Chapter 8: numquam iterum (edited)
December 26
“That is awesome, Twi,” I said. “I thought your relationship with Celestia was more than just teacher and student.”
“Please, just don't treat me like I'm a princess. I've gone through great lengths to make sure only my close friends know,” Twilight said.
“Of course, your majesty,” I said with an over-exaggerated bow.
“Why did I think you could be serious for this?” She facehoofed.
“Well I come from a country where royalty is never taken seriously,” I said.
“Right, the United States. I remember. I still think it's stupid to change rulers every four years. You don’t give them the opportunity to get any real experience at ruling,” she said.
“If it makes you feel better I won't tease you about it anymore... unless we're in Canterlot.” I shot her an innocent smile.
“Very well, if you must,” she said, as if I was asking permission. Oh, Twilight, I'm going to do it whether or not you say I can.
“Well, I'm gonna find Dashie. Later, ladies,” I said.
“Have a nice evening, Shiro,” Rarity said with a friendly hug. “And do visit again. I would love to see what else I could make for you.”
“Will do, Rares.”
“Have fun with your fillyfriend,” Twilight shot with a cocky grin.
I smirked as I thought, Not bad, Twi. We’ll make a smartass out of you yet.
“When is sex not fun?” I called back.
I held back my laughter at the shocked expression on her face.
But you still have much to learn.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
I found my fast friend on a hill just outside of town making a snow pony, her back to me and completely focused on her work. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. I crouched low to the ground, disappearing in the snow with my white fur. Slowly I stalked my unwary prey, inching closer and closer.
I laid flat when she stopped for a moment and looked around. When she saw nothing she shrugged and went back to her sculpture. With the coast clear, I rose back up and continued closer. Soon, I was close enough to hear her singing quietly to herself.
My target was only a few feet away, completely unaware of my presence. It was the perfect chance. I tensed my legs ready to pounce in...
3...
2...
1...
Just as I started to spring forward a pair of orange hooves connected with my side, knocking the air out of my lungs in a strangled gasp and sending me flying several feet to land face first into the snow. I pulled myself up and faced my attacker, somewhat bewildered by the seemingly random assault.
Applejack was glaring at me. At first, I was confused. Did I do something to piss her off or something? Then I realized, she was gone on Hearths Warming. She didn’t know I was me. I was about to say something when a pink-framed yellow face filled my vision. I stared into her teal eyes, and she into mine. Her pupils narrowed into serpent like slits, and a cold terror gripped my very soul. It was like staring into the abyss. My breath shortened and my heart felt like it was going to explode. A chill that had nothing to do with the cold spread through my body. I was certain that was what death felt like.
“Fluttershy, stop!”
The eyes broke contact, and I collapsed, shivering, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
Rainbow Dash picked my head up and looked in my eyes. “Are you okay? Say something.”
“W-w-wh-wh... w-wh-what...” That was all I could say. There wasn’t a single coherent thought in my head. Instead, all I had was instinct screaming at me that I was going to die. It was as if she injected me with pure fear.
“What the hay is goin' on, Dash?” AJ said, not quite as aggressive, but still wary and very confused. “That thing was stalkin' ya. It was gonna eat ya!”
Dash snickered. “Shiro, you flank hole. You were trying to scare me.”
“Did you say 'Shiro'?” Fluttershy asked. “As in, Shirotora?” Dash nodded while stroking my head trying to calm me down, “Oh no, I'm so sorry, Shiro! I didn't know it was you! What happened to you?”
Seeing my state, Rainbow Dash told them all about the night of the party, including the fight with the barghest. Fluttershy didn't look particularly happy when she heard about the mess I made of it, but I was still trying to pull myself together. When she was finished with her tale, the other two looked a little green, their eyes directed over at me with mixed emotions. I was breathing somewhat normally by then, and made an attempt to speak.
“What the hell was that, Shy?” I asked.
“Th-that was m-my, um, s-st-stare,” she said.
“I thought that was just where you look really mean. That was... Your eyes changed.” I could understand how the cockatrice died, at least. I thought I was going to. A chill shot down my spine, thinking about that horrible feeling.
“It's, um... magic. You see...” she trailed off, twiddling her hooves and biting her lip. She was debating whether or not to tell me something. That much was obvious.
I sighed and said, “You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.”
“I-it's okay. I want to, but I'm just a little scared. I don't want you to hate me for it. You see I got my eyes from my father's mother.” She took a deep breath. “She was a dragon.”
My mind, at this point, was so full of fuck it was hurting. “I thought you were terrified of dragons?”
“That's why I'm scared of them,” she said. “They can tell, you see, and they don't like dragony - that’s what dragon-ponies are called. We have abilities that they don't, from the combination of dragon and pony magic. It scares them so they have a tendency to kill us when they find us.”
“Damn. Today's a day for discovery, it seems. Twi's royalty and you're part dragon. Next thing you know, AJ’s gonna tell me she's a vampire hunter.” I laughed.
“Funny ya should mention that,” AJ said. I stopped and looked over at her. “Vampires were wiped out six hundred years ago, but mah family still trains in the arts of killin' ‘em just in case they come back. So yeah, Ah kinda am.”
“Where's my knife, I need to make sure I'm not dreaming.” AJ and Dash just rolled their eyes.
I noticed Fluttershy, sitting off to the side, was being even more quiet than usual. She was looking down, a sad look in her eye.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“I can't believe you killed that poor barghest,” she said.
“Poor barghest?” Rainbow said, indignantly. “Fluttershy, it killed Candle and almost killed Twilight. How can you feel sorry for it?”
I answered for her. “Because all life is sacred, Dash. To kill without remorse makes one a monster.” I looked back at Fluttershy, and said soothingly, “I didn't want to kill it, Shy. I was so overcome with rage that I lost myself. I do regret having to kill it, but I also believe it was the only way.”
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You know you're a predator, right? You're going to have to kill to survive.”
“I know that, Dash. Like I said, all life is sacred, even mine. Predators eat other animals; it's the way of nature. Killing for survival is not wrong, killing for pleasure is. Even then, a sapient predator should respect and honor its prey.”
“Ya better not eat any ponies,” AJ said glaring at me.
Fluttershy looked shocked at her friends comment. “Applejack, you know he would never eat anypony.”
“Not unless they ask me to,” I said. The three mares looked at me with a touch of fear in their eyes. I just gave a playful smile and a wink.
Rainbow started laughing, Fluttershy blushed furiously, and AJ just rolled her eyes.
“Yer a pervert.”
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
The happy (if painful) events of the morning turned somber as the afternoon held Candlelight's funeral. It was a typical pony funeral: the body was wrapped tightly in cloth upon a pyre, ready to be cremated. There were few ponies there, Candlelight being somewhat reclusive. It was just me, Twilight, Miss Cheerilee, and a couple other ponies I didn't know.
When it came time to view the body and say our goodbyes, I waited till last. I looked down at the stallion I felt so guilty for letting down. I was glad for unicorn magic, though. You couldn’t even tell what had happened.
“I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I meant what I said,” I lifted my paw and cut the bandage off with a claw. It was healed but it left a scar. The strange thing was that the scar spelled out a phrase, 'numquam iterum'. It meant “never again” in Latin, a constant reminder of my oath. I gave a silent prayer and bid the book-lover farewell.
I lost myself in thought until they lit the fire, sending his spirit on its way. The ponies voices rose up in an ancient hymn. The words were in ancient Equine so I didn’t recognize them, but they were beautiful none-the-less. It started low and melancholic, the sound of their mourning. Then, it rose, almost imperceptibly with how smooth it changed, into something much more hopeful. Even not knowing the words, the message was clear. It was telling him that he will be missed, but we will soldier on. We would live on, with the memories we shared in our hearts.
Eventually, the singing died down, and I decided I needed some time to myself.
I walked until the sun started setting over the horizon. Stopping on a hill, the one I arrived on, I looked out over the town. It really was a peaceful place. It may not be what I expected, but I kinda liked it.
I sat and watched as the stars came out, one by one. They were so much more vivid here than Earth, but I still found myself missing my old stars.
“You truly are an artist, Lulu. Do you know that?” I said as I turned around.
“How did you know we were here?” asked the moon goddess.
“You smell like lavender,” I said.
She sat on the beside me and watched her stars. We sat for about twenty minutes before she broke the silence.
“Did you know that one thousand and two hundred years past we were at war with the Lunar Empire, a nation of werewolves?” I looked at her. Was she going to tell me a war story?
She continued, “They desired conquest, and had already subjugated the Griffin Republic, as well as the ape tribes. Equestria was on the verge of falling to them until a single warrior stepped forward.”
“The Lupine army was moving to lay siege to our capital, Everfree City, but the warrior met them before they could reach us. He fought valiantly, but the enemy was great in numbers. Knowing there was no victory for him, he saw that there would be victory for Equestria. He put forth all his own magic into a single attack that consumed the lupine as well as himself. His sacrifice decimated the wolves forces and forced them to retreat.”
“Why are you telling me this exactly?” I asked. She wouldn't come all the way out here just for story time.
“Were you sincere in the oath you made to Candle Light?” she asked me.
“Yes, I meant every word.”
“Then we present you with a gift,” she said levitating a cloth bundle.
I took it and unbound the cord it was wrapped in. The cloth fell away to reveal a katana. Its hilt was almost a foot long and the blade was close to three feet. I pulled the blade from it's saya (or scabbard) and studied it. Written on the blade were the words...
“Piercing Light?”
“The weapon wielded by that warrior,” she confirmed. “It has been infused with magic, though we know not what these spells are. Use it well.”
“I will. Thank you, Luna.”
“We must take our leave. We have a kingdom to oversee.” She bounded into the air towards Canterlot.
I watched her until she was out of sight and looked down at the weapon. “A katana... I’m glad my life isn’t a fan fiction. I’d be approaching Stu waters about now if it was.” I shook my head and put the weapon back into its cloth and tied it back up. “Well, I might as well get home.”
I stopped and laughed at myself. That was the first time I ever called anything here 'home'. I smiled warmly as I realized something. That was exactly what it was... my home.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
December 27
I was up even before Celestia went to work, and already in the Everfree. I caught a scent and was following it. I wasn’t too good at using my nose to track, but I was getting better at it. It had been two hours, but I finally I caught sight of my quarry: a pack of wild boars.
Mmm, bacon. I miss bacon.
I crouched as low as I could, circling around until I was upwind. Keeping an eye on every member, I approached, stopping whenever one looked my way.
When I was close enough that they were on edge, I stopped and waited. There! One of them had stepped in a rut and stumbled. The others ran as I shot out from my hiding place, leaving their fallen kin behind. It struggled to right itself, but by the time my target regained its footing I was already upon it.
I pounced on it's back, digging my claws into it's shoulders, and my teeth into it's neck. I had planned on using Piercing Light, but instinct took over. The taste of it's blood in my mouth, the feel of it's pulse slowing... It was invigorating. After about a minute, it stopped struggling.
I looked down at the poor beast.
It's a shame, but it's the way of the world.
I slung the pig over my shoulder and started walking to a clearing on a hill I found before I started tracking. It had a nice view of the sky, so I decided to make camp there.
I set it down and thought how I should go about eating it. Should I cut off pieces and cook it, or dive in like natural tigers. I decided on the second choice. Not because I thought it was the natural way, I was just too lazy to make a fire and cook it (even if I could use magic).
The pig tasted amazing. I figured that was because that was the way I was suppose to eat it. I ate about half of it right there. I hadn’t even realized how hungry I was. I cut the rest up, wrapped it in some foil I brought, and put it in my new pack that Rarity made me. It would be better if I didn't have to do this every day, so taking some home made sense.
I washed myself off in a nearby stream, and went back to the hill and laid down. Judging by the sun it was about two in the afternoon. I sighed, shaking my head. My last day off from the cafe and it takes me seven hours just to take my prey. I supposed I would get better with practice.
My thoughts drifted back home to my family. It still hurt knowing I would never see them again.
What did you expect? Me to just cry once or twice and say, “Oh well, shit happens, pass the syrup”? It doesn't work that way.
My family back home was everything to me. They weren’t my family by blood, but they took me in when I had no one. My biological family never cared, often letting me go hungry for days while they enjoyed a meal at a resturaunt. Whenever anyone would come over, I had to stay in my room. They treated me like some filthy animal they were forced to keep. Hell, I’m surprised I didn’t turn out to be one of those misantropic emo guys.
My family showed me that there were still good people in the world. They loved me the same as if I was born into the family, and received nothing in return. Now they were probably thinking I was dead. I had wondered on several occasions what my funeral was like. I pictured my mom in tears while my brother supported her. My sister would be bad off too, but her husband would be there for her.
After I shed a few tears, I grabbed my sword and looked at it. I hadn’t really examined it yet, for some reason. I guess I was too tired the night before, and in too much of a hurry that morning. I had the time at the moment, though. It had an twelve-inch tsuka, or hilt, and a thirty-four inch blade, making it forty-six inches, four inches longer than average but that wasn’t unusual. The tsuba, or guard, looked like a crescent moon. The saya was pearly white while the sageo, or cord, was solid black.
It really was a magnificent weapon. I really hoped I would be able to live up to its legacy, but doubt found its way in. If you would have asked anyone I knew back on Earth who, among their friends and acquaintances, would they expect to be a hero, not one would say me.
I sighed and shouldered my pack, sliding the sword into a strap on the side.
I was about to head back when I heard something, like a rumbling, screeching noise. I looked around for the source, seeing nothing, until a burning object flew over head. It was some kind of flying machine, like a hang glider with a jet engine, explaining the rumble. The source of the screeching was also abundantly clear.
A pony was strapped to it, screaming for her life.
By the time it crashed a few hundred yards into the forest, I was already on my way.
I had a oath to keep.
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Shouldn't that be Grip, or handle? I always thought hilt was a synonym for cross guard, or tsuba for a Katana.
The inuenndos are strong with this one.
- running out if comment ideas, discord
Best joke in this chapter.
I guess I finally understand why you write your character like that. I mean the whole having chaos magic and not really often using it thing. It probably would lead to that Gary Stue type of character and make some things too easy for him. You were really thinking this through, weren't you?
GOD DAMN IT!!! Applejack is one of the Belmont Clan!! This shit is getting weird... and I like it!!!
It's nunquam iterum, not numquam interum. You placed an m where an n should've been. I know that it was supposed to be a serious thing with the scar taking the shape of those words for that oath that was made in the last chapter. But still. Just to let you know. No hard feeling, right?
So fluttershy is a kirin at least a heavily diluted one
Just wow... So mutch happend... And with death being so real... Things will never really relax fully...
Harry Potter? At least no Dumbledore is around.
Have no fear, the protective hunter is here.