Chapter Thirteen
The Dresden Fillies: False Masks
Written by: psychicscubadiver
Edited by: SilentCarto and frieD195
Story Image by: wyrmlover
Beta-reader: SA
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Dresden Files or My Little Pony, that is Jim Butcher and Hasbro, respectively. This is a fanfiction only. This story takes place before Discord’s return in MLP and between books six and seven in the Dresden Files.
Chapter Thirteen
Shooting Star was bored.
He had been warned time and time again before he had finally been accepted into an active post: the hardest part of a stakeout was the waiting. His instructors had tended to exaggerate, so he hadn’t really believed them when they said it. Surely any mission would be chock-full of action. Reality, in her typically callous way, had proven that if anything, his teachers had understated how much of a mission was spent doing nothing.
Shooting Star let loose a soft yawn, glad that his seat was in the shade. Normally he preferred to read inside, but since he was just pretending, the public bench across from the library would have to do. Star checked his detection spell, making sure nopony had left the library in secret, but they were as still as a stone. That responsibility satisfied, he let his mind wander for just a moment.
Shooting Star was in the midst of contemplating whether ‘the Wise’ or ‘the Awesome’ would make a better title when he was rudely jerked out of his thoughts by the library door slamming open. Everypony out and about on the street, and a few in nearby houses, stopped to stare at the commotion. All sorts of strange things had been happening at the library today; they obviously had no doubt this next disturbance would prove just as interesting.
If only they knew just how strange, Shooting Star thought, tensing himself for whatever was to follow. Most of the guards had left about an hour ago, but there were still three of them left along with (ugh) Obsidian, and the rest of the Elements of Harmony.
A cyan hoof shot out, grabbing the top of the door frame and pulling hard as if the pony inside were trying to climb out against some powerful force. The situation became clear as Rainbow Dash dragged herself further out and revealed the blue aura surrounding her tail, trying to pull her back into the library.
What do we do?! Night Shade thought. Shooting Star sighed, hoping their resident telepath could keep herself under control. She always got skittish working in the field, but her ability to transmit thoughts between the whole group was too valuable to leave behind.
We wait and we watch, Golden Harvest replied coolly. Her life isn’t in danger, and we cannot give ourselves away.
Something interesting? Wind Whisperer asked.
Rainbow Dash appears to be struggling to escape from a unicorn, but we aren’t sure who. Though it doesn’t look like his aura, Flitter – or rather, Dragonfly – replied.
What about you two? Golden Harvest asked. Are those guards up to something?
Maybe. Lucky Clover said. They’re headed into the Everfree forest, and I think I heard one of them mention Dragon Mountain. He paused for second to let that news sink in. That might be bad, he said, his tone as serious as ever.
Very funny. Golden Harvest replied, her sour tone evident even without her real voice. Wind Whisperer, fly ahead and give them warning just in case those guards actually find the entrance. Stay out of sight, I don’t want you giving away their location.
Please, Windy replied. Like there’s anypony sneakier than me. Shooting Star chuckled at that, waiting for Golden to take him down a peg. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Heads up! Dragonfly thought forcefully.
Shooting Star looked up just in time to see Rainbow Dash shoot free of the constraining magic, rising at least thirty feet above the library. “Hah!” she yelled. “I toldja nopony can hold me! So long, chumps!” She zoomed off into the distance, headed north. Two guards, the squat unicorn and one of the enormous earth ponies, rushed out of the library. It took the pair a moment to realize their quarry had gone, but the rainbow trail she left made it foal’s play to track her in the clear sky.
“Stop!” bellowed the huge stallion, his legs pumping as he gave chase. His shorter companion only panted at the unexpected exertion, though he might have found it easier if he hadn’t brought along his spear. Shooting Star had to work hard to keep contempt off his face. Those two were unlikely to keep up with an average pegasus, much less a noted athlete like Rainbow Dash.
Well, that was strange, Dragonfly offered. Shooting Star was about to agree when Golden Harvest interrupted.
Tell me none of you took your eyes off the library just now. Not for a distraction that obvious. The exasperation in her tone was evident.
Okay, Shooting Star replied. We didn’t take our eyes off the library to watch Rainbow Dash show up two royal guards. He knew he was being foalish, but joking always helped him deal with the tension of an assignment.
In that case, I’m certain all of you noticed the group of ponies -- including the tall, hooded one -- who snuck out the back door and are currently making their getaway.
Golden’s statement was met with awkward silence until Windy started laughing. He played you ponies like a fiddle!
Shut it, Golden ordered. The group is three ponies, the dragon and the dog, so we’re missing two. Dragonfly and I are going to follow them, Nightshade and Star are staying here and keeping the library under surveillance in case this is a trick. Sensed any teleports, Star?
Shooting Star shook his head, confusing the pony next to him on the bench. Nothing. Maybe he doesn’t have the skill yet in this incarnation. Are you and Dragonfly going to try anything else? Even without the risk of being overheard it was better to discuss their more aggressive tactics indirectly.
No. Golden returned. We had our chance, and we missed it. He’s onto us now, so it’s the Slayers' turn. We just have to keep an eye on him until tomorrow.
The conversation lapsed as the members of the group felt a pang of regret for their brothers and sisters in arms. The Slayers were as subtle as a hammer, and this wasn't a remote orc nest or an isolated troll bridge. Even if they survived the battle, they would still be lost to the Order.
This is going to cost us dearly. Lucky Clover said, his tone somber. His sister was one of the Order’s warriors, though nopony knew who had been chosen yet. Shooting Star thanked everything holy that none of his family were in consideration for that duty.
But whatever the price, we will pay it, Golden offered, her tone changing from cold detachment to gentle encouragement. She had lost her father to a rogue manticore years ago and knew what that kind of pain felt like. No matter what, the good of Equestria comes first.
Silence greeted her words, but it was a comfortable one. Everypony knew their sacred duty, handed down from the founders of Equestria themselves. To punish evil and hold the darkness at bay.
As Shooting Star settled in to maintain his surveillance he flipped to the next page of the book he was pretending to read. It was a shame he was so busy in his careful observation that he never saw the pony in the shadows watching him.
………
If Lyra was surprised to find two Royal Guards at her back door, she hid it well. Her amber eyes narrowed as they peered through the door slit, but she always seemed to do that. “Can I help you, officers?” she asked.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the short, stout guard to my right beat me to it. “It’s us, Lyra,” my companion said in an incongruously feminine voice. “Do please let us in. This spell is rather difficult to maintain.”
I glanced around, worried that somepony might have overheard her. I doubted it was common for Royal Guards to sound like aristocratic ladies, but I was pretty sure we’d lost any pursuit. Neither my eyes nor my gut said anypony was watching us. By the time I turned back the door was already open and Rarity, still awkward in her too-large armor, shuffled inside.
“Hurry up!” Lyra hissed. I hurried.
The moment we were inside, Rarity sighed with relief and let the illusion spell drop. “Thank Celestia,” she murmured with all the sincerity of a preacher in church. The image of two Royal Guards faded away, revealing the ponies underneath. As a final touch, the spear Rarity had been holding changed into my familiar staff.
“Goodness.” Rarity said, removing the borrowed armor and stretching out. “That was exhausting. Would either of you mind if I took a brief leave of absence? I need a moment to make myself presentable again.” I halfway wanted to roll my eyes, but we had just run half a mile in ill-fitting armor while she held a complex illusion in place. She was a bit of a mess even by my standards.
“Sounds fine to me,” I said. “As long as you’re fast.” The sounds I heard from the kitchen told me Bon-bon was still cleaning up, so it was likely we’d be waiting whether I wanted to or not. Given that the inside of Bon-bon’s soul had looked like that kitchen, odds were it was important to her. I didn't regret wrecking it in the fight, but I could give her some time to set it right. Lacking any more productive ideas, I moved into the small living room and took a seat. Lyra followed me.
We sat in silence for a minute or two, and I could practically feel her stare. I didn’t look at her directly, but my peripheral vision told me that she was examining me and every one of my belongings (though her eyes kept darting back to Bob’s bag) with a single-minded intensity. It was curiosity more than anything else, but it still got uncomfortable fast. I didn’t want to talk about any of Lyra’s favorite topics, but I felt awkward just sitting there and while she analyzed everything.
“How’s Bon-bon doing?” I asked, hoping to deflect her interest. The confectioner had seemed dazed after the Soulgaze, which was unsurprising, but I hoped that hadn’t lasted. Most people adjust within an hour. People who don’t believe in the supernatural usually manage it by going deep enough into denial to strike oil. I didn’t think Bon-bon would do that, but given my luck, it didn’t hurt to check.
Lyra stopped inspecting the carvings on my staff. “She seems a little shaken, but otherwise she’s fine. But I still don't understand why she suddenly trusted you after practically declaring you the spawn of Discord.” The unicorn gave me a sidelong glance, waiting for an answer. When I didn’t oblige her, she bulled ahead. “We had a long talk, but she still didn’t tell me what happened.”
Aesop said that few men had ever made fools of themselves by keeping their mouths shut. Unfortunately, Aesop had never met Lyra. Unperturbed by my silence, she frowned and tried, locking eyes with me. Dodging her look wouldn’t have been that difficult, except that she seemed to have the same ideas about personal space as Pinkie Pie. It was hard to keep from meeting her stare, but I managed. That didn’t stop her from talking.
“You stared right into her eyes and the two of you went still as statues. I don’t think either of you even breathed for a couple seconds. And now she’s certain you aren’t Obsidian, when she wouldn’t even consider the idea before. What did you do?” She didn’t add ‘to her’ to the end of that question, but her intense tone of voice implied it.
I frowned. Trying to explain a Soulgaze to someone who had never been through one is like describing a painting to a blind man. You tell them what it looks like, you explain what’s in it and what it means, but you can’t ever convey even a tenth of the emotional impact or depth that it contains. Still, I had to at least give it a shot. “Only if you sit down over there.” I said pointing out a chair across the room. “I usually insist on dinner and a movie before I let anypony as close as you are right now.” She flushed, showing that she did have a sense of common decency even if she didn’t always pay attention to it.
I waited until she was seated and least somewhat calm before I began. “It’s called a Soulgaze. Ever hear that the eyes are the windows of the soul? For someone like me, that’s literal, but it goes both ways. When I lock eyes with anyone, I see them for who and what they really are. I see their true self, and no mask or lie can hide anything from me.” I paused and let that sink in. Lyra looked surprised, and maybe doubtful, but she was rolling with it for now. “And in return, they see me in the same light. I needed to prove to Bon-bon I wasn’t Obsidian and that was the fastest and surest way to do it.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow. “And she believed it?”
I nodded. “You’d doubt whether the sun rises in the east before you’d question a Soulgaze. That stuff is capital-T Truth. Once you’ve seen it, you just know.”
Lyra sat for a moment, mulling that over, then out of blue said, “You aren’t a pony, are you?” That was technically a question, but it had all the certainty of a statement. She might have been eccentric and more than a little stupid where love was involved, but Lyra was nobody’s fool.
My eyes narrowed almost of their own accord. This was treacherous ground. “What makes you say that?”
She just smiled. “You only use somepony or anypony half the time. It’s obvious you aren’t used to them. You carry around the skull of a mythical creature inhabited by a spirit that’s just as rare as its container like it’s no big deal, and you’re hiding something.” Her grin got even wider at that. “I can practically smell the secrets on you. The real proof, though, is that soul-gaze ability. You said ‘someone like me’ when you were talking about it, meaning it isn’t something unique to you. And your horn didn’t even flicker when you used it. That wasn’t a spell, it was you.” She stared at me her smile gone; curiosity and amazement ruled her expression now. “But that leaves the question: what are you?”
The question was as blunt as they came, and if there’s anything a wizard hates it’s a question he can’t dodge. Guys like me aren’t actually that special. In raw power I’m one of the strongest wizards around. Even if you consider experience and skill, I’d still put myself in the top fifty when it comes to a fight. But I can still get killed by a guy with a shotgun, or hell, even a rock if he can cave my skull in with the first blow. Physically, wizards aren’t much better than any other human, and magically, our defenses are laughable compared to some of our enemies. The real thing that makes us powerful is what we know. Faeries are fast, powerful and devious, but a little cold iron evens the odds. Black court vampires are nightmares, more resilient than your average terminator... unless you’ve got garlic or a wooden stake on hand. A hob will rip you to shreds in the dark, but introduce the little monster to light, and it’ll burst into flames. A demon can do things that make you wish they would only kill you, but with its name, you can turn it into a servant on a short leash.
Knowledge is power, and wizards hoard information as zealously as a dragon gathers gold.
Most of the people I know in Chicago think I like keeping secrets, but compared to other wizards, I’m the town gossip. Despite my relative chattiness, I had promised Twilight, and by extension the Princesses, not to tell anypony what I was. That, however, assumed a certain level of ignorance on behalf anypony I was talking to. Telling Lyra anything was dangerous, but not telling her could put at even greater risk. She knew enough to get herself in trouble, but not enough to get herself out of out it. If she figured out how to reach the Nevernever without understanding how dangerous it was then a sudden death would be one of her luckier outcomes.
“Fine.” I sighed. “But this doesn’t leave this room.”
Lyra’s eyes sparkled and her grin widened until she looked like a bubbly Cheshire cat. “Of course!”
I scowled and leaned back, crossing my forelegs. “You’re not taking this seriously enough. I mean nobody hears about this. There’s a reason Princess Celestia keeps all of this a secret.”
That curbed her enthusiasm a little, but I recognized a losing battle when I saw one. Once again I questioned the wisdom of sharing anything, but in the end I sighed and went for it. “First off,” I began, “you’re right that I’m not a pony. I’m a human−” That was as far as I got.
“SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!” Lyra yelled, or maybe squealed. I’m not sure how to define the noise she was making. The only thing I was certain of is that it was loud enough to give Luna a run for her money.
The sound immediately drew Bon-bon out of her kitchen like a shot. I started preparing a shield spell just in case, but she took stock of the situation quickly enough, probably helped out by Lyra’s repeated chant of ‘I knew it!’.
Bon-bon gave me a disgruntled eyebrow. “You just had to tell her, didn’t you? I didn’t say anything about that for a reason.” She spoke in a hushed voice, but I doubt Lyra would have heard her even if she’d been speaking normally. That mare had dived back into her notes and her quill was moving fast enough that I was worried about the paper catching fire.
Not to be outdone, I arched an eyebrow of my own. “She’d already figured out I wasn’t a pony, so telling her was safer than leaving her ignorant. I doubt whatever speculation she came up with would have been helpful. Besides, I thought you were done keeping secrets from her.”
The look Bon-bon gave me was about nine-tenths venom, but she shook her head and sighed. “You’re right. You’re a first class jerk, but you’re right this time. Old habits are hard to break.”
“Like eavesdropping?” I asked innocently. Her face was briefly touched with red before she regained control of her expression. I grinned. “You moved a bit too fast for somepony who was supposed to be busy cleaning.”
Bon-bon nodded like a fencer acknowledging a blow. “Very well, but I’d like to make something clear. I know you aren’t him, and I’m willing to right the wrongs we’ve done to you, but I don’t like you.” Her expression deepened from a mild frown into a scowl. “If even a fourth of the ancient legends are true, you’re a bigger danger than half of the creatures in the Everfree. And from what I saw inside of you, those myths were hardly overstated.”
“Really?” Lyra cut in with a frown, surprising both of us. “I know my research is incomplete, but why would he be a danger?”
I appreciated the vote of confidence, but Bon-bon wasn’t far off the truth. Really, she had only been wrong about one thing. I wasn’t more dangerous than half of the forest’s beasts. I was more dangerous than any of them.
The human race is a lot of things, more good things than bad in my opinion, but history has shown that what we are capable of is terrifying. And I have access to the kind of abilities the average Joe can only dream about. Lyra seemed willing to forgive and forget after the scene in the kitchen, maybe because she liked Bob, maybe because I had been just bluffing, but Bon-bon had gotten a different message. If I ever chose to cross the line, then ponies would die, and there wouldn’t be a damn thing she could do to stop me. Not that I ever would, but as long as the possibility existed, I doubted she and I were going to be friends. Allies maybe, but that’s not the same thing.
“Find the right button and anyone is capable of violence,” I told Lyra before turning a gimlet eye on Bon-bon. “And the Order has been jumping on mine all day.” Bon-bon’s expression didn’t change, but I thought I could see another faint tinge of red coloring her cheeks. “But, that’s water under the bridge at the moment. Let’s talk strategy.”
“Very well. You sent the guards to Dragon Mountain?”
I grinned. “All but three of them. I turned on my charm, and the commanding officer went off half-cocked without looking back. Even if they figure out there’s nothing there they’ll be gone for hours at minimum.”
Bon-bon snorted. “I imagine they’ll be gone longer than that. We store part of our Archives in the caves there, and an intruding group of guards should provide quite the distraction while we make our move.”
Lyra raised her hoof like a schoolchild asking a question. “Uh, not to butt in on the secret spying business, but why don’t you just tell the rest of the Order Triune that Blackstone isn’t Obsidian? That sounds a lot simpler than all of the cloak and dagger nonsense.”
“Simpler maybe, but not smarter.” I said.
“Huh?”
Bon-bon shook her head. “What he means is that the rest of the Order is unlikely to believe me. They’re more likely to think he has brainwashed me somehow.” Lyra opened her mouth, but Bon-bon continued already anticipating the next question. “And he can’t Soulgaze everypony, not just because it would take far too long and violate the privacy of hundreds of ponies, but also because from the outside it would look like some kind of compulsion or mental magic.”
I nodded. The confectioner was right, though she was leaving off a part. If they thought I was messing with their heads, they’d go straight for whatever weapon they could get hold of and try their damnest to kill me.
Lyra mulled that over for a second before frowning. She gave me an apologetic glance, then turned back to Bon-bon. “Then how are you sure he hasn’t used mental magic?” She put up her hooves in very human-like gesture to forestall an argument. “I’m not saying he did, but if something makes you certain that he’s being truthful, couldn’t you use that to prove it to everypony else?”
I rolled my eyes, mostly because I’d already explained how the Soulgaze works, but Bon-bon gave a different answer than the one I’d expected. “I know he hasn’t because we’re trained to recognize and resist mental magic. The Mage and his apprentices spend weeks teaching everypony how to defend themselves. Even if he had beaten me, it couldn’t have happened that quickly, and thanks to you and Pinkie, among other tells, I know he didn’t alter my sense of time to trick me.”
Bon-bon shot me a sidelong glance with a trace of amusement in it. “And because anything powerful enough to break my will would set off half a dozen silent alarms once we reached the stronghold. He’d be signing his own death warrant.”
I snorted, and gave the cream colored pony a chuckle. “Not to mention that I know about as much mental magic as a frog. Neuromancy is a capital offense where I’m from. Mess with somebody’s head, and the Wardens will lop off yours.”
Both of the ponies turned green at that grisly mental image, or a shade darker than her normal hue, in Lyra’s case. I was surprised that Bon-bon was squeamish, but I guess she only mixed the poisons. I doubt she usually had to deal with the unpleasant results of her concoctions. Or maybe her main stock-in-trade was the sedatives she used against me. There were a lot of different jars in that pantry.
“So,” I said clapping my front hooves together (nearly falling over in the process). “Back on topic. The guards are going to go poking around some outpost which should keep them busy and distract the Order. Meanwhile, Pinkie is currently playing decoy for me. She’ll drop the cloak in about thirty or forty minutes, so until then, the rest of my fan club should be occupied too. We’ve got a small window of time until they start looking for me again. Wherever we’re going, we’d better outline the plan and get moving.”
Bon-bon nodded. “Agreed. The next train to Canterlot is in thirty minutes, which should give us plenty of time. Once we get there, we’ll head directly for my family’s home. My mother and father are in Hoofington for another three weeks, so it should be empty.”
“Wait.” I held up a hoof. “Why are we stopping by your house instead of going directly to where Twilight’s locked up?”
“Two reasons. One: everypony in the Order wears robes, and that’s where I keep mine. Two: we need to wait until morning before we can actually enter the stronghold.”
The first made sense, but as for the second… “And we can’t enter at night because?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Because everything shuts down at night. It’s easy to lose track of the daily cycle underground, so they keep a strict schedule. The only ponies awake then will be ponies with urgent business and the gatekeepers and guard patrols. They’ll pay us a lot more attention then, and a group showing up at such an odd hour would look suspicious.”
I grumbled slightly, but she was the one who knew the ins and outs of our target. It didn’t help my mood that I couldn’t find a flaw in her logic, either.
“Are you going to have enough robes for all of us?” Lyra asked, almost bouncing in place.
There was a startled second of silence before both Bon-bon and I both said, “You aren’t going.” We blinked at each other, surprised that we’d spoken in stereo, but at least we agreed.
Lyra’s face fell, and while I expected a pout, her frown was a lot more serious. The eccentric unicorn reached out, putting a hoof on top of Bon-bon’s and looked her in the eye. “What do you expect me to do? Sit here and worry while the mare I love is in danger? I want to be there for you. I’m going.”
Bon-bon teared up, but she still shook her head. “I wish you could come, Lyra, but I need you here. After I leave, ponies will come by asking to place orders for candy, but they’ll actually be looking for me. I need you to tell them I went to Canterlot to get more supplies.”
Lyra’s ears flattened in irritation. “But that’s just what I do every time you’re out of town. Why would−” Then a little light bulb went off behind her head and her mouth fell open. It was difficult not to laugh as she came to her realization. “You mean,” she began, “I’ve been passing codes to the Order Triune for years, and I never even realized it?”
Bon-bon winced, and I could see that she was tempted to lie. Eventually, though, she came through. “Yes.”
“That. Is. So. Cool!” Lyra’s enthusiasm bubbled over again, and for a moment I was afraid she was going to derail the entire conversation. It took some effort, but Lyra brought herself back to an even keel. Once she did though, her frown returned. “Are you sure I need to stay here? I’d rather come with you.”
“I need you to.” Bon-bon said. “Keeping my teammates from looking for me or getting suspicious is very important.” Lyra was silent for a moment, but with a sigh she relented.
That settled, I glanced at the clock. We needed to hurry. “Okay, so do you have enough money on hand for two tickets to Canterlot? Because I doubt the train station accepts American dollars as legal tender.”
The door to the living room opened with a creak, and Rarity, back to her usual pristine appearance, walked in. “I believe you mean three tickets, and even if our dear Bon-bon is short of funds, I have a sufficient amount.”
I had been hoping we could get away before Rarity was done, but I should have known better. As much value as she puts on her appearance, I had never seen the seamstress let that interfere with anything truly important. I squared my shoulders, ready to give her a whole laundry list of why she shouldn’t come, but I never got the chance.
Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she read my expression, and she cut me off with a sharp tone. “Oh, no you don’t, mister. Our friends may be ill-suited for this particular enterprise, but I am not. I was more than willing to help you convince them to play their parts, but I am coming with you. Twilight is my friend, and the others are providing a more than adequate distraction.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it without saying anything. She was right in a lot of ways. Rainbow would’ve gone in looking for a fight, Applejack was an even worse liar than me (and forget trying to disguise that accent), Fluttershy was too timid, and I needed Pinkie here to play my decoy. I figured Mouse would be able to spot any danger before it pounced on them, but even if something got past him I knew she’d catch it. If Pinkie didn’t have some version of Spider-sense, I’d be amazed. Rarity, however, had the right skills, and her illusions could be the thing that changed this jailbreak from insanely difficult to just plain hard. But aside from those abilities, she hadn’t shown herself to be combat capable. If everything went as planned, that wouldn’t matter, but the first time one of my plans went as expected I might just die of shock. She was putting herself in danger, no question about that, and I shuddered to think of the things the Order might do to ‘purge’ her of my ‘brainwashing’.
I wanted to tell her no. If she didn’t accept that answer, I had the power to make sure she stayed anyway. I wanted her to be safe. As much as some her prissy manners irked me, I was her friend and it would kill me to see anything happen to her. But then, didn’t she feel the same way about Twilight? Did I really have the right to enforce my desires without any regard for her own? Rarity was grown woman, and she’d stood three times against one of the nastiest demons I had ever fought. I felt a wry smile creep onto my face. Hell, I thought, I may have to protect the Order Triune from her.
“Three tickets, then.” I said, glancing at the clock. “But we’ve got to get moving.” Bon-bon gave me a disgruntled glance, probably because I hadn’t asked her opinion, but if she didn’t like it then too bad for her. This was my party.
A huffy sigh drew my attention away from the Earth pony and towards the remaining member of our pow-wow. Lyra didn’t pout, but she came close. I suppose after everything she’d been through today she had a right to be sullen, especially since we’d shot her down instantly, but let Rarity join up. I wasn’t the only one to notice Lyra’s foul mood either. Bon-bon sidled up to her while I ducked into the kitchen for an extra canister of salt, just in case. As I was returning I heard what she was promising her girlfriend.
“And you can have a whole day with Blackstone’s familiar. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t want a chance like that.” Bon-bon said stroking Lyra’s hoof with one of her own. I swelled with indignation, and almost called her out on making promises she sure as hell couldn’t keep. But seeing Lyra’s face light up, despite the way she tried to hide it, convinced me that this was an issue better broached after I trusted Bon-bon with Twilight’s safe escape.
Once that was settled, we finally got underway. I headed for the backdoor, ready to leave the way we had come, but Rarity had other ideas.
“No need to skulk around town, darling,” she said, a hint of amusement in her tone. “Just keep close to me, and I’ll keep us out of sight.” My eyebrows planned an expedition to the upper reaches of my forehead, but I managed to talk them down before either of my companions noticed. I knew Rarity had already given herself a workout holding our illusions on the way over, and I hadn’t expected her to start slinging more magic again so soon. If she could do it, a good veil would cut our travel time in half. If she couldn’t, our cover would be blown and we'd attract plenty of attention. I weighed our options and decided that arguing with her would take more time than it was worth. So instead of saying anything, I just stood next her, as close as was comfortable. That way she’d have a smaller area to cover, and use less power. With a small, but unladylike, grunt of effort the veil sprang to life around us, rendering everything inside the small bubble of magic invisible.
The trip to the train station wasn’t easy, but we made good time. Which turned out to be very important, since our ride to Canterlot (a name that still makes me wince) was pulling in just as we arrived. Bon-bon bought the tickets, and all three of us quickly boarded the train, hopefully before anyone was the wiser.
After all the difficulty and scheming involved in getting away from Ponyville and the Order’s watchful eye, the train ride was almost anticlimactic. The cars were laid out in an old English style, and we had a compartment all to ourselves. Rarity fell asleep within the first ten minutes, exhausted from all of her magic use. I laid my coat over her, much to Bon-bon’s amusement, but the little unicorn had more than earned it. Rarity’s light snoring formed a gentle counterpoint to the rhythm of the tracks, making the quiet in our compartment something more cozy than awkward.
Bon-bon spent most of the trip staring out the window without saying a word. From her expression I suspect she was worried about Lyra, but whatever was eating her she evidently didn’t feel comfortable discussing it. As for me, I divided my time in between obsessing over every way things could go wrong and trying to come up with a better nickname for those idiots in the Order Triune. So far the best I had come up with ‘tri-hards’, but I knew I could do better.
Bored, and with nothing else to do, I decided to open a dialogue with Bon-bon. “So what the hell convinced those morons that I’m secretly an evil overlord back from the dead? I left my throne of skulls at home, and haven’t hatched any nefarious schemes since I got here.”
Bon-bon glared at me, whether for interrupting her train of thought or calling everypony in her organization a moron, I don’t know. Either way she at least answered the question. “Quite a few things, actually. Your name is Blackstone; his name is Obsidian. You’re a black unicorn stallion covered in battle scars and evidently used to combat. I’m told that you’ve got more than enough power to put you on par with the highest level unicorns. Until your adventure two months ago, there was no information on you at all, and even finding out anything about what happened then is almost impossible.”
“Well, when you say it like that of course it sounds bad,” I offered, chuckling a little.
She continued on as though I hadn’t spoken. “Even then we weren’t certain. The most damning testimony came from a conversation one of our pegasi overheard between you and your familiar.”
Bob isn’t my familiar, not in the literal or figurative sense of the word, but I let that slide for the moment. Call me paranoid, but I didn’t want to tell Bon-bon that Bob’s loyalty belonged to whoever owned his skull. And in the supernatural world, possession is ten-tenths of the law. “What did I supposedly say that was so damning?” I motioned for her to elaborate.
Bon-bon hesitated, then acquiesced. “I didn’t hear the report myself, so this is all second-hoof knowledge, but I heard that you spent the conversation discussing the many things you were planning to do.”
“Which were?”
Her mouth twisted as though she’d bitten into a lemon. “Killing and eating thousands ponies to increase your dark powers, murdering all who stood in your way, letting your familiar go on a lustful rampage of debauchery and corrupting the Elements and Princesses into serving as your harem and/or personal bodyguards.”
I blinked. Twice. I don’t think that reaction was enough for the news I had just been given, but I failed to see how anything else would have covered it better.
Bon-bon flushed as I continued to stare. “I figured it wasn’t entirely true,” she protested, “but even exaggerations start somewhere.”
I sighed. “You have got to be kidding me. How did any of you believe that?”
Shaking her head Bon-bon leaned forward and spoke in a hushed tone. “Other than all of the seduction, it wouldn’t be very different from anything he has done before. He wasn’t the most powerful enemy Equestria has ever faced, but he was unquestionably the most vicious. You wouldn’t believe some of the legends about him.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “Try me.” I replied.
“The list of his atrocities stretches across centuries. Where do you want me to begin?”
I suppressed a smirk, but couldn’t help adding some snark to my response. “How about the beginning?”
“Okay, then,” she said, either ignoring or missing my wisecrack. “He began life as a Prince of the Unicorns. In fact, he was Princess Platinum’s youngest brother. He quickly became one of the most gifted mages of his time, even rivaling Clover the Clever in power. Unfortunately, their competition was not a healthy one. The prince was contemptuous of any common unicorn, and he saw the other tribes as lesser races fit only to serve the unicorns.”
I blinked. Is she telling me this guy is pony Hitler? Magic zombie pony Hitler, even? I fought the urge to laugh, and though it was a close battle, I eventually prevailed.
“That wasn’t an uncommon point of view among the unicorn nobility in those days, but the prince believed in his ‘natural superiority’ more strongly than anypony else. It was an unpleasant shock to him when Clover was chosen to be Starswirl’s student instead of him. It didn’t help that the rest of the royal family supported the decision, pointing out that Clover could hardly afford the tutors and training which the prince had readily available. That is what started the schism between the prince and his siblings. The divide only worsened when Princess Platinum chose Clover to accompany her in their search for a new homeland. Of course, then the events of Hearth’s Warming Eve happened and the three leaders began plans to form the united kingdom of Equestria. When Princess Platinum returned home and announced her intention to join the Unicorn Kingdom to those of the Pegasi and Earth ponies, the prince refused to accept it.”
I wanted to make a little rolling gesture and tell her to move the story along. All of this, for the most part, was details I already knew. She was finally telling me something, though, so it was probably better that I didn’t interrupt her. I was still tempted.
“A sizable minority of the unicorn nobility supported him, but it wasn’t enough. He attempted a coup, but his forces were defeated before he could seize the throne. Even if they didn’t agree with her, most of the nobles remained loyal to their Princess, and none of the common ponies were willing to side with her brother. The prince was forced deep into the mountains, and many thought his rebellion all but crushed.”
Her voice dropped in tone and I almost had to lean in to hear more. “But he was not willing to surrender. How he discovered the means to summon demons, or why he sought their help so readily, nopony knows. But he did it. The full details are a mystery, since he never wrote down exactly what happened in any of the notes or journals the Order found, but one fact was clear: in exchange for his heart, he gained dark and terrible powers, and so did all those who followed him. His deals with demons made some unicorns leave his ranks, but many of them were already marked as traitors to the crown and saw no choice but to follow him. Within months of his retreat, he had an army of demons and a cadre of powerful sorcerers at his command. At first, the troops of the unicorn kingdom didn’t believe the reports of his supernatural army, but the slaughter at Greystone Peak convinced them otherwise.”
I nodded. At first glance, Obsidian sounded a lot like your typical warlock. Arrogant, self-centered, angry at the world. It wasn’t hard to see how he’d gotten started on that path. Unlike most would-be dark lords, though, he seemed to actually have power and cunning. Most of the people who summon demons bring forth something they can’t handle, and it consumes them. Often literally. If Obsidian was smart enough and strong enough to control the denizens of the netherworld, and to lead a group of similarly-minded mages, no wonder he became a nightmare.
I suddenly realized I’d zoned out and missed a good chunk of Bon-bon's speech. “And so the war finally ended at the Battle of the Lonely Mountain, where the pegasi created a storm so heavy that it made magic nearly impossible and melted the bodies of the demons like snow. Even then, casualties were in the hundreds, and it supposedly took dozens of ponies to finally kill him.”
She paused for a breath and her tone became cold as nuclear winter. “Until then, he was only a monster. What came next is what made him a legend.”
That piqued my interest.
“One of the knights who finally killed him decided to kick the corpse. The moment his hoof hit the body, the knight was destroyed. His entire form was consumed in a flash of heatless fire. There was a sound somewhere between the hiss of a lit fuse and the scream of a manticore, but the poor fool didn’t even have the time to cry out before he was reduced to ash and armor. At first his companions were in shock, then they noticed the tendrils of black vapor coming from the corpse. One of them wasn’t fast enough, and another tendril claimed him with its deadly touch. The rest retreated, spreading dire warnings among all of the united forces. Not everypony believed them, and it wasn’t until the fifth victim that all were convinced. They tried moving his body by magic, but the darkness that inhabited him resisted their efforts, sapping their energy whenever they tried. Eventually he was left to rot, and everypony moved on with their lives.
Fifty years later he returned. He wore a different body, but he came with the same army of demons. He was still full of hatred for the land the three tribes had built together, and this time, he managed to catch them off-guard. He came much closer to his goal, even laying siege to Canterlot itself, but after much bloodshed his army was once again defeated. Thorn Hoof the Mighty led the forces of Equestria to victory, and it was he that fought Obsidian alone at the end of that battle. Thorn Hoof received many wounds, but at last he delivered a fatal blow. His enemy just laughed, and told him that this was only his first resurrection, and that many more were yet to follow. As Thorn Hoof lay dying from his wounds, his last words were a warning that he would return yet again. The Order burned the corpse, but the black mist still lingered and he returned in a new form only three centuries later. In later incarnations the Royal Sisters defeated him, but even they did not dare to touch his body. It is said that Discord commanded the Earth itself to swallow the corpse after their battle, and that country was barren for decades afterwards.”
I felt the skeptic within me rising, and I did not deny it. “Are you telling that in over two millennia of this joker coming back from the dead, nobody has ever figured out how he was coming back? Or what was going on with that black vapor?”
Bon-bon shrugged. “We believe that Discord and the Princesses know, though it has never been confirmed. The last king of the Crystal Empire actually went insane attempting to re-create the power of the black vapor.”
“But nopony in the Order even tried to figure it out?”
At that she shook her head. “Dozens of ponies have tried, and without exception it has driven them mad. The most recent was twelve hundred years ago. The Mage, head of the Order’s Keepers and most powerful unicorn of that age decided she would succeed where everypony else had failed. Within five weeks, she began referring to herself in the third-pony, talked to ponies who weren’t there, claimed that the shadows were watching her, and carried around a tiny box that she claimed held his true heart. When her disciples tried to talk sense into her, she refused to listen, claiming that only she could prevent his next rise. The next day she opened a path into the Astral Plane and marched in, never to be heard from again.”
I mulled over everything she’d said, and after a few minutes of thought I asked incredulously, “And you thought I was that guy?”
Bon-bon ignored me at first, staring out of the window of our compartment. I followed her gaze and realized with some surprise that the sun was already on the horizon and we were pulling into a train station.
“Yes, and we were wrong,” she returned with a sigh. “Yet somehow I suspect you’ll bring even more trouble to the Order than he ever did.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.043 seconds
Total duration
935 users online
440,870 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Updating 20 minutes before the episode? well time to see how quickly I can go through this.
<--- Not a speed reader
I can't read this now! Ponies are about to be on TV!
Just made it, whew. Now, new episode!
1985013
The first section of this article should be able to help a little bit. Also is it wrong of me to think of obsidian as something similar to one of the dark denarians?
I'm thinking along the lines of Kemmler here, hay it could actually be him.
The box containing a heart sounds right along the lines of lichcraft so an external soul using the poor victims of the black mist to fuel his return.
If the oportunity comes up again I reccomend either 1: Planet core or 2: Deep space.
1985079
That's exactly what I'm thinking. Makes you wonder whether Obsidian came across any old coins when all this was going down. The Mage that carried "his heart" in a box and went coocoo after kind of reinforces this to me.
I thought outsiders were the "demons" that Obsidian pulled in for a little bit, but they would have wrecked shit much more than these demons. Only hundreds killed? Not much for an outsider Massacre. Also: black mist maybe relates it to the NIghtmare? Either way, I dont think that this will change how Dresden goes about things. He has the WHY, but the Order isn't going to change HOW theyre going about erasing Dresden. What may be interesting is when Obsidian actually does show up, and Dresden has to figure out how he is going to kill Obsidian while the Order is trying to kill Dresden off. Then, at his ceremony, the Order finally sees that Dresden is not Obsidian, and they all work together to finally destroy Obsidian.
In fact, now that I think about it... third person? ... Trixie? ... Obsidian isnt a pony, hes a demon who uses the name of the pony who brought him into Equestria, that the demon then ate. The demon keeps getting brought back by stupid ponies, and he takes the sameish form every time to inspire fear. And who is the powerdrunk idiot that brings him back this time? Trixie.
Speculations... Speculations everywhere.
Someone needs to draw a picture of a magical zombie pony Hitler.
Go Team Dresden!
So Pony Hitler the necromancer/demon summoner. Yeah your Dresden is going to be tired of this by the time that Deadbeat rolls around.
1985101 Trixie's too obvious, and I'm positive after being burned once by the Nightmare she'd run screaming straight to Canterlot.
I haven't read about Kemmler (yet), but the description of Obsidian reminds me of Victor Sells from Storm Front before Harry got him.
As for a Denarian, they'd do more damage in five minutes than Obsidian and his crew have over the last thousand years. Provided they could make the transition through the Nevernever, of course. I have the impression they're tied to Earth.
We'll just have to wait and see.
1985101
I don't think it's Trixie. She was the villain in the last story, using the powers of the Nightmare for herself might have teached her to not do it again.
I do think this Obsidian guy is a lich, and no one has found his phylactery. I don't really know if liches exist in this universe, but it's my theory.
When Bon Bon mentioned black mist my first thought was 'Outsiders'.
.....Are you sure you're not Jim Butcher?
So, Obsidian is everything King Sombra failed to become.
A new episode of ml and a new chapter of the Dresden fillies...
This must be my luck day
how many featchures is this now?
1985087 Ithought of kemmler immediatly too.
1985256
1985261
Yes, I know, Trixie is a bit too obvious, I was just having fun with it. Honestly, I don't think that the main antagonist of the story has shown his/her face yet. The story feels like theres a big twist coming up soon, and Im kinda excited to find out about it.
Is it just me, or does that last incarnation sound a lot like Nightmare and Trixie?
It does seem that whatever Obsidian has going on, it looks like some unholy amalgam between Fallen and Outside. No way to know, yet.
Obby seems a bit Lich-ish to me. It would explain the constant coming back to life, if they couldn't find his phylactery. Or maybe a cross between a Warlock and a Lich.
Lichlock!!
Or something else I canna think of.
So happy!
This new info is interesting but I will need some more time to mull over any details.
Nice Sombra reference. I am curious what exactly the Slayers are. I am guessing some combination of a warden and suicide troops.
Oh she's got no idea, does she?
Well it's obvious that his soul is inside a needle inside an egg inside a box inside a duck inside a rabbit inside a tree inside a castle on top of a mountain of glass. Lichens are armatures compared to that legendary Russian wizard. In order to kill him you has to find the glass mountain, get to the top, enter the locked castle, find the tree, cut it down, catch the hare, shoot down the bird, get the box open, crack open the egg, and break the needle on his forehead.
1985880
They probably look like this (only in a pony form):
encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1J2ewlV3AyyIvZMgLAeyCv1V2E_nl-GgYmkKFYAAKSk5AUNHIFQ
...maybe...
Battle of the Lonely Mountain .....J.r.r.Tolkien much ? -3-
"Acceped" should presumably be "accepted".
That doesn't parse. Either "This is going to cost us dearly" or "This is going to be be costly" would work, though.
This also doesn't quite parse. "Was the sedatives she used against me" would work, as would "was sedatives like she used against me".
"She said, a hint of amusement in her tone" isn't a complete sentence, so it needs to be attached to the preceding quote. The quote should end in a comma and "She" shouldn't be capitalized.
"We attract" should be "we'd attract" to match tense with the rest of the sentence.
Just got through Cold Days, and I'm glad to see this update again! Smart Lyra ftw!
I say we send Obsidian to the Never and let the Erlking deal with him. What fun that would be.
I finally got to reading The Dresden Files.
I have to say, it gets a lot easier to understand when you do...
As obvious as that statement is...
And this chapter most certainly did not disappoint...
Now... Bob and Lyra's Crazy Adventures... an interesting spin-off idea...
The black mist is Mordrite, so he at least has some connection to the Outside. I'm not sure if those were bonafide outsiders though, but then again we've never actually seen Harry fight an outsider other than the big-daddy named ones, so heck, the rest could be weaker-- like outsider shock troops or something.
Oh, and Obsidian's totally got the Corpsetaker abilities. I think at least. I might be wrong though.
1987484
Well, Corpsetaker actually had to jump bodies before dieing if I remember correctly. When she jumped to Ana's body, her original one wasn't dead yet, so Ana wasn't dead yet. Obsidian's actual body gets destroyed and then he comes back. Mordrite (or however it's spelled) seems like an obvious answer for the mist, but isn't that stuff alive on its own?
Final question, is it safe to assume that any Outsiders whos name has He Who Walks in it is not an average outsider? because there are only so many titles you can create using those 3 words.
woohoo! new chapter. and that on Tue day before my birthday! THANK YOU
Wait, this takes place before Dead Beat. So harry doesn't really know about Kemmler that much. OHHHHHHH but yeah really large parallel.between the two.
Also, agreeing with the Outsider thing.
When I saw a new chapter was out my face became Sweetie Bells from the banner.
Yeah.. He's good at that kind of thing.
1987484 you sir, need to go read Cold Days.
Before I begin:
Squee! Squee! Squee! A new chapter!
You may all now return to your regularly-scheduled programming.
I am also inclined to think whatever Obsidian did was in some way related to Kemmler's necromancy, however the demonic connections make me wonder if he cut some kind of deal with something nasty from the Nevernever. I could definitely see him binding his soul to some high powered demon to give himself more power which would have the side effect of leaving the two of them joined so he follows the demon when his body is destroyed. The other manifestations would then have been other mortals summoning and being consumed by him which gives him a new body to try to get revenge on the ponies.
That said, I really doubt Outsiders are involved because just the normal denizens of the Nevernever are more legend than fact in Equestria, so getting in touch with something from beyond the Outer Gates should be impossible due to the total absence of information to indicate their existence, let alone summon them.
1988002
Yes, she/he did.
As for the Mordite... perhaps he made a deal with one of the really powerful Outsiders, like the ones that inspired the concept of Cthulu (but less cuddly) and they gave him a heart made of Mordite. And since it is alive, that would certainly work, if it was commanded not to devour him, too.
And as for the "He Who Walks <name>" thing, that's probably actually around middle class. After all, truly powerful Outsiders can easily compete with most gods in terms of raw power. And if the Mordite is, say, the catalyst for forming new Outsiders from mortals, then it may have been a "make me one of you, and I'll help you gain dominion over an entire realm of peace." type gambit.
Also, we know Kemmler had several Disciples, so it's possible that this is one of the disciples that weren't from Earth.
Anyhow, my chapter reading music was as follows, (complete with kinda fitting name):
Two Steps From Hell; Am I Not Human?
Well with all the LotR type stuff it's possible there's a one ring esque artifact similar to a Denarian coin causing the "ressurection".
Or he could actually have incarnated as Sombra and be sealed away.
Or actually have been the Nightmare.
But the demon summoning bit is odd and the way they were sustained by magic.
I am assuming the name Obsidian came from the unicorn royal family being named after minerals and his original coloring so nothingnspecial there.
Ohviously the demon isnabsorbing the lifeforce of it's environment or other beings to regain enough power to ressurrect.
Seems Draculaesque to me.
Heart made of mordite! O.O
Also, I can't wait till the next chapter! ^_^
He reminds me of Kessler, the necromancer whose disciples dresden had to stop from completing a ritual that would make one of them a dark god. Kessler had a LOT of power and lived longer than most wizards I believe. This sounds like the pony version of him with the extra help of demons. . . nice.
OUTSIDER OUTSIDER. That bastard made a deal with an OUTSIDER!
Question:
Why did some mage not just trap him/the darkness in an ever swirling whirlpool?
Mordite points to Outsiders. Celestia not touching it fits since its very unclear what mordite does to immortals (likely a temp death but unclear). Denarians are likely a no go because the coins are too well accounted for in Dresden Files; possible technically but very unlikely. Some weird fairy is also unlikely; they are too bound up with humans specifically. Not a vampire.
1985101 Keep in mind that the hundreds killed were just those ponies attempting to kill Obsidian in one battle. It's possible that Bon-bon was exaggerating there, but in the space of that single war, Obsidian and his army killed thousands, ballpark it at ten thousand. On his second incarnation he caught Equestria by surprise and this time the deaths were in the 15-20 thousand range. Though you are correct that his army is 'normal' demons not Outsiders. Obsidian is a badass, but he did not have the power to summon an entire army of Outsiders, much less to control them.
1985146 You are absolutely right. Artists, get on that.
1985327 Well since I probably won't get chance to explain it in story here's how Sombra fits into this universe. He was the rightful king of the Crystal Empire and a powerful mage. However his kingdom was always in danger from the beasts of the north. Ice giants, frost wolves, and other hungry spirits. The Crystal Heart is a great defense, but he decided his people needed a powerful offense as well. So he began to research the black vapor but continually hit walls in his studies, both in creation and manipulation of it. Eventually he became obsessed and getting that power became his goal instead of the protection of his people. He enslaved the population to better fund his mania. He was convinced the secret lay in dark energy and black crystals, but he was locked away before he could fully reproduce its effects. Unlike Discord and Luna who are used to the tide of years, Sombra's last remains of sanity shattered during his centuries in the ice and the broken, and obsessed, villain is what we see at the beginning of Season 3.
1985880 1986127 They're most like the Spartan actually. They just guard the stronghold most of the time, but when time for battle comes, it's win or come home on your shield for them. The ponies who tried to ambush Dresden at the library were their scouts, trying to assess his abilities for the coming fight. If they get caught by Celestia's troops though, they'll memory charm in mass to protect the Order's secret. And to that picture: God no.
Obsidian... Kimmler. Thinking there is a connection here. But anyway great chapter. Really liked this and I hope that there is more soon
1989632 1991021
A lot of us have been suspecting Obsidian to be a Kemmler disciple since he was first mentioned. Sadly, aside from not staying dead, I have yet to hear one thing in-story connecting him with the practice of "True Magic". I do believe that Mordite is involved in this somehow, though.
1990004
Do you find that picture offensive or incredibly irritating? I found it both (I hate Nemesis :| Such a nooblord)
Anyway, that makes more sense. Do they happen to have a well around the entrance to the hideout?
encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQVpwgQuZb77pFKetkXqqXRV75UGQ7fUIt3lBqT2rbmKCVTaWoetw
1993427 Not offensive so much as terrifying. Particularly if mixed with ponies.
No, they don't have a well, but keep in mind most of their bases are in cave systems. Plenty of 'bottomless' pits there.