"What are ya'll suddenly so worried about?" - Apple Bloom asked me, despite me simply sitting still in her room. How can she tell I'm worried? In fact, that was an interesting question. And a good way to get distracted from the troubling thoughts.
"How can you tell I'm worried, Apple Bloom? It's not like I'm pacing around the room, after all."
"Ah... Ah don't know. Ah just do," - was her answer. It seemed familiar.
"I don't know... I just did." So... is she just feeling it? The same way I felt the urge to pretect her that day?
"I see..." - I said. A few more minutes had passed in silence.
"I worry about the visit of the Princess. I don't feel... ready for it."
"Oh, ya mean Princess Twilight? She's an awesome pony! She ev'n makes some time for the foals once a week, helping us develop the skills in the things we like to do! Ah've learnt so much about potion making from those lessons with her! Why would ya'll be so worried about meeting her?"
Potion making, huh? So, there is some kind of a chemistry... or alchemy in this world. Good to know.
"I guess I just don't know what to expect of her. She's an all-powerful alicorn Princess, after all!" - I said, trying to sound dramatic in order to hide the fact that the named concern was actually my prime source of worries at the moment.
"Oh, don't be silly! It's true that Twilight is the best pony when it comes to magic, it's her special talent, after all. But it's not like the earth splits under her step and the clouds form when she frowns," - Apple Bloom giggled at her own image of Princess Twillight. I, however, didn't feel like sharing her amusement.
"What if she doesn't like me? What if I do something wrong and she banishes me away or worse?"
The filly had given me a flat look at that.
"Ya'll sound exactly like she once did, before she became a Princess."
I had been caught completely off-guard by that reply.
"I... do?"
"Eeeyup! Before Twilight has become a Princess, she was a student of Princess Celestia. And she took her studying waaaaay too seriously, believing that if she makes as much as a mistake, the Princess would, and Ah quote, "Throw her in the dungeon, or banish her away from Equestria, or throw her in the dungeon in the place she banishes her to."
Oh... Oh. That does sound like what I've just said.
I had taken a deep breath... then released it slowly.
"Maybe you're right, Apple Bloom. Maybe I'm overthinking it," - I had concluded, to which filly snorted with a warm laughter.
"Yeah... Maybe."
I was standing in front of the lavender Princess, looking her in the eyes. I must admit... This is not what I expected. She didn't wear any royal regalia, neither did she have a squad of the guard ponies following her every step in the way. But that wasn't enough to make me let my guard down around her. Wrath never needed the guards as well... and only a few knew why.
"Hello there, little one," - she had offered me a kind smile. Despite how I felt inside, I had returned it. The years of practice has made a skillful actor out of me.
"Greetings to you as well, Your Highness. It's a pleasure to meet one of the Princesses like that," - my words seemed to have a desirable effect, as she chuckled a bit at the foal talking like a high society class member. It must have looked rather... adorable on the outside.
"Please, don't call me Princess. It's for the other ponies. For my friends, I'm just Twilight," - her reply was rather unexpected to me.
"Your... friends? Do you consider me your friend, Pr... Twilight?"
"Of course, I do. Applejack told me all about what you have done for her and her family. And if my friend says that you've managed to become almost a part of her family in just a couple of days, then I see no reason not to become friends with you too."
That was a little straightforward, especially for a Princess. However, if the information I had gathered so far was correct, she, unlike the two old monarchs of Equestria, wasn't an ancient centuries-old being. I... am much older than her. Must keep that in mind.
"Thank you, Twillight," - nonetheless, I had replied with a gleeful smile, - "Let's be friends!"
Becoming friends with the Princess herself would greatly reduce my concerns about possible threats from the alicorns. I was sure the four of them were close, and surely trusted each other.
But... can she tell what I really am? Can she see the monster behind this mask of an innocent child? What if she already knows who I am? Can I overpower her... at least enough for the opportunity to escape?
I couldn't help it, those thoughts just wouldn't leave my head. As always, I tried thinking ahead, as if I was playing a game of Chess.
"See? Ah told you Princess Twilight is a great pony! Are you feeling silly yet?" - Apple Bloom stepped in, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah... silly," - I said, giving a sheepish smile as I reached to scratch my mane awkwardly. The gesture I had picked up from ponies, having witnessed it so many times by that moment. That should've made my disguise perfect.
The dinner had been filled with friendly talk with nopony else but the Princess of Friendship herself, she seemed to be a really nice and friendly pony, indeed. Or she tried her best to look like one. My concerns didn't die down though, I kept watching her at every possibility that presented itself. I didn't allow myself to use my shadows though, due to having no idea if she could somehow sense them. That would lead to me revealing myself. That if she doesn't know already. After all, those guys from Xing Empire could sense Homunculi due to the Philosopher's Stones inside us. She, however, either didn't notice my glances every now and then, or decided that I was just awestruck to see the Princess so close for the first time. I was a foal on the outside, after all.
"Applejack, it's official. Your family provides the best food in all of Equestria!"
"Aww, shucks, Twilight," - the farm pony replied, blushing slightly. What is she embarrassed of? - "Ah'm always happy to provide the best for mah friends."
"Seriously, though. It was a wonderful dinner. I don't remember having such a meal even in the Royal Castle in Canterlot," - the Princess continued, making the Applejack blush deeper. Perhaps, it would be nice to cut it out.
"Thank you for the meal," - I had given my usual thanks to the Apple Family, bringing everypony's attention on me and successfuly distracting Twilight from teasing Applejack.
"Ya're mighty welcome, little fellah!" - Granny Smith replied, as she always did.
"Well, before I go, I'd like to spend some time with Dark Side. I need to talk to him in private, if that's okay with you."
I could feel the cold surrounding me. My concerns had returned with a newfound force.
"Ah... suppose, it's okay. Care to tell why, though?"
Yes. What are you planning, Princess?
"Oh, just a few questions about his past, nothing special, Applejack. If he manages to remember something, anything, it would be a great help with my search," - her answer was rather smooth and calming, but I was sure it was a disguise for something else... Or am I really being too paranoid about her?
We were in Applejack's room. Just me and the Princess of Friendship. The door was closed. So was the window. As is she doesn't want our conversation to ever leave this room... I was looking her in the eyes. She returned the gesture.
What is she planning? Her face doesn't show any signs of aggression. Does she know? What do I do?
"I win!" - I exclaimed, trying to poke at her true intentions, and confuse her a little. Perhaps, she might let something slip...
"Huh?"
"You blinked. I really like this game!" - I said, bringing the gleeful smile to my face once more.
"Oh, you didn't say we were playing. So, you cheated."
"A win is a win," - I had offered her a shrug, to which she chuckled.
"I suppose. So, do you think you're okay to answer some questions of mine?"
It can't be helped then...
"I guess so. I'll try my best, Twillight!"
"So, Dark Side," - she had begun in a friendly tone, - "Where are you from?"
That's strange. I had already told Applejack I didn't remember the answer to that question. Has she forgotten to mention it? Or does Twilight think that some memories might come back to me so soon? Then again... what is a normal time period for ponies to get their memories back when suffering amnesia?
"Oh... Twillight, I've already told Applejack I can't remember where I'm from."
What she said next, had nearly caused me to experience a heart attack. If I had a heart to begin with, that is.
"Don't worry, Dark Side," - she said, still as friendly as ever, - "It's okay to drop the act now. Right now, you can be yourself."
All of my thoughts had disappeared at that moment. All, except for one. The one that had quickly filled all of the emptiness in my head. The one that had consumed my entire mind.
She knows.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but when I focused my attention back on the alicorn, she was still looking at me with a friendly smile, expecting my reply. There was no need for my childish voice anymore.
"You can sense me..." - I switched to my natural voice, - "As expected from the caring monarch you are... You must be able to identify the threat in order to protect your subjects."
She raised an eyebrow at my voice, but shook her head at my reply.
"I'm not viewing you as a threat. I admit that, should we meet eariler, I might have. But not now," - her reply was rather confusing to me. I had decided to dig a bit deeper.
"Why not?"
"Because of what you've done for Apple Bloom," - her answer did little to convince me.
"What if that's just a part of the act?"
She smiled and shook her head once again.
"That's a lesson I've learnt a long time ago. And I must admit, without learning it, I wouldn't be where I am today. I've learnt that everypony should be judged by their actions, not by their appearances or their nature."
That seemed to be... a good point. If she stands by that, I'm safe. In Equestria, I have done no evil deed, unless murdering a timber-and-stone golem is a crime here. I had let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"It's easy to say, Twilight... But you have no idea what monster hides behind this child's appearance."
She seemed intrigued by my statement as she had asked me to show my natural form to her. And I had done exactly that. Soon the entire room had been filled with my shadows, the eyes were open, the teeth - visible. A display that could cause anyone to falter, and I could swear I noticed a few signs of fear on her. But they were gone with a blink of an eye.
"Even so... You're still not a monster," - she had concluded rather calmly, - "Because a monster wouldn't risk like you did to save a little filly."
She's not getting it, is she?
"I thought that at this point you would understand that I wasn't exactly putting myself in any risk."
A sly smile had appeared on her face. A smile that told me she was prepared for my reaction.
"So, are you meaning to say you weren't risking to reveal yourself?"
That had caught me off-guard. Completely. Because I defenitely was risking to have my true self being revealed for the Apple Family to see. I didn't really have a good come back to that one.
"Touche."
She smiled approvingly and noded before speaking again.
"A long time ago, there was an evil tyrant that had turned the entire land of Equestria into the pure Chaos. His name is Discord. He possessed magic that allowed him to bring the impossible things into reality, making day and night switch every few seconds, turning ponies into the opposites of themselves, making their houses float upside down above the ground, bringing chocolate rains and a lot of things of that sort. He was defeated by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and turned into a stone statue. But a year ago, he had escaped his prison, bringing Chaos upon Equestria once again. Me and my friends were able to turn him back to stone once again eventually. However, he had been freed not too long after. Freed on our own free will, since we had tried to do something nopony had before: befriend the Chaos Spirit. It did take some time, but in the end, he, indeed, had become our friend. And before you make a comment I know you're thinking of, he had the chance to betray us. He almost did so once. But in the end, he had made a choice against it, learning the true value of friendship."
She... surely is a Princess of Friendship. It had taken some time to settle in, but I was impressed by that story.
"So, returning to my original question... Where are you from?"
"I'm not from this world."
"I've figured as much. I've never sensed the magical signature quite as yours, not mentioning your... natural form," - she said, gesturing to the picture of a pure insanity around her. I had taken that as a silent plead to hide my shadows, so I proceeded to do just that.
"My world was a world of humans, who used the advanced skills in alchemy."
"I thank you for answering my question honestly, Dark Side. Now, the time I asked for is running out, so, we might return to that topic some other day. I trust that you will protect the Apple Family. And don't worry, I will say nothing about your true identity to them. You'll do so yourself, when you think you're ready. Before I go, though, I have just one more question... Tell me, what is your real name?"
Well... I suppose, it couldn't hurt.
"I am Pride. The first Homunculus."