Chapter 39 - Time to play another game
Shackles and Friendship
Chapter 39 - Time to play another game
Edited by Hollyhock, AndyGrey
Pre-read by Hollyhock, AndyGrey
AN: Please read the AN at the end, I'd like your opinion on something.
“Damn it’s cold!” I protested again as my body continued to shiver. I was seated cross-legged atop my bed and leaning against the wall with only a thin blanket covering me all but my face. The single blanket that I’d been using before Redheart brought me more had done little to ward off the cold.
“It’s not that cold,” Bronze commented.
“Fu-fur,” I replied between chattering teeth, pointing out the obvious while eyeing his coat with envy. “How’d it get s-so cold, so fast?” Two days ago I was still comfortably reading without the temperature bothering me one bit.
“Well we’re behind on fall season after all.” Bronze pointed outside the window with a wing. “Everypony’s busy trying to get the season moving.”
I looked out to the sky above Ponyville to see a great number of pegasi darting here and there. At times I caught sight of a rainbow trail flying in between them. The town’s always been bustling with activity on reconstruction and repair, but ever since the day before things had noticeably escalated. From dawn till dusk the sky had been filled with pegasi, flying in what I thought was chaos at first. But after some time I began to discern some patterns; enough to tell that they were all working together on something big.
It hadn't occurred to me that something was the actual season.
‘I guess when they say, ‘control the weather’, they really mean it.’
To be honest, I never completely believed Twilight or anyone else when they told me, but after watching it as it happened in person it was difficult to argue against it. Would such ridiculous notions become a norm in my life as time went by? Probably. After all, I’d gotten used to weaving and casting spells on a daily basis.
“Wha-what do you mean by behind’?” I asked.
“Well, even with the dragon attack, Ponyville still has to keep its weather on schedule with the rest of Equestria,” he explained. “Usually the seasonal efforts would have started two days ago, but with the dragon attack screwing things up, well, it looks like Ponyville’s going to be behind on fall this year. Usually it’s winter clean up we have trouble with.”
“And what happens when you don’t meet the schedule?”
“Worst case? Well, when I was a foal I remember Hoofington being late on summer by a week, which resulted in rogue tornadoes tearing through the city and neighboring areas. The imbalance or mixing of seasons can create unpredictable and often dangerous weather like that. They cause more weather anomalies which can spread faster than most ponies can fly”
“Seriously?” I turned and looked out the window with worry.
“Don’t worry, that hasn’t happened in a long time. Part of Equestria’s Royal Guard is dedicated and specially trained to prevent this. They make sure all the weather is in order and on schedule and if it’s not they step in.”
“The Wonderbolts?” I asked, referring to a group of pegasi similar to the Blue Angels.
“Not them alone no, but you can consider them the ‘face’ of the squad. Didn’t think you’d know them.”
‘Hard not to, seeing as Rainbow always brings them up on every occasion.’ It’s true, whenever Rainbow and I were together, even for a short while, the Wonderbolts would always become a topic or two. I know that one should chase one’s dreams, but in her case it was almost religious.
“Yeah,” Bronze continued, “the Wonderbolts. Think of them as the last line of defense in keeping all of Equestria’s weather in harmony. It’s really just a matter of embarrassment when a town or city fails to keep their seasons up to schedule.”
“Oh, well if that’s all,” I spoke, more relaxed. While I continued to watch the ‘seasonal change’ effort outside in silent interest, Bronze decided to pass the time by mending his beloved shield. He started polishing it with a rag and mumbling to himself on how to go about removing the green scales that had embedded themselves when he bashed the dragon with it.
“Alright, here you go,” a voice said once the door opened. I turned to see Redheart entering the room with several stacks of blankets neatly folded on her back. “These should be-ah!” Without warning, they burst into flames as I levitated each blanket from her back, causing Redheart to yelp in surprise. “You could have just waited,” she complained, irritated.
I simply shook my head in reply before quickly wrapping the blankets snugly around me, one on top of the other. Within seconds I could feel the layers of wool do their work, containing my body heat and warding off the cold.
“I suppose not having fur really puts you at a disadvantage,” Redheart commented.
“Wait till the summer heat and try saying that again,” I replied with a smile. “But you’re right, if this is just the fall temperature I should really get ready for winter. Otherwise I might not survive it.”
“It doesn’t snow where you come from?” Bronze asked.
“Nope,” I answered, keeping my answer short and simple so as to not accidentally slip anything that might point to my origin. “Even during winter, it hardly ever drops down to this.” Thankfully, I’d lived most of my life in warmer climates.
“Well look at the bright side, at least none of those news-ponies are around anymore.”
Bronze was right, most of them had left after Quillstride stole the thunder with her article three days ago. Only the persistent ones remained, but that didn’t last long either. I guess they must’ve known about the approaching cold and decided that a follow up story wasn’t worth it.
To be honest I had doubts about how the article would turn out. I expected Quillstride to twist some parts of the interview in my expense to further popularize the article. But like everybody else, I was caught surprised at how nicely and fairly her article was formulated. If her future work on me was going to be even remotely similar to that, I had no qualms for another interview.
Following the article’s publication was a stream of visits from nearly everyone I knew. That frustrated Redheart more than a bit, she kept trying to turn them all away. But with so many ponies clamoring to see me she eventually relented, allowing each a short visit in an orderly fashion.
Applejack came by with sack of freshly picked apples, which Redheart immediately took into custody once she saw how furiously I ate them. Applejack apologized for not visiting more often, and I understood completely. I can only imagine how busy Applejack was taking care of the farm and all the temporarily homeless townsfolk. I doubted her family or her had a proper time for themselves since the attack.
As expected, Rarity came in all giddy with excitement during her visit. My impromptu advertising on the boutique really put her in a good mood; she kept babbling about new design lines and a bunch of other stuff about the fashion market I didn’t quite understand. She left, mentioning a special something for me as thanks, likely another pair of clothes. I just hoped it would be something warm.
Rainbow and Fluttershy came to visit together. This was the first time I had seen Fluttershy since the attack. From what Rainbow had told me, she had shut herself at home for several days before she could persuade her to come out. Apparently Fluttershy has an extreme phobia to dragons, the whole incident really did a number on her. She was still tense and kept glancing out at the sky during the visit, probably expecting to see another dragon. I couldn’t say I knew what to do to help her calm down, I don’t really have much experience in terms of counseling. In the end I decided it was probably best to let the other girls tend to Fluttershy seeing as they were closer and I was still more of an acquaintance.
I always felt there was something off about Pinkie, apart from her permanent state of sugar craze. She brought this….thing for me when she came. She claimed it was her super-special cupcake, I think. By now I had learned to filter out most of her random blabbering. Point was; she wanted me to eat the damn thing, a thing that was clearly ninety-nine percent sugar. Had Bronze not sensed the danger and slipped away to call Redheart, my stay in the hospital would have been extended indefinitely.
Strangely, neither Twilight, Spike, or Shine had come by. I had expected Twilight most of all to congratulate me on the article. As my ‘guardian’ this should have been something she’d pay attention to.
“Yes that’s certainly a relief,” Redheart agreed, “I don’t know how much longer we can keep the hospital on lockdown, which by the way…” She paused and looked at me suspiciously. “I’m still wondering how you managed to have that interview during lockdown.” I shrugged at her with a look of innocence that only made her roll her eyes before leaving.
With that, things fell silent once again. Bronze finished doing what he could for his shield before stretching out his hooves and closing his eyes for a nap. I simply melted into the warm embrace of the numerous layers of thick woolen blankets that covered me. Until a few minutes later when a knock on the door broke the tranquil peace.
“Excuse me,” spoke a deep and unfamiliar voice from the doorway. I turned to face the source of the voice and saw a large muscled pegasus standing in the doorway that was heavily bandaged in several parts of his body. What stood out the most on him was the pair of bat-like wings and overall dark appearance, something I recognized as the trademark traits belonging to the night guard. I’d never actually interacted with them before; Only seen them from a distance during my stay in Castle Canterlot.
“You must be the human,” he spoke, his eyes trailing over me.
“Not unless you’ve seen another,” I jokingly replied. “Can I help you with something?”
The pegasus shot a hoof up to his head in a salute. “Lieutenant Steadfast,” he introduced himself, “I was in charge of the unit sent to guard the town. I wish to offer my gratitude before leaving. My squad and I are due for Canterlot today.”
Memories of the battle between royal guards and Falnor flashed in my mind. “You led the charge against the dragon. Created that shield over the town.”
“I did. Though I led the attack while my second in command took charge of the town’s defense. She deserves some credit as well.” He trotted towards the bed and extended a hoof towards me. “I just came to thank you for what you did.”
Hearing this, I straightened my back and shook his hoof with respect. After taking a second look at his bandages I noticed the fur around them was blackened. I quickly realized he must have been one of the many pegasi that got hit by Falnor’s homing fireballs.
“How is everyone doing?” I asked. “I had several of those things explode near me, I can sorta guess how bad it must’ve been to actually get hit.”
“Luckily nopony lost their lives.” His expression turned sad as he glanced away. “A few were forced to retire, unfortunately. Their injuries left them unable to carry out their duty any longer.” Seeing my worried expression he quickly added, “Don’t worry, nopony lost a wing or anything that extreme. They can no longer perform up to the standard their position demands.” His eyes wandered to my midsection. “Heard you got beaten up yourself.”
“Yeah, I did. Honestly I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“Those in service knew the dangers and risk when we signed up, but you’re just a civilian. A special guest of the thrones even.” Steadfast sucked in a deep breath. “To think we’d fail and force somepony else to do our job. That’s not going to look good on my record.” He paused. “Still, it’s amazing we didn’t receive any casualties. So I shouldn’t complain.” His eyes looked into mine. “Thank you for protecting everypony where we couldn’t, but please don’t do it again.”
I was caught off guard by that last part, but after hearing his words and having some idea of how he saw things; I thought I understood why. “No promises,” I replied honestly.
Steadfast looked at me in the eye for a few seconds before giving a nod. “I suppose not. I guess it just means us Royal Guards need to do our jobs better.”
“That would work; wouldn’t have to risk my life if you did,” I jokingly replied. “And it’s Rodney, no need for sir.”
“But you are the Princesses guest. But if you insist.” He smiled. “They said you had a carefree personality.”
“They?”
“The staff in the castle. You’ve got a bit of reputation amongst them. Even impressed a few guards with that stunt you pulled on Prince Blueblood.”
I chuckled at the memory. “He had it coming.”
“That he did.” He gave me another salute. “Best of luck Rodney.”
“And to you Steadfast,” I mimicked his salute with my own. Strangely enough, he turned and offered another salute to Bronze who was still in the middle of his nap. Bronze did mention that he was once in part of the guards, so it’s possible Steadfast knew him. “You know Bronze?”
“I wouldn’t be the pony I am today if it weren’t for him,” he answered vaguely before exiting the room. After Steadfast left I turned and stared at Bronze’s sleeping form.
‘Who was this guy?’
As if to answer, Bronze let one rip in his sleep.
=========[Hours later, around mid day]=========
The sound of several knocks came from the door. “Monsieur Rodney?”
Now, I’d spent a great deal of time in this world, and had come to notice the impossible similarity this world had with my own, often to the point of ridicule. It was something that I’d given up trying to understand and simply take as a blessing, but in some rare occasions this world seemed to screw with me more than it should.
There, standing right by the doorway, was a gryphon.
I’d read and seen pictures of them before in books. They were a thriving race much like the ponies and abundant in numbers. I figured it would only be a matter of time till I actually met one and had prepared myself so as not to get caught off guard. Specially with the publicity I’d gotten from the recent newspaper article.
But this one, was nothing like what I expected.
He had a mustache for one thing. One, impossibly long, mustache with a curl at the end which reminded me of generic villains from old sunday morning cartoons. As if that wasn’t enough, he also wore one of those tall chef hats along with a red cloth tied around his thick neck.
“Monsieur Rodney?” he repeated. Oh yeah, and he spoke with a French accent as well.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s me?” I replied with some apprehension.
His eagle eyes darted up and down as he scrutinized me. “I, am Gustave le Grand, baker extraordinaire.” He made a grand sweep with his left….claw, while the other twirled his mustache extravagantly.
If Bronze had been here and not taken another one of his strolls, which I suspect meant slipping a drink, he would have probably laughed his ass of at the spectacle.
“I have the greatest of honors, to be given a task by Princess Luna herself,” he continued.
A certain something between my legs shrunk and took cover inside my body.
“And uh,” I gulped nervously, “what exactly is that task?”
“I believe zis will better explain things.” From under his wing he took out a scroll and offered it to me.
Immediately I recognized the mark of the moon on the wax seal belonging to Luna. In most cases I would be worried, but with the events still fresh I doubted it could be anything too bad. I took the scroll, broke the seal and started to read.
It is regretful that I am not able to visit you during your time of healing, but relieved to hear that you would make a full recovery.
No doubt you are wondering why I have sent you this gryphon. It is simple, a deed such as yours demand a reward. Consider your punishment over.
Enjoy.
Luna
There was really only one thing that came to mind when Luna is involved. Well two things but I doubt my private parts has anything to do with it at the moment. Immediately, I turned my attention back to the gryphon.
It didn’t take much time for me to read the scroll, there wasn't much in it. But by that time Gustave had brought a cart covered in ornate white cloth into the room. Atop of lay a metal dome, similarly ornate with engravings all around the side. Before I could say anything the gryphon took the tip of the dome in between his claws and lifted.
Steam bellowed out and almost immediately the entire room was filled with the all too familiar smell of roasted meat. I wasn’t even aware that I was drooling when I looked down at a very hefty slab of meat, cooked to a perfect shade of brown with some sauce glistening over it. There were also some steamed vegetables to the side, but I hardly noticed them.
Strangely the first thing I said was, “I thought you were a baker.”
“I certainly am. But any chef worth zeir beak should know how to cook a decent meal fit for a fellow carnivore, no?” With practiced claws he lifted the tray carrying the food without disturbing it in the slightest and laid it on my lap.
If the scent was tantalizing before, now it was punching my brain right through my nose. I could feel the heat rising from the meat; I could almost see my own reflection in the fancy plate. I was all too ready to start gorging, but as my track record goes, I had to be careful.
“What is it?” I asked, trying my best to hold myself back.
“Shoulder cut of a manticore, slowly braised to perfection,” he answered with pride. “Ze sauce is a mixture of herbs and spices, but is primarily fish bones boiled and thickened to balance ze flavour of the meat.”
‘Manticore with fish sauce.’ I’m not too worried about the sauce, but the meat...
‘Aren’t manticores poisonous?’
‘Only the tail….I think.’ There was an entry to manticores in one of the books, unfortunately it was focused more on the environmental view. There was nothing in regards to preparing it for consumption or whether it can even be done. The gryphon certainly didn’t appear troubled as he waited for me to start eating, but then again, we weren’t the same species. Even if they could digest it safely I might not be able to. Still…..
It’d been soooooo long and now it was right there in front of me.
‘We’re in a hospital, should anything happen we’re already in the best place for it.’ That was all I needed, just one excuse to throw caution to the wind.
With near primal fervor, I grabbed the meath with both hands, causing the chains to rattle loudly as I bit off a large chunk. The moment my teeth sank in, thick juices exploded out, filling my mouth and dribbled down my chin.
And god almighty the flavour!
I’m not even sure if I can describe it properly. Texture wise it was similar to beef yet stringy and soft. I could actually feel each strip of muscle split and pop as I chewed. As for the flavour, the meat itself was surprisingly sweet, almost like candy. It would have probably been too sweet for my taste, were it not for the sour and tangy fish sauce.
“Aaaaaaahuuuhuuuhuhuuaaaahh….” I must have quite the expression on me since Gustave suddenly took a step back with a perplexed expression.
“I take it you enjoy it?” I looked at him with the most serene smile and a look of absolute bliss. Like a part of me once lost had returned and been made whole again. “If you enjoy zat, wait till I cook ze others.”
I froze mid bite. “Okhers?”
“Ze letter not explain?” I shook my head. “All ze payments and preparation are in order under Princess Luna’s request.” Gustave grabbed one side of the cloth, covering the cart he had wheeled in, and lifted it to reveal an assortment of objects. The space inside the cart was deceptively roomy, it was separated into three levels, each packed to the brim with utensils and cutlery tools.
What grabbed my attention the most was the middle level where ingredients lay stacked upon each other ready for use. Vegetables, fruits, berries and, most impressively, a large number of meat in various cuts and shape; likely from multiple kinds of animals. The amount of food there could easily feed a family for a whole day.
“Ze grand expertise of Gustave le Grand,” he continued with a slight bow, “is yours for ze day.”
‘Lock the doors.’
I complied. Blue fire crawled up to cover the door behind Gustave which began to close with a light creaking noise. The lock turned with an audible ‘click’, sealing the room from any and all disruption.
“Start cooking.”
“Twilight,” greeted the gray unicorn.
“Professor Inquest,” Twilight replied respectfully. “Wasn’t there supposed to be somepony else?” she asked, noting the absence of a second guest.
“She’ll be arriving later today,” he explained. “Ponyville is close enough from Canterlot for her to fly. Crea isn’t fond of teleporting.”
Twilight’s ears twitched recognizing the name. “Crea? As in Crea Whistwind?” Twilight is quite informed of Inquest’s many exploits throughout his life. Often purposefully researching them in order to find some way to obtain that elusive perfect mark from him. His most impressive feats have always included an equally famed gryphon. Twilight has never spoken to Crea, back then she was barely into adolescence and too timid to meet the gryphon.
“The very same.” Inquest took a step toward the purple mare as he regarded his surroundings.
There was a variety of machines lined up against the wall, some stacked in front of each other. It was easy to tell they were moved very recently. Having lived most of his life surrounded by all kinds of gadgets and machinations, Inquest could easily identify each of them with a glance. Or at least, what each machine was designed for. Of course he knew this was the basement of the library; they had agreed for him to teleport right to the center of the room. But what caught his attention were the two sets of beds at the other side of the wall.
“I’m afraid we don’t have room to properly house you in,” Twilight explained, noticing what he was looking at. “This was the best we could do in such a short amount of time.” Twilight mentally braced herself, expecting him to argue, yet he merely turned his head around eyeing every inch of the room.
“It’s alright,” he eventually replied. “In fact this will do quite nicely.” Before Twilight could even raise a brow in confusion, Inquest’s horn glowed a ghostly white as various contraptions and furniture began to hover.
Twilight watched as Inquest started redecorating the basement, the machines that she carefully moved away were being placed in a circular pattern, so that they surrounded the two. In most cases, Twilight would have felt rather peeved and somewhat insulted that somepony was moving stuff around as if it was their own home. However, at the moment, Twilight couldn’t help but be reminded of her old instructor’s expertise. Most would only see a unicorn casting a rather impressive levitation spell, but for a pony who had studied and practiced magic most of her life, the difference was clear as day.
As far as Twilight could tell, none of the objects Inquest was levitating ever tilted or wobbled as they moved about. This small and inconsequential detail was what truly showed the difference of magic and spell control that Twilight lacked. As the element of magic, Twilight easily had more magic in her arsenal than Inquest. But he had the advantage of aged skill, the decades of constant training and practice had given Inquest a level of mastery over magic that few could challenge.
To a point where such a basic and simple spell could leave Twilight staring and speechless.
“How are things?” Inquest asked, as he continue to rearrange the basement.
“Busy,” answered Twilight.
Inquest chuckled. “When are we not busy, Twilight?” The two fell silent for a while when they heard the door atop the stairs open.
“Twilight,” Spike called as his small dragon head poked in. “There’s a-oh, hey Professor. You’re here.”
“Spike.” Inquest greeted back.
Spike cleared his throat before continuing. “There’s a gryphon outside the library.”
“That must be Crea,” Inquest said. “I forgot how fast she can travel.”
“Let her in Spike,” Twilight instructed.
“Ok,” he replied before mumbling, “but I don’t think the door’s big enough.”
“Uhm, Professor,” Twilight started once they were alone once again.
Inquest placed the last furniture down before regarding the mare. “Yes, Twilight?”
“Exactly what are you doing in Ponyville? I can’t think of anything that would interest you here.”
“Recent events says otherwise. Besides, there are in fact several things in this quaint little town that do interest me greatly. Your friends for example.” Twilight raised her ears in interest.
“My friends? Why?”
“Oh, nothing much. I just heard that you and your friends happen to be the legendary Elements of Harmony,” he replied rather sarcastically which he would rarely do. “The Elements are the most powerful and ancient magic in all of the world.” Inquest stopped and pondered for a second. “One of them at least. I’d simply like a chance to analyze them.”
Twilight’s expression turned to worry. “Analyze them?”
Inquest laughed lightly. “Not what you think. I’d simply like to meet them is all. Could you perhaps introduce me to your friends?”
Twilight pondered the wisdom of that. “No tests?”
“Of course not, who do you think I am.” After a second he smiled. “I’ll ask their permission first.”
Twilight rolled her eyes before turning for the stairs. “I’ll see if they’re free to visit.”
Twilight was halfway up the stairs when Inquest spoke again. “It’s good to see you again. The castle feels quieter without you and Spike causing trouble.”
“I don’t cause trouble!” she replied defensively.
“No, I suppose not.” Inquest chuckled, remembering old memories. “But you were very different when you first arrived. Always curious and poking into my work, hoping to learn or gleam something that might impressed Celestia. You might not remember it, but a few of my experiments got botched because of you and Spike’s meddling. I still haven’t figured out how you two kept sneaking into my research wing.”
Twilight shot an irritated look at the old pony. “It’s not your research wing. It was built and funded by Equestria, you're just borrowing it.” She trotted up the stairs and opened the door with a spell only to turn around with a smile. “Spike and I would wait outside the door for your lunch. The staff always uses a cart so we hid under its covering and let them bring us in.” With a smug look Twilight left and closed the door behind her, leaving Inquest laughing out loud in disbelief.
=========[Ponyville Hospital, near dusk]=========
“Oh yeeeeess!!”
Shine’s already pinkish cheeks reddened even further as she looked down the hallway, praying to Celestia that nopony was within earshot of that. Whether it was luck or the fact that everypony already heard and were now keeping their distance, Shine couldn’t tell but she has yet to see anypony pass by. Most of the staff were busy helping downstairs. From the looks of it, they were preparing to move quite a lot of patients for travel.
She was worried at first, finding the door locked and hearing somepony else inside. At least she knew nopony was being hurt, or at least that the human wasn’t. Rather the opposite it seems. The constant stream of moans and shouts sounds as if he was….
“Oh it’s so GOOOD!!”
Shine looked away from the door embarrassed, pondering once again whether she should stay or return another time. Originally, she had planned on visiting much earlier, but rearranging Twilight’s basement had taken much more time than she had expected.
A lot more.
She froze when the door suddenly gave a loud click. Shine turned to see the door swing open. She saw the cart at first, covered in what must have once been a rather expensive piece of cloth. Now it was marred with fresh stains in a variety of color. It would be ruined without the aid of magic. Atop the cart lay pots and pans stacked on top of each other next to a portable cooker. Though this one looked different from the ones Shine was accustomed to, likely a gryphon design that used flammable gas. Flammable gas systems were rather unpopular in Equestria and are often considered inferior to using ignition spells with gems to power them. Cooking next to a container that stored pressurized combustible gas just seem like a bad idea just waiting to explode.
The creature that was pushing the cart, however, surprised her. A gryphon was by no means a rare sight, especially to Shine, who had spent a majority of her life serving in the castle. She even served the ambassador on one occasion last year. Still, this particular gryphon had a rather unique appearance that caught her off guard.
‘That mustache must’ve taken years to groom,’ was her first thought. As he moved nearer, Shine noticed how exhausted he appeared. His chef’s hat was slanted to the side and his wing hang low enough to drag against the floor. It took him a few seconds to realize he had company.
“Ah, pardon La Grand. I did not see you there.” He wiped his brow and beak of sweat before turning the cart and pushing past Shine.
“Sorry, but what were you doing in there?” she asked.
He paused and let out a sigh. “Cooking, I think.” Shine’s head tilted in confusion before the gryphon continued. “Nothing gives a chef more pleasure zan to see his dishes loved. Though in this particular case, perhaps zere is such a thing as too much love.” He removed his hat and dropped it atop his cart. “One of his more colorful praise was, and I quote: like an orgy in my mouth.” With that, he gave a slight bow to Shine and went on his way.
She stayed rooted in place, still not quite understanding what transpired in there. Not until the gryphon had turned and disappeared around the corner did Shine finally decided to find out herself what had transpired inside. Hesitantly she moved to the door and pushed it open. She didn’t know what to expect; luckily, nothing frightening or dangerous seem to stand out to her. Yet she stood there by the doorway with a perplexed look still not quite understanding what happened.
“Rodney?” she called. “Are you ok?”
He lay there, sprawled over his bed which was an absolute mess. Blankets lay strewn about the floor, and the bedsheet was heavily stained with different colors. What hit her the hardest though, was the smell of the room. It was a heavy, tantalizing smells that reminded her of the kitchens in Castle Canterlot.
Rodney mumbled something incoherent and continued to lay there in a mess with a look of absolute bliss. Shine noticed a round bulging mass where his stomach should have been. Bandages were still wrapped around him, but most had split apart and lay loosely to the side. It had probably failed to contain his growing stomach, and then ripped.
“Rodney?” she called again, now moving closer to poke him with a hoof.
“.....Hey, Shine,” he finally answered. “I suppose you're wondering what all this is, eh?” Shine nodded. “Let’s just say an itch has been scratched, and leave it at that.”
Shine let out a relaxed sigh deciding that whatever had happened wasn’t anything to be concerned about. Twilight did warn that he could be rather perplexing at times.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.” It took the human several seconds to respond with nod. Whatever had happened behind the locked door seemed to have slowed his brain down a bit. Helping and acting as support for him to lean on, Shine eventually led Rodney to the bathroom and left him there to clean himself up.
“Now then,” she gazed about at the mess, “where to begin.”
“Damn,” I looked around the room eyes wide with surprise, “how long was I in there?”
“Oh about seven minutes I think,” she answered while pulling fresh new sheets over my bed. I gave the room a second look, but so far, every stain or trace of my little meat festival was gone. Everything was spotless; only the lingering smell and what I wore remained.
“You cleaned all that on your own?” I asked in disbelief.
“You forget I worked in the castle for years. That was nothing compared to the workload there. I’m very good at my job.” She gestured to her mark. “It is my special talent after all.”
She even had time to do Bronze’s bed, which strangely enough still remained empty. “Bronze isn't back yet?” I asked, pointing to his bed.
“I haven’t seen him,” Shine replied.
‘Probably still out drinking.’
“You still need to get that changed,” Shine said, eyeing my attire. Looking down, I can’t help but agree with her. I was still wearing the makeshift hospital gown, now stained, my belly bulging out as if I was four month pregnant.
‘Surprised I managed to eat all of that.’
‘Our next dump will be epic.’
“So,” I started while moving for the bed, “finally decided to drop by eh? Was starting to worry.”
“Sorry, things have been busy in the library.” She took a few steps back, making room for me to carefully drop back down on the bed.
“Is that why Twilight hasn’t been paying any visits?” I asked once I finally got into a comfortable position. “Where all my blankets?”
“I left them outside. Why? Are you cold?”
I considered asking her to retrieve them despite knowing how dirty they were. “Yeah but...hmm, guess I’ll just ask Redheart for more.” Bronze’s blanket floated off his bed and slowly drifted towards me. Which I quickly wrapped myself with.
“So, Twilight?”
“Oh right, well we needed to rearrange and clean up the basement for guests.” Shine let out a frustrated sigh. “I would have finished it much sooner but we kept doing it over and over just to make sure everything’s in order. From what Spike told me, that’s something of a norm for miss Twilight.”
“A rather zealous perfectionist isn’t she?” I commented with a smile. “So, who's the guest?”
“The Professor,” she answered.
I waited, but it didn’t look like a name was going to follow. “Professor….who?”
“Professor Inquest.” I looked at her with a slight confused look. “Oh right, I suppose you wouldn’t know anything about him.” She looked down in thought, probably trying to figure out where to begin.
“Is he Twilight’s teacher or something?” I asked.
“He is. From what I know, he taught her back when she was living in the castle, along with several other teachers.” Shine moved towards the other side of the room and sat on one of the large pillows. “But I don’t think he does that anymore, I ever hardly met him in the castle. Mostly because he keeps himself to the research wing and his private quarters. He mostly just goes about his research and overseeing all the experiments.”
“So he lives in the castle? Far as I could remember I haven’t met or seen anyone like that when I was there.”
“Well of course, he’s The Professor after all. Although not demanded, all advisors to the throne are encourage to reside in the castle.”
‘So, like, the president’s science advisor?’
‘Sounds like it. But what’s with the singular term?’
“Why are you calling him ‘the’ professor? Is he the only one in Equestria?”
“Yes-uhm no. There are other professor as well, but he’s The Professor.” Shine sucked in a breath before explaining. “The title Professor was originally an advisory position to the throne involving everything to do with magic and its uses. In the old days it was a title only a single pony can have. But now, anypony with enough qualifications, expertise, and knowledge in their chosen field can obtain the title of professor.”
“Let me guess, The Professor refers only to the original position?”
“Precisely. Currently, the one who holds that position is Professor Inquest. If I’m not mistaken he was the youngest to ever take it.”
It all made sense; there was likely to be other, similar advisory positions that helped keep the government together, much like back home. Economy, health, technology, sociology...or ponyology, these would all have to be advisory positions, so having one that specialize in magic is expected.
“So what’s his job exactly?”
“I...don’t really know. Researching I guess. Though I heard he also goes on missions.”
I raised an eyebrow, both confused and surprised. “Missions? Like, diplomatic missions?”
“That, and dangerous ones too.” Shine thought for a moment. “Though I think it’s not obligated. I think Professor Inquest goes because he wants to. I don’t know the details but he’s got a really big reputation because of it.”
“You seem to know an impressive amount, though,” I said.
“That’s only because I worked at the castle; you tend to pick up a few things here and there about Equestria that nopony else knows. Like, did you know that there’s an entire cave network under the mountain made of crystals? I think I heard one of the new recruits accidently….”
‘You thinking what I’m thinking?’
‘You know how stupid that question is? But if you really want an answer; yes I am.’
‘If what Shine says about this Inquest guy is true, he’s not the type to roll into town for no good reason. Either something has happened, or something is about to.’
‘Let’s hope it’s the former and he’s just here because of the dragon attack.’
‘And if he’s not?’
‘Then there’s no fair god in this world. We just survived a fucking dragon! We should at least be given time to heal before the shit hits the fan again.’
“....but nopony believed him at first. So he made a bet with the whole barrack that nopony could-”
“Shine,” I called, interrupting her story, “do you know why he’s here? The Professor.”
“Can’t say I do,” she answered.
My shoulders dropped disappointedly. “When will he arrive?”
“Today. Probably already here.”
I sucked in a deep breath, pinched the bridge of my nose, and made a silent prayer to any higher power that might be listening. “Please. Not again.”
They are not returning.
Yellow, slitted eyes darted about, scanning the sky. But try as she might, there were no signs of them or a different group returning.
There were too many of them at first. Too crowded and too risky. So it waited, and waited, until finally...
They left.
A large group of them, injured ones, left when the sun started to descend from the heavens. It didn’t know why, didn’t know if they would return.
And so it waited some more. Just enough to make sure that there wouldn’t be any surprises.
Now was the chance it had waited for so long. There were only few inside, enough to sneak around. Night was here, the shadows will hide her lithe and small body.
In complete silence, a cat of pure darkness strolled out into the open road and made it’s way slowly towards the large doorway. Shadowy wisps rose from the ground upon which it stepped, as if it was scorching the earth with every touch.
The cat didn’t paused when it reached the glass double doors. Never hesitated, not even, when its head was mere inches from colliding with the door. Like water, the cat’s form shifted right into the small opening between the two doors. It slid right through with ease, as if they didn’t exist, and returned back to form on the other side. It smiled happily, imagining the fun it would have on this one. Enthralling the old dragon was purely out of the dire situation of finding itself in a strange new land. But now, it’s time for the real fun to begin.
“Time to play,” it sang in a childlike voice, “another game.”
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Is Rodney too perfect as a character? Forget about all of his abilities and skill. This is about what makes him the person he is.
Thumbs up if he is too perfect. Thumbs down if he is not.
Or tell me if that's not even a problem and you still like Rodney despite him being too close to perfect.
I look forward to reading what all of you think.
~ Zai
Update: If any writers out there would like to know more about this Mary Sue problem, here's a video that gives a general idea. Credit to Andy for showing me this.
Flirting with your teacher, Twi? OH GOD MEAT!!! FINALLY!!!
3641819 I can't vote because I think his abilities play into this. He was originally doing what most of us (you know it's true, don't deny it) would do given those powers. Being a complete and utter jackass, it's just human nature. What he did with the dragon is also human nature, our fight or flight instinct, and our compassion, when he tried to hold it off for the ponies to arrive.
Is he Mary Sue? Hell no! If you think that, you should see my character! He's even worse!
hahaha!
an update :D
Shall we play a game?
I loved how you are getting all these ponies to finally come around. The best part was the meat. Glorious blessings from Heaven (or Luna).
Based on how you ended the chapter, I get the feeling this is the last calm before another major storm. All hands to your stations!
Honestly, I don't believe he's a mary sue/gary stu. He has the potential to become very powerful but I doubt he will become overpowered/deus ex machina. As for his character, he's flawed enough to be enjoyable if not downright relatable (aside from his skill in math, I hate and suck at it) but not too flawed that he's too awful to like. He's not a bumbling idiot nor a genius. He's not overly courageous or irredeemably cowardly, etc. I say thee nay to thy allegations of perfection and mary sue-ing.
3641819
Oh and also, I think I got what you were talking about, the context 'n all but the question itself was a little confusing.
I downvoted because I think he's perfect as a normal human character dealing with extreme abnormal circumstances; perfect in that respect, not 'too perfect' as in overly normal but to avoid voting for an idea that it's too perfect that he can't do anything wrong. that's my vote. i think you mean if you should change him. no he's perfect(fine) the way he is, not anything like mary sue perfect. plenty of examples where you portray him as an impulsive person that digs his own grave to a certain extent.
Good enough for me. Hell, I'd smack Luna on her butt too if given have the chance and my dying words would have been "Totally worth it!" *dies with a smile*
He isn't op at all. Far from it in fact. So keep up the good stuff!
My misanthropic radar is going nuts for some odd reason whenever I point it at this story.
3642120 In what way?
3641819 our next dump will be epic
i lost it man
Great
Rodney is just fine the way he is, and you've done a great job of pacing his powers so he doesn't suddenly become OP. He certainly has the potential to become really powerful and skilled, but that's further down the line.
3641819
the whole Mary sue thing is kinda out of control, it seems now most people think if some one has a bit of good luck, or the just aren't being contently ground into the dirt, they are a sue.
3641819
Rodney is far from perfect. The fact that he is in a hospital is proof of that. Things have been a little light on him and the Nightmare night thing was a bit far but that didn't seem a serious problem. He is exhibiting problems and flaws so Rodney is honestly still really good.
As long as thing change about Rodney and he doesn't "win" by just being there he's a fine character and I don't really see him as marysueish. Just make sure you understand what he's capable of in total (ability wise) and try not to exceed that.
About the hAloween chapter, you could located it in The next nighmare night of The story, althought it would need to have Rodney in The hospital with bronze again somehow.
3641819Rodney is most definitely NOT a Mary Sue. He got the shit beaten out of him by the dragon, got out of it alive with heavy injuries, and is currently in the hospital because of it. If he was a Mary Sue, then he would've bitch slapped the dragon and gotten off injury free.
As for pre-readers, I'm still interested.
892522 You need fat in your body.
892522
You, sir, are an idiot. Meat contains proteins that are necessary for human biological processes, and while they can be obtained via artificial means and occasionally from certain plants, it is very hard to do so without both knowing what plants they are and/or access to our laboratories and manufacturing facilities.
If that is too high brow for you, take this reason instead:
(go to 0:20 and then watch the rest or go to 1:30 )
3642813
Not necessarily. A Mary Sue doesn't need to be running godmode in order to be a Mary Sue.
The first half of your description piqued my interest. The second half of your description was missing critical bits of punctuation. I almost read your first chapter, and I would have if not for that.
3643179If you watched the video he posted, then you would know a Mary Sue is really anyone who gets by with no conflict. Everything goes their way. This is not what's happening.
3322856 ok man were in the story was that I don't feel like reading all the way through it please?
God how did no one notice this. Unless I'm overthinking things this is a Doctor Who reference cleverly hidden.
While Rodney is getting on route to become mightily over powered i don't think he is a gary stu, for that you would need to be a crappy author , which you are not. So author keep on working, and try to make this story the best you can offer. no hurries take your time.
A Gryphon MAster Chef hauling rump steak? Wonder if that will ever be shown in Canon, say as a gift to Spike.
As for OP? and a Dragon?
You dont want to know whats in my old university notes. Given teh materials and tech, magic possible in Equestria, Id be doing my best to build up some of the most basic brutal weapory going. A simple example, what if you take the eneergy needed to heat a suit of armor up till it kills the person inside, and instead apply is electromagnetically to kinettically accelerate that armour. Like the building into the dragon. Give you a hint. Dragons tend to have trouble with holes in them.
Next, use the teleport spell to have a non focused target physically, but as a source feeding into your acceleration spell. Can you say Rail gun powered by total conversion. And Im just getting started. those are the simpler low powered spells. You should see what I have for gravity and time.
Give him some speculative fiction to read, or if he remembers anything from college etc. and pretty quickly he will look average.
That cat looks intresting. Nightmare Moon back again, or going for Celestia?
Rodney is just fine the way he is, he experiences fear, hope, pain and pleasure (mmmmm meat), he's powerful but still fragile and at times survives only by dumb luck, in short I think he's acting quite humanly as possible for one in his position.
The only thing I find "perfect" about him is his mental ability to survive a low blow from princess nut cracker. Anything less is unthinkable.
Along those last lines I hope the professor gets kicked in the jolly danglers for putting ponyville in danger.
3643358
That cat is actually the entity that came through with Rodney when he arrived in Equestria.
3643402
He focused all his energies creating the strongest shield he possibly could in that region only, and even so it was only just strong enough. Excelent design, not OP.
3643493
I was thinking if it was the other that youve portended a couple times. At least it wasnt white.
3643800
What? That didn't make a lick of sense to me.
3643812
Sorry, White cats belonging to Evil have a history in movies. See James Bond and Austin Powers.
3643815
No no, no. This:
was what I was talking about.
He got magic?
3643860
Ah.. Sorry for the confusion, I thought I remebered at least one instance in the Everfree Forest in the region of a portal discharge or something. Or did someone say something about hoping that he was the only thing that came through?
Has Twilight found anything about The Wizards Disk yet? It should be maximum security, restricted access because o how simple and destructive it is. I cant remember where the origional idea is from, was a major authors fantasy series many years ago.
A Mary Sue wouldn't have for all practical purposes lost rather badly to the dragon, nor would he have any genuine difficulties at all. He would have instantly understood magic, would have made no mistakes or small "endearing" mistakes instead of genuine screw-ups, and been instantly loved by every character who wasn't the villain (who only hated him out of jealousy). A Mary Sue would be the center of the world instead of just the main character in a story set in a world that does not revolve around him.
Yes, Rodney is very powerful, but he gained that power with no real understanding or control and has injured himself and others through his ignorance. That in itself makes for an interesting character and an interesting story.
People throw around "Mary Sue" these days to describe any character who exhibits any sort of positive traits, but lacking positive traits makes a character just as bland and unrealistic as lacking negative ones. No one wants to read a story about Norm McNormalman who never did anything interesting or had any adventures ever (except for Hobbits, but they're weird like that).
Shorter answer: Rodney's character is perfectly fine and you can stop worrying.
Dude, Zai, you're angsting about nothing, bro. Rodney's bonafides are well established. You KNOW I'd tell you if I thought he was a Gary Stu. People throw that word around a lot these days, and it has always been a problem in fanfiction, but it IS possible to make a powerful character and avoid it being a Mary Su. You've found a good balance for Rodney.
This chapter was pretty entertaining. I can't help but feel that it's a build up for something though.
Also you had a couple of errors that stood out that I noticed.
Easy to see how this one got missed. That's a "Q". I think you meant "rogue".
Gleam is something that something shiny or incandescent does. "Glean" is more appropriate in context, and means to gather or collect (something) in a gradual way, or to search (something) carefully.
That's all that jumped out at me. Good work!
3641819 Ok, a couple things.
First, I don't see Rodney as a Mary Sue. He does have a lot of power, but he has yet to really tap into it. He's got, what, like four spells? Considering the massive, nigh infinite, amount of power he supposedly contains, this is pretty good. He's challenged by dealing with his surroundings, as most HiE's cover, he was dealing with the lack of meat, and he got whooped by that dragon pretty hard. To top that, a bigger baddie is alluded to, the one who controlled the dragon, so he's not out of the woods yet. He's versatile, not all powerful. And Semi-Mary Sues don't bother me as long as the writing is funny enough. I also don't look to much into the characters, so I'm speaking almost purely on his actions and abilities.
Second, I'm leaving my notes here, because I refuse to get a Google+ account to comment on YouTube videos. Superman, at his creation, was a Mary Sue. Superman was first published in 1938, towards the later end of the Great Depression, and before WWII. People were looking for a figure they could almost rally behind. Superman represented that. Goodness, Strength, how Good always trumped Evil. And that was ok. Later on, as other comics came out challenging the story of Superman and others with more defined characters, the writers had to get more in depth with his character and his challenges. Note, I am somewhat biased, as I don't much care for American comics, simply because the timelines are so clusterfucky, and I have an obsession where I have to read something from beginning to end so I don't miss anything.
And with DBZ and Goku, hardly anything in that series makes any sense. Any question about it could be answered with "Because of reasons." Team Four Star's abridged series makes more sense than the originals. To me anyway.
To sum everything up, no, Rodney isn't a Mary Sue, but you just have to make sure you don't make him one by trying to correct him.
After so many fanfics I have read I believe this only the third fart joke I have read here. Scat yes. Gas no.... Very Odd. But then again the second one I read only an hour ago and the first, I think, was close to a year ago.
892522
Umm you're thinking cholesterol and saturated fats, fats are important part of nutrition.
3641819
He is still very much human in character and emotion.... at least in my opinion. One very specific moment in the story comes to mind, when he was debating whether or not to face Falnor.
3641819 Didnt he have a drug problem? Crould use that to round him out some more
3644713 I compare our protag here with Naruto Uzamaki.He has a nigh godlike amount of power,But knows fuck all about using it.He also seems to have a Anime Appetite
"Our next dump will be Epic"
I LOVED that line!!!
Mary Su? HIM? What are you talking about? Honestly I think its a bit late to give him drug problems but whatever. Now honestly he has to make his spells before anything goes down, he can't adapt quickly enough! thats no mary su
At least Rodney finally got some meat. Guessing things are gonna get a little hairy next chapter, if that mind altering cat thing is coming for him.
3645610 Yeah, that sounds about right.
I have now read the entire story in one sitting and find it in its biggest cliffhanger yet
There is truly no kind and loving god
Never the less I simply adore your story and hope to see more of it's splendor
3646567 If you wish to look up a mary sue, look no further than to Alucard, from the Hellsing series. He literally walks trough anything with a bigass grin on his face. And the only time he struggles is because he's actually just holding back a majority of his powers.
3641983
Annoying Orange: Can we play Jenga?! Yatzi?
Really awesome story! I personally love Rodney as a character and don't think he need to be changed. I look forward to future updates!
3643251 Hehehehehe
3643980 Gigigigigigigigigiggigigigigigigidy
3644393 Thanks for the corrections and input. Always thought it was gleam not glean.
3644670 It was an issue brought to me and something I've started to balance in future chapters. Also, your username makes me smile.
3644713 That's the funny thing. You can actually make a character worse by trying to fix him. I would love it if you can keep an eye out for me should that happen.
3644779 I've gotten a lot of complaints and criticisms on that topic as well. Again, I've already started balancing that out in future chapters.
3646149 The spells will take over!
3646613 Glad you liked it.
3646773 Thank you for reading it all straight, hope the earlier chapters weren't too painful to read.
3649767 And I look forward to your future comments.