Interlude Ch.29 An Overdue Chat
With a yell of rage he let loose a large blast of dark magic which left a blackened mark on the wall. Of all the places it could be, it wasn’t there. It wasn’t in what could be considered the most secure vault in all Equestria. What was he missing? Where could the Princesses have hidden it?
With a huff the grey unicorn calmed himself. He had a contingency plan for such an occasion, however, it would also mean the loss of his anonymity. His existence would be known and as much as it displeased him he was left with no other options. If he could not attain the power he needed to bring his ultimate goal into fruition, he would need to strip theirs.
There was a series of clacking sounds as something echoed off the stonework— originating from the ceiling— the sound grew louder until eight spindly legs emerged from the shadows. The way the legs pierced into the walls to gain purchase suggested a strength belying their spindly appearance. At their source was an abominable combination of spider and pony, the latter almost unrecognizable. The spider-pony’s eight eyes, black as the night, focused intently on its master whose anger had calmed.
Unfazed by his creation’s appearance and arrival, the unicorn turned to it. “Puppet-Master, it is time for your next task.”
Puppet-Master’s front legs bent until it was bowing; a new, venom-filled stinger touching the cold stone floor as it did so. It’s eyes seemed to glimmer slightly in the faint moonlight that entered the castle ruins as it silently awaited it’s master’s command.
“In a few days there is to be a gathering; a council. That’s where your targets will be.” He’ll be there as well so nothing goes wrong.
One of Puppet-Master’s legs twitched slightly before it returned to its full height. The mandibles that covered its mouth spread and his mouth opened, revealing a terrifying array of sharp teeth. “Am I given free reign?”
The unicorn’s eyes seemed to burn with a dark intensity as he spoke to the spider-pony. “The Element Bearers are to remain unharmed. If they were to die, the Elements would find new wielders. Only after the ritual may you do as you please.”
“Who knew training could be so much fun?” Aurora said as she spiraled through the air and attempted to make another grasp at the tome, however it was just too fast as it spun back at Mark and into his waiting pillow. He couldn’t help but mull over the past couple days.
Apparently all of his friends had visited him in the hospital after Chrysalis drained him to unconsciousness. He knew this for sure after asking an actual nurse, though after that last experience he was much more wary.
‘Even Gilda paid you a visit, though she was probably visiting her father too.’
‘I don’t need a reminder of that.’ Mark smirked in thought as he remembered eventually finding ‘Dweeb’ written on his forehead in permanent marker after waking up. He was definitely gonna get her back for that.
‘Aww. Don’t be like that, I think she’s warmed up to you.’
An annoying amount of paperwork and some scrubbing later, the fur on Mark’s head was completely clean of marker and he was cleared to leave the hospital; only to find out —by an armed escort— that he was to be temporarily confined to the castle for unspecified reasons. He wasn’t even allowed visitors. He still didn’t know if it was sweet or weird that Aurora snuck into his room during the day to sleep.
‘At least it was nice that she hangs out with you in the evenings. I’m kinda worried she’s feeding on you when you’re sleeping though...’
Mark threw the tome in a different direction.
After being escorted, Mark found a letter on his map desk telling him that he and those involved with retaking Canterlot were to appear and give their testimonies to a council of representatives from all over Equestria along with some foreign dignitaries. Apparently they all wanted to figure out what Equestria’s next step as a nation should be in response to Morphos’ invasion.
‘I get the distinct feeling that that whole thing is going to suck.’
‘Well you are going to stand before the most influential citizens of Equestria— aside from the Princesses— and diplomats from other nations, some of which don’t get along with each other to begin with, so yeah, that’s probably going to suck. Oh hey, pillow up!’
Mark grunted as he raised the pillow quickly, the force almost caught him off balance as the tome returned just a bit harder than before. He was still baffled by it.
‘I think it likes you.’
‘I thought you found it creepy.’
‘Oh no, that hasn’t changed. It thoroughly creeps me the fuck out and I wish you would get rid of the damn thing.’
‘You know I tried!’
‘Yeah, the whole sneaking it back in Luna’s safe only for it to appear on your bed doesn’t help it’s creep factor.’
‘Even throwing it out the damn window didn’t work...’
‘Come on, that one was funny. It’s like some gravity defying boomerang.’
‘It’s creepy.’
‘You’re just salty that you weren’t expecting it and it hit you in the head. Besides, Aurora’s enjoying it.’
‘And it somehow always barely eludes her grasp.’
‘Maybe you should just burn it.’
“NO!”
Mark’s eyes widened in surprise after he shouted the words. He didn’t even think about it, just reacted. Aurora on her end looked a bit sad and disappointed.
“I mean, I know the Blood Buffet’s not really a normal restaurant, but they do serve food that caters to ‘normal’ ponies too.”
Mark gave the mare an awkward smile as he realized that she’d been talking to him while he thought about the tome.
‘A little help?’
‘She wanted to take you out to lunch which — for bat-ponies like her— is pretty much midnight and really early morning. Normally anyways.’
“Sorry, the name kinda caught me off guard-”
‘As did the offer. Do we have a third contestant vying for your-’ Mark immediately started blocking Brain out.
“But why take me out? I mean, you’d have to go through a whole bunch of paperwork since it’s an actual written order for me to be in my room,” Mark stated, looking to the messy end table he had at the side of his bed and showing her said order. Rereading it himself, his expression soured. “I’m basically under house-arrest for no reason. It’s a very slim chance that it’d be approved so it’s hardly worth the effort.”
Mark made no mention of the additional piece of paper underneath those orders. The one which required him to appear before a council and account for his actions — the actual reason he was required to stay in his room.
His face contorted into a scowl as he angrily chucked the tome in another direction as hard as he could. Though this time Aurora didn’t even try to go after it, instead she landed and walked up to Mark, her sad expression deepening.
“Ever since Chrissy left you’ve been all sad and angry all the time. I thought maybe if you got some fresh air for a bit you’d be happy again.”
Mark almost clutched his chest as that statement hit him right in the feels and he had a hard time not genuinely smiling at her. She may be a little goofy and found his blood delicious but she was definitely a good friend to have.
‘She even tried to help by taking the tome off our hooves. Should have known the whole matter would become a weird version of the game keep-away though.’
“And they even let guests donate blood for thestrals like me.”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Of course they do.”
“You get a discount!” She added quickly.
“And you’re sure that this is for my benefit?” Mark retorted teasingly.
Aurora smiled sheepishly and blushed from embarrassment. She was a bit too easy to see through.
Her ear twitched and her expression suddenly turned alert. Immediately she dodged to the side just at the tome Mark had thrown earlier cut through the air and smacked him in the head hard enough to knock him over.
He could hear Brain laughing in his head. ‘It-It kills me every time, ahahaha!’
“Son of a-” Sucking in air through his teeth, Mark lightly touched a part of his head next to his horn —where the book had hit— and flinched at the stinging sensation. Feeling a slight warmth and wetness, Mark brought his hoof down and saw that it was specked with blood.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Aurora shouted as she glanced around the room. Her eyes landing on the pillow Mark was using earlier, she grabbed it with her teeth, and turned her head so fast and hard to the side that the pillow itself came out of the pillowcase. She then flew up to her friend and began dabbing the cut on his head lightly.
Flinching again at the pain, Mark gave a bit of a forced grin. “That was my fault. We’ve been doing that for awhile now and I really should have seen it coming.” He then gestured to his hind leg which was still wrapped in bandages. “Besides, I’ve had worse. Thank Celestia for pain meds, huh?”
“I guess…” Aurora mumbled, glancing down at his leg then back to the still bleeding cut. Her dabbing with the pillowcase was getting slower.
“Is it getting any better?” Mark asked expectantly.
“A bit.” Aurora stated. Smacking her lips together.
Hearing the familiar sound, Mark looked up at her, eyebrow raised. “You want to lick it, don’t you?”
With a sheepish grin the batpony replied. “I really shouldn’t.”
“But you want to.”
“Well… if you insist!”
Mark’s eyes widened. “That wasn’t permission to-guk!”
Before finishing his statement he was practically knocked over as Aurora grappled his head, placing her entire mouth over the wound. Thankfully, Aurora seemed to refrain from sucking the blood out, satisfied with letting it naturally work it’s way out of his head and into her mouth.
It still sent uncomfortable shivers down Mark’s spine as he felt that familiar tongue gently caress the cut. “I hope your happy now.” Mark deadpanned.
“Aye om.” Aurora moaned in reply, not lifting her mouth off the tactician’s head.
The situation lasted three to four minutes with Aurora enjoying her “snack” and Mark resigned to let her finish. With a pop, Aurora released Mark’s head, leaving a large strand of saliva attached to the cowlick she had created.
“All done.” The batpony said, bubbly and in high spirits.
“Does that mean your gonna release my head now?” Mark once again deadpanned.
‘In her defense, she is using her wings to basically hover so you don’t fall over from all the added weight.’
With a light blush, Aurora released Mark and landed back on the ground. “Yeah. Thanks for the treat.”
“Again, I didn’t give you-” Mark paused as he felt where the cut was, only instead of feeling a sting, he felt something crusty and some soreness. “Is that a scab?”
“Yup!”
“How is there a scab on my head? It hasn’t even been a few hours.”
“Well, when vampire batponies suck blood, there's a thing in our spit that helps copulate the wound.”
“I really hope you meant coagulate.”
“Yeah, that.”
‘So when I used those vulneraries to heal after she fed off me, it was a waste?’
‘Looks like it.’
“Celestia-dammit.” Mark sighed.
“Sorry. I thought it’d be a good idea to help stop the bleeding,” Aurora said, suddenly looking like a shamed puppy. “Do you...Do you still want to go to lunch with me?”
‘Awww, she was helping. Now you look like an asshole.’
With a tired sigh, Mark patted the bat-pony’s head and gave her a warm smile. “Sure. As long as I at least cover the tip.”
Aurora’s eyes lit up and she pulled Mark into a hug tight enough that he worried blood would get squeezed out of the scab. “I’ll go deal with the paper stuff. I hope you feel better by then.”
The moment she released the hug, Mark suddenly realized that she had also lifted him into the air and he stumbled when he landed. Shivering slightly as the cool night breeze suddenly hit him, Mark moved to his —now open— balcony door where he saw Aurora taking her time, doing a couple of loops and looking all too happy. It didn’t make much sense until Mark saw exactly why.
“She’s still got my pillowcase.”
‘Well you did bleed all over it a little while ago.’
“That doesn’t mean she can just go taking my stuff.”
‘Aw, but look at her, she’s so happy sucking up whatever tasty blood she can from it. You even let her lick your head you lovable weirdo. Good job making her day or, well, night.’
“She better wash it before she giving it back.”
‘Let’s be real here, you’re never seeing that pillowcase ever again.’
With a loud groan, Mark flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes. It was about time for him to get some sleep.
He rolled onto his side to get more comfortable.
He flipped his remaining pillow over to the cool side of it.
‘You know, if you’re having trouble sleeping, I can always sing you a lullaby. Or you could, I dunno, turn off the light. It’s not like you’re afraid of the dark after all.’
Mark’s face scrunched in frustration and his eyes shot open. An entire hour and still no sleep.
He then let out a frustrated sigh as he finally accepted it. Aurora was right, he was angry. He was angry at Chrysalis for leaving, even if it was reasonable and he was angry at Celestia for preparing to put all that pressure and international enmity on the Changelings. Despite all that though, the one he was most angry with was Armored Bastion.
Mark sat up and turned to the pillow on his bed and without a second thought, he punched it. It was then followed up by a second, and then a third.
‘Hey, hey, hey. Look, he’s got to have a reason for it!’
‘It was signed by him! This whole house arrest bullshit was approved by him!’ Mark thought as he got two more punches in.
‘I know but-’
‘He’s the royal tactician! The strategist for Equestria! The whole Changeling thing was probably his idea to begin with and then brought it up to Celestia!’
‘You don’t know-’
‘And not once-’ Mark’s punches at this point were as hard as he could make it, using his entire body weight. ‘He didn’t even-’ There was a sickening crack sound as Mark’s hoof hit the pillow and a searing pain worked its way up his limb.
Gasping at the sudden pain, Mark rolled off the bed and cradled his foreleg. It took him a moment, but after finally seeing the feathers slowly falling all around him like snow, Mark cursed when he realized that he’d literally punched the stuffing out of his pillow —hitting the bed frame behind it at a weird angle.
‘See! This is what happens when you-’
‘Just shut up!’
‘I’m just-’
‘SHUT UP!’
Silence permeated the room as Mark laid on the floor. No Aurora, none of his own shenanigans, and no Brain. He wasn’t even surprised when he looked to his other side to see the tome he’d thrown earlier somehow appeared next to him. The only sound that could be heard was the breeze from the cool night air gently ruffling the curtains. Despite this peaceful silence however, it was stifling.
His anger towards the unfairness the Changelings would suffer, his apprehensiveness towards standing in front of an entire council, even his slight fear at the tome only five feet away from him. He could unload his issues all he liked onto Brain, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still him keeping this all to himself— a fact that Brain pointed consistently pointed out. Aurora was a good friend, but even then he could only tell her so much. There was only one pony he trusted enough to talk fully about all this— to give him advice on what to do.
Armored Bastion. His mentor and the closest thing Mark had to a father didn’t even visit him in the hospital. He knew because he asked an actual nurse. Mark hadn’t even seen the stoic pony since arriving at Ponyville for the first time. Probably the worst thing was that he knew that Bastion was around because it was his orders that Mark be confined to the castle.
“Not even a note…” Mark’s voice shook as it broke the silence. He sniffled and wiped his eyes realizing only too late that tears were already streaming down his face.
‘Mark, this-’
Using his magic, Mark —for the first time— forcefully blocked any future interjections from Brain and then pulled the blanket off his bed. Slowly he walked to the small balcony where earlier Aurora had made her departure. Laying down with his back against the railing, Mark wrapped the blanket around himself. As hard as the marble balcony was, it was a familiar comfort being under the open night sky. One of the few comforts he had made while living on his own after running away from Lucky Tyke’s.
Staring up into the night sky, Mark took a deep breath, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the blanket. Steadily his eyelids became heavier and heavier until he was just about asleep. Even the knocking at his door had no effect on him.
“Mark, your light is still on so you’re probably awake...If you’re willing, I need to speak with you.”
The moment Mark heard that voice, his adrenaline spiked and he shot up —eyes wide and even the idea of sleep completely gone. Almost tripping on the blanket, he rushed back into his room, haphazardly throwing the blanket back onto his bed and using his magic to sweep some of the clutter on his floor out of sight.
A few seconds later he stood nervously at the door, gulping as his mind scrambled on the best way to play out this situation. Should he instantly be mad? Should he demand answers? Beg for them? Should he just shut up and listen?
Deciding on the latter choice, Mark took one final deep breath before opening his door where a large, maroon earth pony stood, his sword and saddlebag strapped to his sides. With years of being around him, Mark had learned his body language for the most part and in this situation he could see that the pony was just as uncomfortable as Mark. Maybe even more so since he wasn’t in his armor.
Upon seeing him, Armored Bastion’s stiff stance relaxed a little. “May I come in?”
“Uh...yeah.” Mark mentally cursed at how awkward he sounded as he stepped aside to allow the older pony in.
Mark felt a familiar— and strangely welcome— twinge of annoyance from Bastion as the pony entered the room, looked around, and let out a long drawn out sigh. “Some things don’t change do they. You’re room’s still a mess.”
“And I call it organized chaos,” Mark retorted with a grin.
Bastion’s small smile grew a little more. This was an exchange that the both of them often shared before Mark was sent to Ponyville. The truth of it though was that this was Mark’s way of keeping his things secure. Any intruders that were looking for something important would be first offset by the mess and then be unable to actually find anything useful since the piles were red herrings. Even Bastion didn’t know where Mark kept the things that were valuable or classified, not that it wasn’t interesting to try at times. As he inspected the room more, he frowned as he locked onto something.
“Mark, what have I told you about setting fires in here.”
Following Bastion’s gaze, Mark cringed as he stared at the pile of ash and paper that he’d just swept to the corner. He meant to clean that up later but had forgotten about it.
Sheepishly, Mark answered, his gaze shifting between the pile and Bastion. “To be fair, it was spur of the moment.”
Bastion’s gaze turned to him, unimpressed and stern.
“Uh...It wasn’t mine?” Mark said with a wide, ‘innocent’ smile, hoping he wouldn’t have to explain how a box of porn and fanfiction had mysteriously appeared in his room. He didn’t even know how it got there nor who the mysterious M.O. Lestia was.
“That doesn’t make it any better.”
“Did you come here to check on my room, or was there something you needed?” Mark asked quickly.
Bastion’s expression turned dour at the forcefully changed subject causing Mark to briefly cringe. “Fire hazards aside, I owe you explanations and…” Bastion’s features softened as he looked Mark directly in the eyes. “-I wanted to talk. I haven’t been able to see you and when I had the opportunity, I let my own feelings stop me from doing so.”
“Well with the whole Changeling debacle, I think we’ve both been pretty busy.”
Bastion shook his head. “No. I should have come to see you sooner.” He looked around again before looking back at Mark. “I don’t mind standing, but would you like to sit down?”
Now realizing that both of them were just standing in the middle of his room, Mark looked over to the side where he had two small piles of semi-fragile objects stacked haphazardly on his old seat cushions. Using magic, he lifted the things up pulled the cushions loose then set the objects back down. Briefly hitting the cushions together, a small cloud of dust appeared before he set the them beneath his and Bastion’s rear.
“So what’s up Ol’Timer?” Mark asked with a grin as he plopped onto the cushion, sending up another, smaller cloud of dust.
Bastion’s brow raised in annoyance and he sat on his own cushion which, again, sent up a small dust cloud. “You know I don’t like it when you call me that.”
“It’s still fu~n though,” Mark almost sang excitedly. How could he not be? Bastion had finally come to visit him and tradition dictated that Mark mess with him. Whether the older pony knew of this tradition was irrelevant.
‘In a way, I won. I made him come to me!’
Mark waited a moment, the smile on his face slowly sinking as he realized Brain wasn’t going to answer. Couldn’t answer. He didn’t even know if Brain was able to hear this situation. All he knew was that he’d shut Brain out. His expression continued to fall as he noticed Bastion’s grave look.
“It seems that it was a good decision to sign you up for that seminar on respect, discipline, and common social interaction again. It’s tomorrow so after our chat you’re going to need to get some rest.”
Mark’s voice caught and his eyes widened in horror. “You wouldn’t! You didn’t!”
“I would and did.” Bastion replied simply, his face remaining neutral as he watched Mark’s reaction.
“But all they do is sit there in those uncomfortable seats and listen to someone drone on and on like we were elementary school students about how to be more social!”
Bastion nodded in acknowledgement. “I’m aware it’s a bit dull, but it’s still educational.”
“It’s an entire day of it!” Mark exclaimed.
“Yes it is.”
“Oh Celestia, this is why you trapped me in here! If I’d known it was even happening soon, I’d have taken the first train outta here.”
Bastion looked thoughtful. “That’s an interesting interpretation.”
“You know that Seminar is actual hell right? I will literally die of boredom. LIT-ER-ALL-Y!” Mark repeated, trying to emphasize and make sure the older pony understood just how life threatening the situation was.
Bastion snorted, rapping his hoof on the floor loudly to silence the young unicorn. He’d been patient, but now it was clear he had enough of Mark’s drama. “You’re still going. No ifs, ands, or buts.”
Mark’s lip began to quiver. He really didn’t want to go and technically he didn’t have to. However, Bastion only ever did it because that meant Mark had crossed a social line somewhere. A line that Mark had only ever crossed twice and had sworn to himself that there’d be no third time and thus no reason to go again.
Bastion’s gaze was stern and unrelenting as Mark contemplated all this, that is until the corner of the older pony’s lips curved upwards into a smirk which was impossible to go unnoticed.
For a long moment Mark stared blankly at Bastion. Puzzlement turning to suprise and then turning to disbelief. It had actually happened. “You got me! You actually got me you old geezer!” Mark gasped.
Bastion shrugged. “It was bound to happen sometime.”
Pointing an accusing hoof at the older pony, Mark’s eyes narrowed. “You know I’m going to get you back for that, right?”
“It would be uncharacteristic if you didn’t.”
At this point both ponies were smiling, though Bastion’s was reserved in comparison to Mark’s wide toothy grin.
Mark was the first to crack, bursting out laughing followed by Bastion chuckling lightly. It hurt a little, but his joy counteracted the pain in his leg as Mark rolled on the floor laughing. The moment that Mark finished laughing, he realized that Bastion was once again looking rather dour. Despite the brief bit of revelry they just had he was still uncomfortable —maybe even nervous— about something.
Clearing his throat, Mark sat upright on the cushion again. He was used to Bastion’s demeanor but with everything that was going on he still wasn’t exactly sure what think about this visit. “Sooo...what did you want to talk about?”
“How do you like it in Ponyville?”
Mark blinked. It amazed at how somepony could sound so awkward and uncomfortable yet still maintain a completely straight face. Blinking a few more times Mark sighed. “Didn’t I write you a letter about that already? You know, before my whole ‘other world adventure’?”
“Yes you did.” It was hard to tell with his maroon fur, but it looked like Bastion’s face reddened just a bit more. “Is Applejack still making you work on the farm?”
“No, but I stop by sometimes. That reminds me, the stick? Seriously? You had to tell Twilight about the whacking stick?”
There was a gleam in Bastion’s eyes and his mouth twitched upwards for a moment. “You agreed that it helped keep your instincts sharp and keep you awake when you started to doze off.”
“Could you at least tell her to lay off it a bit? I think she enjoys it a bit too much,” Mark whined. He honestly didn’t know if Twilight was just secretly a sadist, or just enjoyed putting him in his place.
Bastion closed his eyes in thought, brow furrowing pensively before they snapped open again with the answer to Mark’s question. “No.”
“Well shit-”
“What have I told you about language?” Bastion asked sternly.
“We both know that I have an array of words worse than that,” Mark retorted with a smirk.
Bastion frowned, but nodded in agreement. Again his expression was pensive but there was also a lightness to it that wasn’t there before. “Do you feel comfortable telling me about that ‘other world adventure’ you mentioned earlier?”
Mark instantly perked up with a sly grin on his face. “Comfortable? I’ve been ready to brag about this to you since I got back.”
It was then Mark began his tale from his awakening in the plains and meeting with Lyn to the confrontation with Lundgren. He left out the more embarrassing bits of the adventure such as his denial in the beginning while also embellishing the moments where he nearly died to make them more epic and dramatic. It improved his mood considerably knowing that Bastion listened the entire time, never interrupting —or calling him out on some of his over the top embellishments— but still asking questions during Mark’s pauses or breaks.
When he had finally finished that story, Bastion was looking thoughtful. “It sounds like you had quite the journey.”
“Heck yeah!”
That inquisitive gleam from earlier returned to Bastion’s eyes. “And you seem very fond of this ‘Lyn’.”
‘I uh...yeah. Well, you know.” Mark’s face turned red and he couldn’t help but grin as he thought about her.
He almost didn’t catch it, but for a brief second Mark saw Bastion smirk slightly before returning to a neutral expression. “I’m happy for you. Overall, it sounds like it was a good learning experience.”
“Yeah, I’d say it was.” Mark said with a shrug, trying to sound non-committal.
Taking a deep breath, Bastion pulled a newspaper out of his saddlebag, placing it in front of them. Looking down, Mark could see the cover page had a picture of Canterlot —still in the barrier Morphos had made— and with Celestia’s army of guards in the foreground. It was also noted that far in the background was a small speck that looked like an approaching airship. “Now what about your most recent escapade? I’ve read the reports and statements but I want to hear your side of this.”
Mark’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the older pony and the newspaper. His cynical side told him this was what Bastion was really here for, but he knew better. For business purposes Bastion might want an after action report, but Mark had a feeling that there was definitely more to it than just that and curiosity.
“Well, I guess the best place to start is back in Ponyville.” Mark thought for a moment before deciding on the better starting point. “Do you remember Crystal?”
From there Mark slowly began to regale his most recent adventure, picking up momentum as he went. Unlike the previous one, this tale was still fresh in his mind and had less adornments as he told it with full transparency. It wasn’t until he reached the matter about Miasma’s hive that his throat seemed to catch. He was on a roll, but the moment he opened his mouth to speak about the hive no words came out. He continued his story for a moment to make sure he hadn’t suddenly lost his voice. “After that, I visited Anna again.” Suspicious, Mark tried again to reference the hive and found that he was still physically unable to speak about it.
Perturbed, Mark did his best to keep the story going while maintaining a poker face. Idly thinking in the back of his mind, ‘Did Miasma do something? Did Chrysalis?’, he almost got himself flustered during the story when he undoubtedly remembered Chrysalis’ kiss in the hospital, she must have done something more than just kiss him. On that line of thought, he realized that no pony else mentioned Miasma’s hive already either. Did that mean Chrysalis did something to the others as well? Did she kiss them too?
Worried that he’d accidentally say something he hadn’t meant to, Mark immediately stopped his story. “Sorry, I’m just gonna get a glass of water. Throat’s getting...a little dry.”
‘And my thoughts a little all over the place.’
“Take your time.” Bastion nodded, his tone neutral. Mark was unsure if the older pony really believed him in regards to that excuse, but decided to just keep going with it as he pushed an entire pile of stuff aside to reveal a hidden mini-fridge. Looking in there he was relieved to find that there was still (months-old) bottles of water, tea, and iced coffee. Pulling a water and tea bottle out, he tossed the tea towards Bastion and took a swig of the water. It only occurred to him as he actually drank the cool water that he actually was thirsty.
“So, where was I?” Mark asked, plopping back down on the cushion. He glanced at Bastion’s tea and had to hide his amazement that it was already halfway gone.
“You’d just crashed the airship into Canterlot.”
“Right!” Mark exclaimed, glad to be nearing the end. He never got to it though as the moment he reached his encounter with the Diamond Dog leader, Bastion had paled, giving the younger tactician pause.
“You’ve...You’ve met him then.” Bastion’s voice shook and he took a large gulp of his tea.
“Met’s kinda a strong word. More like survived him.”
“And it was after that he threw you out the window?”
Mark winced as he sucked air through his teeth. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining this part to Bastion of all ponies. “Eh...I...May have done that to myself. Chrysalis was falling and I couldn’t just let that happen.”
Bastion’s eyebrow shot upwards. “You jumped out yourself?”
“I know, I know, it wasn’t the smartest thing to do,” Mark sighed in exasperation. “But I had to do something.”
Mark looked to Bastion for a response to that however, the older pony remained silent. Distant even as he just stared with a frown on his face. Mark’s ears fell flat and it suddenly clicked. Mark was his student and he’d openly supported Chrysalis, going so far as to save her life. If he had to he’d do it again, but whatever his actions were reflected on Bastion. Nervously, there was a lump in Mark’s throat as he timidly asked. “Is...Is that the reason that you didn’t see me in the hospital? Because of what happened there?”
Bastion blinked, having just come out of his own thoughts. “Yes. After I heard from Sperze about that I’ve been too ashamed to see you.”
Mark eyes widened. He could take all the painkillers in the world and still feel that one like a knife straight to his back. His response wasn’t so much a whisper as it was a croak. “You...What?”
Jolting, Bastion realized how he had phrased that. “No! I didn’t mean it like that! Mark it’s not you I’m ashamed of!” The sudden thunderous insistence had caused Mark to fall onto his back, when he righted himself he could see the bitterness on Bastion’s face. “I’m...I’m ashamed of my own actions. That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to see you.”
“What’s there to be ashamed about?” Mark asked in confusion. “From what I’ve heard, you helped save Mimzy, those escaping civilians and even divided the enemies forces as you made your way through the city. If I’m being honest, you’re kinda a badass.”
“Mark, I’m a hypocrite,” Bastion snapped. He took a deep breath before he further explained. “While on my way to the castle I learned that Barrows was present. I thought I had left it behind me, but the moment he was within reach I threw away everything I had become just so I could pursue him. In the end I lost his trail and by the time I had reached where you were, the battle had already reached its conclusion.”
Though the lump in his throat had gone after Bastion’s correction, Mark couldn’t help but be worried for a new reason now. Nothing could break through the usually stoic pony’s armor whether it was physically or emotionally. Even with Mark, Bastion always seemed at least a little guarded, now however the older pony was exposing himself and digging into his own wounds. It was disturbing to say the least and at this moment in time, one thing ran through Mark’s mind.
“I don’t deserve to teach you. I don’t even-” There was a loud smack and it was Bastion’s turn to be shocked as he rubbed his cheek. If he hadn’t seen and felt it, he’d have hardly believed it, but Mark had just slapped him.
“Would you just shut up?! You acted like an idiot and made a mistake! Everypony does it so get over it!” Mark shouted, shaking his aching hoof. If he wasn’t so riled up right now he’d ponder the fact that he took more damage than Bastion from that slap. “But you know what? There’s somepony I deeply respect who told me that I’m still alive. Whatever it may be, it may even hurt, but I can learn from my mistakes and get better. You messed up earlier, whatever, now you can follow your own advice this time and stop beating yourself over it and...and…”
Mark suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell over. He had just shouted that entire rant with one lungful of air. Taking a moment Mark panted as he attempted to catch his breath.
“And be the uptight pony I know you to be.” Mark managed to let out after taking a few breaths of air.
“You’ve grown.” Bastion stated, his shoulders no longer slumped and he had a small but proud smile on his face.
Mark’s lips curled upwards. “Well...yeah. What did you expect?”
“I expected minor changes,” The older pony admitted.
“And I expect you to tell me your own story someday. The entire thing I mean, without breaking down, or stalling, or redirecting the conversation,” Mark retorted with a smirk. Truthfully, Mark was extremely curious now about Bastion’s entire past. He’d known his mentor was a well known mercenary at some point in time and had been recruited by Celestia around the time of he'd decided to retire from that life. However, he also knew better than to deliberately open old wounds right now and Mark had a feeling that the relationship between Bastion and Barrows was something the older pony would need some more time before discussing.
Bastion’s grin went from proud to sardonic as he mentally chewed on Mark’s last statement. “Indeed. That was unbecoming of me.”
“Eeyup,” Mark said with his best Big Mac impression.
“Just as it’s unbecoming of you to be taking tomes from Princess Luna’s room.”
“Shit,” Mark muttered as his ears fell flat. Even though he’d told that part of the story a little while ago, he wished Bastion would have somehow forgotten about it. He almost wished he let Bastion wallow a bit longer.
“Have you returned it yet?” The maroon pony pressed. “Or do I need to go have a discussion with the Princess about her missing property?”
“How am I supposed to do any of that while locked up in my room?” Mark countered with a shrug.
“The same way you did when I grounded you for days and you still snuck out to boobytrap the north wing of the castle during the nights.”
“That’s…” Mark winced and nodded as he recalled doing just that. “That’s fair. While we’re on the subject, I’m fairly sure that me and the Changelings tripped most of the traps so it’s probably, maybe, somewhat, kinda safe to renovate and stuff. You know, to clean it up again.”
“I’ll be sure to relay that information to the ponies repairing the castle,” Bastion replied drily giving Mark a withering stare. “You still haven’t answered my question however.”
“I uh...Well, I did put it back in the safe a couple of nights ago.”
“You did?” Bastion asked skeptically, looking off to Mark’s side. The unicorn in question didn’t even have to guess that the older pony was looking at the tome that sat near him.
“Yes. Yes I did,” Mark stated flatly and truthfully. It wasn’t his fault that the tome followed him like a lost and obsessive puppy after all.
Bastion returned his gaze to Mark, looking directly into his eyes. Mark returned the gaze knowing full well that the older pony was looking for any signs of falsehood. This continued in silence until Bastion let out a sigh of resignation. “I see. It’s time to move on to the final bit of business then.”
Reaching back, Bastion rummaged through his saddlebag before bringing out a small scroll of paper, unrolling it on the floor between them so Mark could read it and pointing to a specific spot. “I’m going to need your signature there.”
Skimming the paper, Mark stared at the area that apparently required his signature. “Student signature? What am I signing exactly?” Mark asked as his horn glowed with magic and from his desk he brought over a pen.
“It’s so you can attend supplementary classes at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”
Mark blinked a few times, wondering if he had heard that correctly. “What’s this about school?”
“Unless you’d like to try Canterlot U. It’s a bit of a leap given you’re lack of formal education but I’m confident I’ve taught you enough to get you at an appropriate academic level. You’re also an quick learner when you put your mind to it so-”
“Stop! Hold on a second,” Mark interrupted. “What’s this about school all of a sudden? Is this part of my training as well?”
It was Bastion’s turn to blink as he now realized Mark wasn’t following along. With a shake of his head he answered resolutely. “No. It’s about having a formal education for your future.”
Mark paused again. He did have a gut feeling, but first he needed clarity of some kind. Reassurance that he was wrong. “My future as the Royal Tactician?”
At Mark’s question, Bastion let out a drawn out sigh. “Mark...I’ve been thinking this for some time, but I’m not entirely certain I want you to take up the position I have. Not anymore.”
Silence filled the room again as Mark processed what Bastion just said, he had to have misheard, right? The staunch gaze Bastion was giving him said otherwise and Mark only just realized that his mouth was open and that his lower lip was trembling a little. Licking his lips, Mark recovered his bearing and tried to look like he wasn’t just struck by lightning.
“Where did this come from?” The words came out slow and quiet so that Bastion wouldn’t hear the shakiness in his tone.
With a steel resolve Bastion continued. “It came from the fact that you’ve often been impulsive and reckless. My hopes when I had sent you off to Ponyville was that you’d make desperately needed friends and curb you of your bad habits which often put you into dangerous situations.”
Mark winced, he almost forgot that when it came to actual critiques —not his banter ones— Bastion pulled no punches and was for all intents and purposes, brutal.
“Dangerous situations is a mainstay of your job. Our job.”
“My job.” Bastion raised his voice a little. “Yes it’s dangerous, but I don’t go seeking that danger or attracting it like you seem to do. I calculate, plan, execute and when necessary, respond quickly to changes.”
“What? And I haven’t done that?” Mark couldn’t help but feel offended. Granted, he did seem to attract dangerous situations and schemes like a magnet, but he always dealt with them. Pulled through with the help of his friends, his own skills and his stratagems.
Bastion’s gaze didn’t falter however. In contrast, it seemed to get even more intense. “You just told me all about it and you’ve been shifting from staying in the back to throwing yourself out there with the ones you command. That’s not how I trained you and that’s not how I want you to be.”
“And how am I supposed to ‘command’ them if they can’t hear me from way in the back?” Mark defended quickly. It was a weak argument however for several reasons and he mentally scolded himself for not thinking of something better. He only hoped Bastion didn’t see through it.
He did.
“By using your magic,” Bastion reprimanded. “I remember instructing you to learn such spells in your free time since I’m neither a unicorn nor magic enthusiast. And since you kept driving the magic teachers I hired for you away I have to trust in the fact that you're willing to put up with the tedious task of learning, memorizing, and practicing such a spell on your own.”
Mark looked away from Bastion, shamefaced. He did start learning such a spell once upon a time but kept putting the memorization and practice phase on hold until one day he completely forgot about it. “I...Yeah, I messed up on that one. Still, that means that I had to join them on the-”
Bastion put his hoof up imperiously to silence Mark there. “And even without magic, you are incredibly versatile and would think of something to substitute it. Am I wrong?”
Wincing, Mark’s ears and face felt like they were burning from shame and he was still unable to look Bastion in the eyes. It was funny, just earlier he could easily read Bastion’s mood, and now he couldn’t tell whether the pony was angry, disappointed, or both. He dearly hoped that it wasn’t the last two, anger he could deal with like he’s done before, but disappointment? He’d never seen the older pony disappointed in him before, but the very thought caused an uncomfortable knot in his stomach.
“Well…” Mark hesitated. Could he have just directed everyone where it was safe?
Thinking back on that question brought him back to those moments he had put himself in danger. Had he abandoned Lyn when she learned of her grandfather would Mark have been able to live with himself knowing he’d willingly abandoned her for his own safety? If he hadn’t stalled Lundgren wouldn’t that man have used his prisoners as leverage? Then there was Chrysalis, after she revealed herself to him he could have just cut ties and gone back to Ponyville, leaving the retaking of Canterlot to Princess Celestia and her forces. Had he done that however, how many ponies and changelings would be hurt? Had he stayed in secluded safety just how many of his friends and innocents caught in the crossfire would have made it out alive?
After thinking on that question, Mark looked Bastion in the eye now, resolute and with purpose. “I’m not gonna sit around in the back while my friends are risking their lives! What am I if I just stand back there and watch as the people I trust and who trust me in return are out there fighting?”
“You’re their tactician. Their strategist. The one who will direct them to their goal. It is possible to be on the frontlines and do just that, but as you are now, you don’t have the fighting skill nor the experience to be there.”
“I’ve been doing just fine,” Mark grumbled stubbornly. It was an odd feeling, he knew Bastion was right to an extent but also felt that he himself was in the right.
“And how many times did you nearly die?” Bastion asked with a raised voice.
In response, Mark’s voice raised in volume to meet Bastion’s. “That’s beside the point since I’ve made it through every time.”
“NO! That’s exactly the point!” Bastion practically shouted, his stoic demeanor gone again. “I don’t want you unnecessarily putting yourself at risk like that. You are not me and I don’t want you to ever be me!”
Mark’s eyes were wide in shock and he stared at Bastion, dumbstruck. There was about a of silence before Mark chuckled, he couldn’t have heard that correctly. “What?”
“You are not going to be putting yourself in harm’s way just to make up for past mistakes.
With his head facing down, Mark shook his head. He couldn’t have heard that right. Bastion couldn’t have meant that. Otherwise it was pointless, right?
“Get out.”
“Mark I didn’t-”
“Get." A yellow aura of magic surrounded Bastion, tossing the pony out of the room. "Out!”
“Mark-”
On the verge of tears, Mark took a breath and continued. “You know what? The feeling’s mutual, I don’t want to be you either. I don’t want to fill somepony’s head with dreams of a future, groom them, and then halfway —or wherever I was— through it to suddenly back out and tell them that they’ll never be as good as me.”
“I’m doing this for your benefit Mark. Not only because it’s my job but-”
“You wanna know what your job is when it comes to me? It’s to fucking teach me how to replace you. Nothing more, nothing less. That’s all our relationship is, student and teacher. You’re not my friend and you’re certainly not my dad!”
Mark slammed the door as hard as he could after that declaration, quickly using magic to shift all the piles in his room into a massive one to bury it and make it unable to be opened again. Ignoring the shattering of glass as the lamp lighting the room broke, he pressed his own weight against the small mountain as if it would make a difference.
Though he could feel some heavy thumps as well as Bastion’s voice, Mark ignored it, remaining where he was in the now solely moonlit room. How was he supposed to handle this? What was he supposed to do now? He’d gotten his cutie mark after he and Bastion’s first meeting. The meeting that eventually led to where he was today, where he was supposed to go in the future? If he wasn’t to be Equestria’s Royal Tactician eventually, then what was he?
Shifting so that his back was against the pile, Mark slumped down. The lack of sleep, the mental exhaustion of it all wearing down on him. Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was his bed, the second, his end table where the orders lay.
In a couple of days he was going to be in front of the most influential ponies in Equestria and foreign dignitaries. It was time to get his head in the game.
“Brain?” Mark called out quietly, his horn aglow with magic. He gritted his teeth for a moment, he’d underestimated the magic used for the spell but was able to finish through with it as a wave of pain rushed into his head.
‘Mark, look. What Bastion said, he...I mean...There’s got to be more-’
“I need you to block this memory,” Mark stated. He hated asking this, but for now, it was necessary.
‘But you-’
“And I need you to make sure I don’t dream. I don’t want Bastion using Luna to get to me.”
‘He wouldn’t do something like that. Still, you can’t-’
“You think I don’t know it’s unhealthy?” Mark snapped. “You are me. I am you. I made you. We both know that I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
‘All the more reason to-’
“What I can do though, is get some rest, put a rain-check on that ‘lunch’ with Aurora, and focus on what I should have really been doing for the past couple of days.”
‘And does that include constantly interrupting m-’
“Just do it!” Mark growled. He didn’t realize it until then, but he’d ended up back in his bed. Whether it was of his own volition or because of Brain, he didn’t care. He did however notice how much of an asshole he was being. “...Please.”
There was a long moment of silence before Brain responded again. ‘...I’m only doing this because for once, you’re right. You’ll never put up a good argument if you have this shit on your mind.’
“Thank you,” Mark whispered, his heavy eyes closing to a blissful unconsciousness.
‘Get some rest Mark.’
Bastion’s head rested on the door. He was unable to budge it and frankly, he didn’t know if he wanted to anymore. He’d messed up, of that there was no doubt.
“What do I do now, Wishes?” He voiced aloud. Not a moment went by where he wondered what his wife would do if she were here. If she were alive now would she scold him? Mark? Knowing her, she’d have yelled at the both of them and force them to make up over supper.
For a moment he considered requesting one of the Princesses for assistance of some sort, but no. This was a personal manner. With a heavy sigh, Bastion removed himself from the door. “I’m sorry Mark. Once this is over, I’ll help you understand.”
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Holy shit…
Well, that's a hell of a comeback. Just completely breaking Mark down like that...sheesh. I wonder what Bastion's plan was. If he didn't want Mark to replace him as the Royal Tactician, what specifically did he want to send Mark to formal schooling for?
9218944
Yes.
9219564
A pretty decent reason.
I want to give you a better answer than that, however, I can't think of a better way to put it without spoiling anything.
9219605
Fair enough. I'll just have to wait and see. Great chapter, and I look forward to more!
Anything that is not destroying Nightmare Moon or Chrysalis I'll take a look into. Don't get mad if I'm too honest or if I see Celestia i will bash her.