Rulers.
After so long avoiding those damned people, after so long of ignoring those people, in the end I’d ended up in some sort of interrogation room, a metal chair under my ass, and the ruler of Equestria (somehow) sitting across me with the patience of an unconscious man with only a metal table dividing us.
A part of me asked if this was the first part of the gods’ way to make my life a living hell.
Of course, looking at my past, it’s only a matter of time before I’d be meeting with a ruler of some sort under some sort of convoluted situation, trying to use me as a disposable pawn to be betrayed after I was deemed a loose end or just plain useless, either by giving me to a group of those Imperial hunters, or the Tower’s inquisitors.
But I had an inkling that this ruler—Celestia, as she called herself— won’t be doing that to me anytime soon, and if the literal power eradiating from her was any clue, she won’t have any problem turning me into naught but a stain on the floor, and so far, I was still breathing.
So there’s hope yet.
“So, you didn’t assault her as the report says?” Celestia asked me, after a few minutes of peace and quiet.
I sighed, nodding as I rested my head on my hands. “Yes, Princess Celestia,” I answered her question absentmindedly, as my mind kept on swimming in the ocean I named‘my problems’ which had been growing and growing for the past 24 hours.
Thankfully, Celestia the co-ruler of Equestria, didn’t notice it. Or she just didn’t have fucks to give freely.
In the end though, my mind kept focusing on my newly given curse as the same question kept on repeating itself within the few minutes of silence. How do I break the curse?
In the end, I just couldn’t find a damn way to break the curse, to do anything so that I won’t be the gods’ plaything, a source of entertainment for them. I couldn’t just bore them, nor do anything that would prove as ‘boring’ because they’re gods, they could just send some kind of monstrosities for me to fight so that I could entertain them the old fashioned way.
Or worse, they could threaten me to do something entertaining in cruel ways, such as… killing my familiar.
This is why I hate gods. This is why I hate those fucking twats who hide themselves in another plane to just play with mortals.
“—okay?”
I snapped back to reality, “What?” I asked dumbly, trying to will away my exhaustion for a moment. Staring across from the table, Celestia was frowning with concern, as well as Ruby who was floating right above the ruler of Equestria with a look of reverence in her eyes.
Nero though, she was very awake from her peaceful sleep. Her eyes wide in a startled manner, before she promptly relaxed and jumped onto my shoulder, nuzzling my neck.
“It’s okay master, it’s going to be okay…” she whispered, and I couldn’t help but to quirk a smile and scratch her ears, eliciting a purr of delight from her.
It was a lie, of course. It’s not going to be fine. Call me pessimist, but nothing has ever been okay in my past experience. When the Imperials, bounty hunters, and mages alike won't be chasing me, it would be trouble with the undead. And when it’s not undead, it would be creatures suddenly attacking me out of nowhere, like that giant mouse with a penis on its back.
In hindsight, I should’ve seen this curse coming.
But it was the thought that mattered. And that as long as my familiar is with me, I could endure everything. And I will certainly break this curse.
After all, isn’t magic created from the very nature of defiance itself? It’s the force that’s created for the purpose of defying nature and gods themselves, given to Cain by the god of chaos, Genesis himself. So that instead of making humans, elves and other sentient creatures to bow down to the gods, we could defy them for our own choices. It’s one of the many reasons why Chaos was hated, and then the gods escaped to another realm to hide, because they can’t simply herd mortals like sheep anymore.
Except the Imperials of course, but they only obey one god, but of course other gods could play as that god. So that’s a moot point.
Shaking those thoughts away for later, I turned to Celestia who was still looking at me with concern. And I just gave a nod and a smile, though the gesture was directed to the filly ghost behind me who breathed a relieved sigh.
But she didn’t know that.
Celestia cleared her throat, and smiled. “Well, in that case, you should be okay to go out,” I raised an eyebrow in askance, “Pinkie Pie, the one you knocked out, was fine. I’d talked to her before this, and she said it was her fault for surprising you.”
And suddenly, the temperature of the room seemed to rise as her purple eyes narrowed at me. Gone was her motherly nature as it was changed into the face of a ruler, the same face that I’m familiar with, except this time it was a hundredfold stronger than what I had experience with.
“Do you have any intention of harming my subjects?” She asked with an edge in her voice that promised pain and doom if I answered wrongly.
In the midst of the heat, I could feel Nero straightened on my shoulder, her fur standing as she glared at Celestia, ready to jump at her should I say so.
Not that I would if I had too.
In the end, I silently gulped and offered a confident smile. “I wouldn’t dare too,” I said, not giving her any sign of fear. I had seen much, much worse than her. Nothing but him could elicit fear from me, “Except in an act of self-defense.” I added.
And with that, the temperature in the room went back to normal, and her ‘ruler’ face was now replaced with the motherly expression. I could also feel Nero relaxed as she returned to her previous position, though she still kept that wary expression on Celestia.
Ruby, ignorant of the previous conversation just floated idly. Couldn’t blame her though, being a ghost probably made her… insensitive to a lot of things. And being a child, albeit an ancient child, probably didn’t help either for her mentality.
Celestia smiled, as if she hadn’t threatened me a few moments ago, “Good, I would hate to do something unpleasant to you,” Nero snorted in reply, which was lost to the princess, then she frowned as if remembering something, then her eyes widened slightly, “Oh where are my manners? I haven’t asked your name, have I?”
I chuckled well naturedly, as well as if I hadn’t been threatened a few moments ago, or maybe it was my exhaustion addled mind. “My name’s Psyche,” I answered, before nodding to Nero “this is Nero, my familiar.”
“Familiar?”
I held down a grimace. What kind of backwater land have the gods cursed me into for their own amusement? In the end, I just sighed. “Familiar, assistant, helper, friend,” then I smiled as I scratched Nero’s ear softly, “family and life companion. They’re basically the partner of all kind of mages,” I explained, sighing as memories resurfaced as I remembered the time I took our master-familiar relationship to the next level just after I learned soul magic, taking a tiny part of her soul into me and vice-versa, allowing us to be, quite literally, inseparable.
She nodded, closing her eyes and smiling softly as if remembering a fond memory, “Reminds me of my Philomena.”
“Philomena?”
She nodded, opening her eyes that contained that faraway look, “She’s a phoenix—” I blinked in befuddlement. “—I found her when she and I were still young, I saved her from… some young dragons,” the ruler said bitterly at the last word, “then she started to follow me.”
I nodded, briefly considering if it’s rude to ask for some phoenix feathers for my runes before I decided not to. Then I cocked my head, “Where’s she then?”
“She’s in my castle, in Canterlot,” then she giggled, “probably playing with my guards.”
I frowned, brows furrowing. That’s just wrong. “Shouldn’t a familiar be with its partner?” I asked. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems wrong to just leave your familiar alone. That’s the most important rule about familiars. You shouldn’t leave your familiar alone.
“Whatever do you mean?” She asked back, her eyes cocked.
“I mean,” I started, brows furrowing deeper, “familiars, in a mage’s sense, are life companions”—even dark wizards trust their familiars—“You shouldn’t leave them alone, at least not when you’re far away from them.” because, at times, familiars also need their own privacy.
She looked thoughtful for a moment, “Maybe. If she wanted to, I suppose.” She said, before nodding, “Well, I guess I should ask her to come if she wants to.” And just like that, our conversation ended as she stood up, “Now, I think that’s enough for today.” she said, looking at me with those large purple eyes before she walked to the exit door. She halted before she reached the door, and turned back to me.
“I forgot to ask your name, didn’t I?”
I chuckled, “Call me Psyche.”
She smiled again, “Well, Psyche, I suppose I’ll meet you again sooner or later.” Before she opened the door and left, letting the door shut as she did so.
“Ready?” Nero asked as she stood and stretched her body.
I just shook my head tiredly, “Wait for a minute,” I yawned, “still tired.”
She chuckled, and Ruby looked at me curiously. “I don’t even know what you guys are talking about,” she commented, “and this is boring!”
I thought about it for a moment. I couldn’t just let Ruby stay like this. Perhaps it was just that fatherly sense I got from raising Nero, but a child, even if she’s a ghost, shouldn’t be living her afterlife like this. Floating, and following me. Being ignored by everyone but me and Nero, staring at the horrors that I and Nero will soon find, and then an idea struck me as I grinned.
But sleep first.
I stood up with a barely restrained exhaustion as I waddled my way to the door, with Nero on my shoulder and Ruby in tow. Leaving the room, I tiredly walked to the exit door of the small building, ignoring the glare I got from a certain blue pony named Max Grill.
I took a deep breath as I exited the accursed building, or station as the sign on the front said. Looking up to the sky, the sun had decided to set to the horizon, slowly making way for the moon, casting a red and orange hue across the sky.
With another barely restrained, exhausted sigh. I walked away from the building, and hopefully, with my blind luck I would stumble upon an inn. Ignoring the fearful gaze I got from the paranoid ponies.
“I don’t think ponies used to be this paranoid…” I heard Ruby grumble, before she sighed, “Things changed, I guess…”
I nodded. Briefly the thought of Ruby needing some sort of socializing with people other than me crossed my mind, and I listed it into ‘Things to ponder later’ within my mind, just before the ‘Read the goddamn book’ as it was in the first place.
I sighed once more, my hand running through the rat’s nest I called my hair. “They better accept gold.”
-()-()-()-
It was two hours of stumbling, trudging, limping, and walking through turns and blocks later, and with the help of my piteously small amount of luck, that I finally reached my purposed destination, mainly, an inn.
“Finally,” I sighed, my mind swayed back and forth as it tried to gain stability. Nero was kind enough to drop from my shoulder and walk like any cat would, “We’re here.”
The sun had already set, replaced by the moon. Oddly enough, the moon was bigger than it’s supposed to be, I quickly blamed the fact that I was in a different world. As it was, the moon was beautiful. Its lunar light illuminated the empty street I was in. Whence the town was bustling with ponies in the afternoon, it was now empty, and almost calming.
Sounds of raucous shouting and conversation could be heard from the inn, Sleepy Eyes, it’s called; a rather creepy name in my opinion, like a certain monster that only consists of an eye and a batwing, that would stare you to death, literally.
The building itself looked like any generic inn should, following the tradition of every inn’s establishments, majorly created from bricks. Unlit windows set on the second story, what I would assume as the room’s window. Scents of alcohol, music, lights, and old wood leaked through the gaps and cracks of the building.
Stepping to the entry with my familiar and Ruby behind my tail, I opened it. And almost instantaneously, the crowd went quiet and still as an erected penis. Or, in this case, penisses.
Many of them watched me warily, like I was some kind of a creature ready to wreak havoc, some of them with outright fear, looking ready to just dash out of the building.
Scanning the room, I spotted what I thought to be the inn keeper, a blue coated unicorn stallion with a gray mane wearing a weird black suit covering his torso, standing behind the bar. He glanced at me with a smile before returning to… what he was doing before.
Mentally shrugging, I walked to the bar, nodding at him as he looked up at me. Not really in the mood for drinking or talking, I just cut to the chase, “How much’s a room?”
He eyed me, then my familiar who had jumped onto the counter and back to me, “10 bits per night should cover it,” he said.
I mentally groaned, “You accept gold?”
His eyes widened slightly, “G-gold?” he gaped, before shaking his head, regaining his lost composure, “I mean, sure. Gold is more than… enough.”
I rolled my eyes; apparently gold is much more… rare than its normal currency. All the more reason to read that accursed book, I quickly took 5 gold coins from my pouch and put it on the counter. Watching in amusement as the unicorn gaped at the coins in front of him.
His horn, much to my surprise, glowed a blue hue before a key ring appeared from under the counter, and dropped it in front of me. “Two weeks.”
I raised an eyebrow, “What?”
“That,” he pointed at the gold coins in front of his eyes, “is worth two weeks in here, complete with breakfast. Just go to room 101, that’s the biggest room in here.” He made a shooing motion with his fore hoof.
I just nodded, picked up my keys and tiredly walked upstairs. The moment I was gone, the suppressing silence caused by my appearance were broken immediately as conversations started loudly.
Ruby huffed, crossing both of her fore hoofs as she muttered something along the line of, ‘Stupid rude ponies.”.
The moment I found the door, the number 101 etched on the board, I quickly opened it with my key and swung it open. The room was dark, though I could make out the large queen sized bed in the middle of the room, two nightstands on each side, a wardrobe on the left side of the room, and a small bathroom in the corner.
All in all, it was good enough. Swinging the door closed, and locking it, I rushed to the side of the bed and dropped my bags to the floor. The sight of the sleep inducing cotton made my body heavier than an obese man on a morning run, and I promptly dropped myself on the bed. And my familiar soon followed by jumping onto my belly and like a habit done thousands of times, she snuggled into my body.
Smiling slightly, I looked at Ruby. She looked at me unsurely, not knowing what to do. I rolled my eyes and nodded.
Sje grinned brightly and dropped next to me, snuggling to me like a proper warmth slut, and slipped to unconsciouness.
I soon followed her.
-()-()-()-
But of course, even sleep couldn't be that simple for me.
It wasn’t long before I was pulled away, or rather pulled into. I blinked as I found myself conscious, and blinked again as I realized where I was.
The wind blew softly in front of me, glades of glass-composed trees spread its way through infinity and far in the infinity, and far above the trees loomed the crimson sky, the impending doom of madness, waiting patiently to strike and elude me with its madness.
It was my sanity, trees of emotions, and red skies of my doom.
Then I turned, musty scent of old maple woods invaded my nose. Bookshelves after bookshelves arranged in a way reminded me of my old academy’s library. But amidst the familiar scents of books, inks, and woods; a hidden scent was there, only a hint, but enough to make the strongest person to gag and vomit their lunch, followed by their breakfast, and yesternight's dinner.
It was my memories, books recounting of my pasts, hidden books of memories so dark, it would only bring regrets than anything else.
I bit back a shudder, already dreading where I was.
Then I looked up and I couldn’t help but to smile. Black starry skies blinked back at me as warm, peaceful and calming winds blew into my head, bringing the scent of the all so familiar Nero. The only anchor keeping me from being drowned into the madness within me.
It was my connection with Nero, a small part of her soul within me, and vice-versa.
It was my mindscape, and I was in the middle of it. I sighed, falling back as a chair formed behind me. My mind, was, practically an ordered cluster fuck, especially so with the red skies of doom, looming and ready to pounce in the moment of weakness, to blind me with madness.
I shuddered, holding out a hand, and a cup of tea formed its way. I sipped- cherry blossom, I noted- taking a sigh and planting the cup on a glass floating in the air.
Leaning back, I stared at the stars above- my only anchor from madness- and sighed.
“Just show yourself, whatever you are. And explain.”
In reply, an angelic, yet somehow demonic laughter boomed in the mindscape—Oh bells, this is creepy!—and I cringed, and cringed again as the foreign golden petals appeared in front of me, swirling like a retarded dog chasing its tail.
The petals thinned, floating away to my glade—which I immediately burned—and revealing, what I would say, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in the three lands I’d visited. Unlike any prostitutes, sluts, and maiden I’d ever the pleasure to meet with.
Her long crimson hair reached down to her waist, her green eyes stared at me with various emotions—Curiosity, amusement, arousal?—with a smile that completely betrayed said emotions. Her face was the perfection of every perfections; no birth-mark, no scar, no flaws, but only soft and tight, peach-colored skin.
And her body, oh her body, it would make the strongest men, of the dedicated Imperials, and even women would be enraptured. Her mounds and vagina covered by the thin sheet, a blouse.
Fortunately, I wasn’t like every man.
I sneered, not hiding my disgust over how, oh how unnatural this was. A person suddenly appeared in your mindscape! It’s definitely not normal. And only idiots would think so.
“Who and what are you?” I asked, voice dripping with venom.
If anything, it seemed to amuse her even more if her giggle was any sign, “Oh?” She asked, feigning curiosity as she reached in front of the floating piece of glass, and promptly sat down on the suddenly formed red lush queen chair. “You want to know who I am?”
I twitched in annoyance, forcing my will, and smirked as the queen chair turned into a wooden chair, ignoring the fact that the entity in front of me, that could possibly traumatize me for life, by involving blood, genitals, and plenty of bad touches.
The emotions in her eyes flickered, and it was gone as quick as it showed, but I noticed that flicker. Annoyance. And I inwardly patted myself on the back for a good job well done.
She leaned forward, arms folded on the glass as she smiled coyly, revealing a generous amounts of cleavage. “Well, for beginning, you’ve been stealing my name,” my eyes widened slightly in surprise. Shit. “Oh, yes,” she grinned viciously, “I’m Psyche, Goddess of souls.”
It was then that I realized my life was going to be much, much shittier than I’d expected.
“What do you want?” I asked curiously, caution thrown to the proverbial window.
“You’re… unique,” she answered, leaning back to her chair, “You’re a soul mage that’s not bent on,”—she rolled her eyes—“world domination, and actually a capable one, if not very creative, and at least you’re not running around mad, and taking every beings’ soul.” Then she glanced at the looming red blood sky, “Yet.” she added, before continuing, “And that,” she pointed at the sky, “is impressive for a mortal, even if you had a help.”
I cocked an eyebrow, briefly pondering when I could go back to a peaceful sleep. “What do you want then?”
“Impatient, aren’t you,” she chided slyly, “You’re a soul mage, the only competent one, I’m the goddess of soul. You’re interesting, and even more so with your current predicament… I think you got the idea.”
My eye twitched, my life had gone shittier, and shittier the more seconds since that gate. This is why I didn’t involve myself with the gods. It doesn’t and never worth it.
She clapped her hands, “Well then, it’s very nice to meet you, Psyche the second. I hope you don’t mind me staying here,” she paused; her smile suddenly gained an edge, “tell anyone, then I’ll mutilate your soul. And anchor.”
I growled a deep guttural growl. "Don't you dare."
Her malicious smile widened more than I thought possible. “I won’t if you won’t.”
And with that, she snapped her finger, laughing gleefully as I faded into further unconsciousness.
Sometimes, the small angsty part of myself wonder if picking up soul magic was worth the problem or not.