My Little Crusade

by Inquisitor-Awesome

Chapter 5: Insanity: Paranoia is hatred

“A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what's going on. ”

― William S. Burroughs

“It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality, to go insane.”

― Philip K. Dick, VALIS

The Canterlot prison was a horrible place to work at. The constant whines of the damned, the yells of the innocent and the taunts of the guilty. All blending into a bowl of sounds, smells and unwanted sights. Truly a bad place to be.

This place was the reality of many, especially for those that wanted to remain in between the unseen.

And there was one gryphon that had really good reason to remain unseen.

Copper Spear was in his seat in front of the iron jail doors he was assigned to. He twisting one of his loose feathers staring at a piece of fine silk that could be considered paper. His free right talon reached from behind his wing, it came back with a half eaten pear.

With a careful bite, the pear was returned to its hidden place. Copper looked at the beginnings of the letter. Official looking words said: “Cause of injuries.”

Copper Spear had been pulled from near death. His peak had rasps taken and he had feathers falling from his head. The most significant wounds he had were at his sides. Several holes that were yet to be identified by anyone other than those that knew.

“Do I go saying I was mauled by a manticore? Or maybe that I heroically defended myself against discorded bandits? Or maybe even discorded manticore bandits?” Copper asked to no one. He mused in his mind for ideas. Some were ridiculous, but then again, he was told by his sergeant that those reports were something more of a formality. He could say anything he wanted.

Copper being who he was found it as an opportunity to raise his own name around the guards. But not as much to get him noticed by ‘royalty’. At least what he thought that wouldn’t get him into trouble.

In his musing the door at the end of the jail hall opened. A couple of gryphon guards dragged a young minotaur calf. Copper quickly hid his ‘excuse’ letter and made sure his wings were rightly placed as his face turned into one of incredible boredom.

“What is it this time, theft or murder?” Asked Copper Spear his acting of boredom completed with his voice. He stood and reached for the prison keys at his side. “By the creator prison duty is boring.’”

“Yeah yeah, this little hatchling thought he could steal an apple in the middle of a marketplace with us there next to the stall, and he thought we would be none the wiser.” Screeched the griffon guard that held the little thing as he unceremoniously threw the minotaur calf in one of the few empty cells.

“Ohh, so did he now? And how successful was it?” Copper asked raising the eyebrow in the amount of abrasions and bruises the little thing had.

“He was rewarded with a severe beating and a couple weeks in the jail cell.”

Copper Spear looked at the calf. It wouldn’t survive a day.

“Just leave him to my watch, I know what to do with little rats like him.” Copper commented as the guards left laughing between themselves and congratulating each other for a job well done. Copper waited for the guard to leave the prison hall rolling his eyes at the things they talked about.

But there was one thing that caught his attention.

“I mean, did you see those creatures? Those big things are as ugly as vultures but they are shiny as silver I’ll give them that.” Both guards ended laughing at the comparison, Copper was ultimately confused with the unique statement. He had heard the guards describe other species, especially these two, but he had never heard anything that looked like that.

‘There was one...’ Copper unconsciously thought.

“Naaah.” Copper told himself. Taking his key and locking the prison cell. He heard the calf whimper a little, he rolled his eyes.

Reaching for the back of his wing he cut the little bag holding his meal and threw it into the cell hitting the small thing in the side making it become smaller.

“That’s what happens if you steal, especially now. Don’t do it again.” Copper ordered as he walked away, he took a momentary glance back and saw the calf sniffin at the air. With his mind clear he was about to reach his seat.

“Sir, are you Corporal Copper, sir?”

“Wow wha-Who said that.” Copper asked surprised, frantically searching around for the unknown voice.

Copper spear spotted a shadow on the wall that wasn’t his above his own, he quickly turned and looked up and saw a scroll deliver pony flying behind him.

“Oh, right, yeah I got this... scroll for, umm, a Corporal Spear?- I mean Copper sir. Well, is that you, right?”

Copper Spear was caught off guard, as much as he tried he couldn’t draw his stare away from the peculiar pony. Not due to that fact that it was female but its particular... ears. The pony was of a yellow coat and blue mane the eyes were of a beautiful yellow but... but the ears. The ears just flopped around like a fish out of water. It was making direct eye contact impossible.

“Uhh yes I-ummm am Corporal Coflopity-- I mean Copper Spear.” He couldn’t stare away, his eyes just looked at the ears.

“Umm, sir. Are you alright?” Said the scroll pony as it’s ears stayed still for a second, giving a chance for Copper to look away and talk almost normally.

“Uhh yes, yes I alright thank you very much and goodbye.” Copper Spear stressed rapidly, taking the opportunity to end the awkward conversation.

Away from the flopeting ears Copper could now easily open the message scroll and read it. He has various... sutors that he has left in wait. It could be any of them.

Reading, Copper Spear’s face slowly paled, if it wasn’t for his feathers it would have been noticeable.

Meet me at the courtyard as soon as possible, it’s about our little incident a couple weeks before. Something came back to bite us. Very urgent.

-Stone Wall

Saying Copper was anything from sick to surprised would have been an understatement. This was not good.

Copper looked around the prison for anygriffin that may have comes to arrest him. Making sure there was no way the prisoners could reach the key in the wall he moved towards the nearest exit.

It was time to be careful.

______________________________________________________________________

“They’re back, they’re back, we should have killed it, I KNEW we should have killed it, they said it wouldn’t track us but it did. It did and we are going to be executed, then disposed dishonorably and... and... do they already know what we did?”

Stone Wall argued with himself in a low tone. Pacing around a fountain and making a small trench with the number of times he trotted. Muttering to himself waiting for the group he had seeded letters, with the best messenger he knew, to come by.

“Why else would they have comed? And did they knew it was me? Why wouldn’t they! It’s obvious. They surely know I left Lightning and Keen to die for food too! Shooting arse stars!”.

After a couple more minutes of irrational thoughts ‘out loud’ the griffon named Copper Spear came into Stone’s view, he looked less nervous but equally scared.

“What’s going on Stone?” Copper harshly whispered as soon he was close enough to be heard looking around for any guards, checking if they were onto them. Then Copper turned to Stone and gave him a full look, “Wow, you look like dirt, what happened?”

Stone Wall did look like dirt. His mane disowned the brush in his life and swirled wild. The bottom of his hooves were filled with dried mud while his coat was a tone clearer due to how long hasn’t washed himself.

“That doesn’t matter now, the thing is--”

Stone was interrupted by a freaked out Keen Sight that flew right on his face.

“Wow!” Stone yelled by reaction.

Keen looked like he hasn't slept for days. His fur and mane were a mess like Stone’s but more in the point of having to fly everywhere without stopping. The biggest issue was his very, very, wide eyed and twitching looking face with a couple of hoof marks. His eyes vibrated as they locked to Stone Wall’s. Keen was followed closely by Sargent Redwood and Private Moon Stone which landed next to Copper Spear.

“Moon Stone, check the perimeter for any unknowns.”Redwood said as soon as he landed.

“Sir, yes sir!” Saluted the griffon by reaction as he looked to the crowds for the more ‘interesting individuals’, Redwood turned towards the Earth pony as the pegasus asked him what the Sergeant was going to ask.

“What did you found Wall...” Said the twitching pegasus as he moved to the side of the dark pony, clearly trying to hold as much as he could to not land. “This better be big, I almost got interrogated by my captain in where I was going, I don’t need to add leaving duty to the list of suspicious things!”

The Earth pony reared back, the pegasus was truly too close for comfort.

“Hey Keen, deep breaths,” A familiar female voice added itself to the mix, “you know you are not being watched or followed so you don’t need to worry.”

Stone Wall turned to the unicorn mare behind him, Lightning Strike, always the smart one. Always cold, always strong. She was surely the one in the best state in the group.

Or that’s what he would’ve thought if he hadn’t looked at her.

Her mane was obviously uncared for. The bottom of her eyes tried and turn even darker than black as they proved how long she has been sleeping at night. Her coat was quite dirty but that could be due to the things she has been doing since they got back.

“Wow, hey Lightning, are you alright?” Asked Stone Wall, actually worried for his friend’s state at least.

“So what's to be the problem?” The unicorn said towards the griffin sergeant, completely ignoring the Earth pony’s concern. Stone flinched at how coldly she did it.

“Yes, but before this pony I was already on my way to find you. You see, there’s one of the creatures lurking around the city. I overheard a couple of guards commenting on some bipedal creatures smaller than a minotaur and straighter than a D-dog wandering near the castle. Which can mean that there is one of the creatures here in the city. They’re onto us.” The Sergeant calmly said as Keen Sight nodded his head quickly to confirm.

“Um, guys--”

“So what? It can’t do really anything against us without ending horribly in a ditch. We shouldn’t worry by that. Now what I wanted to talk to you about before the blob’s call was two things: To begin with the guard official, general Sparkle, he suspects something.” The unicorn added as she lifted part of her light armor and reached for something under it.

“Uh, hey? I called the meeting, I have something to say for everyone.” Stonewall tried to interrupt. Trying to get his point through.

“But there’s a bigger problem.” Added the mare.

Everycreature, except for the frustrated earth pony, opened their eyes widely to what Lightning was holding, an arrow in her magic. Not any arrow.

“Wait, is that one of those things’ arrows? Were you attacked?!” Questioned Keen Sight clearly shaking even more now that his nightmares were proving correct.

“Did you take that from the.. you know?” Asked the Corporal looking at the arrow with contemp.

“No, it’s worse than when Ston-.”

“GUYS!!”

“SHHH! I think one of the griffins are onto us shut it!” Moon Stone whispered loudly at Stone Wall’s burst, paranoid at the slightest movement within the crowds, everyone else agreed as they moved closer to Lightning no not speak so loud.

“Hey! I called the meeting because there’s something far more important than any of thos-”

“No, it’s not. You meant to tell us that there’s something more important than arrows that I found in a dead discorded hydra on one of my patrols? And by the amount, about two hundred or so of those creatures must be running about.” Lightning says harshly, anger clear in her face as she moved closer to Stone Wall’s face. Everyone else reacted with surprised faces at the information. Stone didn’t move an inch for the mare, equally frustrated.

The two stubborn ponies were head to head at each other, one obviously bigger but the smaller did not give an inch. The silence in the group was maintained thinking as if anything were to move or make a sound it would fall upon the collective pressure that the air was submitted and a fight would’ve begun.

Stone broke the silence as he spoke.

“There's an entire army of those creatures under the city right now.”

“Wut?” Was all that came from the unicorns’ muzzle, clearly caught by surprise. The whole group agreed as their breathes stopped completely.

“And there’s a group speaking with the princess. Right. Now.” The satisfied Stone Wall said, his smirk was impossible to hide now that they were finally listening to him.

“The creatures call themselves ‘Man’.” Stone Wall continued, “they are from a faraway kingdom. They have a massive army and have more food leftover to feed all of New Equestria if they wanted to. They decided to put out a massive feast for the nobles as they talk over diplomatic issues.”

“You knew that, but you still--” The mare didn’t know what to say she was dumbfounded, straining her eyes in what appeared to be shock. The earth pony felt slightly better at her reaction.

“Are you a bucking idiot?!”

For just a second.

Stone Wall’s fall from feeling good to bad was one of the worst feelings he had felt in his entire

life. The fact that everycreature present equalled the mare’s expression didn’t help either.

“You just doomed us all!” Lightning Strike yelled smacking her face with both her hooves, noticeably painful but not as much pain as she was mentally conceiving.

“What? What did I--” Stone Walls reply was immediately interrupted with a painful sensation in his face. A small rock.

“You moron!” Yelled this time Keen Sight, his face completely red as he tried and failed to lodge another rock as Moon Stone blocked his attempt. This only made Stone Wall more confused and hurt internally.

“But I--”

“If they are talking to the princess it means that they’re looking for us!” Keen said as he was basically caught in a hold by Moon Stone. The bigger griffon had no trouble in holding the still injured pegasi.

“Exactly,” Added Lightning breathing steady and slowly, a slight steam appearing from her nostrils as she did her best to remain calm, “because the place you so intelligently asked us to appear is a public garden, if we’re seen together we will be marked together, and when the ‘things’ ask for a specific group, that I’m SURE the warrior we left alive knows, some guard of the many that have already seen us here will surely remember us... And can you deduce what does that mean, right?”

Lightnings words were like fire as they feel on top of Stone Wall’s head. His eyes grew larger at each and every word that said how much he had bucked their situation out of control. He had no way to respond Lightning's last question, he had digged himself too deep into a hole and she was now asking him to cover himself in it.

“Don’t answer that.” Lightning said as she just deflated. “We need to separate, find an excuse to be moved out the city, any excuse will serve. We have a day at best.”

Lightning Strike gestured everycreature else to move out, spread and move. They easily obliged, none wanting to say a word. Stone just fell on his flank, stupefied by his idea and how he didn’t even in the most remote part of his brain think of what Lightning and Keen thought in barely a second.

The mare moved close to Stone, head side to side.

“I hope we never see each other again, Stone.”

Stone flinched, but other than that he remained still.

The griffin holding the slightly less raging pegasi moved out of the garden with his sergeant and the unicorn. He spoke.

“Well, now that, that is over with, I’ll just do my thing and get going.” Moon Stone said as he pointed out to put the conversation off till later as some of the jugs he was started to slush.

“Wait, Moon Stone, what are you carrying?” Asked Lightning as they walked away from Stone’s prone’s body and the garden in general.

“Well,” Moon Stone started noticing he was now the center of attention, “these are all... the things we... brought... from the... ship?”

“What?! I thought we were going to sell the remaining food or leave at the cave for later! What are you doing Moon Stone?” Sgt. Redwood voice raised, surprised at the privates ignorance.

“Apparently the ‘rings’ that were on the ship are completely worthless to the merchants.” Moon Stone said glancing at Stone Wall “But the blacksmiths are taking great interest in them since they're strong, rigid, and flexible as it is. And if you add anything about yourself Copper I will kill you.”

Copper Spear just smirked, he was going to say something.

“Destroy them. All in all they can be followed back to you, do you really want to be killed over a quick coin Moon Stone? You need to do this private, no thanks to a certain idiot.” Sgt. Redwood said in a very serious tone but ended with a whisper. The Sergeant was looking around and noticing the nobles are in a quick rush to get inside the castle, for the dinning that the imbecile mentioned.

“Moon Stone, get rid of the rings, if they find them we will all suffer worst with them, evidence is bad for any crime.” Ordered Sgt. Redwood in a no more discussion matter.

The group separated with those last words, each taking their respective directions.

Stone Wall was left alone, he was feeling incredibly sick, he must've eaten something sickening. He was thinking as to what to do next as his stomach grumpbelled, something he was accustomed when in depressed, anxious, angry, happy... basically every moment of every day he felt that way.

Stone looked at the position of the sun right above the tower that was separated from the castle in front of the statues. He saw the time and thought in what to do. But as he was about to turn to trot in defeat his eyes noticed something.

Stone blinked twice. He looked back at the tower.

Nothing.

Stone simply gave a heavy defeated sigh and moved draggin his hooves towards the only exit he could take inside the castle.

______________________________________________________________________

This. Place. Is. Cursed.

The most common thought of Jurian this day. The said phrase was said various times throughout the day, but each and every time they had a reason to it.

Like now that he had descended a flight of stairs he arrived at a top of a tower. After having moved through a gate and found himself in a mine. Or that time he was inside the castle and then found himself in a home of a very, very angry gryphon.

Yes Jurian’s perfect sense of direction of years of training might as well be of a blindfolded child.

His only worry at the time was to find a way to get back to the ground. That was until he saw a one of the small horses in the courtyard looking at his direction. He moved quickly to cover and didn’t even dare to show anything to give more evidence of his existence. But he couldn’t be too careful.

‘By God I’ve been spotted. What do I do now? Do I continue my mission?’ Jurian though at first he panicked then slowly, almost painfully, calmed his heartbeat to think clearly.

‘Calm down you’re just being paranoid. If they saw you they would have to get to you anyway.’ Jurian thought to himself as he did a quick glance to the creatures in the courtyard giving Jurian a sign for relief. None were following. He looked from inside the shadow of the tower as the group in the garden dissipated.

And now he understood how dark were the shadows he is in.

He didn’t have much time, the sun was setting and he must be with Ermo quickly before anyone notice him missing.

“Must focus.” Jurian muttered trying to think of a plan to find any evidence. Anything to see if what Jacque’s tale was to hold any truth behind his words, ‘Since all of the Mail was gone from the ship it’s best to check the merchants and blacksmiths to see if they sold it for quick coin.’ Jurian thought again, the idea was going to fly away from his mind if he didn't remind himself every so often.

Now with plan fresh in mind, and hate for the recent acknowledgment of structures in the realm, Jurian decided to take a new route he had just thought out down the castle. He entered the tower.

“If Down is up, then up must be down.” Jurian said to no one, “this place was sure to work in different ways it being a cursed hellish place and all”.

Jurian ascended the stairs thinking he would reach the ground, Hopefully. But unfortunately for him, something had different plans.

The door slammed behind him at the same time as all the torches that lingered the tower walls were cut off. Darkness surrounded him. Jurian was startled to say the least. There was wind in such high places, but not enough to close such a heavy tower door he was sure to have used to exit and enter.

Turning in the darkness Jurian moved closer to the door he had entered from, or at least where he thought it was, and tried to open it. Noticing something different about it as he touched it. Something. Very. Different.

Bars.

Long bars than ran parallel to each other.

Long iron bars that felt somewhat rusted and ran parallel to each other.

It was a jail door.

“Oy drrnd yjsy O jsbe s hirsy.” A strangely different and mysterious voice speaking gibberish resounded from the shadows behind him. Jurian cursed under his breath.

‘God, why doesn't anything go according to plan in this realm.’ Jurian whined as he slowly turned slightly to look towards the source of the mysterious voice. It was surely a small horse guard that had caugh--

Wait.

All day he has been moving from strange location to location.

He is now in a dark and very silent place.

Correction, he is in a jail cell. In the darkness.

And there’s something behind him.

Demon.

Demon, demon.

Demon demondemondemondemondemon.

Jurian’s mind got into a very ugly conclusion, but he couldn’t take the chance of doing something irrational.

Jurian turned but he didn't dare turned completely. Thoughts of myths and legends of the fate of men that has befallen to the eyes of demons as well as men that turned their back at demons, he made the best of the two.

Jurian saw its ‘leg’ or at least he thought it was a leg, it was more comparable to a widening cloak that moved with the wind, he turned a little more but once he began to see humongous evil eyes and teeth he quickly turned away.

“Eju fprdm’y yjpi kpplrdyj sesu?”

‘Yes. Yes, continue speaking in your foul tongue you creature, it’s not like we can understand each other anyways, now shut up as I try to open this god forsaken jail door’, Jurian though sarcastically not trying to anger what lays in the darkness by insulting it directly. Hands feeling up the door reaching the space in which he felt a common jail style lock.

“Str yjpidy ohmptomh nr?!”

‘You are not there, you are not there, by God’s blood you are not there!’ Jurian repeated in his thoughts as his hands worked on the door. He was very skillful, but in unknown situations that he had not thought off before he was not very calm man. He felt a familiar tick signifying his relief and freedom. Thank the father, the son and the holy spirit!

“Dypo ohmptomh nr upi omdpkrmy odrsmy!” screeched the mysterious creature as it poked Jurian with something very sharp and showed itself to him. “What the-”

When Jurian saw a part of the creature’s twisted almost confused looking face, every fiber of his being which was screaming demon one and concluded that this one was sent directly from hell to meet him. Especially by how it was very, very, ugly. It look as black as the night sky and radiated evil energy as its head tentacle moved.

So Jurian did what any other man of his generation, stature and skill would do in this specific situation.

Run towards the direction of your dominate hand and hope for the best.

“Ejs-- Jru! Upi djskk mpy rdvsordy yju otomvrdd vtrsyitr!”

Jurian runned towards his right side, what he could not confirm to be a cell. The demon followed closely as he with no sound or tell ran throughout the length of the wall. A round room.

Arriving at the point in which he began, Jurian didn’t have to think deeply to open the door which he had already unlocked and lock it behind himself so the demon wouldn't eat his soul and reign an era of darkness and doom throughout the world.

“Ejsy?! Jpe jsdy yjpi vtpddrf yjr timrd?!” The voice yelled, disappearing into the distance as Jurian ran as fast as he could possibly achieve. He didn’t notice three waves of dim light that he passed with no effort colored the air in the room red.

______________________________________________________________________

“And that’s why it would be a horrible idea.” Starswirl whispered annoyed at Celestia's little ‘idea’ on what to trade for the food if they were ever to make any trade in the first place. But his train of thought was quickly interrupted with a slight magic drain of his horn.

‘.. What? A magical drain? Did I place a draining spell or enchantment somewhe- ...oh.’ Starswirl thoughts morphed his face into complete and utter calm. He quickly excused himself for personal matters, which thankfully no one asked him for, the ‘Mans’ were the center of the attention today.

Starswirl headed out the room in a nice trotting pace, his head held high as a sign of high stature as other nobles opened the path before him, all trying to reach the dining room that was to held the ‘dinner’.

Once out of the room Starswirls trot accelerated, the nobles in the dining hall saw him confused, but payed no mind as he turned a corner, in a hallway free of nobles.

And so Starswirl ran as fast as he could.

Starswirl was not a very good runner, but the situation called for his immediate action. On his way in one of the intersections of the hallways he saw two of his unicorns acolytes.

They were the only ponies out of royalty and high mages that wore silk clothing as a way of living. The heads were covered by hoods that were basically the same cloth that covered the rest of the body. Their faces were covered in masks and the horns easily escaped through the one specific whole in the middle.

Starswirl didn’t even needed to nod his head as he passed them. They followed.

And then another group. And then another, and another. Quickly the size of the amount of acolytes doubled, tripled and then it added more and more until the hallway if filled with them.

A couple of guards, placed to stop the citizens from sneaking in the palace, saw the archmage’s small army pass and turned their gaze elsewhere, there were many Starswirl had in his control.

The small army galloped at full haste onto the more secretive part of the castle.

The runed dungeons, the magical space, or the safe haven. It depended on who it was asked.

The place was a masterpiece of magic theory which was not tested made practical. It was the only reason he wasn’t taken by Discord as the rest of the kingdom in his stay from the beginning of it all..A place that serve to protect him. Still does.

The side in which the danger to him was... varied.

Starswirl was sure he saw a glimpse of one of the humans as he galloped his way to the dungeon, but time was of the essence and he had no time to confirm.

The walls became of black color, full of texts and floating lights. Starswirl noticed a great amount of the lights had for some reason disappeared. This raised his thoughts into a paranoia without measure. Those lights knew who to let through and who to not.

There was basically a little tunnel of them missing.

~”Come on out Starswirl, you know you want to.”~

Starswirl quickly shook his head. Horrible memories could come later. But not now.

The runes in the walls growed in number, all concentrating and becoming more and more complicated in text. They all surrounded the sealed room. Now a jail.

Jail cell locked. Check. Enchanted Chains. Check. Runes. Check. Alicorn. Check?

“Torches.” Starswirl ordered. All at once the bases for torches in the walls were alight and Starswirl could see the occupant right where he left her. To his relief.

“Nice to see you again, Luna.” Starswirl calmly said.

“I’m not Luna, the mare was weak and too trusting. As I have asked before, call me Nightmare, sweet un-bearded.” ‘Nightmare’ said at first angrily, then teasley and finally with giggling laughter, all the way staring at Starswirl who didn't give an inch under her gaze.

“What happened here, Luna.” Starswirl said non chattickly. ‘Nightmare’ only narrowed her eyes at the name, but equally spoke.

“Oh, nothing much really, only my friends that appeared without notice. We had a nice little chat, talking about freedom and loyalty. Unfortunately they were in a hurry and you were coming; they had to leave early you see. I would love to be able to talk to them again, if you ever see them around please ask them to pass by. It gets lonely here sometimes.” Luna said unnaturally calm about it, a mocking cute face. it ticked Starswirl off.

“Friends? I don't think a friend would come to a face like yours!” Commented one of the acolytes which was accompanied with laughs from the rest of his peers. Starswirl quickly snapped his gaze to the novice magician.

“What?!” The dark princess roared causing the lights which were flowing over them to flicker, “I’ll have you know its hard to look beautiful in a dungeon. You MULE!” Nightmare finally screamed pushing all acolytes from the cell door. But then her face turned back in, calm, and then a soft smile. “If you want, you can continue speaking about me, closer, and prove your words true? It has been awhile since I've had some meat.” Nightmare spoke lightly with a sickly grin while cleaning her fangs with her slithering tongue. The novice slowly backed awy followed by snickering of his peers.

“Enough.” Ordered Starswirl, the acolydes straightened themselves at his bark. Starswirl looked into the smiling monster. “So who dares call you friend, Luna?” Starswirl asked, closing in as he was slightly moved because of the recently passed blast of air.

“Why would I tell you?” Nightmare asked... not as defensively as she would’ve had. Starswirl confirmed that there was something up. There had to be.

“Because how else would I find your ‘friends’ if I don’t know how they look or where they are.” Starswirl commented, his face still perfectly stiff.

“Oh, of course, one of them was nice, tall, wearing white and grey, and had a cute little beard.” Luna said cryptically at first but then turned into a tease. Starswirl involuntarily touched his chin wear his beard used to be.

“Oh, then they were minotaurs?” Starswirl asked interrogatively. The thing would have needed to get through hoards of guards to get to this place. And there's enough enchantments here to stop any spell if it was not from his own.

Or one of his acolytes...

This could be a problem.

“Maybe.” Said Luna looking away from Starswirl into a part of the roof.

“Diamond dog?” Starswirl continued, one possibility was brought possible. Now he needed to see if he could find another. Or the real problem.

“Maaaybe.” Luna repeated with a grin starting to have fun with this guessing game.

“A Man” Stated Starswirl equally nonchalantly. That would get her attention.

“A what?” Luna said her playful voice and attitude gone replaced with confusion, twisting her head slightly. There was a sparkle of curiosity in her eyes. Starswirl knew what it meant.

Starswirl smiled.

“An odd two legged creature, no tail, tall, pink sking, has fur, but different from us all... and can have beards.” Starswirl again touched his chin like it might spontaneously grow a beard, again disappointed.

“Ah so how does this new race of Equestria fairs in these lands?” Luna ask actually curious.

‘Got you.’

“Oh they're not from Equestria at all.”

“What? Then do tell, where are they really then?” Luna said very interested in the subject. Slipping a piece of invaluable information.

Confirmed.

“Good night Luna.” Starswirl said face back to the blank expression as he moved to the exit.

“Get back here, Starswirl!” Luna’s voice echoed throughout the room, she slammed her hooves with the bars, her chakles glowing reducing her strength. Starswirl was followed by two of his acolytes, “What. Are. They! Starswirl don’t you dare--”

Nightmare’s scream fully stopped as Starswirl promptly exited the first circle of runes.

“At least I know what creature came here.” The archmage commented to himself. “But when Celestia said they were paranoid of magic, was it because their so knowledgeable of it? Or is it something else entirely?” A plan formed in Starswirl’s mind. “Oh this is going to be fun.” Was Starswirl’s last comment in his mind as he leaves two acolytes to report to him for anything strange was to happen, one with a location spell to find him and another with long range teleportation to reach him.

“It has been a while since I experimented.”

______________________________________________________________________

“Oh I can’t WAIT to do magic now!”

“...What?"

“I can be my very own genie. Except I get all my wishes when I want!”

“What?”

“Quick, where is the nearest pool of water so I can speak to myself?”

“...That way.”

“Thank you. Now, what should I wish for? Oh I know! A Palace made of chicken tharid, and a pool-- no, a lake of fermented beer!”

That was the last thing Asad said as he disappears into the bushes to do Allah knows what.

The situation was... weird, at the very least. With the speaking horned horse and the attitude of the night guard turned warrior, Wadi’s head was at an acre.

“Do I need to know if he will cause any trouble.” The self proclaimed ‘Prince Sombra’ said still completely confused by the entire conversation with the one named Asad. And making Wadi’s head add more pain into the mix.

“Define trouble.” Was Wadi’s only reply, he couldn’t do anything else as his mind reeled into thinking. He just closed his eyes and thought he was speaking to an actual person than the horse he was recently introduced to. By it.

“Did he even listen to me when I explained him about magic?” Sombra said with both confusion and annoyance. Wadi had to take a deep breath and stare hard at the horned horse to make sure he wasn’t in a surreal dream.

“For Asad? Define listen.” Wadi said as he pinches the bridge of his nose, almost giving up into the situation completely.

“He will be very disappointed for--”

“You Lied!” Asad said as he jumped out of a bush near the prince startling him and making Wadi unconsciously smack his forehead.

“That was a latrine! I said pool of water.” Asad slowly stated annoyed and slightly angry.

“Come on its not Ramadan yet, so tell me where is the... No, I will find it myself, unless anyone wants to come and help me? I will allow sharing of my Palace of Chicken Tharid~” Asad said annoyed at first but then supportive for any help for him to do his ‘supposive’ magic.

Wadi did the best he could in his mind, but the thing he needed to do better is take one thing at a time, and that thing would be Asad. And now Asad’s strangeness into asking hardened trained warriors into task, which are not only non possible, but also demeaning at best. Is something to take head first.

“Come on Asad, do you really--”

“I’ll help!”

“Me too!”

“So do I!”

“Ohh how about conjuring some rice?”

“Yes and how about some coffee with sugar!”

“Yes for everything,now find the pool of water!!!”

“Yeah!!!”

The entire Muslim expedition force. Trained hardened warriors. All. Of. Them. Except Wadi, moved off in the wilderness in search of the pool for their supposed Palace of Tharid and dreams of food.

Yeaaaaaah.....

“I like Tharid as much as anyone, believe me, but not only that wasn’t the magic explanation given, but also... YOU ARE WARRIORS FOR ALLAH’S SAKE!” Wadi screamed to his ‘army’ as the left no long seen or heard anymore.

Taking the situation in; understanding what is happening and everything involved with it. Wadi expressed his thoughts.

“.. I was sent here to die with a bunch of idiots.”

In his new found revelation, Wadi’s space was invaded by a recently acknowledge acquaintance.

“I understand the predicament my new friend,” Said the dark horned prince now at Wadi’s side, Wadi only sighed, one issue at a time, “do you really think these dogs here are scholars? Watch.”

To the prince remark Wadi raised an eyebrow, still amazed that he was hearing a horse speak. He watched as the unnatural thing walked to one of the man like dogs and poke his hoof into the ‘dog’s’ leg.

“Ruff, fetch me my walking stick.”

“Yes, yes!” ‘Ruff... ruffed with a large amount of eagerness.

After a half a minute the man-dog-thing named Ruff brought back a tree branch in his mouth. It looked just chopped off a tree.

“See?” The unnatural horse spoke to Wadi and then turned at the dog thing, “Now just place that with the other walking sticks, please.”

Ruff nodded eagerly as he placed the ‘walking stick’ with a big pile of ‘walking sticks’ nearby that Wadi had initially considered firewood. The dog got into its initial position and stood like it hadn't just acted just like a normal dog.

“I just wish I could at least have some tea to settle myself down.” Complain Sombra rubbing the back of his head with his hoofs.

Wadi looked at the horse thing, it acted as an old friend he had on his older days. But it was a horse. It acted like a man... but it was a horse.

A mini-horse with a horn. That could speak.

“I have tea aboard my ship, you and ‘Kyong’ are welcome to it if you desire for I am going to calm myself down due to this large amount of idiocracy” Wadi said looking at the small thing warily, looking at how it was to react.

“Thank the creator for small miracles.” Kyong said finally able to have some civilized beverage and conversation with a new creature nonetheless. A new fresh ally to make.

“Just a quick question, have you ever heard of sugar?”

“What's sugar?”Sombra asked turning his head sideways.

“Oh you’ll see my... ‘friend’, you’ll see” Wadi said as he walked with his new companions to the direction of his ship.

Now the issue was to not get killed once he got there with a horned horse and a legendary beast.

______________________________________________________________________

“How much longer?”

“Stop pestering, my cooks are cooking as fast as they can.” Said Ermo as he feel his patience slipping.

“Hmph, your cooks are not very good at their job to me.” Complained one of the nobles across the table. The most interesting one.

These nobles all act like they hold something over everyone, act in a manner of superiority, and they all act like they were better than him.

‘Yes, just like the nobles at home indeed.’ Thought Ermo.

The room Ermo was in was the ‘dinning’ room, the royal place where the biggest ships in his fleet could enter and there would still be space to enter another one. There was many tables, massive ones that were long enough to get from one side of the room to the other.

The princess had told him before they were both separated by questioning nobles and ‘important’ people that all the different races that mattered were there, he wasn’t impressed with most. Some were like the princess, horned and winged horses. There were even man-dogs.

But there was one in particular that was actually to be considered at all times.

“Truly slow cooks.” Exactly the one that he was speaking to.

It was big, ginormous, humongous, there was no real definition to how big it was.

A swear to Christ dragon.

Boy was he not enjoying the company of one of the most impressive mythical creatures he had known. And he wasn’t not enjoying it in the fashion he would have predicted a meeting with a dragon would be.

“But then again with such simple things like that, you little things wouldn’t achieve much.”

Oh God kill me now.

“Mi’lord” Said one of the cooks as he approached Ermo and whispered to his ear.

My savior.

“Oh my, then just bring out the fruit and vegetables out first then. Just to sate their hunger now hurry.” Commanded Ermo as he told his cook the new plans for the feast.

After a some time the cooks with all the strength brought out large portions of fruit and vegetables out on large platters and presents them all across the table as the nobles pretty much drool over the vegetables and fruit.

“Now before we dig in, we must offer a prayer of thanks to God for this meals meal .” Clarified Ermo for everyone in the room. His knights didn’t need to be told twice, but everything not from outside of Equestria was confused and turned to their ruler for answers.

Said ruler now noticing her unwanted attention asked.

“And why is that?” Celestia questioned.

“For many reasons and for one its customary in Christendom to offer thanks to our God for a good harvest.” Ermo simply explained.

“Well if its customary” Replied Celestia. Looking at everyone around the room and followed the ‘King’s’ instructions, as silly as they were.

“Please stand everyone and bow your heads as I say the prayer.”

Every’thing’ stood as they bowed their heads.

“Creatorem Statore et vivificantem, benedic hoc panem ad opus nostrum, et nos ad servitiam tuam tuarum omnes nos gratiam, et meminisse necesse est.

Et sine me ut hanc creaturam divitias. Amen.”

Ermo spoke out loud in a language Celestia didn’t understand... even during the translating spell, and was curious at the language. It was poetic and artful like singing rather than talking.

And the thing not being translated made it something to notice.

“Let’s eat.”

All questions and thoughts could wait as a small piece of paradise popped in her head.

“Ermo do tell have you heard of a food called, cake?”

“Oh yes I have, I had a special one made with some rare spices especially for us after we are done with the main course”

Celestia started to dream to finally eat such a delicious food again. But then thought in more concentration on what he said.

“Wait, what about the fruit?”

“Oh, that would not allow you to fully enjoy the spices then. Trust me, thanks to my talks with your cooks you will love these spices”

“Of course, I can’t wait to try such a special cake then” Celestia said in her best diplomatic smile.

She’s going to hate it.

“Wait then what is the main course Lord Ermo” The gryphon known as Silver Peak spoke next to Ermo. Silently listening to the conversation the two monarchs had.

“Simple, pork and beef”

“Beef?” Questioned Silver Peak, never hearing of such a type of meat.

“You know cow meat.” Ermo simply explained.

The two listeners paused. Looking wide eye at the innocent Ermo.

“.....What?” Asked Celestia as her face paled.

“Don’t tell me that cows talk as well.” Ermo exclaimed laughing thinking of a ridiculous idea.

“They do.” Celestia responded.

This time Ermo paled.

“Excuse me for a moment, I must tell my cooks something. I’ll return shortly.” Ermo calmly said before he stood from his stool and moved through the crowd of question asking nobles. He skillfully asked them to piss off, in kinder words of course, and moved in a hurry to correct something before it could hurt his reputation.

He wasn’t going anywhere without his warning horn.

Moving to one of his knights he padded him in the arm three times. He knew what it meant. He was given a battle horn. Ermo knew what it would mean in this situation.

The horn was of a rams horn, traditionally. And it had an inscription on its side in latin.

Omnes hostes occidere Dei

Ermo raised the said horn, his knights nodded their heads as Ermo walked outside of the room. All the knights moved into a particular position, surrounding the room.

If that horn got off. This would be bloody.

__________________________________________________________________

As Ermo fast walked or slowly ran to the kitchen the only words in his mind that repeated were.

‘Must hurry. Must hurry. Must hurry!’

But without Ermo knowing he wasn’t the only human in a hurry. The only difference was that the other was in a hurry to be anywhere else from where he was coming from. Into the same intersection.

“Mein Gott. Mein Gott. Mein Gott.” Jurian cursed as he ran towards the intersection that Ermo was about to be in.

Two objects can’t be in the same place at the same time.

True story.

Ermo was the first to recover from the collision as he was at a lower speed when the collision occurred.

“By God’s blo-- Ah Jurian!” Ermo began mad, but changed as he saw who he ran against.

“Ermo... is it really you?” Jurian said as he was touching Ermo’s face for confirmation.

Jurian’s face was pale, in a futile try to transform into a ghost. His insignia, the cross, was stained in sweat, it wouldn’t be weird to see in any soldier, but in Jurian? It was a sign of something wrong.

“Aye Jurian... Aye. But going mad twice in the same day is telling me that this land is bad for your life, he. Mi’lord we must hurry the Templar were right, there are demons here!” Jurian exclaimed as he grasps Ermo’s Chainmail.

“What?” Ermo asked in confusion, did the Templar’s rambling get to him? “Jurian, speak now, what do you mean there's a demon here?”

“In... In a dungeon, I don’t know how by God’s name I got to be there. But as I was conjured there, what laid in the dungeon cell, was...was.. was something that can only be a demon. It was EVIL and... and incredibly ugly. Uuhhgg.” Jurian explained as he shivered in memory of a creature so hideous.

“Jurian, calm down. Speak to me slowly and clearly.” Ermo commanded from his right hand man.

“Alright, must calm down...” Jurian took a deep calming breath as Ermo stood and helped him stand with a simple pull of his arm, “There is a Demon in the dungeon I did as legend spoke and glanced at it to not be cursed. We must run, get out of here, this land is of demons, they have fooled us int-”

“Halt!” Ermo exclaimed, holding the bridge of his nose. “Jurian, you can tell me all that you saw today and everything bad you saw of these creatures, but we will NOT act hastily because of them.”

“Lor-Ermo, you have no idea of what I have seen. They eat each other in the streets, they imprison those that are too young to defend themselves only after receiving a beating from the guards for no good reason, and I found a proven demon in this castle! You have to consider that!” Jurian yelled, feeling insulted that the lord was not taking his word in his decision.

“First, I’ll have you know that we have done worse, and I know I’m not evil or demonic! Second, you have just glanced at that supposed demon.” Ermo corrected logically, he was not letting a simple thing like fear get the event of a lifetime out of his grasp. He continued his logical onslaught

“I know it would have caught you before you exited the dungeons if it was a REAL demon, and if it hadn't caught you then? It would get you now.” Ermo tried his best to calm down Jurian again hopefully this time he would actually calm down.

Jurian’s face was red, he was in a state of rage induced by disbelief. His lord-- nay, his best friend was not taking his word as true. But even with his dark thoughts in where his ‘friend’ should stick his head for the evening he was still talking to a very stubborn lord that even if he brought the demon itself to his face, he would not give away the chance for riches.

“Your right Mi’lord. But you seriously we must consider, it was like the pony princess but as black as night and it has teeth as sharp as a bear and it... radiated. Evil.” Jurian said playing along with the blind lord.

“How does it radiate evil then Jurian”

“By the way it spoke in its infernal tongue, she was covered in chains, it has the kind of hair the supposed princess has and it also was in some kind of cell, I'm pretty sure she wasn't there for tea.” Jurian began hopeful that he was actually going through Ermo’s thick skull.

“Jurian, if it was a demon. It would have killed you the second, you were in a cell with it.”

“Ermo the thing it was very very evil, I assure you”

“Are you sure it was a demon for all we know it could be an powerful witch that the kingdom at trapped in a cell long ago.”

Jurian sighed.

“You're right mi’lord, it could have been a witch.”

“Demon hahaha Jurian you paranoid assassin,” Ermo laughed as he patted Jurian in the shoulder, Ermo began to walk at the direction he once ran, and with an anxious expression he continued, “now follow me Jurian we must fix something before its too late.”

“What do you mean Mi’lord?” Jurian asked walking after Ermo.

“We were having a feast with the princess and her nobles, I just figured out the cows here speak as well. Now hurry, we must arrive before it’s too late.” Ermo near frantically explained.

“By God you’re right, we must hurry before its too late!” Jurians faked horror, as both he and Ermo raced to the kitchen.

The Lord ran trying to compensate the time he wasted speaking to his fateful friend that followed with not so much enthusiasm. After a couple of minutes the pair reached their destination, a pair of very stylistic doors next to very detailed drawing in golden columns.

The kitchen.

Opening the double doors they were greeted with a scene that was utterly perturbing.

“Mmmmmooooooooo!”

“Hold the cow down”

“Oh shut it we are holding it down!”

“With what we have it’s going to be a miracle we get anything done.”

“We know! Now help us so we can at least get the beef ready, the pork is almost done and we need the beef before Ermo finds out what's-” The cook paused as he notice the kitchen doors were opened for some time.

The place was a mess.

The tables in the kitchen are completely destroyed, there were pieces of marble sticking out from the ceiling, there was a huge hole in the ground in which the cooks were in their knees, they were using said hole to align a strangely thin cow, and for some whatever reason the cabinets were untouched by any real destruction but they were covered in a strange red colored bile.

“Everyone stop!” Ermo yelled and the entire kitchen became silent. But silent wasn’t still as one of the cooks panicked.

And disgracefully it was the one with the axe

“MMMmOOoO!” the cow said right before the axe cut its head off.

But that was to the regular listener.

What Ermo heard was...

“PLEASE NO-” Before the victim’s scream got cut off as her head was chopped clean off from the body by an innocent murderer.

“DO YOU NOT KNOW THE WORD STOP! ARSE DE DEI!” Ermo yelled with anger, turning and pacing in a spot as he used every mean word he could to the cook.

“What is wrong with killing the cow Mi’lord? You ordered it on the feast did you not?” Asked one of the cooks, the main cook, as he pressed the dead creature to make sure the bad parts were correctly separated.

Ermo smacks his palm in his face, his frustration evident. “Apparently the cows, like the horses and gryphons here, can speak. And feeding them beef will not only hurt our relations with them, but label us as barbaric monsters.” Ermo explain hope of a nice day gone from his mind.

“By Gods Blood.” Muttered the main cook as he stepped away from the dead cow looking at the axe as a murderous tool and dropping it.

“Quickly, just get the pork out on the feast table and hide the cow’s remains, NOW!” Ermo ordered trying to get through the day without anymore complications.

“But lord if the cows speak, what about the pigs?”

“We don’t know as of yet, but from the reactions form the princess is anything to consider, they luckily do not.” Ermo explained pondering hard at the question at hand.

Hearing the new set of orders the cooks quickened their pace. Some dropping food as they got the pork ready for the feast. Some of the cooks chopped up the cow and hid them in the top of the cabinets hoping nothing would come here until they arrived back to use it for the warriors outside.

Even if speaking it was still a cow for them.

Ermo and Jurian with the pork nearby being carried by the cooks, now hurried their way to the feast hoping no one would see the scene that they had to leave behind.

______________________________________________________________________

The sky darkened; the river sparkled. Wild life got ready to change into the new setting as the young night began. Small plants grew as big as bushes making more hiding places for all big and small. There were many little things moving and making themselves notice. They filled the place with sound and life.

In the forest, everything was worse at night.

The trees were close to each other, like brother to brother. Born together and closer each year. This proved to be an issue with travel for most things. The big were not able to move freely between the inseparable companionship of the trees. It was an issue for all things big.

But not for Zebras.

Light and quite, Zebras were the species of stealth and movement. Especially good for scouting and reconnaissance assignments. They were able to move in any way and in any situation given to them.

“How am I always carrying everything, it’s impossible to move right without getting stuck!”

Most Zebras.

Stripped Grillis, a zebra expert on survival, was now after years of faithful services and shows of real bravery has become the equivalent to a mule. Complain was all he could as the weight of the supplies were wearing him down. The other two Zebras with him simply rolled their eyes at his now third complain.

When Stripped Grillis finished his comment his face meet a recognizable pain.

*Whack*

“Ow”

*Whack*

“Ow”

*Whack*

Stripped Grillis finally getting the situation just gritted his teeth. He hates working with Shamans. Especially this one. That damned staff.

His robe was made from a resilient plants that could take some lighter forms of punishment, it was brown and had leaves sewn to it for camouflage with the ground from any flyer, it also allowed him full mobility to run or ambush.

This particular Shaman had six induced ranking scars in the form of a circle on his neck detailing him to specialize in herbal medicine. He was well built with brown eyes. It was not really necessary to understand which was his color or pattern in his fur.

“How much farther to the location, this rhyming is my utmost frustration.”

“Not much further Zasuke, only a few more hours at most.” Answered Swift Hooves. Her rings had two added new ones, proving her ascended rank. She was using a slightly more protective vest, still made of wicker, but now with a more advanced design. Her steps might as well be not existent over the grassy forest floor, not even leaving a mark.

The Shaman only nodded his head, starting way too long at the female companion.

Fortunately for Stripped Grillis this particular Shaman was terrible in making any rhymes and everyzebra knew that Shamans, due to tradition, must speak only in rhymes.

“I still don’t get why we have to come all the way over here, what’s so special about this task anyway?” Stripped Grillis asked for the fifth time. Apparently his memory was weak as he was always responded in the same matter..

*Whack*

Stripped gritted his teeth harder, ‘I Hate you Zasuke’ Stripped thought with utmost anger attempting to see if he was able to destroy his enemies with a glare.

“We don’t know, even the Shaman doesn’t know. He just came with us in the case we got too injured. It’s supposed to be very dangerous task given by General Sparkle himself.” Replied Swift Hooves as she moved closer to Grillis, she still wondered the why they were chosen over the more experienced scouts at the zebrican cities such as Zebractu or even Zaghasta. Or what’s left of the people.

“Truly strange this task is, but we are to do as he says.” Said Zasuke with a smile, Swift had to move for her to clearly speak to Grillis. Giving lonely stallion a fair view.

Being a shaman is a very lonely career choice.

Stripped Grillis in his angry gaze noticed the shamans smirky face and eyes. Grillis didn’t like it one bit. The big stallion moved quick for the charge he had over him and moved between Zasuke and Swift Hooves blocking the shaman.

Or at least that would've happened if Zasuke wasn’t aware of the stallion. Seeing his move did the most efficient thing that has worked all day.

“Oh no y--”

*Whack*

“Ow!”

*Whack

Stripped Grilli’s eye twitched as he growled at Zasuke while the Shaman grinned.

“What was that for?” Asked Swift Hooves raising an eyebrow at the staff-happy shaman.

The shaman turned to her. And instead of saying anything he placed an innocent face and did as he hadn't heard of her question.

Swift Hooves rolled her eyes and kept on the move.

After a couple more hours of the silent war between Stripped Grillis and Zasuke they finally reached a good sighting of the beach to look at whatever the General wanted them to see.

They found a nice hiding point, the very same that they would use to sleep if they had to. Close to the edge of the forest and beach. The shaman moved ahead, giving Grillis time to ask one question that pondered his mind.

“Why is he with us again?” Grillis asked as he rubbed his swollen head.

“What? Not liking the competition already?” Swift Hooves asked with a sly smile.

“No its not that, I mean, we got food for everyzebra; we made the tribes join together. Why are we here with a Shaman on a mission for the new Equestrians? Wouldn’t we be, you know, away from this?” Grillis asked, actually curious into how his recent predicament came to pass.

“You mean how we got into a mission involving the very things that we were accused to have killed? That kind of thing?” Swift said with a sigh, crossing her forelegs together making a resting position for her chin.

“Well... yeah. And I don’t get why we are with this shaman guy. He’s more an ass than a Zebra. Or less a shaman, he doesn’t even like to rhyme.” Grillis complained, he moved his packages, letting them fall on the floor next to him. He sighed relieved stretching his back at the freedom.

“What did you think they would do? We are the best apparently now. Do you think the elders can say that we got involved in a killing of those things and we had food for our tribes while Equestria as a whole died in hunger? Without that very food we would’ve never united the tribes.” Swift arched her back from her position on the grass.

“Yeah, but they could’ve said we were mourning Trot’s death.” Grillis added head failing at the memory.

“That’s why a shaman Grillis.” Swift said as she turned to Grilis, face serious and continued. “What I want to know is that, why did the things not kill the princess as the elders predicted? They knew ponies and griffins had killed some of them, so why didn’t they start a war or something. Do you think they have something in their suits?”

“Yeah right, what do you think their doing? Buying more time to bring more of those things here?” Stripped joked as he also laid on the grass resting his tired legs.

“Hehe right, I really doubt they were that mad of those few death.” replied Swift tilting herself to the new added pillow.

“Swift Hooves my dear, wouldn’t you come here, and make this scene more endurable.” The shaman said from wherever he had gone to. His head appeared from in between the bushes he had first left. Looking directly at Swift.

Grillis head moved to a side, “Wow, you’re bad at rhyming.”

The shaman simply raised his staff and his opinion was understood by Grillis who stood quickly and moved around the crazed shaman to the spot mentioned, not breaking eye contact.

Swift giggled and shrugged at their little hate against each other and followed the Shaman to the spot.

Arriving at the spot, the Zebras stared into the landscape.

And they stared some more.

And more.

What the two Zebras saw made their jaws drop and dig their way into tartarus.

“Heave Ho!!!!”

______________________________________________________________________

The feast was already in progress; the fresh food, the one that didn’t need to be prepared, was already in said event. So thanks to the way Ermo organized it they were not even noticed to be gone. Except of course for Celestia and those the said Man has left with the thoughts of a cow; but only in the other half of the time that Celestia wasn’t wondering where her good adviser Starswirl left to.

“Finally meat.” Was the entrance of Ermo as he closed into the carnivorous races table with a very generous amount of food. And to Jurians dislike it was one of the two legged lizard nobles... things. They’re not demonic looking his arse.

“Oh, yes, my apologies for the wait, there were some... difficulties in preparing this category of meals in the kitchen.” Ermo said neutrally, but in a way very humble.

“Ha, don’t tell me that the ponies gave you trouble in ‘making’ it, did they?” The giant lavender lizard chuckled at his joke, but by the way ‘he’ ended it he was going to continue, “Or was there a problem when you were making, them, meat? Hahaha!”

The whole room chuckled in one of the most obvious noble laughs you could find anywhere. The lizard must be powerful or important in some way.

Jurian looked between all the creatures in the table, all representing all of the monsters and beasts he had lived his whole life preparing to kill or run from. All laughing at obvious bad jokes told by the one that looked like a spiky version of a lizard. Jurian stepped away from the group slowly, hoping to be in a less vulnerable position in the edge of the party.

The other lizards were becoming desperate to dig in, they were waiting for the bigger one for some reason.

“But let me taste how do you ‘Mans’ make your meals, we were told it had many... things different.” The lizard said finally lifting a piece of pork to his mouth.

The other carnivorous nobles were already drooling all the way back from the moment the meat arrived so they didn’t lose time.

The dragon ate it slowly, it had been a while since he has tasted a good cooked meat. The other equally as they mmmed at the taste and nodded their heads in approval.

They have made a bad choice.

“Hmm, what’s that ticklish feeling?” Asked the giant thing, looking at Ermo for an answer.

“That would be the spice good sir, it’s quite hot so be sure to have your drink nearby.”

There, that moment, just at the end of Ermo’s comment was silence in the whole room for a couple of seconds. Just before the whole room burst into laughter, real laughter. Making it feel like he had told the best joke ever conceived and it was so amazing that he himself had no mind into what he had said.

“Oho ho ho, ahhhh that was a good laugh, us dragons are not affected by heat of any kind small creature, you really need to learn everything basic.”

“Oh yes, but thanks for the advice.” Said one of the griffins, by voice male, not that Jurian could tell but it was very rough as well as proportionate in specific places. And of course the voice, even if he couldn’t understand squat he knew it was male.

The dragon grunted slightly.

“This is... quite strong, it actually feels... hot? That’s new.” The dragon said, pondering on the flavor, like the first time he had ever tasted something in the lines of ‘hot’.

“Whoo, whoo, it is hot, well, I will be taking one of those drinks right about now if you could.” The griffin said as those that ate with him seeming to agree as they basically poured everything they have near them into their mouths.

“Sir griffin, you need to moderate in between bites, the real effect hasn’t reached it full hipe. You would not want to have your... ahh peak burned, yes.” Ermo continued his best to make himself look as innocent to any inconvenience they meet while eating.

“You are not speaking to any common creature of our species, ‘Man’,” Said the griffin insulted by the way Ermo spoke, “I am the former King Silver Peak, the first, and this giant dragon is...Dreq, horde master, and we will not be spoken too in such a man-” Silver peak was interrupted by a ‘new’ sensation of the spices finally came to be.

“My- my peak feels my insides are on fire!” Silver Peak emphasised dramatically as he frantically fanned his mouth in a vain attempt to cool it down.

“Wow, so this is how fire feels like for you little creatures... it’s... yaaaaaaaaah!” Screeched the weird lizard noble as he stole a barrel of good liquid nearby and helped himself with it.

“Hot.Hot. Hot! HOT!” Cried out the group that ate the meat too quickly in harmony. All of them started to chug the wine and water trying to get rid of the spices.

But as everycreature watched the spectacle, no one was able to notice someone, or in this case somegriffin, slipping out of the group and heading outside to the nearest hallway without notice.

All except a ‘Man’.

It was a griffon servant, the way it was looking around more than once in awhile as it entered one of the rooms in the hallway creamed suspicious. Or trying to avoid work.

‘Not completely suspicious at all.’ Jurian thought sarcastically as he thought of a way to enter the same room unnoticed with the gryphon and have a ‘chat’ with the bugger. Evil as it may be, he could still deal with those smaller, magic or not, anything that has a knife to your throat was on the advantage. But Jurian wasn’t mad, he wasn’t going to leave Ermo in a room full of potential evil demons.

Jurian only had to give a glance at the room to see the Ermo’s loyal knights near the lord in a way that they were visible but not in the way of the Lord’s very social activity. Even the squire was there.

“Alright, Ermo wants proof that these things are not to be trusted? I’ll give him proof.” Jurian muttered angrily now with Ermo taken care of Jurian could easily move without worried out of the very active event. Moving with skill he transversed the crown with no much but a ‘hey!’ of one noble that didn’t like to be touched, which of course Jurian didn’t understood or cared for.

“I did warn you all.” Was Ermos only reply to the event showing true concern, like a true nobleman.

“How did you know that would have happen?” Celestia asked finally being able to reach the crowded ‘Man’, she was finding the incident quite amusing.

“Trust me, pe-.. creatures unaccustomed to our way of cooking meat do end up like them.” Ermo said as watched the ‘ritual’ the griffins and dragons are doing to rid the spices.

“Uh, Sire?” A young voice called from behind Celestia and Ermo, Celestia curious at what child entered the castle by accident turned, and what she saw surprised her.

“Your friend, knight Jurian just... disappeared? “ It was a small version of the mans, the voice was definitely of a small child, it panned between Ermo and herself, more to herself. Must be the jewels.

“Not to worry squire, he’s always in watch, keep close to your knight.”

“Of course, sire.” The squire said with a small respectful bow. And with that last interaction the little ‘Man’ trotted back to wherever it came from, vanishing in between the crowd of ponies.

“Lord Ermo, your friend sound to be but a child, but that would be... ” Celestia joked pausing at the end of her sentence for the supposed king to fill the details..

“That’s because he is a child.” Ermo replied eyebrow raised.

“Oh, umm how old is a young from your species,” Celestia asked directly, earning another eyebrow from Ermo, she quickly corrected herself, “excuse that I ask but I have no real knowledge of how you and your kind... age.”

Celestia smiled, it was truly a forced smile, one made by somealicorn not used to the noble style of being. Ermo brushed her off.

“No real trouble at all, but I expect you to tell me about your own,” at that last part Celestia frowned, “well, we are said to be a man at the age of twelve when we are able to marry by canon law.”

Celestia flinched at his answer, she was accustomed to see stallions marrying at their twenties at least, but twelve? It’s surely a custom thing of his species, not abnormal to find. But it didn’t mean she liked it. She needed to think of something else, and now that she had the self pronounced king for herself she could ask many other things.

“That is... quite young, really young. And how old are you Lord Ermo?” Celestia questioned.

“We said answer for answer princess,” The Lord said firmly, Celesita was about to try and make an excuse, anything, but the lord continued, “But anyway, I do expect those answers.”

Celestia blinked.

“I’m twenty years of age Princess, and I have attained over eight years of actual combat and more of diplomatic experience.”

Celestia smiled, she was glad the ‘Man’ was opened to her, if only for things that add him more apparence of power and influence. So she tried to make the conversation more into his personal life.

“And are you married then Lord Ermo?” Celestia asked, she was pushing her luck. She knew that.

“I think its not best to get you any ideas Princess, since we know each other for only a day.” Ermo said smirk at the end.

Celestia coughed caught by surprise by his remark, face red of embarrassment. But she still had a scratch in her head about the age, the little thing sounded so young.

“And what does your young knight do then Ermo?” She went back to the area that the self said King liking the answer, she knew that it was possible that he was basically boasting of what it really was, but it was still information she didn’t have.

“Very well, another question for me to ask later than. But really, the young ‘knight’ is no knight at all, he’s but a squire, he helps his knight put on his armor before battle and rides with him to battle for the glory-.” Ermo said calmly but was interrupted.

“You send your children to battle?!” Celestia questioned loudly in shock. But the Lord's face didn’t change to equal shock for her surprise, worse, it lightened somewhat.

“And you do not? I thought a kingdom such as yours would have done the same as well, Curious.” Ermo powdered his smile never leaving his face.

“But- but they’re children, how can you send them to their death at such an early age? Surely they can live a better life more than just combat?” Celestia asked hopefully, her interest in the children driving her from her goal of learning more.

“There is always the alternative.”

“And what is that?”

“Complete isolation in a remote monastery with no contact to civilization and spend the rest of your life in service to our God.”

Celestia tilted her head, waiting for the lord to burst out laughing by the bad joke or as Starswirl did, down right lie to her.

But his face was honest and serious.

“That is not a very good alternative.” She ended, the point in of the event, or the reason she was talking to the ‘King’ in the first place just flyed by her young and emotional mind. It didn’t help that she was in heat.

“Those are the only choices for a person to make when they are born of the noble class.” Ermo answered simply, making her, again, cough her throat out.

“Wait a moment! You mean to say that all your knights are nobles?” Celestia was now down right baffled at the thought, making all the army nobles, or worse, making the nobles the army. It just didn’t make sense.

“That is true Celestia, as am I.”

It dawned to the princess what she was talking to now. There was more to these creatures that she thought, she needed fresh air badly, but the opportunity to know more was invaluable and she needed to take anything she could get.

‘This species are the strangest I have ever meet’ Celestia thought.

A throat cleared.

Celestia woke out of her thoughts looking at Ermo as he raised an eyebrow and tapped his right hind-leg. The point of the simple expression being equal in between their species was truly something to wonder and question. But she had work to do.

“So which questions are yours?” Celestia asked defeated.

Ermo smiled.

As the barricade of questions of Ermo occurred, Jurian arrived at the room next to the one entered by the suspicious gryphon. Sending one prayer to God for no one to be there. Jurian walked into the room.

He was immediately greeted with luxury, expensive paintings and nice furniture. All in all, a nice room. He took a moment to contemplate the beauty, he shut the door behind him. But this was not what Jurian was looking for.

Jurian walked further, to the window of the room. And to Jurian’s surprise there was a balcony, he gave a nod of approval. Walking to the edge of the room and opening the balcony doors the cool wind of the young night brushed Jurian’s face.

‘Now, to get there.’ Jurian thought, making a quick look at the view he was having at the high palace. He saw the rest of the warriors near the village as said to be, campfires alit, they were active. And how wouldn’t they, the land that they were in was filled with evil. Every creature around just showing more and more of the twisted perversities the world was able to make. Jurian would forever wonder how Ermo could possibly see the gold passed the groteske deformations of legends old.

The room he wanted to enter was far, it was a horse or two long jump. With his armor, hammer and extra weapons he was in a disadvantage to jump. Getting to the opposite edge of the balcony, Jurian braced himself. He breathed heavy, prepared himself and watched the gap closely. And without a second thought dashed to the other end, making a quick hop to the side edge and grunting as he used all his force to achieve a jump that would reach the other side. But that was not the challenge.

The challenge was to do it quietly.

‘Yes’ Jurian mentally screamed in joy stiffening his strong fingers and arms to support his body he grabbed the edge of the other balcony. He did smashed against the egde, but not louder than a piece of cloth falling to the floor. If he could barely hear is armor shingling much less could the world.

Lifting himself twice as quietly, Jurian got to the border of the window/door, taking a quick look inside. There was the gryphon.

His suspicions behavior was confirmed.

The gryphon made sure the door wouldn’t open again by propping a chair to its knob, it moved to the rest of the room, high and low looking for something .

‘What are you doing?’ Jurian thought, his mind analysed what could be happening. It could be a servant trying to steal something, or a lover of some noble trying to find evidence of adultery or evidence left behind by doing so. But in no though it even came close to prepare him for what happened.

The gryphon sighed with a smile.

Before being engulfed in green fire.

Jurian’s jaw was made of bad iron as it proceeded to break and hit the floor.

After the most impressive suicide ever performed, what was left of the creature was no more. Now it was a complete abomination to abominations. It seemed to be both dead and alive and judging from the amount of holes on its legs and wings it might as well be. It was completely black and bare of fur.

The things eyes opened, pure green, they even glowed. Its appearance resembled the horses, especially the ‘princess’ as it had wings and horn, but smaller. The creature concentrated on doing some sort of spell like the princess by illuminating its horn.

Jurian was about to brace itself to whatever evil it would unleash, but before he could act a flash of light escaped the horn, moved through the glass of the window and it dimly left into the distance.

‘Just what in God’s name are you doing demon.’ Jurian though, his suspicions confirmed, they are all man eating demons.

Just as the ‘spell’ finished, the thing, or in this case evidence, became a gryphon within an instant and began to un-barricade the door to move on back to the feast.

‘Ermo you want your proof you’ll get your proof.’ Jurian thought with a slight hint of sadistic glee.

______________________________________________________________________

“No no, no! If children are young they should learn the basics of life, see all the opportunities, then they should be given the power to decide.”

“Are you mocking my peoples culture princess? My, oh my, you should know better than that.” Ermo said with a devious smile.

The discussion had gotten out of hoof, Celestia had no idea how she got mangled into the situation, but she was. But she will be in Ermos grasp and at his mercy to be shamed in front of the nobles if this continues, she needed an advantage.

And that came in the form of Starswirl.

“Greetings both of you, what have I missed.” Starswirl said as he moves to the center of the room where the princess and supposed Ermo sat. His pleased voice made Celestia unconsciously smile.

“The princess and I are in a nice conversation about my peoples culture.” Ermo said jokingly, receiving a subtle whinny from the princess.

“Oh, that’s quite a conversation.” Starswirl said with a grin.

Celestia mentally sighed in relief, someone with experience has came to her rescue. Now with Starswirl by her side she could over take the conversation and get a better image on herself from the devious monarch.

“Lord Ermo if you could be so kind to hold this vase for me.” Starswirl said in a polite manner levitating a vase to the ‘Man’s’ face. Celestia blinked.

“Aye?” Ermo said confused as he held the vase.

“Interesting.” Starswirl concluded as he now moved towards the lord’s knights at the end of the table.

‘What are you doing Star, get your ignorant nice flank over here and help me please!’Celestia mentally screams in frustration as all her hope diminished.

“Does your kingdom have any enemies?” Ermo said with a smile on his face, Celestia’s despair over the one sided conversation only grew twofold.

Celestia sighed ‘why can’t i get a break’.

“We had enemies but they we disposed of them before we came to these lands.” Celestia explained trying her best to keep her royal expression.

“Ah, but are there any other kingdoms within these lands? Oh, hello Jurian how was your sightsee?” Ermo got distracted on his question as he looked behind Celestia.

Celestia turned to see the lord’s knight, said ‘Man’ had entered the room head moving in search for something... someone? He quickly approached the monarch.

“Mi’lord, I beg of you not to worry but their is something you must be shown before its too late.” Jurian replied to the lord.

“Haha, don’t worry Jurian I won’t worry if you are but showing me something?” Ermo laughed thinking of why Jurian said ‘not to worry’.

Jurian didn't answer, moving around the now confused King, the paranoid knight walked out of the King’s sight, into the crowd once more.

“Well, that was strange.” Ermo said mostly to himself. Jurian was many things, but never rude. What could be in his head.

Celestia saw the opportunity.

“So ‘King’ Ermo, we haven’t discussed about what we were to do, do you wish to begin discussing about negotiations or would you like to think it for a day?” Celestia added with new found subdelty.

Ermo thought for just a second before shrugging and nodding his head, the fun was over.

In the other side of the room Jurian looked at the crowd his eyes narrowed on one servant.

Surrounded by ten almost identical servants.

‘Pribbling milk-livered haggard...’ Was Jurians thought, he had missed the thing for ONE moment, one miserable moment and now he was in trouble.

The knight assassin thought in what to do, but then he felt rather silly when he can to the obvious conclusion. All of them are demons in disguise he didn’t need to get the one he saw.

With a nod of his head, he moved to his Lord which was in an important discussion with the ruler of the land he stood.

“I was thinking of exchanging the supplies after a couple of requirements are met, if that’s not much trouble.” Celestia led on, the discussion going very smoothly, the King previous endeavor to make the conversation as bad for her as possible laid forgotten when true discussions were afloat.

At this rate she could have a true agreement between the two and the famine would be over in minutes.

“Of course, but I would like to know which these conditions are, then I can truly agree. Jurian! What’s with you now?” Ermo’s concentration was shattered by the knight once again appearing near himself. He was much more calm now, maybe he had a little too much wine?

“Nothing my lord, it was something that I wanted to show you.” The knight said calmly, looking at one of the servant carrying a silver platter with cups for the nobles.

“Show me? Did you find something interesting?” The King asked, Celestia was also curious at what the mysterious huge hammer knight could have found.

“A cup sirs, your highness?” Asked the gryphon servant the knight observed earlier, his look was distant and empty, like a true servant. Everyone rejected his offer, but the knight spoke.

“I heard that a couple needed a drink over there.” Jurian pointed behind him at the door with his finger, a strange smile forming as the servant nodded and moved behind him.

Both royals were about to ask him again of what he meant to show them, but the knight was already on the move.

Then it was time to awe.

It happened at a rapid speed, the first thing Celestia thought was that the knight was trying to reach for a cup of wine, regretting not having taken any. But that thought got debunked as he positioned his legs in both sides of the servant’s body.

Then the hammer warrior decided to thrust both his arms under the servants wings, which were opened by the surprise by the legs in his sides, and then the knight proceeded to use the hands he was born with to shuffle the life out of the servant’s neck. At the same time he raised the servant from his footing into a position only reached by true strength in the forelegs.

With his paws and talons in the air and with nothing to grab onto, the gryphon could only struggle away trying to reach anything to live. Its wings were no use as they were in a hold by themselves in between the ‘Mans’ fore-legs. And of course the neck was blocked making sure that the air that left the body in the surprise was never to return.

The yells of disapproval resounded the hallways. Everything that had a mind to think proceeded to spot the savage as it tried to smothered its victim.

All the ‘Man’s unsheathed their swords and made a small circle around them. Ready to fight. But they awaited the order to.

It was quite a sight to see.

The Squire pick up a specific horn Ermo dropped in the heat of the moment and the child got nervous as he drew a very deep breath.

Death was assured.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Stupid... stupid... stupid.” Stone Wall whispered as he walked back to his barracks through the familiar hallway, looking at everything that moved in his vision suspiciously, he was being hunted after all.

‘You unmuzzled folly-fallen coxcomb, you blew it!’ Stone yelled to himself internally.

‘But what else was I going to do! I needed to tell them!’

‘Don’t you dare go to that infectious stupidity, you had the info and you panicked, just like the pathetic fool you are!’

‘You have no right to call me anything. If you had thought of anything you would’ve said it, you’re equally idiotic!’

‘Then what does that make you? Twice the idiot you already were? Pathetic.’

Stones thoughts were worse than any insult he ever received in his life, but there he could respond. But today was different.

As he walked by the kitchen a thought passed through his head that he was hungry, very much so. There was also a unique smell coming.

~Hungry pathetic blob~

‘Well, might as well get something. I can’t go in a run away with an empty stomach.’

As Stone Wall thought his flawless plan, he made his way inside the kitchen as sneakily as possible. Or as sneaky as a stallion in heavy iron armor could ever do.

*SHANK-y*SHANK-y*SHANK-y*

Poking his head over the stall to see what was cooking, he saw a couple of carrots, a pile of beans and a small amount of red stains.

Red stains?

“What happened here?” Stone Wall said to himself raising over the stall. Now at full vision, he saw the great amount of red decorating the floor and... basically everywhere else. The red combined in a little river as they crawled deeper into the kitchen. He decided to follow. He wan't even aware of the crater in the middle of the kitchen. Or the intestines.

He followed the very small amount of red stains to one of the cabinets.

“All the way to the top? What's up there?” Stone Wall asked to no one as he tried to open the top cabinet, it looked as full as it could be. It was going to open with the slightest amount of effort.

~‘So now what? You’re going to eat you problems away? Again?’~

That thuoght was rough, like if hearing it from somepony right next to him. But he didn’t care for it at the moment.

‘Leave me alone!’

Stone stopped for a moment to see if he had a comeback to himself. Hearing silence he continued his previous action.

Stone Wall thought it might have a type of sauce he was unaware of. He smacked the cabinet open, and before Stone Wall’s train of thought could continue he was rapidly interrupted as the cabinet spewed its contents on him.

‘Red... Blood... So much Blood. Guts.’

And before Stone could continue his thought something fell in front of him.

A cow’s head.

Stone fell on the floor screaming. The head fell with a thump on top of him. Moving quickly he reared backwards away from the spot. He fell as the rest of the cow followed to the floor. The head slightly in front as the rest of the pieces fell.

And if the horror of seeing a mutilated head wasn’t enough to make his chest swell as he was about to scream again. His shock due to the blood and guts in his current state of mind added something even worse.

~‘Help yourself, you know you want to.’~

Stone Wall yelped, stood, reared and stumbled backwards falling into the hole in the middle of the kitchen. He grunted as he rolled inside, smacking his head with a piece of wood at the end of his roll.

~‘Isn’t that what you live for?’~

The familiar sound of a blade being moved through the air shook his mind into clarity for a second as in his new alerted eyes noticed an axe about to fall in between his head and body.

~You scum!~

Stone barely moved out of the way of certain death as the mysterious axe fell on the spot he once was.

~What are you good for? Nothing!~

“Leave me alone!” Stone screamed his eyes wandering around the room, looking for what just spoke, it was too real to be his own mind. And for a split second his eyes fell into the opened cabinet. Noticing something.

A five digit print of blood in the inside of the cabinet of terror.

~Who can you run to?~

Stone thought of his friends.

~They hate you.~

Stone eyes watered as he thought of his new comrades.

~They barely know and care for you~

Stone was becoming desperate and even thought of his commanding officer.

~If they knew what you did, death will be a release.~

With the recent turn of events Stone Wall did what he thought what was completely appropriate for a stallion his age, gender and status.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” Stone Wall screamed, slipping with blood barely moving in a spot for a second before picking up speed and running as fast as he could through of the kitchen door.

He ran to where he knew he could save himself in the best way possible.

To the Guards Barracks.

“BROOOTHEEER!” Stone Wall yelled and cracked his voice as he went. His fearful voice resonated as he barged in his brothers room, still covered in blood and guts.

It has been some time since Stone has seen his brother, a great while really. Mostly due to neither of them wanting to not see each other. Both for different reasons. But brothers would always be brothers, and when Stone needed help, his brother was there.

Stone Walls older brother did what he would do in such a surprise appearance, “Goodness great! What happened! Is there an attack-- Stone? What are you doing... here....” The brother cried out initially, obviously angry at the intrusion, or the sight of his little brother. But the sight of red and body parts closed his mouth.

“T-the kitchen, I-”

“What were you doing in the kitch-- it doesn’t matter, what are you doing here? Or better yet, what did you eat anything in the kitchen? Hey! Stone!” Stone Wall’s brother’s voice barely got through Stone’s shock, or maybe worsen it.

“I-I saw something weird as I- there was something in the cabinet, when I found lots of red stains in the kitchen and g-got curious on what it was a-a-and this happened.” Stone Wall stampered holding back his tears as he tried to clean his coat with one of the nearby sheets only to spread the blood further.

“Wow, calm down Stone, what happened? What is- are you covered in blood?”

“I-I- They came back, we killed them and they came back you need to hide me!” Stone Wall was a widening mess, he was falling from his own legs as he tried to make his best to not look as pathetic as he did.

“Wait, what do you mean you ‘killed them’?” The wakened captain had no idea of what was happening, his brother’s appearance was quite a sight, but what he was more worried of was what was going on in his brothers head, “Stone? Stone tell me what’s going on?”

“Please help me Pie!” Stone Wall begged his pupils were of the size of berries, he twitched every two seconds which gave the captain little time to decide. He did not want to see his brother like that, no matter how much he wanted to hoof his face in.

“Hrrrgg fine, alright I’ll help you, but you better be telling me everything, alright?”

“Thank you... thank you... thank you...” Stone Wall repeated like a mantra of survival as he curled into a fetal position. He felt tired. So tired.

“Stone?” Asked the captain named Pie as he moved to look at his brother, but his eyes were already closed. Rats.

Pie moved out of his covers, looking at the mess his brother made of the entrance and floor, the smell was going to become a problem. He left a sigh and left him as he escaped the bed. He didn’t want to leave his room, not by a long shot.

He moved to his brother and carried the problem maker from the messy place to the other side of the room. He then turned back to the mess. He knew what to do.

Moving out of the room he trotted to the cleaners room down the hall, with his trained stealth he picked a bucket and a mop without waking any of the cleaners that had a late work time and moved back to the trail of blood that Stone made. It would be a miracle that nopony would see it, or worse, see Pie as he cleaned it. But he had to try..

“Best to cover your tracks, hope I am not too late.” Pie muttered as he cleaned some of the blood trail Stone Wall made, using the bucket to clean the blood in the mop now and then, he continued cleaning the track of blood. Following its length.

Pie kept cleaning through the long hallway, amazed at the distance, he almost called quits of it two or three times as he saw how far it was, it would be impossible that no one didn’t see it, but he kept on. Half due to a promise and the rest due to his own personal reasons.

He continued cleaning, pausing to think and to theorize what had his brother got into this time until he reached the kitchen. He sighed in relief, he had made it so far and there was no problem. But when he got near the doors he smelled something bad, really foul. He slowly opened the door.

‘Oh creator, please tell me what did Sto-’ Pie’s thought was interrupted as he looks at the scene before him.

A nightmare. Pie was looking inside the head of a pony and was looking at a nightmare. A really bad one.

There was blood covering every square inch of the ground, a cow’s head was staring back at him, guts decorating the floor and one of the cabinets, the rest of the cow was covered in flies perfectly sat on the floor of a high cabinet, the guts came from it, and there was a axe that might have been used to cut something in the immense crater in the middle of it all.

‘Good dammit, what did you do Stone.’ Pie thought as he moved his head side to side. He knew it was impossible to make the mess disappear, but he was sure he could at least lose the body.

Speeding his progress Pie got to hide the body first, not really hide it but use the hole for garbage in the other side of the kitchen to dump it. The reasons for not using it in the first place made Pie’s mind wonder more and more.

Pie cleaned the guts of the disembody body, and mopped the blood, dumping the used mop like the body’s guts and axe, into the garbage hole. The crater was impossible to fix, and with the body not there and the murder weapon gone, at least he thought to be the weapon. His brother would have time to explain what happened here before being looked for

Thinking a little Pie deduced that the smell of blood could be noticed by other species as well, so he moved to the undercounter to find a washing brush and anything with a powerful smell that could cover blood.

After a hard effort, Pie did long well deserved sigh.

Pie left the kitchen with the bucket in teeth. He moved as quietly as possible, making sure not to make a noise in hopes of cleaning this mess before anyone could see him.

But fate had other plans..

“But really, I don’t think it has to be that big of a deal, they’re just there staring, unless they begin to shoot the magic lightnings out of their eyes I believe it to be just an exaggeration.”

Pie stopped, he recognized the voice. He didn’t like it at all.

Moving quickly to the side of the hall he picked the brush with his teeth and pretended to clean a persistent stain in the floor. ‘Please creator don’t let him see me, please don’t let him see me!’

“And then I said--” The voice paused, making Pie’s hair stand on end, he could feel the air pressure change.

He was seen.

“What do we have here?” The male voice asked as the sound of his hooves clopped with the floor, Pie was found, and by one of his comrades nonetheless. Crud.

“I greet you there miss, my name is Hurricane, Captain Hurricane and I couldn’t help but wonder if such a beautiful creature with such as yourself do come to this area often. Maybe you might come and see me spar with the other guards?”

‘... huh?’

“Hurricane this is not time nor place for wooing mares, it’s best we continue our way.” General Sparkle said face-hoofing to his friend’s recent lack of self control.

Pie’s breathe accelerated, he recognized the second voice but was not found out yet. They think of him to be female, which he was very surprised with but remained still nonetheless.

“But Sparky you already have your mare now leave me with mine.” Hurricane said with his hoofs around the ‘pink mare’.

Pie felt Hurricane’s hoof surround his neck, squeezing him slightly. He wanted to vomit.

“Hurricane are you even in this realm? We must find Captain Pie so that we may discuss the possible threat the ‘Man’ are to us when the zebra scouts report back.”

Pie’s thought of regurgitating was cancelled of by that remark, ‘‘Man’? What is a ‘Man’?’

“But no one knows where’s his quarters is, and there’s no mare in miles! At least give me this one.” Pie felt a shiver run up his spine at Hurricane’s extra squeeze that.

“No Hurricane, we need to get more information about the ‘Mans’, and the captains disappearance was not good on his stallions.”

“Yeah about that, the ‘Mans’ are outside with armor on still, don’t they get tired? I mean, I wouldn't since I am a very strong and experience warrior.” Hurricane’s question was finished direct to the supposed ‘pink mare’. ‘She’ flinched again, not that the persistent stallion noticed.

“Then since you’re not tired Hurricane you can come and find our dear captain... Now!” The unicorn said in a grunt.

“Ahhhh, alright miss Sparkle let’s not keep your sweet waiting then.” The huge pegasi ended, Pie was about to sigh in relief when he felt a voice whisper in his ear. “Till next time my sweetie.” Pie’s whole body twitched.

Hurricane swung his tail at the ‘pink mare’s’ flank as he moved down the hall, Hurricane never questioned why the ‘mare’ never turned around.

A couple of seconds passed, Pie wanted to clean his fur by using an unnecessary large amount of fire. But his train of thought was interrupted when the general spoke.

“I apologize for my friends actions miss, I’ll leave you to your duties.” He left following the desperate-need-for-a-mare captain out of the kitchen’s hall and continues to find the Captain of the Earth pony guards.

“Well, now I need to clean myself.” Pie ended saying now alone as he trotted back to his room, shivering every now and then.

Before Pie entered his room however he frowned in what had just occurred. He looked his hoof over, a knot formed in his stomach as he noticed how slim he was.

He closed his eyes forcefully for a second and looked back at his leg, still slim. He would deal with that later.

Pie entered his quarters, greeted by a snore as he saw his brother sleeping form on the floor. As Pie lifted himself over his bed noticing how actually female his features were as he muttered. “This better be worth it Stone. Better be bucking worth it”.

Author's Note:

Hello everyone this is your Inqusitor I am here to say that the story will start hitting a bump on the metaphorical road due to college starting for me. it will not stop me from writing this story but it will slow me down. But thank you for reading my story nonetheless and If you like it enough hit that like button, want to post your opinions put it in the comment section or pm me, and I would appreciate the sharing of this fic.
thank you

Comments

[Drawdex]

First chapter, 3,840 Words.

This chapter, 17,690 Words.

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But at last I'm semi-free to go into my story.

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[redskin122004]

Niiiiiiice! Good read, now beddy by!

[Drawdex]

3123319

Nope, not really. I saw those a while ago. We always forget to fix it because we end up talking about the making of the next chapter. And we start writing. And then the day ends and it's never fixed.

And fixing the 'Minotaur's' error would be like placing, Human's with capital every time the species is mentioned.

[Bronzer]

the warrior we left alive

>Implying you could have killed him despite your best efforts.

But the blacksmiths are taking great interest in them since they're strong, rigid, and flexible as it is.

Sucks for you that metallurgy can't be reverse-engineered without modern knowledge. At least, not in that time-period.

[NAH223445566]

5215128
¿Qué son esos anillos? Y ¿Cómo es que no te vi en la adaptación de Ciaphas Cain como Blueblood?