I spent the night over at Fluttershy’s place since I still had to wait until sometime the day after for my cloud home to be brought in. This was mostly because I didn’t exactly have much in the way of alternate lodging options, unless I felt like sleeping under the stars or at a local inn (not that I knew of any that could keep quiet about my apparent vagrancy in case they attended my welcoming party). And it was partially due to the near infinitesimally low chances of being turned away by the Element of Kindness, it made me feel somewhat jerkish exploiting this, but feeling a little crummy inside was a good sight better than waking up with that chalky feeling on your skin from camping au naturel.
Unsurprisingly, the dainty woman was ever so acquiescent in accommodating me. Angel didn’t so much as raise a single paw in protest over my suggestion that I take the couch instead of the bed that the animal caretaker offered the moment it was sundown. Of course, I imagine that the incident with the Timberwolves had changed the way he behaved around me. Who would have imagined that it would only take a single life-threatening situation for his belligerent attitude against me to do a heel face turn?
After I had left for Stratopolis, Fluttershy had been speaking further with her animal friends over my performance and was very pleased to discover that I performed my duties adequately and without skipping a beat. She tried her best to hide it, but I kept getting this vibe that her opinion towards me would have been unintentionally swayed by how well her patronage received me. I wouldn’t have held it against her of course, I would probably have done the same if I showed her the original Star Wars trilogy, only for her to shrug at the end and say ‘It was…nice’. I don’t think I’d ever look at her the same way or at any of the girls the same if they couldn’t share my intense admiration for that particular saga. That might seem a bit hypocritical of me, but if I had to sum up the stories and mythos I venerated in the highest, Equestria (or Arcania in this case) would place fifth on the totem pole, while that Galaxy far, far away would be at the very core of my afición.
But I’m getting off topic, the contents in the letter that Miss Derpina delivered to me yesterday were thorough enough to inform me that the delivery times for my new abode would be somewhere between eight and ten in the morning. Oddly enough, Fluttershy expressed personal interest in seeing my new home for herself. Perplexed as I was, I didn’t bother asking for her reasons behind her wish. It was probably some kind of innate feminine desire inclined to admire another’s place of residence, or make suggestions on the furnishings and decorations. But who was I to fathom the female mystique? Or I was probably overthinking this like I do for a lot of things.
I had just finished sharing a delicious breakfast of buttered biscuits and tea with my temporary hostess and was fooling around with my stuff in the living room in order to pass the time until the moment was opportune to take delivery of my new quarters. I hadn’t checked the contents of my backpack’s pockets yet and was pleased to find some useful knick knacks, including my jet black handled Balisong. As far as it’s usefulness as a weapon, I was already quite covered in the close quarters department, its only redeeming quality was that it could be easily concealed from those with untrained eyes; something that my enchanted Tantō already had going for it.
Still, it was always loads of fun to burn time simply fanning the knife. I wasn’t able to do anything super crazy with it at first, but I’d say that I had a firm grasp of intermediate moves like behind the eight ball and the Zen rollover. It was strange though, my enhanced senses as a Trifect made it feel as if the handles were swinging out at only a fraction of their real speed. The more intensely I focused on something, the more of a feeling of supreme control I developed over it. It wasn’t long until I was improvising with it, doing tricks involving complex swirls, latch drops, and even aerials where I would catch the bite handle and deftly launch into another set of wrist flicks from there.
‘The Spy has got nothing on me right now!’ I silently declared, as I performed a Hellish that led into another series of rotations as I dexterously juggled the blade between my hands.
“Oh my…is that a knife you’re playing with?” Fluttershy cut into my internal gloating with a concerned look on her face.
I looked into her enchanting blue ocean eyes and flicked the blade shut with a short clacking noise, “This is a little more composite than a simple knife Fluttershy. This…” I held up the handles, “Is a Balisong, also known as a butterfly knife”
“A b-butterfly knife? Why would something so dangerous be named after something so gentle?” She asked as she began absentmindedly rubbing at her Mana Mark, it must have been a common thing for people here.
“Because it’s as deadly as it is graceful in the hands of someone who knows how to use it” I replied, continuing to fan the weapon in one hand and watching as her eyes followed every motion with what could have been fascination disguised as worried opposition.
Balisongs were actually frowned upon by the law back home, but it was permissible to have one so long as you kept it in your home as a ‘display’ item. I suppose I could blame Team Fortress two for me wanting to own my own butterfly knife. Learning a trick to tape down the edges so that I wouldn’t have to suffer as much for any mistakes I made while learning how to use it was also a nice plus. How it found its way into my belongings was beyond me though, I wonder what else was in my pack’s contents that I skimmed over?
I snapped the knife shut for a final time and presented it to the captivated woman, who visibly flinched at my offering.
“I don’t really have a need for this, so I’d like you to have it. Think of it as a token of appreciation for letting me stay the night”
“You want me to have this? But I don’t like having bladed things in my home” She lightly protested, I wasn’t really surprised that she was slightly Aichmophobic, given her gentle temperament.
‘It’s a good thing you didn’t pat me down then’ I had enough sharp material on me to render her catatonic if she caught wind of it.
I shook my head, “I’m not asking you to find a use for it yourself, just keep it on you…just in case okay?” She still looked hesitant, “If it helps, think of it not as a knife, but as a tool for defending yourself if the need ever arises” I placed the closed handles into a front fold on her apron, because I had the feeling that she’d try refusing it anyway.
“Umm, okay” She meekly agreed with a resigned tone and looked down, I felt kind of bad for practically forcing it on her, but it was just as a precaution. Better to have and not need, than need and not have.
I put a finger under her chin and lifted her head until her eyes were level with mine. Giving her my closest approximation to a smile, “Thanks Pretty Bird”
Her cheeks briefly lit up at the new nickname, “P-Pretty Bird?” She asked with flushed complexion.
“Its just something that popped into my head. Probably had something to do with the way you were tending to that nest of blue jays earlier. You have beautiful wings you know that? You should display them more often” I complimented, fully aware of the Valkyrian centric romantic undertones behind such a flattering statement this time.
She retreated behind her pink cascades, but I could spot the small smile concealed behind the silky veil, “W-what about you? I rarely get to see what you look like with your wings” She countered, drawing the focus away from her. She had a good point though.
“That’s probably because I’m still getting used to having them, I wasn’t born with ethereal wings you know” I explained with a chuckle, suddenly realizing that I was lacking in my flight hours versus my hours spent using magic. I’d have to set aside some time for some leisurely flying sometime, away from prying eyes of course.
“You weren’t?” She spoke, tilting her head in confusion.
“I explain all about my origins eventually, when the rest of the girls are there to hear it” I dismissed with a wave of my hand, I didn’t feel like having to explain myself more than once.
“Oh, okay” And with that, things were mostly quiet in the cottage again.
Geez, Fluttershy responses were very limited when we weren’t talking about something that interested us both. But I wasn’t really a chatterbox myself by nature, so I spent the remaining thirty minutes I had until it was time to explore my new house mentally reviewing new ideas for spells and modifications to existing ones. I can’t express just how great it was that most magic relied simply on force of will and input of energies, but I felt as if there was more to it than that at times. Whenever I cast spells that were beginning middle tier in complexity and power requirement, I was certain that I could see glowing shapes and symbols in my mind’s eye. I’d have to look into that sometime, likely Twilight had a whole collection’s worth of material that could answer my questions; I could probably pick up some new ideas for spells too.
My ruminations were broken when Fluttershy, who had actually been sitting beside me on the couch the whole time (and lost the apron), tapped my shoulder in a tentative motion.
“Uhm…Zenith? It’s already half past eight, should we get going?” She said, pointing towards the grandfather clock that she kept in the corner of her living room.
“I suppose so. What about your animal’s feeding schedule? It’s at nine sharp isn’t it?” I asked, still wondering why in the world Fluttershy was so interested in seeing my new digs.
“I’ve already set up their troughs for them, everything else shouldn’t require me for the next hour or so. Angel has lived with me long enough to know the routine by heart, so he acts in my stead when I’m gone for short periods of time”
“I see… well they’ve been instructed to deliver it in a open glade just north of here, but unless you feel like going for a risky walk through the Neverfree, it’s best if we fly there. Are you okay with that?”
She smiled at me and nodded, “Of course I am Zenith! As long as we don’t fly too high, I’m not very good with heights” She said with an anxious titter and stroked at her hair, something that seemed to be the nervous tick for a lot of women around here with magnificent long flowing hair.
“No higher than the clouds Pretty Bird, I promise” She let out this adorable ‘eek!’ noise and hid behind her hair once more. I was starting to like my new nickname for her. It was both endearing and amusing to see her reactions to it.
“To alleviate any other fears you may have about our travel means, I’ll be sure to fly by your side the entire time” I’d even go so far as to hold her hand the whole way, as long as she flies with me.
“B-but I’m so slow, you’ll really wait for me?” She asked with an embarrassed tremor in her voice, was she still fearful of being judged harshly?
“I’m not like Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy. I don’t get these impatient twitches like I’ve got to make a run to the lavatory when I don’t do something in a quick manner” I remarked with an amused chortle, something that was shared by Fluttershy, who likely noticed the same thing about her longtime friend.
“It’s not like I’m in any particular hurry to get there anyway” I said with a shrug, “Besides, it’s a lot easier to enjoy the scenery when you take it low and slow” I got off the couch and offered an inviting hand to pink haired woman, who accepted it graciously.
I took us both outside into her garden, busy with animal activity that was to be expected at that time of day. Birds chirped cheerfully from their prefabricated houses and nests, bees were busy buzzing from flower row to flower row, pollinating them in exchange for their nectar, and droves of bunnies (and even jackalopes apparently?) were trimming the grass in an orderly fashion. All in all, it was your typical ‘natural harmony’ scene. It would probably seem picturesque to most, but I just couldn’t appreciate the sense of serenity it failed to fully inspire in me. But then again, I was feeling surfeited after having to maintain this ordered system of nature.
I closed my eyes and summoned my wings. There wasn’t much of a breeze at this time of day, so that surreal feeling of ghostly appendages catching the wind was absent. I spun around and faced my companion with an eager grin, strangely excited for what would come next. Meanwhile she was busy visually taking in my wings with poorly disguised fascination.
“Like what you see?” I shamelessly teased her. She made it way too tempting.
She nodded absentmindedly, never taking her eyes off me, “Uh huh”
“Your turn” I reminded her, to which she stuttered something embarrassedly before complying. Fluttershy’s wings were a vibrant golden yellow that all but glistened in the rays of the morning Sun. I don’t know why she felt so intent on keeping them hidden so often, she was downright breathtaking to look at in her natural beauty.
‘Damn, I’ve got it bad don’t I?’ I internally shook my head; I could act like some love struck schoolboy some other time.
“Lets bid our furry little friends a fond farewell before departing shall we?” She nodded in agreement before whistling for them to gather. It never ceased to captivate me just how well organized these woodland creatures were, who obediently encircled us and listened intently.
“Okay everyone, Zenith and I will be away for an hour or two. So I expect everyone to be on his or her best behavior and listen to Angel, who has your best interests in mind just like myself. Can I expect you to be polite and respectful?” Cue the various squeaks and squawks of general acknowledgment.
“Well, now that’s taken care of. Shall we away?” I shuffled my wings in emphasis.
“M’hmm, are you sure you don’t mind me tagging along?” She asked in a timid manner, hiding an excited smile behind her long hair. It was that impeccable innocence which threatened to breach my nigh impregnable fortress of stoicism and lay siege to the heart buried deep within.
“My dear Fluttershy, it would be an implicit honor to have you at my side while I officially make the Magiville County area my new home” She beamed at my wholehearted response. Even though I was stretching my definition of home quite a bit for this.
From there we took off into the sky, Fluttershy wasn’t kidding when she said that she was slow, we were barely going fast enough to avoid the Valkyrian equivalent of stalling and falling Earthward. Still, I stayed true to my word and patiently flanked the mellow-yellow woman, who alternatively glanced between the ground and myself nervously. I laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a look that said it was going to be all right. It had its intended effect and she visibly calmed down, even gradually increasing her pace as she followed me northward to the glade. It wasn’t hard to miss since it was the only one of its kind in the area. Even at this relaxed speed we reached our destination within a quarter of an hour.
We gently touched down on the calf high grass and I surveyed the immediate surroundings. The glade itself was rather spacious, roughly forty meters in diameter (since this was one of those circular shaped glades). Although my soon to be front lawn needed some work, there were weeds and other forms of dense vegetation everywhere that were both unsightly and emitted natural scents that I found to be undesirable. I wasn’t planning to turn it into demesne or anything, but I’d plan to whip it into shape before long. I hated garden work with an unequalled passion, but maybe I wouldn’t have to subject myself to such torture? Perhaps there was an animate spell out there I could use on some gardening equipment so I could sit back and watch the results with a drink in hand and not a care in the world.
I kept an eye on the sky, since my cloud house was clearly not delivered, we’d have to wait a little while yet. After a quick word, I left Fluttershy to her devices while I launched myself above the canopy to get a better vantage point. As I sat in the crook between two limbs of one of the taller trees I couldn’t help but wonder, how would my cloud home be delivered anyway? Would they push it there manually? (A humorous mental image to be sure). Or would there be some sort of towline they could attach to an airship and just tug it here? My questions would be answered after about another twenty minutes of frivolous waiting. Turns out that it was the latter, I spotted the distinct gaseous envelope of a hauler frigate with the unmistakably sizable silhouette of my new house trailing in the back.
The additional two modules really did add to the size of my new place, looking more like a mansion than your usual Valkyrian abode. It was a strange fusion of cloud like wisps with solid marble structure built above that somehow worked out despite the incredible absurdity of the idea. Magic doesn’t like being told its limits I guess.
Whereas Dash’s place was mostly a singular tower with pools of liquid rainbow flowing out from multiple orifices all around, my place was a little more pragmatic (and less girly). It consisted of a triplicate of round Ivory towers erected at each corner of the curved roof triangular building. In case you haven’t noticed the theme here, I had it modeled after the same mysterious image that was affixed onto the pommel of my Tantō. I felt that the symbolism made for a nice touch, even if it undoubtedly made the interior architecture a bit weird. The main structure had three floors (again, I placed a lot of emphasis on a Trinity) and had those fancy Greek styled pillars that added a hint of class as well as serving as structural reinforcement.
‘Not that I’d have to worry about Earthquakes or anything of the like, Tokyo can eat its heart out!’ I smugly remarked to myself, spreading my wings and taking off to intercept the airship ahead of time.
The medium size airship pulling my cloud house was sparsely crewed, with only a dozen deck hands roaming the forecastle and somebody manning the helm. There was an insignia on the balloon that I had only just noticed now that I was alongside them, depicting an anchor with wings and the initials S.S.S imprinted just below it. The man at the wheel acknowledged my presence with a two finger salute and made a gesture inviting me to come aboard. I did so and being mindful of the rigging, landed on the deck with plenty of style to spare. I assumed that the one captaining this ship would be the one at the controls, so I made my way up the tiny set of steps leading to the tug’s quarter deck. The ship’s helmsman (or more accurately helmswoman, the wooly cap made it hard to tell at a distance, but up close was another story) greeted me in a polite but attentive tone.
“Welcome aboard, I’m presuming that you’re the owner of this luxurious looking new cargo?” She gestured with a thumb back to the towline.
“Indeed…miss?” I asked with an air of charming aloofness. Suave mode was engaged.
She barked out a hearty seaman’s (airman’s?) laugh before speaking again, “No need to be so formal with me! I’m Smooth Sails, pleasure to meet ya’!” She thrust a gloved hand my way, which I proceeded to shake, noting her impressive grip.
I took the time to examine her physically. She was a robust looking woman wearing a navy blue coat with two rows of golden buttons running down the front, along with a pair of white pants. She sported pearl inlaid anchor shaped earrings that glimmered at certain angles. Facial wise, she had a rough exterior from years of sailing that still somehow retained a soft femininity (not that I was checking her out or anything). What little hair wasn’t hidden beneath her cap was a rich turquoise, a color befitting both the sky and the valleys below.
“Call me Zenith, how’s the life of an airman treating you?” I inquired.
“Fair enough, the Stratopolis Shipping Service prides itself on making uneventful deliveries, provides decent pay, and sends me to many an interesting place” She smirked, “Though I can’t say that the outskirts of Magiville is the most scenic of spots to make a delivery run”
I chuckled, “My profuse apologies for boring you, Miss Smooth Sails”
She wiggled a chastising finger at me, “None of ‘at miss nonsense, if I wanted to be treated like some prissy peeress, I would’ve stayed in Steelhatten practicing etiquette and being cooped up indoors like some glorified doll” She said with a slight sneer, clearly this girl had some previous issues with formality.
“A thousand pardons, but what’s an Agrarian doing piloting an airship like this? I thought most preferred working with their feet on the ground” I asked curiously, as this woman lacked a focal gem and her strength was a good indicator of her clan type.
“Most being the key word ‘ere. I should’ve been born a Valkyrian, with how much time I’ve spent navigating these skies” Smooth Sails reflected with another rumbly laugh, meanwhile I was having a heck of a time trying to determine whether she was more masculine or feminine. After some deliberation, I decided that it wasn’t really important.
I directed the focus of our conversation back to the business at hand, “Pleasantries aside, could you try positioning it over the center most portion of the field? Say...around fifty feet off the ground?” I gesticulated with both hands for added emphasis.
She nodded, “Can do. Anythin’ else you feel like specifyin’?” She asked with that odd half accent, like she was suppressing it only for some bits to slip in from time to time. To be honest, her voice felt somewhat androgynous, like she was this world’s version of Mary Read from the fourth Assassin’s Creed. It’s remarkable how often video game references prove analogous to an actual situation (for me anyhow).
“Bring her in calm but steady, wouldn’t want something bad to happen to my new place on the first day now would we?” I said with a smarmy smirk, playing up that rich boy attitude just for acting’s sake.
“Perish tha’ thought! Though while we could be content with you lordin’ over us all high and mighty like, do you think ya can stoop to our level and lend us a hand? It’ll make the transition easier for all of us” She reasoned, taking my jesting in good humor.
“Of course! You didn’t think I stretched my wings just so I could say hello to you, did you now?”
She sighed in faux disappointment, “As if my job weren’t thankless enough” She quietly lamented with a hand on her chest.
She then straightened up and got serious, “Bantering aside, we’ll need an extra set of hands to loosen the ropes keeping your new residence attached to the ship. My crewmates can handle the first two mooring points just fine, but the third line is secured below on a pylon that we humble Agrarian airmen just can’t reach without expending more time. Mind fixin’ that for us with those fancy wings of yers?” She requested with a smile. I found it odd that they sent me a delivery team of flightless Arcanians, but shrugged it off as some kind of oversight.
“I’d happily make both of our lives a little more convenient” With that, I dove overboard and put some wind under my wings.
By now the delivery ship had reached the point I specified somewhere above the general center of the glade and came to a full stop. I made my way over to the third attachment point that was jutting out of a solid point on the underside of the wispy structure. The knot keeping the line attached to the ship was one of those hitch types fastenings, which was essentially a figure eight tied over the ends of the metal horn multiple times over with some more intricate cross ties that made the line stout. I wasn’t really a boy scout, so my knowledge of tying and untying things like this was rather slim.
Thankfully, I had my totally not overpowered magic to assist me in this matter. Channeling the energies through my hands and into the knot, I constructed a spatial image within my mind and immediately worked out the most efficient way to undo the bundle. I decided to forgo just willing the knot undone, wanting to work directly with my hands every so often.
After a brief pause spent wrestling with a particularly stubborn knot, the line was freed from the smooth stone pylon and my new home officially came to roost above the fields below. I took the line back to the towing vessel, which had currently ‘docked’ with my home in order for the Agrarian airmen to disembark and tend to the other two lines that kept the ship in place. I swooped just over the deck and tossed the rest of the line into a spot where it wouldn’t hinder the movements of the sailors still onboard before landing in place next to the ‘Captain’.
“Tha’s some quick work you done there, are you sure ya haven’t served aboard a naval vessel at some point in the past?” Smooth Sails curiously inquired of me as she leaned against the wooden railing and inspected her nails.
“Well, you know how one can tell a true sailor. Every finger a fishhook!” I replied jocosely, still very much aware of the fact that my Trifect nature was something of an important secret.
‘Should I be worried that I readily have a myriad of excuses and casual deflections at my command?’ I introspectively pondered offhand.
“Ha! Haven’t heard that said before, I’ll have to remember that un’” She turned her head and saw they her coworkers had finished untying their own lines and were idly chewing the fat on the job.
She brought a thumb and middle finger to her mouth and let out a shrill wolf whistle before bellowing out to them, “OY! We still got runs to complete ya lazy gits!” The men she was referring to jumped in surprise and scurried back aboard, some having the decency to acknowledge their slip up.
I felt a clipboard being pushed my way by the peculiar woman. I inspected it and found it to be a document of successful delivery. I took the pencil provided to me and signed below in cursive, my signature large and fancy enough to make John Hancock proud.
Smooth Sails again offered me a hand (without gloves this time), which I gently shook with my free one. I noted with interest how hers wasn’t nearly as calloused as I expected it to feel. In fact, they were actually quite soft; perhaps she wasn’t as tomboyish as she led others to think.
The woman in question gave me a cheery smile as I handed the clipboard back to her, “Pleasure doin’ business with you. On behalf of Cloud folk everywhere, I hope you find yer new domicile to your liking” I found it faintly amusing how she made no visible distinction between Cloud folk and herself.
She continued, her smile shifting into a sly grin, “Now don’t take this the wrong way, but would ye kindly throw yourself overboard?”
I scoffed to myself at this woman’s brevity, “Only for you Smooth Sails, only for you”
I didn’t wait for her doubtlessly carefree response, doing as she asked and back flipping over the railing before using my wings to descend to the ground Batman style. The telltale thwoping sound of propellers above notified me of their impending departure, even though they probably couldn’t see me, I cordially waved them away. After my impromptu farewell, I made my way over to Fluttershy, who was crouched down and mutedly speaking to what appeared to be a family of field mice. Even seeing it firsthand, I couldn’t help but marvel at how soft spoken my companion was. I didn’t consider it a weakness, far from it. For it was the meek, in my opinion, that would someday inherit the Earth. And who better to take care of it, than benevolent people like her?
I quietly crept up to them until I was right behind her, listening to the hushed conversation she was having with the tiny rodents. One of them noticed me and squeaked to its brethren before they scampered off into the dense vegetation like an organized troop. I winced at Fluttershy’s nearly imperceptible sigh of dismay. Perhaps I should have just given them their space. I suppose I wouldn’t be able to put my yard to the weed whacker’s blade, now that I knew that the fields here were inhabited.
“Sorry Shy, guess I scared them off” I apologized, though she gave me a forbearing look telling me that it was fine, though her brow did rise at the spontaneous shortening of her name.
“Its okay Zenith, they were just about to go foraging for food anyway” She rose from her spot and gazed upon the latest structure to grace the skyline.
“Is that what your new home looks like? Its so…big” The silently impressed way she said that triggered some questionably salacious thoughts, much to my chagrin.
‘Dammit brain, what’s wrong with you?’ I berated myself, now wasn’t the time for sexy thoughts!
I snapped myself out of my funk and flashed my wings out, “If you think its spectacular from down here, wait till you see it up close. Feel like joining me for an exploratory tour?” I offered, to which she nodded and followed me into the air.
We landed on my front ‘porch’, which was more like a smooth pier with the way the elongated section of cloud extended out from the steps leading into my newly acquired abode. If I thought my cloud home was large looking from afar, up close it was downright monstrous! If I had to estimate square footage at first glance, I’d say that my new place was easily eight thousand square feet in living space. The entrance area felt like a combination of the Parthenon and another building who’s name escaped me at the time. The front structure consisted of several intricately carved marble pillars of the utmost craftsmanship, as well as arches with several symbols and figures that I couldn’t recognize depicting scenes from various points in Arcania’s past.
All in all, I was thoroughly satisfied with the first impressions my new home was making on me; only time would tell if it kept my attentions. I strode up the stairs with a somewhat giddy bounce in my step and to the anterior doors. Placing my hands on the knobs while offhandedly wondering if I needed house keys, I twisted the nodules and pushed the portals open. Inside, the sight of twin winding staircases greeted us; the walls they hugged against had complex engravings that flowed with an artistic style reminiscent of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, (Only with wind currents and birds of prey instead). The stone tile floors were crafted with dark streaks of black marble inlaid to add to the accents. The ceiling above was painted in the Royal colors of the capital with the combined Mana marks of both Diarchs were imposed upon the center, making me wonder if there was some kind of subliminal messaging going on here.
We had only just scratched the surface and already I was floored by how much detail was put into this building for a supposedly prefabricated structure. This was the kind of opulence you’d expect when entering a castle or a really fancy hotel. The fact that I would be seeing this on a daily occurrence struck a strange chord within me, it wasn’t that I was unused to seeing such luxury, but I had never really been the type to lavish myself with ornate architecture and shimmering crystal chandeliers that entranced whoever stared at it for too long.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a magnificent looking home, and we’ve only just started” My companion spoke with wonder in her every word.
“Yeah it is. This place would be fit for a…Prince” I finished lamely, remembering how much I dreaded the mantle of responsibility that would one day be placed upon me.
“Is something wrong Zenith?” Fluttershy worriedly asked of me, sensing the distress in my voice.
I waved away her concern, “It’s nothing, I’m just thinking about the future and my place in it is all”
“Are you afraid of taking your place alongside the Princesses?” Fluttershy accurately surmised, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder.
“Fear isn’t the right word, doubtful is closer to the mark. I’ve never considered myself to be a leader of men, Fluttershy, but there will come a day when I will have others looking to me to guide them through turbulent and uncertain times. And when that day comes, I can only hope that I will be ready to do what needs to be done in order to protect those I care about” I heaved a sigh and glanced upward, lost in my musings.
“You sound like you been thinking about this for some time, how long has it been troubling your spirit?” The Element of Kindness never strayed from my side, only gravitating closer as she detected an unsettled soul that needed to be reassured.
I shook my head and leaned against the doorway, “Since before I met you, Fluttershy. I’m not at liberty to discuss the exact reasons why I have this burden foisted upon myself, but its portents do not bode well for our collective health” I regret to say that my droning voice only made it seem gloomier.
Despite my reticence, the woman projected a patient smile, “I understand Zenith, but remember that the girls and I are here for you…and as your friends, we’re sworn to uphold and support each other no matter the obstacles we face”
“I’m touched that all of you feel that way, and I promise you that one day things will be made clear to all of you” I got back to my feet and stood straight, “For now though, lets make sure my house is in order first”
We progressed past the flashy foyer and further into the first floor, a combined dining room and kitchen combination awaiting us in the next compartment. This was probably the most casual looking of what I had seen so far. Both the kitchen and dining quarters came fully furnished with all the necessary essentials (all it was missing was a large flat portrait of me in a regal pose mounted on the wall really). The triangular shape of the building meant that the kitchen was situated on the left side and the dining room on the right, with no divider or wall partitioning the two.
I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how the devices in my place were receiving their power, there were no wall outlets or anything of the sort anywhere. Things like ceiling lamps and refrigerators did have these curious crystalline features though, and I do vaguely remember that crystals functioned a lot like magical batteries here. Barring that, the sheer normality of it all was actually quite comforting. It helped that the arched windows offered a nice view of the surrounding forests too.
“Thoughts, feelings, opinions?” I directed to Fluttershy, who was busy inspecting a vase of fake flowers with open distaste.
“Oh! Its…a very nice looking kitchen area” The lack of enthusiasm in her voice was staggering.
“You don’t approve do you?” I raised a brow. She was almost as bad at lying as her cowgirl friend.
“Well…this vase needs real flowers, the mahogany dining table blends into the floor coloring, and the positioning aesthetics are all wrong” She explained with a sheepish grin.
“Wow, maybe Cloud Homes Incorporated should hire you on as a consultant for interior decorating” I quipped, making her flinch in response.
“Sorry” She murmured as she set the vase back down on the table.
“Don’t be, I did ask for your opinion after all. Besides… I’m a guy, what would I know is best regarding these things? Though I would have pegged Rarity as being a more meticulously minded person, not you. No offense” Then again, Fluttershy’s knowledge of sewing nearly matches her own skill. There were plenty of hidden depths to this woman, if only others would take the time to see that.
“None taken. It’s actually one of my pet peeves…slipshod furnishings that is. A home should reflect its owner, inside and out. And I keep getting this feeling that this place just doesn’t match you” She slowly explained, I was pleased to notice that she wasn’t as hesitant with speaking her mind loud and clear around me lately. Perhaps she was starting to trust me enough to leave her shell as well?
“I’ll be perfectly honest with you Fluttershy, I would be shocked if I found a place that actually matched somebody with my disposition. This place will serve as my long term lodgings at best, I have this small quirk that prevents me from seeing any one place as where I’d settle permanently” Its been that way all my life really. Even on opposite ends of the Earth, I’d feel this unavoidable need to keep seeing new things and remain in motion. I guess I just wasn’t the settling type. While I could content myself with setting up a home base, that was as far as my permanence extended.
“Why do you say that?” She asked, a questioning glint in her eye.
“Its difficult to explain, just imagine feeling stir craze mixed with an intense desire to see and experience more all the time”
She placed a hand over her lips, “Oh my, I couldn’t stand the thought of feeling restless for so often”
“As long as I keep my mind and body occupied, it doesn’t become a problem. Try and make me sit still and do nothing for hours on end though…” I left it unfinished, the outcome felt obvious enough. That was actually a huge reason why I vehemently opposed becoming a Prince. Be forced to listen to some spoiled noble prattle about something inane for the length of an entire day? No thank you.
“Angel is much the same way” Fluttershy observed with a petite giggle, “He doesn’t know this, but I made him my temporary stand in mostly so that he wouldn’t get into trouble harassing the other animals. The responsibility has definitely made him more dutiful and caring towards his fellows, and the other critters now have someone to express their concerns to when I’m not around”
‘Hmm, I can’t say that gathering followers and teeming up on me within the first five minutes of my house sitting as particularly responsible. But I suppose that it could have been a lot more difficult’ I conceded, Angel and I were mostly cool now.
I was about to respond when I heard a hand rapping against one of the entryway doors. I backtracked to see who it was, discovering my flight partner from yesterday leaning against one of the pillar supports. She was wearing a flight jacket and a tight fitting pair of dark blue jeans this time. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes at Rainbow’s hubris for simply inviting herself in and then choosing to knock.
I chose to greet her in my favorite non sequitur fashion, “Ello’ there Dash, what’s the occasion?”
She blinked at my cockney accent, before muttering to herself about how strange I was, “What? I’m not allowed to check out your new digs? Looks pretty swanky by the way” Her tone was far from dazzled.
“I sense… that there’s more to it than that” I observed, noting that she wasn’t really looking around despite her compliment.
“Well, Twilight also wanted to see you today” She admitted, scratching at the back of her head.
It was my turn to blink, “She does? Whatever for?”
She shrugged, “Dunno, she said that it was fairly important though. Important enough to interrupt my idea scrounging session for my novel at the library and send me to fetch you”
I crossed my arms, a wry grin on my face, “You’re a writer huh? And just what is the plotline of this novel?”
She visibly perked up at the question, “You’ll love it! Its about this awesome Valkyrian who’s the best flyer ever and becomes Captain of the Wonderbolts!” She punctuated the end by jumping into the air and fist pumping.
‘Doesn’t sound like a bland self insert at all’ I monotone to myself.
Up went the eyebrow of skepticism, “Where’s the progression?” I simply asked.
“What?” Was her elegant response.
“Every decent story has some kind of baseline to it, the protagonist comes into their own and then ascends the ladder to awesomeness. What you just described sounds more like a self-indulgent fantasy than a solid novel idea”
Her posture sank as I riddled her vision with holes, an intense scowl dominating her expression.
‘Behold! I am the lord of dubiety! The destroyer of all hopes and aspirations! I will crush all harebrained schemes before they sully the literary world with their foul taint’
She growled to herself and turned away from me, “Well excuse me for being inspired by your adventuress girlfriend! Maybe I just wanted to be more like her you know? Kicking ass with one hand and writing all about it with the other”
“You should be yourself Dash” I calmly retorted, “Daring is badass, no doubt about it. But I doubt that she’s Arcania’s fastest flyer… or the Element of Loyalty”
I continued, feeling a strange need to preach, “Remember that you’re awesome in your own right. To each their own brand of excellence I say!”
She scratched at her head in deep contemplation over my words, “I never really thought about it that way. Maybe you’re right. But what about my novel?” She pointed out.
“If you’d like, I could help you revise it so that it doesn’t sound so Mary Sue-ish. Perhaps make it about a girl who overcomes adversity with firm perseverance and a sharp tongue, trains like crazy to improve her flying skills, and then becomes a master aerialist” I offered, mayhaps I could learn a few things from the experience myself?
“I’d say…that it sounds like a good idea. I’ll letcha know when I’d like your help with it a’ight?” I nodded amicably in reply.
“Oh, and just so you know… my place is still cooler than yours” She claimed with a pompous smile.
“Oh yeah? Well, mine is bigger” I stuck my tongue at her like a juvenile, since she was going to act like one herself.
“Pfft, you boys and your size insecurities” She scoffed before delving further, “Are you trying to compensate for something?” The smile devolved into a shit-eating grin.
‘She did NOT just say that’
“At this rate, I doubt you’ll ever have the pleasure of finding out” I seethed between gritted teeth and clenched knuckles.
“I doubt the experience would be worth my time” She dismissed with a wave of her hand.
“Why don’t you go ask Applejack and see if she agrees with that sentiment?” I impulsively spoke before my brain caught up with what I said. I would have slapped myself for the slip, but it was too late to back out now.
“Dude…you porked AJ?” I couldn’t tell how she felt about the implication, as her face was completely devoid of any emotion.
“I never said that, but what I am saying is that the cowgirl has beaten you in at least one race” My turn to be smug, my choice of words having the intended effect. Rainbow’s face went flush with blood at the thought of losing to her ‘friendly’ rival in any kind of competition.
“I refuse to let that Hayseed beat me in anything!” She stomped a foot and glared at me, “Even when it comes to boys!”
“It’s too bad you’re dealing with a man here, sweetheart” I snidely countered, brazenly seeing how much I could provoke the bull before it charged.
She trudged closer and grabbed me by the collar, forcing me down to her level, “You’re lucky I still remember you giving me claim to the last cider barrel, or I’d floor you right now” She threatened with a hiss, I swore I could see a vein in her forehead pulsing with rage.
‘Not very much it appears’ I found out.
I held my hands up in mock surrender, “Whatever you say darlin’. So how do you intend to win this particular race?”
She let go of me and marched to the door to leave, but not before getting a word in edgewise, “That’s for me to know, and you to find out”
She surpassed the door sill before she spread her wings and rocketed into the sky, leaving behind that signature prismatic wake.
I sighed tiredly, “Geez, she touchy” I commented to myself.
“She’s never been one to back down from a challenge” Fluttershy’s subdued voice uttered from behind me. I turned to see her huddled behind the archway leading into the dining room, doing her best to blend in with her surroundings. My conversation with Dash had gotten a bit loud; I guess she felt out of place.
“Should I be worried about what my foolish words have likely gotten me into?” I asked, legitimately worried about whatever plans the hothead was going to cook up involving me.
She looked off to the side nervously, “Uhm…maybe? She’s always doggedly pursued her goals in the past”
I chuckled mirthlessly, “Wonderful”
I gave Fluttershy an apologetic glance, “Looks like open house is at an end, I’ve gotta go see what your bookish friend wants with me”
“Its perfectly fine Zenith, perhaps we can explore the rest a bit later? You could say that my curiosity has peaked” She giggled girlishly. It took me a few seconds to realize that she made a pun, a faulty one, albeit her soft laughter did prove a little infectious for me.
‘Maybe there’s a good reason why there’s only one Element of Laughter’ The event that elucidated that for me hadn’t happened in this world (thankfully), but Fluttershy’s demeanor was clearly not suited for a comedian’s role.
“That seems like a plan, I’ll even cook for the two of us” I absently racked my brains for a good recipe suitable for a probable vegetarian like her. She couldn’t possibly be vegan. She had a chicken coop for harvesting eggs after all.
“You can cook?” She questioned, looking at me in surprise.
“Yeah…? If my pantry has the ingredients, I can whip us up a mean Capellini Pomodoro” I cocked a brow at her astonishment, is it really that surprising for a guy to know how to craft decent cuisine for himself in this land?
“That sounds quite nice actually, let’s make it a dinner date” She said with no hint of faltering.
“I never expected you to be so forward Fluttershy!” I said with mock shock, making the girl fluster with embarrassment. As amusing as it was to see her squirm in the awkwardness that I had thrust upon her, I wasn’t that cruel.
“Relax Pretty bird, I’d love to have you over for dinner!” I jovially spouted.
She recomposed herself and stared crossly at me, “That was mean Zenith”
She then folded her arms and refused to look at me, “I might have to change my mind~” She teased in a singsong voice.
“Aww c’mon Shy! You know I didn’t mean anything untoward by it” What force of stupidity possessed me to alienate her of all people?
“You’ll just have to make it up to me then. I hear that there’s a special confectionery in Concordia that has the best cheesecake. Stock that in your inventory, and I’ll consider forgiving you” She instructed with an unprecedented grin full of mischievous guile.
I stared at her in shock. Did she just give me a mini quest? Perhaps Discord’s mannerisms had been rubbing off on her.
I bowed and played along, “At your command, my fair lady. I shall retrieve this hallowed dessert and regain your favor once more, this I swear! ‘Pon my sacred honor!” I clapped my forearm across my chest as a gesture of my oath.
She giggled, relishing in the impromptu melodrama, “I’ll hold you to that, Sir Zenith”
‘Better than being a Prince any day’ I opined introspectively.
I resigned myself to go see what Magiville’s premier bookworm wanted, “Twilight better have a good reason for having me check in with her” I muttered impatiently to myself, “I’ll catch you later Pretty Bird” I said goodbye with a short wave of my hand, catching her quiet farewell as I stepped outside onto my cloudy porch.
I took flight and made a low heading for the town, gliding just above the canopy in order to keep my profile to a minimum. I had to admit that keeping my true status a secret amongst the populace was starting to get old real quick. But it was either that, or proclaim to the world at large the existence of a Trifect Prince. And I had an ominous feeling that such an action would cause ripples and repercussions of such scope that even I wouldn’t be able to fully comprehend their ramifications. So being a little secretive would have to be the order of the day. It’s a good thing I valued my privacy so much, otherwise I’d have to actively remind myself that I had such secrets to keep.
My feet found purchase on the dirt paths just on the outskirts of the peaceful village’s county line. I’d have to walk the rest of the way to reach Twilight’s Treebrary and see what the big deal was. So I set down the gravelly road at a leisurely pace, not in any real rush to see what little miss prodigy wanted. I regretted not bringing my IPod with me, but got over it as soon as I remembered that I had the sound sphere spell as a substitute. Since the sounds of Soulwax were bound to draw attention, I modified the spell’s usual matrices until it became more like a set of over ear headphones. I kept the volume at a reasonable level, in case I needed to pick up on any other sounds that demanded my awareness…like a stalking Manticore or something. Not that it would pose a significant problem. I’ve wanted an excuse to test out a focused energy beam spell ever since I saw Luna annihilate an entire formation of armored training dummies using what she dubbed ‘a minor disintegration ray’.
Once more, I found myself taken with the natural beauty around me. The air was refreshing and free of any pollutants, the background vistas of mountains and rolling hills were enchanting to gaze at despite their rustic simplicity, and I now had a pretty kickin’ house overlooking most of that. I may be a sardonic, world-weary cynic, but I could still take the time to count and appreciate what blessings I had.
‘For as long as they stay with me’ And there’s the lassitude that makes moments like these so short lived.
My walk to the settlement only took about a quarter hour to complete. I had to cut through the middle of town since Twilight’s place was located roughly in the center of it all. As with every weekend, the marketplaces were busy with a rush of activity. Good’s were exchanged, bits swapped hands, friendly conversations and smiles were given and received, nothing out of the ordinary really. Although a familiar acne ridden young adult waving invitingly to me from his gadget and tonic stall did seem somewhat important…more pressing than whatever the infamous ‘Sperglord’ had to nettle me about I’m sure.
I sauntered closer to the strangely joyous looking stall tender, “G’morning Gizmo, date went well I take it?” He looked happy enough for such presumptions to be forgiven.
He stared at me a couple seconds before breaking into a snorting laughter as if I had told the world’s most hilarious joke. He used his shirt to wipe the moisture out of his eyes before speaking to me, “The date itself? Complete disaster, I didn’t even think it was statistically possible for that many things to go wrong within the span of an hour. I mean… how the heck was I supposed to know that getting out of my seat to use the men’s room would trip up a waiter carrying an entire tray’s worth of fine wine?”
He sighed in rueful remembrance, “Such a lovely dress of hers…ruined. My suit still smells of Merlot too!”
‘Yikes’
“Oh…I’m so sorry” I began sympathetically. I guess we weren’t buying Carrots from Golden Harvest anytime soon.
He waved it off, “Don’t be, my relationship with Goldy has never been better!” He exclaimed, much to my confusion. He even stole my nickname for her!
‘Knew I should have gotten that copy written’ I groused.
He saw the question formulate in my eyes and answered me ahead of time, “The date was lousy, don’t get me wrong. But Golden Harvest actually had a good time afterwards. She really appreciates my listening skills, and actually finds my brand of humor to be ‘enlightening’. Ain’t I lucky?” He grinningly reported, resting his head on his palm as he leaned against the surface of the stand.
“So you two have formally established ties?” I asked the currently daydreaming Gizmo.
“Hmm? Yeah! We’re set to have another date later tonight, she’s picking the place this time though” He explained. That was one less thing I had to worry about, although I should apologize to her in person for real sometime soon.
“Golden Harvest lives right next door to the Apples yes?” I rhetorically inquired.
“Kinda hard to mistake her house for anyone else’s don’cha think?” He evenly replied.
“A fair point” I conceded, stupid questions deserved sarcastic answers.
“Why do you ask?” He narrowed his eyes at me. Already acting the role of a protective boyfriend I see.
“She and I need to talk about private matters before long” I enigmatically responded.
He looked contemplative for a full minute. It wasn’t like he had any customers waiting in line so he had the time to do so. I however, did not have all morning; I was close to just walking away when he spoke up.
“Normally, I would be very suspicious regarding your choice of words. But then I remembered that you’re the guy who made all of this possible for me, so I’m going to trust that you mean well”
“Thank you for trusting me then” I kept my response curt, hoping he’d get the picture.
“That aside, perhaps I could interest you in some tinctures or widgets?” He hopefully smiled at me.
“Maybe another time, I’ve got somewhere to be” I didn’t stick around for his reply, my idle feet were making me fidgety.
I weaved through the crowds and only halfheartedly returned the friendly waves and verbal greetings I received from the townsfolk. I felt a little bad for leaving Gizmo as brusquely as I had, but I was burning daylight. The sooner I got whatever Sparkle wanted me for over with, the sooner I could get back to exploring my new bachelor’s pad. I spotted the enormous tree towering over the nearby houses and adjusted my course until I found myself standing over the welcoming mat. I knocked first before opening the door and stepping inside.
The interior of the Golden Oaks library was brightly lit, though whether it was mainly because of the light streaming in from the windows or because there were plenty of crystal lamps offering illumination was hard to tell. Even if the rooms were created by hollowing out the tree, the air inside never seemed to smell like anything other than Pine and Redwood (despite this being an overgrown Oak tree). The books (their level of organization notwithstanding) were haphazardly placed against and even atop each other as they sat on the shelves. Something I never noticed before was that the Mana mark of the Solar Monarch absolutely dominated the ceiling. I couldn’t have been certain if Twilight had it painted there in honor of her mentor or if it was some kind of Sigil or even if the previous owner was just a big fan of Celestia.
Either way, Spike detected the knock and interrupted my musings by welcoming me. Based on the pull down kerchief he was wearing, I could only assume that he had been up to some kind of cleaning task before my arrival.
“Zenith, you’re right on time man!” He held out a fist, which I bumped in conviviality.
“Sup Spike? Dash dropped by my place informing me that Twilight wanted to see me…?” I trailed off.
He nodded energetically, “Uh huh! She’s downstairs in the basement right now, running some sort of preliminary diagnostics on her scanning equipment. Clunky stuff too, looks like the same equipment she tried to study ‘Pinkie Sense’ with” His slit reptilian eyes shined with anticipation.
“Better stay clear of any doors then” I quipped, eliciting a chortle of amusement out of Spike.
“Heh, yeah that would be-… Wait, how did you know about that?” He asked, narrowing those same eyes at me. I never crack a joke about things I shouldn’t know about without coming up with an explanation beforehand.
“Is the party girl’s precognition not renowned around here? I’ve heard the stories of her mysterious twitches meaning the difference between receiving a face full of door knob and a hefty crack on the head from a falling object”
My explanation quickly put a damper on the half Drake’s suspicions, and he relaxed his tensed stance.
“That’s right, Pinkie sense is already something of a local legend around here. Even from the time before she became the Element of Laughter”
‘Man, I’m a smooth liar’
“Anyway, you better not keep Twilight waiting any longer. She’s planned a sleepover later tonight and both Applejack and Rarity are coming over” The lavishing of Squiggle-hair’s title did not escape me. It might have been a trick of the light, but I swore I could see a heart shaped glint in both of his eyes at the pronunciation of her name.
‘Hopefully this one will have less squabbling between the country girl and the socialite’ I could practically imagine the events of the first one, sans the equines and add the Human element.
“Perish the thought, I’ll go see what she needs with me right now” I descended the stairs leading to the basement level, hearing the telltale signs of scratching and electronic beeping that indicated a certain librarian in the zone.
The basement was a far different sight than it was the night I stayed here. Various lines and wires were chaotically strung about the place like a certain someone had gone crazy with a can of silly string. Large and boxy metallic devices chimed and chirped as they awaited some kind of input or processed data. The one thing that really caught my eye however, was this curious ring shaped device with rough prongs protruding from the inner lining of the circle. A small part of my mind thought it looked similar to a miniature Stargate, except colored black.
The bookshelves down here were devoted purely to academic purposes, with beakers and flasks filled with sparkling liquids sitting next to shelves of books detailing the intricacies of the magical leylines that ran across the planet, to rows and rows of tomes that did their best to document the human psyche. I filed that last detail away as I carefully stepped over the wires that were positively thrumming with energy. Again, there were no power outlets for them to connect to, so I had to assume that magically charged crystal batteries were powering the devices.
I found the bookworm hunched over a desk skimming through a book whose contents I couldn’t see at this angle. The girl was so absorbed by it that she hardly registered the fact that I was standing behind her until I gruffly cleared my throat. She yelped in surprise and spun around, one of her hands lighting up with some kind of defensive spell before fading away once she realized that it was me.
“You startled me Zenith! Hasn’t anyone told you never to sneak up on a Stellar Mage, I could have accidentally hurt you!” She chided, glaring at me for disturbing her reading.
I scoffed at the notion, “I’m a lot more durable than you give me credit for Twilight, I’ve got a hair trigger reflex too” I countered, crossing my arms together in annoyance. How dare this girl underestimate my situational awareness!
“Maybe if I were going to cast a stupefaction spell, but what I almost shot off was a lot more potent than that. Like…gravimetrically powerful” I still wasn’t cowed.
“Then I would have negated your spell by casting its reverse… and I have a lot more mana to work with than you my dear. I’d easily outlast you in a prolonged casting competition” Not to brag, but even the most gifted of the Stellar Magi couldn’t hold a candle to a Trifect, even a neophyte like myself.
For reference, Twilight’s draw power was comparatively the size of a large well when compared with an average Stellar Mage’s bucket’s worth of mojo, whereas mine was the size of an entire lake. Age old distinguished Trifects like Celestia and Luna were that of an ocean, respectively. I was unsure where Cadence would have stood on the scale, likely in between those two values if it were my guess. The only times Twilight has ever wielded more power was when she was in full Element of Magic mode, and that wasn’t purely ‘her’ when that was the case. Not if what I felt that fateful night was any clue.
Twilight considered my words, “Its always better to err on the side of caution Zenith, remember Muphrey’s law” She spoke with that lecturing voice that was befitting of her.
“Muphrey?” I would have staggered at the similarities, but this world had yet to best my current levels of suspended disbelief.
“Yes, it states that everything that can falter…” She rolled her hands for me to finish her sentence.
“Will falter, given the right set of circumstances” It wasn’t a complete mirror of my least favorite law, but it was close enough to still be valid in my opinion.
She clapped her hands together, “Very good Zenith! I can see at least one of the people I know here has thorough background knowledge of epigrams!” I actually completely guessed the answer, not that I would ever confess that to little miss teacher’s pet. It’s comforting to know that some things will never change for me.
I shrugged, “Enough to get by I suppose. Now why did you summon me here? My time ain’t cheap, so either fork up the souls now or be forever marked for torment” I leered at her, gnashing my teeth together and looming over the much shorter woman.
She gaped openly at me, her expression morphing into a mix of confusion and horror. The Star shaped focal gem on her forehead flashing briefly as she contemplated casting another spell. Unless I felt like putting my money where my mouth was, I’d better diffuse the situation.
I shrank back and deadpanned, “That was a joke Twilight” Why are people here so unreceptive to my brand of non sequitur humor?
She equally backed down, looking away from me, “I’m sorry for being so on edge Zenith, but the reason I called you here has much to do with that poorly timed joke”
“Explain please” I requested somewhat irritably.
“Remember the time at Sweet Apple Acres when you told us that interesting story regarding the people who replaced themselves with robots? I asked you what the moral of the story was, and your voice overlapped on itself when you answered” She recounted, eyeing me in an analytical manner that made me feel more like a specimen than a person.
“Oh yeah” I scratched the back of my head in minor embarrassment, “That was kinda weird huh?”
“The others couldn’t detect it because they were either insensitive to certain energies or too inexperienced to know otherwise, but your voice was overlaid with a foreign entity” She revealed to me.
I think I could see where this was going.
“Lemme guess, you want to make certain that the Night Terror’s essence is completely purged from my being right?”
She blinked, “That correct, now normally I would assume that the Elements would have completely rid your body of anything they deemed antithetical to a state of Harmony. But your unique reaction to the experience had me reconsider the possibilities. The Elements are the most powerful magical conduits in the world, but they are only vaguely understood. No one really knows how they operate or why they even require bearers to begin with, so anything I could come up with would be conjecture at best and blankly guessing at worst-”
I stood quietly as she launched into a long soliloquy regarding her various theories that she came up with over the years and how it was frustrating to test them because of the unique circumstance that will lead to their activation. I withheld the urge to yawn and lean against the flat surface of the machine I was standing beside, for fear of being discovered and having my ear talked off (directly anyway) by the violet dressed librarian. Twilight could really yammer on and on when she felt like it. I paid half attention to the words spilling out of her mouth and imagined playing Tetris inside my mind as I waited.
“…Which is why I intend to examine this empirically. Do you understand Zenith?”
“Gonna be attaching me with wires and hooking me up to a machine?” It wasn’t really a question, as I already knew what was going to happen.
She laughed nervously and absently brushed one her arms with the other, “Basically, if that’s all right with you of course?”
“It’s in both our interests to see whether or not I’m completely rid of that foul spirit’s taint. Let’s do this already” I still had two floors back home that I wanted to explore darn it!
“Great! Just sit down in the recliner and try to relax. An elevated heart and breathing rate indicate stress and that tends to interfere with the readings more often than not” She directed me to a leather chair and promptly sat me down upon it.
She then became sticking electrodes of some sort to various parts of my body, particularly those in spots around my head. I had to verbally dissuade Twilight from slapping one against my forehead, lest she discover my unique lack of a focal gem and proceed to question me about it. When she was done, she flipped a series of switches and twisted dials. The background noise of beeps and clicks effectively doubling in frequency and loudness.
“If you would direct your attention to the empathic spectroscopic ring, please” Twilight politely commanded, which I obliged, staring at that strange metal ring that I had spied on the way down.
Said ring was in the process of powering up, with strange wispy tendrils of grayish black of shimmery transparent vapor being discharged from the prongs. They swirled and coalesced together until they looked exactly like a gothic version of the trans-world portal I had drawn comparisons to earlier. In the corner of my eye, I saw Sparkle’s brow furrow at something she must have considered odd.
“Unusual, the spectra is typically a more vibrant coloration. No matter, it’ll make discerning you from non-you entities easier” She remarked, the only thing she was missing was a lab coat and then I’d really feel like a guinea pig.
“And just what exactly am I seeing?” I asked, staring into the swirling clouds of ectoplasm like smoke.
“What we are seeing is the ESR’s visual interpretation of your incorporeal quintessence. The colors paint a faint picture of your perennial temperament, certain colors correspond with a particular mindset: such as red for passionate people, orange for motivated, yellow for optimistic…”
“So they represent what sums up an individual the best?”
She hesitantly nodded, “It’s not definitive mind you, but the vast majority of the time, its spot on”
“What color is yours if I may ask?” I was presuming that she’s tested this out on herself.
“Purple…shocking right? It seems to relate to a never ending drive to learn and experience more, which is pretty accurate in my case”
“What does mine represent?” I turned back to the ring, the lack of knowing what defined me mocking me with its indifference.
“To be honest? I don’t really know, I’ve never seen it so…bland before”
I rolled my eyes, “Of all the words I’d use to describe myself, bland is not one of them”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it! It’s just so…atypical of the norm”
“Well, am I at least clean of any unduly spirits?” I tapped my foot in impatience. I was growing weary of this whole thing.
Twilight studied the portal for another five minutes before getting back to me with the answer, “I believe so… any kind of foreign presence would have shown up as a contrasting color. Even if it was of similar coloration, two beings empathic spectra’s would never share the same exact hue”
“That’s good to hear, so are we done?”
‘I think I left the water running back home’ I snarked internally.
She shut the machine off before sauntering closer to me, “Almost, there’s just one more thing I need to check out before we’re finished” She stopped moving somewhere behind me before speaking in a hushed whisper, “I’m so sorry for this”
That had me worried, “Sorry for wha- Urk!”
Twilight had clapped both hands on my head and in that very moment, it had felt as though all the blood in my body had been replaced with ice water. I quickly reached out with my arcane senses and scanned whatever spell Twilight was using to assail me with. I was shocked to find out that it was a more concentrated version of the same spell that Celestia had used to step inside my mind, only this spell was attempting to dig deeper than that. The pain was beginning to mount and it was getting more and more difficult to stay awake, with a last burst of effort I granted the treacherous girl access and rode the energies into my being. My vision fading to darkness as the rest of my faculties extinguished themselves.
⁂
I came to in a rather desolate looking field at the edge of a tall cliff overlooking a sea of calm waters. Everything was exactly as you would expect, only the colors were sucked out of every single thing and the whole scene was devoid on any motion, the dark waters below looking more like the glass of an obsidian mirror than those of an ocean. It was like somebody had taken a faded black and white photograph of the cliffs of Dover and made a landscape of it. I stood up and attempting to get my bearings. The act movement in this ‘plane’ was downright surreal, like walking on a virtual treadmill, with the environment coming to me and not the other way around.
I floated over to the cliff’s edge and stared down into the veritable soup of inky black water. There was this nagging feeling in the fiber of my being telling me to go deeper. A sound like electrical buildup broke me out of my reverie and I glanced up to the clouds, which by now were swirling into a kind of eddy that either meant the arrival of Thor…or someone even more problematic. With a sharp crackling din, the heavens were pierced with a distinctively purple ray of energy, the beam cleaving the sea below in twain and causing it to collapse on itself. Leaving behind a twin waterfall of metaphoric fluid cascading into the newly created- no, revealed abyss. My means for going deeper were now provided for me, so I steeled my resolve and leapt off the cliff into the rift below. Even when falling, it felt more like my surroundings were rushing up to meet me.
I didn’t quite know what to think about that.
I had no idea of how long I was falling for, being surrounded by nothingness tends to make judgment of time passage muddled at best. To keep myself occupied, I reviewed what I did know. Twilight had cast a supercharged version of the mind-walker spell, only with the intent to see even deeper than that. What was her aim? What could she possibly want to see what my spirit is like? I thought it was dank and dreary as all hell here, and I was the owner for land sakes! Either way, I needed to stop her from mucking up myself any further than what had already occurred. It wasn’t long until I was hot on the trail of my ‘intruder’ with only a short distance that was rapidly closing separating us.
Just when I thought I was going to catch the lavender lightning, I was blown of course by some kind of energy surge belonging to it. We must have suddenly reached ‘ground’ level, because I was now in an upright position downwind of the trespasser. Wherever I was now was more unsettling than the upper floor. A reddish haze surrounded me on all sides that vaguely took on the appearance of a bloody mist. There was nothing but a void above and below my feet. It was an oppressing sight, to say the least. I looked ahead to see that the purple beam had reformed itself into a transparent form of the girl who was now officially on my shit list until further notice. She seemed to be moving towards a sphere of pulsating light and immense power that I could have sworn wasn’t there a second ago.
I expeditiously made my way over to the two of them, I would have called out to Twilight to halt, but I intrinsically knew that it wouldn’t have stopped her. A feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I saw her extend out an arm out to touch the sphere. I redoubled my efforts and was just about to reach her when a column of fire enveloped both Twilight and the sphere, blocking my passage and making me growl in frustration. That frustration quickly turned into alarmed confusion when I beheld three humanoid figures stepping out of the blaze.
The first of which was the color of the fiercest crimson and bore its white-hot teeth at me, evoking a growing feeling of aversion the longer I held eye contact. This being was prime on my radar since it brandished an ugly pair of razor sharp claws. The second featureless being was a gloomy looking shade of blue that made me feel as if I had just watched a million puppies getting thrown into a meat grinder by simply looking at it. I wouldn’t have been able to even spot the third if it weren’t for its glowing slate eyes, which glared at me as if I was less than nothing. For some reason, the third bothered me a lot more than the other two combined.
“Let me pass” I angrily ordered, I would not sit idly by while Twilight violated my very being!
The red one hissed in delight, “Yesss, let your anger grow…making me sssstronger with every boiling thought”
The blue being spoke in a wobbly voice, as if it were suffering from hypothermia, “D-don’t see what the p-point of this whole s-standoff is, there’s nothing you can do to s-stop the annoying librarian f-from seeing everything that makes us well…us”
The third one kept silent, keeping its scathing glare firmly affixed on me. I was starting to get an idea as to what these things represented. The fiery one grinned as I made the connection, a snakelike tongue flicking out between its jagged teeth.
“You underssstand then? You cannot ssstop her from ssseeing all that you are, not without confronting usss” That parseltongue of his was seriously starting to get on my nerves.
I may have been unarmed in this place, but I was anything but defenseless. Focusing all of my considerable resolve into my right hand, a ghostlike sword emerged from my palm, which I swiftly caught by the handle. The sword itself emitted an iridescent fog and had a circular hilt that reminded one of an infinity blade. I gave the weapon a few practice swings and discovered that it was weightless, which made sense I guess.
‘I dub thee, Null Edge’ With this instrument, I will smite all those who would try to impede me within the confines of my own soul.
The fiery one grinned further and ground its claws together in excitement. It abruptly closed the gap between us faster than one could blink, slashing at my face and forcing me on the defensive. If my suspicions were correct about this being, getting battle fury would only aid it more than myself, so I cooled my emotions into an icy determination as I parried multiple strikes. My enemy was aggressively fast, but lacked any sort of cunning, choosing to mindlessly slash away as if it had lost itself in a blind rage. This was fitting, since the being itself lacked any eyes. I swept out its feet from under it and brought my sword down upon its head, a frantic flail of its limbs deflecting my stab being the only thing that saved it from having its cranium renovated. It jumped to its feet and switched tactics, trying to tackle me and negate any advantage that my sword offered in this fight.
I circle strafed and nimbly leapt over and around my snarling opponent in an acrobatic fashion, enraging it further to the point where any semblance of a plan degraded into a game of catch the rabbit. A full three minutes of this little chase and the being was starting to visibly fatigue, its once blindingly quick pace now reduced to roughly half of its original capacity. The being then began to shout some rather creative curses at me in its aggravation, clearly angered at its own inability to lay its grubby appendages on its prize. It was starting to get excessively sloppy in its exhaustion, and I knew it.
I wished it had a real face, because the look of shock on its face when I stopped dodging and unexpectedly brought my free fist against its gut would have been priceless as a photograph. It wheeled back from the blow and gave me the opening I needed. I effortlessly hacked off both its limbs with a figure eight swing before pivoting around and impaling the being on my sword. The defeated enemy let out a strained death gurgle as it sank into the blade. It also had the gall to half-chuckle as it spat up a vile stream of orange gore.
“Thisss changesss nothing” With that, it dissolved into the ether.
I cleaned the Null Edge with an automatic snap of my blade, showering the depressing one with metaphoric vital fluid as I approached to seal its doom. It whimpered and held up its arms in a gesture of surrender, I would have found it pitiful, had I not been so dead set on ending it. This one’s defense seemed to be an attempt to overwhelm me with a sense of hopelessness.
“Utterly pathetic” I sneered as I lopped off its head, with the rest of the corpse dissolving into itself.
I spun in place to face the last one, which had been watching the scene unfold unblinkingly. I stopped a few paces away from it and raised my blade…only to find myself unable to strike the final blow. For this was the one inner darkness that I couldn’t truly destroy, no matter how hard I tried to do so. I sighed and sheathed my weapon by casually tossing it to the side, where it dispersed into the nothingness it was created from. The third being kept up its judgmental stare with a complete sense of apathy.
“You’re not worth the effort. You never were”
I couldn’t be sure as to which of us spoke, and I honestly didn’t care at that moment. I stepped into the column of fire and felt it envelop me. The sensation wasn’t painful in the slightest; after all, it was the same humdrum that I experienced each and every day. I emerged from the inferno untouched just in time to see Twilight make metaphysical contact with the sphere, the sensation that I felt next couldn’t be accurately put into words.
It was if I had suddenly lived two lives, each one complete with its own separate set of memories and sentiments. The first one detailing modest to not so modest origins and this inexplicable desire to self improve through learning. The other’s life felt as if someone had abruptly poured liquid mercury into my heart. The latter of the two was dominated by this inordinate sense of meaninglessness, one which drained the life out of you until there was barely anything left save for a hollowed shell remaining. I detected a deluge of sheer despair wash over someone like a tidal wave, someone who was undeniably separate from my self.
My perspective suddenly snapped free as I heard a wail of agony that would have chilled a grown man down to his very bones. Wasting no time, I grabbed the sobbing specter of Twilight and recalled the spell that brought us into this atrocious place, feeling my entire body heat up as the spell was cast towards the ‘ceiling’, carrying us along with it. It was a lot like riding the mythical Bifröst, taking us ever upwards until a white light culminated at the end of the tunnel.
The light was intense enough that it hijacked my vision, forcing me to close my eyes so it would not be so overbearing. When I opened them again, I found that I was standing up. The room was wrecked, with overturned equipment and shattered vials and flasks everywhere. I absently noted that I was also currently clutching a barely conscious Twilight by the throat. Holding her limp figure against the spine of one of the bookshelves. I figured that my body must have naturally reacted when it sensed danger, automatically lashing out at the perpetrator while ‘I’ was absent.
Said girl was a mess, her hair was unkempt, blood was gushing from one of her nostrils, and her skin was totally pallid; as though the experience was Discord level sapping of her strength of will. Her eyes gleamed tearfully at me as she saw the steel in mine. I relaxed my grip on her windpipe, allowing her to suck in choked gasps of air. I wasn’t about to just let her go however.
“What. Did. You. DO!?” I roared, my eyes flashing dangerously. The unexpected sight caused the presently bewildered girl to flinch and whimper in response.
She didn’t even have the presence of mind to try and cast a spell to throw me off or teleport away, she was completely and undeniably broken. It was a good thing that the basement door I had shut behind me was soundproofed; otherwise I’d be dealing with a very unhappy Spike at the moment.
I exhaled a stiff breath and gently let her go, watching her body slump against the floor. This day had taken a turn for the definite worst, but at least I had a way of patching it up so that no one else would share that opinion but me. I visually checked the woman for any evidence of physical injuries caused by me. Seeing no signs of trauma, I grabbed a rag from one the few tables that wasn’t smashed in and wiped the blood from her nose. I then crouched down to the now unconscious librarian and opened a connection to her mind with my magic.
‘Time to put some of those questionable spell books to use’
I probed Twilight’s mind without meeting any resistance. Normally a person would have natural mental defenses that discouraged spells like this from having an effect, especially someone with a mindset like Sparkle’s. But whatever Twilight must have done to enter my very being must have disabled those defenses. Unsurprisingly, Twilight’s rigid mindset was very well organized, with every thought she’d ever considered worthy of being saved neatly stored away in various mental partitions. A satirical part of me likened it to a library, but I felt that would be too ironic of a likening, choosing to compare it to a file cabinet instead.
I filed through her thoughts and plans leading up to my visit, discovering that Twilight’s intention of making sure I was clean of the Night Terror’s bad juju was shadowed by an ulterior motive to see if I really was as austere as I came off to be, and if so, discover just why that was. Not willing to accept the ESR’s interpretation of my temperament as fact, Twilight prepared her secondary means for determining the truth by delving into my very soul. The lack of esteem for my personal space was disgusting, this girl valued her own drive to discern the truth more than her respect for lines that should never be crossed.
So when Twilight made contact with my core, our essences mixed and intertwined with each other, allowing us to see things through the other’s eyes and mind. I paused in my memory sifting in order to reflect on that instant. I didn’t think much of Twilight’s life personally, sure she was powerful in her own right and adored by those who knew her. But she was also quite flawed (more so than normal), this girl keeps making mistakes that she should have learned from previously (in the most naïve of ways too), and this agonizes her severely.
Her neuroses also forced her to think on her pitfalls and develop ways to correct them, and if those carefully laid plans fell apart for any reason…this girl just…breaks down. She recognizes that nothing is truly perfect, but refuses to accept this as established fact…if what she thinks of her teacher was anything to go by. Celestia was clearly placed on a pedestal by her student, and she especially loves to turn a blind eye when the Princess freely shows that she isn’t without her faults. It was almost enough to make me feel bad for her.
‘No! Twilight deserves none of my sympathy. Not after violating the one thing I consider immutably sacrosanct’
Twilight had the best of intentions when she injected her being into my own, thinking that she could either expose my inhibitions as false or correct my hidden hang-ups so I could more easily make friends (and by extension, make her look good for teacher). Never mind the fact that what she had done had disregarded multiple established laws (‘want it need it’ ring a bell?) but also jeopardized any chances of an amiable relationship with me. Perhaps someday I could find in my heart to forgive her transgressions, but I was feeling a little pissed right now. It didn’t help that her last feelings had been despair for my sake. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the devastated caterwaul she vocalized.
Now memories aren’t something that can be easily erased, but they can be overwritten with suitably less difficulty. ‘For what is a soul but a blank slate with memories imprinted upon it?’ It was a small shame that I wouldn’t find out what altered my voice after storytelling time, but as long as I was free of any malevolent forces subtly manipulating my actions, I didn’t really care.
The scene around me gave me some decent ideas of what to work with. Such as a scenario where Twilight had been working on a volatile spell and had accidentally let her mind drift to some schmuck Valkyrian guard assigned to Cadence’s personal entourage in the Krystal Kingdom, (who had somehow caught her eye despite being nothing out of the ordinary). Stray prurient thoughts like that during a critical moment of casting would be sufficient enough for a total failure scenario. There were a lot of things I learned about the unassuming girl in the past few minutes by combing through her mind, some of which were going to require some serious brain bleach after I was done.
I scripted the false memory and overlaid it on top of the real one, for good measure I also performed the equivalent of taking a sharpie and blotting out both the recent experience and any other schemes for investigating my voice mishap so that there would be no leakage between the real and false memories. As far as Twilight was now concerned, she had invited me over to witness some her magic and to discuss more about myself (which was sorta the truth, subjectively speaking). I reacted quickly when she flubbed the spell and cast a barrier shield over myself to take the brunt of the magical knockback. All I had to do now was sell the act to Spike and I’d be home free.
I scooped up the sleeping girl and held her bridal style, carrying her up the stairs. I used my magic to open the door and called out to Spike.
“Hey Spike! Where’s Twilight’s room?”
“Just up the stairs man, why do you ask?” A voice from another one of the rooms asked.
“No reason really, she just fainted” I said with a nonchalant tone.
“What!?” He exclaimed, dropping whatever he was doing and rushing into the main room. His eyes widened considerably when he beheld Twilight’s limp form being held by yours truly.
“Holy Guacamole! What happened?”
“Twilight toyed with forces beyond her grasp and it backlashed, I had to go shields up just to keep my footing. She’s lucky that she only got slightly roughed up in the process. Crazy girl injected a lot of energy into that spell, the basement is a complete disaster area now”
Spike’s shoulder’s sagged when I mentioned the basement, “That’s alright, its not like I had any plans for today anyway”
I shot him an apologetic look and made for the stairs, “Cheer up Spike, maybe she’ll treat you to something for being such a caring assistant. Once she awakens that is…”
“You sure she’s okay? We don’t need to take her to Magiville General do we?” He expressed his concerns, biting at his nails.
“It’ll take a lot more than a faulty spell to take down Twilight, she’s a pretty tough gal, all things considered” He seemed less nervous at my reassurance.
“Okay Zenith, I trust you” His sincere words stung me a bit more that I’d have liked.
I finished ascending the steps leading into the secondary floor of the treebrary. I used my wings to speedily get into the alcove where Twilight’s singled sized bed patiently awaited her return. I laid the girl on top of the mattress and observed her peaceful form. I sincerely hoped that her dreams would at least be serene (and hopefully without a suspicious Luna). Even though she probably couldn’t hear it, I spoke my mind aloud.
I tapped a hand against my chest, “This is my burden Twilight, not yours. You would do well to commit that to heart”
An owl in the corner of the room chose that moment to hoot.
“Ah, hoo yourself ya’ poxy bird” I jeered at its perching area.
I left the room and returned downstairs, the newly jostled basement door notifying me to Spike’s location. I would have helped him clean up, but I had a lot of stress in my mind that I needed to purge. I swung open the door leading to the outside and gently shut it behind me. I knew of nothing better to bring stillness to a turbulent mind than an aimless walk. My brooding scowl must have been emanating an aura telling people to mind their own business or suffer my wrath, because it only took one glance in my direction for any onlookers to briskly vacate the area. This suit my purposes nicely, I was in an ill mood for faking cordiality.
My wandering eventually led me out of town and into one of the many parks the surrounded the medium sized settlement. An empty secluded park bench with my name on it beckoned to me as I waltzed up to it and promptly collapsed on its wooden rungs. Much to my consternation, my walk had only partially diminished the raw feeling of indignation for being wholly trespassed. Seeking a solution, I brought out the sound sphere and had it encapsulate the area around me in five feet of diameter. There was only a specific set of music that calmed me down when I underwent angst. I focused on memories of Tycho and relayed the command to my interactive spell, the field flashing as it received the input and began playing the Downtempo music in surround sound.
I don’t know how long I sat there for, when the first song was over I just had it cycle through the rest of the album that I could recall and continued to stew in my vexation. I was so caught up in my deep musings, that I failed to notice the telltale creaking of the bench announcing that someone had taken a seat next to me. I pretended not to notice as the stranger listened quietly to the sphere’s influence.
Finally they broke the silence as the music died down, “You seem troubled” Her voice was undeniably soft, with a kind of lyrical quality to it. It was also vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t place its origin at that moment.
I didn’t bat an eyelash, “Nothing that won’t pass with the inevitable flow of time, I’m sure” I droned, content to decompress in my own way.
“Perhaps, although I find it best in my experience not to bottle things up, lest the contents leak out at inopportune moments” She spoke in a sagely tone, as though she had plenty of background knowledge about this.
“Some things are meant to stay secret, though I wouldn’t mind sharing my qualms…that is, if you’re willing to make this an equal exchange” I neutrally proposed, still keeping my relaxed pose.
She made a humming noise, giving it some thought, “I might be willing to consider that, if my confiding partner wouldn’t mind establishing mutual eye contact for once” She teased, this girl must have been an easygoing type to overlook my lack of tact so easily.
I finally creaked the lid of one eye open, appraising the girl sitting so casually next to me. She wore gray sweatpants along with a well-worn green hoodie that had clearly seen better days. The weather was starting to get chillier, so I couldn’t really begrudge her choice of fashion. Her hair was the color of mint with a white streak running down the side while her eyes were a fascinating shade of yellow. I knew this girl, though not extensively. She didn’t really stick around long enough for me to get a good read on her the first we met.
Her golden orbs lit up in glee, “So it can act like a normal human being! I was beginning to think that I was talking to an animated extension of the park bench” She held up a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.
I rolled my eyes, “Very funny, so what do you want to know?”
She crooked her neck at the question, “Whatever you feel like speaking your mind about” She simply replied.
I responded almost automatically, “I’m not really a man of many words, but I can tell you that I’ve potentially been alienated by someone important and it will undoubtedly affect our interactions for some time to come”
Her brow furrowed at my lack of emotion, “You don’t really seem all that bothered by it” She observed.
I slowly shook my head, “I’m not, though I sometimes wonder if this makes me a bad person”
“Did you desire this other person’s friendship?”
“I was decidedly neutral about it. If we became friends…great, if not, no biggie to me”
She stared at me for a moment, as if searching for something, “There’s nothing wrong with being more reserved with the relationships you form, but most people wouldn’t see such a phlegmatic attitude towards the weakening or loss of said relationships as a good thing”
I slouched even further in my seat, “I figured as much. But enough about my problems, what ails you?” I redirected the conversation towards her, to which she seemed reticent herself.
“Be at ease, I won’t judge…” I imperceptibly grinned, “…much” My delayed comment eliciting another melodious giggle out of the young woman and lightening both our moods substantially.
She looked skyward as she recounted her story, “I’ve never stood out much for as long as I could remember. Sure I had my small quirks that got me the odd remark or two when I attended school as a little girl, but I paid them no mind. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I really became immemorable. That was the night before the Summer Sun Celebration” She got this far off look in her countenance as she remembered the occurrences of that night.
I tweaked a brow, “And what happened during the night of celebration that rendered you immaterial?”
“That was the time when my name and all meaning attached to it was taken away. When I was cursed to be forever forgotten, just another piddling face in the background, deprived off all the warmth that recognition could afford” She tried her best to sound bitter about it, but it came out as more of a chocked sniffle. This topic was obviously hard on her, and she made to stand up, finding herself stopped by my hand on her forearm.
“Stay. I might just be able to help you out” My steady voice was full of unshakable conviction, which froze (pun not intended) the girl to that very spot.
“I’ve sought help before, my curse only kicked into overtime and erased all instances of me ever existing. Photographs, mementos, even my old bedroom are all discarded or left to gather dust…dismissed as irrelevant” She tried to shake her arm free with admirable strength, but I held firm.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist Miss Heartstrings” Her struggling stopped as she gaped openly at me, a faint look of shock gracing her features.
“H-how did you know my name? We only first met at-”
“My welcoming party?” I finished for her, “How could I forget the only girl I’ve ever seen wearing such a threadbare hoodie that spouted philosophical poetry while plucking at a lyre? That’s memorable enough to me” I let go of her arm, letting her choose whether or not she wanted to stay.
She lowered herself onto the bench once more, never taking her eyes off mine, “This shouldn’t be possible, I’ve even gone to the Princess for aid whenever she’s visited town, only for my curse to take over and deny me my chance at freedom!” Her sudden rise in volume scattered a few birds that were roosting nearby.
Her skepticism was understandable, but I’m a bit of an outside factor when it comes to these things, “Yet, here we both are, you and I. Can you find it in you to take a monumental risk? Even if it means undergoing changes that might not be comfortable at first?” Informed consent was a must if we were to go forward with this.
She projected the most heartbroken look I had ever seen on an Arcanian so far, “I'd do almost anything to return to my loved ones, my mother, my father, and even the few that I could call friends back when I was plain old Lyra”
Her doubts weren’t easily cast aside though, “But how can I know that whatever you’ll try works?”
“You don’t. That’s why its called taking a risk” I brushed off some plant particulates that had accumulated on my shirt collar, “But I’m reasonably sure that the plan I have in mind is daring enough to work around your geas’ framework parameters”
I continued my clarification, “You see, you’re not the only one who’s been affected by the Night Terror’s influence. Fortunately for me, I was washed cleaned by the redeeming power of Harmony, and that’s a one wash guarantee as far as magic’s concerned. As for your curse, it only runs skin deep”
She looked confused by that, “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand”
“Your curse is only bound to your physical body, with your spirit acting as an anchor of sorts for the energies to cling to. One of the reasons you feel so cold all the time is because the curse is drawing natural heat energy away from your body to fuel its processes” I answered, with comprehension gradually dawning on her face.
I wouldn’t mention this to her for all to hear, but she should feel vaguely flattered that the Night Terror weaved such a convoluted geas just for her. Spells like this are without a doubt, high tiered and difficult to master for anyone with a life span less than a century. I wanted to ask if she had tasked herself with finding lunar compositions, when I remembered a uniquely key fact of this world. Luna didn’t care enough for classical music to have composed and commissioned her own works. She liked to express herself a little more…actively, mainly by accompanying me in my dreams as we blew the shit out of multiple structures with a gratuitous amount of high explosives.
‘Good dreams…good dreams’
Lyra broke me out of my daydreaming, “How do you know so much about my curse? I’ve been trying to figure it out for years, but it hasn’t proven simple to self inspect one’s own curse”
“Because I’ve been studying it throughout the duration of our little chat” For emphasis, my eyes lit up briefly, making her gasp in surprise.
It was true, while we conversed; I had devoted the majority of my exploratory magic and brainpower to tentatively picking at the curse and testing its limitations. Overall it was a pretty solid curse, but even a diamond can shatter if you apply the right amount of force. That analogy is actually quite insufficient in this case, as the effort would likely kill her rather than free her. So I had to think a little out of the box for this one. My plan required some finesse on my part, and an extraordinary amount of altruism, but I’d be damned if I let this issue persist when I could do something about it.
I scooted closer to the greenish woman and gently grasped her by the shoulders, looking her dead in the eyes, “Lyra Heartstrings, we’ve only known each other a short time, but can you find it in your heart to take a leap of faith?”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, her lips curled into a grin, “Mostly…though it would help if my potential savior would at least smile for a change”
I deadpanned, “Don’t get greedy”
Before she could make a witty retort, I pushed forward and kissed her full on the lips. The action had reasonably stupefied her and she jolted at the shock, breaking her inherent mental defenses apart long enough for me to cast the same spell that Twilight had used on me not two hours ago. In a moment of faint observation, I noted offhand that she curiously tasted like mint and cream. As my magic successfully bridged the connection between our two selves, I felt a shift in my being unlike anything I had experienced before. My vision faded to black once again as the rest of my senses subsequently signed off.
⁂
This time the ‘dive to the heart’, as I’ve taken to calling it, was anticlimactic in nature, with my spirit projection landing in some kind of clearing in the woods. The only thing off about this particular scene was that everything was frozen over. Icicles hung off of the surrounding trees and snow was scattered everywhere. There was a log cabin in the center of it all that was a good indicator of where I needed to go. Unlike my own Soulscape, there were colors other than empty black and oppressive red in this one. Granted, they were of the more wintery persuasion, but it was nice change of pace for my tastes. I stepped onto the front porch of the cabin and wiped my feet on the welcome mat for good measure before stepping inside.
The interior was your common log cabin set up, a bed on one side and a kitchenette and bathroom stall on the others. Various articles of thick clothes were dispersed everywhere and draped over dressers, with an iconic stringed instrument resting against the foot of the bed. In the nucleus of the quaint building was the object that I was looking for. Strangely enough, Lyra’s soul core was exactly the same as mine in shape and features, but no less fascinating to gaze upon. Realizing that my time here was still limited, I made contact with the sphere.
And was immediately bathed in the charming sensation of crushing loneliness.
Like when Twilight had done the same, I was being forced to relieve every moment that Lyra had struggled to live in the days following the casting of the curse (being caught out in the open by the newly returned Night Terror doesn’t do one’s health wonders). Days that turned into weeks, which turned into months, and eventually years. At first, she had submitted to the melancholy of being constantly forgotten by everyone she had ever interacted with, melancholy that soon became desperation as she entreated somebody, anybody with some semblance of magical experience to overturn her curse. But whenever it seemed like a breakthrough was near, the geas took that opportunity to maliciously bring all of her hopes crashing down on top of her.
She was absolutely beside herself with misery for a long time. The only reason that prevented her from taking her own life was that she could still make a difference in people’s lives, whether it be from subtly encouraging them to pursue that special someone (or sometwo, when it came to one love struck young boy), to just playing soothing music with her instrument for people going through rough times of their own. Despite all the good that she was still doing the world, her curse taxed her resolve severely, and she was starting to lose faith. It didn’t help that she was damn near hypothermic the entire duration of her ordeal.
I grit my teeth as I forced the burdensome influx of negative emotion back, concentrating my efforts on my primary objective. I now knew intimately of the woman’s pain, but I also had the keys to her salvation. With a last push of magic, I began absorbing the soul orb into myself, paying special attention not to mix the important contents with my own quintessence. My plan was simple, if not a little bit on the dangerous side. Because Lyra’s curse relied on her spirit as a focal point to latch onto, removing it from her body would deprive the curse of that vital anchor.
This meant that if her body could withstand the minute shock of having its soul ‘borrowed’ from it, then the curse would either evaporate instantly, or slowly fade as the spell’s residual energies exhausted themselves. The curse shouldn’t steal from the body’s remaining life energies since the point of the curse existing in the first place was to condemn poor Lyra to a lifetime of isolation. I was also on standby to provide resuscitation if the curse proved more devious than I gave it credit for.
After an indeterminate amount of time, I had finished spellbinding Lyra’s spirit to my own. Heaving a heavy sigh from the demanding endeavor, I stepped outside of the log cabin and turned skyward. I then used the remainder of my magic to exit the now soulless depths that were beginning to collapse in on themselves in a spectacular display of destruction. It wasn’t quite as harrowing as when the Millennium Falcon barely escaped the bowels of an exploding Death Star, but I like my safety margins nice and wide. The same luminous light from before filled my vision with all encompassing white.
I blinked my eyes open and shut as my senses returned one by one. I was half expecting Lyra’s body to have the same violent reaction that mine had with Twilight, but hers was now lying prone against the rest of the bench (including my lap), the empty shell of a person was perilously close to falling over too.
‘Ugh, what happened?’ A voice questioned from inside my head, a distinctly feminine voice.
‘I’ve conducted the world’s first legitimate soul transfer, that’s what happened’ I snarked in response. I had to fight the urge to speak out loud, thankfully my usual unforthcoming manner aided considerably with this. Her words were almost to an audible level, halfway between the volume of a whisper and a murmur in my head.
‘I’m still alive? Did your crazy plan work then?’ She asked much more clearly, to which I scanned her body’s geas. It was nowhere near as strong as it once was, but it was evaporating slower than I would have preferred.
‘Almost home free, but I’d estimate a good half day before you…well, until I can breath easy for you’
‘I remember…seeing things, otherworldly things’ Her tone was awed, had she seen the land where I originated?
I nearly forgot that the soul ‘tapping’ is a two way street, I’d see a significant portion of her life, and in return she’d see mine. I didn’t know how I felt about that. Best to keep it hush hush.
‘Shh…it’s a secret to everybody’ Save the Princesses.
‘How can I stay tight-lipped about something like that! EEE! I’m speaking to an extra terrestrial!’ For some reason, I got the mental image of her avatar excitedly jumping up and down like a Genki girl.
‘I’d ask you to take me to your leaders, but I’ve already met the whole lot of them’ Nice bunch they are. Except Blueblood, he was a bit douchey to me the last we met. I’d have to check in on his reorienting process the next I visited the Capital.
‘You’ve met each of the Princesses!? Are you some kind of foreign dignitary from another world?’ She was practically squealing in exhilaration.
‘You could say that. Just how much did you see anyway? Some details of my life are strictly private’ My hidden knowledge about the equine variant of this place for example.
‘It was all bits and pieces, but enough for me to know that you definitely aren’t from this planet’ I could just imagine her grinning in smug satisfaction. Oh wait, that’s what her mental avatar was actually doing.
‘Keep that opinion to yourself m’kay? I’ll consider us even that way’ I actually wasn’t going to make her a debtor either way, but I’d use all the leverage I could get.
‘As much as I want to protest and proclaim to the world that one of my few childhood eccentricities was vindicated, I owe you my freedom. Thank you so much for this…’ I’ve never heard a more sincere form of gratitude, it was practically radiating out of her essence.
‘No thanks necessary, I’d always help out those who are unable to help themselves’ Her previous statement caught up with me, this Lyra believed in aliens?
‘So noble…’ Did she just purr?
She either couldn’t detect my confusion or just disregarded it, opting to ask a question, ‘Where exactly am I anyway? I can only see through your eyes at the moment’
‘I’m not entirely certain. My best guess is that you’re currently occupying my body alongside me. So long as you stay on your side on my head, we’ll get along just fine’
‘Hmm… this place could use a woman’s touch’ I wasn’t sure if she was joking or not, best nip that in the bud before it becomes an issue.
‘Woah woah woah! My brain is the ultimate man cave, to defile it with a female’s influence would be akin to heresy’ I reasoned, but I wouldn’t sink to pleading if she decided to ignore my boundaries and tried to play housekeeper. It took more effort than I would have liked not to picture her in a sexy French maid outfit. I don’t think she’d appreciate that, savior or no savior.
‘I dunno, this place is kind of…barren. Maybe we should let her have free reign?’ That annoying part of my mind that questioned my every decision spoke unbidden.
‘Shut up brain! Nobody asked you’
I heard Lyra’s simulacrum giggle in amusement, ‘You play Devil’s advocate with your own self? That’s adorable’
‘I self critique a lot, it comes with the territory’ I wondered if the other introverts out there felt something similar.
‘Joking aside…what now? You implied that it will still take some time before my body’s curse wears off right?’ To which I responded in the affirmative with a wordless nod.
‘Listen, I don’t normally say this to a lady on our first outing but…my place or yours?’ I projected an air of faux suaveness toward her. If she still had cheeks, I’m sure they would be on fire with the amount of embarrassment emanating from her. As soon as she recovered her wits she responded.
‘Uhm, my place sounds good. It’s not far from Sweet Apple Acres actually, just a cozy little log cabin out in the woods’ Images of said cabin flashed briefly in my mind’s eye, likely spurred by Lyra’s recollection.
‘Ah yes, I’ve a vague idea of where to go’ It was just up the road and nestled in the middle of a sizable copse of unclaimed apple trees. I had actually passed by there a few times while on errands for the Apple family, it never would have occurred to me that this girl lived there if I didn’t know better.
I scooped up Lyra’s unconscious body and slung it over my shoulders like it was a sack of potatoes. Lyra made a fuss over the unceremonious way I was carrying her petite frame, but promptly shut up when I made teasing remark how any other pose could be misconstrued by stray passerby’s as a prelude to the no pants dance. The way I was currently carrying her could be easily passed off as one good friend carrying home a girl who had a little too much to drink. I think she wanted to snipe back how I could also take advantage of her in the same scenario, but remembered that if it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t be having company over to begin with. I speechlessly lugged the fleshy spirit container towards the inlet that granted visual and physical access to the house hidden behind the trees.
Lyra broke the silence, ‘You know, its awfully quiet being cooped up in here. I expected someone else’s mind to be a little more…loquacious than this’
‘That because I don’t always think using words, Miss Heartstrings’ I replied as I shifted the weight of her body on my shoulder, winking to a kid staring wide eyed at me as he rested against the shade of a Maple tree. I idly wondered if they hosted an annual ‘running of the leaves’ here too, but dismissed it as being too ridiculous to be practical.
‘You literally saved my soul, I think you can afford to drop the formality’ She tittered good-naturedly. I found her adaptability to such a strange situation to be admirable. I heard the strange sound of a palm smacking against a forehead.
‘Speaking of which, I don’t even know my hero’s name! I feel like such a tool right now’ Her praise made me feel somewhat self-conscious.
‘Didn’t you lurk outside the barn during my welcome party? How could you not catch the spectators chanting my name when I went full beast mode during the drinking competition?’
She railed against one particular description, ‘I don’t lurk! And…I did, but I’d like to hear it from you personally… if that’s okay’ She sounded slightly sheepish by the end.
We were now alone, so I felt safe enough to speak this next part out loud, “Very well, I’m Zenith. Aspiring adventurer, eclectic musician, and master sarcaster. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lyra”
‘My my, you’re certainly accomplished. All I have to show for myself is that I could whine in iambic pentameter while plucking at a handheld harp’ I recognized that tone intuitively. It wasn’t modesty speaking…that was self-loathing.
I addressed her by her full name to grab her attention, “Lyra Heartstrings! You have persevered and endured through a nightmare that would have reduced most people into lifeless wrecks. You may have lost hope on several occasions, but you pushed yourself on regardless. Even with your severe disability, you selflessly devoted yourself to making sure that you could be someone else’s light in dark times, overlooking the fact that they wouldn’t remember that it was you who made a difference in their lives. And guess what? I’m your light at the end of the tunnel”
I couldn’t tell you how fulfilled she was to have someone tell her that, ‘And I can’t begin to express how grateful I am to for all of this. I don’t know what would have happened to me if I had decided to let you sit on the park bench by your lonesome’ I had an idea, and it wasn’t a pretty thought.
Lyra then called me out on one of my claims, much to my dismay, ‘Didn’t you say that you were a man of few words? Why the long winded pep talk? Maybe you aren’t as taciturn as you let on~’ I could tell that she was teasing me, but my reserved nature was not something I joke about lightly.
“You were being a sad sack, that’s why. Exceptions must sometimes be made in the name of necessity” I interrupted her before she could poke at me further, “We’re here”
Lyra’s cabin looked the same in real life as it did in her Soulscape. I magicked open the screen door and deposited Lyra’s unresponsive body on her twin sized bed. Staring at her snoozing form on the mattress made me feel tired myself, I had expended a good portion of my magic with all the soul searching I had been doing today. Without my permission, a massive yawn escaped my mouth as I futilely held up a hand to curb it.
‘You and I both know that you’re bushed, why not lie down and keep ‘me’ warm?’ She did her best to act coquettish, but I could tell that she also shared my fatigue. Either because we shared the same body or because she was equally exhausted from the afternoon’s events, it mattered not.
I shrugged to myself out of habit, “Eh…why not?” Before collapsing on the bed next to her empty retainer.
It was a tight squeeze on such a tiny bed, so I invariably ended up snuggling next to her body. I found a position that didn’t seem like I was blatantly spooning her and my eyes gently fluttered closed. I gave myself a mental debriefing in regards to the happenings of the past few hours. My parting thoughts being somewhere along the lines of blasé habituation.
‘Just another Sunday in Arcania’
