A Date with Destiny
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Not for the first time, I awoke to the ear-piercing noise of a heart monitor happily announcing that I was, sadly, still alive. Blearily, I opened my eyes, blinking a few times to clear away the haze. Eventually, everything came back into focus and I got a good look at the room I was in. A fairly standard hospital ward by all accounts. To my left and right I could see other patients lying in their beds, asleep. Though how they managed to sleep so peacefully through the racket the heart monitors were making was beyond me.
Do ponies have selective hearing or something?
I slowly sat up in my bed, grunting as I felt the various aches that covered my body protesting. To be honest, I felt fine, other than a few bruises and pains. But those could wait, first I had to find out what happened to me and, more importantly, what happened to Summer and Iron. Maybe they had been in to visit me whilst I was asleep? I had no idea how long I had been out so they may well checked in on me a few times. Hopefully, the receptionist would know something about that.
I let out another groan as I realised something. I was currently a patient here, which meant that if I got up and went wandering around then a bunch of medical folk would start babbling at me in doctor speak. I couldn’t even go pulling the heart monitor off without it shrieking and alerting the entire hospital.
Making sure the monitoring pads were secure on my chest, I slowly maneuvered myself out of the bed and crept across the room to the next patient. The earth pony stallion was sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling in rhythmic movements. Quick as a flash, I ripped the monitoring pads of my own chest and quickly secured them to his, holding my breath as I waited for something to go wrong. Thankfully, the machine seemed to have accepted my deception and continued to beep, now announcing the stallion’s heart rate instead of my own.
And, to my credit, I barely let out a single tear after I ripped the sticky pads off my chest. Success all round I believe.
The medical staff, or perhaps Summer and Iron themselves, had been kind enough to leave all of my stuff at the foot of my bed, which saved me a lot of time that would have been spent robbing a hospital of my own stuff. I’m not even sure where that falls on the moral scale really. On one hand, it’s stealing from a hospital, on the other though it is MY stuff. Shrugging away the moral quandary, I threw my coat on and strapped my belt around my waist. The only thing left on the table was my knife.
I began reaching for it, ready to secure it in place, when I stopped. Did I really want to bring it with me? As I looked at the innocuous piece of metal I could see it sticking out of Melody’s chest. Could see the wound it had created.
I could also see Iron handing it to me with a big smile on his face. That day in White Tail seemed almost years ago, yet it had been little more than a couple of months.
Grimacing, I snatched the knife from the table and secured it to my belt, behind my back of course. Like it or not, that dagger was a part of me, literally made from a part of me by one of my best friends. I wouldn’t let bad memories take that away.
The ward’s window was, of course, locked but that didn’t really stand in my way. Only a few minutes after waking up in a hospital bed I was scaling the side of said hospital, landing in a rather tasteful garden that the windows overlooked.
I then dusted myself off, straightened my coat and went back inside the hospital.
Any possible questions that the receptionist at the front desk might have had about my unusual appearance were quickly cut off as I flashed her one of my best grins and immediately began talking.
“Hey there, I was wondering if you would be able to help me with a little something.” I said, leaning on the counter slightly, “A couple of my friends might have been around here, a unicorn called Summer Storm and a minotaur, Iron Will. You wouldn’t have happened to have seen them would you.”
The mare quickly adjusted the reading glasses perched on her muzzle and glanced down at the book in front of her. “Actually sir, we do have two patients with those names, a unicorn and a minotaur like you said. However, they’re both in Magical Care at the moment and can’t be seen.”
They’re patients?! Wait...Magical Care?
It was only a lifetime of deceiving and conniving that managed to keep the shock off my face, “Yeah, that must be them. Shame they can’t be seen at the moment, I guess I’ll have to come back later, Miss…?”
“Sweet Rose.” She replied, a smile coming to her lips as she shyly looked away.
“An appropriate name.” I chuckled at her blush, adding a bit of the ol’ Ace charm to my laugh. “I don’t suppose you would be able to do one more small favour for me would you? Could you point me towards a bathroom? It’s been an awfully long journey to get here and I do believe I need to freshen up slightly.”
The mare was happy to point me in the right direction and, just like that, I was past the front desk and easily integrated into the hospital. Now, if some nurse or doctor happened to stumble upon me, I could just get them to take me to Miss Rose and explain that I must have gotten turned around. No doubt the receptionist would be willing to bail me out, especially if I added a bit more sweet talk to seal the deal.
The moment I was out of sight of the receptionist’s desk and was sure that no prying eyes were watching me, I ducked into a room and immediately shut the door behind me. I then began to remove my coat, getting ready to flip it inside out and activate its enchantment. Unfortunately, I was about halfway through the change when I was interrupted by a voice piping up from behind me.
“Oh my! Looks like it’s my lucky day!” An elderly female voice crooned.
I slowly and awkwardly turned around to spot the mare whose room I had just burst into. The silver hair and the wrinkles around the eyes quickly informed me of her age, even if her mischievous twinkling eyes sought to convince me she was a much younger mare.
“Why don’tchu come over here so I can get a better look at you?”
I hesitantly approached the bed, knowing that if she were to so much as shout then a veritable army of doctors, nurses and security personnel would descend upon me.
“You’re not scared of me?” I asked, knowing how the elderly could sometimes be around the unknown, “Not afraid I’m going to rob you? Or eat you?”
“Eat me?!” She exclaimed, “Oh, heavens no! Even if you were that way inclined, I would probably be taste terrible.” She grinned and lifted one wrinkled foreleg to show me, “See? Too stringy. So no, I ain’t afraid of you. Shucks, me and the other gals used to go down to a club called ‘The Horny Bull’. I tell you, they had the best minotaur dancers in Equestria there. The muscles some of those fellers had. Not to mention the occasional griffin or diamond dog that jumped up on stage for a dance. You look a bit skinny to be honest, but I bet you could get a few of the customers pumped if you wanted to.”
“Is it just male dancers there?” I asked, honestly curious about paying this place a visit before I left. My partner’s gender had never really been an issue for me, so long as we were all having fun. And judging from the nostalgic look on the mare’s face, ‘The Horny Bull’ sounded like the place for fun.
“Oh no, not at all. They’ll accept anyone on stage who wants to show off a bit of flank for the crowd.” She giggled then, the noise surprisingly melodic, “Why, I even once got up and strutted my stuff.”
“No! You didn’t did you?” I gasped, having trouble associating the grandmotherly mare in front of me with a girl who danced on tables for fun, “You did!”
I burst out laughing then. An honest, genuine laugh from deep within my chest. My jaw hurt from how much I was smiling in that particular outburst. Tears were forming at the corner of my eyes as laughter convulsed through me. I even had trouble standing upright, ending up leaning on the side of the elderly mare’s bed.
Eventually the laughter died down to mere chuckles, before eventually disappearing entirely.
The tears stayed.
With barely any idea why, I found myself weeping. Wet tears streamed down my face as a sob tore its way out my mouth.
“I don’t k-know why I’m crying.” I blubbered, barely coherent.
Immediately, the mare spread her forehooves wide and made quiet shushing noises. With a beckoning, she urged me over to her and, for some reason, I found myself obeying. I sat on her bed as she wrapped her hooves around me and pulled me into a comforting hug.
“There there,” Her soft voice whispered to me, “It’s going to be alright. Everything’s alright.”
She repeated this like a mantra and I slowly felt myself calming down from the random emotional high I had just been on. Despite this, a part of my mind kept screaming at me. Shouting that everything wasn’t going to be alright. That nothing would ever be the same again.
“Now then,” She said, loosening her hug and looking me in the eye, “Why don’t you tell me what that was all about?”
I knew what I should do here. I should make up some cunning lie, some crafty trick that would distract her away from prying. That is what I should be doing. But I didn’t. When I looked into those caring emerald eyes, all my deceit seemed to just go out the window.
“Not long ago,” I confessed, “I killed my very first intelligent being.”
I expected her to be shocked. To push me away in horror and shout for the guards to arrest this murderer. Perhaps this would have been better. If she’d done that I could have just enacted some daring escape and got away from this situation. Instead, she just nodded and indicated that I should go on.
“Her name was Vibrant Melody, a pegasus mare, but she was also known as Captain Gang Plank, a notorious pirate and ruthless killer. I was taken on her ship and tortured. She even intended to put me to death, eventually. I escaped, managed to take out her crew and ended up fighting her. She died when I stabbed my knife into her chest.”
Throughout the entire tale, the elderly mare’s eyes never faltered. Nor were they filled with fear, or disgust, or even pity. Her green orbs, only a few shades lighter than her olive coat, were simply full of understanding.
“She sounds like a real piece of work.” The mare said neutrally.
“Yeah...but did she really deserve to die? By my hands of all things?” I muttered, looking down at said hands.
“Honey. Honey, look at me.” She grabbed my face with her surprisingly strong forelimbs and wrenched it back up so that I was looking at her again, “Listen to me. Sometimes, folks die. And it’s sad, especially if they are folk we cared for. But at the end of the day, not everyone can be saved. Mortality is a fact of life sonny, take it from me.” A sad smile split her apart her wrinkled face, “Now then, maybe instead of blaming yourself, you should take a step back and look at the choices this Melody girl made that sent her down such a path?”
“Yes,” I looked away, trying desperately to call upon my memories of Melody and the ship, “Yes, she mentioned a book.” My eyes went wide and my hands dropped lifelessly to she sheets, “She said she was sorry. Not only that but she thanked me. I had just killed her and she thanked me.”
The mare nodded and laid a foreleg on my shoulder in comfort, “Perhaps you should look into why she thanked you?”
“You’re right.” Determination filled me, “I’ve got to find answers.” I was almost readily to leap up and spring into action when I hesitated, another moment becoming clear to me. “But there’s something else. I had a...friend there who could have healed Melody, could have saved her in fact, but she refused to.”
“And why do you think she did that dearie?”
“Because Melody was...evil?” I shook my head in agitation, “No, my friend would know better. She...she had to know better right? Has to be better?”
“I can’t answer those questions.” The elderly mare responded with a sad shake of her head, “I can only advise that you look into these lady’s motivations rather than their actions. It’s only there that you will find understanding.”
“Right, right.” I nodded, getting up from the bed. “I’ve got to find a couple of people, a minotaur and a unicorn. They may well be able to answer a few of these questions I’ve got buzzing round my skull. Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”
“Oh, it’s not a problem dearie.” The mare replied with a smile, her eyes lighting up with a twinkle once more, “You looked like you could use some good old-fashioned motherly advice.”
I got up to leave and began to head towards the door when she called out to me again.
“A quick question before you go though. This friend of yours, what are you going to do when you meet her again?”
I halted in my tracks, the question honestly stunning me. What would I do once I saw Lady Luck again? I mean, she was supposed to be my mother, she was supposed to help me. But she had abandoned me there, left me to watch Melody die.
“I don’t know.” I eventually replied, turning around, “I need to know why she didn’t help first, before I go accusing her of anything.”
“Good boy.” The mare said, approval clear in her voice, “Too many young uns go rushing in without any idea of the actual situation. Often enough, they end up making things worse. Take a step back, clear your head and everything becomes so much clearer.”
“I’ll have to remember that one,” I replied honestly, making sure to take the advice to heart. It had certainly helped in this situation and I would be a fool to ignore it if it applied to another situation.
Not that I was above being a fool on occasion.
“I don’t believe I ever introduced myself though, or got your name.” I said, remembering my manners, “How rude of me. You give me life-changing advice and I don’t even introduce myself.” I swept into my trademark extravagant bow, “I am the Amazing Ace, Magician Extraordinaire!”
“My, what a remarkable name, almost makes mine seem dull by comparison. Name’s Fortune dear, Golden Fortune.”
“It’s been a pleasure to meet you Miss Fortune, but I must be off. I have some friends to track down and some answers to find.” I swept forward before kneeling down beside the mare and planting a kiss of her forehoof, eliciting a giggle from the elderly pony, “Once again, my sincerest thanks for your assistance.
As I left the room and the mare behind, I couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong. It was like I had missed something. Something important that I should have caught. Something to do with that mare’s eyes. Those green, knowing eyes, glittering like emeralds.
Miss Fortune…
I had barely made it to the end of the hall when I figured it out. Immediately, I turned around and dashed back down the hall, my hooves slamming into the floor as I bolted past various rooms, eventually reaching the one I had only just left. I burst through the door, an accusation on my lips, only for it to die there.
The room was empty. The bedsheets were completely perfect, as though no one had ever been there. Miss Fortune was gone.
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You needn't worry over much for having an appreciation for action. Also, this chapter was an amusing read at the very least, it really can be fun to try out a different style every once in a while.
ha ha her mom was a stripper wait until he finds that out!!!
Aww, that was a good chapter you did a great job!
Gon' get wrecked
Well, well! I'm still pleasantly surprised that I'm enjoying this CGotG fic as much as I am.
And this little bit of resolution breaking up the action and drama of the story? Very nice. Ace needed a direction, a distraction to allow him to come to terms with what he'd done by letting his analytic mind focus on the task he's given himself while his subconscious deals with the trauma his recent acts have inflicted on his poor, slightly deranged, psych.
I knew it was his mom somewhere around where he noticed her eyes. On a side note,
It should be sad here, not said.
Keep it up BoF
Lady Luck's got some splainin' to do! Man, if I were Ace I'd be angry at getting tricked like that by my mother. Okay, maybe not angry, but I'd certainly not be very happy :P
3133414
his*
Lawl, I think Aces' mother was flirting with him. Then again, most of the gods and goddesses of Olympus were incest children, and some of them were rape incest children. Insane incestual rape babies.
3134447
Is it bad that I laughed really hard at you comment?
3135056 no cuz i did too. I make it good.
Thats why the gods are always fighting, the incest messed with their genes and now they are mentally retarded. and it all started with Uranus.
Seriously, he's the father of the titans, and they were the gods fathers/mothers. Then they banished him. God teenage rebellion is serious bro, serious. Like 'I kcik your fat godly ass off yo' throne and sit mah ass on it.'
Then the gods grandmother sent giant abominations after the gods to kill them, and Greek myth still isn't fucked up.
(quarter Greek woot!)
Then Rome came and anally raped the gods. They literally completely re-wrote the religion. The changed the names of the gods and said' "this is our religion and we refuse to be even associated with the Greek.
And their the greatest country to come to be. This is not a good sign for humanity. I mean they literally killed themselves, and were calling ourselves smart.
3134055
Guh i'm sorry about that i was tired when i edited this.
3135249 No prob!
It's good that Ace finally had a good cry...I think he can truly begin to heal now...or at least heal faster than he would....
Words cannot describe, have a moustache instead.
oh Lady Luck you cheeky goddess of luck and chance, giving your demigod of a son motherly advice without him knowing it was you
I knew Ace has a thick skull, but I'm pretty sure that even a retarded walrus on steroids would have seen that...
Oooh... [in mild surprise, hesitance and pondering of the nature of things]
Now, that's interesting. She wanted to be there to comfort him, to do that thing that mothers are supposed to do to their kids, but knew, oh how it must have stung, that if she just appeared before him as 'herself' he'd have been too surprised and shocked to actually think. Things would have gone badly. But there's no way he could have gotten angry at an old pony in a hospital bed.
If I were in Ace's hooves it would just make me feel in two directions in quick succession, wavering between those polar points of baffled anger and relieved goodwill: The first is that she tricked him, the second is that she cared enough to be there, the third is that she was sneaky enough to choose a form that he'd be disarmed by, the fourth is that she really did help, the fifth is that her help could be taken as self serving because it ensures that Ace gives her a chance when she next appears, but the sixth is that the fourth kind of makes up for the fifth, or possibly that it makes the fifth less self serving because Ace being angry and not thinking would hurt him as much as her.
Confused, but not in a bad way. Well done, that author, you're keeping that emotional content up, playing with some growth, but not pushing it on the character all at once. He still has to make a decision about himself, he still has to reconcile with his mother, and he still has to come to grips with what's happened to his friends (which is another shock he needs to deal with). But with this you've laid the ground work to him making a choice that's right for him, for being able to come to a resolution (good or bad) with his mother, and for facing the shock to come with a clearer head.
Little things, done in a very light touch, can work wonders. A right place, a right time, and the right words, can make everything a little better, for the moment. If a few choice words as well. A lovely story, and very well done for this chapter.
I prefer Sir prize to Miss Fortune.
Lady Luck got him good.
3141693
i believe we have a planet to destroy do we not?
why sir prize? why not sir kuss?
3144865 Because, Sir Prize butt hurt.
3133626
*rekd
3149234 *Rect.
3141693
This reminds me of something
To the ladies I'm Sir Prize,
To the gentlemen I'm Miss Fortune,
But call me by any name,
Anyway it's all the same.
3162294
major general olivier mira armstrong from fullmetal alchemist brotherhood
3163873 It's so easy being evil, right? I mean, it's the life, you see. Cause the devil, he tips his hat to me.
Ah, this is an excellent piece of fiction, outstanding literary genius, a masterpiece.
You have caused me much enjoyment.
3164847
It gets so lonely being evil, what I'd do to see a smile. Even for a little while...
3169250 lawl, k.
I've read everything yesterday and today, and I must say, this is one of my favourite CGotG fanfics so far. Keep up the good work!
PS: I like weird words like discombobulated. It helps me a lot, i'm still learning English.
3168040 We're lying through our teeth. We do it for free.Their tears are all the pay we'll ever need.
*contented sigh*.....inside joke.
3170882
Incidentally I have to thank Barrel for introducing me to Voltaire.
3173273 Oddly enough, so do I.
....What dark sorcery is this Barrel?
What Sinister plot are you hatching?
3174172
Also, you guys managed to start singing in my comments section in what I hope was an unrehearsed comment chain. You're brilliant and deserve another this tache 
The most evil plot of ever...to get people into Voltaire's awesome goth-y steampunk-y musics
3170333
I'm glad your enjoying my story. Also, you're doing very well at learning English, I honestly couldn't tell it wasn't your first language from your comments. Well done
3174191 So now I have a mustache on my mustache.
Double the mustache, double the awesome.
lolhome.com/img_big/i-mustache-you-a-question.jpg
3134447 Yeah, Ancient Greece really had different ideas as to what was considered appropriate, huh? Children springing from the union of foreheads and battleaxes, can you just imagine?
3211403
NUUUUUU :U
Looks like I have to do my homework
To think, I thought I would never see the most recent chapter in my entire life. Either I'm a fast-reader or the universe just likes being slow.
I will ask you nice. MOAR!!! Comply with our demands or... We beg
3206613
All in all, yeah, still a few problems but otherwise life is starting to look up for me.
3163873
Damn fine line you got there!
Had she heal Melody would Ace die. This was only to go one way for her son and everyone else sake