//------------------------------// // Episode 7: Dragon Your Feet // Story: An Epic for Gilgamesh // by zaleacon //------------------------------// The air was cold, a sign of the coming winter, even as the warm, afternoon sun hung over the land. Not a single cloud was present in the pale sky, leading one to assume that the wretched storm from three days ago had been but a mere memory. Even the winds were but a light, gentle breeze that seemed to have been created solely to remind a creature that it existed at all. Yes, the day was perfect, and Sunny Fields could not have been gladder as a result – after all, her parents had finally relented, and were taking both her and her brother on a picnic into the meadows near their home. No matter how one was to look at it, today was something that could not have been destroyed by any means. The sun was too bright, the sky too beautiful, and the grass too green. Even the plants all seemed to hold some sort of extra life in the wondrousness of it all. Sunny felt a brush against her shoulder, followed by a bit of childish giggling. “Heehee! You’re it, Sunny!” She turned around to see her brother, Nimbus Cloud, run off into the distance of the meadow, a grin on his face. Even though he and she were same age of eight years old, they bore so many differences that it was absolutely astonishing that they were considered twins in the first place – Nimbus, for example, was a pegasus, while Sunny prided herself on being far more grounded as an earth pony. Sunny rolled her eyes in response, before taking off after him with a similar large grin. “Oh, no you don’t!” she shouted in response, as she closed in on him. “I’m gonna get you~!” But then he stopped, and Sunny smirked as she smacked him on the shoulder with her hoof. “Ha! Next time, you’d better…” She blinked, and looked over Nimbus’s face. His pupils had become pinpricks, and his normally dark gray face had turned completely white. “Hey, Nimbus…? What’s wrong?” No response. Sunny waved her hoof in front of his face. “N-Nimbus…? A-are you…?” All of a sudden the world became darker, as if the sun had vanished and shadows had covered everything. Sunny froze, not wanting to turn around, not wanting to see just what lay behind her, even as a small voice in the back of her mind urged her to do just that. Unable to resist the urge any longer, she spun around towards whatever thing was covering the sky: smoke. Large, large amounts of smoke – a veritable boatload of the stuff, and possibly even more so than that. And in the midst of it all was a massive… thing. She did not even know how to describe it. Yes, Sunny had seen dragons in her life – several times they had been seen flying over her house, a multitude of grays, reds, greens, and even blues – but the monstrosity that now soared across the sky so effortlessly could hardly be considered draconic in the slightest. Was it the size of a dragon? Yes, it was massive, and had those huge, dark wings that seemed to rip apart the world as it burst through the smoke and fire that trailed from its seemingly lipless mouth. But Sunny, though her heart felt as if it had stopped in her chest and she shook tremendously, couldn’t help but feel that something about the dragon was… off. She couldn’t quite place it, given that she felt light-headed and terrified at the sight, but there was something just disturbing about the creature. Something wrong And then it landed in front of the two foals. Its black eyes glared into theirs, the only sight that Sunny could clearly remember about it. Why wouldn’t her legs work? Why couldn’t she run? Her legs were petrified, her jaw slack, and her eyes wide, but neither she nor Nimbus could run away from the hulking, gigantic beast. Where were their parents? Didn’t they know? Where were they? Where were they? WHERE WERE THEY? Sunny couldn’t even pry her dried-out tongue away from the roof of her mouth to scream in terror as the thing’s large mouth opened, revealing row-upon-row of razor-sharp, perfect teeth. Its movements were still weird, but they were no longer her focus – now they were nothing more than an afterthought. The creature’s eyes seemed to alter, if for but a moment, and it flew towards them. Again, neither child could move as the dragon’s talons burst through the smoke, seemingly aimed directly at their skulls. But instead of gripping its iron claws on the two ponies, the dragon instead soared over their heads and off into the distance towards the mountains. Sunny and Nimbus collapsed into the green grass from the wind, looking up with shock and confusion as the smoke cleared away from the sky, and the world became bright and cheery once more. Then came the cry off in the distance, followed by a great plume of fire bursting into the sky from the nearest mountain’s peak. -- An Epic for Gilgamesh -- -- Episode 7: Dragon Your Feet -- -- Written By ZaleAcon -- A single page was flipped, and Twilight looked over towards Spike. “Hey, can you hand me that?” She gestured to a particularly hefty tome on the top shelf. He looked up to the area and let out a low groan, before pressing a clawed hand to his face. “Ugh… Sure thing, Twilight,” he muttered, and attempted to put on a semi-happy face. She mumbled a quick “Thank you,” and refocused her efforts on the book before her. Ever since yesterday’s fiasco with Gilgamesh at Sweet Apple Acres, Twilight had been furiously poring over every book she could find on dimensional traveling; fiction, non-fiction, spell books, and even the occasional diary on the subject all lay scattered across the library’s floor, just as they had been yesterday. She had to know everything about the subject, just in case Gilgamesh’s theory had proven to be correct. Twilight bit down on her lower lip. The more that she thought about him, the guiltier she felt over how she and her friends had treated him. Had he deserved much of it? Definitely, especially given his overinflated ego. But it was clearly getting to be too much, and Celestia probably would not want Gilgamesh to completely isolate himself from the ponies of Equestria. Even more so if he truly knew what was going on in regard to that monstrosity from so many days ago. She grimaced and shook her head. No, now was hardly the time to obsess over a matter such as that. If she didn’t finish researching the subject, then how could Twilight avoid feeling that her world was about to come under attack by Gilgamesh’s own? Even if he had not explicitly stated anything along those lines before he lost consciousness, the mere way that Gilgamesh acted was a dead giveaway that something along those lines was to occur. Or, at least, that was what he suspected could happen. Twilight turned her attention back to the book before her, and continued flipping through its many, many pages, when she was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. “Spike?” she groaned, “can you go and get that for me?” Spike, who had finally managed to get the giant book off of the shelf, simply dropped the tome to the floor. “Sure thing,” he said, walked over to the door, and pulled it open. “Um… I’m sorry for this, but… can I come in?” Twilight blinked just once, and turned back in the direction of the voice, her eyes suddenly wide in shock. There, standing in the doorway, was the same light-blue mare who she had met in the coffee shop just yesterday. Spike smiled, and stepped away from the open door. “Sure,” he said, and closed it behind her as she stepped inside. “Wow… I can’t say I’ve ever seen anythin’ like this before,” the mare said, looking around the library. “A library built into a tree! Huh, this place just gets… uh…” She blinked just once, and rubbed the back of her head as soon as she met Twilight’s eyes. “O-oh! Princess, what’re you doing here?” “I… uh… well, I live here.” The mare grinned sheepishly, obviously trying not to flush at the given information. “Really? I-I, uh… I wouldn’t’ve thought that.” She coughed once, before continuing, “A-anyway, I’m sorry if this is any trouble, but do you mind if I look at some of these?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t peg you as a reader.” “Oh, no, no, no!” the mare said, laughing about as awkwardly as possible. “I’ve never really been one for reading. Well, spell books, but besides that… no, not really. I’m stopping by for my roommate.” “Your roommate, huh?” Twilight asked. “Well, what’s he looking for?” The mare’s face fell, and she sighed as she reached into her bag and pulled out a scroll. “Here,” she said, and unrolled it. “This is what he asked me not to get.” Twilight’s jaw dropped as the scroll rolled across the floor. The names of literally dozens of works – some of which were fictional, but most were non-fiction – were written on that piece of paper in neat, careful cursive. A few of them she recognized as being from her library, while the rest of them were books that were either found only in local book stores or from Canterlot. Spike took one look at the list and practically fainted as a result. “So I… I take it that he is a reader?” she asked lamely, still feeling that her jaw had gone completely slack. “Yep,” replied the mare needlessly. “He’s absolutely obsessed with the things. Books, scrolls, random pieces of paper…” She shook her head. “He’s weird.” Twilight grimaced. “I don’t think that’s really weird, but…” Suddenly, she stopped, the cold realization of the mare’s words hitting her like a train. “Wait a second – did you just say that this list makes up books that he doesn’t want you to get?” “Yep,” the mare repeated, and she grimaced. “He read through all during the past… five or six days, I think.” For the second time that day, Twilight’s jaw dropped. “Th-there have to be at least thirty books on here!” “Like I said, he’s weird.” The mare sighed. “Princess, I’m really, really sorry about all of this, but–” However, before she could continue, Twilight had already jumped to her hooves, and was looking over the list. “Don’t apologize!” she said, suddenly feeling like a kid at a candy store. “Wow! I can’t believe there’s another pony so learned in Ponyville! Who is he? What’s he like?” “H-he… He’s… um…” “And his readings!” Twilight continued, looking over the list with eyes the sizes of dinner plates. “Daring Do and the Sapphire Statue! A Brief History of Equestria! Starswirl the Bearded’s Theorem on Atomic and Solar Conversion Via Magical Means!” She blinked just once, and looked over at the mare with a single raised eyebrow. “Well… he has some interesting tastes…” The mare sighed, and shook her head. “Just like I said, he’ll read anything. Though he seemed to really enjoy that last one – kept ranting about it for about two hours after he finished up.” She rubbed her temples. “Gave me a headache, too.” Twilight simply smiled to herself, and remembered when she had read through that paper. It had been a challenge at first, but she’d eventually gotten the hang of it, and it had made for an amazing, fun-filled after– “Um… Princess?” the mare asked, causing Twilight to break out of her trance, “can you help me with this?” “Oh… Oh, right!” Twilight exclaimed, and smiled sheepishly. “Okay, so let’s see what else he’s got on here, and I can help you pick out what you’re looking for.” Except for the books on dimensional planes, of course. Those were hers. The mare grinned back, and looked to the scroll. “Thank you so much for this,” she said, and sat down in front of it. “Okay, so… let’s see…” Twilight gestured over to Spike, who had been standing idly by throughout the entire conversation. “Hey, Spike, can you help us check these off as we go along?” He blinked, seeming shocked that she had noticed him in the first place, and nodded. “Um… sure thing, Twilight.” Quill in hand, he stepped over to the scroll, and picked it up. “Okay, so can you start listing these off?” “Alright, uh… we have that one,” Twilight said, gesturing to the next one down. “That one, that one… We don’t have these, but we do have those…” One by one, the two of them looked over the list while the mare waited patiently in the back, marking the books that they did have while they crossed out the ones they did not. After roughly three minutes of that, Spike finally set down both the scroll and the quill. He cracked both of his wrists, letting out a groan of satisfaction as his cramped muscles came loose. “Alright, that should be everything,” he said, and grinned. “Do your thing, Twilight!” She rolled her eyes at that remark, and smiled back at him. “Okay, let’s see how this goes,” she said, as her horn began to light up with magical energy. All at once, every book that Spike had checked off the list flew off of the shelves, landing in a neat pile in the center of the room, leaving several dozen more books available. The mare blinked just once, and looked over at the many tomes, scrolls, and the like that still remained. “Thank you, Princess,” she said, “but, uh… well, this is gonna hurt, isn’t it?” She chuckled slightly at that. “And… you said that he wanted everything that wasn’t on that list, right…?” Twilight asked cautiously, already feeling guilty for the pain that the mare would likely have to endure. “Because if he does,” she added, “I’ll gladly help you take some of these over.” The mare simply waved her hoof in response. “Eh, don’t worry about it. I’ve had to do this a lot in the past few days…” She rubbed the side of her head, her face suddenly twisting in pain. Spike stepped over to her. “But why isn’t your friend the one getting these?” “Let’s just say that he’s… busy,” the mare responded. “He’s always working, reading, or doing something like that… Celestia, the guy never has any time to himself, it seems! Or me,” she quietly added, a tinge of bitterness to her words. “What does he do?” Twilight asked, cocking her head slightly. The mare waved her hoof again. “It’s… it’s complicated.” “And what about you?” Twilight said, her head still tilted. “What is it that you do for a living?” “Right now? I’m still lookin’ for a job,” said the mare, smiling slightly. “I haven’t really found anything yet, but, hey! Might as well try.” She suddenly turned away from Twilight and Spike. “Um, yeah… Hey, is there anything here that you’re still reading, or think you’ll need to use? I should really get back home before too long…” Twilight blinked. “Oh, uh… yeah, I’m sorry for holding you up.” She cast a glance over at the books on the shelves. “Huh… no, I think I should be pretty good for right now. Besides all of the papers on the floor.” She gestured to the many scrolls, tomes, and the like that cluttered the library floor. “Um, Twilight?” Spike elbowed her leg. “Aren’t you still looking for those books on dimensional travel, or something…?” The mare turned back to them, an eyebrow raised. “Dimensional travel, huh?” she asked. “That’s a weird thing to be studying.” Twilight flushed. “Yeah, I guess…” The mare chuckled. “Hey, hey! Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you have your reasons. Plus, my roommate’s gonna be lookin’ it over soon enough, huh?” She grinned. “I’ll see if I can convince him to finish reading anything about that first – I don’t wanna hold up the princess, after all! Speaking of which…” “Right, I’m sorry,” Twilight said. “Please, don’t spend any more time here than you need to! Er, that’s not to be r-rude, but… uh…” “It’s fine, it’s fine!” the mare said, her horn starting to glow a soft pink. “I’ll be out of your hair – or, your mane, I guess – shortly.” Almost immediately after she said that, the many, many works on the shelves began to light the same color as the mare’s horn. They all lifted into the air, forming something of an extremely tall pile. She cast one apologetic glance back at Twilight, before she started to step out the door. “Oh, before you go,” Twilight said quickly, “I don’t think I ever caught your name.” The mare chuckled again. “O-oh, I’m sorry about that. I’m Cerulean.” She looked back at Twilight, and grinned. “Well, I guess I’ll– Gah!” she cried out in shock, as she had run into a certain unicorn outside the library, causing the many works to fly in every direction. “Oh, darn it!” Cerulean gasped. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there! Are you okay?” “D-don’t worry about it, Miss,” groaned a familiar voice. “It’s… ugh… it-it’s not a problem in the slightest. I’m p-perfectly… ugh… f-fine… Yes. I-I am.” Cerulean flushed. “Y-yeah. Here, let me…” “No, it’s fine.” The new visitor pulled himself up, and forced a shaky smile as he clutched at the side of his head. “I should… have been w-watching where I was going. Yes. I should have.” “Well, I, uh… Okay then.” Cerulean gathered up the many books, tomes, papers, and such, and began to step away again, making sure to keep a close eye on where she walked. “I’ll, uh… I’ll see you around, Princess!” The stallion stepped over to the doorway, still looking dazed from his collision. “Um… I’m so sorry about that, Princess,” he said sheepishly, and readjusted his blue messenger’s hat so that it was straight. “I-I had no intentions of causing anypony any strife, but I… I had to be quick. Yes. I did. I’m already running a bit late, after all…” Twilight placed a hoof on her chin. “You’re… Princess Luna’s royal messenger, right?” she asked, and tried to recall his name. “Um… Glass, right?” “I am Encrypted Glass, Princess Twilight. Yes. I am.” He smiled, though it still looked awkward. “And thank you for, uh… for recalling it. Mostly, at least.” His gaze turned towards the ground, and he idly started digging at it. “Most ponies don’t.” “I, uh… I see,” Twilight said. Glass grimaced. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t blame them. I am fairly generic, I suppose. Yes. I am. But enough about that,” he added. “Princess Luna once again requested that I bring you a letter.” Spike sighed and folded his arms. “Why doesn’t Princess Celestia send anything anymore…?” he muttered, and the two others turned to him with raised eyebrows. “Er… n-not that I’m complaining, of course!” The two continued to stare at him for several seconds, before Twilight looked back over at Glass. “So you said you had a message?” “Of course, Princess.” Glass pulled a scroll from his bag, and cleared his throat. “Let us see, here… Ahem. ‘Dearest Twilight Sparkle, I regret to inform you of this through Glass once more, but it appears that there is a problem in the eastern mountains. A great, monstrous dragon has taken up residence there, and has already threatened to devour two foals. Unfortunately, Celestia has recently left to take care of diplomatic matters in Griffonia, and I have to take up her stead in looking after her court. As such, the matter of stopping this dragon lies with you and the other Elements of Harmony. I understand any strife this may leave you with, so I apologize in advance. In addition to this, I have also given Glass a map to hand to you once he has arrived, which you can use to locate the exact area that this beast has taken up residence. Finally – and I understand that this message has dragged on for some time – it would also be in your best interest to bring along Gilgamesh and Discord. The former in the case that anything goes wrong in regard to stopping the beast peacefully, and the latter in order to ensure that no harm comes to Fluttershy. Thank you in advance, and may you be safe. Princess Luna.’” Glass inhaled deeply. “Ugh. I do believe that the message did drag on far longer than one would expect. Yes. I do. Oh, and here’s the map, Princess,” he added, pulling the paper from his bag and handing it to Twilight. She blinked just once, letting all of the information sink in. Of course, she wasn’t particularly surprised by the dragon attack, nor was she by the convenient fact that neither princess could help her and her friends. And Gilgamesh. No, what surprised her was the fact that she was requested to bring him along, and that even Fluttershy – who was still in horrible danger of being murdered – was to join them in their quest. There was some logic to it, though; Fluttershy’s “Stare” had already bested at least one dragon, and the goal was to complete the quest without bloodshed. And, of course, Discord was her de facto “guardian” until the one who had threatened her was caught, so she could condone that as well. But Gilgamesh? Yes, she understood that he would be good in a brawl, but his relationship with everypony was just… nonexistent. Granted, Rainbow Dash seemed to respect him at least a bit ever since the incident with the diamond dogs, Discord seemed to have warmed up to him slightly, and Fluttershy and Applejack had proved they were worried about his well-being. That just left Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and… herself. Pinkie would be simple enough, and probably held no animosity towards Gilgamesh whatsoever, but Rarity seemed to be unable to stand him. And Twilight just didn’t know what to think about him. She certainly didn’t hate him by any means, and wanted to help him understand that fact, but she also wasn’t particularly fond of him. On one hoof, he constantly bragged about himself, demonized everypony around him, and just acted like a jerk when he didn’t get his way. But on the other hoof, he had protected Fluttershy, admitted his faults, helped Grant and his friends with few complaints, and generally seemed to be trying to become a better… whatever he was. Needless to say, Twilight was completely torn on the matter, but she did hope that he would turn around, or at least try to be nicer to them. “Oh, uh… thank you, Mister Glass,” she said, pulling herself out of her thoughts. He waved his hoof, smirking slightly. “There’s no need for such formality with me, Princess – I’m just a normal, average messenger, as far as I’m concerned. ‘Glass’ is fine. Yes. It is.” Twilight nodded. “Okay then,” she said. “Thank you… Glass.” “It’s not a problem in the slightest, Princess,” said Glass, and he turned away. “Well, I’d better get back to Princess Luna and report that this was successful. Yes. I do. So, I must bid you adieu!” He waved just once, before sprinting down the path, and off into the distance. Twilight stared after him for several seconds, before she pulled the library’s door closed and turned around. It didn’t matter what her personal opinion was on the matter – the fact was that Luna had requested that she go and get Gilgamesh to join them on their quest. Even if she was personally against the idea, there was no point in arguing, and it would do nothing to get them closer to their goal. “Hey, Spike?” she asked. “Can I trust you to look after this place while I’m gone?” He pulled himself into something resembling a salute, a look of seriousness suddenly plastered on his face. “Sure thing, Twilight!” She leaned down and nuzzled him, before she ran out of the door, and off to find her friends with as much speed as she could muster. “Alright, girls, listen up!” Twilight shouted to the assortment of creatures before her, all of whom were gathered just outside of Ponyville. “Today, we’re traveling to the eastern mountains, and we’re going to make sure that the dragon at its peak won’t bother anypony around here!” Rarity placed a hoof on her chin, and scrunched up her brow. “Now, I can’t say for certain, but this appears fairly familiar to me…” “Ooh! Ooh! I know! Pick me!” Pinkie Pie shouted, throwing her hooves into the air in a cartoony sort of manner. Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “Pinkie?” she asked. “’Cause we did do this before!” she replied, a large grin stuck on her face. “And we went up that mountain, and the dragon was all ‘grr,’ and then Fluttershy was all ‘I’m lookin’ at yoooou,’ and then we won!” There was silence for several seconds as everypony tried to contemplate just what Pinkie had said. Except for Gilgamesh, of course, since he was struggling to avoid looking over at her. Finally, Applejack coughed, and said, “Yeah. That’s right, Sugarcube. We’re, uh… Yeah, Ah remember that.” Twilight looked the group over, and sighed. “Yes, well… I did notice the similarities between this and our last encounter with a dragon, so I want this to go the same way. So Rainbow Dash,” she added, turning her gaze to her friend, “you are not, by any means, to attack this thing unless it fights back first.” Rainbow flushed and looked away. “Ugh… Yeah, yeah, I know,” she muttered. “But I swear, if that thing lays one claw on any of you girls, all. Bets. Are. Off.” “Why Rainbow Dash, do you think we can’t take care of ourselves?” Discord asked, smirking. “Not all of us need a heroine to come and save us. Though,” he added, teleporting yet another sandpaper-wrapped-fish into existence, and started to file his nails once more, “I do think that you all could use a bit of a hand with this… Oh, and if we find the idiot who tried to threaten Fluttershy along the way, I call first dibs.” Fluttershy shrank down slightly. “Um… y-you don’t have to, Discord. I mean, I…” “Oh, the things I could do…!” Discord muttered, ignoring her pleas. “Why, I even prepared a scythe just for the occasion, and I think it’s–” “Discord!” snapped Applejack. “Ah know ya wanna get that varmint, but can’t ya be subtle ‘bout it? Fluttershy’s in a bad enough spot as is!” Discord cast a glance over at Fluttershy, who was shaking and looking around her with wide eyes. “Fine,” he muttered, though he continued sharpening his nails, “but like I said, if I meet that guy… well, it won’t be especially pretty, let’s say that much.” Twilight looked over the seven creatures before her, cocking an eyebrow at the fact that, of all of them, Gilgamesh had been the only one not to have spoken even once. Instead, his eyes had retained that almost-glassy appearance to them, and he was staring off towards the eastern mountains. “Hey, uh… Gilgamesh?” she asked, and waved a hoof in front of his face, but to no avail. “Ugh, never mind…” “What is it, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked, and flew in front of Gilgamesh’s face. “Oh, uh… Okay, then… Sheesh! You’d think he’d at least be awake for going off to fight a dragon!” “Not fighting, Rainbow,” snapped Twilight. “We are not fighting it if we can help it. The last thing that we need is to have to worry about that on top of everything else.” She rolled her eyes in response, and folded her forelegs over her chest. “Yeah, yeah, Twilight. I know. I’m just saying, ‘cause you’d think a guy like Gilgamesh’d be at least a bit excited about this!” She tapped the side of his head, but got no response. “Guess not.” Rarity smirked and flipped her hair. “Perhaps,” she mused dramatically, “he is far too busy worrying over that gaudy thing that he so insists on wearing to focus on such an important matter.” Grimacing distastefully, she turned away and shook her head. “Honestly! At least if he had a breastplate, there would be some logic to its existence!” “But in that case,” Twilight heard Gilgamesh mutter, “couldn’t such a beast simply rip them apart…? No, there is no logic to it…” The seven creatures exchanged a look, before Twilight walked over to him. “Gilgamesh!” He blinked just once, and looked all around him before grimacing. “Oh, right,” he said simply, “my… apologies about that. Seems that I went and fell into yet another tangent… and why are so many of you crowded around me?” he asked, standing up and stepping away from Twilight, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. “That is not important,” Rarity said, her voice as prim as prim could be. “But! What is important is what you were uttering.” “And that is of no importance either!” remarked Gilgamesh. “What I was thinking about has nothing to do with the matter at hand, hoof, claw, or what have you! Now, if none of you have any objections, would it not be best to begin our journey into the jaws of the fire?” “The… eastern mountains?” Fluttershy offered. Gilgamesh scoffed. “I know what I said! Let us be off. If only to get this over with,” he added to himself, his voice barely audible, before his eyes suddenly darted over to Pinkie Pie’s grinning face. Twilight simply looked at him for several seconds, let out a sigh, and stepped away. “Right,” she muttered. “As I was saying, though… Okay, girls – and Discord, and Gilgamesh. Today, we are going to the eastern mountains to stop a dragon from terrorizing the region. Any questions? No? Good. Let’s get going.” She promptly turned and began to walk, following the map that Glass had given her not two hours before, and mentally sighed once more at the length of the journey. Unlike the dragon they’d faced two years ago, this mountain was a good hour walk from Ponyville to its base alone. An hour-long walk with Gilgamesh and Discord. This could only end well. “What do you mean by ‘I got the message to them late’?!” snapped Luna. She was seething, just barely avoiding the urge to use the Royal Canterlot Voice™ (Celestia had decided to trademark it since she had returned from the moon) against her personal messenger, instead settling on having her teeth grind together. Glass, for his part, seemed to be barely avoiding the urge to run off and hide beneath the nearest object. “I-I,” he stuttered, “I will admit that I made an error… Y-yes. I w-will.” “And why were you so late?!” she growled in reply. “Those creatures were being threatened by a dragon, so you had better have a good reason behind your foolish action!” “I-I… I’m…” Luna stepped closer to him, and felt her rage build up even further. Glass had always been late when travelling out of Canterlot, but she mostly excused his actions due to his strong memory and carefulness. Now, however, he had finally crossed the line – he’d put several innocent creatures in prolonged danger, and it was time to learn the truth. “Tell me this, Encrypted Glass,” she snapped. “What was so important that you had to waste precious time? What was so important that you–?!” “I took a detour, Princess!” he shouted back at her, and his face instantly went pale. “I-I mean, I… I’m sorry… Yes. I am…” He took a step back, and placed a hoof on his forehead. “Urk…” Luna raised an eyebrow. “A… detour, you say? Wait, Glass, are you alright?” “Yes. I-I am,” he said, and let out a small groan. “I’m sorry, Princess, I… I haven’t been able to take my medication recently… No… I haven’t…” “Well, that would explain it,” she said, attempting to force a smile. However, given the circumstances, such a thing was difficult. “But that still does not excuse your lateness! No matter your reasons, Glass, you should try to be quick with such important information in the future. What do you think would have happened in the case that the dragon was to attack prior to your arrival?” Glass nodded weakly, though he kept his hoof held up to his head. “Yes, Princess, I know… I ran as fast as I was physically able to, I…” He let out another groan. “M-my most sincere apologies, Princess Luna, but… I… ugh, my head…” Luna lowered her head slightly. She knew all too well of Glass’s condition; he suffered from constant migraines, and required medicine in order to keep them at bay. He’d apparently run out of it several days ago, but the process of making it and the delivery was so slow that he would be unable to get the new batch for probably another two weeks at least. “I understand,” she said at last. “Glass, go home and rest. We can talk about this more at a later time.” He blinked just once. “P-Princess Luna, are you… ugh… are you sure…? I-I am certain that I can…” “Encrypted Glass, as your princess and employer, I order you to go home and recover from your aches and pains before you speak of anything else,” Luna said as forcefully as possible without inciting further pain. “Do I make myself clear on this matter?” Again, he blinked once. “O-of course, Princess,” he said. “I… I u-understand completely. Y-yes. I d-do…” Without another word, Glass turned around and began to awkwardly stumble out of the throne room on three legs, using his fourth to clutch at his head. Luna grimaced, and looked down at the ground, sincerely hoping that the medication would arrive sooner than expected, if only to ease his pain somewhat. At least then he could go back to delivering his messages at a passable speed, rather than take so long just to get one out. “Ugh, why can’t this be simpler?” she muttered to herself, allowing her veil of formality to drop. “Glass, you’d better be alright. Yes. You had.” She immediately realized what she’d said, and slammed a hoof into her forehead. “Great, now I’m doing it…” The door opened, and a single guard stepped in. “Princess Luna,” he said, his deep voice stoic, “the next group of petitioners is here to see you. Should I let them in?” She instantly sat upright, and removed any look of worry from her face. “Yes. Yes, of course,” she said. Even if she was nowhere near as formal as Celestia and far more blunt around her subjects, there was still a certain politeness that Luna knew she had to follow. The eastern mountains sprawled up towards the sky, which had been coated in a disgusting layer of black and gray smoke. The substance seemed completely unnatural, even for the breath of a dragon. Then again, Twilight could hardly claim to be an expert on that subject, given that the only dragon she had to study that from seemed to be strange even to his own kind. But the facts still remained that the smoke seemed almost… twisted. It appeared to be less smoky, and more like ash, blocking out the light to an almost-horrifying degree. She shuddered involuntarily, and felt a hoof on her shoulder. “Yeah, I hear ya,” muttered Rainbow Dash. “That stuff just doesn’t look right.” Pinkie Pie scrunched up her nose, and covered it with her hooves. “Ew! And it stinks, too!” Gilgamesh nodded. “I agree with the soci– with Pinkie Pie.” He shuddered slightly, but Twilight chose to ignore it. “It reeks of sulfur.” “Sulfer?!” Rarity cried, stepping away from the mountain’s base. “That could just ruin my appearance, and after I went to such lengths just to get myself looking good for this quest…!” “You came to face a dragon, and you expected it to be a simple transaction?” Gilgamesh asked dryly. “Come, now! Besides, would it not have been best to have clad yourselves in something to actually protect yourselves from any monstrosities?” Discord rolled his eyes, and pulled an umbrella out of nowhere. “Yes, yes, can we just get going in our little adventure, already? It should be a simple matter to climb the cliff’s face, no?” But Rarity was not listening. “You! I would sooner die than wear such a wretched, garish garment of gleaming garbage!” Pinkie leaned over to Twilight. “Ooh,” she whispered, “alliteration!” “Pinkie, I don’t think that’s–” “Garbage?!” Gilgamesh shouted indignantly, placing his hands on his hips in that ridiculous pose that he seemed to think was impressive. “This armor is that of the legendary Genji! It was crafted by blacksmiths of the highest caliber, worn into many a bloody, wretched battle, and has served dozens of the greatest of warriors! And, at the very least,” he added, “this ‘garbage’ has some form of function, rather than your overly-fruity hairstyle! When your mane products cause it to flare up like the surface of the sun when hit by a single spark, you can see just how ‘useless’ my armor is!” Rarity’s jaw dropped, along with everypony else’s except for Discord, who simply smirked and leaned over to Fluttershy. “I’m liking this guy more and more each day!” he said, just loud enough for Twilight to hear it. “The chaos he’s producing is absolutely delicious!” “You… you brute!” Rarity snapped, eyes aflame. “That is absolutely… You are just… Ugh!” she shouted, and threw her head so that her mane was flipped. “I’ve no need to speak to such an uncultured, out-of-touch slob! As soon as this quest is complete, I’ve no desire to see you ever again!” Applejack stepped over to her. “Rarity, don’t y–” “And you… and you can just disappear for all I care!” Rarity finished, her face contorting into something that definitely was not beautiful by any means. In an instant, Gilgamesh’s face changed. Gone was the look of cockiness, of confidence, and of that insufferable ‘heroic’ gleam in his eyes. Now, his eyes seemed almost empty, but not quite as glassy as his tangents, and his posture completely faded away. His back slumped, his arms dangled loosely at his sides, and his face’s already-gray color changed into a ghastly white. Twilight looked over at him, suddenly feeling alarmed by his strange transformation. “Hey, G-Gilgamesh…?” she asked timidly. Pinkie Pie stepped over to him and poked his shoulder, letting out a small squeak of surprise as he fell over sideways onto the ground. “I… uh…” she said, for once at a loss for words, “I think you broke him.” Gilgamesh continued to twitch, even as he lay on his side, and Discord grimaced as he poked his face. “Yep. Looks like you really did a number on him, Rarity,” he remarked. “I’d be more impressed if it wasn’t for the fact that he looks completely traumatized.” At the others’ accusatory looks, he shrugged and said, “What? Even I have standards about this stuff.” “Rarity,” Applejack snapped, “that was completely uncalled for!” Rarity flushed and flipped her mane. “I… But he insulted me, and made that absolutely disgusting claim!” She grit her teeth, and held her foreleg up to her forehead. “But that doesn’t excuse you actin’ like that,” Applejack said. “How’d ya like it if Ah said, ‘Rarity, Ah don’t ever wanna see ya again in my life.’ Yeah, what he said was completely uncalled for, but that ain’t no way ta talk to somepony – er, or whatever he is.” “But… but he…!” Rarity started, and Twilight could see that her eyes were getting moist, before she threw her mane again, and clamped them shut. She let out a sigh, and said, “Right… Yes, I suppose that was uncalled for, but I just…” Fluttershy visibly shuddered. “And even if I don’t agree with how he said it, he did have a good point… and you never snapped at me like that when I started acting like a jerk, Rarity, so why should you treat Gilgamesh any differently…?” She looked away, and bit down on her lower lip. “I think I was much worse about it, too…” Rarity shifted uncomfortably. “I-I guess,” she admitted. “Great, great…” Rainbow Dash said, flying as her forelegs were folded over her chest. “Now, can you go and apologize already? We’ve got a dragon to fiiiii– to negotiate with,” she hastily added, looking over at Twilight with a large, fake-looking grin on her face. Rarity let out a loud, dramatic sigh, and stepped over to the quivering form of Gilgamesh. “Um… Gilgamesh?” she asked, and tentatively poked the side of his head. No response. “I… I realize that what I said was uncalled for, and I… well, I would like to apologize for my most unnecessary actions.” Still, the prone warrior said nothing, but continued to twitch and quiver unnaturally on the rock-laden ground. “Did you… did you hear me?” Rarity asked, and poked him again. “I said that I was sorry, okay?! Now…” There was still no response. “Yep,” Discord deadpanned. “Nice job, Rarity. Full round of applause.” Several disembodied hands formed in the air around her, and began to clap loudly. “You didn’t just break him – you completely ruined him.” Rarity’s face somehow became even paler. “I… I didn’t…” she breathed, and leaned against the sheer cliff in order to keep herself from falling. “I-I… didn’t mean to…” Applejack sighed, and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Well, what’s done is done,” she said quietly. “C’mon, Rare. Let’s just go and finish this thing up.” “But what are we gonna do about… well…” Rainbow Dash said, gesturing to Gilgamesh. “We can’t just… leave him here, right?” “Of course not,” Twilight said, “but… well, somepony’s going to have to carry him.” Every eye instantly fell on Rarity, who looked about the six other, conscious creatures with eyes the size of pinpricks. “Wh… Me?!” Discord had resumed filing his nails, this time having one of the disembodied hands to do it for him. “Well, you’re the one who messed him up so badly,” he said. “Besides, it’ll be fun. For the rest of us.” “But I… I…!” Rarity stammered, suddenly looking rather faint. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Eh. We can switch him off as we go up the mountain. How’s that sound? That way, when we get to the top, Rarity won’t be half-dead.” “Sounds like a plan ta me,” Applejack replied, and grinned. “Plus,” Rainbow Dash added, and grinned, “if the dragon doesn’t wanna negotiate, we can always offer Gilgamesh as a sacrifice–” Literally everpony’s head spun towards her at once. “Rainbow!” they all shouted. She lifted her forelegs up, her smile suddenly turning sheepish. “Hey, I-I was just kiddin’!” Twilight shook her head. “In any case,” she said, “we should get going. It’s a long way to the top, and it’s going to take even longer, now…” She grimaced, and rubbed the side of her head with her hoof. “Right… let’s just go.” Without any further words of complaint, the unconscious form of the so-called greatest warrior, Gilgamesh, was thrown unceremoniously onto Rarity’s back, and the group began their slow, painful trek up to the mountain’s peak. Gilgamesh was very vaguely aware of the world around him. He could barely feel the wind on his face, see the darkened sky, and notice that a certain obnoxious and white unicorn with an accent that he could not quite place was pulling him along the path up the mountain. But besides that, there was nothing. Nothing remained except for a crippling fear, a terror that gripped at his heart, soul, and body. Granted, Gilgamesh was not one who often felt fear due to his brave, powerful, and epic strength, but… he couldn’t help but feel complete horror at those words. Was he to disappear, to vanish into the void, never to return? Was that the fate that he was truly cursed with? Was that the fate that he would never be able to avoid, no matter how hard he struggled, how long he fought, how much effort he put into keeping away from it? Had his fears all proven to be completely true, and the denizens of that universe hated him completely? But if he vanished, what would happen? He would be devoured by the void, lost in its depths, forever to be trapped within the raging maw of the abyss. Would he be able to escape? Would he want to? Would it be worth it, given that every creature seemed to despise him with an almost unmatched loathing across every world he had ever walked? No, it wouldn’t be worth it. Perhaps it would be in his best interest to ask the two princesses if they could send him back to his world. At least there he had some value. At least there he had some sort of worth. After all of the time he’d wasted serving Exdeath, though, could he manage it? Would he be accepted by anyone? And why was he so obsessed with that thought?! It shouldn’t’ have mattered if he was accepted or not! He was Gilgamesh, the swordsman of legend, the warrior whom even the most dangerous of beasts feared, and with good reason! But what did it matter, in the end? What was the use of being a strong warrior if it benefited nobody? He had been raised to believe that strength was everything, and that it was best to use it in order to make some sort of difference, be it good or bad. Perhaps that was where his obsession with Bartz and his party had been born – a desire to at least make even the most minor of differences in the world, and creatures with whom he could share his strength. Their clashes had always been things he’d looked forward to, even when they were miles away. When Exdeath sent for their head, Gilgamesh hoped that they would survive, and the other way around, as well. He let out a low groan as his head bumped into something, but he didn’t completely feel it. In his current state, he could do nothing but continue to question everything. But he knew, now, just what he truly had to do. Maybe he wasn’t as intelligent as Twilight, or even as socially inclined, but that was not what mattered to him at the moment. Returning to the rift would do nothing, returning to his own world looked improbable at best, and staying where he was seemed to be his only given option that made sense. And if he had to fight in order to remain there, to take up the customs, traditions, and what have you, he would gladly do so in order to finally have a place to live. He could look past Pinkie Pie’s semi-disturbing, insane ways, and find some way to keep that little shack he called a house. He would try to swallow his pride, to admit his mistakes, to at least try and befriend the denizens of the world. Then, at least, Gilgamesh would be able to give his abilities some meaning. Twilight stumbled over the last leg of the journey, coughing as the peak of the mountain came into view. Gilgamesh’s body, heavy from a combination of his size and armor, pushed her down to the ground, and she coughed as she threw him off onto the ground. Unlike the mountains near Ponyville, the top of this particular mountain was completely flat, and the size of the royal palace’s base all around. The others stumbled up after her, all of whom looked exhausted from their own time spent carrying him up the massive mountain. Except for Discord, naturally, who floated up on a cotton candy cloud, sipping a glass of chocolate milk with a contented look on his face. “Welp, let’s get this over with!” he said, jumping from his cloud, and looking over at the six mares. “C’mon, now, girls… the real fun’s just about to begin. Now, where’s that… drag… on…?” Any look of confidence on his face instantly evaporated as his eyes locked on something behind all of the girls. Twilight struggled to turn around, and felt her jaw drop in a mixture of shock and terror. “That…” she breathed, “that’s… that’s not a dragon…” The creature before them was massive, its red scales and bat-like wings glimmering in the light of its own fire. Its tail wrapped around its body at least twice, the end of it about as large as Twilight herself. Its eyes were bright green and wide, unblinking. The dragon let out a loud, mighty yawn, before pulling itself apart. Its movements were weird and unnatural, like a marionette on strings; its tail swung around its body before coming to a swinging, fast stop, and its wings suddenly burst open wide. It turned its head to the sky, which shook several times before going into position, and let out a screech. “T-Twilight…?” Pinkie asked, her eyes wide. “Is this a bad time to want to r-run away…?” Even the normally-brave Rainbow Dash’s face had fallen completely at the sight of the monstrosity. “Y-yeah, uh… Maybe we can worry about this some other time…?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “No! Princess Luna wanted us to at least make sure this thing won’t hurt anypony. We didn’t come this far just to turn back now!” She stepped up to the massive dragon, visibly struggling not to shake as the beast’s eyes met her own. “G-greetings. I am Princess Twilight of… of Equestria, a-and I’m here t-to–” She never had to chance to finish that statement, as the dragon’s large claws instantly grabbed her by her wings and lifted her up. It said nothing, but casually flicked her towards the edge of the mountain, its eyes unmoving as it did so. Twilight screamed as she flew over the edge, unable to open her wings and preparing for a painful end, only to feel her rear legs grabbed from on high. “Ah-Ah’ve got ya, Twi’!” Applejack gasped. “Jus’… don’t let go…!” Rainbow Dash grit her teeth and reared up into the sky. “That does it!” she shouted. “You’ve messed with the wrong– Gah!” she cried as the beast swiped at her with its claws as well, likely in an attempt to toss her off the mountain as well. Rainbow Dash just barely avoided the attack by flying up higher into the air, her eyes wide with disbelief. Rarity and Pinkie Pie merely stepped back, and leapt to the side as a massive jettison of blue fire exploded from the monster’s mouth, scorching the rock and coating it in small embers. “Yes, um… I do believe we’ve bit off more than we can chew,” Rarity said, obviously trying to keep herself from breaking down. “Twilight!” Pinkie Pie was nowhere near as calm. “We have to get outta here before we become extra crispy!” Twilight shouted from her position, “Easier said than done, Pinkie!” Applejack nearly let go as she looked over her shoulder. “Wh… Fluttershy, get outta there! What the hay do ya think y’all’re doin’?!” “You can’t reason with something like this!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Seriously, just…!” But Fluttershy was beyond listening to her friends. From what Twilight could see, her eyes had turned into daggers, her wings like those of a hornet about to strike, and she flew in front of the dragon without even the smallest amount of inhibition present about her. “How. Dare. You,” she hissed at the massive beast, her eyes boring into its as her legendary “Stare” became active. “Do you have no shame?! My friends didn’t even attack you, and now you’re just going to go and try to hurt them?! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?! I SHOULD GO AND TELL YOUR MOTH–” Without any sort of regret or reaction in its eyes, the dragon shot out yet another jettison of flame, this time just barely missing Fluttershy’s body. She let out a squeak of terror, and fell back towards the mountain’s peak without a single other word. “I…” she breathed, her voice suddenly back to normal, “I looked in its eyes, and… and there’s nothing in them!” Discord grit his teeth, and suddenly snapped out of his stupor. “How can that possibly be? This thing doesn’t look like a construct… But its movements are just…” The dragon’s neck twisted three-hundred-and-sixty degrees to the left, before it turned back to the right. There wasn’t even the sound of snapping, it just happened. Discord visibly shuddered. “Sheesh! I’m fine with chaos and all, but that’s just not right!” It turned its head towards the sky, as more fire and smoke poured from its mouth into the atmosphere, darkening the mountain even further. “This thing…” Twilight gasped, the blood running to her head. “Is it even alive?!” The monstrous dragon’s unnatural, disturbing movements continued, its wings twisting in the same manner as its head, followed by its tail. Rarity appeared to be struggling not to vomit at the sight. “Blech… Why is it that Gilgamesh has to be unconscious now, of all times?!” “Thanks for that, Rarity,” Rainbow Dash deadpanned from above. “Now’s… now’s n-not the time fer sarcasm…!” Applejack shouted, still trying to pull Twilight up the mountain’s edge. “We’ve gotta think of somethin’… fast…!” Pinkie Pie looked over at Discord. “Can’t you do something about this?” He grit his teeth even harder, and took a single step back. “Wh… Hey, don’t look at me! I don’t even know if I can get close enough to do anything to it!” The dragon’s neck twisted back around, and smoke continued to pour from its jaw along with more embers. Its claws dug into the scorched earth, and it let out yet another shriek to the sky. Twilight shut her eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable blast of fire, followed by the long, painful death. What had Luna been thinking? This wasn’t just a normal dragon, but she’d treated it like it was! But how could she have known? How could anypony? What would happen to her friends…? Gilgamesh felt his eyes slowly open, and he looked over the scene before him through bleary eyes. A giant, draconic beast sat on the mountain’s peak, shooting off random blasts of fire as its body twisted disgustingly; Twilight Sparkle was hanging off of the edge with only Applejack keeping her from falling to her death; Rarity and Pinkie Pie were lying on the ground, just beside a huge scorch mark; and Fluttershy and Discord were on the opposite side of the dragon, both staring with slack jaws. Fantastic. Gilgamesh instantly leapt to his feet, and looked over the creature with careful eyes. It looked very vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it based on appearance alone. However, rather than focus on such unimportant matters as that, he began to look over its forms of attacking – shooting fire appeared to be its primary pattern, and those claws looked more than sharp enough to act as weapons of their own. Applejack looked over at him, a look of utter disbelief on her face. “Gilgamesh?! Y’all’re awake!” Within seconds, every single creature there turned their heads towards his now awake form, and their jaws dropped. But Gilgamesh was not focusing on their faces or actions. No, he was too busy feeling a sort of fire deep in the pit of his stomach, focused straight at the beast before him, as his mind ran over what he had thought about in his unconscious state. Rarity had said such cruel things to him, Pinkie Pie had terrified him for so long, Twilight had been sarcastic and used him like a tool on various occasions, and Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Discord had refused to trust him at first, instead seeing him as nothing but a threat. Even if all of those things were true, Gilgamesh could not deny that they had helped him, too. They had given him shelter, had allowed him to live within their village, acknowledged his abilities, and had tried to befriend him at various points. Twilight had apologized to him over her and her friends' actions, Fluttershy and Applejack had expressed concern over him, and the more he thought about it, the more Gilgamesh realized that they were only trying to help him. But rather than accept their aid, he was only pushing them away even further. And so, despite any misgivings he may once have felt, the feeling of the fire in his stomach, directed towards that beast, had only one emotion to it: Hatred. “You…” he growled. “You would dare to cause such destruction, pain, and sorrow? You are no drake! You… are but a monstrosity! And I shall eliminate you as such!” “Gilgamesh, get out of there!” shouted Twilight. “That thing will–!” He didn’t care. He didn’t care if it blasted him with fire, or clawed at him, or whatever the twisted, awkward creature did. He simply stepped forward, his hand on the blade at his side, until he was directly in front of it. Gilgamesh had a plan. “Perhaps,” he gasped, “I am no genius. Perhaps I am but a fool, but I know all too well that I have made so many errors over these past few days.” He looked back at the creatures, and nodded. “And so… allow me to do this, because battle is the thing I am an expert in!” The dragon’s mouth opened wide, and fire began to form in its jaws. Gilgamesh quickly held the sword up, blocking his face as the fire began to roll over his entire being. In that instant, though he heard the cries of the creatures around him, something new seemed to enter into his mind. The fire subsided, though he still stood, albeit with minor burns on three of his eight arms. Gilgamesh grinned. “Perfect!” he shouted, and blinked just once. “Just as I thought!” “Now watch, all of you!” he shouted back at them, the thrill of battle overtaking him once more, “because this monstrosity is about to be burned!” Though he knew just how awful that pun really was, Gilgamesh was far too busy pulling his head back, and then rapidly throwing it forward. “Flamethrower!” he shouted, and a blast of pure fire instantly burst from his mouth, shooting off towards the dragon. The beast, seemingly unable to comprehend the attack, let out a loud scream as the fire struck its body, lighting its red scales aflame. It struggled and flailed about, swinging its claws indiscriminately in a mixture of pain and rage, and its green eyes were clamped shut. Meanwhile, the seven other creatures could only stare with slack jaws at the display, not making a single sound. Applejack had even managed to get Twilight up to the top of the cliff just in time to watch the monster burn. Gilgamesh stepped back, and altered his grip on the sword. He leapt up forty feet into the air, feeling that the ground below him had vanished, and aimed the tip of the sword directly for the dragon’s head. There was not a single complication as it dug deep into its skull, and tore straight down the burning beast’s front until Gilgamesh’s feet hit the ground again. He tore the blade free, and turned away. “And that, you see,” he growled, “is why you do not mess with creatures such as these.” The dragon did not say anything in reply. How could it? It now lay in two halves on the ground, after all. Two halves, both completely empty, and– Gilgamesh paused. “Wait… completely empty?!” He ran over to the creature’s corpse to reaffirm that claim, and felt his jaw drop in shock. Just like the insect that had attacked the city the other day, this beast was entirely empty on the inside. There were no organs, there was no blood, or bone, or muscle, or anything at all. There was nothing inside of its burning body. The others soon joined him in looking over the corpse, and Twilight touched the exterior. “Another thing like this…?” she muttered, and looked over to her friends. “This can’t just be a coincidence… right?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I can’t believe that’s what you’re choosin’ to focus on!” she said, and wrapped a foreleg around Gilgamesh's neck. “You’re not gonna say anything about what this guy just did?” “That truly was impressive, I must admit,” Rarity said, and she flushed as she turned away. “Er… And my apologies, Gilgamesh. I… I was not thinking when I reacted to your words so harshly, and… yes,” she finished. Gilgamesh stared at her for several seconds. On one hand, she had been such a huge jerk to him, had insulted him and his armor, and had… No, there was no point in arguing with himself. He knew the answer from the beginning. “Of course,” he said at last. “And my apologies, as well. What I said was… It was not only unnecessary, but cruel. So I… I am sorry.” Twilight cocked her head at him. “Huh. What made you jump out there and stop that thing? I thought you hated us…” “Hated you? Why would that be?” Gilgamesh asked, and he stood tall, placing his hands upon his hips. “Regardless of what may have occurred, a great, heroic warrior such as myself is not wont to abandon creatures such as yourselves to such a grisly fate! And besides,” he added, “I have no hatred for any of you.” “Even me?” Pinkie Pie asked, leaning uncomfortably close to him. Gilgamesh took a single step back. “No, of course not!” He turned away, and swallowed his pride. “Over these last few days, I… well, to be blunt, I never thought that any of you truly cared about what could happen to me in the slightest. Why would any of you? I… I thought that all of you hated me, not the other way around.” “Well, to be fair, you were kinda a jerk,” admitted Rainbow Dash, and she removed her foreleg, “but you were also kinda cool, I guess. I mean, you saved those diamond dogs, and you even gave the credit to Twilight and me!” “And,” Discord added, “you helped Fluttershy out after she got that threat. Sure, you didn’t really stick around, but –” he paused, and began to file his nails again “– it’s the thought that counts, I guess.” Applejack nudged his leg. “And Ah ain’t never seen nopony pull that plow as fast as you did, Gilgamesh!” “I… suppose so,” he admitted, “but what of all the times I was such a jerk to all of you? I held a trident to his throat, stole your fruit, and various other crimes of which I should be held responsible, yet–” “Water under the bridge,” said Twilight, interrupting his rant. “Gilgamesh, ponies – or, uh, whatever you are – make mistakes, but the important part is owning up to them, and making sure that you don’t do them again in the future. Besides,” she added, “that’s just a part of being friends.” Gilgamesh blinked just once. “Wait… f-friends? Twilight Sparkle, what are you insinuating?” “I think you knooow,” said Pinkie, once again getting closer than he found comfortable. Twilight coughed, and everypony fell silent. “Gilgamesh, we’ve had some tough times over the past few days, but that’s to be expected. You just came here from some other world, after all. But the fact of the matter is that, if you really want to find your way back home, you won’t have to do it alone anymore.” “Wait… you’re really…?” Gilgamesh said, just barely forcing the words out of his mouth. “Of course I am!” Twilight said, and held out a hoof. “So, what do you say? Friends?” He stared at it for just a few seconds, but already knew his answer. Just like before, it was what he knew was right, and what he truly wanted. In those few seconds, he could see the other five mares lean forward expectantly, while Discord merely stared. Gilgamesh took her hoof. “Certainly,” he said. “Friendship it is.” A great, loud cheer came up from the group, as they all crowded around him, clamoring excitedly, congratulating him, and just speaking. “So, before we leave this place,” he said dully, and pointed at the massive, empty corpse, “who’s… uh… who’s going to carry that?” Twilight sat at her desk, writing her latest letter to Celestia. Even if her friendship report had long since finished, she still had to tell her mentor the good news. “’Dear Princess Celestia,’” she said, speaking as she wrote. “’Today, I learned a very important lesson about friendship, and from the unlikeliest of sources. Yes, a creature can be mean to you, or brag, or anything like that, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t work around those flaws. And sometimes, the creatures who are that way make for some of the best friends overall. Your Fellow Princess, Twilight Sparkle,’” she finished, and placed a hoof on her chin, before continuing: “’P.S.: Your prediction was right.’” With that completed, she turned to the sample of the dragon’s flesh, sitting right next to that of the insect that had attacked Canterlot on Gilgamesh’s first day since waking up. As she’d thought, the substances were completely identical, down to the very last molecule. “Who could’ve sent something like this?” she murmured to herself. It had to be some sort of construct, a golem of whatever that material was. But what could the material be? From what she knew, it was highly flammable, cut really easily, felt extremely familiar, and– Twilight slammed her hoof into her forehead. How hadn’t she realized it sooner? She would need to run some tests to make sure, but it seemed so obvious. But, then again, who would have suspected that a monster could be made out of paper? Gilgamesh sat in the same position as always, his hands pressing on the keys with a newfound mirth. To think that he had finally managed to do it, that he could have at last been able to befriend the equines. And to think that all it took was admitting your faults and apologizing for your actions, at that. And his playing only reflected the new joy in his heart. He sat back, and stared at the instrument before him, running his fingers over its wooden plating. To think that, only a few days ago, he’d hated the thing, and now it had become something of a way to vent his emotions, to show the world just what he truly felt. It was a weird feeling, if only due to how ecstatic he felt, but he wouldn’t’ have given it up for anything. And so, with much gusto, joy, and excitement, Gilgamesh continued to play, his joy swelling along with that of the keys.