The Wander Through Lands Unknown

by Tomas Lutwig

Chapter 10; Planning

A strange feeling came to me as I opened my eyes, everything seemed different, more colorful almost. Finding myself slumped against the wall, still in the same cell that the whole ordeal with my reflection had occurred. Looking around though, I noticed a distinct lack of either princess, or said reflection of myself.

“Hello?” I called out. The sound of hooves against the stone heard for a moment before the sound approached. One of the many gray unicorn guards poked his head in front of the door before stepping in front of it.

“I see you've awoken, please keep calm and wait here for a moment. I shall return momentarily” A deep voice said making me raise and eyebrow. Turning away towards the stairs, the guard yelled a few orders to, my assuming, another guard before the clipping and clomping of hooves was the only sound beyond my breathing.

'Well, I can't exactly tell if it worked' I thought before moving a hand to hold my head 'At least I don't feel like my skull is going to split anymore' After a moment of waiting I took off my bag grabbing my water from inside and taking a few drinks, noting the amount left. Deeming it sufficient for at least a bit longer, I turned my attention to a small black device with earphones that sat in a lower pocket.

'I brought this thing so I could drown out the sound of people losing their minds if I needed to' I thought, mind returning to the con before putting one of the buds in my ear and turning it on. After a few seconds of the device warming up, I looked at the song that I had paused. I tried to remember why it had been paused on that song, but thinking didn't seem to help to what it was. Restarting the song, I un-paused it and took note of the title; Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

Despite my surroundings I chuckled at the familiarity of it and started to sing along waiting for the princesses and whatever they wanted.

A few more songs played by before a sigh came from me, knowing that if I left it on too long I would lose the music, most likely forever. Reaching up I held down on the power button the small screen giving a 'goodbye' before going blank. Re-wrapping the ear buds around the small device I replaced it in the small pocket on my backpack.

“You don't have too horrible of a singing voice” I heard behind me making me jump and look behind me to find a laughing tired looking princess Luna. “Worry not it's just me” she said “One of Celestia's loyal woke me and informed me you have done likewise since my sister is in the middle of the day court at the moment she won't be joining us”

I nodded my fright leaving me quickly, “So what's going on? I still feel strange” I asked standing. “Thankfully though, my head doesn't feel like someone's trying to split it anymore either” I said earning a strange look from the recently awoken princess.

“Quite” she said rolling her eyes “Well, to answer your previous question, the 'operation' was not a complete success” The lunar princess said making the smile under my mask drop. “True the vast majority of the memories and other quirks that the personality took from you returned, but unfortunately a great chunk dissipated, virtually bouncing off your unconscious mind”

I looked at the ground for a second, 'How much did I lose in this?' I questioned trying to think back to my past. 'School, things I learned from there, normal crap like that, family, Mom and Dad, Richard.' there was a sneaking suspicion in my stomach that out of my family I couldn't remember someone, but I shook it from my mind, 'It's normal to forget things, I mean they'll come back to me' I thought before looking up at the princess who wore a look of sympathy.

She held herself for a moment before opening her mouth “I probably know what you're thinking, 'The memories will return'” she said getting a nod from me to which she shook her head. “The memories that he took from you are likely not to return as the biggest part of them have. If we had let it alone, your mind would've healed with most of your memories returning, only a select few being left out, but due to the other personality's insistence we had little choice”

Taking a few breaths I stepped back against the wall and took a few breaths “Alright, lets move on, if... if I dwell on this much longer I think I'm going start freaking out” I said trying to stay calm. “What about my punishment” I offered.

A look of surprise took Luna's face and ran with it “I cannot say I've met someone who'd willingly change the subject to that of their punishment” she said before shaking her head and muttering “strange one” under her breath before returning her eyes to me, steeling their gaze. “Personally, from before I was imprisoned, your punishment would be quite lax as you did do as you said before in keeping an evil from ever escaping again, a few years in prison and nothing more. My sister however seems to have decided it that you murdered another being, despite his own transgressions, and wants you punished more severely than myself” she said making nod my head returning my gaze to the floor. “As mental imprisonment seems to be out of the question, I will give you two options” she said making me look up. “Either you shall remain here, in this holding cell until my sister and I have come to an agreement and deem you fit to leave, or you shall fulfill your debt to this country by protecting it”

'Protecting it?' I thought before it came to me. “You mean to make me a guard?” I asked making her nod. I thought about the options for a moment, it sounding weighted towards the latter. “What's the catch of being in the guards?” I asked only for her to giggle.

“There is no catch, you will pledge yourself to this country for life, serve until we, my sister and I, deem you able to leave, and then you'll live out your days as a citizen of our country, a less than honored veteran” The night princess said motioning with a hoof towards the end.

I looked the princess over for a moment wondering to myself if this option was due to the fact she had just woken up, but nodded my head. “Alright, I suppose I could deal with some military experience” I said eliciting a nod from the princess.

“Very well, I shall speak to my sister about this matter” she said turning to head for the stairs, only for me to call after her.

“Princess Luna, I also need to ask” I said wringing my hands as she turned around and looked at me. “I will need to visit the Everfree Forest before I begin in the royal guard though, seeing as how, well” I said before taking off one of my gloves and showing her the, dehydrated looking disgusting hand underneath.

The princess nodded, “Worry not, either myself or my sister will accompany you there to ensure your sanity. Is there anything else you need?” She asked before I shook m head.

“Thank you for your kindness after I kinda screwed up” I said scratching the back of my head. To which she giggled again.

“Think nothing of it Wanderer, now I bid you farewell for now, I tire and need to return to my bed” she said heading up the stairs.

A thankful sigh escaped me as I slid down against the wall to the stone floor. A look to the 'bed' made of straw made me wonder what to do with the rest of the day.

After what felt like a few hours of sitting around waiting, I searched my cell up and down, finding nothing more than the bed of straw. I flagged one of the guards down, the white pegasus stallion approached the cell cautiously.

“Please keep all appendages within the bars” he said keeping his expressionless face. “What do you need?”

“I was wondering when I was going get food for today” I asked, the guard simply stared at me for a few moments before a sigh escaped him.

“That” he said pointing at the pile of straw, “Is your food” the guard made an about face and took his position at the entrance of the dungeon once more.

A sigh escaped me before I looked into my bag and grabbed one of my now dwindling protein bars. 'Haven't eaten anything besides these things since arriving, I think I'm going to die again...' I thought before a bigger question popped into my mind. 'Do I even need to eat now?' I asked looking down at the unopened bar.

“... and you need to realize that you'll be under the captain's command. If you disobey him then you'll be court-martialed” Princess Celestia said, my only guess that she was trying to dissuade me from taking Luna's offer even though she had agreed to it herself.

I looked over the side of the chariot watching the world go past as we flew to the Everfree forest. “I know your majesty, my father was in the military, he told me about what it was like” I said trying not to outwardly groan as she continued to explain the way things worked if I joined the ranks of the guards. Looking back at the princess I shrugged, “I figure they'll find something for me to do. If nothing else I'm good at working with metal having forged my own weapons with the assistance of my father. I don't expect to be a fighter”

The worried expression didn't leave the princess' face though, making me sigh inwardly again. 'She either trusts me so little that while agreeing it would be a good idea, doesn't like the thought of putting a weapon in my hand' I thought looking back over the edge of the chariot. 'Kill one super villain and no one trusts you'

“Well I just want you to realize what you're getting yourself into Wanderer. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I don't know you” Celestia's voice rang out making me turn around.

“Aye too bad we couldn't come up with a better idea than putting me in stone” I said a hand going to my chin. “Since I doubt you have many executions there's not many places for me to get 'humanity' or whatever ponies, or centaurs in this case, have” 'Pony, human, bah no idea' I thought before throwing a hand out.

Celestia sighed “I know, but we discussed this earlier, and even you saw the problem in killing Tirek, evil intentions or not”

“The problem I had was the fact that when I did it he was powerless. Had it been before he destroyed Twilight's home, or attempted on her and her friend's lives I would've fought tooth and nail.” I said looking straight at her. “They may not be my friends, well perhaps Pinkie Pie and Applejack, but that's not the reason why I would. The reason I would is because I hate seeing people taken advantage of by those with power”

The alicorn looked at me shocked before a more calm look came to her face, “Then perhaps the guard will be a good place for you” she said, making me nod and look to the oncoming forest.

After a moment the chariot started to descend towards the dark green treetops, the pegasi driving the chariot swirled around before pulling to a stop as the wheels touched the ground. “Gentlemen” I said giving a tug at my hood as I headed towards the forest.

Fiddling with my satchel, I found the Ring of Fog within, the pearl giving me a slight comfort as it did before. Placing it on my finger I dashed into the forest.

A few close calls later, mainly a pack of timberwolves trying to scare a cockatrice from their territory. The fight broke out with the cockatrice turning a few of the wooden creatures to stone before finally being taken down by one wolf that had come up behind it.

A chuckle came to me as I sat in front of the bonfire, the warmth sending shivers of pleasure down my spine making me close my eyes for a moment. A few seconds later I shook my head, having caught myself trying to doze near the warmth of the fire.

Going through the motions, I got on one knee and held a fist in front of the fire. “I offer this humanity to you, to in turn restore my body” I said.

After a few moments of holding the pose I felt a strange tingling throughout my body. A laugh came as I watched my clothes fill the rest of the way out. Pulling back from the fire, I took off a glove and saw the pale, relatively normal looking flesh beneath it staring back at me. A sigh of relief escaped me as I fell back into the grass.

“Wanderer?” The call rang out making me snap back to a sitting position. Getting up quickly I brushed myself off and replaced the glove before heading back towards the chariot. A large smile hidden beneath my mask.

Comments

[ParodiaTheSilent]

“Thank you for your kindness after I kinda screwed up” I said scratching the back of my head.

You didn't though! What you did was a perfectly logical course of action.

Celestia sighed “I know, but we discussed this earlier, and even you saw the problem in killing Tirek, evil intentions or not”

There was no fucking problem with that either!

[Snow]

So he was dreaming and in stone for however long with no problems, and his punishment was to... be put back in stone for 200-some odd years which is entirely possible that's how long he'd have been left there anyway. Right.