The Chronicle of Tau Niem: Out of Place

by Jack-Pony

Qua'di: Lourenii ~ Terrors

Author's Note:

Chapter Specific Warning: This chapter’s opening scene contains potentially disturbing material.

(A little music to set the theme, if you'd like...)

The darkness parted for the purple unicorn and she found herself standing on the soft, blue-grey sand, looking out to the west at the setting green star. The vast ocean was painted in oranges, reds and maroons, atop a canvass of navy-blue, and its waters gently lapped upon the beach of smooth sand under her hooves. A man knelt, motionless at the water’s edge, his head hung low. It took her a moment to recognize the creature as Tau Niem, the formidable and proud alien that had appeared in the halls of Canterlot just days earlier. However, this man’s hair was matted and unkempt, his robes appeared dirty and worn; it looked like he had fought a Manticore, and only just stumbled out with his life! Then, his voice leapt from his throat in a wail of horrific pain, only to crack and break into a sobbing moan as he fell on his side. He rolled into a fetal ball and shuddered as he wept, wracked with a torment beyond imagination. Even had he not told the princesses’ dinner guests that his wife had died, she would’ve assumed that he had lost someone very dear to his heart. However, at this time his feelings of melancholy were felt as her own.

“Oh Tau…” She sighed, realizing that there was nothing she could do for him, but wishing desperately that there was, “She must’ve been something…”

Without warning, everything changed… The sea gave way to soft ground, covered in a light frosting of snow, pouring down into the valley from the high mountains, with only the sparsest of vegetation. The sand under her hooves gave way to a dark, rich mud, newly torn up from the boots of soldiers. Laughter and cheers were punctuated by groans of the defeated…but none of that mattered, because before Twilight stood Tau Niem, in a very different set of garb, one that had been dark grey, before the thick layer of mud that now covered him from head to toe. The smile on his face became all the brighter as he reached a hand down to one of his comrades, sank deep into the mud, while clutching a dark-red ball, about three hooves across in size. She took his hand and she tossed the ball to another, as he hauled her up. She dominated his vision and all his thoughts, and before Twilight realized it, his sorrow had parted, to be replaced with a pervasive bliss.

Time seemed to slow, giving Twilight ample time to observe the female that he held tightly by the arm. She couldn’t help but stare into her nearly identical colored leaf-green eyes, they were just so similar to his. Anatomically there were few differences from her pony perspective, though his mind told her that to him there were plenty. Her skin was fair, though darker than his, making his look pale in comparison. Her features were neither soft, nor hard, but so far as he was concerned, angelic. A splash of mud coated her smiling face, contrasting with her ember-red hair and green eyes respectively, showing off the flush of her cheeks and the fullness of her lips. She smelled wonderfully like the earth, but with the faintest touch of spice…one that he could lose himself in forever! They smiled simultaneously and took each other in a tight and loving embrace, revealing to Twilight that she was slightly shorter than he was. Just as quickly as they had taken a hold of each other, they released each other to take each other by the shoulders...

Throwing their heads back they exclaimed, “Victory!” Their mirth drowned out everyone else around them, before eliciting a cheer from their companions.

However, to him, her presence…her love, was all that mattered. All was as it should be in his mind. The two lovers standing triumphant over the world! Everything could’ve ended in fire around them and he wouldn’t have a cared…but it didn’t end there…no...

Twilight recoiled in shock as his thoughts imploded inwards upon themselves, and the world changed once more. In one violent twist of reality, the two of them faded from existence and she found herself alone, in someplace altogether foreign… staring down the muzzle of a metal-wolf. The being’s gelatinous, red eyes swirled slowly with motion under their surface, some unknown machine working beneath as they bore into her curiously. At first glance, it had no visible flesh, just metal...teeth, jaw and skull. Teeth that would turn her into ribbons, she knew it. Pure horror filled her mind, as the alien’s presence seemed to close in and suffocate her with its cold, merciless eyes. Smells both familiar and foreign, barraged her nose, like the gentle, nearly invisible smoke upon the air...also, those of fear and death. All she wanted to do was to flee, to find a place to hide, but she was glued in place. A part of her knew that it was already too late for that. There was no hope for her now.

Then, without rhyme or reason, the being turned and slunk away, back down the corridor towards the ‘T’ shaped junction. The sound of shocked surprise rang out from the right and it snapped its head about, before leaping through the air. She sat, frozen on her rump in the relative darkness as the furious sounds of fighting unfurled, whip-snaps, thuds and tearing, punctuated by screams. Somewhere in the midst of mind numbing terror, a gentle spray of blood colored the metal walls. Then a silence fell upon her, a sickly, deathly silence. Only the gentle, red glow of the ship’s running lights illuminated the hell that she was now in. A dark, cold foreboding place, with just the slightest hint of smoke in the air.

Her heart raced and her breathing was shallow, as fear bid her to run. Just as she lifted a foreleg to turn and do just that, to run into the darkness, away from the horrible memories, she realized that she knew those voices...no, he knew those voices, she reminded herself. There was a sharp gasp to her left, causing her to turn herself partway about to regard a pale, panic-stricken Danårian that it took her a moment to realize was Tau Niem. He all but plowed over her as he bolted for the junction, and would have if not for the fact that she had thrown herself against the wall to her right. He came to an abrupt stop with his left hand against the pale wall, covered in a fine splatter of fresh blood, made all the more brilliant by the red light upon it. His shoulders fell as his arm fell to his side, his expression slackening and a gentle shaking overtook him. He howled in despair as he too darted around the corner.

The blue-grey metal that clanked beneath her hooves as she timidly trotted towards the intersection, only managed to amplify her trepidation. Despite her fear, mashed with his, she started slowly towards the sound and before she realized it, she was running. Twilight came to an abrupt stop in a puddle of mixed blood, nearly falling. It was only luck that kept her on her hooves, as she stared dumbly at the scene before her. The fine splatter that coated the wall adjacent to herself, gave way to a corridor that was equally wide as it was tall and filled with gore. She was too shocked to react as she beheld the mangled bodies of two Danårians, sliced to ribbons and a third, macabre creature that she eventually recognized as the one that she had been muzzle to muzzle with only moments before. The bodies lay haphazardly, left where they fell. Just past them, was Tau Niem, hunched over another of his kin, cradling them in his arms. As if guided by another, the mare walked forward, over the bodies and through the blood, to get a better view…

“Hang on, just hold on…” He wept as he pleaded, desperately begging, that she live, “Help! Someone, anyone!?” He shrieked at the top of his lungs.

Twilight stood frozen in place, wanting to help him, help her, only to find herself completely unable… Then, the dying woman’s bloody hand slowly rose from her side, cut from the top of the wrist, down the outside of her forearm, right through the sleeve of her once grey uniform. Instinctively, he took her hand and raised it to his face, with a forced smile. Twilight then saw the blood pouring from the deep wounds in her stomach. She struggled to speak, her breaths labored in the extreme…gasping for air, before able to form her words.

“Its alright, I’m here. I’m with you.” He reassured her through his tears.

“…Am I precious to thee…?” She whispered to him.

With those words, she became still. Her chest never rose and her lungs did not fill. The teary eyed man watched on in silent horror, as her eyes darkened. He stared into her now grey, lifeless eyes and her hand fell limply from his own, leaving behind the last warmth of her body on his face, in the form of a bloody handprint. Both remained still, petrified from the scene, until Tau Niem broke…

“No...no...no, no, no, no, No!” He gently slapped her face, before taking it in both his now bloody hands and shouting at her, “Wait! Don’t go! No!”

He fell upon her and held her tight. His words became a garbled gibberish of tears and cries of pain. He cradled her, rocking her limp form gently, praying that this were the most terrible nightmare…that he had been captured and this was some sick torture of his people’s enemies…or even that this was the afterlife and that he was suffering for the cowardice he showed just before his death…anything but reality! Anything…

This was the first time that Twilight had ever seen death. Not a dead pony that had passed peacefully in their sleep, no, but violent, bloody death. Her mind spun around and around, trying to process what she had seen, but it could not...until finally, the sounds of battle, weapons-fire, explosions and screams drew her attention. She turned back to look in fear, only to see nothing, this junction was too short for her to see much of anything. As she turned back, her eyes fell upon the mangled creature that she now saw was equal parts flesh and metal, and all too similar to a Timber Wolf, or perhaps some sort of bear? What kind of creature could kill so callously and for no purpose? Even the most fearsome creatures in the Everfree Forest only killed for food, or to defend themselves…

Tau Niem still clutched his dead mate, his forehead upon hers, as another, even closer explosion rocked the deck! Through him, the knowledge that they were close to the hull, near where the enemy would’ve boarded from, flowed into her, but this was unlike the feelings that she had received before. This was cold, informative…emotionless. Twilight turned back to him in fear, where he still lay over his dead love, but was now silent and unmoving as well. She came up to him and placed her hooves on him…

“Tau Niem, come on! They’re coming!” She shouted at him, begging him to move, to flee from the terrifying, unknown enemy, but he took no notice of her, “Please, they’ll kill you!”

Twilight noted as Tau Niem lay there, embracing his dead wife, completely unaffected by her touch, that their connection was gone. She no longer felt fear, or loss, or anger, or anything from him. It was as if he had died too…

“Lady of the Long Night take me,” His voice sounded flat and distant, and enough to cause her to back up in fright. As he slowly stood, she looked up into his eyes and they were pitch black, punctuated with orange and green swirls. His face was taut and his eyes blank, as if possessed. It reminded her of… “…guide my wrath as darkness falls, for this day was their last!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Twilight’s eyes snapped open as she stumbled back from Tau Niem, who was still lying unconscious on the couch. Twilight crashing backward, over Fluttershy’s furniture, caused the watching pegasus to yelp with a start. The purple unicorn twisted around, as she got tangled up in her friend’s coffee table, before emptying her stomach all over and collapsing on the floor from shock. Fluttershy popped her head up over the couch to see the mess that her friend had made, before passing out almost on the other side of the room… Seeing that she now had not one, but two sick, or injured friends in her living room, the timid mare began to panic!

“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness…” The butterscotch pegasus began, before darting out of her cottage to get help, “Applejack!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Though her friends often mistook her for being a poor flier, when the need arose Fluttershy was remarkably fast! Not so fast as Rainbow Dash, but still impressively fast nonetheless. Thus, it was no surprise that she and Applejack had managed to return before Twilight had even stirred…

“Twilight?” Applejack’s voice sounded very faint, as if heard from a great distance, “Twi, you alright? Come on…”

At Applejack’s prompting, the purple unicorn slowly began to come to…

“Ugh…water?” Twilight groaned, the taste of vomit souring her tongue.

“Fluttershy?” Applejack called out gently.

“Oh no!” Fluttershy exclaimed far louder than normal, loud enough that even Twilight groggily opened her eye to see what was the matter, “It’s Tau Niem…he’s gone!”

“What?” Applejack exclaimed in shock.

Twilight managed to open her eye enough to look back to the green sofa to see that he had indeed disappeared. Much to the surprise of both her friends, Twilight managed to get to her hooves, if not with some difficulty.

“Careful now Twilight, take your time…” Applejack said with care.

“No time.” She responded weakly.

“Are you alright?” Fluttershy asked her friend once more.

“Fine.” She responded brusquely.

“You don’t look it sugarcube…” Applejack gently reproached her friend.

“I don’t have time to care about looks, my friend is lost somewhere out there.” Twilight took a shakily took a step forward.

“Come on now, you’re in no shape to be wandering about in the middle of the night,” Applejack said, noting her disheveled mane and the tacky contents of her stomach that were beginning to dry into her coat, “Now let’s get you cleaned up and-”

“To hell with that!” Twilight exploded, very much out of character, shocking her friends into silence, “I’m not going to waste any more time when she’s…I mean, he’s, out there!”

“She?” Fluttershy said, looking to Applejack.

“Twilight, you just said she?” Applejack repeated.

It took her a moment to realize that she had indeed said she and not he.

“Twilight, come sit.” Fluttershy beckoned her friend, clearly concerned for her, even as she went to protest, “Now.”

Twilight nervously looked away from the yellow mare, who’s glare was harshly boring into her, not so subtly ‘twisting her leg’ into doing what she wanted. Finally, she yielded and began to follow her to the dining room table, where she sat on a chair, as the pegasus fetched a bowl and a washcloth.

“Twilight, what happened?” Applejack asked with concern, causing Twilight to look to Fluttershy.

“I didn’t have a chance to tell her much…” Fluttershy admitted.

“You see…” Twilight began.

She explained everything that had happened as best as she could, from Tau Niem leaving Sweet Apple Acres that evening, to his haggard arrival at Fluttershy’s cottage hours later…when Fluttershy took over, as she helped her friend clean herself up. She explained how she had answered a frantic knocking at her door, to see him standing at her door wide-eyed and his pupils contracted to mere pinpricks. He had looked atrocious, he was pale and sweating, covered in no small amount of dirt, sticks and leaves, and panting like he had run a marathon! She had poured him a rather generous amount of chamomile tea to calm his nerves and before she knew it, he was out cold… Angel had been sent to fetch the lavender unicorn, who promptly teleported to the shy pegasus’ cottage. Twilight then took over once more, now more or less proper once again. When she had arrived, the Danårian was still unconscious, but Fluttershy had become more and more concerned, as his breathing had become slower and slower, until he hardly breathed at all! Twilight thought that the best way to determine how to help him, would be to enter into his mind, but therein… She hesitated and shook her head, refusing to speak of it.

“Well…” Applejack mouthed, unable to think of anything else to say, “Its getting late. Too late to be blindly tromping through the Everfree Forest. Ah think that you should contact Princess Luna and see if she can help?”

“Princess Luna?” Twilight parroted.

“Think about it? Her guards can see better in the dark than we can…it only makes sense to ask fer her help?” Applejack explained.

“Alright, I’ll teleport back to the library and send the message right away!” Twilight exclaimed before taking to her hooves, only to promptly disappear.

“Do you think she’s alright?” Applejack asked Fluttershy.

“I hope so…” She commented softly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Twilight Sparkle?” Luna spoke the moment she materialized in the library, “I came as quickly as I could.”

“Luna, its Tau Niem, he’s gone!” Twilight said with obvious concern, as she galloped to the Princess of the Night.

“Twilight,” Luna craned her head, “…are you alright?”

The lavender unicorn growled. “Why does everyone keep asking me that!?” She shook her head in frustration.

“Everyone?” Luna repeated, “You glimpsed into his mind, didn’t you?”

“Yes…” She admitted.

“You know that’s forbidden…” Luna said gently chastising her, hoping for an explanation.

“There was something wrong with him, I didn’t know what else to do!” Twilight exclaimed.

“Relax Twilight, you’re not in trouble and I’m not mad with you. That rule was made to protect you…” Luna said smoothly, trying to calm the shaken pony.

“I’m fine. Really.” Twilight reassured her, but only received a critical stare in return, “There is nothing wrong with ego.”

“Wow, you’re even speaking in their language.” Luna balked momentarily, “You must’ve suffered a serious shock.”

“I…yes.” Twilight hung her head, not bothering to inform the princess of her violent reaction to his memories.

“You saw his wife die, didn’t you?” Luna assumed in a meek voice.

“You did too?” Twilight gasped.

“Not saw, no…” Luna shook her head, “But I felt his pain as my own.”

“Luna…?” Twilight started, only to fall silent once more.

“What is it Twilight?” Luna stepped forward placing a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder.

“Did you…did you feel when his mind broke?” Twilight asked with trepidation.

Luna shuddered. “I did.” She nodded.

“It reminded me so much of Nightmare Moon.” Twilight commented, remembering her brief encounter with the warped version of the princess standing before her.

Luna withdrew at that moment and looked into Twilight’s eyes with a serious expression.

“You can never tell our sister what you just said!” Luna said harshly, “Promise me! She can never know…”

“I promise…” Twilight said solemnly.

“If he wants to tell her, that will be his choice.” She turned around, “Come, we have little time. I’d hate to see him come to harm.”

“What of the girls?” Twilight asked.

Luna turned her head back to her. “Do you really think that he’d want them to see him this way?” She asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Right…” She nodded.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pain. Pain and rage.

That was all that flowed through his mind. He shook his head, to drive off the voices that plagued him. The voices that taunted him. The memories that tormented him. They plucked at his mind like a carrion bird at a corpse and there was nothing he could do to drive them off!

With a mighty growl of frustration, he lashed out. Without the usual discipline of his mind, the tree splintered beneath his fury, but so too did the knuckles of his hand. The pain of breaking bones felt good. So good… He masochistically cheered, reveling in the feeling. This only led him to lash out once more, kicking a bolder that stood just a few feet from him. It too shattered, but as it did, his leg too followed suit. He groaned from the pain, but a smile crossed his face. From his throat leapt a guttural bellow, a challenge for any and all that could hear him. In his mind, he was indefatigable…though the bones of his right hand and left leg were shattered.

At that moment, a trio of Timber Wolves crawled from the undergrowth. He slowly turned his head toward them, giving them a primeval death glare. Neither side knew what they were in for… The Timber Wolves had never experienced a Danårian, but neither was he in his right mind. If he were, his common sense would’ve told him that even in perfect fighting shape, caution would be necessary to fight three alpha-predators. Instead, wounded and half-out of his mind, he charged at them, only to stumble on his broken leg. A mistake that they were quick to exploit…

The first descended upon his right ankle and bit down, pulling him back and onto his stomach, only for the man to flip around and strike it with his left arm. This strike was powerful enough to dent in the creature’s skull, but it was clear that he was fatigued. Not only that, but his ankle was now lacerated from the wolf’s teeth. The second and third jumped him from behind before he could react, one upon his back and the other latched onto his right arm! Only the material of his robes kept their teeth from stabbing into his flesh, even as the second tried to bite into his shoulder and drag him down. A quick strike from his open hand into the second wolf’s snout caused it to release his shoulder with a yelp, granting him enough time to draw the first close enough to him to head-butt. The strike was thunderous enough to crack his target’s skull with an audible pop, but not before the second jumped back on him once more. Thrown onto his back, the only thing that separated him from the wolf was his battered right arm in the creature’s mouth. He punched it once, twice, three times in the face, but it did not release him. His punches had become too weak to effectively hurt its tough, outer-hide of thick bark and he had used up the last traces of his stamina killing the first two. Now the only thing keeping him conscious was the adrenaline in his system…

A sudden deafening crack of thunder, thudded his chest, knocking the wind from his lungs and the next he knew, the wolf’s jaws had released his arm. Flipping over, he saw the creature bounding away through the underbrush, its hindquarters quite literally on fire! The presence of another enemy caused him to snap his head back toward the offenders…

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Luna smirked as the Timber Wolf yelped and bolted away from the injured man, seeking water to extinguish its flaming posterior. Twilight too was impressed, but she had more on her mind at the moment. The man barely held himself up on all fours, as he shot them a murderous gaze. With a defiant effort, he lunged at them, only to fall flat on his face in the dirt and leaves under himself. Twilight sighed in pity. The man’s mind had broken once again, leaving him as little more than a mindless animal, desperate and dangerous Taking a step forward, he growled at her as he tried to get his limbs back under himself.

“Be careful Twilight, he isn’t of the right mind…” Luna warned her.

Ignoring the princess’ words, she continued toward him, only to receive another vicious growl, before he lunged at her again. Tackling her with all his weight, she simply took the impact and rolled with it. They ended up on their sides, her hooves wrapped around him, to keep him from struggling free. Nevertheless, he struggled, lashed out at her with both limbs as best as he could, but to no avail. Finally, in desperation, he latched onto her meaty neck with his blunted teeth, causing her to yelp quietly. Between her thick coat and durable hide, his teeth were of little threat, but that’s not to say that they didn’t hurt!

“Tau, please…” She whispered into his ear. He hesitated, ceasing his struggles and loosened his jaws slightly. Then, without prompting, he moaned… “It’s alright, I’m here.”

Finally, his teeth removed themselves from her neck completely and he wept quietly into her mane, his arms weakly wrapping about her long neck.

“Twilight…” His voice murmured ever so softly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Twilight turned back to look at the battered man, barely able to fit in the hospital bed that they had managed to get him into. Both the headboard and endboard had been removed to make room for his relatively huge stature. She closed her eyes and sighed, glad that her friends had come to see him, but she was also glad to have some quiet. After the excitement of the last night, she was spent, exhausted in every sense of the word.

“Why…?” Tau Niem’s voice spoke up rather quietly.

“You’re awake?” She jumped slightly in shock, before noticing his left eye cracked open despite the swelling, to regard her, “The doctors didn’t think you’d wake for at least a day!”

“Nanobots, remember?” He reminded her.

“Right…” She chuckled sheepishly.

“Why’d you do it?” He asked her, “Why’d you look into my mind?”

“I wanted to help you…” She admitted meekly, “You-you’re not mad at me, are you?”

He shook his head. “I just…you weren’t supposed to see that.” Opening his eyes once more, he looked deeply into hers, “How did you do that?”

“I used a spell to view your mind.” She explained.

“No…” He shook his head, “That’s not it. Your princesses tried the same thing the evening after I arrived and neither of them saw a thing…” He sighed, “We are blank slates. Unable to share our feelings-”

“-except with those that you share a bond with.” Twilight finished his sentence.

He looked over at her with concern. “Twilight Sparkle, I need the truth.” He spoke in a serious tone, “Do you have feelings for me?”

“I…” She blushed, causing him to close his eyes and sigh, “…I-I think I might?” He remained silent, which scared her, “I’m sorry… I know that you still mourn your mate…and…and…”

“Twilight?” he said simply.

“Yes?” She stopped and turned to him.

“Shut up,” he said simply.

“I…” She stammered incredulously, before becoming silent.

“Do you remember the first time we spoke?” She nodded in response, “Do you remember how I knew your name and everything about you?” She nodded apprehensively in response, “I’m a time traveler. I’ve jumped from one life to the next, birth to death, again and again, so many times that… Well, the years seem to blur together.”

“You’re chasing after her, aren’t you?” Twilight assumed correctly.

“I am.” He admitted meekly, feeling rather shameful.

There was a pregnant silence, only finally broken by her voice, “That still doesn’t explain how you knew so much about me.”

“I…back on Earth there was a storyteller that told tales of you and your friends.” She looked at him incredulously, “I know, I know… She drew all of you in amazing detail… Knows all your little quirks…” She blushed, “I never suspected that she was a seer, but apparently…”

“No…” She murmured.

“Yes.” He nodded weakly, “I felt a connection the very first time I saw you. I thought it was silly. I ignored it…simply basking in the warmth of the stories.” He looked up at her longingly, “Then, I met you in the flesh and my heart leapt for joy. I thought it was a trick. There was no way that such a perfect world existed…”

“Oh…” She gawked, unsure how to deal with such flattery.

“That-” He closed his eyes and sighed, “...That is why you need to leave.”

She sniffled in shock, staring at him for a moment, before nodding. “A-alright.” She nodded and slowly walked to the sliding door before opening it.

“Twilight?” He called out to her gently and she paused with her hoof on the door, “Thank you.”

She nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her…

Comments

[Hi]

Crap now he's in love with her but doesn't want to snap again and try to harm her with his teeth again(lol) but that's sad

[Jack-Pony]

1547951

Crap now he's in love with her but doesn't want to snap again and try to harm her with his teeth again(lol) but that's sad.

Tau Niem, since the death of his wife, has found it nearly impossible to have, or feel, any faith, hope or love. When Twilight says that she felt it break him, it did. His mind quite literally broke... "[he] no longer felt fear, or loss, or anger, or anything... It was as if he had died too…? "
Do you remember what he said to Luna in Ch II...?
"...Everything that makes a man, died. I became a beast…I slaughtered them…in my rage, I slaughtered them with my bare hands! "
That's where he's going at the end of that scene, to maul those that took his wife from him, with the same inhuman callous that they had showed her...

[Sonic Rain]

Sorry Jack....but I can't read this story anymore....
Keep on writing though, you are an amazing writer with a lot of skill and unseen talent....

My last piece of criticism from one friend to another is that the key to writing is not only what you write or how you write it, but understanding how your readers will understand what you have written and how you wrote it.