//------------------------------// // Chapter 84 // Story: The Darkness in our Souls // by Black Light //------------------------------// Chapter 84 "-And that about sums up how I have to live with a monster inside my mind." I said to Gilda finishing my explanation. "Hey, I find that offensive." "Good, it was supposed to be." I told the darkness. Gilda was sitting across from me eyes wide. "I- I don't- I can't even begin to understand all you've been through." "He's a strange one, that's for certain." Rainbow said next to me. "Well, that's my story. Now if you'll excuse me. We seem to be lacking in pancakes and I wish for more." I said with a small smile as gestured for Bright Wall to come with. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Twilight licking her lips hungrily. "And maybe this time somepony won't take them while I'm not paying attention." I added on to the end causing Twilight to look away sheepishly. Bright Wall and I left the room and returned a few minutes later with more pancakes. We ate and conversed some more before we finished them off completely. When we were done we left the dinning room and started towards the main entrance. "So, I don't suppose you know what the schedule is going to be?" I asked turning to Gilda. "Actually I do." She responded. "A little after lunch time my father wishes to speak with you, along with some of the nobility. You've got the rest of the day to yourself, but if you choose to leave the castle he wishes for you to take a griffin escort with you. He say's it's-" "-For our own protection, but with the hidden initiative of having an eye on us at all times." I finished. Gilda faltered in her step slightly. "I may not have much experience acting as an ambassador, but I have plenty of knowledge by observation." I told her. She chuckled slightly and had a small grin. "You really are a strange one." "Can we cut the sappy clichés and such? I would like to leave here soon. I can already feel the dark emotions flowing outside these walls. I would like to investigate further." "Right, you're still here." I said rolling my eye. "You know I had almost forgotten about you." I am not so easily forgotten." "That's true, wish it wasn't, but it is true." I responded as the darkness receded into my mind again. "And you've dealt with him for how long?" Gilda asked. "Well he's been attached to me since birth. He first truly manifested when I was five, but the whole conversation thing is relatively new." I told her. "You don't seem to care as much about him as I thought you would. You kind of just act casual about him." She said. "Well, I'm used to him. As it is right now he's under my... I don't think control is the right word, but it's as close as I can get. He can't do much right now, and I can't do much about him so we currently we have a mutual apathy towards each other." I explained. 'You could've just said we don't really care about each other.' "At least, I'm apathetic when he's not making annoying quips about the things I do." I added on. "On a different note, I don't suppose you actually have a plan about what to do at the meeting?" Twilight asked. "Twilight, that's why I have you here." I said with a smile. She rolled her eyes. "Now, we have a few hours until lunch and the meeting. I suggest we go out and see what the town has to offer. It would also help me to learn more about griffin culture." I said. "At least you aren't completely clueless." Twilight said. I just smiled. I turned to Gilda. "Would you care to join us?" I asked. She looked at me surprised for a moment. "I don't know. I'm not sure my father would wish for me to leave so suddenly." She said. "Then don't tell him." I responded. Gilda just smiled. "You're only doing this so you can try and convince the guards that I'm the griffin escort my father requested so you don't get stuck with some random griffin, that you're no doubt going to try and ditch." She said. "...Smart lass." I said. "I'm still not hearing a no." "Yeah, yeah, I'll come with." She said. "Huzzah, now I'm fairly certain that you should take the lead. Since you've all been following me and I believe we've been walking in circles for the past few minutes on the account that we've passed that suit of armor for the fifth time now." I told her. The entire group stopped to stare at the suit we just passed. "Why did we let him lead?" Twilight asked. "Because he's supposed to be the one that knows what he's doing, but we forgot that he doesn't." Rainbow answered. "Oy!" "You know it's true." Rainbow told me. "...That is not the point." I responded. Gilda then took the lead and lead us to the main gates. It took some convincing of the guards to let us go with Gilda as our escort, but when the princess tells you to back off, you back off. The town itself was large, we started in the nice part of town, but I knew along the edges there were places that were lacking. I could sense the depression emanating from them when we flew over them when we first arrived. We decided the best place to start with was the market festival that was going on. There was no doubt that there would be something there for all of us to be interested in. Twilight obviously spent most of her time near a vendor that was selling exotic books, Skies was with her as well so I didn't worry too much about her.. I saw a few when I walked by, there definitely were some interesting books there. I'm almost certain I saw one that was about necromancy. Rainbow and Gilda were over at the stall selling flying gear and other things of that sort. That left Bright Wall and me wandering around looking at the different stalls. There was such a variety of things available. I looked at the my saddle bags and thought about the money that Celestia had given me for the trip. It was a griffin currency so at the time I didn't know how much it was really worth, but after seeing the prices of some of the things here, I'm fairly certain she gave me a small fortune to spend. I didn't know what use I would have for it so instead I decided to spent some of it on souvenirs for my friends back home. I got Spike an assortment of rare gems. For Rarity a set of silk, that was by far the softest fabric I had ever felt. For Applejack I got a barrel of the finest griffin alcohol there is, she may not sell her hard cider, but I've seen their cellar, they make a lot of it. Fluttershy was difficult but I managed to find an encyclopedia of animals native to griffin lands. And Pinkie...I didn't even know what to get that mare. I just went with a good old-fashioned cookbook. I got Skies a very intricate puzzle box, she always enjoys a good challenge. I even got something to the princesses. For Luna a high powered telescope, I had heard that her previous one was damaged in the changeling invasion. And Celestia I got... A bunch of bananas...I don't really even know why, it just felt right for some reason. I met up with Twilight and the others a little later, and Twilight being the amazing magic user she is managed to teleport all of the gifts I got back to the castle. Sometimes I forget how powerful she really is. We began walking away from the market, and Bright Wall walked next to me. "Sir-" He began. "I know." I told him. "Well it's about lunch time. I think we should get something to eat." I said turning to the rest of the group. "There's a nice pony-friendly place not too far from here." Gilda said. "Great and I think I know a short cut." I said as I began to push everypony into an alleyway. "Hey what do you-" Gilda started before a stopped her by spinning around facing back out towards the way we came in. Just moments later a griffin came around the corner. I grabbed him with my hoof and swung him into the wall pinning him there with my leg. "You've been following us ever since we left the castle. Now I want some answers." I told him as I glared at him. I saw his mouth shift slightly and I used my magic to force his mouth open. I removed a small pill from the inside of his beak and let him have control of his mouth again. "Sorry, but you're not getting out of this so easily, now how about we get straight to the questions? Who sent you?"