//------------------------------// // Part 6 // Story: Cognitive Dissonance // by HolyJunkie //------------------------------// COGNITIVE DISSONANCE PART 6 It was the first time Kurt got a look at Luna's face. He had to side with the grizzled guitarist on this one: She sure looked fine. Despite apparently being over a thousand years old, she really kept her figure. "Well hello, Dolly," Floyd playfully commented as he got a look at Princess Luna's face. Despite Luna smiling modestly, Kurt lightly slapped a hoof onto the back of Floyd's head, and both started to bow. Luna, however, stopped them with her magic. "Officially, I'm not here," she said. "But, uh... this is a club," Floyd said, "Witnesses, ye know?" "A stallion's club with witnesses?" Baton whispered to Floyd, "Take a look around you." Kurt looked, and indeed saw that everypony was more concerned about the dancers- who no-doubt had impaired vision due to the spotlights shining onto them and their shiny, sometimes glittery outfits. He huffed at the strange cleverness of this meeting. "With me," Baton said, "You can explain your friend later, Kurt." The two stallions glanced at each other, and followed the royal guard and royalty figure into a back corridor, followed by entrance into a dimly lit back room. A table was in the middle of the circle of purple light- the only light in the room. Surrounding the table were four chairs. Beyond the chairs and sliver of light catching onto the black curtains was pure darkness. The four of them took their seats and looked at each other for a good five seconds. "Who are you?" Baton started, referring to Floyd. "Howdy. Name's Floyd," Floyd answered as professionally as he could. That is, he couldn't answer that professionally. "I met Kurt while he was in Ponyville." Baton nodded, shocking Kurt with this unexpected lack of care for professionalism. Usually, he'd snap a quick "Just answer my question." to the grizzled guitarist. Then again, Kurt still never figured out how Baton's thoughts processed. Even after a few years together, and the Sergeant could very well be somepony else. "How's your search for Cor?" Baton asked to Kurt, "You finished your business here, yes?" "Yeah," Kurt replied, "He's in Canterlot, with Kaia-" "Correct." Baton interrupted. "However, that's the least of the worries you should be having." Should be having? Kurt asked. What in the name of Princess Celestia is that supposed to mean? What the hell's more important than being concerned about one's own little brother. Especially one's little brother who was kidnapped, leaving one to spend the better part of an entire month trying to single-hoofedly find. After all this effort, his so-called enemies are trying to recruit him back into that disguised cage they called a career? Kurt gritted his teeth, and caused Sergeant Baton to sigh, "Kurt, we need your help." "You ran out of inmates in the Guard? No thanks," Kurt replied. Ignoring the comment, Baton continued. "We found the manticore; it's dead." The gritted teeth ceased as Kurt felt a shiver down his spine. At the same time, he felt a rush of calm overtake the tenseness. The combination wasn't comfortable, but the ex-guard strangely felt better. He managed to feign concern, or something more... positive... at least in the eyes of ponies who aren’t him. "How did you find it?" Kurt asked. Last he left it, it was somewhere in the Everfree Forest. "Well, it was an open canyon with no fog. One of our remaining search teams found it a few days ago. Gotta say, Kurt: nice work." Baton then looked at the scars, adding, "Well, almost." "Not that we like having to deal with a murdered inhabitant of the Everfree Forest," Princess Luna added, glaring at Baton- who immediately apologized for making the manticore's death sound like a positive thing. "My sister certainly didn't need news like that." "Anyway," Baton said, "We've got a problem in the form of an entity who's threatening Equestria. A Steppe Rhinoceros named Kurgan Indrik." Kurgan, Kurgan Indrik. Kurt recalled the name from... somewhere. "Why does that name sound familiar?" "It's the most famous name from the Rhino Conflict. Considering your affinity, I'll assume you know about it." "Like the back of my hoof," Kurt replied. "Kurgan Indrik... he was the leader, wasn't he? How is he-" Sergeant Baton gave the answer early, "It's not a descendant. The punk's an immortal." Kurt blinked, trying to grasp his mind around this. They want him- just a pony who can kill a manticore- to take on a problem individual more than forty times his senior- and possibly with forty times the training? The ex-guard looked at Floyd, who silently expressed that this all was way over his head. As the guitarist shrugged, Sergeant Baton continued the brief. "Kurgan's coming back," Princess Luna added, "trying to use the public happiness regarding my return as a perfect opportunity to strike. I still remember the conflict, and so does my sister." "You just want me to take down the Rhino leader..." "By yourself," Baton said. "By- By myself? What!?" Kurt sputtered. "You beat him- maybe kill him- and it sends a sign to all other Rhinos, how their champion, a two-thousand year old vet, was taken down by just another average pony," Baton said. "That don't sound pretty at all, Sir," Floyd said, "Still, it would make one heck of a headline, eh?" "This is insane! Can't I just see Cor first?" Kurt asked. "Living a life of regret gives some ponies an unwillingness to bite the dust," Luna replied. Kurt was stunned at how stupid and insane this plan was. The ex-guard had to admit: what Luna said was pretty clever- if only a bit cheesy. Despite the cleverness, he hated the fact that he wasn't to see his brother until this task was done. Considering this is a bloody Steppe Rhinoceros- a creature with greater strength than a Buffalo war chief, and with a massive horn that was bigger than a full-grown stallion. Kurt was almost thankful that the Steppe Rhinoceros was nearing extinction in favour of the smaller but more efficient species, save for the immortal Kurgan Indrik. Eventually, Kurt gave up. If this was the only way he was going to see his brother one last time, he might as well feed himself confidence that he'll have Kurgan's head on the proverbial pike. "Fine. Point me to the fray," Kurt sighed. He figured he should be grateful; given a purpose to serve Equestria in a way that doesn't feel like a dull cage that looked roomy on the outside. It was all he ever really wanted since before his desire to meet Twilight Sparkle, or find his brother. --- Within two hours, they landed back in Canterlot. The carriage holding Kurt, Floyd, Baton, and Princess Luna landed in a designated landing area- basically a patio with the furniture moved. It would mark the first time Kurt had been within the palace walls, or even looking within. Being an Earth pony, he was unable to fly and look around. All of his shifts as a guard were right next to the entrance, and not once did he have a chance to look inside while on-duty. Baton and Princess Luna left the carriage first, followed by Kurt and Floyd. On the smooth patio floor, the four approached the palace itself. Princess Celestia and even more guards stood at the doors leading from the patio to the palace interior. Luna raced to her elder sister's side, while Baton and the other pilots boxed in the ex-guard and guitarist. Security reasons, obviously. On either side, the massive gardens Kurt's sister helps tend to stood. All the plants were healthy, and trimmed nicely. Kurt couldn't identify any of them- considering he never took an interest on botany. All he really cared about was that the gardens were all beautiful. "Kurt Foalington. It's been a while," Princess Celestia said as the two non-guards bowed. "And... Floyd Gilmare." "Pleasure to meet ye both, yer majesties," Floyd said with a grin. Kurt was at a loss for words. He was concerned about what she had to say regarding the infiltration, escape, and general antics while in Canterlot last time. Celestia's giant gravity-defying mane was bigger than the ex-guard himself. Kurt distracted himself with Floyd's rather odd last name. Gilmare sounded just silly, but that was only Kurt's opinion. "Sister, why is he here exactly?" Celestia asked to Luna, referring to the grizzled guitarist. Luna stifled laughter, and urged the elder to ask Floyd that herself. Princess Celestia asked Floyd, and was replied with "I missed the parade, and I wanted to play a song to ye both." Celestia motioned for the guards to strip Kurt's uniform. After that was done, The Princess took a good long look at the scars. She looked... disappointed. Should I ask? Kurt thought to himself. Hundreds of questions were being raised at this point, and he couldn't organize them into questions he should ask Celestia, and questions he should ask others. "It's good to see you're healthy," Celestia said. "Likewise, Ma'am," Kurt replied. "Kurt?" came a sudden voice. Kaia arrived from the garden on the left. She got a clear view of the scars. "What happened?" she asked. "Nothing you need to worry about, Kaia Foalington," Celestia replied, almost perfectly like a mother to an infant. The ex-guard couldn't help but notice that almost everything Celestia says is in such a voice. Even after fifteen years, She sounded generally the same. Kaia approached, still staring at the scars. Kurt had no words, and was hoping Celestia would successfully turn his older sister away. "They said you were dead," Kaia said. "An error I will have to speak to the Commander about," Celestia replied. Kaia's eyes started to water up. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Kurt brought himself not to look at his older sister. Kaia galloped to her younger brother and gave him a long hug. "I have Cor with me,” she said, “He never spent an hour without voicing his worries." "We can't let them see each other right now," Princess Celestia interrupted. "Why not?" Kaia asked. Kurt replied for the royalty. "I'm needed... and I need something to look forward to after the job is done." "Kurt," Celestia stated invitingly. Kurt looked at Kaia once more, and followed the regal sisters, alongside Sergeant Baton. Floyd stayed behind, with another guard to keep an eye on the grizzled guitarist. The four of them entered the palace, for a more secure place to speak privately. "Kurgan Indrik. I'm sure the sergeant and younger sister had already told you," said the Commander as the four of them entered a large room with a massive scale model map of Equestria and neighboring provinces in the center. The decorated Commander appeared to be occupied; he was picking his teeth with a figurine pin as he tapped a hoof on the scale model of the Everfree Forest area. "Indeed, sir," Kurt responded respectfully as everypony circled the map. "You understand that he is immortal, yet you wish to take on this quest?" Commander said as he moved the toothpick piece on the map from Manehattan over a railroad to Baltimare. Kurt figured the decorated one was trying to replicate how the ex-guard had been moving the past few days. "If it means I get to see my brother one last time," Kurt replied. After an amused huff, he stated with a grin, "Despite the trouble you caused, I don't think I can ever not like you. You treasure family, despite everything you do. From-" The Commander then noticed the scars. "How well-healed are they?" "I don't really notice them anymore," Kurt replied as he stretched the left foreleg to feel next to no pain whatsoever. "Best make sure it gets better than that, Corporal," the Commander said, "Kurgan Indrik is a force to be reckoned with, named the King of Animals many times where he's from. If you're going to be finding a way to take him down, you'll need to be in the best shape possible." Kurt nodded swiftly. Despite not being in the Guard anymore, he still was alert and at-attention when the Commander spoke. Then again, who couldn't? "My father once said: the next time the Rhinos would try another invasion, it would need to be stopped before it began." The Commander started a speech Kurt could swear couldn't have been improvised. "After two thousand years, ponies haven't been as hardened and grim as the ones who served during the Rhino Conflict. At a time like this, we need somepony who should've been born two thousand earlier, but still found a way to skip a couple millennia." "Yessir." "To stop this new conflict before it starts, we need to show that immortal son of a cockatrice that despite appearances, we are still vicious stallions and mares. To defeat Kurgan Indrik would kill the rhino morale like you wouldn't believe." "I understand that already, sir." The Commander smiled, even if Kurt flinched at the accidental insubordination. "At ease, Kurt. I figured it was obvious." "Well, in front of our rulers, my mentor, and yourself, sir..." Kurt replied. "Heh, yeah." Baton produced a figuring of a rhinoceros with a massive tusk, and placed it on a border in Equestria. "Our scouts report that he's rallying troops on the line, about here. They will cross the border by next week." "That is pretty much it. You go in, break the toad's legs, and drag his flank back here. Any questions?" the Commander asked. "What am I going in with?" Kurt asked. "No need to worry about that. It's being taken care of," the decorated one replied. "What happens if I fail?" Kurt asked. The Commander burst out laughing. Apparently he got something everypony else in the room didn't. It almost disturbed Kurt, considering he was serious about the question. "Anyway, dismissed. Best get yourself ready," the Commander managed to say between breaths. The royal sisters remained with the Commander while Baton brought Kurt to a guest room. "You know when I said a number of guards wanted your head?" Baton asked. "On the train, yeah," Kurt replied as he looked into his guest bedroom. "I wasn't kidding,” Baton said, “It makes me a little disappointed, how they're not so willing to forgive family." "I find it difficult to believe I forgive mum and dad," Kurt said. "I guess the Commander will need to give the others a review lesson on how every guard that ever donned his or her own uniform is part of a family, In the meantime, you gotta stay and train here- in this room- where the others- and especially Cor- won't find you." "Solitary confinement?" Kurt asked. "Unfortunately, yes," Baton said as he closed, locked, and barred the door after Kurt entered the guest room. The ex-guard sighed as the last lock clicked. He was too tired to get angry at this point, and he certainly didn't want to waste the anger on a gold-trimmed door that doesn't bleed. The whole room was full of purple, red, and gold. All warm colours, which contrasts surprisingly well to the cool colours in the side room that contained bathroom essentials. The one window in the room was rather large, but Kurt knew better than to open it. He knew he needed the regret to keep his fury blazing at the moment of truth. The question still plagued him: What if he does fail? Will the rhinos plow through Equestria, taking everypony with it? Would they destroy Manehattan and Baltimare? Would they destroy Ponyville? The Commander's laughter didn't make sense to the ex-guard. Maybe he was just tired, and a good night's sleep would give Kurt required time to figure out what it all meant. The fighting horse jumped into bed and fell asleep immediately. He was reminded of Room 5 back at Patrick and Stella's Bed & Breakfast. --- The next morning, Kurt didn't have an answer, but he did get a good look at a hot meal and two blades meant to be part of Kurt's new equipment. The blades were much like the one Kurt wore on-duty, a thick shin plate with a complex mechanism that shot the blade out whenever the ex-guard needed it. Fact of life is that he never got to use it back then, so his own swordsmanship would easily be considered rusty. After eating the meal and a bathroom break, Kurt sat at the window, examining the clear skies, and Cloudsdale out in the distance. It wasn't good to begin rigorous exercise immediately before or after a meal, after all. He spent an hour pondering about... well, everything. He wondered what he was going to do after this task was done. Would the Commander and Princesses let the fighting horse go out to live a real life, away from cities and disguised cages? It all seemed to have less an impact on Kurt's mind, but the questions did help distract him from the big one: What if he failed? "Who would I fail?" Kurt asked himself. His parents wouldn't care. Kaia never liked her younger brother's talents, Cor certainly never knew Kurt was born to be violent. Everypony else, he never really got to know on the same level as Baton, for instance. His classmates became blobs in his memory, only remembering the four bullies, and the one unicorn he smacked in the face with a rock. All of the ponies that were involved with the fights he had been in. How was that one frustrated griffon, anyway? What if I fail? Perhaps time will tell. After the hour was over, Kurt began training. He was used to non-stop training, having done it for the better portion of his life. Now more than his life depended on it. His mind was blank as he trained. He couldn't afford to be distracted as he handled the expertly-crafted blades- gold like before, but they seemed different. They seemed more... balanced, hardened, like more effort was put into the creation. A more expensive, time-consuming method with indisputable results. If they wanted a champion to take down the immortal, might as well make him or her the best champion conceivable. With that in mind, Kurt was almost excited to see how the rest of the gear turned out, if it would be all designed in a similar fashion to these truly excellent blades. During a break, the ex-guard recalled his study on rhinos. A study he performed by himself as a result of his interest in the conflict during history classes. Kurgan Indrik was a feared character, with a horn the size of a grown stallion, with massive legs with similar build to a pony's own legs. Kurgan's immense strength and agility displayed during records of raids was always described as "unnatural." Perhaps he would need to meet this Kurgan fellow before Kurt could formulate any good strategies. For the past week, Kurt trained, and received more pieces of the custom suit, until he got the entire set. One more set of training exercises with the full suit, and Kurt felt ready to take on several Rhinos. It all went by so fast to the ex-guard. The training blurred together into what he would call a second nature he forced upon himself, tattooed into his brain and reflexes. In another day, Kurt was on the flight to the border, with Princess Celestia, Luna, and a platoon of other guards. An escort, and an audience to witness this history-making event. They landed on a massive stretch of plain. In the distance, a sea of gray and hairy beasts approached. Leading the pack was a massive carved stone throne, hoisted into the air by four large armoured rhinoceros. Atop the throne was a face Kurt remembered from the history books: Kurgan Indrik, the King of Animals. Warlord of Elasmotheria- the kingdom of the rhinoceros. Kurt almost found himself admiring the guy, using his power to unite a people for a common goal for the greater good. Too bad this greater good was conquest of otherwise peaceful lands. The carriage landed. Celestia and Luna stepped out and allowed Kurt to exit himself. The rhino army ceased movement as Kurt approached on his own. --- "Good morning, champion," Kurgan Indrik greeted with an immense grin, displaying surprisingly well-kept gnashing teeth. Behind him, an army of rhinos stood, patiently waiting for what would be to come. The ex-guard wondered how Kurgan figured he was a champion. Then again, being sent alone by the royal sisters would imply that, if anything else. The sky above, the field below. Kurt lowered his stance, and tried not to show fear; despite the fact that he underestimated the rhino's size. Good Celestia Almighty, was the guy massive. The horn itself was as big as Kurt. The rest of Kurgan was even bigger. Each of the hairy flat-feet-tipped legs were almost the same size as the horn, and each of the humongous shoulders looked to be as big as a buffalo war chief. Those were just the damned shoulders! "Good morning," Kurt responded professionally, "I'm here to kill you." The army roared in laughter, and Kurgan stood up from the humongous intricately-detailed stone throne- which was carried by four giant rhinos by itself. The throne itself appeared to have been carved into for several years, with much patience and toil. The leader looked amused. The massive leader looked at the ex-guard, and at the other ponies in the distance. "Normally I wouldn't waste my time with... small ponies," Kurgan said mockingly, "But you seem to have it in your head that I can be killed." Kurgan Indrik stepped down from the throne, and jumped onto the grassy plain. The four throne carriers backed up along with the massive well-equipped army that stood behind their colossal leader. "Lesson 1: I am immortal," Kurgan coldly stated as his insane girth darted toward Kurt at impossible speeds. Kurt grinned. Since the manticore, he had never been so excited. He shot to the side at the last moment and swung his blade at the joint of the immortal's left foreleg. The strike was true, and blood was spilled, but the rhino did not seem to react. "Lesson 2: Two thousand years of training has made me immune to pain!" Kurgan bellowed as he swung the massive tusk at Kurt. The ex-guard dropped to the ground and rolled under Kurgan's massive head, narrowly dodging the horn. Kurt shot up and shoved a blade into the rhino's neck. This was responded in full with the horn swinging back. The massive piece of ivory impacted, sending Kurt flying several meters away. The stab was deep, and it had to have hit a vital. "I must commend you: for a blind slave, you're the first one to spill this much blood," Kurgan commented as he hoisted himself onto his hind legs, then slamming down in a form of taunt. "Thanks," Kurt replied. "You must have trained for a moment like this your whole life." Kurt didn't reply. He decided to make the first move. In the blink of an eye, Kurt closed the distance, shot to the left, and attempted to thrust a blade into Kurgan's cheek, right below the horn. Kurgan's foot rose and thrust forward, clocking Kurt in the face. It was the ex-guard's fault, really. He underestimated the massive beast's speed, and he was going too fast to see it coming. The ex-guard's senses were scrambled like eggs, and he found himself on the ground, with Kurgan's stamping foot pushing on Kurt's chest plate. The blades were out, and Kurt repeatedly stabbed the leg that was crushing him. The billions of strands got stained a deep red from the many wounds Kurt inflicted. Kurgan didn't appear to notice any of it. "You can't win, pony," the beast stated grimly. Kurt didn't respond. Instead, he reached quickly and shoved his right blade into Kurgan's face. There was a howl... A howl in agony. Immune to pain, Kurgan said... Explain that, Kurt thought. Kurt pulled out and stabbed again and again. He couldn't get a good look on where he was striking, but it appeared to be the only good thing. The rhino's leg lifted up, and Kurt rolled to his left as the raised leg stamped down with the force that could crush a hydra's femur. Kurt scrambled to his feet, catching his breath, and taking a gander at his blind handiwork. Kurgan Indrik no longer had an eye. In its place was indescribable stuff. "No!" Kurgan shouted as he attempted a turn so his good eye could see Kurt. "I am meant to rule the world! The prophecy of the ancient ones said so!" "Got anything about losing eyes?" Kurt asked as he stepped with the Kurgan's turn, preventing the good eye from spotting the ex-guard. The question only served to annoy Kurgan, whose turn picked up in speed until Kurt was within the beast's field of vision. This was followed with another remarkably fast charge. Kurt didn't have enough time to dodge, and got hit in the chest by the tip of the horn. The steel buckled, and pressed hard against his bare chest. He could feel his ribs strain as he breathed. It hurt. A lot. As Kurt yelped in pain, Kurgan rose its massive head, throwing the pony another several meters across the field. Panicked, Kurt fumbled as he started pulling his chest plate off. He could barely breathe without enough room for the lungs to stretch. The chest plate dropped onto the field, and Kurt gasped for real breath. Kurgan wasn't done yet, charging in and trampling the fighting horse. The ex-guard was lucky none of the massive rhino's feet stamped onto his chest throughout the randomness of the trampling. Time slowed down as Kurt rolled past the forelegs and under the creature's belly. He thrust both blades into the gut and repeatedly twisted the blades. With his hind legs, he hoisted himself off of the ground, holding on via long tangled rhino hair and the blades. Having a large pony hang off of a wound like a massive earring must have done something- anything. There was another howl. This one, however, was more annoyance than agony. Kurt continued stabbing with a single blade, using the other to keep himself attached like a tumor. Kurgan Indrik jumped into the air, and shot his legs outwards. Kurt had no way to get out from under the body slam before it connected with the ground. The slam shook the field, making Kurt wonder how his brothers, sisters, and leaders were taking this. The beast was heavy... unbelievably heavy. Kurt could feel the warmth of the damage he dealt drench himself. He gasped for breath as he attempted to futilely push the colossal body off of him. Slowly, Kurt's hind legs started to fall asleep. The Indrik beast finally rose on his own and turned to get a look at the downed guard. "I see you have lost," he said as Kurt struggled to get up. "Tell that to your intestines," Kurt wheezed. "They will regenerate, I assure you," Kurgan replied as he took a deep breath and rose onto his hind legs- rearing to finish Kurt off with a stamp that would revert any solid object underneath into dust, or a liquid. "Thus ends the lesson." What if I fail? Kurt thought as time slowed to a stop. In his mind, the worm had been asleep. Why the hell was it asleep? I had to do this! Kurt thought to himself. He had to do this... No... more than that... He wanted to do this... Kurt then realised that whether or not he has the regret of not talking to his brother, he knew he must still win. For the purple filly's sake, for the dressmaking unicorn, for the fillies and colts at the post office, for Patrick and Stella, Vinyl and Floyd, and the doctor and his nurses, and all those great ponies he had met. He figured out what the Commander found so funny. The Commander knew Kurt must have met some great ponies out there on his own. It was obvious: the fact that Kurt got inside Canterlot without the guards knowing easily implied that. The Commander's real answer to Kurt's question was a resounding "You won't." All those intricate houses in Ponyville that looked to be expensive as hell to design, let alone construct. If he failed, they would all be ruined by senseless violence. Senseless violence Kurt deep-down would enjoy... if he were the one doing it. But he wouldn't. He liked the people out there too much to consider it beyond what the worm in his brain told him to crave. He wanted to save that wanton destruction for his own bare hooves. There's no way some stupid rhinoceros could beat him to it. The forced separation of the brothers was merely another reinforcement to give Kurt the sense of responsibility, to answer the call of duty he first answered when he self-trained himself to beat the four bullies, and next answered to protect the younger ponies from the bigger one, to don the golden uniform, and to begin his unending efforts to find his little brother. The worm awoke, and began its meal. Kurt let it run its course for the first time in his life. As his eyes glazed, Kurt felt joy. The adrenaline removed all evidence of pain. Kurgan did not expect Kurt to roll onto his hooves and lunge forward to stab the other eye, let alone in the blink of an eye. The ex-guard continued stabbing and slicing the beast's face, regardless of what the rhino did. Immortal or not, if it bleeds, it can tire. It can lose strength from blood loss. All he needed to do was be faster than the rate of regeneration. Kurt did not stop. He pulled himself up and wrapped his hind legs around the horn. He held on with all the strength he could unwillingly summon. The stabbing did not stop, but neither did the earth-shaking howling on account of the King of Animals. Eventually, Kurt thrust his blades into the back of Kurgan's neck, and began slicing through just about everything. "Good morning," Kurt repeated in that ever-so-unfamiliar voice, "I'm here to kill you." "No!" Kurgan shouted, muffled on account of his damaged voice box and all the fluid spilling up his neck and onto the field. "I am immortal!" Upon cutting through the vertebrae, muscle tissue, and tendons, the massive weight of the horn did the rest of the work. Decapitation had been accomplished. "I am... immortal..." Kurgan's speech pattern slurred, and eventually stopped. The head rolled onto the side, throwing Kurt off and onto the blood-stained field. The adrenaline rush wore off, leaving Kurt fatigued more than he ever thought possible- even more so than the Manehattan station, with Porta. Unable to move aside from the automatic rising and lowering of his chest as he breathed, the ex-guard was unable to watch the amputated ends glow in a blue light before dissipating into sparks that snaked into the field. "Cor," Kurt Foalington panted, "I'm sorry. I'm a murderer. I can't do anything about it. I can't live with you, or Kaia, or mum and dad." The worm, well-fed, fell into slumber once more. As Kurt lost consciousness himself, the silence was broken by a receding stampede. --- The warm colours of the guest room reflected the sunlight onto Kurt's eyelids, straining on his eyes and forcing him out of unconsciousness. The room looked the same. Furniture in the same places as always, nopony else around, closed doors and rest room with cool colours. The fighting horse, sat up, and suddenly realised that he felt funny. The funny feeling was similar to the painkillers when he was back in Ponyville. He suddenly scanned his body, looking for whatever would warrant the painkillers. There didn't appear to be anything. No scars, no lost limbs. As far as he could tell, he was perfectly fine. Kurt inched his way to the edge of the soft bed and stepped off. Despite the painkillers, Kurt felt pure agony as he stood. He clenched his teeth to tough it out, and approached the door. It was unlocked for once. The light push was still painful. Kurt wondered what damage he had suffered during the fight. His copious amounts of adrenaline made him ignore the pain... Come to think of it, what happened after the fight? He recalled it clearly, up until Kurgan Indrik's last words. The entrance hall resembled that of a hangar; massive and roomy. Kurt looked up and down the balcony he stood upon, then down to the ground floor of the hall. Nopony was around. The well-insulated doors no-doubt did a perfect job of blocking the sounds of Canterlot's day life. Kurt sat onto his flank and massaged his legs. They felt rather normal, aside from the pain that was sharp enough to pierce the veil of the painkiller effects. He needed to see the doctor who administered it. Where was everypony? "Hello?" Kurt called, listening to his voice bounce off the walls once before fading beyond his range of hearing. The ex-guard used the railing to keep as much weight off his aching legs as possible as he reached the giant sets of stairs. He needed to find somepony, anypony. He saw a face he hadn't seen in a good few years. A face with a wavy, navy-blue mane, and a tinted yellow coat. Kurt stumbled down the stairs at a faster pace, lost his balance, and dropped to his side on the ground floor. His younger brother galloped to the downed ex-guard. Behind Cor, Kurt spotted Kaia round the edge of the doorframe, and ran up as well. "Hey bro," Kurt winced. Kaia called back to the door, and was followed soon after by Sergeant Baton and Floyd. "Hey Kurt, you look like crap!" Floyd said. The ex-guard ignored Floyd. He saw his little brother again. He saw that Cornelius Foalington was safe. He had missed Cornelius obtaining his cutie mark- a piano. "Nice cutie mark," Kurt said as Sergeant Baton hoisted him back onto his feet. "Another musician in the world. I can't complain," Floyd said as he softly tapped a hoof onto Cor's noggin. Cor seemed speechless. Either his seeing his older brother for the first time in years, or seeing his older brother in a shape similar to that of an overly-dependant elder whose wheelchair had been broken for a day or two. Kurt was satisfied that his little brother was at least smiling. He had a nice smile. Baton nudged his head to Floyd, and the grizzled guitarist took Kurt's other side. Together, they returned to the room Cor and the others left. The smell was familiar... too familiar. If Kurt could move without immense aching pain, he would've said hello to Patrick and Stella. The Bed & Breakfast ponies were there for some reason. Kurt wondered how or why they were here. "How did you guys get here?" Kurt asked as Baton and Floyd sat him down onto the cafeteria table. "Shut up and eat," Patrick replied jokingly as he pushed a steaming hot sweetgrass and tulip sandwich to Kurt, complete with cheese all on a slice of baguette. Everypony else sat down at the table as Patrick and Stella brought out more meals. Before the last dish was set, a doctor pony entered. He rushed to Kurt's side upon spotting the ex-guard. "You can't be walking, sir." "Too late for that," Kurt replied as he attempted to raise his hooves to eat the sandwich. "You've got fractures in almost every bone in your body," the doctor pony said, "We mended it all back together, but it needs a lot of time to set. Did you hear any cracking as you walked?" Kurt shook his head as his legs dropped again. He wasn't able to get to the sandwich. As Kaia reached to help, Kurt said "No, no, I got this." He reached forward with his snout and nibbled on the sandwich, savouring the taste. "You still need a few days’ rest, regardless..." Kurt slowly nodded, adding "After breakfast... lunch... whatever time it is..." The doctor sighed, and joined the table with his own meal. "Where's Princess Celesia and Princess Luna?" Kurt asked. "They're with the the Commander, meeting with the Rhinos. They're negotiating a non-violence agreement," Sergeant Baton said. "That's good," Kurt said. Two seconds later, he wondered if that was a lie or not. Lunch went by rather quickly, and Kurt was brought back to the guest room. Kaia remained with Cor as everypony else left. "Cor," Kurt started. "You're a fighting horse, I know," Cor said. "That means I can't stay. I have to go and leave everything behind." "Why?" Cor asked. Kurt replied, "I fight because it was what I was born to do. It’s that one thing that makes me special. I can't not be myself. It's just... unnatural. It's unnatural to not be yourself." Kurt told Cor about how he came upon this decision to leave forever. He talked about how his parents never paid any attention to Kurt. Even when he was born, they paid more attention to Kaia. When Cor was born, they paid attention to him, leaving Kaia to take care of the middle foal. He told Cor about the four bullies, and about his improvised training. He told Cor about the fights he had been in, how he got his cutie mark, and how Sergeant Baton called him out of class. "What about when you left?" Cor asked, "I thought you liked being a guard." "Being a guard is about maintaining peace, not fighting for it," Kurt said. "Equestria hadn't had a major conflict since the first time the Rhinos invaded. I liked the uniform, and I liked the idea that I was fighting for justice... Then I realised I really wasn't fighting. I wasn't fighting anything." "And that's why you ran away." Cor finished. "Yeah. At first, I thought I ran away because I wanted to meet a cute filly I never got to meet," Kurt paused to take a deep breath. "Then I realised that I didn't want to meet her. I just wanted to live free." Cornelius Foalington nodded. Kurt then noticed that his little brother was staring at the scars. He didn't want to raise attention to them, so Kurt continued. "Then I met ponies out there. They were all great ponies too, like Patrick and Stella- they made the meals." Cor's nodding went wild. Apparently he really enjoyed the food. "Anyway... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry I had to lie about everything. As soon as I recover, I'm going." "Where?" "Somewhere," Kurt replied. "Maybe find a small town, get to know the locals, live without regrets, find a filly not out of my league." "What about the scars?" Cor asked. "Have Baton or Floyd tell you about them," Kurt replied with a smirk. "They'll do a better job telling that story." Surprisingly, Cor's eyes didn't fog up. No tears were pouring out. Did the younger brother understand everything? He must have matured well throughout the month. Kurt lay back on the bed and closed his eyes as Kaia ushered Cornelius out of the room. Yeah... that's a good plan... lead a simple life. Kurt was used to it already, having a childhood that could be described with fewer sentences than a pony had legs, and the complications of the past few weeks were minuscule compared to the day-to-day life of somepony like Princess Celestia. Kurt rested for two days. The pain subsided, and his bones didn't strain with the smallest of force. The flawlessness of the mending reminded Kurt of the time his jaw was busted. Canterlot was the capital city. Obviously Celestia wanted the best for a city that had the best in everything else. Without anyone noticing, Kurt left the palace. He wasn't sure where the saddlebags went, nor did he know what happened to the canned food he packed, or the letters he salvaged, or the gold suit jacket Rarity gave him. He still had his wallet. The last stop he made was at Pony Joe's. "Welcome back. You still on that wild goose chase?" Joe asked. "It's over," Kurt replied with a smile. He sat down and ordered the daily special. "Found my brother. He's safe and sound." Joe served it lickity-split. Green tea and an elephant-ear donut. "That's good... Heh, I see your dye job's losing its roots," Joe commented. "I can see the blue again." Kurt smiled before taking a bite from the large donut. "I finally got to meet her... I forgot to tell you, actually." "Twilight Sparkle?" Joe asked, "Any luck?" With a huff, Kurt shook his head, and added the reply "She's out of my league, Joe." Joe chuckled, almost as if he knew that something like that would happen. "Well, you finally found him, and you got over her. What's next for you?" "Now... I'm leaving." "Leaving Canterlot?" the donut stallion asked. "Yeah, maybe Equestria," Kurt replied. Pony Joe's cheerful demeanour vanished. A single word came from his mouth: "Why?" "Got nothing left, man. Gonna go out there and live," Kurt replied. Joe blinked and looked down at Kurt's half-eaten donut and finished tea. He then looked back up at the ex-guard. "You do realise you'll be leaving behind more than you think, right?" "Perhaps," Kurt replied before getting to work finishing the large donut. "I'll find out whether it was worth it or not." "C’est la vie," Joe replied, "Take care of yourself out there, eh Kurt?" Kurt smiled one more time, and paid for the donut and tea. "So long, Joe." Joe nodded a goodbye, and Kurt left for the gates. The guards did not stop Kurt as he trotted down the mountain. At the bottom, there was no shouting. A mile away, there was still no shouting. For once in his life, Kurt was free... and his sense of morality was set in stone. The only path the ex-guard had now was forward. Records of his existence ceased once the guardian of the ivory tower vanished into the Everfree Forest. Only those who truly knew Kurt would know where he'd have gone, if they put all the effort in the world to finding him. --- Two years later, an envelope was delivered to the palace, addressed to Kaia Foalington. There was no return address- which didn't seem to stop Derpy from clumsily dropping into the garden, breaking postal protocol by delivering a letter without a return address. Cornelius was elsewhere, practicing for a show in Baltimare, leaving Kaia as the only sibling available to help the downed cross-eyed pegasus. The gardener dropped the small spade between her teeth and rushed to help Derpy up. Afterward, she received the envelope. As the post pegasus left, Kaia Foalington opened the envelope. Within was a card- which Kaia unfolded to see nothing, save for a deep orange tulip pressed onto the inside, and seven scrawled-on words. All of a sudden, I miss everyone. --- The End