• Published 10th Jul 2014
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Sleipnir's Big Adventure - BlackRoseRaven



A hero makes an unlikely alliance with a stubborn prince, and they adventure across Equestria together.

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Shadow Of Fire

Chapter Thirteen: Shadow Of Fire
~BlackRoseRaven

Sleipnir slept for a good six hours, and when he awoke, the poultice had done its job and helped heal the worst of the damage to his body. His leg was still achy, but even he couldn't heal a fracture that fast: he would just have to hold out until they could escape Horsia, and then he could relax for a few days and mend the rest of his injuries.

Blueblood was a little tired, but otherwise surprisingly awake. He had loosened up over the long... well, he'd lost track of what time it was. All he knew was that he felt better, and most of his strength had come back... and besides, he was used to staying up for several nights in a row thanks to his nightmares.

They put out the fire, polished their armor, and then readied their equipment before heading towards the narrow path that led deeper into darkness. Sleipnir was surprised that Invidia hadn't shown back up, but Blueblood was honestly a little relieved: whether or not the demon was useful and claimed they were her best friends, he had this strange, uncomfortable worry that while Sleipnir was incapacitated and vulnerable, she might have tried to hurt the earth pony.

They walked for a few hours in quiet: the path down to the floor of this massive cavern had been dangerously-thin at points, but otherwise stable, and their journey across the deep chasm was mostly uneventful.

That was, until they found themselves at the base of a jagged slope, where ancient mining tools had been left scattered and rusting. As they began to climb it, Blueblood accidentally dislodged a rock and knocked it rolling down the hill to clang violently against a minecart... and only moments later, as the unicorn stared over his shoulder in horror and Sleipnir grimaced, screaming rose up all around them, echoing out of the hill itself.

A goblin burst out of a large hole in the slope near Sleipnir, turning around and skittering towards him with a shriek, and the stallion cursed before he simply slapped this away with one hoof, shouting: “Blue, 'tis time to run again!”

“Sorry!” Blueblood blurted, and then he winced when a goblin seemed to appear out of nowhere, leaping up the hill after him before the screaming thing leapt at him. On instinct, the unicorn kicked both hind legs out, smashing it in the face and knocking it flying in a bloody mess back down the hill... and then he gaped in horror as two more goblins immediately converged on their own bloody brother, clawing at him wildly before their jaws bit down-

Blueblood spun around and bolted, a look of pure horror on his face as he charged straight past Sleipnir, and the earth pony groaned and leapt quickly after the unicorn, noting wryly that Blueblood really was surprisingly fast and sure-hoofed when he wanted to be.

The two stallions leapt up to the top of the mound to land on a long, broken plateau, the ground ruptured and broken in places, but... yes, there was actual light shining down from above! And better yet, he could see a path up along the side of a cliff...

A yell from Blueblood drew Sleipnir's eyes back down, and then he gritted his teeth as he saw three goblins had yanked themselves out of one of the holes in the ground, his eyes narrowing before he simply lowered his head and bulled forwards. And Blueblood gaped, watching as Sleipnir simply smashed his way through the monsters before the earth pony roared: “Come! Keep moving, the exit must be above!”

Blueblood nodded quickly... then cried out in shock as something seized one of his ankles, stumbling into a painful fall flat on his face. And a moment later, something was on top of him, shrieking in his ear as it clawed wildly at his helm, Blueblood unable to do anything but scream in fear and shake himself as hard as he could.

There was a distinct crunch before the weight vanished from Blueblood's back, and the unicorn looked up to see Sleipnir standing over him, the earth pony grinning wryly before he said: “Well, I suppose it has been too long since I last pummeled something, in any case. Blue, hurry for the cliffs, I shall hold back our attackers and then join thee.”

“Are... will you be okay?” Blueblood asked, even as he crawled up to his hooves, and then he winced at Sleipnir's booming laugh.

“Oh come now, against these dregs? 'Tis almost an insult!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, gesturing quickly at the unicorn. “Nay, hurry onwards. I will be but a moment. And do not hesitate to defend thyself, for these beasts shan't hesitate to kill thee!”

Blueblood winced, wanting to argue, to stay... and then he paled as he saw a swarm of the beasts approaching, his eyes widening in horror before he turned and bolted for the path leading up along the cliffside. He tossed one wince back over his shoulder, watching as Sleipnir slowly but calmly backpedaled as he awaited the horde, and then the prince cursed under his breath and turned his eyes back forwards, trembling as he reached the base of the cliff.

He scrambled up onto a large stone step, then hauled himself up another jutting outcrop with a wince, cursing under his breath. As he began to climb a third large jut, a roar sounded from below, and he half-fell off the rock as he looked over his shoulder, staring in shock as some kind of massive monster smashed its way through the horde of goblins towards Sleipnir.

Not that the beasts relented at all, as the gray, hideous thing charged: if anything, the monster pushed them forwards all the faster, as if the greedy beasts thought they could escape with their prey before the lumbering behemoth could. And Sleipnir was fearless in the face of the assault, grinning widely before he roared his own challenge back at the beasts a moment before the first wave of goblins leapt hungrily for him.

A hoof swung out, punching a goblin with enough force to send it rocketing backwards, knocking more of the emaciated creatures flying like bowling pins even as Sleipnir ducked away to avoid several of the beasts. One rear leg kicked backwards as a creature tried to circle around, smashing its skull in as he swung a foreleg out in a wide sweep, and Blueblood gaped at the strength of the stallion as goblins were knocked flying like toys: sure, sometimes Sleipnir patted him a little too hard on the back, but even after his demonstration with the rockworm, Blueblood couldn't help but realize again and again how strong the giant earth pony was... and how much control he must have over his own strength to not kill ponies with his hoofshake alone.

A goblin leapt on top of the huge stallion, biting at his neck, but in a flash Sleipnir yanked it off and slammed it face-first into another, knocking them both out. He had enough time to smash another two away before the behemoth gray beast drew close enough to throw itself at the stallion, tusked maw roaring as it smashed goblins aside to try and tackle the earth pony-

Sleipnir's hoof slammed square into its face, and the behemoth was stopped dead, falling flat on its stomach with a tremendous thud. And before the stunned creature could recover, Sleipnir reached out with a grin and seized it by its tusks, saying cheerfully: “Pardon me, but I need thy equipment for a moment!”

The earth pony leaned back, and the beast grabbed wildly at the ground as it was dragged in a rough circle: it started slow, but rapidly began to pick up speed, until the beast was hefted off the ground as Sleipnir spun around and around with the monster held by the tusks, squealing in terror the whole time. Goblins were knocked shrieking and howling in all directions, the horde of beasts stumbling and shoving at each other wildly as they both attempted to retreat and push each other towards the earth pony, until Sleipnir gave a loud roar and twisted one hoof to snap a tusk off as he pitched outwards with the other.

The massive beast was sent hurtling through the air with a howl of misery, flipping head over heels before the enormous monster crashed loudly to the earth some twenty feet away, crushing a group of goblins. And Sleipnir was left laughing as he stumbled around to a halt, then grinned widely, holding up the creature's tusk and saying cheerfully: “Now, who is next?”

The remaining goblins stared at him... and then Sleipnir suddenly leapt forwards and roared loudly, the bellow echoing through the cave and sending the creatures scattering with screams of terror. Blueblood was left staring in disbelief from where he was perched on the cliffs, mouthing slowly at the sight and unable to process what had even just happened, even as Sleipnir turned around and waved the tusk cheerfully at him.

The earth pony tucked this away after a moment, then trotted easily to the base of the cliffs and simply hopped up the juts of stone like he was a foal at play, finally landing on the edge of the ramping path in front of Blueblood. He smiled cheerfully at him, and Blueblood continued to stare blankly at the earth pony before he winced when Sleipnir knocked a few times on his helm, saying kindly: “We should move quickly, young prince. When that troll awakens, 'twill be very angry with me. And the goblins will not stay away for long: cowards they may be, but they only ever retreat to find greater numbers so they may return in force and frenzy.”

Blueblood nodded dumbly, and then he shook himself quickly before shivering a little and asking the first thing that came to mind: “Did you have to keep that... bone?”

“'Tis a tusk. Which... well, aye, I suppose 'tis either a tooth or a bone. I know not which, really. Nor do I know the difference, they are the same color and texture and hurt most terribly when broken, after all... although a tooth is much more difficult to ignore. 'Tis a most terrible thing, a toothache. 'Tis worse than needles, and needles are awful, awful things.” Sleipnir rambled on, oblivious to the way Blueblood was gaping at him as the unicorn followed along. “What does thou think?”

“I... I think you're an idiot, Sleipnir.” Blueblood said finally, and the earth pony nodded amiably in agreement before the unicorn clenched his eyes shut and lowered his head with a groan. Then he grimaced a little, looking uneasily at the sword on his back they had secured with a simple strap for now. “Are... well... are you sure you don't want to take this?”

“Did we not just speak of teeth? My hooves must be free to pummel, after all, and that leaves only my mouth to grip that weapon. And lacking a proper grip as it is, 'twould almost certainly chip one of mine teeth. And then I would be most unhappy.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood sighed tiredly before the earth pony added softly: “Besides, I am not much of one for killing. Not even these beasts. They stir only pity in my heart.”

Blueblood couldn't help but reflect a little as they made their way slowly but steadily up the cliffside, studying the stallion's back. He was tempted to ask about that... but then again, he'd understood from the start that Sleipnir was eccentric, and had his own strange code of honor that Blueblood didn't yet entirely get. But he thought maybe one day, he might actually start to understand the stallion... maybe.

As they neared the top of the cliffs, however, shrieks rang out again across the cavern... and Sleipnir grimaced as the sound steadily began to grow, like a tidal wave was moving towards them. And Blueblood trembled as he dared to look down into the dimly-lit darkness before his eyes widened in horror, as he realized that oh yes, there was indeed a flood rushing towards them: a great wave of a thousand screaming beasts that wouldn't break against the cliffs, but scale them as quickly as they spread across the earth below, ever chasing them, hungry, greedy, eager to consume-

“Run!” This time, Blueblood didn't hesitate at Sleipnir's order, racing after the earth pony. The prince winced as he stumbled on a narrow twist in the path, kicking several loose stones down into the abyss, but he quickly caught himself and looked up to see Sleipnir waiting for him at the top of the stairs that had been hewn into the rock, the earth pony shouting: “There is light ahead! We have nearly escaped, Blue, come!”

Blueblood scrambled up the steps, tripping and swearing along the rugged stone before Sleipnir half-caught him and yanked him up the last few stairs to the top of the cliff. And yes, Blueblood could see light, actual, real light in the far distance... but he could also hear the screams of the goblins drawing closer, and it felt like there was such a long way to run-

Sleipnir yanked him forwards, and Blueblood was sprinting before he even realized it, the two charging along the wide plateau. The prince heard the goblins shrieking, heard the thunder of a hundred claws on every side of them, and he began to look around... but Sleipnir immediately snapped: “Do not look back! Keep thy gaze ahead, and run! Run, 'tis our-”

Sleipnir was cut off by a thunderous, terrible boom, and both of the stallions stumbled to a halt as the world went dead silent around them. Something in that sound turned Blue's blood to ice... and even Sleipnir had stiffened up, his ears twisting back and forth, his head raised high as he stared back over his shoulder.

There was another massive, pealing boom, more terrible than a bell, deeper than the crash of rock, and the bestial goblins that had begun to swarm in all around them stopped dead. And then the sound came again, a third time, and the goblins screamed and shrieked before they scattered in all directions with howls of terror.

Blueblood didn't have to be told that was not a good sign, as that sound came again: his whole body quaked as he looked back and forth fearfully at the fleeing creatures, while Sleipnir gritted his teeth and muttered: “'Tis like drums... drums in the deep. And this feeling, the flames we have seen, dancing eternally and yet devoid of life... it can mean but one thing.”

Sleipnir swore, and Blueblood looked at him fearfully before the earth pony said sharply: “Come, run, and do not halt no matter what thou sees!”

Blueblood nodded with a tremble, and then he and Sleipnir began to sprint again: but this time, the unicorn noticed that the earth pony kept looking around, and he was keeping himself almost uncomfortably close to the unicorn's side. It only made Blueblood all the more worried as they sprinted down the plateau, passing between several enormous stone pillars towards a chasm that was the final barrier between them and what looked like a straight shot to freedom...

Yet Blueblood's head and heart pounded with growing panic as the awful drums steadily beat louder and louder, seeming to shake reality around them with their power. But Sleipnir kept him going, kept him feeling like there was hope, even as they approached the wide breach that gaped between them and safety...

And then there was a terrible blast of heat and light and sound that drowned everything out, knocking the two stallions staggering forwards before they both half-turned, Blueblood staring in utter horror at the massive, dancing wall of flames that had burst into life behind them. It didn't just cut off their retreat, but seemed almost like it was alive as it twisted and churned, roared and flared, and... and were those eyes staring out of the hellfire at them?

“This foe is beyond thou, Blueblood! Run, run onwards!” roared Sleipnir, grabbing the unicorn and shoving him forwards towards the edge of the trench. “Head for that pillar, there!”

Blueblood looked over his shoulder, his eyes locking on a large, leaning tower of stone near the edge of the fissure before he opened his mouth: he didn't know if he was going to argue or scream or just start crying, but then the wall of flames twisted on itself, drawing inwards and transforming into a hulking, monstrous entity. It glared down at them with eyes that burned like Hell itself, head wreathed in flames and crowned with mighty horns, massive wings flowing out behind it like the cape of a tyrant king. Its claws flexed eagerly as its huge body thrummed with power; and yet for all its hulking solidity, there was something insubstantial about it...

And then it leaned forwards and roared, and Sleipnir stumbled backwards as Blueblood shrieked in terror before spinning and bolting for the pillar that the stallion had indicated. Sleipnir himself began to back slowly up, grinning widely as the immense demon loomed forwards, raising one of its claws before an enormous cleaver-sword formed in its grip, edged with slag and dancing with embers and red lightning.

The demon slashed this blade down, but Sleipnir slipped easily backwards out of the way of the weapon, wincing only slightly at the flash of flames that went up when it hit the rocky earth. “I fear I do not have time to play with thee and thine today; besides, should thou not sleep? Let go, flames, and rest! Return to earth, and free thyself of the bitter rule of the barren ashes!”

The demon roared in response, then lunged forwards and slashed its sword down again, but Sleipnir dodged swiftly to the side before he slammed a hoof viciously down into the rock, shattering the stone floor before he swept up a hoof full of gravel and shale and flung this upwards.

Dust, dirt and shale hammered into the demon's face, making it snarl in surprise as it rubbed convulsively at its eyes, and Sleipnir immediately spun around and sprinted away, swearing under his breath. He ran straight past Blueblood, almost knocking the unicorn over before the prince was left gaping as Sleipnir suddenly twisted himself and slammed bodily into the stone pillar, sending it tottering forwards before it fell with a tremendous groan.

The other end smashed down on the other side of the chasm, and Blueblood stared in disbelief before Sleipnir beckoned to him quickly. “Come, across! We cross here!”

Blueblood wanted to argue, to shout, to panic... and then the fire-monster roared angrily at them, and the prince was only able to nod before leaping towards Sleipnir. The earth pony half-caught him and smoothly boosted him up to the top of the enormous pillar, and the ivory unicorn found himself racing along the smooth side before he even realized entirely what he was doing.

He leapt off the other end of the pillar even before his mind could process what he had just done, then he laughed weakly as he saw Sleipnir was following quickly behind... before the massive demon suddenly leapt to the air, flapping its wings once to boost itself a shocking distance before it smashed down on the far side of the fallen pillar.

Sleipnir skidded to a halt just before he reached the plateau, looking at Blueblood as the unicorn stumbled backwards, his whimpers lost in the continuing beat of the drums before Sleipnir smiled at him, winked... and then calmly turned around, cracking his neck as he called to the demon on the other side of the makeshift bridge: “I shall give thou one more chance to either return to the depths or fade into rest... for all fire must fade to embers, even ones so great as thou art!”

The demon only grinned cruelly in response, and then it spat something in an ancient, growling tongue at Sleipnir as it rose its sword and took a lumbering step forwards in clear defiance. The enormous earth pony scowled... and as Blueblood watched with both amazement and terror, Sleipnir calmly strode forwards before stomping one hoof firmly down near the center of the bridge, only a few sparse feet between him and the massive fire demon.

“Fires of Muspell shan't avail thee here! Thy metal has no meaning to me!” Sleipnir shouted, his voice hard and fearless, his eyes glaring up at the demon. “Beast of ash, tyrant of Horsia, ghost from some lost and forsaken age, heed me now or face wrath and ruin!”

The demon responded by stepping forwards with a snarl, swinging its sword viciously down to cleave Sleipnir in twain: but at the last moment, the earth pony suddenly swung a foreleg out, and Blueblood gaped in shock as the sword was shattered into shards and embers in a great burst of light and sound.

The fire demon staggered backwards in shock, almost overbalancing before it caught itself and clutched at its wrist for a moment. And Sleipnir merely stood, one foreleg still raised high, his eyes burning with determination before he suddenly leaned forwards and stomped his hoof savagely down into the pillar, making the bridge quake as he roared: “Thou shall not pass!”

The demon reared back, then snarled as it suddenly swung its arm out to the side, a long, coiling red whip of flames bursting to life in its grip: it whickered out to the side before the demon drew it back, then stepped forwards as it began to lash the whip down-

Sleipnir slammed a hoof down into the bridge again before he flung himself backwards, and Blueblood gaped in amazement as the makeshift bridge shattered and spilled inwards: Sleipnir landed safely on the edge of the cliff, but the demon howled in shock as it stumbled and fell into the abyss.

The earth pony calmly turned around as Blueblood laughed in amazement, beginning to step forwards... and then there was a terrible crack, a burst of light, and Sleipnir's eyes widened as something seized around his leg before he was suddenly yanked backwards, barely catching the edge of the cliff and gritting his teeth as he was left dangling, the demon's whip twined tightly around one of his hind legs... and the demon itself dangling beneath him, hissing furiously as it refused to be dragged down into the darkness of the gulf alone.

Sleipnir swore under his breath, then looked up as Blueblood dropped in front of him, shaking his head in denial, eyes wide with fright... but then the earth pony only gave a wry grin before he said wryly: “I fear that I have seen this situation somewhere before... but... I cannot quite remember how it is supposed to go.”

“Y-You can't joke at a time like this!” Blueblood snapped, and then he swore under his breath before his eyes widened in horror as he heard the sound of claws grabbing for purchase at the cliff, the fire demon growling from the abyss as it yanked back on the whip and Sleipnir gritted his teeth. “No, no, I can't-”

“Never say 'cannot,' there is no such thing.” Sleipnir said calmly, and then he breathed slowly before leaning forwards into the cliff and gritting his teeth, hauling himself slowly but steadily forwards to better anchor himself against the edge of the stone.

Blueblood stumbled backwards, staring in awe as the fire demon below looked up in surprise, losing its grip against the rocks as its whip was dragged upwards. It hissed, enormous muscles straining as it tried to brace itself against the stone and pulled fiercely backwards... but above, Sleipnir only gritted his teeth before he suddenly grinned, calling: “Here, allow me to give thee a hoof!”

Sleipnir slowly but steadily hauled his hind leg upwards until he could reach one hoof back and grasp the edge of the whip, and the demon snarled in shock before it began to try and scramble against the sheer stone face: but it was unable to find purchase before Sleipnir managed to tangle his foreleg in the line, then roar and yank suddenly upwards... and Blueblood gaped as the demon was hauled backwards, swinging high into the air as it clutched the end of its whip for dear life before Sleipnir gritted his teeth and snapped the whip viciously down.

The fire demon was swung like a wrecking ball face-first into the cliff with a tremendous bang, the entire world seeming to shake before the fire demon lost its grip on the whip's handle. It fell with a horrified howl, flipping slowly out of control as Blueblood leaned forwards to watch in awe as it vanished into the unnatural depths of the chasm, soon nothing more than a candleflame in the dark abyss that quickly passed out of sight.

Sleipnir huffed a little, then untangled the whip from around his limbs before he let this slide free and fall after its long-vanished master. Then the stallion slowly crawled his way up on top of the cliff before he cursed and grasped at his bandaged stomach, grumbling: “Oh damnation, I fear my wound has been opened yet again. But come, before the goblins return. They will not fear us as they feared that shade.”

“But... the drums have stopped.” Blueblood murmured in half-surprise, looking up and listening attentively: but all he could hear right now were their hoofsteps as they hurried forwards, past ruin and wreckage and scatterings of ancient arrows. “And... that demon... that was a real demon, wasn't it? Not like Invidia...”

“Oh, nay. Do not let size and shape mislead thee, Blue. For Invidia is as much a demon as that foul creature was... in some ways, as a matter of fact, even more.” Sleipnir explained, as the two trotted quickly onwards towards the shining beacon of daylight. “After all, I am certain thou saw it, how it glowed and shimmered.”

“I assumed that was because it was on fire.” Blueblood said dryly, and Sleipnir gave the unicorn an amused look. “But... Invidia is only a pony, and that demon was... it was very clearly not.”

“Well, to pluck at hairs, it only bore the shape of a powerful demon. In reality, 'twas really more of a ghost, a... a tangible scar. The most malicious of fiends oft leave traces of themselves behind, even after they fall... a true demon of that sort would have been far more troublesome to combat.” Sleipnir said meditatively, and Blueblood frowned curiously, but the earth pony only looked up warmly as they reached the base of a short slope leading up to what looked like... “Freedom! Oh, finally, how I have longed to see thee again, sweet mother nature!”

Blueblood sighed a little as Sleipnir trotted happily up to the exit, and then the unicorn shot one last, uneasy look over his shoulder before he gladly followed Sleipnir out of the mines of Horsia, and into the open air of a bright, early morning. After so long in the darkness, Blueblood winced, the light shining all around him painfully bright... but Sleipnir only sighed in relief, gazing happily outwards before he strode to the edge of the cliff they had emerged onto and laughed loudly. “Beautiful!”

Blueblood grimaced a bit, then shaded his eyes and tromped over to join Sleipnir, opening his mouth... before his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared in amazement at the landscape of the wilderness before him. Rocky mountains crumbled into gorgeous, grassy plains that merged into a massive forest to the west and south, while north the fields sank into wetlands, where wild beasts like nothing Blueblood had ever seen before grazed.

It was incredible, and all beneath a sapphire-blue sky from which the shining sun showered the world below with welcome warmth. Blueblood whistled slowly at this, then gave a brief laugh before he whispered: “It... it is, Sleipnir.”

“Good. I am glad thou art finally coming around... and all it took was a trek through Horsia!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then he glanced over his shoulder before saying finally: “But while the goblins shan't dare leave their nest during the day, I have no doubt the hungriest will try and dare these fertile hunting ground at night. Let us make haste down the mountain and onwards... but fear not, Blue. Those goblins will not stray far from their stronghold.”

“Goblins... I should write Auntie a letter and let her know about them.” Blueblood shivered a little, glancing over his shoulder at his satchel before Sleipnir patted him easily on the back.

“Aye, and there shall be time enough for that after a short march. Art thou ready to walk for now?” Sleipnir asked, and the young prince nodded and gave a brief smile. “Good. I am glad to see it, Blue, and...”

Sleipnir shifted, then cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his head as the unicorn looked up at him curiously. “Well... thou hast my thanks for thy help through Horsia. And I would like to... to apologize to thee, for being stubborn and prideful. I treated thee like a foal that I must carry through every task and danger, but thou art not. Thou art an equal in this journey, and a true friend, a good friend, a little brother. I shan't forget this again.”

Blueblood only laughed a little, looking awkwardly away and blushing a bit before he pawed at the ground and mumbled: “Well, Sleipnir, I... I truly appreciate the sentiment, but... really, you did all the work. Without you-”

“Oh, shush, Blue, do not make me sing thy praises.” Sleipnir said grumpily, and Blueblood couldn't help but smile again before the enormous earth pony turned and carefully began to make his way down the uneven slope, saying quickly: “Come, 'tis not too steep!”

Blueblood nodded, then took one last look over his shoulder at Horsia before he hopped down onto the slope to follow after his friend, feeling a strange sense of victory as they left the shadow of the mines and returned to the journey.

After Blueblood and Sleipnir had stopped to set up camp that night, Invidia finally returned, bringing with her an enormous basket laden with fruit. Blueblood couldn't help himself from digging in, even as he eyed the mare suspiciously, but she only smiled eagerly at the stallion, simpering: “Yes, my prince, see? I made excellent use of my time, and there are more gifts for you and for you, most majestic of angels.”

“Well, thou hast our thanks for this generous bounty, Invidia, but I must ask where such luscious prizes came from.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, bowing his head towards her as he said easily: “'Twould make me feel most guilty if we had deprived some of our fellow ponies of such wonderful gifts, after all.”

The mare only laughed quietly at this, however, looking almost as if she'd expected this as she bowed her head and replied candidly: “There is no need to fear... the fields here are plentiful, and the ponies few and far between. I'm certain that they won't be missed.”

Sleipnir frowned a bit at this lack of answer, while Blueblood slowed a little in his eating. He grasped another apple as he finished an orange, but then hesitantly removed his hoof as the demon's eyes narrowed, before she said icily: “Would you accuse me of lying? That would be foolish. You know as well as I do, Sleipnir, I cannot lie to you... unless your prejudice and hate have blinded you, that is, like your jealousy makes you whisper such lies in the sweet Prince Blueblood's ears.”

Blueblood cleared his throat and shrank down a little, trying to avert his eyes as the enormous earth pony sighed. He stood up calmly, and Invidia hissed like a cat at him, her eyes glowing with fury and fear as she arched her back, but the stallion only held up a hoof before he gestured outwards at the little, shaded glen they had stopped in, asking softly: “'Tis a nice night. Would thou help us set up camp? One of us must gather firewood, another set up a lean-to, and the last attend to our bags of food. There are wild creatures about, after all: 'twould be best to secure our rations and equipment in the tree, 'lest they be taken by beasts.”

Invidia was silent as Blueblood shifted a bit, then said finally: “I'll... I'll gather the firewood. That would probably be-”

“I will help you, Blueblood: I must gather the materials for our lean-to, in any event. Would that be fine?” Invidia went from furious and paranoid to pleading, looking almost worriedly over at Sleipnir... but even as Blueblood winced and shook his head wildly, the enormous earth pony gave a kind smile and nodded.

“Go with her, Blue, she will keep thee safe. Invidia merely... requires good company. I will secure the rest of our camp.” Sleipnir instructed gently, and Blueblood grimaced as he heard something beneath what the earth pony said: not quite an order, but something that was a little bit more than a suggestion, too.

The ivory stallion sighed a little, but he gave a grumpy nod after a moment before turning nervously towards Invidia: the golden-eyed demon looked at him hungrily, a bright smile on her face. So at least she was happy now... but of course, that was only going to last until he said or did something wrong, and then who knew where they'd be?

Blueblood turned his eyes uneasily towards the forest: it was deep and dark, the trees tall and the canopy thin... but with only the moon's light shining down over them, the narrow ceiling of branches was more than enough to cast the entire world below into shadow. And tired and a little strung-out and feeling oddly guilty over the little food he'd eaten, the last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a dark forest with those freaky glowing eyes.

Still, he knew he didn't really have a choice at this point, so he nodded hesitantly before turning and striding into the darkness with Invidia happily squeezing herself up against his side, Blueblood shivering a little as he felt his skin crawl at contact with her. He didn't even know why: sure, he still got a little annoyed when Sleipnir started poking or grabbing him too much, but even when he'd complained in the past about touching the 'unwashed peasants,' he'd never felt this sensation...

He tried to move quickly and keep his mind focused on the task at hoof: on the bright side, there was a lot of loose kindling to gather up, Blueblood levitating this pile at his side as Invidia... well, he didn't know what she was doing. Mostly stalking him, it felt like, whispering to him now and then as he tried his hardest to ignore her... every so often, reaching out as if to touch him.

Eventually, Blueblood came bursting out of the forest like he was being chased, and Invidia calmly followed in his wake, looking pleased with herself. The stallion grimaced, looking over his shoulder at her... and then he stared in disbelief at the fact she was easily levitating a slew of neatly-cut logs and several large, good-sized branches.

Blueblood stared as Invidia dropped the firewood next to his kindling, then turned and happily began to quickly build a lean-to with magic beneath the shade of several large trees, her eyes gleaming as materials seemed to simply magically appear as she needed them. The stallion shifted uneasily, and then he almost jumped out of his skin when Sleipnir gently touched his shoulder. “I... I didn't... I mean... Sleipnir, don't do that!”

“What? I used my hoof, not my stallion parts. I was told 'twas quite rude to touch other ponies with thy stallion parts. Or bump thy buttocks into them.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood slowly closed his eyes as he dropped his face in a hoof, before the earth pony said in a gentler voice: “Thou art doing very well, Invidia. 'Tis quite an impressive feat of magic.”

“There is no need for false flattery, angel... I am sure that if half of what you speak of is true, you must recognize what this magic is.” Invidia replied calmly, but she looked delighted all the same as she flicked her horn and finished putting what looked more like a small cabin than a lean-to together. “A simple spell to bring objects from one location to another. That is all. It's always good to keep a supply of useful materials on hoof, after all...”

Sleipnir smiled, while Blueblood frowned a little as he looked uneasily at the mare: that certainly would have been a nice ability to know about earlier, especially if all this time Invidia had a store of materials they could have been using. But the demon didn't seem to notice his look as she trotted past, quickly arranging some of the kindling and firewood into a firepit that the earth pony had dug. “Please allow me to be of further assistance... and please, Lord Blueblood, pay close attention to this magic. It is a spell that I am sure you will find useful in your travels...”

Invidia rose her head, her horn glowing as energy drew up along the spire, and Blueblood shifted nervously before his eyes widened as a small ball of flame appeared above her horn, floating calmly. Then she simply flicked her horn, and the tiny fireball shot down and burst into vibrant flames over the logs.

She smiled as the fire grew and spread quickly, soon becoming a roaring, cheerful blaze. But as Invidia looked over her shoulder, Blueblood shivered: he could see little more than her profile in the roaring firelight, only those godawful eyes of hers staring greedily at him out of the black, awful shape of this not-pony...

“That's... that's impressive. I'm sure... Auntie Celestia would be impressed, even.” Blueblood mumbled after a moment, looking down uneasily and swallowing a bit. Then he winced when Invidia laughed loudly: she sounded both happy and... malicious somehow.

“Oh, darling. Celestia would not be impressed... she would be afraid. She would be angry. She would hate me.” Invidia shivered a little, closing her eyes and looking strangely exhilarated by this thought. “Celestia has never been fond of my kind, and nor has she ever been fond of... 'dangerous' magic such as I would love to teach you...”

Blueblood shifted uneasily, and then Sleipnir said gently: “Nay, 'tis not so, Invidia: is not all magic dangerous in the wrong hooves? I do not believe she hates thee, or such magic. I believe she rather wisely worries what it would be used for, if given easily away... and I do not believe she would think any less of thee for learning it, Blue. Especially not with the journey we are on: thou may have need of such arts, and... I believe thou would use them responsibly.”

The unicorn smiled awkwardly over at Sleipnir, shifting a little and wondering silently if the stallion was right: he didn't want to make his aunt angry, and he didn't know if he really was 'responsible' quite yet. But he couldn't lie that kind of magic tempted him...

Then he shook his head quickly and forced out a small smile, looking awkwardly over at Invidia before he mumbled: “I... maybe I should sleep on it. I'm... tired. It would be nice to catch up on some rest as a matter of fact, if... neither of you mind.”

“Fair enough.” Invidia said softly, studying him intently, and then she turned almost distastefully towards Sleipnir. She studied him with something that almost neared contempt before she said moodily: “I suppose if you desire to sleep as well, I can keep watch.”

“Fear not. Mother Nature and this fire will do enough to ward off any danger for tonight... and besides, I do not yet feel tired. I will stay with thee a while if thou will have my company, Invidia.” Sleipnir said gently, and Invidia immediately warmed to the stallion again, nodding and quickly patting the ground beside her.

“Of course! And young prince, if you need us, we'll be right here... don't be shy to come and ask for our help, we are both more than willing to give everything we can to our best and closest friend.” Invidia added, looking over her shoulder with a smile at Blueblood, and the stallion gave a weak smile as he nodded slowly a few times.

Then he cleared his throat before turning and hurrying to the lean-to, shivering a bit: it felt almost like Invidia's magic was still present in the wood. But all the same, he forced himself to just lay down in the grass... before grimacing a little as he realized that he hadn't even bothered to grab his bedroll or blanket.

Still, it was a warm night... and the grass felt cozy under him. If he got up, he'd have to go out and deal with Invidia again, and he really wasn't in the mood for that. Besides, the lean-to felt comfortable, even safe, and he was so tired...

After only a few minutes, Blueblood was asleep. For a little while, it was deep and dreamless, and he didn't even stir when Sleipnir slipped into the lean-to to throw a blanket over the unicorn. But soon, as the campfire died and morning neared, Blueblood began to shiver even as he clutched the blanket tighter around himself in his sleep.

He had been having the nicest... not quite dreams, but strings of thought and memory that had brought beautiful images through his mind. But now the parades of color and sound had ended and instead he was standing in front of the iron gates, the same as always. Blueblood looked up at them uneasily, before grimacing a bit as they creaked open, and he hesitated only a moment before striding silently into the waiting cemetery.

The gates clanged shut behind him as reality around him vibrated, then unicorn frowning uneasily before he looked nervously around. And as he did so, he realized that the cemetery was different from the one that had been burned into his memory: this wasn't Horsehead. This was... another place. Somewhere he almost recognized, but that had faded into the abyss in his mind...

He breathed slowly in and out... then flinched as something passed literally through him, the unicorn looking over his shoulder before turning back forwards in shock: it was a funeral procession. A procession of faceless ponies, mares in dresses and black veils, and stallions in suits and ties, and foals like china dolls...

Blueblood shivered, then stepped quickly off the path to get out of the way of the river of ghosts, his eyes drawn to the head of the procession: there were four pallbearers there, carrying a heavy black coffin. The sight of it made the unicorn feel sick to his stomach: he hated funerals. Oh, there were few things in the world that he hated more than funerals.

Blueblood breathed slowly in and out, then he slowly started to walk, picking his way carefully between the graves as he trembled a little. He remembered being taught as a foal that every grave was the bed of a sleeping pony, and if he walked on top of of their bed, he was disturbing the pony resting beneath, so he'd always been taught to mind his step, whenever... whenever...

The stallion clenched his eyes shut for a moment, shivering a bit: that was the first time in years he'd had a memory of his family rise up, unbidden. And it was the first time since he had been a foal that he'd actually remembered more than just faces, or names, that he'd actually thought...

My father was always so nice.

His breath caught in his throat, and he looked down disbelievingly, unable to process this thought. His father... nice? But his father had thrown him and his mother in a grave, buried them alive after killing her, leaving him... leaving him...

Blueblood shook himself wildly, and then flinched as he looked up and realized he was standing at the foot of the grave now, trembling as he stared down at the coffin in the wounded earth. A priest stood at the head of the grave, a faceless pony silently reciting prayers from an empty book in one hoof, and Blue spared him only a glance before he looked fearfully around at the congregation of hollow shapes looming around the grave, like they were a cage and it was a spectacle that fascinated them all...

He closed his eyes, took a breath... and when he opened them, everypony was gone, and there was a lone stallion in a raincoat standing over the grave, breathing slowly. Blueblood trembled at that sound, the harsh, rough wheezes in and out through his mouth: he remembered that sound. And he remembered more; the smells of cigarettes, and rubbing alcohol. And a sweet, sickly stench...

He shivered, then watched with horror as the gravedigger, as his father, calmly speared his shovel into the ground before he slipped forwards and lowered himself into the grave. Blueblood trembled, watching with terror in his eyes as the stallion rested on top of the casket, studying it intently: they hadn't bought a liner for the grave, or anything else that would protect the coffin. They had just lowered it in the ground...

Blueblood stared, trembling, as his father shifted so he was standing over the casket, then he carefully pried the lid up and pushed it aside, revealing the corpse inside, a young mare so pale and pretty in death. The breathing roughened, and Blueblood whimpered and tried to turn away... but when he spun around, he only found himself at the head of the grave now, staring down with horror as he watched his father grasp the corpse with trembling hooves, raising it as he lowered his body...

“No!” Blueblood shouted, turning away and covering his face with a foreleg, and there was a whirl of vertigo and sound before he felt... warmth. And Blueblood trembled, then slowly lowered his front leg, feeling a faint stirring of relief as he realized he was back in reality.

But there was so much pain and confusion, too: he didn't know what to do or say as he breathed slowly in and out before he flinched a bit when a head poked into the lean-to, but it was thankfully only Sleipnir. “Art thou alright?”

“I... yes. What... what time is it?” Blueblood asked uneasily, blinking a bit as he realized there was actual sunlight out. He couldn't have slept that long... could he have?”

“'Tis a little past eight. I was uncertain whether I should wake thee or not, I was unsure whether thou wert having a nightmare or not. I am sorry I did not.” Sleipnir said softly, and Blueblood only laughed a little and shook his head slowly.

“No. It's... it's perfectly alright, Sleipnir.” the young prince murmured, and then he reached up and silently rubbed at his mane before he smiled briefly as he brushed some of this back: his curly locks were starting to go straight, and it had been too long since he'd had his mane trimmed... “I... well, are we going to get going?”

Sleipnir shrugged, saying after a moment: “There is no rush, Blue. Invidia tells me there is a small town ahead, where we will stop for supplies. Thou can wake up, and perhaps write thy letter to thine Aunt. I am sure she is worried about thee.”

The unicorn gave a brief smile, and then he nodded a little before lowering his head. He hesitated for a long few moments as Sleipnir looked at him curiously, and then the ivory stallion finally looked away even as he asked quietly: “Can someone... a pony who betrayed you, a pony who hurt someone you... you truly cared for...”

He halted, trying to find the words as Sleipnir frowned a little, and then Blueblood bit his tongue before looking up at the earth pony, vulnerable and aching and strangely, terribly scared: “What does it mean when you want to love someone, to see the best in them, even... even after they've done awful things to you and others?”

“Oh, that is simple.” Sleipnir stepped forwards and reached up to squeeze Blueblood's shoulder firmly, the unicorn looking up at him with surprise before the earth pony smiled kindly: “It means thou art a better pony than I, Blue. And it means that thou hast learned, without me ever teaching thee, what mercy truly is. Not given because thou desires to give them: given, because each and every one of us deserves a second chance.”

Blueblood looked surprised at this, and then the earth pony chuckled quietly before he turned and simply left, smiling to himself. They still had a long way to go... but it was moments like this that told Sleipnir they were going to get there, and he was determined to enjoy every second of it he could.