23: Lessons and Stories...
The Overlord was quiet as papers hovered around him. His red aura covered them as he set several aside for later and others floated into his line of sight. His ears flicked as Dezhara rolled over in her bed and huffed as she went back to sleep. The Black Unicorn was quiet as the sound of claws caught his attention and he looked up as a group of minions came into the room, Light Gaze walking with them. Hunter raised an eyebrow as the stallion approached.
“Gaze?” He voiced as the pony bowed low to him.
“I was told I needed to teach you how to dance.” Gaze replied as he stood straight.
“So you’re the one Gnarl found.”
“Yes. Since I was there when your father was being taught and helped in the process I was a natural choice. Plus I will keep your inability to dance to myself.”
Hunter snorted a laugh and set his papers aside. “If I was worried about it getting out I would have told Twilight no to her request for me to join her.”
“Ahh, so it’s the young Princess that got you to leave the Netherworld Empire!”
Hunter rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah. Figured I can’t be a hermit forever.”
Gaze chuckled as the stallion approached him. “She’s a sweet young mare. I worked with her in the Empire after you left and she was afraid that we would not get everything on your list finished in time. Was quite frantic about it at times.”
“I hardly expected her to keep my hours of work to accomplish everything,” Hunter explained as he reached the other pony. "So how do I not crush her hooves?”
“By the Dark!” Hunter cursed as he kicked Gaze's hoof again. “Okay please tell me I am not the worst student you have ever seen. My ego needs a bit of a boost.”
“Your father was worse.” Gaze admitted as he rubbed his rear hoof.
“Truly?”
“Yes. For all his power and strength he had four left hooves.” Gaze admitted as he took up his place at Hunter's side once more. “Your mother made him look good. Left turn.”
Hunter moved as needed and managed not to step on his dance teacher again. “I had heard he did fine.”
“He did because your mother helped the entire time.” The older pony replied. “If not for her he would have fallen flat on his face and made an ass of himself. Right turn.”
Hunter chuckled and shifted his stance. “I thought the stallion was meant to lead?”
“He did, but just barely. Songstress would often be telling him where to put his hoof as they danced. It was quite the sight to see the two of them moving so well. Made for a good laugh for those of us who knew that he was, in fact, terrible at it and she had the biggest smile on her face telling him what to do.”
Hunter laughed. “So how did he learn anything if she was telling him what to do?”
“He knew how to dance, he was just awful at it. Spin.” Gaze replied.
Hunter shifted and spun the older pony away from him and then back. “Have to admit that is a tale that I would not have minded being told when I was young. All I ever heard was of how good he was at being the Overlord before me.”
“He was very good at many things, dancing was not one of them and flourish!” Gaze pulled away from him and spun.
Hunter laughed at the old ponies antics and clapped his hooves. “Well done.”
“You as well. Once you stopped focusing on it you did perfectly. And my hooves are not scuffed further.”
“Well, that’s one thing I am better than my father at.” Hunter agreed. “That takes care of that at least. I can avoid making a fool of myself in Equestria.”
“At the very least you will not be known as that handsome stallion that stood at the wall the whole time.” Gaze replied.
“Oh no, I am no wallflower.” Hunter agreed.
“That is true. Princess Twilight will have to keep a close eye on you so you don’t get yourself into trouble.” Gaze teased gently.
Hunter chuckled. “Probably.”
“I do have a question though, if I may?”
“Go ahead.”
“What happened to the paintings that were hung in the Netherworld?”
“Paintings? I wasn’t aware there were any.” Hunter admitted with a shrug.
“Yes, the ones your mother made or had made.”
“She painted?” Hunter asked, his curiosity peaked.
“Oh yes. Come, I’ll show you.” Gaze said and walked away from the throne room with Hunter on his heels.
Hunter stayed behind the older pony as he was being led down a side hallway that he had not been down in more than ten years. Gaze stopped outside of one of the doors and motioned for Hunter to go through it. The black stallion pushed open the double doors and was immediately hit with the smell of paint and chemicals used for painting. His eyes widened at the sight of the paintings on the walls around him.
“Wow.” He whispered as he looked around him.
Hunters eyes fell on the small paintings of the Never-Ending and then his eyes fell on the paintings of him and his father. He walked up to one of them and his hoof reached out and was set gently on the canvas. He backed away from the small painting and Gaze cleared his throat as he pointed to the large painting above the fireplace. The painting was easily over ten feet tall and just as wide. His father stood behind his mother as she sat on a chair and held a foal in her arms. Both looked somber, but he could see the sparkle in their eyes as they stood still.
“Holy…shit.” He breathed out.
Gaze said nothing as he backed up and allowed Hunter to stare. Hunter stared at his father’s deep brown eyes and then to his mother’s brilliant blue. He looked to the foal in the image and the same bright blue looked back at him.
“I had almost forgotten that my eyes were once blue, like hers.” Hunter chuckled. “Not many ponies left who know that.”
Gaze remained quiet as Hunter's red eyes went over the image in front of him. His mother’s silver fur was bright against the darker backdrop and his father’s deep grey. He could see the black fur that went up past his father’s knees and faded into his gray body. Hunters black fur prevented him from knowing if that was a trait he had gotten.
“Your father commissioned an artist to paint the family. You slept through most of it but the artist saw you awake enough to know your eye color. You were barely six months old when this was made. Songstress was always one to paint but she painted you and your father so it didn’t help to ask her to paint a family portrait.”
“I’m sure every foal thinks their mother looks like a camera at first,” Hunter replied and looked around to the many paintings of his father and himself.
“That’s true. You should move them out of this room.” Gaze said to him, his tone quiet.
Hunter looked over his shoulder to him for a moment before he looked back to the large painting. “Tempting.” He admitted. “But the Netherworld is mine now and…what?”
Gaze had broken into laughter at his words and Hunter stared at him as he composed himself. “My apologies My Lord. But there is no pony that questions who is the ruler of this Kingdom. The only one that can decide if you rule or not is yourself.”
Hunter was quiet as the elder pony spoke. His eyes went back to the painting before he spoke. “Do I look like I’m trying too hard though?” He whispered.
“Nopony even recalls your Lord father nowadays. When asked who our ruler is your name is the only one that comes from their mouths. You went through a special kind of hell to save and protect the ponies of the Empire just recently. You dove back in to protect those who were being walked on. You could have left and come back with an army, but instead, you waded back in immediately to save as many as possible.” Gaze looked from him to the painting and then back. “Nopony can say that you do not rule them. You are your own ruler and it shows.”
Hunter fell quiet as the other spoke and he sighed. “Maybe I’ll bring a few of them out.”
“I think they would be happy to know that you have seen them and I know Songstress would be happy to see them enjoyed by so many. She was private with some of them but many she put up just to see the looks on the faces of others.”
The black Unicorn said nothing further as he nodded to the earth pony. “I’ll think about it.”
Hunter stood on the platform and waited for the stone sphere to come to him. It arrived a moment later and he issued the command to take him to the Dragons Lair. He would need a boost to get into the nest but he could get there on his own. The stone platform arrived at the Lair and he hopped off of it onto the stone floor. His hooves thudded dully against the stone as he made his way towards the back of the Lair. He reached the base of the Nest and he reached out to Sorkeno but Maranna looked over the edge before he could finish his request of the dragon. The red female put down her paw and he hopped into it.
”You are a bit late.” She teased,
“I know. I’m a terrible Nestmate.” He replied with a laugh and she smiled in reply. “How are they this evening?”
“Quiet. I think they are waiting for you to be honest.” She admitted as he jumped from her paw to the stone floor. Your little black has been calling.”
Hunter groaned and broke into a trot as Maranna chuckled at him. Hunter neared the Nest and he could hear the babies calling and he broke into a lope as he left the shadow of the path ahead. He emerged into the cavernous Nesting area and he heard Setan growling as the babies clamored over his head. Hunter slowed down to watch the clamor and laugh at the green drake’s expense.
“You okay there Setan?” He finally called out.
The green male looked to him and simply stared in response. Hunter chuckled and his magic gripped a chunk of meat for the babies and used it to draw them off the male's face. He was able to raise his head once the babies were out of the way. The babies clamored to the food and Hunter began to work on teaching them to be patient. If they leaped for the food then he took it away. After a minute of their cries falling on deaf ears, they stilled and the food was given to them quickly.
“Well done, Child.” Kaiana praised him.
He smiled back at her and kept on teaching the babies to be patient. They were a month old and grew faster than foals ever would. Soon he would have to begin setting boundaries when it came to playing with him or he risked being flattened and injured. The babies did as they were asked and waited patiently and the food came to them each quickly until they were full. The black walked to him and nuzzled him heavily and Hunter was forced to brace or be thrown off his hooves. So far none of the babies had noticed how different he was from the other ‘parents’. He hoped that would not be noticed until later and then he would need to set boundaries quickly or he would be thrown from his hooves anytime he was around them.
“How was your day Child?” Kaiana asked him as the babies clamored into a pile and were soon asleep. “We played with them until you arrived to allow them to sleep quickly once they were fed.”
“Good plan. I’m going to need to start setting boundaries with them soon enough.”
“That’s true. Your little black sees you as the same as himself so he will need to learn quickly.” She agreed as she coiled around him and the babies with a quiet sigh.
Sorkeno laid down behind her and his head laid across her back to talk to him. “You have something on your mind?” He asked.
“Yeah, kind of.”
“What is it?” Kaiana asked him gently.
“Gaze came by to make sure I know how to dance and he showed me my mother’s painting room. I didn’t even know it was there.” Hunter admitted.
“Ahh. I had forgotten about it as well. I recall that she painted but I had forgotten of the space she used for it.” Sorkeno replied.
“I had not forgotten,” Kaiana said to them, sorrow in her tone. “You had never asked so I did not see the need to mention it.”
“I never knew. I guess, I never thought to ask about it either. There were a lot of paintings of me and my father. Plus the big one of the group of us above the mantle.”
“I recall that one,” Sorkeno admitted after a pause. “Your father had asked an artist to come to the Netherworld to paint it. Gnarl moved them all out of sight.”
“Why?” Hunter asked.
“To allow you to not be distracted by them and the past.” Sorkeno clarified.
“What would you say if I was thinking of moving them back?” Hunter replied his reply a clear question to the two dragons closest to him.
“I would think it is a lovely idea,” Kaiana said to him.
“It would be a good way to honor them,” Sorkeno added.
“I’ll keep thinking about it,” Hunter replied, his face a mask of uncertainty.
“She loved to paint. She painted what she saw around her. She mostly painted what was dearest to her, your father and you. She painted her world in great detail and the two of you were her world.” Kaiana said to him as he leaned against her scales.
“But what was she like? I have heard a few things from gnarl but nothing about her personality-wise.” Hunter admitted.
“Once when she was still pregnant with you she wanted to go sailing on her ship or even a smaller one she was not picky. She went to your father and asked him about it and he forbade it. He was nervous about her being so far along in her pregnancy. She was furious with him for it.” Kaiana smiled at the memory. “She came to me here and spoke to me about it. I advised her to take his feelings into account.”
“And did she?” Hunter asked as he gave his attention to the silver matriarch.
“She did. In a way.” She laughed as she spoke. “She asked me to help her. I agreed and we went to Nordberg together. She took to the Never-Ending and I slid into the water and pushed the ship around the harbor for a couple of hours until she got tired and then I took her home.”
Hunter broke out laughing and patted the she dragon’s scales. “That’s adorable. What did my father say?”
“What could he say? It had already been done. He was told that she was with me and that was enough for him to be sure of her safety, but he was not aware that we had taken the hour flight to Nordberg. So when we came back he was in quite the lather when he could not find her at my cave. Sorkeno assured him she was fine and he saw that for himself when we returned.”
“He was furious,” Sorkeno informed him. “But he could not argue with her for long. She assured him she did not push the ship herself and that the sails had not even been put down. They had remained in the harbor and Kaiana had been with her the entire time.”
“So he was trying to argue with mom and two dragons?” They nodded as he spoke. “Even I know better than that.”
“But you do occasionally.” Kaiana teased him and he shrugged. “His worry for her safety was honest, but she was in no danger with a dragon at her side.”
“Nah I would pity anypony that tried to get near her. You really pushed the Never-Ending around the harbor for her?”
“Of course. She loved the ship that had been her wedding present and loved to pilot it. It was her way of flying. She would love to know that you cherish the ship as much as she did.”
“Anypony touches that ship loses their hooves. The last ones are lucky it wasn’t damaged.” Hunter growled.
“Even though you blew off its cabin door.” Sorkeno pointed out.
“Exigent circumstances Sorkeno!” Hunter quickly replied. “There were ponies on the deck of the ship that I had to get around. I did apologize before blowing off the door, just so you know.”
Both dragons laughed at his vehement response. Hunter leaned heavily against the silver scales and laughed. He tried to picture it with the image he had of her in the painting and he laughed at the thought.
“All I was ever told was that she loved music and flowers,” Hunter said aloud.
Kaiana nuzzled him before she spoke. “That is a couple of things about her. She would paint when she needed some quiet time away from everypony. She loved the flowers and the outside but the music was her calling in life. She had no equal.”
“I know very little about either of them.” Hunter lamented and got to his hooves and began to pace. “How is it I know so little about my own family?”
“We chose to not speak of them around you,” Sorkeno said to him.
“Why?”
“You were so young when you lost her and it sent you reeling. Your father did what he could for you but you needed her, not him.” Kaiana explained.
“So you stepped in?” Hunter said to her as he paused in his pacing.
“Yes. She was a dear friend to me and it was decided to see if you could bond to me in her place. When you did your father was so relieved I think he fainted.”
“He very nearly did.” Sorkeno chuckled. “But after losing him as well Gnarl decided, and we agreed, to speak not of them as a way to allow you to grow up into your own stallion. The only stories you were told was of the times he went to protect others. We wanted to allow you to grow into who you chose to be. Not grow up to be your mother or father. That way you were not in their shadows, but instead made your own.”
“That explains a few things.” Hunter agreed and sat back down with them. “So the plan was to make sure I grew up to be who I wanted to be versus turning into them?” The dragons nodded. “I can see why it was done. “I am the one that will protect them when they have need. That is who I have grown into.”
Kaiana nodded and nuzzled him. “You have grown up in front of us, into a pony that we are proud of. You are the one who will guide the ponies into the future and protect them from the world around them.”
Hunter nodded and nuzzled her cheek.
Hunter stepped off the stone platform and started for the throne room when he paused once more. His gaze went down the far hallway as Dezhara rejoined him. His hooves thudded as he went down the narrow hallway and he pushed open the doors to the art studio once more. His nose was caught by the scents from before and he walked up to the fireplace and stared at the pictures above the mantle.
“What do I do now?” He whispered and looked to the wolf at his side for a moment before his gaze went back to the painting. “Do I bring these back out or leave them here, hiding away?”
His gaze went to the ground as he sat down heavily and allowed himself to sigh deeply and sag in his armor for a moment or two. Dezhara whined and rubbed her head against his armored shoulder. The stallion opened his mouth to speak when the sound of hooves and claws caught his attention. He got to his hooves and spun to face the open doors. He watched as Wrath walked into the room and he started to sigh out loud when the sound of hooves followed the minion. Twilight walked in behind the minion and Hunter glowered at the oblivions minion.
“Oh. You are awake.” Twilight said to him as she saw him. “Sorry if I’m disturbing you. I couldn’t sleep and I bumped into Wrath. I asked him if you were still awake and he led me here.” She admitted to him.
Hunter glared at the minion for several seconds as it watched him closely. “Wrath? Learn to ask questions first.”
The minion shrugged and went up to him and jumped to its normal place on his armor. Twilight giggled at his suffering expression. “Am I interrupting…Wow?” Her eyes went to the paintings around her and then to the big one over his shoulder. “Did you?”
“Oh by the Dark no.” He laughed at her assumption of his abilities. “No, I have no skill with a brush. My…mother did all of them.”
“Oh wow. Now I know why they are all in here.” She said as she came further into the room. “I’d keep them out of sight to. So I could be around them.”
“I actually didn’t know they were here until today.” He admitted.
“Oh. Then why are they all in here still?” She paused as she came in further and looked at him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Is it okay if I’m in here? I’ll get out otherwise.”
“It’s fine. Not like I’m trying to hide them.” He replied to her and shrugged.
“But why didn’t you know about this space before now?”
“They were hidden so that I could get over the loss of them and move on. I was only told certain stories to help me grow up. Like the ones where my father went to protect his ponies, ones like that.” Twilight nodded as he spoke. “It made me grow into the pony I wanted to be versus growing up to be like either of them. So I made myself instead of growing up in their shadows.”
“I see. But knowing about them would have been nice too. That way things aren’t a shock to you now. Did you know she was a painter?”
“No. I had no idea. I know very little about any hobbies of theirs. I don’t know if my father even had any, but that’s neither here nor there.”
Twilight looked at the paintings, her eyes held sadness as she gazed over the paintings. “It’s obvious who she liked to paint the most.”
“Kaiana said she painted her world in great detail. My father and I were her worlds.” He said back to her.
“That’s so sweet of her.” She smiled as she looked at the paintings once more. “What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m…not sure at the moment.” He admitted to the Alicorn.
“I would show them off. Even if it’s just a few of them. The big one you have to show off. Did she do that one?”
“No. That was done by an artist my father found.”
“You had blue eyes like hers?”
“Yes. Carbon copy of hers.” He replied with a chuckle.
“They were pretty.”
“Now they’re red.” He joked and she smiled.
“Not a bad color. They're still very bright.” She added.
“That they are.”
“Still. You should show them off. At least that one.” She pointed to the big painting. “I would be proud to have a big painting like that of my family. Plus, a few of the Never-Ending would be so pretty around the Netherworld.”
“Maybe.”
“They’ll bring a smile to those who see them. And you as well. Soft Touch told me your mom brought back a flower that everyone thought was gone and was able to get it to grow again. That was almost gone forever and she saved it.”
“She did that’s true.” He replied and nodded. “The Hearts Rose. A personal favorite as well.”
“I have grown to love the scent of it. I’ll have to beg a bottle of it when we leave.” She joked to him.
“So long as I don’t see it being sold I don’t see why not.”
“I would never! That would be…oh, your teasing.” She started to yell but the look on his face stopped her and she blushed. “That would be nice, Thank you.”
Hunter laughed at the look on her face and then went still. “We shall see what happens. For now, how are the preparations for the Gala going? I trust Rarity is still mulling over how to make formal armor?”
Twilight laughed at his gentle teasing of her friend. “She has ideas for all our gowns but she is still working on your armor.” She admitted with a shrug. “We leave in a week since it takes time to get back to Canterlot and Ponyville.”
Hunter looked at her for a moment before understanding went through him. “Oh right. I forgot you traveled by Pegasus. I can have a Gate put in by the border if you wish.”
Twilight’s eyes went wide at his offer and she sputtered for a moment before composing herself. “You can?”
“Of course. Grubby is the one that builds them and his team can have one made in a couple of hours should I command it.”
“That’s amazing. If you don’t mind that would be great. This means we don’t need to run off as quickly and poor Rarity will have plenty of time to get your armor figured out without a looming deadline.”
“True enough. I will put Grubby on it when the time comes. For now, I think you should try to sleep. I will be doing the same.”
She nodded to him and he moved toward the door. “You should still show the paintings off.”
“Oh?”
“I think it would help you as well. A part of you is still that little foal hoping they come back.” She whispered to him as she left the room. “Just a thought.”
He was silent as her guards led her back towards her own room and he stayed in the doorway of the art room. His bright red eyes went back to the paintings and his magic closed the door as he left the room. ‘Clever little mare.’ He thought to himself as Wrath and Dezhara stayed with him as he moved to go to his own room.
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9697678
a look of utter "HOW DA FUQ DID SHE GET HIM TO COME THIS YEAR?" on their faces
Once again loving this amazing story and hope to see more very soon my good sir!
....now I must sleep got to do labor out in the humidity that is Louisiana...kill me.
9698235
You have my sympathy!
9698141
Glorious!
9699539 get to do more tomorrow with it being 77-88 degrees with 91% humidity and thus being able to read your story makes it somewhat bearable and really can’t wait for more. I have overlord 1 and 2. Beat em both.
9699619
I die at heats over 66-70F. I'm a cold weather fanatic for health reasons lol. I can deal with humidity but I hate straight heat!
9699645 lol I can deal with straight heat but the humidity is the killer for me. Don’t have health issues to is but my body is use to dry and hot not humid and hot.
9699687
Lol. I live in a desert so hot and dry is all I know. Which I do not like. But it's cheaper to live in the desert than the city.
9699688 Roswell is a city and a desert..well more of a town I guess.
9699691
Yikes. Washington is mountains with the desert off to the side.
9699692
Roswell is a valley that is a desert
9699694
Yikes.
9699688
Reason why I will never leave Michigan, I cannot stand the heat, and from what I’ve seen everywhere else in America is god awful when it comes to heat. I’d sooner move to Canada where it’s colder than move down in America where snow doesn’t always fall during winter!
Considering Twilight’s own, erm, skill at dancing, I don’t think he can depend on her making him look good
9735671
Nope. He's on his own ion that department. Will be up to him to make her look good.
They’re red
9946547
Fixed thank you!
Magnificent somber chapter. Would love to see a picture like that. Perhaps i play Overlord 2 ones more. It has been years...
Misplaced semicolon.
11244542
Fixed. I am not sure why but my keyboard adds those to the ends of some words. I need a new keyboard but they're pricey for the good ones. Thanks for pointing it out. I usually catch them all but sometimes I miss one.