Monstrum Tome of Equus

by Campanula Monkshood

Meeting of the Minds

Twilight had managed to coerce the proprietor of the Ponyville Inn into letting me stay although at larger fee for ‘possible damage’. I was shown to my room while Twilight followed Shining Armor to a library of some sort maybe her home. The innkeeper opened the door and passed me the key, “Bed, bath, and wardrobe. Don’t break anything.”

“Aye aye...” I entered the room and set my things on the bed while the door closed behind me. ‘Let’s see if I have a spare shirt, shame I lost my old one in the mines… it was nice, looks like all my other clothes are silk as well,’ I pulled a similar red vest and slipped it on, “Much better. Hello what do we have here?” I picked up the object in question; a package tied to a letter in a green ribbon. Cracking the wax seal on the ribbon and began reading it silently.

Greetings,

I see one of my infiltrators actually succeed in finding you Shinza; he tells me your pheromones are quite high ranking. Different hive or not, I am glad you managed to find your senses and I’ve decided to leave you with a little gift for not exposing my drone to the guards. Keep it on your person; give it a while and you’ll love what will come out.

-Q.C.

“Who the hell is Q.C? Meh free shit is free shit,” I opened the box expecting some kind of magic talisman but no, it’s an oblong moss covered rock about the almost the size of my hand. “A… rock,” I tossed in the air a couple times before pocketing it in my pants without a second thought. ‘Speaking of; I wonder if I go back to the- the den… hmm.’ What I had told the captain was a lie obviously, I remembered everything; the wreck, the fighting the dogs and losing control… as I thought of what happened, it angered me. Angry not at the dogs for what they did, I’m sure they had a reason to kidnap people-ponies- I don’t know; I guess I was just angry at myself for lying.

‘Guess I’ll have to rectify that somehow…’

“Shinza,” Twilight’s voice brought me out of my thoughts and back to the present. Opening my door I found the purple unicorn looking awkwardly around.

“Yes?”

“I was just going to say since you were situated if you wouldn’t mind joining me at the library.”

“Nah, I think I’m going to take a nap.” I stated bluntly causing her to jerk her head up.

“But it’s barely noon! Whatever, when you wake up from your nap come to the Golden Oaks Library on Main. It would please me to no ends to be able to run some tests on you,” the look on her face reminded me of the look of a cat with a new plaything.

“Sure… now if you don’t mind, g’night.” Letting the door swing shut with a snap, locked it, I opened the wardrobe and put my pack inside before flopping down on top of the quilt. Given my height my feet overhung the end of the bedframe and I sighed, “Is it so hard to get a bed that fits?”

---

I awoke with a start, heart pounding in my ears; breathing hard I looked around the room that was significantly darker than before, “Damn nightmares.” The only thing I remember from the nightmare was a hulking fire beast killing my roommate then me; I ran a hand down my face and I registered that something was wrong with my room. “Who’s there,” I’d asked, not expecting an answer.

“I am,” a voice said suddenly right next to me, causing me to yelp, fall out of bed, and slam the back of my head into the table next to the bed. “Sweet Chrysalis, I’m so sorry sir! Are you a’right,” the voice sounded panicked and I looked up to see a familiar Pegasus.

“Ice Flow,” the venom in my voice made him flinch, “How did you- What are you doing in here? I locked door!”

“You can’t lock out insects, sir.” Nodding as if it made some kind of sagely sense. “Besides I have news; I found the Diamond Dog Den where you were held… I found some of your things.” He pointed a hoof to a pile of bloody clothes on the floor by the door. “I have also separated from the guard who taking part in the hunt for survivors, I’ve decided to accompany you on this journey.”

“Really,” I asked and he just nodded, I finally got off the floor and picked up the bloodied clothes, “What about that unicorn with attitude problems that you had a thing with; Misty something?”

“Myst Veil?”

“Yeah her; thought you were pretty close,” as I spoke I looked at the pile in the afternoon light, totally unsalvageable and the pockets held nothing but rancid dog meat, “Gross… Going to have to burn these or something. Actually can you just teleport theses somewhere far away?” A flash of green and a moment later they were gone, “Thanks.”

“She’ll still be there when I get back; I can’t in good conscience let a changeling with so little control loose on Equestria so I’ll have to keep you under control. No flex on this one, so… want to go grab a bite to eat?”

I just stared at the weird little pony, “You keep me under control? Ha! I have perfect control... I just don’t know what went wrong with the multiple forms.”

“What’s up with that anyways? I thought we could only morph to one different form at a time,” he asked, his stare starting to make me uncomfortable.

‘Why does he still think I’m a changeling? It’s pretty obvious that I’m not, oh well; better just let him believe that.’

“I don’t know… guess I’m just special. So can you transform into different forms too? Can you take my shape that I’m in right now?”

He ran a hoof through his mane as he looked me over, “I don’t see why not but bipeds aren’t my forte. One of my swarm-mates does tons of jobs in biped heavy lands, she says the balance is a little finicky but manageable.” There was a flash of green fire and the Pegasus was replaced with the bug pony that was a little shorter, “Do you mind doing some motions so I can see how your arms and legs work?” I simply nodded, going through the motions, and when I was done there was another flash of green and I looked over at completely naked me.

“Hot damn, do I really look this fine? Can’t you do clothes though?”

“Give me a second,” his hands glowed a sickly green color and he just stared at them, “Whoa that’s trippy.” After he said that there was a flash and he was wearing what I was wearing.

“So… odd question but do you hear anything, like in the back of your mind?”

“No… why do you?”

I hesitated at first then nodded, “Sometimes but only when I Shift, sometimes it happens other times it doesn’t but when it does it sounds like my voice… but not my voice.”

“Odd… it sounds like the hive-mind but the voices should be copies of other changeling’s voices. Who knows; maybe you’re just crazy,” he said this jokingly but the thought had obviously crossed my mind. Two more flashes of green fire and there was a Pegasus wearing pony equivalent of my clothes, “Sweet Chrysalis these are comfortable… well don’t leave me hanging; turn back so we can see if this town has a bar I’m starving over here.”

“Turn back,” I repeated, ‘He probably means turn into a changeling.’ I balled my fists up, “I can’t, I’ve never been able to fully transform… only partially transform and the- the voice…”

“Dude, are you a stallion or a mouse?”

“Neither, I’m a man.”

“Good enough for me! Now sack up and ignore the voice in your head, you control you,” he had stood up on his hind legs to give me the pep talk and he was almost as tall as I was.

“Alright,” I hesitated for a second then the creepy yet familiar sensation of millions of bugs crawling all over me took hold, when it stopped I looked in the room’s mirror and finally got a good look at myself; five foot six and covered in the shiny exoskeleton, my hair was gone but I had twin pair of black pincer-like horns as well as a jagged horn like Ice had sticking out of my forehead, and a set of fangs in a mouth similar to my human mouth, and my emerald eyes stayed the same but the pupil was replaced with a one similar to a snake’s eye. ‘At least the voice isn’t there.’ “So what do you think,” I asked him and found him scrunched up against the wall, “What’s wrong?”

“You’re a sentinel! I can’t believe your queen let you out of her sight,” he was basically shouting at me now.

’So that’s what we are… sounds menacing and I bet it makes all the bitches wet.’

“Oh for fucks sake!”

Ice had stopped freaking out by my outburst and grabbing my head, “What’s wrong?! Shin!”

’Nothing now… Let’s take a lil ride shall we,’ the voice said as it got stronger and my vision tunneled and my voice spoke but I hadn’t said anything. “S’all right but please… call me Covet, Shin is the other form’s name.” ‘I saw ‘Covet’ look in the mirror and my eyes had switched from emerald to ruby in color before there was a flash of red fire and an emerald pegasus with a cutie-mark of a heart with an arrow through it and blazing hair stood in his place. “Now let’s say we hit a bar… I’m feeling a might hungry as well.”

---

‘You son of a bitch! Give me my body back …and stop trying to get in these ponies non-existent pants! Christ, if you succeed there’ll be a special place in hell for me!’

’It’s no longer your body, got it?! Besides getting into their pants isn’t my intention, the lust they exude is fine… although a quickie wouldn’t be out of the question,’ he finally responded after four hours of drinking and hitting on several mares. He was currently having a tongue war with a pink mare with a cutie-mark of a couple of berries that looked really familiar.

‘Ah c’mon, gross,’ I shouted from the void that was supposed to be my brain -what does that say about me- I couldn’t see out of my eyes so much as it was like watching television but inside my head.

Ice flow was in a similar situation but he was being more withdrawn about it, guess Myst Veil was something he cherished, he separated from the mint-green unicorn, “I think it’s best if we separate here, too much of a good thing is not a good thing. Shi- I mean, Covet; don’t you think it’s best if we go back to the inn? It’s getting kind of late.”

Covert managed to pull his lips away from the drunk mare for five seconds to answer, “I might in a bit, go on back… but get your own room, I have a feeling mine’s going to be in use.” Ice looked at him for a second then left, he turned to the mint-green unicorn who was trying to get out of the booth, “Where are you going?”

“I’sh whas gun to go hume… plansh hash fullin thro’. Nut gun get any ‘night,” the tanked unicorn replied with a heavy slur.

“Says who, there’s plenty of Covet to covet. Why don’t you join… uh,” he turned to the pink pony in his forelegs, “What’s your name again?”

“Namesh Berry.”

“Right, join me and Berry for a little fun?”

“Ah shupose that ish bet’er than noshing,” as she said this he had both of them under his wings and led them back to the hotel.

‘OH-MY-FUCKING-GOD-NO!’

---

*Knock. Knock. Knock.*

“Go ‘way,” I mumbled, pulling my foreleg over my eyes and it hit me, “What?!” I rolled over and got on my hooves and dropped to the ground again rubbing my crotch, “Sweet merciful baby jesus why does my dick hurt so much?!” I looked around the room and found the two mares cuddling together with their legs splayed near where I woke up. “Oh god, it wasn’t a horrible nightmare.”

’Nope but I must say, they were delectable besides if it were a nightmare; I hear there’s a certain Princess that monitors dreams, woulda loved have a taste of ‘er,’ I heard him make some kind of slurping noise that made my skin crawl.

‘Covet! How dare you! Oh god, my innocence… I’m going to hell… or this world’s hell, which is worse?’

’Oh get over it Nancy, if anything it was my innocence, if you had the wheel you would have blown- are you just going to just stand there talking to yourself or are you going to answer the damn door?!’

“Door,” I asked dumbly and another set of knocks startled me, “One second!” It took me a second to operate the doorknob and opened it to find the innkeeper and Twilight who flinched when he smelled the air.

“Who the buck are you,” the innkeeper wasted no time in screaming at me which caused the occupant of the room across the hall to open his door.

“Buck dude,” turns out the occupant was Ice Flow, he looked into my room and saw the mares, “Are those the mares from the bar?”

“Do you know this stallion,” the Innkeeper turned her fury on Ice.

“Yeah his name’s Sh- erhm It’s Covet,” Twilight looked between the two of us and it looked like she clicked the few pieces together.

The Innkeeper turned back on me, “Well Covet! Where is Shinza Monk, the occupant, I would like to yell at him as well before kicking his sorry flank out; this is an inn, not a bucking love hotel!”

‘They have love hotels here?’

’Ohhoho you’re in for it now, let’s see if you can bullshit your way out of this.’

I tried making my voice sound as far from my original voice as normal, “Shin’s uh… in the bathroom… I’ll go get him.” I closed the door on them and rushed to the bathroom. ‘Tell me how to turn back!’

’I could tell you… might even let you borrow my form so long as you make a deal with me…’

‘What kind of deal?’

’You let me take a spin every now and again and I won’t hijack you when you shift.’

‘That’s it? Deal, just don’t cause situations like this again!’

’Mhm, short and straight to the point, I like that… I’ll do the fine tuning since you obviously have no idea what to do. All you need to do is imagine yourself as changeling you then when you’re back just Shift to human. Easy-peasy.’

I did so and red flames surrounded me and I was back in changeling form then shifted back to normal. I ran back to the door and swung it open and felt a particular breeze, “…Fuck I’m not wearing pants am I?”

“OUT! Get the buck out,” her screaming finally pulled the two mares from dreamland, took one look at me, screamed something, and ran out of the room. “That goes for your two, pay up and get out!”

I watched her storm off, looking down I found Twilight just staring at my junk, “Can I help you with something?”

“Eep, nothing,” she shouted and ran off.

“Dude, not to sound gay or anything but dayum, might want to take a shower before you leave… Dayum,” he shook his head as he turned.

“Shut the fuck up and pack up, looks like we gotta find another place to stay.”

“Fine but what was with all that stuff last night and calling yourself Covet?”

“I’ll explain as soon as I have an explanation myself,” I closed the door and hopped into the shower. ‘Hint, hint… right, you only ever talk when I Shift… god damn it.’

---

We sat down at a table outside of a small café, I needed answers from the voice that called himself Covet and since the only way to do that was to shift forms slightly so I chose to shift my eyes to the changeling eyes, ‘Alright you bastard, I want answers.’

’Who you calling a bastard, we know who our dad is. What kind of answers do you want?’

‘First I want to know what the hell you are!’

’No need to shout… I’ll talk, I’m you… well not really you but I’m a part of you, you think this power of yours came free of charge? Nu’uh it chewed your brain up, spit it out, and here we are,’ I felt my head jerk around and follow the waitresses flank, ’Eh, I’ve seen better.’

‘Would you stop that? I’m not attracted to ponies!’

“You alright,” I jerked my head away from the mares flank and looked Ice in the eyes and he flinches a bit, “dude your eyes! Somepony will see!”

“I know… I’m trying to get some answers out of ‘Covet’ turns out the voice that you said didn’t control me? Hah, turns out he totally can and he thinks of nothing but fucking.” Another mare walked past me and my hand went to smack her flank but I grabbed my wrist before it could, ‘We had a fucking deal, stop it!’ Covet huffed and went silent, Ice was giving me a worried look, “What?”

“So you really are hearing voices in your head?”

“Well there’s only one so it’d be voice and it only happens when I take another shape besides this one.”

’Oh ho there's more than one of us in here, your noodle is like one big orgy in here.’

“What?!” I stood up, causing the other patrons to jump and I sat back down blushing and Shifted my eyes back, mumbling to myself, “Fuck you Covet…”

“May I take your order sir,” the waitress I had almost smacked was holding a pad and paper in her magic.

Ice looked over the menu before ordering some pasta dish, “I’m not that hungry so I’ll just have a salad…”

“Coming right up sirs,” she turned to leave but sniffed and blushed before hurrying away.

“Dude I thought you showered!”

“Dude I did! Whatever, that’s the least of my trouble, that purple unicorn in the hallway was the Captain’s sister…”

He whistled in awe, “She was kinda cute but if I tried anything the captain would find some way to make my life hell and I’m not even in the guard.”

“Best thing I feel I can do is just hit the road before word spreads… found something out though but it’s not helpful…”

“Wazzat?”

“Apparantly Covet is a part of me, this ability to Shift did something to my head and now he’s here as well as some others but I haven’t heard them at all,” a waiter came out with our food, took one whiff and mouthed ‘nice’ then left. I covered my face and groaned, “You’re taking this all suprisingly well after hearing about someone who hears voices that can control his body. Ugh, who puts flowers in a salad?”

He slurped up a noodle, “I dunno, you seem pretty cool and if you’re telling the truth Covet wasn’t a bad hang. He or you must have a liver and constitution of steel to not have a hangover after last night, you nearly drained the keg the barkeep had tapped.”

“Yeah…” The rest of the meal was spent in silence expect for the few whispers, towards the end there was a crack of thunder and rain came out of nowhere, “What the fuck?!” I looked up and saw a small cloud with a rainbow maned pegasus jumping on it.

“There that otta take care of that, I can smell you from up here!” She then flew off oddly as he wings didn’t seem to want to bend.

“I told you to take a shower…” I gave him a kick under the table and he yelp then laughed. “It seems to have been taken care of for the most part anyways.”

“I fucking hate this…”

---

As we walked through town, checking out shops and stall, I decided to try getting more info out of my mind-roomie. He basically talked about how he came to be; back in Baltimare when Ice shook my hand he was barely but a whisper in the void but when I fought the D-dog I shifted further and further into his changeling form. He said if I hadn’t absorbed the D-dog while I was shifting into changeling I would have had full control, when I asked him why I didn’t he replied ‘ever see three pilots try to fly a plane with one joystick at the same time’ so that explained that but then three became more when I ran into the Everfree and absorbed even more until a certain yellow pegasus reminded me of my humanity and gave me enough strength to take control to Shift back.

We finished talking about the time we stopped in front of a tree with a sign that said Golden Oaks Library that looked like it had three levels. I pushed the door open and stooped to walk inside, “Holy jeez…” I stepped back outside then back in, “It’s smaller on the outside.”

“I like it when ponies say it’s bigger on the inside but whatever,” a young boy’s voice spoke up above us, looking up I saw Spike coming down the stairs, “Feel free to look at any books but if you want to borrow them you will need to write down your library card number and the books number in the book on that table.” As he said this he entered a little doorway next to the stairs and I heard what sounded like a fridge opening, “Looks like I need to go get some more sapphires.”

“Alright Ice, I’ll take this side you take that side then meet in the middle.”

“What is it we’re supposed to be looking for again?”

“Magical Mental Illnesses or something related to multiple personalities…” I got a nod as a response and we set to work, we had each looked through two shelves when the door opened and in walked the Captain Armor and Twilight she looked at me and her face turned into a beet. “Hey… at least I’m wearing pants this time. Nice place you got here.”

“ Can I help you find something?”

“Uh… I suppose… do you have anything on magical illnesses or dealing with multiple personalities?”

She thought for a moment then her horn glowed and five books flew off the shelf, “Mmm Meticulous Malformed Malidies… Freudian Guide to the Mind… Magic Diseases and Causes… One of Many in the Body of One; biography of a pony suffering M.P.D. and M.P.D and you; a self-help guide. Are any of these suitable to your inquiry?”

“These will do… thanks Twilight, a least somebody can get stuff done around here-“

“Somepony.”

“Excuse me?”

“The correct term is somepony, anypony, or everypony.”

“No it’s; someone, anyone, everyone, anybody, somebody, and everybody,” this exchange went on for several minutes until it escalated into a all-out yelling match. “Look at this,” as I shouted I waved my arms up and down my body, “This is a body and it’s a ‘one’!” I wave my hands over Ice, “This is a body and a ‘one’.” My voice finally cracked and my shouts were barely over a whisper, “You’re a body and a ‘one’. Don’t limit your vocabulary to just ponies, some races might find it offensive and a shouting match would be the least of your worries…” I turned down my volume quite a bit and continued, “You don’t have to change it right away, it’s the little things… I mean do I look like a pony?” Ice made a motion like he was going to answer, “Don’t even answer that Ice.” If I was still talking to Covet I’m sure he would say something along the lines of ‘fight, fight, fight; kiss, kiss, kiss’.

“Twily, it does make sense in a way, I mean all the foreign diplomats use those terms,” Shining Armor tried to persuade her.

“I know exactly how to solve this; I’ll just send a letter to Princess Celestia. Spike!” She shouted and the little dragon ran into the room with a couple gems in his mouth which he promptly swallowed. “Take a letter.” He ran over to a desk and pulled out some parchment and a red quill, I looked at Shining Armor and gave him a ‘is-she-serious’ look and he just shrugged, “Dear Princess Celestia, I write to you with an inquiry about social standards. A certain visitor by the name of Shinza has brought up the point that everypony here uses ‘everypony’ and he seems determined to shatter this thinking with his replacing pony with ‘one’ or ‘body’. I wish to know what your opinion is on the matter… is what he says true and it’s better than our way? Forever Faithful, Twilight Sparkle. Got that Spike?”

“Yep,” he took a deep breath and breathed fire onto the roll of parchment and it turned to ash before flying out the window. “Well that’ll take a bit to reach Canterlot so can I-“ whatever he was going to say was cut off by a massive belch paired with green fire.

“Nice one,” I gave him a double thumbs up.

“How did she even write a reply that fast?” He looked sheepish before reading the letter, “My dearest Twilight, while it is true my ponies choose to use ‘somepony, everypony, anypony’, it comes from years without the presence of other races and it is simply generation imprinting. I must admit that even I fall into times where I use these terms, I know you value your knowledge and you think it to be infallible but our visitor has a valid point; Equestria is meeting more and more races that are far from equine. If we wish to have further interactions with them it would be best to use his ‘one’ or ‘body’ terminolgy, it is less inclusive. You do not have to change overnight, just try your best to correct yourself when speaking with non-equines. Grateful and Appreciative, Princess Celestia.” I could only whistle as Ice said a word he had been using a lot recently; ‘dayum’. “Oh wait there’s more; P.S. Shining Armor I know you’re there, why on Equus didn’t you inform me that you had found Shinza Monk? I expect a full report from you when you return. P.P.S. I’m glad they managed to find you Shinza Monk, I look forward to meeting you in the flesh one day.”

“I’m going to get so much flak for that…”

“Dude just tell her the truth; you’ve only found me for like a day.”

“And what a day,” Ice added under his breath but I’m sure everyone heard it.

Twilight hadn’t said anything since Spike had read the letter but her hair seemed to be frizzing out a bit, “Hey Captain Armor, do you mind telling the Princess we’ll be in Canterlot in a few days. Gotta do a supply run, I need a new map, compass; mine broke somehow and I'm not sure but I think it's magic, and maybe some rations. After all we’ll be walking there so it’ll take a while.”

“You’re going to walk to Canterlot?! That’s a three day trot, it’s faster to just ride the train,” the look he gave me was worth its weight in gold.

“Nu’uh, forgetta ‘bout it, if I don’t set foot on another train for the rest of my life it will be to soon. ‘Sides might just fly there after I get the hang of my wings.”

Twilight shook her head, “I just realized, did you blow off coming to the library after your nap just to do frivolous activities with Berry, Lyra, and that stallion Covet?”

“Well no, that was Covets doing. If anything I was fearing for my soul and whether I’d be sent to my hell or pony hell… still don’t know whether which is worse; I’m going to say mine, I’ve read Dante’s Inferno. Shit’s gruesome.”

“What’s hell?”

“Some say it’s an imaginary place made to scare people but some say it’s a metaphysical plane where your soul resides if it was evil. It’s described by some to be a beyond massive cavern filled with fire where demons, imps, and other tortured souls torment you for eternity.”

“Like Tartarus? That’s the only place I can think of where evil things come from… but it’s not a metaphysical place; the gates are towards the equator in the Badlands.”

‘Tartarus? Like Greek mythology; Tartarus?’

“Uh… the gates of Tartarus don’t happen to be guarded by a three headed dog does it?”

“You mean Cerberus? Yeah, he guards the gates,” Twilight ran a hoof over the shelves, “t, t, t Turnabout Styles, Turning on your stallion, Tartarus: a reference guide. Here you go.”

She floated it to me and I grabbed it out of the air and flipped through it, ‘If this place has a tartarus, what does that make this place; Hades? I remember Tartarus being some pit where the greek gods tossed their father. Maybe Cerberus isn’t actually guarding Tartarus and that’s actually the door to the underworld…’ “Hmm, yes very nice… Actually I’m kind of parched, what say we have some tea eh?”

“That sounds wonderful, I’ll go put on a pot,” Twilight made her way to the kitchen while Shining Armor pulled up a chair from somewhere and forced me into it.

“You seem to be remember an aweful lot for somepony- someone who claimed they couldn’t remember what happened,” he gave me a glare that would make a normal man waver but not me!

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I was planning on telling you, I couldn’t live with the lies! I remember everything, please don’t lock me away, I’m not a monster I promise!”

His glare softened as I pleaded for my life, “I know that, I’m not really upset, I just wish you would have told me.”

I ran the back of my hand across my nose and sniffled then dropped the act, “Cool, oh hey look the tea’s ready.” My attitude change cause him to double take and I just grinned like a madman, “But really, I hated lying about that, especially since you’re a friend… How about I give you some of the details over tea… not all of them because they’re kinda gruesome. Hey Ice want some tea?”

“Thanks but no… I think I’ll go pay a certain pony a visit,” he nodded before turning to leave, barely moving out of the way as the door burst open and a yellow filly ran in the room followed by an orange mare with three apples as her cutie-mark. “Pardon me.”

“Hey Twi, Ah hate to ask but Ah need a favor; Can you watch Applebloom for the next couple of days? We’re going to be swamped over at the farm and we can’t be looking over our shoulder making sure she’s alright.”

“But Applejack, Ah wanna jus wanna help. I’m big enough to buck apples now, why cain’t Ah help?”

“Cuz yer jus ah filly Applebloom, Ah’d feel better if you stayed with Twi for a couple of days-“ he looked a Twilight and saw me next to her and I waved, “Uh Sugarcube? Who’s uh, yer guest?”
Twilight finished pouring everyone a cup, patting my arm she looked at Applejack, “This is Shinza Monk, a traveler from Obsidinite was it?” Her question was direct more at Shining Armor than me and he simply nodded, “Also I would be glad to take Applebloom in for a couple of days, Shinza was just about to tell us about what happened in the Everfree.”
Applebloom rushed over, forelegs on my leg, “You were in the Everfree? What was it like, did you get attacked by Timberwolves, did you see an Ursa Minor?”
“Um… you know I don’t think now would be a good time to tell the story, maybe I’ll write it down for you.”
“You don’t want to tell the story,” I looked down and was assualted by big teary eyes and a pout, “Won’t you please tell us?”
I looked at Shining Armor to Twilight then to Applejack, “I wasn’t aware your people had weaponized adorable, that’s a low blow.” The girls looked a little sheepish while Shining Armor just laughed. I reached down, picked up Applebloom, and set her on my knee, “Fine, I’ll tell you the story of a man who was given a power he had no right to have and it destroyed him. He began his travels like any other would but along the way the Fates decided to test him; he was taken by forces not of pony kind where he was held with the foals whos parents chose to make a deal for. He knew not for how long he was in there but he cared deeply for the foals. In his eyes they stood for the innocence that he hadn’t seen for so long he almost forgot about it. When his captors chose to take the foals from him, he attacked his captor and began the freefall into madness.”
“Wow,” everyone seemed to say at once, “Then what?”

“He failed to protect the one thing he set out to do, he had become the monster in the foal’s eyes; they fled in terror but then like a light in the dark of his mind he felt the familiar pull of home. It was forest filled with terrible creature like himself, its weather matched his old home’s weather. He spent several days alone yet not alone, so many voices filled his head; they fought for control while he was pushed to the back of their mind. The one thing they agreed on was this; nothing shall pass them and get into the village. Not the chicken snake, nor the wooden wolves, or even the enormous snake that came back multiple times until they put it down. It wasn’t until they faced off against a Manticore that they were defeated, not by the Manticore but by a little yellow pony… She spent several outings with the monster as it went about its business, she sung songs and tried talking with them as if she could understand him.”

Applebloom hopped up and down, “Is the yellow pony miss Fluttershy?! She cares so much about animals, Ah bet it’s her.”

“Haha yes Applebloom, the yellow pony was miss Fluttershy but let me finish the story, it’s almost done. Each outing Fluttershy took with the monster the quieter the voices in his head became until only his remained and by then Fluttershy had coaxed him from the forest to her home where he was reacquainted with two ponies from his past and he returned to his true form. The moral of this story I suppose is that even is someone appears to be scary, everyone-“

“…Deserves a little kindness,” Twilight finished my sentence and I looked at her, “Sorry, it’s just that Fluttershy said the same thing when we encountered a Manticore when Nightmare Moon returned. It’s how I realized that she was the element of kindness.”

“Huh… whelp, story time is over, I’ve got things to do before I hit the road,” I set Applebloom down on the ground, stood up, and slung my pack over my shoulder, “Actually maybe you can help me with one thing; can you take a look at my compass, it just keeps spinning.”

A lavender aura wrapped around it as I held it out, Twilight pulled it close and inspected it while humming, “Oh, it seems the magnetism spell’s north coordinates were purged somehow.” Her horn flared once and she passed it over, upon inspection I found it pointing to what I assumed north was. Pocketing it I walked out and closed the door behind me, I paused and listened through the door to them whispering. I opened the door once more and found Applejack, Shining Armor, and Twilight huddled and whispering, “Oh right, it was a pleasure to meet you all, any friends of Shining Armor and Fluttershy are friends of mine and I won’t forget this. If you guys need anything the next time I’m in town just ask me, I’m your man.” I made my way around town; purchasing everything that would be needed for a long trek but I thought of something and I stopped by what looked like a flower shop.

“Welcome to the Triple Orchid, how may I help- whoahohoho,” a mare who was speaking suddenly screamed and fainted behind the wagon.

“Are you alright?” I walked around the wagon to check on her, “I know I’m kind of scary-looking but trust me; I’m a softie.”

“R-really,” a soft whisper came from her slumped body, “Well what can I get you?”

“I was wondering if you had a bouquet of flowers, whatever you think is appropriate for a thank-you gift.” She promptly started bundling flowers together then wrapped them up, her odd smile never seemed to fade until I left then there was a trio of voices screaming something about horror. As I walked to the cottage on the hill I took a piece of paper from my book and scribbled a quick note to say my thanks and if she ever needed anything if I was in town I’d do it for her. I set them on her doorstep, knocked quickly, and made a dash to hide when she opened the door. She picked up the flowers in a hoof, read the note then took a deep breath of the flowers, and turned back inside. Feeling light as I feather I took a seat on a bench while I waited on Ice to get done with what he was doing, I decided to take a moment to talk to Covet and shifted my eyes, ‘You enjoying yourself Covet?’

’Not so much, no… The others wish to speak with you.’

‘How can they speak with me if I don’t know what they are?’

’Don’t worry, you just need to take a nap. We’ll meet in your dreams.

‘I don’t see how I’m suppose to suddenly fall asleep but alright let’s-,’ Everything went black then burst into a swirl of colors and I was standing in my old dormroom, “-it… So what’s this about Covet… Covet?”

“Out here,” I heard his voice call from the hallway, I opened it and found myself standing in the middle of a field with a large changeling with red snake eyes, “Sorry but there wasn’t enough room in that place for a couple of the others.”

“Speaking of; where are they?”

“Right here,” a deep slow voice spoke then a huge black Drakon slithered into view from a fog bank from on top of an incline.

More continued to come from the fog until there were seven of them standing before me; a dragon with bronze scales that was double my height, a Diamond Dog with grey fur with a white chest tuff that stood up to my chest, as well as the three races of ponies; a dark green pegasus that was obviously female with a golden mane and a roll of gauze for a cutie-mark that was trying to make herself as small as possible, a unicorn with a black coat and flaming red hair that hide his curved red horn very well while his cutiemark was a raging fire, and the last was an crimson male earth pony with a black mane and a cutiemark of yin and yang with two hooves bumping together.

“…Sup. Wait that sounds really lame, hold on I can come up with something better,” I racked my brain for a moment trying to come up with something better.

“There is no need,” the Diamond Dog stepped forward, pounded his chest then punched mine and knocking the wind from them, “We have talked.”

“The mutt speaks true,” the large bronze dragon nodded before bowing.

“Who you calling mutt, scales-for-brains!?”

The dragon ignored him by setting his golden eyes on me, “I am Makarov, formed by the young dragon known as Spike, you have bested me in the battle for control and as such you may use my strengths as your own. May you show caring for the weak and wrath on those that wish them ill.” He poked my chest with a claw and vanished into me with a golden light.

“What was that about,” I asked Covet who had taken a seat next to where I was standing.

“Ever since you and I made that deal after the incident we’ve been talking and they wished to do the same.”

The crimson pony took that as a sign and took a bow before me, “I thank you for the life you have given me father.”

“F-father?!”

Covet coughed into a hoof, “Momo here was formed when we were screwing Berry. He seems to be very set on calling you that.”

I held out a fist and Momo bumped it with his own then spoke, “Even in combat you can be generous, it’s all about finding balance on whether it should be a for you or your enemy.”

He disappeared in an aura of black and white then the Diamond Dog stepped forward, “I won’t be outdown by scale-for-brains, I am Stash; formed from my brethren you have slain and you may use me as well but I demand tribute; treasure and then you shall have my loyalty.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that so I just nodded and he turned into a brown aura and entered me as well, “What was that about?”

“Diamond Dogs, they’re loyal to only two things; Their Alpha or the one with the most treasure. Alright let’s speed it up a lil, you two next,” he pointed a holey hoof at the pegasus and unicorn that then walked forward.

“We are Ebony and Burning Embers formed of Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle,” he nodded then faded to black smoke leaving the mare shaking.

“T-thank you for allowing us to be here.” With that she faded as well into a pink wisp.

“What about you tall dark and slithery,” I asked the enormous Drakon spoke for the second time.

“I suppose… just seems like to much work… will there be food?”

“Probably,” Covet and I answered at the same time.

“Then you can call on me… but not often alright? I am… Stoh’keth…” His form tense a little before slithering back into the fog instead of turning into a wisp, smoke, or aura.

“Like I said Shin, there are a few of us in here,” the Changeling then stood before me, “Thanks to the infiltrator, Ice Flow, I now know more about changelings… I am without a Queen to defend so I will defend you but our previous deal still stands.”

“When did you talk to Ice?” He simply smiles and I woke up on the bench, “Ah jeez my neck!” I stood up, rolling my neck to ease the soreness out of it. I heard flapping and then a tap on my leg, opening my eyes I saw Ice with a saddlebag nearly to bursting, “Ready to go Ice?”

“You know it, got everything I needed from General Goodies… surprisingly it was a well stocked store.”

“Was? …Did you steal that stuff,” I gave him an accusatory look.

“What? No! I just got a really good discount.”

“Whatever let’s go,” readjusting my straps I lead the way towards the large snow-capped mountain city of Canterlot. When we finally made it out of Ponyville onto a well-traveled road Ice started humming then it turned in a sing about being on the road again. “Please don’t sing.” My request went ignored as he just kept singing.

---

***Golden Oaks Library***

“Twily I’m so glad I got the chance to spend time with you, strange coincidence the traveler I was looking for was near your new home,” Shining Armor hug his little sister.

“I’m glad as well but don’t just visit because your job brings you nearby okay? I can’t be held responsible if I never get to see my BBBFF.”

“Miss Twilight, do you hear that,” Applebloom cut in between Twilight and Shining.

“Applebloom, how many times do Ah have to tell ya tah not interrupt ponies when they’re talking,” Applejack chastied her sister who looked apologetic, “But Ah do hear something..."

”Party, party, party. I want to have a party. I need to have party. You better have a party. Party, party, party. You gotta party hardy.” a voice emanated from everywhere at once then the pink party pony appeared from Shining Armor’s armor. “Who’s ready to party?!” She pulled her Party Cannon from inside her hair and began firing party decorations around the library.

“Pinkie! Stop firing the cannon, why are you throwing a party here,” Twilight screamed over the cannon fire while pulling streamers off her.

“I saw somepony new in town, he was wearing armor similar to this guy’s armor and so I thought I’m going to throw this pony the best party EVER!”

“So this party isn’t for Shin, the biped traveler,” Shining Armor asked, pulling on his armor and confetti fell from it.

“So silly, this was a pony; a pegasus. I saw him going into General Goodies, who are you talking about,” she waited then gasped, “You mean to tell me there are two new ponies in ponyville?! I’m going to need more ammo and make this a double party!”

“Sugarcube, how can ya throw a party if th’ ponies th’ party is fer if they ain’t here.”

“What do you mean they aren’t here?”

“Pinkie, what Applejack is trying to say is that Shin and his friend have probably already left Ponyville and won’t be back for some time,” Twilight interjected, hoping to ease the news that she couldn’t throw a party.

“But… I already- with the decorations and the cannon… Oh come on,” Pinkie shouted before holding her hooves up in the hair as an idea hit her, “I know! I’ll throw a Sorry-I-Missed-You-but-I’ll-totally-throw-you-a-party-next-time party!”

“Pinkie, no!”

“Pinkie, yes!” With that she pulled open the door to the broomcloset and four mares and a distressed looking bunny came tumbling out, the mare with rainbow hair gasped and pulled her hoof from where it was. “Whoops, sorry Dashie, should have given you a warning. Let’s party!”

---

“Rolling, rolling, rolling, keep the party rolling-“

“Shh, did you feel that,” I held out an arm.

“Oh yeah, what is that. It sent chills right up my spin!”

“I’m not positive but I could have possibly been someone dancing on our graves.”

A female voice spoke quietly from behind us, “Or maybe it’s just your pockets becoming lighter?”

There was a flap of wings then I felt hooves jabbing into my body in different spots and each time the limbs fell to my side limp, “Shit, ambush!”

I was on the ground in an instant and I heard Ice call out as he jumped at my attacker, “Shin!” The sounds of more hooves colliding with his body and he fell to the ground with a grunt, “What the hell did she do to me?”

“I’m not sure, I’ve read of something similar but it was only in books! I can’t Shift so she must be a Chi blocker.”

The mare just laughed, “Oh you’re good, Chi, magic, or whatever you wish to call it runs through every body and with enough practice you can disable it. There was a stomp and Ice cried out in pain then there was a whoosh of flame and he changed back, “Well would you look at that… a changeling. It’s a good think I’m not a slaver.”

“What are you then?”

“Oh… a mare you happened to find a kind soul who chose to give me their Bits,” and with that she riffled through my pockets and pulled out my coin sack, “Sweet Celestia you were loaded. To bad Changelings have no need of Bits since they can just mind control shopkeepers to get what they want.”

“You did steal those things didn’t you,” I shouted at him and his silence was enough to know that he had.

“But no matter, thanks for your patronage, ciao,” a flap of wings and she was gone along with all my money.

“Shin?”

“Yeah?”

“You have really rotten luck don’t you? I mean we’re not even a couple of miles from Ponyville and we get mugged.”

“Yeah… How was I suppose to know there was crime here? Ponies are suppose to be all over that love, friendship, and peace shit.”

“I don’t know… how long until whatever she did wears off?”

“…Who knows, Guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Hey did you get a good look at her or her cutie-mark?”

“What do I look like, a larva? Of course I got a good look.”

---

Party member gained: Ice Flow the Changeling.

Achievement Get: Dodging the Frying Pan but ending up in the Fire.

Author's Note:

Well here we are everyone, several weeks, three complete chapter rewrites, 15 tweaks, and several concussions from banging my head against my wall and this is the result... maybe I should have added alcohol to the equation... Hey Tanya where's the booze?!
"You're not getting any of it until you finish those other stories' chapters!"
I freaking finished the Gem Stone chapter and I didn't even need to do anything! It was already finished and I forgot about it so get off my back woman.
"I heard that you bastard!"
Shit! Thanks for reading, don't forget to comment, fave, or like if you're new to the story and I apologize for my writings if they cause you bodily harm... sorry but that's not covered by most insurance companies. Camp out!

Here's my image of what the Drakon looks like, yes I got the idea from Percy Jackson, just image it with pitch black scales and it doesn't have thorn horns. If you don't know what a bronze dragon looks like then you need to go read a Practical Guide to Dragons. Also holy shit over eight thousand words in this chapter and the next chapter is around the same size.

Comments

[Emo Rainbow]

Split personalities seems like an intriguing route to take for the plot. I can't wait to see what the next chapter holds in store. Also I'm glad to see another update I hope the next one doesn't take too long.

[Campanula Monkshood]

6392650
I don't see why. chapter 5 is already finished and I'm starting chapter 6 as I'm typing this. I tell ya I've been on a binge lately and I have the next two or three chapters after those already planned out.