Princess Celestia received a rather curious letter from her fellow princess, and previous student, informing her of a need for her to visit Ponyville. This confused the princess, as since Twilight was made a princess, she thought that the purple alicorn would be asking for her help less on matters, but perhaps her advice.
The diarch of the sun shook her head 'A strange occurrence indeed, it must be quite important if she wishes for me to come for a visit' she thought rising from her cushioned bed.
Calling for her guards, she asked them to ready the chariots, as well as wake her sister. 'If it's important enough for her to think I need to come, then Luna should be involved as well' Celestia thought as the guards left to inform the royal charioteers and wake the princess of the night.
The guard returned quickly informing that the chariot was ready. Following the stallion, Princess Celestia found her sister not far behind, her form showed the drowsiness that being awoken much too early would show on anypony's figure, but her eyes burned with the almost foal-like excitement that she had been known for.
“What news did thou get which would give need for our awakening” the younger of the two sisters asked before yawning into a hoof.
Celestia thought about chiding her again for her speech in using the old word, but decided against it, “Twilight has informed us of something in the Everfree forest that may be in need of our attention.” she said before he sister gave her a queer look.
“Strange, is she not of our positions as well? Cadence does not ask for our aid, beyond advice on dealing with nobles. Though she has yet a kingdom of her own” Luna said making her sister giggle to herself.
“I thought the same not a moment after reading the letter, though, we must take into account due to the lack of 'princessly' things for her to do, she may feel in over her head with how things are going.” Celestia said, “When we were made princesses by our parents did you not feel a bit... confused, scared, things as such?”
The lunar diarch nodded with a smile. “We suppose so, though thou doesn't think she is simply lonely and wishes to see her old mentor?” she said giving a giggle of her own. “Tis almost as if she treats thou as her mother”
Celestia giggled at the concept herself, but thought for a moment. 'That's not too far off when she was younger, but I believe she grew out of it. Not to mention she has her own parents who's position I do not wish to take from them' She was about to voice this thought, but the guards saluted before ushering them to their respective chariots.
The flight took no more than a couple minutes, but upon arriving at the small town, ponies of all shapes and sizes flocked towards the princesses wishing to speak to her or simply be near the famous diarch. Luna had similar problems, as foals, mainly at least, flocked to her. After a moment the guards managed to make them walking room.
“Greetings My little ponies! My sister and I have come at the request of Princess Twilight Sparkle. We would request that you return to your normal lives. While it warms our hearts to see all of you so joyous, the matter at hoof must be taken care of.” Princess Celestia said followed by The Golden Oaks Library door opening to reveal the princess in question followed by Rarity and Fluttershy.
“Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna!” Twilight said joy obvious on her face as she approached the diarchs nuzzling her old mentor before greeting her other friend. “I'm glad you could make it, there's... Someone in the Everfree, you may wish to meet” she said, uncertainty creeping into her voice.
The pair nodded starting their walk towards the Everfree forest.
'Well what'da know' I thought looking around me. Pinkie Pie and Applejack had agreed to playing a round of Blackjack. Rainbow Dash, tired to us laughing and playing without her, decided to join, and try to make it interesting.
“I don't have any of you bits” I had said after the other three laid down five bits each, myself only having dollars.
“What do you have?” the rainbow maned pegasus asked looking at me humored. Pulling out my roll of bills, the trio looked at it questioningly.
I unrolled a five, “This is what I've got, unless you want me to start betting protein bars and water, in which case, you're SOL” I said laughing, only for them to continue their confused stares.
“What good is paper, and what does SOL mean?” the pegasus asked making me roll my eyes.
'Remind me to explain the money later, but SOL means 'Shit outta luck'” I said before laughing at her simple response of “oh”.
Since Applejack and Rainbow Dash decided that the bill was useless, Pinkie Pie offered to buy it from me for five bits. Asking her why she simply shrugged and said it looked cool with the nice bearded man on the front.
Getting back to the present, I sat with seven bits in front of me, keeping the wagers low so that the game would go on longer. Pinkie still had her five, Applejack six, and Rainbow Dash who had broken over twenty one almost every turn, had three.
'Never thought it would take going to the lands of My Little Pony for me to actually get some kind of luck' I thought shuffling the deck again before passing out the cards. All of us threw two bits in, Rainbow a bit more skeptical after her run of bad luck.
Looking to AJ, she shook her head, Pinkie asked for two hits before busting, laughing like a hyena, and Rainbow asked for one getting her an eight. Holding up my own cards I found a nineteen, but due to rules, I took one. Low and behold, a two.
Applejack, as it seems had a twenty the whole time, I chuckled to myself at their expense before someone cleared their throat.
Looking towards the sound we found another mishmashed group, this time consisting of three princesses, Fluttershy and Rarity.
“Morning ladies” I said nonchalantly, “Any of you want in?” Twilight gave me a shocked look along with the rest of her friends, sans Pinkie Pie, only for the two diarchs to look at one another.
Celestia shrugged before giving a “Why not”. One lunar and celestial guard positioned themselves at the opening of the clearing as the off white alicorn approached. Pinkie scooted over allowing the alicorn to sit next to her and across from me.
Taking the cards back I dealt them them all the normal hand. Applejack asked for two hits before staying, Celestia one, Pinkie didn't take one, and Rainbow seemed too surprised by the fact that Princess Celestia was playing black jack with us to realize I was talking to her making me snap my fingers a few times.
“Huh? Oh I'll take one” she said only to bust again with a groan much to the amusement of the rest of us.
Looking down at my own cards I had an ace of clubs and a three of hearts. It took two hits before the ace turned into a one and made me continue before busting. Turns out Celestia one with a twenty, AJ only having a nineteen.
Passing six bits in her direction she held up a hoof, “I simply play for fun, I have no need of my subject's money” she said making us shrug. “I am Princess Celestia, by the way” she said inclining her head myself mimicking the action before she turned motioning towards the younger of the two diarchs. “That is my sister, Princess Luna” she finished, “I'm sure you've already met Princess Twilight and her friends”
I chuckled “Kind of. Princess Twilight, didn't introduce herself along with Rarity and Fluttershy, as they were too preoccupied either trying to find out why I'm here or in some cases fainting” I said, motioning with a hand towards the three before shuffling the deck. “But I did overhear their names as well as meet these three”
“Fainting?” Celestia asked her face of neutrality hardening only in the slightest, only for Rarity's face to turn bright red behind her.
“Well you know how people, or in this case I assume ponies, can be. Always curious” I said before handing the deck back to pinkie who stuffed it into her hair. “'What's under the mask?' they asked, so I showed them” I said shrugging.
“My, it must be something bad for someone to faint upon seeing” she said only enticing another chuckle.
“Well another thought she was going to lose her lunch, so I'd say so” I said before chuckling. “When you look like a rotting corpse, tends to make people, er ponies, disgusted”
Celestia's eyes widened slightly, “My, what happened that caused you to look like that?” she asked concern in her voice, but only so much.
I shrugged before letting my arms sag and look down. “I'm surprised Twilight over there didn't tell you what I said before arriving. Took you all at least twenty minutes, though from where you came from no doubt that's quite quickly” I said, trying to make myself sound less snotty and ungrateful.
After a moment I reexplained my story, and subsequently the story that caused the curse of the undead. Celestia's eyes widened at this, to my best guess, the thought of someone doing that on par if not worse than what Sombra had done.
“What kind of monster would do such a thing?” Luna asked, the question directed at me.
“Well, if you knew that your age of peace was coming to an end, that the day would be upon you that... a great evil attacked sending all of your lives into absolute chaos. Would you not put all of your resources into keeping that from happening?” I asked to which she simply nodded. “Well as I see it, Gwyn saw humans as nothing more than a resource. A few even going to the point of causing rebellions and making weapons specifically to combat those 'gods' no doubt making them that much more attractive as scapegoats” I said before shrugging.
The lunar princess only shook her head, almost in shame.
“Enough about the past, and things that never took place” I said before turning to Celestia, who still sat across from me. “You know now, after enough time, I'll probably go hollow, and attack your ponies, that I'm already willing to kill in self defense as you saw the manticore and no doubt Fluttershy's tale. You and your sister rule this land, and you're both judge, as well as jury. What is your choice?” I asked a smile coming to my face under the mask.
'Death would simply mean “respawning” here, imprisonment however would most likely mean going insane even faster.' I thought before grabbing my water bottle and taking a few drinks.
The look on Celestia's face was of deep contemplation. “Is there a way to keep you from going 'Hollow' as you call it?” She asked.
I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head, “Don't believe so, unless somehow I can get a hold of humanity. It'll keep me from decaying and going hollow, but unless you want me killing ponies, or searching corpses around Equestria until I find it, well I'm outta luck as far as I know” I said.
She nodded a sigh coming to her. “Well, there are only two options that I can think of to keep you” she said. “Using the Elements of Harmony on you.” she said causing the others to gasp and my eyes to widen. “This, in theory could help you as it did my sister, but it could also have a number of other effects”
I thought for a moment before sighing. “And the other?” I asked, not knowing what the other would be.
“There is a spell, it's quite powerful, but the three of us should be able to cast it” she said motioning to the other two alicorns. “It will make you fall into a deep slumber before encasing you in stone. Unfortunatly it's only a temporary solution, as it would basically leave you in your dreams, until we awoke you with a more permanent solution”
“Well lets actually try something before simply tucking me into bed” I said with a laugh. The princess nodded before turning to Twilight.
The purple alicorn pulled out a number of necklaces from a pair of bags on her sides that I hadn't noticed before. Putting them on the six elements the all gathered in front of me after Celestia took a step back allowing them room. Twilight put the final piece on her head as Applejack and Pinkie Pie gave me sad looks.
“Hey look at it this way AJ, you don't have to worry about me attacking your family when I go hollow, and Pinkie, you can throw me a party if I make it through this, we have enough guests now” I said motioning around bringing a smile to the pink pony's face, but only confusion to the orange one.
“Now wait a gosh darn minute” she started only for the elements to start glowing brightly and lifting them into the air. A bright glow encompassed them all and a rainbow started connecting the necklaces. “If I survive I'll tell ya later!” I said laughing as Twilight's eyes started glowing. A bright ribbon of multicolored light shot out from them before focusing on me.
'Taste the rainbow mo-' I started to think only for the rainbow to pin me on my back sending waves upon waves of pain through me. I screamed, pain was something I could normally take, but being ripped apart by a magical rainbow was something on a completely different level than burning your hand on red hot weld, cutting through your own skin to deal with an ingrown toenail, or digging splinters out of your skin.
The rainbow was unbearable pain.
The next thing I knew, I had awoken next to the bonfire, spear tucked away in the crease of my arm my bag on my back, and the shield draped over it. I stood up to look over at the number of ponies, surrounding where I had been moments ago to be staring at me.
“Lets Not do that again” I said before walking over and touching my bloodstain.