//------------------------------// // Discussion // Story: Blackest Knight // by D34dly F1ng3r //------------------------------// Blackest Knight Chapter 11 A fully armored John sat on the train heading for Ponyville. Celestia had requisitioned a private car for the human and the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Said six ponies huddled in a corner of the car. This corner just so happened to be exactly opposite the corner where John sat, looking out the window. John’s mind wandered as he stared at the passing countryside. He thought of the recent events that had happened at the wedding. To say Luna was angry when she returned was an understatement. He almost thought he would be spending the next thousand years on the moon. Celestia had calmed her sister down and explained that John would be moving to Ponyville. Luna had stiffened and asked, “With Pinkie Pie?” Celestia had confirmed her question and Luna looked at John with pity. “We hope thy race does not rely upon logic,” The lunar princess had said sadly. John had suddenly gotten the feeling that the moon might not be a bad place. The human’s thoughts drifted back a little farther and remembered the events of the changeling invasion. He shuddered as he remembered the look of betrayal that flashed across Mimic’s face the instant he discovered John’s choice. John had not wanted to kill any of the changelings, but he wanted to protect the ponies. Chrysalis would have ordered the other changelings to execute the ponies if the human had broken the curse, and he knew he would not be able to stop Mimic without striking first. John’s mind wandered again to the Hive. He wondered how many of the changelings wanted his head. Halberd would definitely be the angriest. Though John had stolen the blacksmith’s prized armor and weapon. John revised his previous assumption, Halberd would definitely be the second angriest. As John was lost in thought, he did not notice that the ponies were having a hushed conversation on the other side of the car. They kept throwing glances his way to make sure he wasn’t approaching as Twilight cast a muffle spell around the group. “I don’t trust him,” Rainbow Dash said the second the spell was in place. “He tried to kill Fluttershy. I say Celestia should have locked him in a cell to rot, or banished him to the moon.” “Now sweetie,” Rarity began, “He didn’t try to kill Fluttershy, he was being forced to. I don’t agree that he should come with us to Ponyville, but he did help us in the end.” Rainbow turned angrily on her friend, “Are you trying to defend him?! He almost killed Fluttershy! He DID kill the changeling! Who knows how many other ponies he’s killed!” Twilight interjected, “We haven’t heard of any ponies being killed or going missing recently, so we know he hasn’t been going on a killing spree.” “What about that filly from the resort town near the changeling hive?” Applejack countered. The ponies were silent as the question hung in the air. Twilight finally answered, “He broke the curse when he was ordered to kill Fluttershy. I’m sure that he couldn’t bring himself to kill a small filly in cold blood. Could he?” The ponies looked back at John again. The human had not moved since boarding the train. “Even if he didn’t, Ah still believe he can’t be trusted.” Applejack crossed her hooves. “Even so, Celestia ordered us to give him a chance.” Twilight looked at the human again. “Maybe he just needs friends?” Everypony looked at Pinkie Pie. “What?” The pink mare asked. “I’m not gonna make friends with that … that thing!” Rainbow huffed. “Me either,” Applejack agreed. “So I guess that means you won’t let him into your barn?” Twilight asked the farm mare. “Hay no!” Applejack confirmed. Twilight sighed, “Well he’s gonna have to stay somewhere in Ponyville, and we can’t just let him sleep in the streets.” “Who says we can’t?” Rainbow earned an angry glare from Twilight. The lavender unicorn answered, “We can’t. We need to find somewhere he can stay. I guess none of you will let him in with you?” Rainbow, Applejack, and Rarity shook their heads. Pinkie lived with the Cakes, so she couldn’t. Fluttershy just looked at her hooves. Twilight sighed again, “I guess he will have to stay with me.” Rainbow muttered about the Everfree forest and Twilight glared at her again. “And I guess none of you will come for the tour of Ponyville either?” Twilight noted Pinkie’s raised hoof. “I figured only Pinkie would come.” “Can we throw him a Welcome To Ponyville …” Pinkie began. “No parties for that monster!” Rainbow cut Pinkie off. The pink mare’s mane deflated. Twilight glared at Rainbow again. “He doesn’t deserve a party.” The cyan pegasus would not relent. Silence fell over the group and Twilight dissipated the muffle spell. John had never moved during their conversation. His mind was turbulent with dark thoughts of his haunted past. The movement of the padded bench he was sitting on announced the arrival of a visitor. John was torn from his thoughts as he looked to the lavender unicorn that had taken the seat next to him. “Hello Miss Sparkle.” The unicorn shook her head. “You can just call me Twilight.” “Alright, Twilight, what warrants your visit?” He saw from the corner of his visor that the cyan pegasus and orange earth pony were both giving him glares of contempt. The pink pony was smiling at him. “I just wanted to see how you were doing,” Twilight answered. “I was also curious, because I felt strange magical energies emanating from you.” John glanced down at his left wrist. The movement was not unnoticed by the lavender mare. “It’s probably just my armor. It was enchanted to strengthen the metal, as well as muffle movement.” He avoided talking about anything under it. “I could tell it was enchanted,” Twilight replied. “I was meaning that I felt strange magical energies coming from underneath it. From you.” The human did not reply. “I was wondering if you could let me magically scan you to determine what they are.” “No,” John simply replied. He glanced over at the other mares again to see that they were chatting amongst themselves now. Only the pink mare continued to stare at him. Her smile grew as he looked, as if she knew he glanced, but that was impossible for her to know. Inside his helmet was a black abyss that hid his features, and his head had not moved a fraction. He dismissed it. Twilight was disheartened to hear his rejection. “Okay then.” “So what are we going to do in … er … Ponyville?” He suddenly felt a presence next to him. He turned his head to reveal two large eyes and a smiling pink face. John had been trained his entire stay within the Hive to continually scan his environment and be unsurprised by anything. This was the first time he was actually surprised by anything since beginning his training and it would not be too far of a stretch to say he nearly jumped out his skin. “You are going to live with us and we are going to be friends!” John could swear the pink mare in front of him had been across the car just a fraction of a second earlier. John could not even move that fast. He had also not noticed her move, despite being able to pick up minor movements from the other side of a crowded room. Twilight also seemed to be surprised from Pinkie’s sudden appearance, but she shrugged it off. “Pinkie, get back to your seat.” John glanced at the unicorn, flabbergasted that the seemingly logical mare could dismiss the destruction of physics so easily. His glance lasted less than a tenth of a second, but when his eyes turned back in front of him, the pink mare had already made it back to the other side of the car. She waved at him. John blinked a few times as Twilight explained, “Don’t worry, it’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.” John glared at the unicorn, “That does not explain how she broke nearly every law of physics. The G force of that movement speed alone should have killed her!” The unicorn shrugged. John could not fathom these ponies, but had no time to dwell on it further as the train whistled. “We’re almost to Ponyville,” Twilight said.