow had departed as fast as it had appeared. Much too quickly for the alicorn’s taste.

“You tricked me.” Celestia accused, mostly amused.

“Only a little.” Aurora continued to caress the princess's body, one hand wandering along her neck and the other losing itself among her magical mane. “Everything I told you is true, I just added some spice to the delivery. A good merchant is always a good comedian.” She brushed the hairs in Celestia’s mane, marveling in their incorporeal texture, breathing in the perfume she loved so much. “Is this your natural scent? It reminds me of a summer day on the road; I can practically see the fields all around me...” She squeaked with surprise when she found the alicorn horn, and she stroked it curiously, testing its point, before going on with her prodding.

“I should have told you, but I thought you would be frightened.” The princess did not mind her exploration, she was rather relieved about Aurora’s acceptance of her appearance.

“How could I.” The young girl grinned like a child again, she finally had a proper mental picture of her friend’s face. “You are so beautiful!”

“But why are you not surprised?” Celestia was astonished, and she let escape a small yelp when Aurora put both her hands behind her neck, bringing their foreheads together, her horn resting on the top of the girl’s head.

“I read too much. I worked in a store full of books once, they were full of fables, they told the tales of mystical creatures and other myths. Since I was little I loved to lose myself in those stories, escape the tedium of my life. That’s why I decided to become a travelling merchant, and not a librarian. I travelled all around the empire looking for monsters, nymphs, searching for my fantasy... but all I found was my freak of a husband.” The loving tone robbed all insult from her words. She let go of Celestia but kept one hand on the side of the alicorn’s face. “I always hoped that this place would be different, I prayed that the dark water had protected those legendary beings from humans. And I was right. Mès brought us to the land of my dreams. I just wish I could see you.” There was genuine sadness in her words, but she kept her smile nethertheless. “And I’m sorry for being dishonest with you, you deserve better.”

Celestia had no words to respond, she was transfixed by the powerful emotions coming from Aurora. This girl was really full of surprises. And she had one more in store for her; stunned as she was, Celestia did not react when Aurora took her head, one hand over each of her cheeks, and brought it to hers. She did not comprehend when Aurora closed her empty eyes and puckered her lips. So she had no time to prepare herself when the merchant planted a firm kiss on her muzzle.

“What in mother’s name art thou doing, sister dearest!” Celestia’s eyes widened and darted to the side, discovering that Luna had peeked out of the royal dining room, not ten feet away, to see what the commotion was about. The princess was minuscule: just a week ago she had shed her pale pony sized body, leaving behind the form she had inhabited for months after being released from Nightmare Moon. Her mane and coat had changed, the pale colors of the clear sky giving way to the deep blue of the night, her mane starting to become ethereal. In a few months she would be as tall as her old self, but right now she was as little as a foal. The poor filly’s eyes were round with surprise. “To partake in such lecherous activities in public!” She eyed the guards patrolling the corridor, none of them had seen them yet. Acting on impulse Luna grabbed both alicorn and human, still joined at their lips, and magically lifted them inside the room, locking the door. “Explain thyselves!”

Celestia had no idea how to respond, partly because Aurora still had to release her. Finally, the woman let go of her with an audible ‘smack’ before licking her lips. There was no shame in the girls expression, only satisfaction.

“Now that was something worth all the wares in the world.” Aurora was ecstatic, she turned her head only when Luna cleared her throat, signaling her presence. She rolled towards the startled shrunken princess, stopping in front of her. “You would be Luna, am I correct?” Aurora’s hands found her head, and she exclaimed happily. “ You are so little!” She swooped Luna up in her arms, proving again that she was no weakling.

“Release us!” Luna commanded, struggling to get free. “You shalt show proper respect for the princess of the night!”

“Let me kiss you first!”

“Keep your accursed lips away from us!”

“You are so cuuuuuute!”

“NAY! Sister, I need thine assistance!”

Celestia closed her eyes to try and sort her feelings out, ignoring her sister’s pleas. She decided to follow an hypothesis that a certain unicorn had postulated one morning: ‘there is no life before coffee’. To Luna’s distress, the grown alicorn abandoned the little filly to her captor and seated herself at the table encumbered with various dishes ranging from a great platter of roasted vegetables to a large assortment of cakes. She calmly served herself a good measure of strong coffee, savouring the blend that had been carefully ground and infused by a Canterlot chef. She nursed her cup while doing her best to shut out the high pitched shouts filling the room.

In the end the little princess's efforts were in vain, for she was thoroughly cuddled and brushed without mercy, while Celestia watched with a blank expression. If a consensus had to be reached at that moment, the two alicorns would have agreed that, without a doubt, humans were the scariest creatures they had ever encountered.

---ΩΩΩ---

He was the scariest creature she had ever encountered.

Twilight tried to reject the thought but she could not put aside what had happened just hours ago. She could not forget the way Mès had overpowered her, carrying her like she was nothing but a small filly. She still felt his hands around her muzzle, the pain from her bruised lips and the sensation of suffocation that almost took her consciousness. Thinking about it was enough to send shivers racing along her spine. Once again she saw his expression: it was beyond anger, he had looked cruel and merciless. A terrifying monster that had fed on her very magic, using it against three royal guards who were ridiculously outmatched. In that instant she had been sure that Mès would kill them all, she had felt a terrible spell ready to be casted as she was about to faint.

Yet, no spell had been cast. She had been released, and Mès’s expression had softened when he had looked at her, reason coming back to him. Maybe he would have been peaceful after that, but she had been much too scared to take any chances, so she had taken his freedom away. What had happened after the man had collapsed was a blur of screams and tears, as the royal guards had regained awareness and Rarity and Applejack had rushed down the stairs, the white unicorn yielding a heavy telescope as a club with her magic. She had never seen the fashionista with such a fierce expression on her face. Her relief at seeing Twilight relatively unhurt had sent her into a fit of joyous tears. They had hugged and cried together as Applejack helped the guards to their hooves, before taking a rope to Mès and bidding him tightly, the man giving no resistance or protest.

The pegasi had hauled him outside, groaning with their injuries, the least damaged hurrying off to find a transport and ask for backup. The tempest was dying down, but she still had to shout over the screams of the wind to make them understand that she needed to come with Mès. She confessed to the familiar spell, not bothering to mention that it was an accident, and she insisted she be taken prisoner alongside him. They had been surprised, but not angry like she had expected. When a new team of fresh pegasi had arrived, Twilight was sitting next to Mès on the carriage glaring daggers, the guards had refused to shackle her as she demanded. Weather pegasi had cleared a portion of the sky, and another team of royal guards took them to Canterlot, leaving Rarity and Applejack looking at them from the library’s windows. She did not remember the journey, they had flow high above the clouds and before she knew it they had arrived at her native city, the sun rising above the horizon. They had brought Mès to a dungeon beneath the palace, taking care to put magic nullifying bracelets around his wrists and enchanted chains around his chest, binding his arms to his body and leaving only his elbows free to move. They proposed to give Twilight a bed in the guards restroom, just outside the prison, saying that she should rest. But she had demanded stubbornly to be put into a cell like Mès, and this is where she was now.

She looked through the bars, trying to discern his face in the shadows; he had kept his head down, never speaking or acknowledging the questions from the guards, only mumbling to himself. He was curled into a tight ball in the corner of his cage, just besides the one Twilight was in. She knew how ridiculous she must have seemed, asking to be shackled and thrown in jail, but she had broken the law. Rules were rules: when criminals were caught, they should be locked up awaiting judgment, and that was that. She guessed that the guards thought that she was just suffering from shock. Maybe she was. A healer had seen to her minor injuries, had asked her how she felt and proposed a relaxant, before he had tried to tend to Mès. The human had roared like a tiger as soon as he had taken a step inside his cell, sending the medical unicorn running out of the prison. He had secured the magical seal locking the deranged creature before dashing in front of Twilight’s open cell-door, the guards having refused to lock her in. However at that moment she was grateful not to be in the same cell as him. The echo of his outburst was beginning to fade when the purple unicorn found her voice.

“Mès?” She tentatively called for him, receiving no response. The silence stretched, and still he did not stir.

“Please talk to me.” She tried to keep the chagrin from her voice, wondering if he was listening to her at all.

“What happened back there?” He was taking care of ignoring her completely. “You really scared me...”

Mès’s body jerked ever so slightly. She saw his movement and pressed her luck.

“You terrified Rarity and Applejack too.” No reaction. “They thought you had gone crazy, Rarity was crying.” Nothing. “And the way you knocked out those pegasi guards... You injured them pretty badly.” Still nothing, he definitely didn’t care about them.

“Mès, you hurt me too.” His face whipped around, finding hers.

His expression was a mix of guilt and confusion, and for an instant Twilight hoped that her old Mès was back, but the next moment his face hardened, becoming a mask of anger.

“Don’t try to manipulate me.” His voice was rough, his eyes cold. Twilight had the impression that a total stranger had taken Mès’s place. “Blame is a poison that women use as weapon too often. Aurora loved to make me dance to its tune, now it has no effect on me.”

He resumed his brooding, leaving an awkward silence stretch between them.

“That name, Aurora, the guards mentioned her, they said she was here, safe.” Twilight found that her next question got stuck in her throat, she gulped hard before asking. “Is she your sister or...”

“My wife.” Mès eyed her curiously, and a look of confusion crossed his face. “I mean, I had forgotten about her. So you... I... It’s not like I knew...” Very briefly Twilight recognized her Mès behind the green irises, but then he shook his head, his mean expression returning. “No matter. I know what I saw before losing her. She can’t be just fine. If these feathered donkeys think they can lie to me, they are wrong.” He stood up, straining against the chains strapped around his shoulders. He eyed the pegasus guard just beyond his cell-door and spat at him, the filth splashing just at his hooves.

“Hey!” Twilight got close to the bars separating them. “That’s not fair, he did nothing to you!”

“I’m sorry...” Mès looked shocked. Those words had escaped his lips, they were not his. Or were they? “Stop that!” He turned angrily towards the unicorn.

“Stop what?”

“Whatever you are doing! Get out of my head, all of you!” He stalked towards her until they were virtually touching.

“I am not doing anything.” She did not back down, she just looked up at him, frowning. Did he say ‘all of you’? Was he hearing voices? “What happened to you?”

“I got my memories back, that’s all.”

“No, it can’t be just that.” She replied evenly. “This isn’t like you.” She racked her head for an explanation, mentally going over the books she had read on illnesses of the mind, searching for something that fitted his symptoms.

“You don’t know anything about me.” Mès replied stubbornly.

“I thought I did.” To the unicorn scholar, it seemed that the man was suffering from post traumatic disorder, the shock from recovering all his memories triggering a violent episode. She just needed to find the source of his trauma. “The Mès I know would not have done that. Please think about it, try to remember who you really are. You are not a savage bloodthirsty beast, you would never hurt anyone on purpose, I’m sure of it. You are far too kind for that.”

“Stop it, please...” Her words cut deep, shame spreading into him like poison.

“No, you have to listen! You told me about the few memories you had, the ones where you were hurting people. Were you in a war? Did they make you fight? That’s why you were running away, isn’t it.” She was sure of it now, Mès had been a soldier, and his gentle nature had forced him to flee the battlefield and lock those memories away. The people pursuing him were hunting a deserter, not a criminal.

“I am no soldier.” No, that would be more honorable than what he really was.

“I understand that remembering all of it is hard, but don’t let it change you!” She stomped hard, frustrated by his response. “You are looking at me like you want to hurt me, but I know you don’t.”

“Shut up.”

“ I know you don’t want to be like this! I know you would never kill anyone willfully.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” Every word she fired pierced him, much more painfully than any arrow. They all reminded him of all the things he had done, and no amount of regret could make up for his deeds. Mès’s hand shot at her through the bars, his body contorting to muzzle her once more.

The guard shifted, ready to pounce on him, but he didn’t need to. No matter what Mès had intended to do at first, his palm found Twilight’s cheek and gently caressed it. She leaned into it with a content sigh and looked into his eyes. There was confusion there, much of it, but there was also recognition and another emotion she had seen on her Mès before. Once again his gaze grew cold, his brow furrowing. He took his hand away like he had been electrocuted.

“What did you do to me?” Mès the Fire-Caster stared at her, astonished by his body's reactions, trying to understand what he felt.

“Did you forget everything that happened to you since you arrived?” Twilight tried to reach for him but he jumped back. She wished those bars weren’t there now.

“That wasn’t me. I didn’t remember who I really was.” What was this feeling? It was so nostalgic.

“But you were still Mès...”

“No... not anymore.” Mès’s eyes focused on a faraway place, seeing the young slave sitting under the sun, chained to a mooring post. He was friendly, trusting and good natured in all aspects. He would not hurt a fly, because he had nothing of value in his life, nothing to protect. That had all changed when the girl approached him, giving him her name. A name that shaped his very nature into the man he now was.

“Then who did I find three days ago?” Twilight was beginning to panic, feeling that she was losing him. Why was he so calm all of the sudden? Was the conflict in his mind over? Then why wasn’t her Mès back? She had half a mind to teleport inside his cell to shake him. Or rip the cell bars apart. “Who was it that blew half of my home when he was fooling around, who watched the star rise with me, who did I share my meals with, who did I share a bed with!” She did not care that her choice of words was poor and that a guard was looking at them with wide eyes. All she cared about was bringing her friend back to her.

“He’s gone.” Mès stared at her, unblinking. The innocence of his youth was gone, that was true enough, taken from him by those who had tried to hurt his family. That night, when they had broken down his door, bearing torches and murder in their hearts. It was the first time he had ever used his fire on purpose, and what a terrible purpose it had been. They had robbed him of any choice, there had been no way to reason with them. That night he had lost himself completely.

“Where did he go?” Fear froze her body, the finality in Mès words filling Twilight with ice. “What happened to my Mès?”

“He died a long time ago.” His mind cleared. He was the man who had spread chaos to protect what he loved, the sorcerer that had selfishly abused his powers. But he was also the young slave who loved to smile, only there had been no reason to this past few months. He had grown, but he didn’t have to reject who he was. He felt whole again, he felt alive. “Now there is only me.”

“No...” She saw Mès’s eyes were telling the truth. “He was my friend...” Her eyes stung, then tears began to appear. Twilight realised that she was being overpowered by a terrible sensation of loss; she had never felt something so powerful, grief was new to the young unicorn. “Give him back to me.” She closed her eyes, trying to stop the flood. “Give him back.” She cried silently, mourning a friend for the first time in her life. She did not hear him approach until she felt his hand wipe her cheeks.

“Tali, don’t cry...” Her heart jumped in her throat, the tone of his voice had changed to his old. “You look better when you smile.”

Twilight looked at his face hopefully, sure that she would see the Mès she knew. But his expression was definitely not happy and childish like she expected, it was still hardened and sullen. But now there was kindness in his cold green eyes.

“He is not coming back, is he?” She gazed into those familiar green orbs, hoping for the first time to be proven wrong.

“No.” Mès tried to be as kind as possible, but he would not hide the truth. He never would. “The man you knew had no memory of all the things I have gone through. He was just a young peaceful slave that loved to laugh above anything else. I am a worthless criminal who sent countless souls to the abyss knowingly, just to protect what he loves above all. My wife. We are worlds apart he and I.”

Mès’s words were absolute, and Twilight dropped her head in defeat. She was about to turn away when he put his hand beneath her chin, making her look at him.

“But that doesn’t mean that I have to forget what happened between us.” He smirked, his smile crooked and more cynical than the one she remembered, but still a smile. “The last few days seem to have happened to someone else, but you are right: the memories are still mine. And I remember we were friends.”

“Were? Not anymore?” Twilight saw him reflect on her question before he kneeled before her.

“I told you before: if we are to stay bound together, might as well not hate each other completely.”

“I prefer the way you said it before.” She tried to smile, with mild success.

“Get used to it.” His brow furrowed once more. “And don’t expect me to be as infantile as I was before. Quite frankly I don’t know if I deserve your friendship.”

“You won’t play with Fluttershy anymore then?” Twilight said innocently.

“Gnnn!” She had touched a nerve. His scowl spasmed and Twilight recognized the ghost of his old toothy smile. “Even a grown man can indulge in some foolishness... From time to time.”

She laughed, and the man smiled his crooked smirk. They did not hear when the door to the dungeon opened, nor when the alicorn approached their cells.

---ΩΩΩ---

Celestia had been chatting alone with Aurora when the royal guard had come for her. Luna had fled to her tower as soon as the travelling merchant had released her, only minutes before. She had bid them farewell with as much regal countenance as she could muster, with her clear blue hair in tatters and her fur spiked by excessive hugging.

The unicorn guard had announced that Mès had been found, eliciting a joyous shout from Aurora. Celestia had rejoiced, while she tried to dodge the pieces of cake flying out of the human’s mouth, but as the unicorn requested to continue his summary in private she felt that something was wrong. Celestia had asked for an escort to bring Aurora to a garden situated in the same floor, promising to bring Mès to her as soon as she could. The girl had accepted, and as she challenged the guards to a race Celestia followed the white unicorn, listening to his full report.

She had feared worst, but what he said still shook her: three pegasi had been hurt, one of them with a dislocated wing and some broken bones, and her pupil claimed to be guilty of a very severe crime. It did not surprise the alicorn that Twilight would have requested to be put behind bars if it was true, the mare had a distinct taste for melodrama when it came to breaking rules. If only Shining Armor had been there to put some sense into her. The case of the human worried her more: the pegasi were being healed in Ponyville’s hospital, their injuries a sign of his ferocity, and he had been allowed to stay with her protegee. The alicorn had only one though as she dismissed the unicorn guard: Twilight was stuck in a cage with a dangerous animal.

Celestia hurried to the dungeons, barely restraining herself from running there or teleporting. She could not let her subjects see how anxious she was. She didn’t know in what state she would find the unicorn, but she sure was not expecting to find her laughing with Mès, one of his hands cupped under her head. The guard saw her, saluted and exited the dungeon. It was a dark cellar that was very rarely used, lined with cells that offered everything one needed. They were all empty except for the unicorn and the human. She stepped silently towards their cages, noting that Twilight’s was open, and she entered her cell. The purple unicorn did not hear her as she got close, but Mès saw her, and as soon as he did he was on his feet, backing away.

“My dear faithful Twilight.” The unicorn yelped and turned, her face lighting up as she saw who had spoken.

“Princess!” Overjoyed, Twilight leaped towards the alicorn, warming up in the loving embrace she received. I took her some time to realize how casual she was being with her teacher, and she ducked under Celestia’s neck and took some distance. She put on her most formal expression and declared. “Princess Celestia, I have failed you. I didn’t learn from my lessons, I acted foolishly, broke your law, and knowingly tried to hide my deed. I deserve whatever punishment you give me.”

Twilight closed her eyes and puffed her chest, ready to be declared a criminal and sentenced. She wondered with detached curiosity what kind of condemnation the use of the Familiar Spell would yield in present times, it had been so long since the last case that there was no jurisprudence to be found. Her conjectures were cut short when she felt Celestia muzzling her again, bringing her back into her embrace.

“I was so worried about you, and all you ask for is punishment?” The alicorn sighed into the unicorn’s mane. “You can be so very silly sometimes.” She ignored Twilight’s embarrassed mumbling and turned towards Mès. The man was leaning against the opposing side of his cell, as if trying to pass through the bars. She opened her mouth but the man cut her off.

“What in the name of Ammit are you?” Mès was looking a the alicorn with wide eyes, his body tensed to run or attack. “Get away from her, run!” He gave Twilight an urgent nod, signaling the open door of her cell.

“Curious that you should care for her safety, when you cared so little for the guards you maimed.” Celestia stared at him, half reproachful and half intrigued. “You could have killed them.”

“A pox on those weaklings.” Mès barked. He had no way to escape, so he took courage in anger. “I could have made bonfires out of them easily enough, but I didn’t.”

“Why did you not?” Celestia caught the way his eyes flickered towards the unicorn at her side, before quickly returning to her. “Ah, I see.”

Mès growled fiercely at her, his chains and bracelets glowing as they strained to keep him from powering up. Twilight jumped between them.

“Princess, forgive him, he had no idea what he was doing.” She pleaded, then turned towards the snarling human. “Mès, stop that please! This is princess Celestia, I told you about her, remember?”

“I remember you telling me she was kind and beautiful.” He paid no mind to Twilight’s flustered gasp and stomped towards the alicorn. “But you can’t fool me, monster.”

“I gather that my mane does not agree with you?” Celestia joked, but the human’s eyes were unsettling, they seemed to see more than she liked.

“It’s not what I see, but what I feel.” He grumbled mysteriously. He was close now, his hands taking hold of the bars separating them. “You can’t hide your true nature from me.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight shot at Mès, trying to understand.

He glared at Celestia, unblinking, before spitting his words live venom. “I can taste the ashes in your filthy aura.” He shook the bars as if trying to uproot them. “I can feel your power on my skin, stinging my flesh. No natural being can possibly be that strong.” He hissed at her, his restraints glowing brighter and brighter. “I can taste it burning, demon.”

Celestia took his words in, understanding what they meant: Mès had the ability to feel magical aura, and hers was so powerful that it seemed to almost hurt him. And he somehow felt her connection to the sun, mistaking it for hurtful flames. She gazed into his eyes, looking past the anger, finding how afraid he really was. She also felt how strong he was. His raw magical abilities were astonishing, she wondered how the enchanted chains had held for so long.

As if reading her mind his bindings burst open, the chain combusting into nothingness. Since he had absorbed Twilight’s energy, Mès had been able to use his powers again, feeding on Equestria’s magic, much more potent than the Empire’s. In the next instant the bars had melted away, the molten metal flowing on his skin like water. Twilight was thrown out of the cell like a ragdoll, the emerald aura enveloping the unicorn holding her before she smashed into the opposing cells. If not, Celestia was ready to intervene, but it seemed that Mès was trying to protect the purple unicorn above all, as he placed himself in front of the exit, between Celestia and Twilight. The alicorn kept her cool, this wasn’t the first time that a powerful beast had menaced her. She had thought foes much more powerful than him, and she felt more at ease dealing with his hostility than Aurora’s mischievous ways. Plus he was busy bickering with the mare he was trying to save anyway.

“What are you doing you crazy ape!” Twilight revolved in the air, shouting at Mès. She tried to cancel the levitation spell, but to no avail.

“I’m protecting you.” He never looked away from Celestia, ready to attack or defend himself.

“I can take care of myself!” She said indignantly. “And what are you protecting me from exactly?”

“From that.” He said, pointing to Celestia.

“She is my teacher, she has cared for me since I was little!”

“You don’t know how she tastes like.” He said with a shiver. “It’s like the whole world is burning, she is dangerous.”

“I taste like wine, but that doesn’t mean I’m a drunk!”

“The aura’s taste indicates your affinities, not what you are.” He shot back, exasperated. “A spell’s taste will indicate its nature too. I remember explaining that. Don’t you ever listen to me?”

“Because you do? Remember what I said about our princesses?”

“Maybe?”

“Celestia is the princess of the day.”

“Yeah, so what?”

“She controls the sun you idiot!”

Mès blinked, before turning to look at the spinning unicorn. “The sun? Really?” The amount of power coming from the alicorn helped him believe her. He could now visualise the massive fire ball behind her power, and not a burning planet. He felt the benevolent warmth her had mistaken for demon fire. “How could I have known! Did you forget to tell me this minor detail?”

“But I told you so!”

“I thought you were joking!”

“Then what was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know... Insist?”

“And here I thought I had lost the Mès I knew and loved. I’m glad to see that your head is as thick as before!”

Mès started to swell like a bullfrog at that sarcastic comment, but before they could argue any further Celestia cleared her throat, making Mès twirl around.

“As my student informed you, my duty as the day princess lies in the control of the sun, while my sister controls the moon.” She took a careful step closer to him, but he did not flinch nor attack. “To do so we are constantly aligned with our celestial body, hence my burning aura. Do you wish me to keep my magical flow down?”

“Don’t bother.” Mès responded abruptly, earning himself a kick when Twilight floated close to his head.

“As you wish.” Celestia exited the cell, Mès leaving a wide space between them. She noted that he still eyed her suspiciously, and that he had kept Twilight to his back. “Now, shall we go see Aurora?” The aura around the unicorn disappeared instantly, and Celestia had to catch the unicorn before she crashed into the ground. The alicorn had acted so fast that Twilight had not even felt the change of magic.

“She truly lives?” Mès was incredulous, but hopeful. “Bring me to her... please.”

“That I shall.” The princess set Twilight on the ground, the mare running up to her and babbling apologies before Celestia cut her off. “You know where to find the Sunrise Garden?” The unicorn nodded. “Then lead the way.”

Twilight looked quizzically at her mentor, then exited the dungeon. Celestia followed some paces behind, signaling politely for Mès to come with her. She refused an escort as they passed the royal guards.

Once they had taken enough distance from the guards, Celestia whispered to Mès, taking care not to be heard by Twilight. “Don’t think I will forget what you have done, crimes must be repaid, for you and Twilight alike.” She didn’t put any threat in her words, only a fair reminder. “Those pegasi you injured had friends, families, and you could have taken them from their loved ones.” She eyed the man, she needed to know how dangerous he was. “Do you regret what you did?”

Mès refused to look at her, but he still answered. “What is done is done. If you must judge me for what I did, then so be it. I won’t grovel at your feet, or hooves.” He then gazed at her defiantly, before his eyes shifted towards Twilight, who was trotting up ahead, and he deflated. “But I do regret hurting her, I would never be able to do it again. That little lady changed me, I cared for her when I had forgotten about Aurora. And I still do, no matter how much I wish not to.”

“What about my guards?” She noted his regrets only extended to the unicorn.

The man hesitated, wanting to tell the truth, but he wanted to know something first. “They mean nothing to me.” His expression hardened again. “They were in my way, they are lucky to be ali...” Mès stopped talking, for he could feel the blazing fury coming from the alicorn at his sides. Her face showed some irritation, but he knew that behind her self control burned a fiery anger, boiling just beneath the surface. He smiled, taking in the heat. This was one of the few times that he permitted himself to lie, and it had paid off. “Now, that’s better. Would you show me your true face if I pushed you a little further?”

“Don’t tempt me human.” Celestia’s voice was grave, the power coming from her whisper seemed to make her grow in size. Her words choked the very light around them, leaving only her as a bright beacon. “I will give you a chance on behalf of the respect I have for Aurora, but be warned.” Surrounded by darkness she spoke in a terrible undertone. “Know that I will do anything to protect my subjects.” Flames flickered in her pale irises. “If you prove to be a danger to them, or if you should endanger Twilight ever again...”

“Did somepony say my name?” The unicorn looked back, finding Mès and Celestia practically nose to nose. The princess's wings were flared menacingly, Mès’s eyes glowing slightly. She stopped with some agitation. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Mès drew back, giving her his crooked smile. “Your princess was just promising me her hospitality, in her own way.” He marched and went ahead of them, patting Twilight’s head as he passed her. “By the way, I should tell you that I never enjoyed hurting people, and never will. I was only leading you on.” He turned his head to look at the princess. “I just wanted to look at the real you, and I got what I wanted: I still don’t trust you Celestia.” Mès began to put some distance between him and the fuming alicorn, wondering why he felt so guilty. Twilight and Celestia huddled together as they followed.

“What did he say, your highness?” The young mare could see that her mentor was troubled.

“We talked about the incident, I found his regret... lacking.” Celestia took a bracing breath, evacuating her anger. “I am not very good at reading his species’s facial expressions, it would seem.”

“Don’t believe what he tells you, he was already very stubborn before, and now he is prideful. But last night when he stopped, I saw his eyes, I saw him look at what he did and I can assure you he was pained by it. He was confused, lost. His amnesia sent him into a fit of rage. He’s not like that. He’s...”

“He’s made quite an impression on you.” Celestia noted. She was not very happy by what she heard, and by what she could see beyond the words. She then instructed Mès to take the next staircase up.

“Well he didn’t use to be so brutal and pig headed. Sure he was irritating, clumsy, and a little foolish.“ Twilight sighed, looking back at the time she had spent with him. “But he was still a friend. I can’t abandon a friend.”

“That is very kind, but I have to know if I can trust him.” Celestia insisted, looking gravely at her student. “I need to know him, the whole truth. Can you tell me what happened between you too, starting with his arrival?”

---ΩΩΩ---

Aurora’s senses were overloaded. The guards had taken her to what they had called the Sunrise Garden, and she had felt her wheels roll on soft soil, heard the grass crunch beneath her. She had felt the morning sun warming her body, a warm breeze making her robes flutter: the garden must have been open to the elements. She imagined a piece of greenery, suspended high above the ground on the castle’s side, it was like a dream. She had asked to be pushed around by one of her escort, she didn’t want to smash any flowers, for she could smell their presence. The fragrance of so many different types of plants was difficult to deal with at first, but as she was lead around the circular terrace she started to tell them apart. The sun was sometimes obscured, so she guessed that there were trees too. She could hear that they were revolving around a fountain, the rushing sound of water giving the place a peaceful quality.

She spoke a lot with her guards, asking their names, what they did for Celestia, and she requested permission to ‘look’ at their bodies. They had agreed with some reticence, but Aurora was not known for accepting no for an answer. She had cried out happily when she had found wings on one of them, quickly overwhelming him with questions about pegasi, and she had teased her unicorn guard to no end when she had touched his horn, his reaction strange to say the least.

She was now sitting in front of the fountain, listening calmly to the songs of various birds, savouring the perfume of a hundred flowers, basking in the heat of the rising sun. She heard her guards being called off, and she turned, thinking she would follow them, but a voice rang out, full of joy.

“Aurora!”

She heard him running to her, she recognized those clumsy feet paddling on the grass and she opened her arms wide, ready to welcome her husband home. He gently crashed into her, softly crushing her with a fearsome hug. She closed her arms around him, feeling his tears on her shoulder, kissing his bald forehead. His growing hair tickled her lips as he rocked her back and forth. He kept repeating her name, like he was afraid to lose her again. She felt two pair of eyes on them, and she could guess to whom one of those belonged to.

“Thank you for bringing him back to me.” She tried to keep control over her voice, but her will broke and a sob escaped her lips. She didn’t want Celestia to see her completely break down.

“You are very welcome.” Celestia replied. Aurora heard a strange ring in her friend’s voice, was it sadness? Anger? “We will give you some privacy.” She heard her friend moving away, until she stopped and called. “Twilight, are you coming? We won’t get too far away, I know about the distance limit.” Aurora wondered who this Twilight was, and why she could still feel her gaze on them. The woman wished she would hurry, she wanted to let go of her self control, her throat was burning. Celestia’s voice got louder, and also sadder. “Twilight. Twilight!” Finally she heard another body move, much smaller than Celestia judging by her hoofsteps. Aurora would have some questions to ask about that, but not right now.

Right now all she wanted to do was embrace her husband, to enjoy their love for one another. She let her restraint go, her body shaking with tearless sobs as Mès laid her down gently on the grass. For the first time they could share a moment of peace, without fear of pursuit or concern about staying quiet. They were finally free. No amount of blindness would take away from her happiness as they laughed and cried together. She forgot all about her worries as they kissed, their hands joined across her round belly, promise of a wonderful future.