//------------------------------// // Heavy Wind // Story: Land of Friendship and Magic // by Archmage Ansrit //------------------------------// (Canterlot Hospital) “Jeez! She went through a grinder!” Flitter exclaimed as she looked over the broken mare on the table; she had gotten the message on her glasses that Typhon desperately needed her help, but never expected to see Kat on the table. “It would be faster and safer to recycle what’s left!” “Then let’s get to it.” Typhon stood next to his friend. “Don’t worry about energy - use mine.” “I can match mine to hers already; there is no risk of rejection.” Flitter warned him, trying to get him to step back - more for everyone else’s safety than his, though. “This is high-level healing, and I’m not going to stand by and let you do all the work.” He said with a finality that made her roll her eyes… and remind her just why she thought of him as the leader of their little group. They matched breathing rhythm. They both stepped forth. “I’m going to need line-of-sight to work this fast.” Flitter said as her white magic became tinted with blue flecks. She gripped her staff tightly, feeling it compress the spell, taking some of the load off of her... Typhon nodded, allowing his mind to slip away. He let emotion leave him. Empty. No thought, no emotion, just his Heart guiding his actions. Open. A Heart and Mind opened wide, very wide, to allow magic to flow. Just like what Clover had done that time, back when Windigoes still roamed the land. Clover nearly died that first time, however, and had only managed to reach that state out of sheer desperation… Typhon, however, had better instructions. Flitter reached, and grasped. A cut here, here, and here. Just Heart and knowledge. Touching the mare’s energy, accepting it, becoming one with it. Rebuilding broken pathways and channels, making the body remember its proper state of being; breaking down the old, damaged structures and letting the body tell them, restore them as to how they had been. Knowledge helped - it saved plenty of energy and time, like knowing the path in a maze. Raw material, in the form of protein supplements, was transmuted directly into the building blocks of life thanks to that knowledge. Outside, Luna waited with as much decorum as she could muster to hide her impatience. Not only was Kat a guest from another world, but now there was magic on par with an alicorn’s going on to save her. Not that she had not seen such before, but rather, its source was what surprised her. The energy - and light peeking through the gaps - crescendoed, and then died down to a trickle, before simply fading into the background field of the hospital. She had felt it turn into the patient’s signature, something notoriously difficult for most doctors, and felt how both Typhon’s and Flitter’s had merged like so to cast the same spell - something notoriously difficult for most everyone else. She had done so, with her sister, and she was sure her niece would be able to do so with her beloved… not to mention that was the very operating principle of the Elements. She shared the hallway with a rather upset white pegasus, who kept bristling and huffing. He was, apparently, a magical copy of Typhon, who had been quite… vexed himself. The doors opened - Luna felt slightly disappointed they hadn’t been slammed open - and Typhon was standing there. “I have no intention of fulfilling social expectatives - I want coffee, and you know how I like it: as much cream as there is coffee, and with six spoonfuls of sugar.” He commanded his clone, who grumblingly trotted away to hunt for the brew. Luna noticed that Typhon’s clothes shifted differently, and raised an eyebrow. She chose not to comment, right away at least. “I take it the operation was a success.” She observed, as Typhon sighed explosively. “Whatever she did made a number- several numbers on her. And in her.” He turned around, Luna taking the silent invitation inside. There was a white-haired changeling with dragonfly wings, wearing white robes with red trimming and heavy traveling clothes, leaning against a wooden staff that glowed faintly in the darkness of the room. “The lights would have bothered us, so we simply turned them off and moved them away.” Typhon said as he made the normal lights flick back on. “I’m sure you have questions, but… but I don’t have the answers.” Luna watched as his eyes started to water, pushing his muzzle against Kat’s head, nosing her as if he tried to wake her. She simply neighed softly in her sleep. “I have distracted the doctors, for now, but they are going to make a ‘fuss’ over allowing somepony without a license assist with an operation.” Luna warned them, only for Typhon to scoff. “What can they do? Grab that pony who can stop me? Oh wait, there isn’t one!” He grumbled, scoffed, and taunted at once. “Besides, I do have one, although it’s not valid for my human form outside of emergencies. Seriously, I make all kinds of golems, and the bodies of my familiars, too; there are few who can surpass me, and I contacted the one that outdoes them all.” Flitter laughed tiredly from her position, sitting down on the floor. “The golems and familiars are the fruit of our joint efforts.” She smiled, chuckling hoarsely - although it was hard to tell with that strange, scratchy tone of voice of hers. “And your license only covers magic procedures, not medicine - that’s the area of other doctors.” “What would be the difference between a golem and a familiar?” Luna asked, not willing to let the two tired ponies vent on each other. “Golems were made from scratch - most of them - , while most familiars are spirits we gave bodies to.” Typhon answered, climbing into bed next to Kat. “Golems don’t need somepony to feed them magic more than once - when they were ‘activated’, and they can stay here in Tellus just like you and me. I was going to show her some.” “You should sleep.” Luna said, noticing his declining mood. “We can talk more once she wakes.” “I don’t need sleep.” He huffed. “Haven’t since the second month of my stay.” “You should, regardless.” Flitter commented. “I know how you feel about passing time like that, but there is little you can do.” “Fine, but only after sundown; I still haven’t gotten that coffee.” ***** (Later) The night was calm, not even a single breeze blowing through the trees. It was slow and agonizing for Kat, but eventually she was able to finally open her eyes. ‘Wh-what happened?’ she thought to herself. She tried to move her head, but there was still too much pain for her to do so. Looking around as much as she could, Kat was able to pick up that she was in a hospital. And there was something next to her. Her eyes panning over to her companion, Kat was a little surprised to see Typhon there. ‘Typhon? He… he stayed by my side the whole time?’ She noticed a slight difference in the fur just below his left eye. It was a single straight matted line, making her heart skip a beat. Kat’s eyes moved to look right up to the ceiling, thinking things over. ‘He really does care. Nopony… no person has ever cared like this. He was serious; he does love me.’ She felt a small tear fall from her eye with a light sniffle. ‘And I’ve made him worry. Because I couldn’t come back safe. I was weak.’ Kat’s eyes hardened. ‘No more. Typhon deserves someone who can stand on their own legs. Someone who’s always gonna come back. And merde, I’m gonna be that girl!’ Painfully, Kat slowly lifted up her foreleg, drawing as much energy as she could muster. She drew a line with the energy, opening up a portal. She smiled as a green crystal fell towards her. ‘Let’s get started.’ **** (The Next Morning) “Typhon! Typhon!” Twilight practically shouted in an attempt to awaken the slumbering stallion, her friends standing nearby. Pinkie landed on him, something that felt far more solid than on another pony, making him open his eyes right away. The air within the room was already under his control, which told him- “Kat is missing.” He said, extending his senses through the building and the surrounding area. “We jumped into the next train as soon as we heard, but only you are here!” Twilight trotted in place. “What happened?” “I don’t know.”Typhon shook his head in irritation. “She popped in, but her breathing wasn’t right, and then she let loose a lot of blood from her mouth just as I started to sense that she received serious internal injuries. Then I contacted the best doctor I knew and had her work with me… and now she left.” The haunted look on his face made them flinch; they knew him introspective, pensive, borderly-irreverent, and playful… but now looked far too empty and still. “Why would she leave?” He whispered. “Did I do something wrong? Did she need me and I wasn’t there?” There was a beeping sound, and Typhon took his glasses out of his inventory and put them on. “Prospit saw an explosion in the Everfree; says it felt off, and it could be Kat.” He jumped down. “We’re teleporting there.” “Wait a second!” Twilight screeched. “That’s too far! It’s impossible!” “The concept of ‘impossible’ and I have a peculiar relationship; we both politely ignore each other. If reality differs from my goals… that’s too bad for reality.” He pulled the power, twisted it, shaped it… words and symbols from his memories engraved into the weave, seeking other words and symbols without giving distance any importance. The old chambers in the Everfree castle hummed with magical power, even after having been abandoned due to the construction of Canterlot - and thus Starswirl changed labs - the runes worked just as well as when they had been first forged. A few adjustments and he could change the destination, getting them out of the old laboratory and into the main halls. “Buckle your seatbelts, ladies, because this is going to be… actually very smooth, but you never know.” Pinkie produced a black belt from her mane, and snapped it close in a loop. Then they vanished with a pop. They appeared with the walls of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, just near the exit. The sounds of explosions coming from outside. He didn’t bother waiting, he simply took all of them in his magic and blurred forwards, half-jumping, half-floating across the chasm… but there was nothing in sight. No sign of any living creature around. “There’s nothin’ here,” Applejack voiced. “But then what was making all that dreadful racket?” “Um… girls?” Fluttershy whispered meekly, facing the opposite direction they were. “Maybe it’s gone?” Rainbow suggested with a shrug. “Probably saw us comin’ and ran for the hills.” “Girls?” Fluttershy tried again, only slightly louder. “But wouldn’t we have heard somethin’? Ah mean, somehin’ makin’ all that noise had to ‘ave been mighty big.” “Girls!!” Fluttershy nearly screamed. They all turned to see what Fluttershy was so worried about only to blanch at the sight. Standing there was a massive monster, green energy pulsing all around it. Typhon staring right at it, snorting, but saying nothing. “That’s why he was so quiet.” Rarity gulped nervously. “A nevi,” Twilight whispered in awe and horror. “But it’s… different.” “It’s a rare one.” Typhon growled out. “That is not going to save it.” Suddenly, the nevi shot forward… but over them instead of at them and crashed into the castle wall. Typhon instantly noticed something was pressing into its back, that same thing pulling the nevi out of the wall and slamming into the ground, shattering its eyes and dissipating it. Through the smoke of the dead nevi, the ponies could see a long haired biped, crouched with its fist in the ground where its opponent once was. It stood tall, it’s slender and curvy form covered only by a white t-shirt, tight fitting khaki pants, and combat boots. Its long, blonde hair billowed gently in the morning breeze and its blood red eyes could tear through even the harshest of souls. This was the true Kat Shifter. Or, in Typhon’s opinion, Kat’s human form. From behind the castle, several more rare nevis jumped from strategic points, converging on Kat. The girls gasped in fright, but Kat simply looked at the monsters with a fire in her eyes. Quick as a fly, Kat moved out the way with a double back flip, then using the momentum to launch herself at the central monster, knocking it out instantly. A Minion lashed out with its tentacles, but Kat dodged each strike, getting close with each one and dealing a fatal blow to its eye. An octopus-like nevi began firing several blasts at Kat, but she simply struck each one away into the other nevi. She charged forward, blasting right through it’s one eye. Behind that Star, though, was a Spike Bomb which fired out as soon as Kat was in range. She was swift enough to dodge most of the explosion of spines, but one stabbed right through her shoulder. Kat stifled a scream, deciding to grab the spike and chuck it down to the ground, destroying it in on impact. Kat settled down to the ground, ignoring the bleeding hole in shoulder as she looked around, no more nevi in sight. Until a massive roar echoed through the Everfree and a rare Nushi reared itself from behind the castle. Kat got into a fighting stance as the monstrous nevi began to charge its powerful laser attack. She cupped her hands and put them together to her side, energy beginning to flow into it. “Ka...me...ha...me…” With each word, the energy in her hands grew and grew, the Nushi’s own readying to fire. With a final burst of energy, turning the normally blue-white attack red, Kat shouted the final word, “HA!!!” She fired the powerful attack at the same moment the Nushi did, the two blasts connecting and battling out in front of the onlookers. They seemed to be evenly matched, but Kat’s fury and determination increased her attack’s power substantially and began to overpower the Nushi. With a final scream, her attack overtook the nevi, blasting it away to nothingness with in moments. Kat gasped for breath, exhausted from the strain on her body. She fell to one knee, her staff appearing in her hand and extending into the ground to keep her from collapsing all the way. “Not good enough,” she muttered to herself. “Still not good enough.” Typhon cantered up to her, unsure as to what to say besides the obvious. “You’re hurt; let me see that shoulder.” Kat blinked, looking over to see Typhon, the girls not too far behind. “Typhon? Girls? When did you all get here? And why are you here?” “You disappeared from the hospital!” Twilight said, giving a tentative step forward. “Was it something I did?” Typhon looked up at her. “What happened? Your energy is all screwed up and… and you almost died in front of me... I can’t stomach the thought of going through that again.” The girls grimaced, remembering Wind Whistler. “What were those things doing here?” Twilight asked. “Are we in danger? Do you need help?” “Of course there’s no danger,” Kat waved off. “They were my sparring partners.” She looked down at Typhon and gave him a light kiss on his forehead. “I’m sorry I scared you, all of you. I made a mistake and I’m trying to make sure it never happens again.” She stood up tall. “Next time I see that god again, I’m gonna kick his cul.” Typhon sighed in relief, before focusing on her once more. “What god?” He asked with an unusual heat to his words. “Because I’m feeling really tempted to show them one of my titles.” The girls flinched as the wind started swirling harshly around the woods…Twilight in particular, as she had heard accounts of his larger fights. “God of destruction, believe it or not,” Kat said as she crushed a health crystal, healing her shoulder. “His little goons were destroying the changelings, so me and that world’s Displaced beat the merde out of them. Beerus showed up a moment later, I threatened him because he put all those little ones in danger. Next thing I know I’m vomiting up blood, I cut off his tail in revenge, then I’m flying more than a mile away and a mile into the ground.” Kat clenched her fist. “Salope.” “Who does that bastard think he is!?” Typhon shouted. “I have half a mind to show that purple shaved cat god-wannabe bitch just who I am!” ***** “Sister!” Luna threw open the doors to the throne room, disregarding anyone else. “The black rain has appeared again!” Celestia felt her blood run cold as she stood up and flew overhead. “Court’s dismissed - please stay inside your homes and do not leave anything important outside.” She said as she landed, following her sister towards the nearest south-facing window. The guards started escorting the supplicants out in an orderly fashion, guiding the servants to their quarters, and securing the gardens. “There!” Luna pointed, watching a blackened cloud with disturbingly solid-looking tendrils grow larger and larger, blue lightning dancing within and without. “Typhon is enraged.” Celestia whispered. “He claimed that he was incapable of producing killing intent… unless it was like that.” “Sister, I shall investigate matters.” Luna said, making Celestia turn at her incredulously. “No! you stay here-” “Celestia, the ponies of Canterlot need your guidance; I am experienced with these kinds of energies.” Luna interrupted, grasping her sister’s shoulders. “I will investigate - there have been no letters from young Spike, so I believe it to be more isolated… please.” “I- fine, I trust you, Luna.” Celestia relented with a heavy heart, but nuzzling her sister as a show of faith. “Please be safe.” “I intend to.” ***** Kat was utterly surprised by Typhon’s rage. Frantically, she pulled out a pocket watch from her pants and activated it, returning to her earth pony state. “Typhon,” she said, getting close to him. She lifted up his forehoof and put it against her chest. “Do you feel that? It’s my heart, it’s still beating. I’m not dead, I’m right here. Just calm down, please. I’m perfectly alright.” “I know; I am still in control of myself.” He replied, not letting the tension through the rest of his body show in his voice. His eyes had been shimmering slightly, and his coat darkened noticeably. “I am, however, actually angry. I do not like it when gods think they can thread upon people without consequence just because they are gods.” The girls huddled close to one another, watching as the clouds bled ink-black rain. “I... I’m going to calm down the rain, but I’ll need some way to sate my thirst for blood.” He huffed out as he took out a white katana out of its ivory-white scabbard. Had the steel been able to cry for mercy, it would have done so. “Oboro Muramasa likes cutting gods… and everything else, for that matter, but it shall not cut anything its master does not allow it to. Or else.” He growled out as he glared at the demon blade, sheathing it and allowing its bloodlust fade away into nothing as if it was never there. In a sense, it wasn’t. Then he made the sword vanish into a green card. “Girls, I’m sorry if I scared you, but I just cannot stand this injustice.” He sighed. His coat remained dark, and the whites of his eyes yellowed. “If-” He was interrupted as Pinkie wrapped him into a tight hug, prompting the girls to actually get close to him. “At least yer honest with yer intentions.” Applejack added. “Yah got angry on behalf of ponies yah ain’t even met yet…” "Ahem," Kat coughed. "Uh, Pinkie?" She was looking at the party mare with a raised eyebrow. Pinkie had been hugging Typhon much longer than Kat was comfortable with. “Yes?” She spoke sweetly, oozing with innocence... it was hard for Typhon to tell if she was being honestly ignorant or doing it on purpose. Kat coughed again, slightly more forcefully. “Either she’s jealous, or wants a hug.” Typhon quipped, smirking for a change. “She can join in!” Pinkie extended the taffy she called foreleg to hook Kat and press her against both Typhon and herself. “She might not refer to this~.” Typhon sing-songed, his eyes returning to their natural state. “Oh I know.” Pinkie replied. “But she gives off that ‘I need a hug’ aura. And really, I know humans might not work the same as ponies - you said they work more like Gryphons - but how can you two turn into a herd if she doesn’t find the room?” "HERD?!" Kat screeched. "Unh uh! Not happening! No!" Kat grumbled to herself for a moment before looking at Pinkie. "Pinkie, while hug is nice, could you please stop. I don't like hugs." “Aww…” Pinkie dislodged herself from the pair. “You know, I also reacted like that.” Typhon said. “I was told pony-me would have to fend off suitors left and right… and then the dynamics were explained to me. And now I don’t care.” “Wait, Kat, are you saying that if Typhon had managed to keep Wind Whistler alive, it would have been a deal-breaker?” Twilight asked, confused at the notion. “I mean, I don’t know if I could add somepony else, but if I… well, I don’t know how I would feel if I were invited, but I don’t think that merely another pony would have…” Twilight grew redder and quieter as she spoke, until her own embarrassment made her keep silent. “Twilight, a little more sensitivity, please.” Rarity chastised her friend. “Please, Rarity; I already told you girls, ‘impossible’ and I do not mix.” Typhon sighed, his colors slowly brightening. “I might think strangely as a human, compared to you, but I might just be even stranger as a pony.” "To answer you, Twilight, yes," Kat said with a nod. "If Typhon was in a herd with another mare, I wouldn't have been interested. If I'm gonna have a man, or woman, in my life, then I'm not gonna share. I was raised as a proper American girl and merde I'm gonna stick to it." “I was raised traditionally, too, and yet I don’t think twice… bah, I’m still too mad to switch gears this quickly.” Typhon snorted steam, swishing his tail in irritation. “I don’t know what to think any more - I’m going to screw over the fabric of space time and see what I can do from there.” "No you will not, mister!" Kat commanded. "You will not go anywhere near Beerus, am I understood?" “Fine, I’ll let the bastard live.” He grumbled. “I’m just going to turn time and space on their heads to rectify my moment of weakness, alright?” “Wait, what?” One of the girls asked - he couldn’t tell who, trying to rein in his thoughts as he was. “I was presented two options: Keep going with my failure, or correct it but subject everyone else to the same loss I felt. I said ‘screw it’ and took a third one: Make it seem like it was the first choice, because it had events of significance, but having it be secretly corrected.” "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kat asked, looking doubtful. "I mean, I know every universe works differently and all, but messing with time and space usually causes more problems than it fixes. I speak from experience that it is not fun." “Kat, this is way too different from usual experiences.” Typhon said with confidence. “This isn’t Umbra’s multiverse - errors and wrinkles either self-correct, or self-stabilize. Time is much more…malleable; this isn’t TARDIS-based travel, so there are no fixed points, and… well, let’s say that I spoke with some Horrible, Terrible things, who relayed that choice to me - I can do nothing, or I can produce a new timeline where it appears to everyone else that I died. I say screw it, and make a stable loop; it’s part of the very source of my powers.” He grumbled lowly. “Would have been easier to dress as a Time player, or keep Starswirl from killing himself with his spell-” “Oh that insolent know-it-all bastard!” He yelled out, causing a few bolts of lightning to light up the skies. “Screw that guy! And me for coming up with it! Now I know I can succeed, and I’m pretty sure I already did so. Damn. Now I need to find out how in a way that doesn’t create an ontological paradox.” Kat rubbed her head, thoroughly confused. "Where's the Doctor when you need him?" She moaned. "I hate time travel." “Screw the Doctor - he can’t help with this one.” Typhon grumbled as he stomped around the small clearing Kat had blasted during her training. “I still don’t know how he managed to do it, but once I find out, I’m going to drop a hint, have him set-up everything, wait until I have him in front of me in the present, and punch his bells out!” “Hey! You are not going to hurt Starswirl the Bearded!” Twilight stomped in front of him and poked him in the chest. “You are not!” “Friends’ prerogative, Twilight.” He replied. “I will have made him make me think he’s dead! Which means that he did die in the original. The least he could do is let me tell him how stupid he was.” "I am so confused," Kat moaned now holding her head with both hooves. "But don't insult the Doctor. He's my friend. If it hadn't been for him, I'd still be..." Kat shuddered. "I don't even want to think about it." “Agh! Sorry. I know, I know, it’s just that… well, everyone thinks the Doctor will help them out of their Time Pretzels! He has limits too! He can do things few others can even imagine, but so there are others that can do things he can’t!” Typhon huffed and panted. “I don’t need the Doctor, I need a Time-Aspected player! I already exist outside time, I’m eternal; I need someone more like me to help me. I’m sorry I said something bad about him.” Kat was silent for a moment. "...I just wanted him here to explain to me what was happening. He's good at dumbing things down for me." “I’m sorry.” Typhon lowered his head and ears. “I- I just woke up from almost losing you, then I find out someone tried to kill you, and I still feel Whistler’s loss as if it was yesterday because I walk the Void so often, and- and I am bad at forethought; thinking ahead of my own actions takes a lot out of me, and I’ve been planning this ever since Starswirl wrote the spell that makes you learn it. I’m sorry.” Kat nuzzled him affectionately. "I'm sorry I scared you. I really am. But that's why I left last night." She hung her head slightly. "You deserve someone you don't have to worry about not coming back. So I need to become stronger, then there'll be nothing that I can't handle. And I'll always come back." “Not training like that you aren’t.” Typhon straightened suddenly. “Your energy is all messed up! Your body is hemorrhaging power because your mind can’t get a grip on it! You got it from one of those muscleheads, didn’t you? They treat Ki like drunken monkeys wield a hammer! Unlocking it through pure muscle and dumb destructive spirit, without regard to the spiritual significance!” “Alright, dude, you need to pick a mood and stick to it.” Rainbow Dash commented. “I’m the wind! And I’m old, and faceted my own mind in order to be able to study and employ opposing disciplines, and I walk the void! Going by the definition of ‘normal’, I’m insane.” He retorted. “Nopony else would see a fifteen-century-long stable time-loop as the perfectly-reasonable solution to keep their vows.” He hugged Kat. “I’m sure everything can work out well.” "You," Kat said poking his chest with a hoof, "are weird." She kissed his cheek. "Just be glad I like weird. Normal is too boring." “Amen.” He chuckled. “Mind if we get out of this place? I’m pretty sure ponies saw my little display, and I’m going to find one or both princesses waiting for me…” "It's just the princesses. No reason to fear them. But, I suppose I could portal us back to Canterlot." “It’s not fear - it’s just awkward to argue with them, you know? They are so nice and motherly that it gets jarring when you are, yourself, jarring them out of that mode with your mere presence. Let’s just get back to Ponyville and see if Spike would take a letter - less awkward unless they are already there.” Kat looked at her boyfriend weirdly for a moment before rolling her eyes. She used her hoof to open a portal to Golden Oaks Library. "Talking to the wrong girl, Ty. I broke my Celestia and Luna, remember? The awkwardness is kinda gone." “Let me put it this way - I feel like I’m arguing with the school’s principal even though I already have my degree.” He supplied, stepping through the portal to find Princess Luna waiting for Twilight Sparkle. “Typical.” Typhon sighed. "Not to pry," Rarity started as the girls walked through as well, stopping when she saw Princess Luna. "Oh..." "What did she mean 'broke' the princesses?!" Twilight screeched as she walked in. Kat looked at Typhon. "I thought they knew," she shrugged. “Kat’s power output is larger than mine.” Typhon admitted. “However, I do not have to actually exert myself in order to make things like that storm, because that was simply Rage and Void reacting to one of the few times I have produced a meaningful amount of killing intent. Which I did because I found out that Kat’s injuries were made by a god-wannabe that endangered innocents, and she would not stand for that.” “Nicely summarized.” Luna frowned. “You need to be more careful.” “Oh come on, like you don’t do the same, Miss ‘I am the night’!” He riposted, pointing a hoof at her. “Besides, what the Breeze does or does not do is no-one’s business but mine! You don’t tell the wind it has to control itself just because it blew away your monthly tax report.” Luna felt a shiver course through her spine at the idea. “Excuse me, you haven’t answered me yet!” Twilight shook the infuriating stallion from side to side. “A series of misunderstandings and a dastardly plot resulted in them and her fighting, alright?!” Typhon said as he was being shaken, only for Twilight to stop so abruptly he was sent to the floor. "I beat up Luna and destroyed Celestia's horn," Kat clarified. “I don’t know how they and these scale, though.” Typhon made his addendum from his position laying on his side. “I mean, Celestia did glass that camp-slash-town during the Minotaur wars (after having it evacuated), and she didn’t seem particularly winded.” Luna eyed Kat warily as Twilight simply fainted on the spot... followed by Rarity. “And Kat has already beaten herself up over it.” Typhon commented as he stood back up. “Really, it made everything worse, as revenge schemes against the sisters are wont to do unless They are undeniably evil.” “You really need to tell Us more about those alternate realities.” Luna closed her eyes and massaged her forehead under her horn. “Any other surprises? Is that god trying to get here? Does my sister crown Twilight Sparkle princess in a neighbouring reality? Do I get assassinated?” Kat raised her hoof. "No, yes, and yes. In that order." “Do I organize Twilight’s ‘Hurray-you-are-a-princess’ party?” Pinkie appeared in front of her, nose-to-nose. “Usually.” Typhon nodded. "No," Kat said, making the pink pony sad. "You called it an Alicorn party." “Well, of course becoming an alicorn is reason to party, but why would I not call it ‘Hurray-you-’?” “Because becoming an alicorn is cause for princedom in most other Equestrias.” Typhon interrupted what was surely going to be a really long-winded name for a party. “Now that’s just silly.” Applejack chuckled. “We’ve got enough princes and princesses as it is - how would we deal with hundreds of ‘em?” “Because they are also much rarer.” Typhon countered. “Although some tend to hide, or are actually extra-planar beings and Twilight got transfigured… usually without her actual consent.” “And I just accept this?!” Twilight screeched - again - as she started pacing, causing Spike to grumble about grooves being worn into the floor. “Most of the time, yes, because Celestia said so.” Typhon nodded, making her thump her head against the table several times in frustration. “It doesn’t help that it has an appallingly-low success rate, a worryingly-high failure rate, and the rest of the time it condemns you to a life of stress or mediocrity where you never achieve anything that you wouldn’t have done better in a different position. Sometimes, it even destroys your personal life, or gives you the tools necessary to destroy it yourself in a bout of stupidity and abuse of power due to impaired judgement.” “What would constitute a ‘failure’.” Luna asked, mentally ordering the information to present it to her sister. “In the absolute best-case scenario, Twilight actually manages to prevent the situation that would have Awakened her, causing Celestia to get… pushy, until Twilight demands being told what would have happened, then is told, politely declines, and shows Celestia that she over-estimated her ability to read ponies; tender moments are had, everypony continues their lives, and Celestia ponders on how unfair she had been by relying so heavily on her student, she starts training, and so does your counterpart. Things go rather well.” “And in the worst-case?” “Celestia, Twilight, Cadence, and yourself get assassinated with smuggled Zebra poisons that kill you in an agonizing way, making you waste the last of your energy in setting a stable orbit for the sun and the moon, although the moon’s was botched so that it would fall in some decades because your reduced size was particularly-susceptible to the poison; meanwhile the unicorn-supremacist-organization that poisoned you four tried to use a civil war to cover it all up and gain the favor of the people, only to botch that because the invasion of the zebras happened far too fast for them to be prepared, causing most of Equestria to be destroyed and not leaving enough unicorns to try to restore the orbits. Please note that Twilight really was a good choice, as she was precisely what the country needed to grow; the problem was that Celestia simply didn’t give the group much importance despite there having been assassination attempts on Luna’s protegé, a little earth-pony filly with a magic talent.” Twilight said nothing, instead letting a low, dangerous growl. “There was some time travel involved, and you, Twilight, personally interrupted one such attempt.” (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/23609/never-judge-a-book-by-its-cover it’s in the sequel to the sequel) “Ain’t that low? Going after a filly.” Applejack clenched her teeth. “Yeah! That’s awful!” Rainbow added her own indignation, and even Fluttershy tried twisting a napkin in anger. Not that she managed to damage it or anything. Kat rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm, Zebraican poison, huh? Reminds me of that plan Celestia had for the Griffin King." She got disgusted looks back and she frowned. "Oh, back off. My Equestria was military minded. Stuff like that happened every other decade or so." Twilight threw her hooves in the air. “That’s it! I’m done. I’m going to have to plan for all sorts of contingencies and prepare against anything that could remotely pose a threat!” “Way ahead of you, sister.” Typhon laughed, waving a hoof. “What do you think I’ve been doing these centuries? Let me tell you, I didn’t just stop at medical-magic advancements.” "That does beg the question, Ty," Kat began. "Where are we in the timeline? Or did you putain it up so much it's no longer recognizable? Has the wedding happened yet? Or Sombra? Has Discord been reformed yet?" “Discord?!” Was the general response. “Oops.” “Well, now that’s out of the bag!” Typhon smiled. “I kicked certain somepony into asking the question sometimes soon, but that’s still far, and I’m taking Sombra on myself since he is different from the other timelines, not to mention a hundred times more deadly. If I have anything to say about it, the wedding is going off without the usual hitch, although I wouldn’t put it past the Timeline to make it something else go wrong. I need Sombra alive, as he’s actually the fusion of one of my best friends and his ‘I’m-full-of-issues-nopony-understands’ teenaged colt.” "Satané," Kat commented. “Why would we free Discord?!” Luna very nearly slipped into the Royal Canterlot Voice, as it was, she just shouted. “Discord’s insane!” “Nope!” Typhon pipped in, making the others turn to him as if he were the insane one (despite having admitted to being). “Discord is ‘insane’ only in the form of his complete lack of interest in the emotional well-being of his fellow sophonts, preferring his own brand of fun no matter who might take offense to it. He is capable of empathy, and he’s capable of understanding the points of view of others; he just doesn’t care.” “Yet.” Spike pointed out with his index finger held high into the air. “Precisely. If he were a true spirit… it would have been harder.. although the ponies themselves are like spirits… hmmm, that bears further study, as the Valkyrie and Angel class golems are pony-like.” Typhon started muttering to himself as he started going over the runes and diagrams in his head. Kat chuckled at her thinker of a lover. "So...the changelings aren't going to be a problem? Merde, I was hoping to cross another off." “To be fair, they haven’t been a problem save for one.” Typhon offered. “You know who.” “There’s that word again.” Twilight said. “What are changelings?” “Some of my friends.” Typhon smiled. “I’m best buds and boss of the Empress of Mexicolt.” “You delight in confusing ponies, am I correct?” Luna observed, to which he nodded frantically. “But of course! That way, they forget to ask the important questions! Like, ‘what are you doing in my vault’, ‘how did you know which warehouse the deal would be carried out in’ and one of my favorites: ‘how did you sneak that much food colorant on me’. That one’s a riot two-to-three hours later.” "I usually get: 'please don't kill us'," Kat commented. "Though sometimes it's: 'please don't kill us with that rock'. Speaking of rocks, Pinkie! You're a former rock farmer, think you go find me a nice sized rock that I could engrave into? It's important." “Oh alright.” Pinkie pouted. “I haven’t done that kind of work in a while, but I can get something.” Pinkie trotted to Twilight’s broom closet and closed herself in. “I have this.” Pinkie walked in from the kitchen balancing a rust-red stone on her head. Rainbow wondered if that had been part of Rocky once. Kat levitated the rock over to her, grabbing a chisel and a hammer from a portal. "Thank you, Pinkie. With this, I can finally call this place home." “I’m not even going to ask.” Spike said as he waddled into the kitchen. “I’m going to get a mid-morning snack.” “Oh no you don’t, mister!” Twilight trotted after him, even as her stomach growled from her skipping breakfast. “I think nopony ate anything since dinner last night.” Fluttershy barely managed to say before her stomach let out such a tiny grumble it was almost inaudible; her cheeks turned pink regardless. "You girls get something to eat," Kat said as she began to chisel into the rock. “I'm gonna be a while." “I am almost afraid to ask.” Luna rubbed her temples in circles. “But apparently I have not learned anything. What are you doing?” “You see,” Kat began, her eyes beginning to water as she worked. “Ever since I was eight, I carved a stone to keep near where I lived. I did so…” she sniffed, “So I’d remember.” “Ah, sentimental reasons.” Luna relaxed and allowed herself a smile. “Rest assured, you can find a home in Equestria.” “I’m sure they would have loved to see you… and your adopted family.” Typhon gently patted Kat’s shoulder. “My own mother couldn’t stop pinching Prospit’s cheeks, although it doesn’t help that she looked like she was five.” Kat let a lone tear fall from her cheek. “It just hurts… especially having to add more names.” “They gave you their time; remember that…it’s hard to be missed when you never left.” Typhon looked to the roof, beyond it, reminiscing. “I can do something about it, though. Say, it may not be the same, but we could hunt for memories.” “Ah!” Luna gained a look of recognition. “Exploring memories during sleep is part of my duties; I help ponies come to terms with their past, and it can be used to remind them of the love they have experienced.” But Kat didn’t hear them, staring down at her work. Several names were scribbled into the rock’s surface, each one opening a wound in her heart. Mother 1960 AD - 2004 AD Father 1958 AD - 2004 AD Brother 2003 AD - 2004 AD Flitter Bee 1453 EQ - 1545 EQ Rita Masters 1991 AD - 2470 EQ Dusty 1186 EQ - 2470 EQ Fleur Shifter Age 10 Kat sniffled again as she tried to keep from sobbing outright as she stared at the last name on the rock. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she forced herself to set the rock down, unintentionally allowing all to see it. Luna spreaded a wing to cover the despondent mare. She knew she had faced plenty of difficulties, but to had forgotten the name of her parents? Typhon figured Flitter Bee had been the pony that her version of Fluttershy descended from, while Dusty and Rita…he had seen himself. The last addition was a surprise but then again, plenty could happen in five years, and the loss - specially when the lost one was so young - was still cutting deep into her. “Kat, let’s find it a good place back… home.” Typhon suggested, softly nudging her as to prevent her from stopping. Stopping was dangerous for those who lived so much longer than others, and more so for a girl that had gone through so much. Kat brushed her hoof over the last name, getting ever so much closer to breaking. “She was so young. So much life to live. I was going to take her away from all that devastation. But… I failed her. I tried to save her, only for it to kill her in the end. Do you know what her last words were? ...with her last breaths… she… she…” And Kat broke. “She called me ‘mommy’!” Her tears and sobs echoed through the library, no pony quite sure how to help the grieving mare. “There are times when situations conspire against our intentions.” Luna whispered as soothingly as she could. “If they are unstable to begin with, there are times when all of the care in the world is not enough to overcome them. That you feel like so, and that she said so even in the end, is a sign that you reached within each other deeply.” “Even in failure we learn.” Typhon added. “Usually more than in victory... remember her; live for her. Show her you can be happy, that you were honest, that there really are better things; she would have wanted that for you as much as you did for her.” Kat cried even more, lunging at Typhon and wrapping him a hug. “I lose everyone I ever care about,” she sobbed into his fur. “Please… please Typhon… please never leave me. I… I… I can’t take it anymore!” “It’s hard for me, too.” He embraced her gently, running a hood through her mane, letting his wind act as a comb. “I’m not going to put you through that. I’m here, and I work hard to stay right here. I wouldn’t let anything take me away just like that, you know.” “Wind Whistler was a friend to me as well.” Luna gently caressed her back with a wing, letting her feathers run over her coat. “Her loss was very difficult to overcome.” “And you are here now.” Typhon whispered, sighing. “It wouldn’t have been as meaningful if it had been me…” “Typhon?” Kat whispered through her sobs. “Yes? Is there anything you need?” He turned to look at her, relieved to see she was turning to face him as well. She reached up and kissed him passionately on the lips. It last for several blissful seconds before she pulled away. “Please… take me home. Our home.” “Right away.” He touched his forehead to hers, and both ponies and stone disappeared into the light. “I do not know how to even begin to explain this to my sister.” Luna groaned… she would wait for Twilight Sparkle, or perhaps go join her - she could use something to eat right now.