Bringing Out The Worst In Others

by Murder Knight

This Might be a Problem

I woke up to a mace smashing into my face. I felt my skull crack, but that feeling was soon replaced by it rapidly healing itself. The slasher smile that my assailant sported turned into a look of horror. Before I could react, he swung the mace at me again. Like before, I couldn't stop it from making impact. My skull immediately started healing itself. The assailant’s expression became more determined, “Why. Won’t. You. DIE!?” He swung the mace over and over.

By the fourth swing, my frazzled mind decided that I was pissed. With a quick thought, the mace clattered on the floor, its user turned into a slug. A slug with a handlebar mustache. I lifted up the slug with my power and shot him out of the open window.

That. Fucking. Hurts. Asshole.

Yeah, he kinda was. Oh, and Luna invaded your dream.

I’m guessing that we are still being hunted down.

You seem rather calm for a person being hunted down by immortals.

Would it be better if I started screaming my head off?

Point taken.

I went ahead and proceeded downstairs while I was conversing. Right now, the game plan was to avoid getting my soul ripped out and have fun while doing so. Upon hearing my stomach grumble, I inspected the innkeeper’s quarters for food. Unfortunately for me, I remembered how queasy I got the last time I ate. Then I remembered that I could warp reality.

After I finished eating my carrot-turned-burger, I went outside for a stroll. I felt my spirits rise a bit after seeing the ponies look at me with curiosity instead of hostility like they had yesterday when I first entered the city.

Just throw off suspicion.

Why?

So that I can have fun with my powers, duh.

Hold up there! You’re starting to sound like Discord.

Hmm. You’re right. But seriously, there’s nothing else to do.

Let me think. You could try to conquer the world.

Boring and cliché. It would be a piece of cake with my powers.

Become a paragon of righteousness?

I never liked the idea of a goody-two-shoes person.

How about being a card-carrying villain?

No. And did you go through my memories?

Of course.

My lips curved into a frown, unintentionally scaring a few foals who were staring at me.

I don’t recall giving you permission.

I had to. I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with the English language otherwise.

I ignored the Ring and stopped at the city square. Unlike yesterday, it was filled with civilians instead of soldiers. They weren’t milling around doing random stuff either, instead, they were all gazing at the makeshift stage in front of the town hall. On the stage were the Princesses themselves. This time, they were wearing armor like when I first saw them.

Celestia shifted around uncomfortably. While the action may have been very minor, it showed me that beneath the professional mask she wore, she was not used to wearing armor. I smiled as I remembered how long it took for me to feel natural in Altaïr’s robes. In direct contrast to her sister, Luna looked very much at ease and the determined look on her face was not as plastic as Celestia’s.

With the regal atmosphere around her, Celestia inspired loyalty and respect in the audience. She stomped one hoof. Immediately, all the whispering in the crowd died down. Luna stepped forward as well. Unlike her sister, her eyes wandered the crowd, as if daring any of them to stand up to her. Instinctively, some of the ponies took a step back. Luna saw this and wavered a bit before speaking up, “GREETINGS, CITIZENS!”

A few of the younger foals whimpered a bit at the sound of the Royal Canterlot Voice. I swear I saw Celestia mouth something that looked suspiciously like ‘Damnit, Starswirl.’ before stepping past her sister. A frown had crossed Luna’s face when the foals started whimpering, but now it was a glare directed at her sister when she stepped past her.

“Greetings to all of Our subjects,” the soft look on her face turned into a stern one, “We have dealt with all of Equestria’s internal problems, and now, We have decided to take the fight to the Khanate. No longer shall they raid and pillage defenseless homesteads! RAISE THE LEVIES!”

A thunderous cheer broke out from the crowd. As suddenly as they formed, the crowd dispersed, all of the locals preparing for battle. Soon enough, it was only me, a few stragglers, and the Princesses left in the square.

Once most of them were gone, Luna turned to Celestia. While I couldn’t hear them, it was pretty clear that Luna was pissed. Her sister abruptly interrupted her. As Celestia trotted back in the direction of the castle, Luna stayed behind. She sighed in frustration. She slowly turned around to join her sister when she saw something on the ground. I followed her gaze. She was looking at a certain slug with a handlebar mustache.

Oh shit.

She levitated him over to her. Her horn glowed a little brighter than before. She smirked and started trotting back to the castle, slug in her telekinetic grasp.

It was then that I noticed that I was just standing around in the corner of the square and that I was staring directly at the Princesses the entire time. I had garnered a little attention from the stragglers nearby and heard a few murmurs and the words ‘spy’, ‘sellsword’, and ‘two-leg’ being thrown around.

A stallion who appeared to be very drunk was stumbling his way to me. I quickly started walking away from the area before somebody either dies, or gets severely injured.

Or transforms.

That wasn’t necessary. Be quiet, and don’t respond to my subconscious. Lord knows how messed up that place is.

You’ve got that right. But it’s entertaining. Your thoughts on fried chocolate and the Red Sox are rather interesting.

I muttered a few unpleasant things as I walked to the castle. For some reason, the castle was the only building made of stone in the entire city.

We are in the middle of a forest. Think before you, uh, never mind.

I quickened my pace. I had to eliminate that slug somehow. I rounded a corner and spotted the entrance to the castle. As well as a path to what looked like a barracks. And a way to the infirmary.

Where the hell do I go now?

Who are you dressed up as?

Altaïr, why? Oh.

Wishing I had thought about it before, I thought about Eagle Vision and how it works and willed myself to have it. I immediately collapsed to my knees as an intense pain coursed through my body. Spots started appearing in my vision. Every single bone in my body felt like it was breaking over and over again. It was too much pain for me to handle.

“Are you okay mister?”

The pain, while still great, died down a little. I looked at the foal standing right beside me. Still in too much pain to speak coherently, I gave her a shaky nod. She looked anxiously at me before backing up a little.

The pain started to recede a bit more. I took advantage of that by standing up as quickly as I can and leaning against a nearby wall. The little filly stood about a meter away now.

“Are you sure about that? You were on that same spot for a long time. The only people I know who do that are the guards. I know that because my father is a guard and he told me-“

I tuned her out and looked at the sky. It was starting to get dark now. I had spent most of the day on the same spot. I thanked whatever deity was out there that I was in an alleyway and not out in the open.

Well, there goes our cover. And what the hell was that?

That was Corruption stirring. I’d advise not using your powers for a few hours.

Was giving myself Eagle Vision that big of a change?

You just gave yourself a fictional genetic ability. You just bent the entire universe to create something that never existed before. So yes, that was a big change.

Then why the hell didn’t you tell me that in the first place?

Just giving you a little taste of what Corruption can do if you fuck up and take reality warping too far. Rule number one. Avoid creating things. You’re lucky that what you just did was relatively minor. If I hadn’t cloaked your magic, you’d be surrounded by the Princesses and their guards in ten seconds flat. And even though I cloaked it, those with high magical perception would be able to detect it.

I skirted around the foal, who was still talking about something.

So… can I use Eagle Vision?

Go ahead. You already have it.

I grinned and triggered it with my mind. Immediately, the world was shaded with white and blue. I looked around and found what I was looking for. Golden hoofprints on the ground. I looked back and found that the foal was still talking. I tapped her on the head to get her attention.

“Hey, you better go home now. It’s getting dark,” I said impatiently. The pony’s eyes widened, “Oh no! I’m going to miss supper!” she exclaimed before galloping away. I tracked her with my eyes until her blue silhouette faded away. I turned back to the hoofprints before noticing something.

White means civilian, blue means ally. Why was she blue?

I shook my head.

It doesn’t matter. I need to find that slug.

The tracks trailed through the front entrance, and came out of the side. Moving to a different alleyway revealed that she went to the back entrance. After a failed attempt to parkour my way up the building beside me, I gave up and elected to simply move around the alleyways. A few close calls with guard patrols later, I found the entrance to a garden with golden hoofprints going through.

After making sure that nobody was around, I walked forward towards the entrance.

“Thank you very much Princess! I hope you send him to rot in the dungeons.”

I quickly backtracked back into the alley. I watched in horror, peering around the corner, as the murderous innkeeper walked out accompanied by Luna. He looked perfectly fine, aside from a slightly singed mustache. Luna nodded in response. She levitated a bag of bits from her saddlebag, which was filled with books.

“For any trauma he has caused you, as well as your silence.” Her tone dropped with the second part of her sentence. The innkeeper grinned nervously, “Of course, Your Majesty.”

The golden silhouettes of Luna and the innkeeper abruptly turned red.

After one final bow, the innkeeper dashed away. Luna cantered away after shaking her head and mumbling something that looked a lot like ‘mortals’. I was left alone with my thoughts.

Should we assassinate them?

I slowly shook my head.

No…

Are you really that worried about preserving the timeline?

A cocky grin appeared on my face.

I don’t really give a shit about the timeline. Let them do what they will. I am a true immortal. They can’t really do much against me. Magic Rainbow Beam? I can fucking dodge.

… I think your powers are getting to your head. You’re not invincible. If they separate my soul from yours, we’re done. Dead and gone.

I found a bench nearby and lay down on it.

What’s the point of living if you can’t have a little risk and excitement?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I felt my blood boil as I placed the books in their rightful places.

To think that that scoundrel went on a search party for himself? How despicable.

“Luna? Are you there?”

I heard the door open behind me.

“Luna, I came to apologize for today,” her tone was sincere as can be.

I turned to my sister, “Apologize for what? Sister, thou hath nothing to apologize for.”

Celestia winced at my words, “Sister, please drop the formalities. We are not in public. And you know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t,” my monotone voice did nothing to disguise the sarcasm.

Celestia sighed, “I’m sorry that I took over, but you were too intimidating for the common folk. And you were using the Voice again.”

“Starswirl uses it to great effect.”

“Starswirl is a shut-in who doesn’t care what the public thinks of him. But you are not a mere court mage, you are a ruler. We don’t want soldiers in the battlefield who are afraid of their rulers.”

“Soldiers? Those cowards aren’t soldiers! Those are weaklings who would get slaughtered out on the field in the hundreds!”

“Luna, you don’t understa-“

How dare she?!

I stomped on the ground, “I don’t understand?! That may be so, but I understand well enough that you are getting soft! What happened to the Celestia who imprisoned Discord and ursurped his throne?!”

Celestia stared at me, “When you enter the war room tomorrow, you need to be calm. Do not let emotion control your decisions,” she said calmly.

I watched as she slowly made her way out of my room and closed the door. I briefly wondered whether I should tell her about Altaïr before his words rang through my head, ‘Face it, you are nothing compared to your sister. You are not worthy to face me.’

I levitated over some parchment and a quill.

Are you prepared to die, Altaïr? I will show you the power of the night!

Author's Note:

... I forgot to set my story on 'Hiatus' mode while I took a vacation. Whoops. Anyways, I would like to know how well I write. The entire point of this story is to test my writing ability.

Also, expect future chapters to be shorter. After all, shorter chapters mean I can put them out faster.

Comments

[DevourMistress]

new chapter coming up soon?

[Murder Knight]

4345997
If I don't have writer's block, then I should have one in a few days. If I do, then a week.

Or I might just surprise you.

[devas]

. Upon hearing my stomach grumble, I inspected the innkeeper’s quarters for food

What.
Just...what.
he's just been viciously assaulted, in his sleep, he's just been in excruciating pain after what's an incredibly traumatic experience (been assaulted in his sleep) and the first thing he does...is get up, go downstairs, and get something to eat.
He doesn't take a minute to piece together what the hell's happening, he doesn't think about the fact he's either killed a pony or just gotten an enemy (if the shopkeep ain't dead, and if the transformation into slug is temporary, what do you think is gonna happen? Oh, and now he should be worrying about whether rumor could get around that the only human in the world is also a reality warper. But he doesn't. He doesn't think about what could get him killed or warp his mind beyond recognition.
He thinks about how he can get something to eat.