An Equestrian Witcher

by OblivionShadow

106: A Castle Ruin to Search

Oblivion led the ponies back to their village and Forest happily led the Witcher to his own house. The Mayor Pony was quiet as he pulled the small silver container out of a small glass box and held it out to him. His magic gripped the cylinder and Forest leaned forward as the azure flame worked over the cylinder. An audible click went out as the side of the cylinder cracked open slightly. Oblivion pulled the map piece out and held it up to the light to allow the real design of it to show.

“What in the world is that?” Forest asked.

“It’s a map piece that I have a good portion of already. This one will lead right into the next part. It will lead me to the next piece of the map.” Oblivion informed him.

“What’s at the end of the road then?” Forest asked.

Oblivion managed not to look annoyed as he asked the same question of the black Unicorn again. “I have no idea what is at the end of the path.”

“Well, you’re welcome to stay for as long as needed. I know it’s nearly morning but you’re welcome to use my extra bedroom to rest up before you leave.” Forest said to him as he motioned for the stallion to follow him down the hallway.

“You could use a few hours rest, Chosen.” Sasa said to him as she nudged his hip.

He nearly told both of them that he was fine when he realized that it was the same as before and letting them show him their hospitality was for the best. “Very well. I appreciate the hospitality.”

He followed the green pony down the hall and he opened a door and motioned for the Witcher to go into the room. He did as he had been instructed and he moved to set the cylinder in his saddlebags. Forest walked away from the door and closed it most of the way behind him. Sasa lay down on the ground by the bed as Oblivion lay down. He laid his head down on his tail and closed his eyes to allow himself to rest for a few hours.

---

Oblivion opened one eye and he saw the green fields laid out in front and around him. He stood up and found himself listening intently for the sound of hooves. He spun to look back and Equestria was trotting slowly toward him. Her white fur shone against the bright green grass and the bright sun. A warm smile went onto her muzzle as she regarded him.

“Evening Equestria.” He said to her and gave a slight bow of his head to her.

“It is closer to morning than evening, Master Witcher.” She teased gently. “But I trust you can explain what I sensed earlier?”

“It was the Remnant again.” He said to her as she knelt to allow him to sit on her back. “I can walk with you.”

“I know.” She said with a bright laugh as he shook his head and vaulted onto her back. “It was?”

“Yes. It had taken the ponies of the village into the forest and caged them in the bottom of a ravine. Sasa and I tracked them to the ravine and the World Spirit led the way when I lost their track.” He explained to her.

“Why did it take them? Did you find out?” She questioned.

“I did ask it. It said that their spirits belonged to the one he serves.”

“Did he say who that was?”

“No. He started the fight when I asked. I was able to put him down but not with any more answers than what I had gotten.”

“Odd.” She said as she began to walk quietly forward.

“He said that they belonged to one that is more than the world can handle.” He replied to her as he sat easily on her back.

She stopped in her tracks and looked back at him. “Is that exactly what it said?”

“Yes.” He replied as he looked back at her. “Why?”

“That is something that I have heard before.” She explained. “The Fallen called himself that when he was still roaming the world.”

He felt a shiver go up his back despite knowing that it was probably him from the beginning. “Interesting. He said that he was using the ponies to honor him.”

She shuddered and began to walk again. “I wish ponies that had felt he was to be honored in any way had chosen to honor somepony else.”

“Why would they honor him?” He asked her.

“Most honored him due to the power he wielded. Some did see what he could do to others and they chose to follow him for it.” She explained to him.

“People and ponies flock to power when they feel they have none.” Oblivion said to her.

“Unfortunately your right.” She said with a deep sigh. “I wish ponies did not need to flock to him. Those that he did interact with were attracted to him and the power he displayed.”

“How often did he interact with ponies?”

“Not often. He only interacted with the ones he intended to use. If not then he typically chose to ignore those that he did not use for his experiments.”

Oblivion said nothing for several seconds before she began to trot forward. His legs clenched on her sides and his hands gripped her thick mane. She broke into a gallop and he looked ahead and he could see the prison that the Fallen was kept within. He was sure that she was bringing him to the prison to assure them both that he was still there. When they reached it she slowed to a stop and he slid off her back.

“HE is still here.” She said to him, her voice quiet as they stared at the shackled crystal. “A part of me always fears he will break free somehow.”

“Any way that he could?”

“I’m not sure to be honest.” She admitted, her tone held a slight amount of fear as she spoke. “I wish I could say it was permanent till the world ends but I know better than that.”

He said nothing back to her for a moment as he began to approach the crystal. Its shine was dull as he approached it. He knew better than to touch it this time. He looked at the shackles he had placed around it the last time he had been near it. It was sealed and locked in place. The Witcher said nothing as he looked back over his shoulder at the mare as she stayed away from it. She looked nervously at the crystal and then back at him.

“Thankfully your prison seems to be holding easily.” He said to her and she gave a nervous nod.

“I would like it to last for eternity, but in the end, you need to destroy him at some point.” She reminded him.

“He will fall eventually.” He assured her. “Even though right now we are focusing on those who care to emulate him.”

She nodded and he walked back to stand by her shoulder. “How does the Remnant use the corruption as he did?”

She stopped and stared at him for a moment, her eyes went wide. “What?”

“Before when I met it the first time it used the corruption to infect the ground when I was fighting it. And now when I defeated it, it turned into a pool of corruption that I used the World Spirit to destroy.”

Her eyes remained wide as she stared at him. “Please tell me you’re joking…”

He looked at her as she began to tremble. “No. I’m not kidding.”

She looked even more nervous and he could see fear creeping into her face. “It’s more than just a Remnant.” She whispered.

“Oh?”

“It’s similar to a Revenant.” She whispered.

“Which is?”

“He is never dead nor alive and a Revenant is someone alive when they are not meant to be.”

He looked at her and she sat down heavily as she trembled. He walked in front of her, wrapped his arms around her neck, ran his fingers through her mane, and rubbed her ear with his right hand. She leaned into him and he heard her begin to cry quietly.

“Talk to me.” He said to her as she shook.

“A Revenant in this case is a shade of him. He left it behind.” She cried out. “He knew… He knew Oblivion!”

“What did he know?” He asked her as she began to sob against him. “Talk to me.”

He had been around Twilight when she was falling apart and he used what he had learned from her to comfort the Heart of the World now. Equestria sobbed almost uncontrollably against him and he held her tighter as she leaned deeply onto him. Finally, his knees gave out as she leaned all of her weight on the front of her body onto him. He went down to one knee with her as she cried aloud. He felt his knee pop when he landed but he chose to ignore the throb as he continued to hold her.

---

She finally calmed as he kept running his fingers through her mane. Oblivion said nothing to her as she sniffled and whimpered on his shoulder. She finally pulled away from him and she said nothing in reply to his unspoken question as he regarded her. She shook her head slowly and sighed deeply.

“He knew when I called him here… he must have known.” She lamented.

“Meaning?” He asked, encouraging her to go on.

“A Revenant in this case is a piece of him that he created. Its purpose is to honor and spread his influence. It holds a piece of him and can become as many pieces of him as it needs.”

“So what I destroyed is a piece of him that has been left behind?”

“Yes.” She whispered. “Its purpose is to hurt the ponies and spread its corruption. The more corruption it spreads the better. I had no idea it was there. It’s never been attacking such large groups before.”

Oblivion said nothing as he listened to her and then his mind began to work with the details she had given. “Me.”

“What?”

“It’s reacting to me.” He replied to her. “The only thing that has changed since he was sealed is me. Before it did not need to corrupt so many so quickly because it could do it slowly over time. With me here, anything it does is going to alert me and bring me to it.”

Equestria stared at him as he explained his thoughts and she nodded. “You're right. I held the World Spirit before you and the Revenant did not need to act. It only needed to be slow and deliberate. But now… You’re acting in response. It acts and it will draw you. I’m not sure it knows what you are though.”

“It doesn’t. That was one of its questions to me. It wanted to know what I was.” He explained.

She looked at him, as dread began to filter into her features. “Be careful. It can’t kill you but it can cause hurt. Never let it know about the others. Once it knows of them it will go after them with a vengeance.”

Oblivion got to his feet, allowing his knee to go back in place. “They will be safe.” He assured her.

Equestria said nothing further as she sniffled. She slowly got to her hooves and her bright eyes fell on him as he watched her. “I’m okay.” She assured him after a minute of silence between them.

He nodded and simply turned to look at the prison once more. The chains kept it locked in place and he walked up to the chains and tapped his hoof against the one closest to him. The chain didn’t move as it remained taut and secure. The mare with him stayed back as he walked around the prison. His eyes roved over it, searching for any visible weaknesses. When none were visible he returned to her and patted her shoulder.

“It’s fine.” He said to her.

“You’re certain?” She asked, her voice small compared to her normally bright voice.

“Yes. I’m certain.” He reassured her as he laid a hand on her back.

“I know your right and I trust you without question… But when it comes to his prison I always feel so unsure.”

“That’s reasonable. You enclosed him in it and it makes sense that the one who did the work would be the most concerned.” Oblivion said to her.

“That’s true.” She said with a light chuckle. “I can’t help but wonder if he let me capture him, as a way to mock me.”

“I don’t think he did.”

“No?”

“He might have known you were up to something but in the end, he had no way of preventing it here. This is your realm correct?” She nodded as he went on. “You command absolute power here. He has very little command in this realm.”

“You think so?”

“Yes.” He replied as she looked at him. “He might have thought you were up to something but in the end, his ability to fight you fairly was lost when he came here at your request. Well played.”

She laughed at his wording and she finally seemed to be regaining her good humor. “Perhaps you're right.”

He said nothing further as he stood with her, the silence dragging out between them. He felt his body give a slight jolt and she looked at him as he leaned against her.

“Time to wake up Witcher.” She whispered as he closed his eyes.

---

His eyes opened slowly and he found the sun shining brightly in through the window on the far wall. Sasa laid on the floor at the side of the bed and he leaned over the side of the bed and reached out a hoof to prod the feline awake. The cat's eyes snapped open and she bolted to her paws with a yelp. Oblivion managed not to smirk as the cat turned to stare at him.

“Did you?” She asked as he got off the bed and nodded. “Oh. Scared me to death.”

“You’ll live.” He said to her as he made for the room's only door.

He left the room as his magic summoned his saddlebags to his body and Sasa fell in behind him as he made for the front room. Forest was sitting in his front room when he looked up and yelped as the black Unicorn emerged from the hallway.

“Yer pretty quiet.” He observed as he pulled back into his chair.

“I’m supposed to be.” Oblivion replied. “How are the other ponies doing after being returned here this morning?”

“I had a few come to ask about you but I told ‘em ya were resting. They seemed concerned but I told ‘em that ya seemed unhurt, just tired.” Forest said to him.

“I appreciate it. I’ll head out from here and head to the next location. I’m pretty sure I know where it is.”

“Gonna leave without saying anything?” Forest asked as he got to his hooves.

“Is there anything they need from me?”

“Nah. Just wanted to say goodbye perhaps.” He explained as he made for the front door.

Sasa chuckled in his mind as he held back a sigh. “You’re stuck being paraded around for a little while.”

“Great.” He grumbled under his breath.

Sasa continued to chuckle as he followed the pony into the town.

---

Oblivion’s teleport ended as he then summoned Sasa to his side. She sat down heavily and looked up at him.

“That took forever.” She groused. “I’m pretty sure you spoke to every member of the village at least once.”

“You noticed it as well.” He growled. “That was tedious. I understand the desire to thank me but that could have been done in one large group at the same time.”

“I agree.” Sasa said to him as he turned to face their new destination. “Castle of the Two Sisters?”

“Yes. I think this is where the next piece is located.” He informed her as he began to walk into the front door.

It was the same door that he and the girls had found when they were first brought to the ruins. He walked into the room and he stopped as the fact that he was going to have to search the ruins began to weigh in him slightly.

“This is going to take forever.” Sasa said as she came to stand next to him. “Any ideas or just go from room to room dismantling it?”

“I don’t think dismantling the entire ruin is a good plan. I don’t; think that the Unicorn would have put it inside a wall. This was done not too long ago so I would think it would be hidden skin deep.”

“That’s a fair point.” Sasa replied as she fell behind him as he walked into the room. “Let the search begin.”

---

Oblivion sighed as he left the fifteenth room behind. That one had been of considerable size and took more time to search. He sighed as Sasa came up to him.

“Well… That was a waste.” She groused. “I don’t know about you but we have been doing this all day, going through each room with a fine-toothed comb and nothing.”

Oblivion agreed with her but at the same time, he knew that they had to keep looking. “That is true but we have no choice.”

“Can we rest for a bit?” She asked as he began to walk away from her.

“Are you alright?” He asked her. “I can refresh you if needed.”

She sat in silence for a moment before she got to her paws and nodded. He sent the World Spirit to layer over her and refresh her so that she could keep going with him. He led her down the hallway to the next room and she sighed behind him.

“I know it’s time-consuming but we are probably in the right place.” He said back to her.

“Wait, wait.” She said as he stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. “Probably?”

He said nothing for a moment before he nodded. “Yes. The map is more faded than the others so it’s more difficult to decipher. But I am sure this is the right place.”

“So we could be wasting our time with this?” She asked, her voice pitched in annoyance. “It might not even be here?”

“It’s fine. I can say that I am more than sure we are in the right place.”

She huffed and stared at him for several seconds before she hung her head and sighed once more. “Fine. I hope you are right.”

He looked ahead as he moved to the next room. The doors were more ornate than the last ones they had been through, and he noted the faded symbols on them. He could not easily make out what the designs made in their entirety but he took note nonetheless. Behind him, Sasa came to stand beside him and she also looked the doors over.

“I think it’s a ballroom.” She said to him.

“Really?” He asked as she nodded and stood up to push the door open.

The door slid open as the hinges screamed in protest. He pinned his ears as the sound grated over him and Sasa cringed beside him. He shook his head once the sound faded and moved to walk into the ballroom. The room was covered in a heavy layer of dust that kicked up when his hooves moved through it. The walls were intact and appeared to be holding steady despite their age. The ceiling above them was also intact and seemed solid.

“How’s the room?” Sasa asked from the door.

“Seems to be in fair shape, despite its age.” He assured her as he moved further into the enormous room.

Sasa walked into the room with him and she looked curiously around the dark room. “Some light, Chosen?”

Oblivion nodded as he lit his horn and the room was bathed in bright light. She gave a pleased noise and began to look around the room. He said nothing for several seconds as he also began to walk toward the room’s closest edge. He stopped to scan a pillar and he circled it slowly.

“Is there any way you can scan the room with magic?” Sasa asked as she paused a few feet from him.

“Not that I know of.” He admitted to her.

“Damn. I was hoping you might have an idea of a spell for it. Something that could look for the metal in the cylinder.”

He paused as she spoke and he had to admit her idea had merit. He did not have a spell personally that could do as she had asked. But Starswirls book did. His horn grew brighter as he summoned the book to him and he began to poke through the pages, searching for the spell. She came to stand by him as he flipped through the pages. He found the spell and he read through it again.

“Can you do it?” Sasa asked.

He glanced over the book at her for a moment before she seemed to realize what she had asked.

“Never mind. Stupid question.” She said to him as he snapped the book closed and sent it back to the farmhouse.

“I can handle it, I assure you.” He said to her. “The only issue is that the spell is not designed for a room with obstacles in it. It’s meant for an unobstructed viewpoint in all directions.”

“Can you get around that?” She asked.

“I think so. If I use a version of my cleanse spell I think I can put them together to cover the whole room from top to bottom. Typically that spell is used with the World Spirit but this time it needs Unicorn magic.” He explained to her.

“Oh I see what you’re saying.” Sasa said as she came to understand what he had been explaining to her. “Not going to overpower it?”

“Not needed.” He admitted. “The spell doesn’t need power it needs coverage. If we can cover the full area then it will go faster.”

“Okay, I see what you’re saying. Whenever you’re ready.” She said to him as she sat down to wait for him to cast the spell.

Oblivion leaned back on his heels as he channeled power into his horn to allow him to cast the two spells one after the other. He gathered as much magic as he thought he needed and cast the spell to have his magic cover every part of the ballroom from top to bottom. He waited till the spell had touched every corner and every crevice in the room before he cast the second spell. The spells peaked at the same time and Oblivion said nothing as metal pieces began to glow in response to the spell. Sasa looked around them and she sighed as she moved to the far wall to resume her search.

“How long will the glow last?”

“As far as I know it lasts for an hour unless it’s refreshed.” He called back to her as he walked to the nearest wall.

“Great.” She grumbled but soon was focusing on the glowing portions of the walls.

---

“Nothing on your end either?” Sasa asked as he joined her in the middle of the room.

“Nothing here.” He said to her.

“Lovely.” Sasa said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Next one?”

“Yes.” He said to her as he made for the doors once more.

“Lead the way, Chosen.” She said to him as he reached the door and walked back into the hallway. “Going to check the hallway with the spells?”

He paused at her question and for a moment he contemplated it, but something stopped him in his tracks. “No. I don’t think the Unicorn would have hidden it in plain sight. Do you?”

She said nothing for several seconds as he began to walk forward. “No. You make a good point.”

“It’s never that easy.” He said as his hooves scuffed the dirt and dust on the floor as he walked. “I doubt it would ever be that easy for us to find. It will either be in the most unlikely place or it's not there at all.”

“I am hoping it is her and you were right about the map piece, no matter how faded.” She replied as she fell in at his. “Who do you think that Unicorn is anyway?”

“To be honest I have no idea. I at one point thought it could have been a protégé of Starswirl but from what I have read he disappeared shortly after Luna was banished so it could not be him personally. I had thought to ask Celestia if she had an idea who was sent to that first village.”

“Why haven’t you?” Sasa asked.

Oblivion looked over his shoulder at her before he sighed. “I forgot.”

Sasa stopped in her tracks and stared at him. “You… Forgot?”

He nodded and looked back at her as she began to howl with laughter. The feline erupted into laughter as she dropped to the ground and put her paws over her snout. He sighed and waited for her laughter to stop and for her to rejoin him. Several minutes passed as the feline finally seemed to regain control over herself she got to her paws and padded up to him, still chuckling.

“You, Master Witcher of the School of the Wolf, Element of Spirit, Guardian of the World Spirit, curse breaker, and monster hunter… Forgot.” Sasa giggled as he began to walk forward once more now that she had joined him. “I assume you feel a bit foolish about that?”

“You are correct.” He replied, his tone dry.

“Hehehe.” Sasa giggled as she bumped his hip.

He said nothing further as he neared the next room. “Other than laughing yourself into a coma how are you doing?”

“I’m fine. I’m getting tired again but I think that we both could use a nap. You especially.”

“Why?”

“Even you can only go so long. While I am well aware you’re far from your limit it's better not to ever reach that limit.” Sasa reasoned.

“Good point.” He replied as he looked over his shoulder. “Let’s finish this hallway and then we will go back to the ballroom and rest there.”

“That’s fair.” Sasa agreed as the Witcher led her forward. “Now that we have that spell combo this should go faster.”

“That is my thought as well.” Oblivion replied as he faced another door. “It looks like we have about ten left.”

“Okay. Sounds easy enough as long as they are not the same size as the ballroom.”

“And if they are?”

“I may cry. You will have to listen to me cry and whimper.” She informed him.

“Understood.”

He pushed open the door to find an office in front of him. Sasa joined him and he heard a pleased sound as it came from her throat. She happily hopped through the doorway and stopped in her tracks.

“Oh shit.” She cursed as he felt his head give a slight tilt.

He walked in and turned to his left to look at what had earned a curse from her. A snort escaped him as he saw the library stretching out in front of them. Sasa whimpered in his mind as she sat down heavily.

“Just great.” She moaned. “Of course it’s a library. Of course it is.”

“Sounds like our luck is holding steady.” He said to her

Oblivion gathered his magic and sent out the first of the two spells and then the second followed in its wake. Sasa waited for the metal to light up and she yowled when the Library lit up with the glow of metal. He rocked back on his heel for a moment as he saw how much was lit up. He sighed again as he stepped forward to take the right side of the room and motioned for Sasa to take the left.

---

Oblivion reached the end of the library and he looked to the left to find Sasa coming to the end as well. He could see her shoulders were slumped as she reached him.

“I hate this.” She complained. “If this Unicorn was still alive I’d want to maul him.”

He shook his head at her declaration. “It’ll be fine.”

“Says the Witcher with boundless energy reserves.” She quipped. “Now what?”

“Next room in the hallway.”

“If it’s another library I’m going back to the ballroom and going to sleep without you.” She said to him with a laugh.

“Fair enough.” He said to her as he made for the doors. “On the upside, this deducts two sets of doors from our numbers.”

“That’s true. Silver lining.” Sasa replied as he opened the doors to allow her to leave the library.

He angled her toward the next door and opening it proved to be more of a challenge than he had thought. Sasa watched as his magic covered the doors and he used his magic to force them open. Inside was a mess of fallen ceiling pieces and broken wood. Sasa mewled next to him as she looked around.

“Well do you plan on checking it anyway?” She asked as she sat down.

“The spell should make it easy to see what is here or not here.” He replied to her.

Sasa said nothing in reply as his horn lit and the spells flowed easily through him and out into the world around him. Small pieces of metal lit up in front of him and his orange eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. None of the lights were large enough to make him think they were worth hunting down through the rubble. The pieces that were in there looked as though they had been smashed into even smaller pieces.

“Do you think this fell in and broke it?” Sasa asked.

“I do not think so.” He said to her. “None of the pieces are clustered together to show a smashed metal cylinder. Otherwise, I would have begun to levitate the rubble out of our way.”

“Be careful if we need to do that.” Sasa advised. “Pieces of rubble might be the only thing holding other pieces up.”

“I agree. Do you truly think I would have not accounted for that?”

Sasa chuckled and shook her head. “No. I’m pretty sure you had already looked through this room and already figured out where to lift and where not to lift if needed.”

He said nothing in reply as he moved away from the doorway and led her down the hallway to the next door. The next few doors held rubble and broken doors as they scanned each spot for the cylinder and its contents. Sasa had begun to lag a bit behind him as he moved. He cast an ear back toward her and he heard her beginning to breathe heavier. Oblivion knew that he could run the World Spirit over her again but it was near to the last set of doors and that was when they would stop as agreed. He reached the last door and his magic pushed it open to reveal a small office.

“Is it a small office or is it another large room hiding behind the door?”

“It’s a small room.” He said to her as she drew up next to him. “It will be easy to check it. If you wish you can head back to the ballroom and I will join you there in a minute.”

She nodded and spun on her heel to walk back down the hallway ahead of him. His horn lit as he sent the spells out again to illuminate the metal pieces in the room. A large piece of metal shone by the desk and he walked carefully into the room. He did not know if the Unicorn had put the cylinder in there and booby-trapped it or not. He was experienced enough to keep on his claws and be cautious. He reached the large item and his magic gripped the desk and he yanked off the piece that covered the metal. Removing the desk revealed a metal safe on the floor.

“Interesting. This would be a good place to hide anything.” He said to himself as he reached for the safe.

The Witcher said nothing as he began to try to open the safe. He knew that it was most likely locked tight and his magic covered the door and he began to try to find the combination. The combo was quick to fall into place as he quickly spun the lock. It clicked open and he stepped back as the door began to swing slowly open. Inside he found a set of gemstones and nothing more. He grumbled under his breath and he could not help but wonder why these stones had been left behind. Caution edged into his body and he backed up a step before he used magic to grip the stones.

“Hopefully these are not anything particularly special.” He said aloud as his magic brought the gems out into the light of his horn. “So far seems to not be trapped or dangerous.”

He pulled the gems to hover in front of him and as he looked at the gems they were a mix of ruby and sapphire stones. His magic hovered as he opened his saddlebags and set the gems inside of a small bag within them. He backed up and looked over the rest of the room and found nothing small enough to be the cylinder. He growled under his breath and walked away from the desk and out of the room. He knew that Sasa had already reached the ballroom and was waiting for him there. His horn lit as he teleported to join her. The feline yelped in surprise as he appeared.

“You need to warn me before you do that.” She groused.

He said nothing and lay down across from her. His horn lit as a woodless fire appeared in between them and the azure flames cast shadows on the walls of the ballroom.

“Find anything?” She asked.

“I found a safe that had not been cleared out when it was abandoned.” He informed her.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, some rubies and sapphires were left behind.” He said to her.

“Any plans for them?”

“Not so far.”

He didn’t see the sly look go through Sasa’s eyes as she looked away for a moment before she spoke. “Maybe make them into something for Twilight.”

He said nothing for a moment as he looked back at the Spirit Tiger. “Why?”

“It would be something nice to do for her.” Sasa explained. “She’s been very helpful.”

“Hmm.” He went quiet for a few moments before he spoke again. “Maybe. But what would I make them into?”

“A bookmark?” Sasa asked.

“I think that would be too heavy for a small book.” He said back to her. “Perhaps a necklace?”

Sasa nodded enthusiastically. “I think that would be quite the kind thing to do for her.”

“Hmm.” He fell silent as he considered what they had said.

He fell quiet as he laid his head down over his forelegs. Across from him, Sasa regarded him for a moment.

“I’m kinda hungry.” She said to him.

His horn lit as he summoned some food from his saddlebags and laid it in front of her. She gave a happy noise and happily dug into what he had given her. He laid his head back down and closed his eyes as she ate.

---

Sasa watched as he closed his eyes and she could hear his breathing even out after several minutes as he slept. She bit back a smile as she listened to him breathe. “A sweet necklace for Twilight will go a long way I think.” She thought to herself. “They make an adorable couple. She does deeply care about him and if anything he trusts her more than the others. Granted Twilight did figure out where he was from before any other. So what she knows is greater than the others. I do wish he would tell her about his wings but I can understand why he remains quiet.”

The cat said nothing further as she laid her head on her paws. Her front fangs tipped against the floor and she leaned her head to the side to keep her fangs from hitting the ground further. “He claims that all his emotions are gone but I would wager that not all of them are completely gone. That one has persisted in the others so why would he be any different?”

The cat said nothing further as she let her eyes fall closed as the azure flames flickered in front of her. She knew that the rest of the castle was going to take days to go through. She dreaded it but she knew that it needed to be done as quickly as they could. She groaned at the thought of the time that would be needed.

Author's Note:

Here we go for a new chapter. I was going to make it longer and add in the first part of the next chapter but it would be huge so I split it up. Thanks for reading!