Imbalanced

by Nameless Narrator

The Worst Two Days Ever: Close

[Blazing's Entry]

I've never had anything to be proud of aside from my innate talent for physical combat and even that has always been overshadowed by anypony who could use magic to some degree since even conjuring small sparks or colored lights to blind or burn your enemy gives an advantage with which bare hooves can't help. I've always had to be better and stronger to fight bullies at school who picked on me since I wasn't fast enough to run or smart enough to win that way. That all led to one thing though - even in victory I never had anything. The bullies were usually outgoing and well-liked kids and when they got beaten by a younger pony it just left a mark of fear on me especially since I wasn't bothered with leaving lasting marks. One has to do that when victory can't be attained via normal means.

Eventually there was almost nopony who didn't consider me just an antisocial, creepy kid despite me trying hard to help whenever I could and ease every situation with a small joke. So I tried something different - helping without regards for myself, doing even the smallest and most pointless favors for anypony but that ended up even worse and often got me in trouble. And then everypony laughed at me but that was fine since I knew I made them happy in some little way.

That was enough for me but lost me the few friends I still had. Eventually I stopped caring, it was my fault but something I couldn't really do anything about. Despite not being very smart I was always a good student but my lack of motivation and interest won eventually and even that went away as well. My parents always had a lot of work and being a second son of a noble I had access to our wine cellar as long as I kept coasting through life. It would be wrong to think I began drinking after I went feral as a changeling hybrid, I was just taking an extended break from it.

Visit university lectures, play cards with some of the servants, read a bit, waste myself in my room to end the day quickly... for six years. My first university failure was just a dumb luck caused by bureaucratic failure but the second one was all me. At that point I literally had nothing - disowned by my family, rightfully so, and without any real-life skills due to my sheltered life aside from punching others in the face I just wanted to leave everything. My path led to Canterlot.

Why am I writing this now? Luna's question made me think a bit about mares being my problem but I was alone for so long it's something I can't even imagine meaning that's not the problem at all. Right now it's my broken pride.

During the fight with Valiant Charge I realized that I can't live without causing pain to others, the life just doesn't work that way. So I tried to get better at the only thing I'm good at and I was the best in Canterlot. If I had to hurt ponies then the only reason to do that is to protect somepony else with the price being my pain. I was the best... was.

I'm writing this at the lakeside by the light of a small campfire set by a blue unicorn mare after being completely and utterly crushed in terms of skill by an unknown enemy.

[End Entry]

---

The figure punches me in the air and a set of talons wraps around my neck. Just for the moment I forget that we are falling and focus only on my assailant. There is nothing visible except for black, tattered clothes covering his entire body and the faint golden glow in the air. I punch back but mid-air my punch is woefully weak.

He doesn't have wings!

For now I just have to trust my inner voice. If the enemy doesn't have wings then he's falling as well and hopes to land on me, that goes both ways though. I wrap my forelegs around the talons and spin both of us around, now I'm the one on top meaning my punches are way more effective. In a burst of green I increase the hardness of my armor causing its weight to go up as well. My punches are there just to keep him busy. If this goes on then he will land on the ground first with a small meteor about to hit him.

He's a unicorn.

I look at my foe's head. Where a unicorn horn would be there is an angular red crystal of similar shape which begins glowing. That explains how he got to the carriage in the first place but unfortunately it means he's pretty good at analyzing the situation and knows he will die if this goes on. I hug his body tightly to be as close as possible, if he intends to use offensive magic then he will hurt himself. Unfortunately I have no idea how to make my armor magic resistant or at least element-proof.

The red glow from his crystal horn intensifies and we suddenly change direction which spins us around and I end up on my back, sliding along the ground with him standing on me. He doesn't expect me to kick him off while still sliding so when all movement ends we both get up and stare at one another. I have no clue how he changed the head-first fall into a horizontal one but I was never one to question my enemy's mistakes. Despite my eyes having no problem with the darkness there is nothing much to see. He is skinnier than me and wrapped in rags and tatters with cloak covering his back and tail. The only two identifying features are his crystal horn and a mechanical arm resembling a griffon claw instead of his left front leg.

To the left, NOW!

I roll and a burst of fire scorches the place where I was half a second ago. All right, he has got wings... or not? On his back a pair of phoenix-like wings slowly fades to invisibility after sending out a fiery whirlwind at me. Fine, it's just a magical effect.

No time to analyze, get up!

Too late. He was just zoning me with his magic and I rolled exactly where he lands with his next jump and the claws tighten around my neck. My armor gives me protection from the sharp claws, or so I believe until his mechanical arm bursts with fire and I desperately kick him with both my hind legs. The blow from my both hardened legs kicks him away and his arm stops burning, he doesn't seem hurt though.

What's that behind him?

A swirling golden circle with sand coming out of it hangs in mid air some distance behind my enemy and tendrils of solidified darkness are grasping for anything that gets closer. There is no time to be watching it though because the enemy is faster than me, not by much though. I expect another magical attack but he just charges at me. That's a mistake, any martial artist worth his salt knows how to deal with an enemy running at him. I'm wrong again and when he stops abruptly and his clawed arm flashes green I'm not able to react and next thing I feel is paralyzing pain from my chest as his arm tears out a chunk of my natural armor along with the guard breastplate.

Hmmm. That's how we look underneath.

Even my second self doesn't have a clue what's going on. It's really cold all of a sudden. Seeing me looking at the hole in my chest my attacker stops with his claw ready to swipe again.

NOW!

Thankfully for me, shock sets in and the overdose of adrenaline dulls the pain and allows me to concentrate for long enough to get both my swords levitating. I can't move while controlling both but the enemy usually has enough trouble with two razors flying through the air at blinding speed not to attack me. My offense ends when one of the swords melts after being swatted away by the reappeared fiery wing. The second one hits his neck directly... and with a loud 'clang' drops to the ground without doing any damage.

What the heck is he?

I don't know but I'm running out of tricks. Kicks and punches don't seem to hurt him and neither does steel apparently. I have no magic at my disposal but when my eyes pass the golden rift nearby I know I might have a chance of sending him back where he came from.

Or he will just crawl back out of it and rip you to shreds with his claws.

Any better ideas?

Nope. Go for it.

There's one thing I noticed and that is that he is lighter than me with my armor fully hardened and possibly not much stronger so I just charge him trying to take him to the rift with me. Unfortunately, every martial artist worth his salt knows how to deal with somepony charging straight at him and his skill proved to be way above mine even before this risky gambit.

He doesn't count on my weight though and my body spinning through the air after being tripped hits him with enough force to send him stumbling back to the portal where the black tentacles grab him and pull him back.

Ooooh kaaaay?

I just stare at the spectacle of my enemy getting slowly crushed like something big being dragged through a very small hole by an unstoppable force. Finally the screams and crunching noise stops.

I take the crawling out again back.

My legs wobble and I fall on my back relieved. What now?

Disgusting.

Very much so. I begin laughing crazily, I'm still alive.

And happy about it. Now shut up, I hear somepony coming.

"I know ten kinds of spells to make your head blow up!" says a female voice from above. Even with my broken carapace I should be able to deal with a casual threat and the voice seems more scared than threatening. I remember queen Chrysalis and the feeling I got when I saw her real form for the first time. I must look similar to somepony who has never seen me before, especially with green blood slowly trickling down my chest. My changeling magic will heal it eventually but I'm getting dangerously hungry meaning I'm getting low on energy. Also, I haven't eaten almost anything the entire day.

"That's nice. I can shoot milk out of my nose if I drink enough," I mumble, still grinning to the darkness.

"I'm not kidding!"

"Neither am I so either get on with the blowing up or prepare to get sprayed."

That apparently confused her and I use the time to get up. The mare is a unicorn with blue coat, light blue mane and a cutie mark of magician wand trailing pixie dust. She takes few steps back.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie orders you to stay back!"

I look if there is somepony behind her.

"Don't see her anywhere."

"I AM The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Nice to meet you. I am Searington Illuminatus the Fourth, illegitimate heir of Starswirl the Bearded," I say, feeling entitled to a bit of fun after today. Trixie's eye twitches. I have a talent with mares, useless but hundred percent effective.

"Trixie has no time for this nonsense."

"Oh Great and Powerful Pixie, please forgive your humble servant and use your infinite wisdom to answer what is somepony of such unfathomable power doing here by the lake at night."

"TRIXIE! IT'S TRIXIE!"

"Blazing Light, royal guard at your service," I take a small bow and decide not to bother the mare more than neccessary.

"R-royal guard?"

It's obvious she doesn't believe me and I can't blame her. My armor got destroyed, outsiders probably don't know the difference between Nightguard and Royal Guard and I look like an overgrown changeling. I point at the pieces of metal previously called a breastplate and salute.

"Yes, ma'am. The complete package with the standing and the 'halt/who goes there?' "

Trixie giggles. If I knew she was a travelling performer I would have known that my imitation of guards she usually met was perfect.

"What are you doing here then?" she asks.

"I was accompanying princess Luna on the way to Ponyville and kinda tripped and fell out of her carriage."

"Wait, she's going to be in Ponyville tonight?"

"Yes, it's supposed to be a friendly visit to local celebration. Why, are you going there as well?"

"I'm supposed to perform my light show there to close the festival."

"I can escort you if you don't mind. I've never been there myself and could use a guide."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie allows it. But remember, one wrong move and your head goes 'boom'."

"I shall keep that in mind and my nose full of milk."

Shared laughter dispells any doubts that may have still been on both sides.

"By the way, are you in a hurry?"

"Not really. Why?"

"I have a fire nearby, you can rest a bit before we leave."

I realize I've been shivering for quite a while. The night air isn't too cold but the involuntary swimming lesson in sweat left me in a terrible shape. Weak muscles unable to keep the blood flowing and the full-body fatigue from everything that happened that day is just too much to handle. A short break sounds fantastic. Princess be damned, I want to warm up.

"That sounds amazing. Thank you miss Trixie."

Comments

[bonamb]

Wow

Confusedness

[Anonymous Critic]

"Yes, ma'am. The complete package with the standing and the 'halt/who goes there?' "

...batteries not included.

[LostArchivist]

"Don't see here anywhere."

her

[JazzyWaffles]

"I shall keep that in mind and my nose full of milk."

This is incredibly silly

[Teraunce]

"I shall keep that in mind and my nose full of milk."

well apparently they took a detour through the ministry of silly walks.