//------------------------------//
// Winds, Beasts, History, and Tel'eran'hid 
// Story: World of Ponies: The Rise of Change. 
// by ShadowWalking18 
//------------------------------//


Castus


After his meeting with the Tree of Harmony, Castus had brought himself into something of a pattern to his life now.

He would help Fluttershy with her chores around the cottage, who was more than willing to accept his help with a smile....and a rather long extensive lecture on what each and every animal enjoyed eating or how to best feed and care for them.

Frankly Castus had no idea how she could remember it all. There was simply so many animals from mice, hamsters, cats, dogs, several types of birds and one rather large bear. Oh, and Angel the bunny; though Castus felt the name didn't fit. 

After that, he would either read a book or talk with Fluttershy. He had learned a lot more about Fluttershy than he had previously known, such as where she grew up and her cutie mark story, as well as some of her adventures as a former Bearer of the Elements of Harmony.

"So, you were a wielder of some ancient magical artifact?" Castus had said when she had told that story.

"Oh, well one of them. I bore the Element of Kindness. Rarity had the Element of Generosity. Pinkie Pie was Laughter. Rainbow Dash is Loyalty, and Applejack is Honesty and Twilight is Magic." Fluttershy said, labeling each of her friends and their respective element.

Castus rubbed his chin, "But you don't have them anymore?"

Fluttershy nodded, "Yes. We had to return them to the Tree of Harmony to save it, as well as Ponyville from Plunder Roots that had grown wild in the Everfree by Discord before we reformed him."

Castus frowned. Discord was still a sore note for him, but he was rather surprised by the involvement of the Tree. The symbols on the branches he had seen then had to be the elements.

"So what do you do if something evil shows up again? Didn't you say those elements had saved Equestria a number of times?" Castus asked.

"That's what we asked at first as well. But the Tree gave us a box that held a magic that allowed us to defeat such a threat that showed up. His name was Tirek, and he had tried to steal all the magic from Equestria-" Fluttershy said, telling the story.

Castus listened with interest, but as he did he could not help but wonder if the necklace which he wore under his shirt, was more then what it seemed. If the box had a magic, did the necklace?

In fact, speaking of magic, Castus was having his own issues with that.

Since his initial usage of it, he had not had any other moments in which he repeated what he had done; which he felt was a good thing. But at the same time he had been having....moments. Moments of events that he couldn't explain, be it a feeling in his head or something of a more physical type.

Sometimes it would happen when he helped with the animals, he would sometimes get a feeling pinching at the back of his brain as he brushed either a cat or dog, though it was most apparent when he helped around the bear.

It was...a sort of savage feeling, bound beneath a layer of calm and trust. It wasn't from him, but the feeling seem to come from the animals. It was difficult for him to explain, but it felt as if he could feel the wild within the mind of the beast. Though tame, to an extent. Though it was only for brief moments and only when he focused himself on a task such as brushing their fur. Though everytime it passed, he could not help but feel that when the animal looked at him for but a brief second before returning to look at Fluttershy with a smile, he wondered if the animal knew he had felt it. 

And of course there were other moments. Sometimes he would be walking through the woods, and find himself suddenly tripping over grass that had somehow grown and knotted itself in a way that when he moved his foot he would trip, or even something as small a feeling. A feeling of the life in the wood, in the grass. Like a presence that was around him, but like with the beasts the moments were fleeting, momentary and impossible for him to figure out what he had been doing.

And through all of this, the Wind still blew upon his ears, or perhaps his mind, or perhaps both. At times it was difficult to determine what he was really hearing or feeling, but that presence of a gentle breeze, even when a breeze should not be felt or heard, it was there. Even when he slept, he could not help but feel....a tingling on his senses that at least did not make it impossible for him to sleep.

But in sleep, he had other troubles.

The memory of the statue, still sung soundly in his mind.

"Seek me out. Beneath the Golden Spires of White."

That was what the statue had said. Though where these spires were he could not know. 

He had forgotten it for a time, when he had been angry. But now it was more clear, and it played over and over again in his sleep, like a constant reminder. A calling. But these were merely dreams.

Were they?

And if to add to his troubles, he had found that Fluttershy had wanted him to come along on her weekly spa trips. Of course he had wanted to refuse, but the look she had given him proved to hard to say no to.

Besides.....it...it wasn't like it could be worse right? 





It WAS worse.

'I'm gonna die from a heart attack. I just know it.' Castus thought as he sat at the far end of a large hot tub, head tilted at an angle towards the water, wondering if it was the blood rushing to his head or the heat of the water that was making him dizzy as he tried to avoid looking up toward a sight that would send any young male into a nosebleed.

Five young women of equal age at least, though anthropoid ponies yes, but all of them naked in the tub with him, conversing as if it was not at all strange.

Recently he had started to come along with Fluttershy to her weekly spa trip with Rarity, which the fashionista did not mind, and was quiet happy to see him wearing the clothes she had made.

"Oh I knew the colors were perfect. I must say, he is perhaps the only human I have seen so far that actually looks decent in such clothing. It's his form I think, far more slimming then the hulking brutes you see in zoos or farms." Rarity had said when she had seen him in the clothes. 

Of course, like last time, Castus found himself once more in a position that made him very, very uncomfortable. That when the hot tub part of the spa trip came.

And it was only worse when it was a day when Fluttershy's other friends, save Rainbow Dash who as Fluttershy said it, would turn in her Daredevil license before having a spa treatment, were also part of the party.

He had since, gotten a good idea of what each girl had body wise.

Rarity was obviously the more mature, at least personality wise, and had a voluptuous type body. Fluttershy had an almost similar type of body, though Rarity's was more pronounced in some areas.

Pinkie Pie of course was big breasted, wide hips and a fine ass. She was a little bit more weighty compared to the other girls, but all in the right spots. Must be all the sugar she no doubt ingested...and some how worked off enough to keep from getting over weight. How he didn't know though.

Then of course there was Applejack, who had an athletic work girl build to her. Her hips were wide some, though they showed the toned muscles of someone who worked out or used them daily. Castus could tell this was a girl who you did not want to get into a fight with...not unless you wanted to end up with a pair of broken balls. And since she had hooves for feet, that could quiet possibly be very literal.

Twilight definitely was a book reader, and had a thin body of one that did not do a lot of physical work. He placed her breast size at somewhere between B and C. Defintely attractive, anyone who enjoyed a naughty librarian fantasy's dream girl maybe.

Now that he thought about it, he did notice that a lot of the girls did have some pronounced hips, even Twilight had some. The flank as they called it. Castus wondered on that, though when he thought about their tails and how they swung at times when they walked. He realized that the two probably worked in some way to attract a partner.

Of course, none of them were trying to attract him...at least not willingly or knowingly. But boy was he having a hard time keeping himself collected.

'Just stare at the water....stare at the water....stare at the water.' He thought.

Usually the girls would talk among themselves, leaving him alone, there was one pony girl in particular who didn't always do that.

"Hey! Why are you here all alone? We don't bite!" Pinkie said with glee as she wrapped her hooves around Castus waist and yanked him over to her, pressing his back against her breasts as she hugged him.

'Die....I'm gonna die....' Castus thought as he felt the towel he wore around himself wasn't going to be enough covering.

"Pinkie Pie! I say do becareful. What if he snaps at you." Rarity called worried when the pink pony dragged Castus over to join the girls, sitting down with him in her lap, holding him in a tight hug as she giggled.

"Awww, he wouldn't do that." Pinkie said, "He likes this."

"I don't know sugar cube....he looks a little....uncomfortable." Applejack said, noting Castus stiff body. And by that meaning his lack of movement.

"Oh...um..m-maybe we could..." Fluttershy said, flushing slightly as she tried to save Castus from his entrapment.

"Still, I'm surprised he isn't lashing out or anything. He is a lot more docile than average humans. I wonder if he was selectively bred for that." Twilight wondered, leaning over slightly to take a closer look at Castus.

Of course all Castus could do was try to not look at her cleavage. 

"Now ladies, let's not crowd around the dear. Just in case he does suddenly snap." Rarity said, a hint of worry in her voice, "And Pinkie do let him go."

"Awww," Pinkie said, but let Castus go and moved to the side.

A look at the clock told the girls it was time to move on, and they got out of the tub, their warm wet dripping bodies soon wrapped by towels. 

Castus watched them as they went and gulped, 'I'm stuck here......forever.'

He didn't know if this was a good thought.....or a bad one.





After all of the mental torment that he suffered, Castus was always glad to relax at home. This world didn't have t.v., did have old style like movies apparently though these were few and far between. Apparently it was a new technology and was still in the works.

So it was that Castus was left with books. Not that he mind, in fact he found that he rather enjoyed many of the books that Fluttershy had, or borrowed from the library for him. He found the history of this world to be fascinating. If he was going to live here, he might as well make himself knowledgeable of the world.

It was during one of these readings, when he took notice of a phrase in a book, concerning Equestrian History. Or especially the history of its grand capital.

Canterlot, or sometimes known as the Gleaming City of Golden White Spires.

'No...I-it couldn't be.' He thought, noticing the phrase of the words were very similar to what his dream told him of. But it couldn't be?

Could it?

Even if it was not, the thought kept him up the whole night.






Celestia


Celestia felt.....troubled. She could not explain why though.

'Like a nagging sensation at the back of my head.' She thought as she lifted the tea cup to her lips to sip the warm liquid.

Chai tea from the Far East, a gift from the Emperor of Neighsia. She found it to be quiet calming in the afternoon, after all the hearings and other such things her advisor Kibitz scheduled for her. Which could be quiet a lot.

Yet still, the tea could do little to dull the sense that something was not as it should.

'Perhaps it is the strange device that we recovered.' Celestia thought, thinking on the strange black box they had thrown into the Reliquary. Though they could not discover anything of apparent magical nature to it, such a strange device could not simply be thrown aside and so was locked up with the other magical and ancient relics of by gone ages deep within the catacombs of Canterlot for safe keeping.

Still where could such a strange, nearly impossible to determine its purpose, device come from? It did not seem to be natural, and it was obviously built though in a way that no pony could replicate. She could give it to Twilight....

'No. I better not. She might end up having a mental breakdown if I gave her such a task and found she could not fulfill it.' She thought, remembering the last time her faithful student had strived to fulfill a task she believed she was required to. 

Still, something was.....stirring in the world. A feeling on the wind. A feeling she had not felt....in a very, very......very long time.






Castus


Castus could tell it was getting colder, and from what Fluttershy had told him it would soon be winter since Nightmare Night, this worlds version of Halloween, was pass. How long had he been here now? Several weeks at least, if not near a month. Frankly he had lost track. Either way it was starting to snow a lot. Winter was indeed here.

'No Thanksgiving? Aww man, I wanted turkey.' Castus thought with some regret. He liked the November holiday. Every year his old neighborhood threw a big party with all sorts of food. Castus always went, cause who missed a chance at free food and a chance to pig out on turkey and stuffing and pie. And gravy...lots of gravy.

"Awww man...." Castus thought as he started thinking on the types of food he couldn't eat, at least not near Fluttershy. Turkey. Ham. Bacon. Steak! Steak was a really big no no due to the fact that the cows here talked.

'Still....rather odd that the cows talk. That must make milking....really awkward.' Castus thought.

Still, it would be interesting to see this Hearths Warming Eve holiday that Fluttershy talked about. Apparently there was a pageant that was played in every town to commemorate the holiday, one which Fluttershy was going to Manehatten to attend with her friends. Apprently Rarity had managed to get several tickets through her fashion connections and had invited her friends to come with her.

"I participated in the pageant last year, in Canterlot. it was really scary, but it was a lot of fun as well. Though, it will be nice to see somepony else stand up on the stage. I don't think I could do it a second time." Fluttershy said shyly.

"Hmmm, sounds fun. Guess I'll be staying here to hold the fort so to speak?" Castus said as they two lounged in the living room by a warm fire. He was currently taken in with an especially interesting book series detailing the history of Equestria before Celestia, or the Celestia Era. He was on the first book, concerning the Grazing Age and the Great Cataclysm of the Alicorn Kingdom.

Yet as he read, Castus felt his head go dizzy as images began flashing in his mind.

Burning cities of white marble, fringed with gold and silver. Spires of the greatest works brought low in fire and crumbling earth. Great beams of light, flame and thunder raining from the sky, while the earth heaved and cracked within a city, its streets breaking into pieces while houses and shops burned by the beams of power, or fell into the openings of the earth.

Winds scream as soldiers howled their death cries, pouring across determined paths of safety from the destruction to swing swords and axe upon fleeing alicorns, sparing nearly none. Great roars of fury echoed upon the sky as six great scaled winged beasts tore through cloud, unleashing their dreaded breathes of flame, their giants wings fanning the flames.

A large keep, gleaming white spires now charred by the flames, cracking in two as its structured collapse before a flare of multitude of colors engulfed the central area of the city, and the Wind screaming an echo of death as finally the rain of destruction passed.

"Castus...Castus." Fluttershy said, leaning close.

Castus gasped and pulled back, causing Fluttershy to pull back in surprise.

"O-oh, I'm sorry. W-were you thinking on something? I'm sorry I bothered you." She said quickly, sorry for surprising him.

Castus blinked and placed a hand to his head. The image was gone, but it had felt so real. What was that?

"I....forget it....what were you saying?" Castus said quickly. Hoping to forget the strange image. He didn't know what was happening to him, but it was not worth scaring Fluttershy with it.

"Oh, well I was saying that you won't be here alone. I thought it be nice if you came along. I already checked with Rarity and the hotel we will be staying at while we are in the city allows humans. Though, you can't enter the theater were the pageant is being held." Fluttershy said with a  frown.

Castus blinked, "What? But what about the animals? Don't they need taking care of?"

Fluttershy blinked, "Oh no. A lot of the animals are hibernating now, or flown south for the winter. Don't you remember?"

Castus blinked, then facepalmed, "Oh yeah." Now he remembered why it was quieter. Most of the animals were gone or asleep for the winter. He should have expected that. Even Angel had retired to his bed for the winter; which Castus was glad for. The little rodent and he didn't get along very well still. If ever.

Fluttershy giggled, "So don't worry. It would be nice to spend Hearths Warming eve together," Fluttershy frowned and added, "Wouldn't it?" She looked at Castus expectantly, as if his answer would make her smile or make her cry.

"Oh, Y-yeah. Yeah...I was just.....surprised is all. I mean, I can't see the pageant..." Castus said, "but I never was one for those things."

Fluttershy smiled, "Oh, but don't worry. I promise when the pageant is over you and I will spend the rest of the day together. We can go walk through the park and see the sights. They even have a giant tree lit up in the center square at night."

"Sounds like a regular winter date." Castus said with a laugh, but causing Fluttershy to eep in surprise.

"A-a-a...a d-d-d-d-d date?!" She gasped, eyes wide as a blush came to her face.

Castus blinked, "Uh..hey no need to freak out. Just a joke."

Fluttershy blinked again, "O-oh...ah...oh I see. Ahahah...oh yes a joke. Well uh...since that's done I will go see how the soup is coming." Fluttershy quickly got up and left.

Castus blinked as she left and couldn't help but wonder what that was all about.

Then again, this was Fluttershy. She was easily surprised or shocked by a lot of things.






Fluttershy


Fluttershy stirred the soup for tonights dinner silently, a hoof over her heart as she tried to will it to slow its overly increased pace. The words that Castus had spoken, still echoing in her mind and making her shutter as she thought on it.

'A date. A date. Why would he say that. He certainly couldn't-'

But no, he had said it was a joke. it was just a joke! So....so why did it hurt to think of it like that.

Fluttershy gasped and shook her head and focused on adding some spice to the broth to make it tasty. She was not going to think on that. On anything like that. it was just....just ...it was just....

'It's wrong. Wrong. Wrong! I...I am a pony. He is a human. That would be just wrong. It be like taking advantage of a poor creature.' She thought, shaking her head at the forbidden, unholy, thought. Humans were animals, such thinking was just wrong!

But he isn't like the humans you know is he. He is smart. Sentient. Pony like. Like you. A voice, her voice, or the inner part of her own mind that spoke.

'But...but it...it wouldn't be right. I-' Fluttershy thought, but only gripped her mane and pulled. Dear Celestia but what was wrong with her brain. She didn't like Castus like that. She couldn't.

'He is just a friend. A good friend. He makes the cottage feel less lonely. I like spending time with him because he is my friend. That is all!' She told herself, nodding her head as she felt that all was settled now.

He was just a friend......

Just a friend....

A friend. That was all.






Castus


Things were mostly quiet in the coming days, with no animals Castus did not feel the sense of the Beast at the back of his mind any longer. But still the Wind blew. Always the Wind blew. As well, something seemed to be bothering Fluttershy and it worried him.

Sometimes he would catch the girl looking over at him, but quickly look away or leave the room when she noticed him noticing. Sometimes he could hear muttering when he passed the stairs leading up to her room at night to use the rest room. It was rather worrisome.

Until the destined day came, when it was time for them to take a train to Manehatten. The snow had conquered the earth, dressing all of Ponyville and the passing land with a fine blanket of white. And it was definitely cold, though Castus felt the large and puffy winter coat, hat and gloves that Fluttershy wore might have been a bit much. All he had on was his usual clothes, save for a pair of warm boots and socks that Fluttershy, after Castus asked for something to keep his feet warm, had Rarity to make for him, and a thick winter coat. 

"This will certainly be an enjoyable next few days. It will be nice to see a pageant this year instead of playing the roles." Rarity said as she turned to her friends.

"Yeah, though I doubt you'd have accepted the Princess Platinum role again if it had been offered to you this year." Rainbow Dash said with a  smirk.

"But of course. I can't deny the actress within me," Rarity said, "Besides I'm sure you wouldn't have passed up a chance to be Commander Hurricane again, would you?"

Rainbow Dash smiled uneasy, "Heh, guilty." She then looked over at Fluttershy and Castus, who sat quiet watching the landscape.

"Say Fluttershy, why did you bring him along anyway? What if he freaks out when we're in the city?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at Castus uneasily as if he was going to do just that any moment, "You know how humans get in busy places like cities."

"Oh, well I couldn't just leave him alone at the cottage. That would be just as bad. Besides, as long as I'm with him, he will feel comfortable." Fluttershy said, shifting slightly in hear seat with all her friends eyes on her.

"Of course darling. Besides, I highly doubt we have to worry about Castus there suddenly going crazy. He has proven to be quiet a well trained human I must say." Rarity said.

"Yeah, I mean he hasn't snapped at or tried to bite any of us, especially Pinkie." Twilight said, looking up from her book.

"Why would he want to snap at me?" Pinkie said, suddenly appearing from under Castus seat, causing him and Fluttershy to jump in surprise as Pinkie giggled and got up to sit back down in the seat in front of them.

"Gee. Who knows." Rainbow Dash said, rolling her eyes.





The city of Manehatten, reminded Castus a great deal of New York Manhatten. Even the name was nearly similar, and being a large city, it had that usual feel of bustling activity, even with the cold and snow. 

'Wonder if there is a kid out there sending two dumb goons through a house of traps somewhere here.' Castus thought, fighting back a smirk. He instead looked around at the tall skyscrapers and busy roads. All around ponies walked here and there, and strange creature drawn carts which seemed to act as a cabbie system here.

The creatures themselves were the most odd. They stood as tall as an ostrich, and even looked like one almost. Long powerful legs on a slender body. A long neck ending with a head and two short front arms or wings. But it was not an ostrich, it looked more like a lizard, bird hybrid. The head reminded him of a lizards, or maybe a velociraptor from Jurassic Park. In fact, Castus felt it looked more like a tall velociraptor, but instead of scales it had feathers, even its body was covered it a downy like coat. Luckily it didn't have a long foot claw, just three toed feet.

'What is that?' Castus thought, but he didn't have time to look further as he was lead along toward the hotel with the girls. 

The girls were given the keys to their rooms, three rooms total each with two master beds, all right next door to each other.

"Well, lets get settled in. The pageant is tomorrow night, so we have the whole evening and night to enjoy ourselves. And, I have reservations for all six of us at a restaurant in the area that is simply delightful later tonight." Rarity said as she passed the keys to the rooms to her friends.

The girls all smiled as they all began talking about what they would do with their day. Ranging from checking out a sports stadium, art galleries, and even a library were discussed to be visited. Castus himself merely looked around, taking notice of a few momentary stares from some ponies; though largely he was ignored and even saw a few other human pets. Though in the elevator, he felt like the pony operating the lever kept casting glances at him. Frankly he was glad when they finally arrived at the rooms, Pinkie and Fluttershy, along with Castus, went to their room, and the other girls to theirs.

Suffice to say, Castus wasn't to...thrilled to know he was going to be in a room with Pinkie Pie for the next two days. It wasn't that he disliked her, in fact he found her humorous given her bubbly personality though she could be a bit.....much. And he didn't know, but he felt sure she knew that the way she would always hug him made him....uncomfortable.

It was going to be....interesting.





The remainder of the day consisted of unpacking, and then the girls all heading out to see the sights, agreeing to meet back at the hotel later for dinner.

Castus and Fluttershy had gone for a walk through the park, and through the local zoo. The zoo had been especially interesting as Castus had gotten his first look at humans in a more captive setting.

The humans had a large enclosure with fake rock structures and a cave which he could see some humans sleeping in. The whole thing reminded Castus of primate enclosures at zoos in his world. It felt odd seeing the same species as he, on the other side of the fence. 

Beside the enclosure, a pony in a zee employee vest was giving a lecture to a group of ponies about humans. In her hooves she held a young human child, probably two years old, which she allowed other ponies to hold or pet for a few moments. Like how in some zoos in his world you got to hold a koala.

"Awww, it's so cute." Fluttershy said when they approached the group. Some ponies looking at Castus in surprise for a moment.

"Would you like to hold her?" The zoopony asked with a smile, offering the human toddler to Fluttershy.

"Oh, yes. Thank you." Fluttershy said excitedly as she gently took the human child and held her close to her, the human clinging tightly to her fur with wide eyes. Castus looked at the small child in Fluttershy's hooves and smiled noting how cute she was holding her.

At the same time though, he felt pity for the child who seemed to be afraid. A sense of nurturing came over him and slowly he extended his hand to brush the childs head softly to calm it, and as he did he felt something he had never felt before.

It was the sense of the beast once more, like what he had felt with the other animals. Technically that wasn't surprising, since even humans were at their core an animal, so it was only natural that they would have a feeling of a beast in them, but unlike the other animals this feeling felt more....prevalent. In fact, he could feel the base instincts over powering everything in the childs mind, with fear being the most felt.

But, but there was something else to it. Something dark. Something unnatural, something that seemed to force the base instincts to be all that was felt. It felt like a taint upon a river, blackness that covered a light he could sense in the humans mind, a light he could also feel from Fluttershy.

'Oh my god!' Castus thought, not knowing what it was but understanding what it meant.

The human was intelligent. Not only intelligent, but had a sentience to it that he had not felt in the same way as the other animals he had felt before. But more like the light of sentience and intellect that came from Fluttershy. But while the light of Fluttershy, kept the savage sense of the beast in her mind asleep and repressed, whatever dark taint that lay upon this childs mind seemed to repress the light and promote the savagery.

Castus stepped back in shock and the feeling soon faded. Ponies looking at him oddly by his sudden stepping away from the child. Even Fluttershy looked at him worried a moment, and she soon passed the human child back to the zoo pony and said thank you before taking him away.

"Is something wrong?" She asked quietly when they were alone.

"I...yeah...I think." Castus said, though he could see Fluttershy didn't feel confident by that.

The two left the zoo shortly after, mostly due that Castus wished to leave and mostly that it would be time for Fluttershy to meet the others for dinner. She apologized that he had to stay at the hotel, and promised she'd try to bring home something for him. But Castus only nodded, as he was too focused upon something else.

Humans here, were capable of sentience as the ponies. Perhaps they had always been, but something....made it impossible for them to express this, and kept them as beasts. He didn't know what, but for a brief moment when he felt that taint....he wanted to cry.

To cry in shame.....in guilt. He didn't know why, and that only made it worse.





Castus sat alone in the room now, his mind troubled by what he had learned. Though he couldn't say what it would do him. Should he tell Fluttershy? Would she even believe him? And if she did, he no doubt would have to explain how he knew, about his......magic. About the Wind.

Interestingly enough, he found himself use to the sound of the Wind. Where it once felt like a soft background noise it now seemed quiet, though when he listened for it he could always hear it as strong as ever. He figured that his mind had grown use to it and merely filtered the sound out unless he actively listened for it...or maybe felt it was a better term.

Either way, he didn't feel comfortable explaining that to Fluttershy. Though he was a bit surprised that Discord hadn't told her. Didn't he say he was dangerous or something?

'Is he up to something?' Castus thought.

Sighing Castus laid back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Wishing he had his phone, or at least a t.v. . He yawned and felt his eyes starting to droop as he lay there, and finally decided to take a nap while he waited for the girls to get back.






Fluttershy


"Hoowee. I'm stuffed." Applejack said when they arrived to the hotel once more.

"Eh it wasn't so bad. Though you didn't have to tell them to stop bringing the cider." Rainbow Dash huffed, looking at Rarity.

Rarity waved her hoof dismissively at her friend, "Please darling. You had already had three bottles, more than enough for you or have you forgotten last summer at the beach?"

Rainbow Dash felt her face go red, "Th-that...we swore to never speak of it!"

"Ah well, I rest my case." Rarity said with a smirk, as Rainbow Dash grumbled in defeat.

"Their chocolate lava cakes were amazing!" Pinkie cheered.

"We know darling. You had seventeen of them. Honestly where does your energy go to?" Rarity asked.

"It was excellent Rarity. Thank you." Twilight said.

"Oh indeed, I certainly must thank my client for referring it to me." Rarity said as they entered the elevator, the elevator pony pocketing bits he had been counting to take them to their floor.

Fluttershy merely smiled as her friends talked. Dinner had been fun, and the food delicious. But what she enjoyed the most was the conversation. It was great to converse with her friends together, remember old adventures, trading jokes, or talk of interesting moments.

Though it had seemed less then perfect to her, like something had been missing. Fluttershy looked at foam box that held her untouched dessert. She hoped Castus liked it in make up for having to leave him in the room alone.

'I hope he didn't get bored.' She thought with a frown.

She really wished Castus could have come. It would have been nice if he could have come, but he was a human. She frowned at the thought, but said it to herself once more.

He was a human. She had to remember that. Always.

The girls all waved good night as they entered their rooms. Fluttershy dug through her purse till she found the key, all the while Pinkie hopping up and down behind her.

"So are you hoping that Castus will like the cake?" Pinkie asked.

Fluttershy paused, and looked to her friend, "I-what? What makes you say that? I...I just couldn't finish my dessert is all." 

"Ppfft, silly Fluttershy. There is always room for cake. Besides, Castus had to stay here all alone, so I bet you were bringing him a treat. I do the same for Gummy all the time." Pinkie said with a wide smile.

"O-oh...well...maybe I was. I felt bad he had to stay alone without us." Fluttershy said, turning back to the door.

"Yeah, I wish he could have come too. I bet he would have had all sorts of funny jokes." Pinkie said with a  giggle.

Fluttershy stopped dead as she inserted the key and looked back to Pinkie, "P-Pinkie..Uh...humans can't speak." Fluttershy felt herself starting to sweat. Had Pinkie somehow learned that Castus could talk? 

Pinkie blinked and looked up, placing her hoof to her chin in thought, "Oh wait. We aren't at that chapter yet. Silly me."

Fluttershy blinked confused as Pinkie then turned the key and pushed open the door and skipped into the room. She watched her friend a moment before shaking her head confused.

'She's just being Pinkie....but I think it's getting worse.' She thought.

The room was dark when they entered, save for the light of a single lamp by the couch, where resting quietly was Castus.

"Awww, he's so cute when he is sleeping." Pinkie said, hopping over and smiling down at the sleeping human.

Fluttershy couldn't help but smile, and had to agree. He did look cute when sleeping. She placed the cake into the fridge of the room, deciding to give it to Castus tomorrow as she didn't want to disturb his slumber.

"We should be quiet, we don't want to wake him." Fluttershy whispered to Pinkie.

"Righty oh." Pinkie saluted, though not very quietly, before hopping over to her bed and flopping down onto it and getting undressed for sleep.

Fluttershy smiled and went to the closet and removed a blanket from its confines and slowly placed it over Castus to keep him warm. He shifted slightly in slumber, mumbling something, but his chest still rising and falling in the sure sign of slumber.

Giggling slightly, she then turned off the lamp, encasing the room in darkness.

"Sleep tight Castus." She whispered slightly, before gently kissing his forehead.






Discord


Discord turned another page of the book that he was reading, if a book nearly twelve feet in length, with pages as thick as wood planks, seven thousand pages long, only the first in a currently seven hundred thousand and growing series, and written in a language so old even time itself has forgotten where it came from and left only a few individuals able to read it counted as a book.

Discord placed a monocle over his eye and slowly began tracing a paw through the ancient text as he searched for an entry that he was looking for, if it was indeed in there.

"Section G, subsection four, paragraph seventy two, line three." Discord mumbled as he slowly read off each word, and with each word a memory replaying into his mind as if it was a clear vision.

It had to be here somewhere, but so far all he had managed to read was the creation of the world and the evolution of the first life forms.

'Still, it is rather interesting that humans and ponies descended from the same vertebrate species so many eons ago. Who would have thought a fish only a few centimeters long would become such silly and cute creatures.' Discord thought.

Still, he could find nothing so far, yet he knew that there was something here. How he didn't know, but he knew that it would be connected to Castus and his strange magic. Call it a hunch, but he knew he had felt that form of magic before.

Long, long ago. But where and how he could not remember, at least not yet.

Several pages later, Discord came across the chapter of the beginnings of sentience of creatures that would begin to populate the world. He quickly placed a second monocle upon his eye and started from the beginning of this section as he felt sure it would hold the knowledge he sought.

And so it began in this era, with the changing of the lands once more as mountains rose where once ocean lay, and great plains of grass and sand overcame where once forest stood. Where seas dried up and new ones born as rivers broke new ground and carved out new valleys and wetlands for life to explore and grow, when five species stepped forward into the light of sentience, where all other beings lay in savage primativity. To the great south, where the suns gaze was strong, became the domain of a great and powerful race known as the Great Sauroids and their lesser cousins the Saurians. They would soon spread to other areas of the world, populating swamps and jungles. In the middle lands, where all manners of enviroments grew from deep forest and plains, to desert and wetland and mountain ranges, the mighty Aarakocra on their mighty wings established kingdoms within the mountain ranges and canyons in which they lived, and the powerful and ageless Alicorns arose among the grassy fields their forebears once roamed, and built their mighty kingdom that would spread to many areas of the globe, and come into conflict with other empires. 

Discord read these words carefull, and with each word he saw an image play across his mind.

The Great Sauroids, strong and powerful creatures of reptilian descent. Though related to dragons, the dragons were but minnows in comparison to the might of a Sauroid. Great beasts of god like stature, capable of living for eons, and wielders of ancient and powerful magics far greater than what the Alicorns could ever hope to dream of. Their awesome size and strength made them powerful predators, and they were masters of their genetic code, capable of mutating themselves into nearly any form they wished, from long and agile bodies like snakes, to powerful wings to lift their massive bodies into the air and allow them to block out the sun for miles across, to having multiple heads to allow greater area of coverage by their powerful breathes of fire, ice, acid or lightning. Their scales harder then diamond, truly these ancient beasts were beings without equal and with cunning minds with a desire to rule and increase the size of their treasure troves.

The Saurians, man like snakes and lizards, the lesser cousins of the Sauroids, and who worshiped these great beasts as gods. The Saurians while lacking in the great magics of their gods, were capable of a lesser genetic control, able to give them great strength or intellect far greater then any. And like the lizards and snakes they were related too, spread like wild fire as their great nests of eggs grew. 

The Aarakocra, a species of cat and bird, similar to the griffons, save they were taller and more muscular. Their predatory minds gave way to cunning and ingenuity. They built great cities in the canyon and mountain sides, and waged terrible words with the elder giants, the race that would spawn the trolls and ogres of the modern Equestria. The Arakocra won their wars in the end, but were left broken and weak at the end. And weakness then was a death sentence for an empire.

Discord ignored the images of the Alicorns, he knew enough about them from Celestia and Luna. No sense of fun at all. Too uptight and always with a stick up their flanks.

Though he did find their ancient imperialism to be rather fascinating. Who would have thought so benevolent a race now would have such a  history of slave labor and environmental destruction, even if they tried to make up for it later. Though he did wonder how such a powerful species of hundreds went to only a handful now?

Discord kept reading, and finally reached the passage that gave him an answer to his question.

And the last race to grow to sentience were the humans. Weak in comparison to the other races, the Saurians and Aarakocra hunted them for sport and sacrifice and inflicted great scars upon the human race and these people were nearly brought to extinction. Small pockets of tribes yet remained, living either in the cold north near the Ice Seas, or on the fringes of the most arid places of the Southern lands. But one pocket of humanity set their roots in the heart of a wide verdant valley, and it was here the wandering tribes of this pocket settled and built farm towns and prospered, safe from all but wandering monsters, and lived in peace among each other for their home offered enough for all the twelve towns that grew. It was here in this lush valley, that would spawn an empire that would conquer all who stood before them, tear the earth apart and remake it to their needs. Destroy all other Creator races, driving some to extinction and others into slavery, and at the height of their power hold all the world in their grasp and expand their dominion into other worlds.

These people would become known as the Valhrua.

Discord kept silent as he read, and re-read the passage over. He read on, and with each paragraph read, each moment of history explained and the images of these events played out in his mind, a feeling of awe, wonder, curiosity, excitement and surprise filled him, but as did dread, fear and worry and the thought that he had perhaps made a mistake in bringing Castus to this world.

"I think I did a baaaaad thing." Discord said, placing a talon to his chin as he pondered this revelation.






Luna


The Princess of the Night, was not a fair explanation of her title Princess Luna felt. She did so much more than rule the night, and raise and set the moon. While her court was not as busy as her sisters, in fact she had learned that the Day and Night courts were very, very different.

And running both, exhausting. She could not help but pity her sister for the thousand years she had been left to handle both.

Though Luna and her Night Guard did at times patrol the forest and hills for nocturnal monsters that tried to wander away from their dens into populated areas, her greatest and most important duty was to patrol the dreams of her subjects though the World of Dreams.

The World of Dreams was ancient. Perhaps as old as the world itself, if not older. It was both apart and part of the world, a reflection of the world and other worlds for it was within the World of Dreams where the boundaries of reality were at their weakest in that the World of Dreams expanded to all worlds where dreams lay. It was in this world of imagination, that Luna spent most of her time, entering into the area of the World of Dreams known by here merely as the Between, and in the Between, she observed the dreams of all who dreamt, and at times even entered those dreams to dispel the nightmares that came.

It was in this world, where her strength was absolute.

While in the waking world, she and Celestia were near equals, her sister was older and stronger in magic than herself. But when it came to the World of Dreams, Luna was the greater sister. Celestia had trouble maintaining her concentration in the realm when she choose to enter it, which when in a world where imagination was the rule, an unfocused mind could be problematic. As well Celestia found she could not exert as much control over dreams as her sister could, and when she entered the Between to observe the dreams of her subjects, well her difficulty with controlling the Dream World oft at times had caused her to be drawn into the dreams of her subjects and e unable to leave until the dreamer had awoken.

Suffice to say, Celestia had learned a great deal of the more....unsavory thoughts of some of her subjects concerning her. When Luna had returned from her exile in the moon, she felt sure that this was one role of the Night that she was glad to be rid of. Luna could not help but snicker a giggle.

It was during this night, as she wandered the Between, the bubbles of dreams of all dreams floating past her, and images playing across their surface, that Luna stumbled upon a clear Dream Bubble.

"What?" She said, tilting her head as she approached the bubble.

Usually Dream Bubbles held faint images of the dream within, but this one was clear, yet whoever it belonged to was surely asleep, or it would not be here. A Dream Bubble only existed if one was asleep.

Curious, Luna slowly brushed her hoof across the bubble, to allow her a great vision of the dream within. To her shock, she felt herself being drawn into the bubble, despite her protests she soon was engulfed into the dream.

And old city lay in ruin, its once beautiful buildings now nothing more than rubble. The ruins themselves were tilted at an angle, and built upon the overturned remains of a mountain top. What few buildings remained, bore the style of an ancient empire.

One which Luna had only seen so many years ago. A time that she would rather forget.

"Wh-what....how....who dares dream of such a place?" Luna hissed, looking at the ruined remains with disgust.

Even if they were now a ruin, the mere sight of this place still filled her heart with contempt and bitterness as old memories flooded back. Memories of pain and fear.

Luna looked around, and saw in the distance a single tower still standing among the ruins. While the other buildings were destroyed or crumbling, this tower stood firm and tall as if freshly constructed, and gleaming in a ray of light that shone down from a bleak black sky.

"We will see who this fiend is. We are sure it is Discord. Even that one must sleep." Luna said. She felt sure it was Discord, as she had once stepped into the dreams of that mad creature. Like their owner, they were just as chaotic and without sense as he was. She tried to avoid them.

But perhaps he had tricked her into entering his dreams, no doubt for some sinister prank. Though if this wasa joke, she found it not funny in the slightest.

"We will see who is funny soon." Luna thought with a scowl as she landed upon the balcony of the tower and stood before a closed door. She raised a hoof to kick it open, but paused when she heard voices within.

"You know...it is rude to do what you do." The voice said from within.

Luna froze, feeling a shiver run up her spine as she felt her face heat up. She lowered her hoof, and for a moment felt meek.

'Wait...what is this?' She thought, and shook her head and stood up straight and pushed the door open.

"Who are you to dream this place?" She called and stepped in.

She was surprised by the décor of the room. A simple study, with a wide couch and chair near a roaring fire. Shelves of scrolls and books made up the walls and laying upon the couch slept a human.

It was an oddly fored human. Much more slimmer than the ones that populated Equestria. Luna wondered if it was a new breed, yet it wore clothes. A pet perhaps? 

"Such rudeness. To enter without asking. You have forgotten your manners little one." The voice said, and Luna turned toward a desk where a another human sat. His back was to her, but he wore a tunic of fine silk of purple and white, with a cloak of shimmering cloth of deep gold, with the mark of a circle with one half white and one half black, eight points upon the mark of white, green, blue, brown, yellow, red, purple and grey. The hood of the cloak was up, and so covered the humans face, but he spoke in a way that continued to make her shiver.

"I....you...." Luna stammered, and found she could not think of an excuse for her rudeness.

It had been rude. To enter so when not called upon. She should apologize, ask for forgiveness and hope he was kind. Luna was shocked to find she had already crouched low, shivering and eyes closed before she stood up once more.

"Who are you!" She demanded, fighting back her fear and meekness. Though what spawned these feelings now she did not know.

The figure stood slowly, and Luna shivered as he did. he turned to her, face still covered by the shadow the hood of the cloak cast.

"So rude. Disturbing me when I rest. To enter where you are not wanted. I dislike interruptions to my work, and your disrespect angers me so. Perhaps you need.....re-education." The voice said the last with a hiss as he raised a hand and flare of bright light flashed as Luna felt herself being hit wtha  force that sent her flying.

She felt herself being torn from the dream, thrust back into the World of Dreams and from the World of Dreams thurst back into the waking world.

"AAAGGGH!" Luna screamed as her eyes shot open, her magic faltering as she felt herself return to the waking world. She fell forward as if pushed and rolled down the small stairs of her throne to lay on the floor.

"Princess Luna!" A night guard called as they burst through the door into the throne room, and rushed to the aid of their princess.

"Get the medics. She is hurt!" One guard called to another, who rushed to follow the order.

Luna groaned, and felt pain along her body. Slowly she focused herself and looked to where she felt pain. The area of her gown around her flank was torn and shredded, and her flank was covered in a number of red marks, the marks that came when one was whipped or flogged. Blood seeped from the wounds.

But how? She had been in the World of Dreams, so how could she have gotten hurt?

She thought of the man once more, and shivered. She had to tell her sister.

Something was stirring in the world, though it was not yet moving. But she feared it soon would.

And though she suspected something, she could not figure out how it could be. it defied logic and facts.

But if her suspicions were true. Then all of Equestria, nay all the world, was in great danger.