On Light Hooves I Tread 2: Homeward Bound
A Fanfiction by Adam Nelon
Chapter 6: The Truth
As one may expect, the wounds that I and my jade-colored companion had incurred and endured in our duel just minutes ago was not going to pass with a few days' rest. The two of us felt incredibly sore, almost excruciatingly so. Our bodies felt as if we were being impaled by many tiny needles, with each movement exacerbating feelings akin to those of a lying upon a bed of porcupine needles. Burns, bruises, cuts, and pock marks marred our technicolor hides severely, leaving a rather odd blend of respective grey and green tones and the many shades of crimson. While it was to my knowledge that ponies could be injured, in my experience with the show, nopony had ever bled openly, or at least showed blood on them aside from maybe a bruise. Even then, however, it was simply bleeding internally.
So, cutting away all that prose, I'll just say outright that my friend and I were in a lot of pain, at least until the dear Cleric was able to nurse our wounds. It was around this time that I learned a few things about clerical magics. For one, only a select few of these spells were a guaranteed instantaneous heal, and those spells, as you might imagine, are very taxing on the caster, unless he or she is sufficiently strong in willpower and intellect. Naturally, the cleric that was tending to us wasn't exactly a professional, nor was she a greenhorn. She was experienced, but not strong enough to cast this spell on both of us. However, she had ways to overcome this problem. While she was not capable of using instant health restoration, she managed to apply an enchantment that increased our metabolic processes by almost double, even triple their normal rates. Of course, having higher metabolism had a drawback of it's own; I'd probably end up losing a lot of weight as I recuperate, and my digestion would be a bit borked. I wouldn't need to worry much about that, however; recovery was the aim of the game for now, and that meant we'd be able to keep our weight evened out.
Jade and I had a unique kind of friendship. While I tended to be abrasive at times to people, especially strangers that start conversations that have no honest rhyme or reason to them (or I just cannot follow them to save my life), I always stood up for people I had at least some connection to, Jade being no exception. I won't go into much detail on what warrants this other than his focus is a bit stronger in some ways than others, and he tends to be a bit awkward. Still, when the person sticks by you for so long, you naturally grow an attachment to them, and in being a stalwart companion, you will eventually get rewarded for it.
But, there are also the times in which the ties between friends will be greatly tested. Soon, that time would come to us, and it would change the course of our lives forever.
For the time that we rested, there was little that we could do but read. Thankfully, the Royal Library had a great many books of fancy, especially ones like Daring Do. No wonder Twilight was a bookworm; so many fine works of scholars and authors lined the shelves of the small pushcart that it was almost like the shelves had been lined with high quality, top-notch, rich, imported chocolates instead of tomes of leather binds and golden pages. It was a nirvana of printed words and elaborate illustration that boggled my mind to no end. Had I the bravado and boredom to do so, I very well could have read every one of the books on that cart, as could Jade. After all, levitation was such a pedestrian and mundane type of spell that next to no effort was required to cast or maintain it. I was able to angle the book and myself to a proper viewing level to reduce the strain of my eyes. It was actually quite comfortable as I recalled it. With this, I read roughly 3 of the main series books, having started from Sapphire Stone and having ended at Curse of the Yeti. The whole concept of reading was something that I was no stranger to. Often, when I had nothing better, I would read. It was all we could do at this stage of our recovery, it seemed. But it didn't bother us too greatly. If the internet had existed in Equestria, I wonder what I'd find then...
But, of course, as if it were some natural law when it comes to friends, neighbors, and loved ones, Jade and I were not without our respective company. I never did understand what dictated this in fiction other than just a natural impulse to examine the well being of our beloveds. Was this just hard-wired into our heads as part of that mysterious serpent called "Love"? That is a question I will never know or waste either of your or my own time trying to understand and explain. Simply put, love is a strange beast, indeed.
As for the matter of who had visited us, there weren't a great many ponies that even heard either of us had come to harm, much less come to support us. In fact, I didn't even recall ever talking to Twilight or the others for the entire time I was here in Canterlot. However, considering how interested Lyra was in studying the two of us, naturally she'd be the first to investigate.
"So this is where you've been the last few days," She sighed, smiling lightly. She looked about our bodies and prodded about a bit. "Does it hurt?"
As she poked one of my more heavily-dressed areas, I hissed in pain, my eyes snapping shut as I grit my teeth.
"Yes. It does. Very much."
Lyra blushed and retracted her hoof. "Sorry."
I took a few deep breaths and sighed myself. "It's nothing, really," I assured our mint-green maiden. "I guess Jade and I got a little too carried away..."
"Carried away?" parroted the unicorn, scratching her head. "Just what were you two doing?"
I chuckled as she had asked me, stretching a tad. "Let's just say we were practicing our magic on each other, and we kind of overdid it."
"Kind of?" Lyra asked, her eyes narrowing. "You could have killed each other!"
"Well, we only stopped because Luna told us to..."
Suddenly, her eyes grew wide as I said that.. "Wait. so all this time, you've been taking extra credit with the Princess?"
For a long stint of time that those words were uttered, there was nothing but a pregnant pause and the sounds of hospital equipment.
"You lucky dog! I didn't know you had it in you! How'd you get them to say yes?!"
"It's not like that, Lyra!" I said, blushing. "Luna and I have just been good friends, and seeing as she didn't have an apprentice like her sister, she decided that since we apparently had potential, she'd tutor us personally."
Following my outspoken rebuttal, the blush that was on my face extended to hers as she backed away.
"O-oh...I see," She said, hiding her face slowly. "I'm sorry. I guess I just..."
She didn't bother to finish her sentence as she ran off. I guess she must have had a heck of an egg on her face.
In the wake of that sadly short visitation, I could actively calculate the amount of empty, unused time that went on as I begrudgingly returned to reading Daring Do...that is, until I felt a sudden, chilling change of air.
"Ah, so this is where you've kept them, madame?" boomed a voice not far. It was a voice that anybody could have honestly recognized. It was a boasting voice. It was a voice of that could inspire trepidation.
It was the voice of none other than "The Great and Powerful" Trixie.
"So...if it isn't Trixie's number-one rival....I can see you and your...companion have sustained injury greater and more powerful than she could ever hope to inflict," she hummed, turning her cheek to me. "A shame, really; Trixie was hoping to get a chance to test her mettle against your own, but it appears that unforeseen circumstances have all but forestalled that opportunity."
I chuckled at the illusionist's catty banter. Even as a heated rival to me, the idea of her giving me comfort while I was essentially indisposed was a very cathartic indulgence that I hadn't honestly anticipated to receive.
"Thank you for coming to visit me, Trixie. It really does mean a lot," I said, smiling.
"But of course," She snicked as she patted my back. "Trixie would not want lethargy to weaken you. She is awaiting the day when she can have her rematch and show her rival just how a proper battle is to be done!" For a moment, she paused, taking off her hat and bowing respectively before extracting from a her saddle a cloak and hat in of a rater interesting style, not at all like her own.
"Unfortunately, Trixie cannot stay long, so allow her to grace you with her condolences and a kindly parting gift," She said, as she laid a crimson cloak and a golden band for my head.
"For me? You shouldn't have!" I said, a bit aghast that Trixie had went so far out of her way to provide this for me.
"Oh, but Trixie insists! Trixie could not help but notice her rival's distinct lack of a cloak and headpiece. No self-respecting knight shining armor would dare travel the unknown without them!
I looked to the two articles again, noticing the fire ruby that was inset in the band. Such craftsmanship...it could not be possible!
"How did you make this?! This is almost mastercraft work!" I asked, my eyes going wide.
"Simple," Trixie snickered. "The cloak was Trixie's own hoofwork. That's how she made this fabulous cape of her own. As for the band, Trixie commissioned a jeweler and blacksmith to create it."
I looked to the articles once more, my eyes taking in the painstaking detail of their work.
"They're so beautiful, Trixie...thank you ever so much!" I said, smiling to her, to which she returned the smile with a cocky smirk.
"It was nothing!" Trixie snicked before rising up. "Trixie hates to leave a dear rival, but she has classes to attend to."
It was then that I was caught by an eye of determination from my kindly enemy. "She expects a rematch when you are at your fullest health again."
I stared down into that icy blue eye, then nodded and smiled back. "I'll be ready, Trixie..."
The illusionist smiled and trotted off before a unicorn stallion bearing a medical coat came in, a clipboard floating by in his magic. He was of a tan color, silver mane and tail, and had a cutie mark of a shield and a blue cross.
"Well, boys, I've got some good news," He hummed, wearing his spectacles.
"WHAT?!" shouted the two of us in an almost eerily perfect unison.
"Thankfully, neither of you left any serious injuries from your...ahem..."test", so the two of you should make a full recovery by the morning," the physician reported matter-of-factually.
Both myself and Jade took a sigh of relief as the good word was let out.
"That's great, sir! Is there anything else?" I asked, straining a smile.
"Well, I would strongly advise that you both refrain from any strenuous activity. Magical wounds tend to be quite taxing, even after several days' worth of rest. If you over-exert your magical energies, the result could be quite terrible," the doctor replied, looking over a chart as Jade nodded.
"We understand. We'll try and take it easy," Jade said, smiling.
"That is good to hear from you two. In any case, I'll leave you be while the nurses finish up. Expect a summons by the Princesses soon," chuckled the doctor as he left the room.
"We will, sir."
As the doctor left the room, Jade and I looked to one another and smiled. We'd come so far up to this point, and soon, the fruits of our labors would be repaid by one of the two of us gaining a powerful bond with an even more powerful pony.
"That was a great fight, huh..." I groaned, smiling to Jade.
"Yeah...makes me wonder...who will win..."
And so, with our consciences spared and our wounds almost healed, the two of us sat back and rested in peace, taking the time to dream away.
In the following morning, the medical staff and guards had made sure that we were awake and ready to be presented to the princesses in a punctual manner. I was placed in my armor, while my friend was given some chain mail and a tabard,
"What gives?" Jade asked. "Why does he get the fancy armor and I just get this?"
"Because he earned the right to wear it," grunted one of the guards.
Jade let out a humph and allowed them to go on with the dressing ritual.
"What exactly did you do to earn that thing, anyway?" my friend asked, turning his head.
I blushed at the mention of the subject, though I had full right to gloat. It had been five years since the day I was given the right to wear this golden ensemble in the first place.
"To put it simply, you know why the Princess asked me in particular to deal with that whole dragon fiasco?" I posed, pushing my hooves together, as if I still had fingers at the end of each appendage.
"Yeah? And?"
"Basically, the last time I came here, Ponyville had a sudden attack by a dragon, and through a bit of quick thinking, I managed to save not just the town, but my friends...but, it lead me to get knocked out due to head trauma, even after being encased in stone..."
"You were encased in stone?!"
"Hey, it was a good idea at the time, and it worked!"
"Still, it seems to be a bit like overkill, doesn't it?"
"It took it down, regardless..."
"If you say so..."
As we prattled on, the armor was checked and double-checked to make sure that it was secured and properly attached to the body before they nodded their heads and stood in our direction.
"The Princesses will see to you in a few moments. Please remember to maintain your best behavior while in their company. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in the royal court. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
The doors to the throne room opened as we looked to the azure and violet eyes of the two princesses, who smiled to us warmly and stood.
"Ah, welcome my young and esteemed guests! Tis a pleasure to meet such radiantly draped gowns and handsome garbs." Said Luna, in her classic, if dated vernacular.
"Gee, that seems a bit...old fashioned of you, Princess," I stated rather bluntly
"Ah, my apologies! It seems my old mannerisms have recalled themselves again from my memory," Luna replied, chuckling nervously as Celestia paired it with a genuine laugh.
"Shall we proceed to the reason that we called you here today?" Princess Celestia asked, calming herself and her sister into a proper, formal demeanor as we bowed our heads.
"Very well, students," Luna said, "First, allow me to congratulate you for your exemplary performance these last few weeks. It is not often that we'd see a unicorn, much less two, that are capable of using their special talent to such a magnificent degree. The both of you have proven to have valiant hearts enough to be both my student and my guardian."
We both smiled proudly and nodded our heads.
"However, in interest of fairness, as my sister has but one apprentice, I too must have only one. Know that this was not a decision made lightly. This was not a decision made lightly. You both have qualities that are exemplary for magi of your age, and without your combined efforts some time ago, we would have surely been in the thrall of that dragon. But in just one of you does this power and skill shine greatest..."
The both of us held our breath as she paused, her eyes shutting as her face lowered.
"From this day onward, it is Adam who shall be my apprentice."
Silence. My blood ran cold as I felt something eldritch and of great infidelity creep up my spine.
"What."
I turned to my friend, and his eyes bore a stare of arctic cold. A familiar sense of dread came over me. It was a feeling I had not felt since my eyes crossed a cross Fluttershy. I was frozen as I could vaguely see a dark aura of trepidation come over me. That nagging feeling of familiarity came to my mind. I'd felt this sort of dark, sadistic power before...but where? When?
"Thou hath heard my judgement, Jade," Luna spoke up, staring down at Jade with her indigo eyes. "And you are henceforth dismissed. Meanwhile, Adam is to stay here so that I may speak with him."
Jade simply huffed, that aura remaining as the guards escorted him away. As the doors shut, silence took the room before Luna spoke to any length again.
"My apologies to you and your friend, but this is a matter that only you, as my apprentice, have any right to know."
I remained frozen, but nodded, my ears perking.
"While I would certainly like to entertain the idea that no bias had influenced our judgement, there was in fact a very glaring element that influenced us. As you may be aware, during your duel, and not but a moment ago, a dark energy was resonant from within him. This energy hasn't been seen in Equestria for well over a millennium..."
"You don't mean...-" I gasped, before Luna's eyes flared.
"Precisely; This energy we've felt is the exact same dark energy that was present inside mine own self all those years ago as Nightmare Moon... If Jade were allowed to come anywhere near us, the results could have been disastrous... However, we fear that in doing what we've done, we may very well be on the verge of a potentially greater disaster. Hence, we ask of thee to keep a close eye on him, as thou art closer to him than we currently are. Art thou capable of this task?"
I nodded my head solemnly and said, "Yes. I will inform you if anything goes awry..."
"I expect you to hold your word on that, apprentice. Should you fail, very dire consequences can ensue...."
"I understand, Princess. You have my word that I will not fail you."
With this, I took my leave, being careful not to cross my friend's path as I made my way to the dorm room. As I slipped out of my barding and made for the bed, a familiar sense of dread reared again its ugly head. Something told me that soon, I may be dead.
A/N: Dear sweet Celestia, this thing took for-freaking-ever to write. I apologize for the massive delay. Summer break, real life struggles, and so much more caused me to put this off for other stories and projects. I hope you can forgive the wait for this chapter, and I hope the next doesn't take nearly as long.