1: It Begins
His eyes opened slowly. Darkness covered the area around him and he realized that he was lying on the grass in the shade of a tree. He closed his eyes and didn't move as he allowed his senses to do the work for him. His body remained silent and as still as death itself. The only indication that he lived was the easy breathing that was shown by the rising and falling of his sides. A light breeze went over him and he finally opened his eyes when his ears didn't pick up on any immediate threats around him. He pushed himself up and gave a noise of surprise as the back of his head struck a low branch and knocked him back down onto the ground.
"Damn." He growled under his breath and looked up at the offending branch. He hissed as he shook his head to rid himself of the dull pain.
The pain faded in moments, he knew it was due to his regenerative abilities and high pain tolerance. That enabled him to ignore and move past any pain that might slow him down. Years of training at the School of the Wolf had prepared him for life on The Path. He cast his eyes back to look in front of him. He suddenly realized that he didn't see his mare, Sasa, close by. He gave a shrill whistle that would call her if she was close. During the fight with the Leshen, he had left her close by so that he could get to her easily after what he knew would be a long and tiring fight. He had not anticipated the length of the fight or that a second Leshen would come after the first, putting him in the middle of their territorial dispute. He tried to evade the two monsters as they fought, he had thought that he had evaded them but a sharp pain in his back had told him he was not far enough away. He had whistled for the mare and heard her response, the last thing he recalled was the ground rushing up at him. He didn't sense or hear her as he tried whistling again for his missing mare.
As he tried to stand up he was pulled back down and found himself sitting on the ground once more. He looked back to his legs, his eyes widened as he looked behind him. He found himself staring at the flanks and hind legs of a horse. He was also surprised to see a pair of long black wings folded against his sides. The wings were solid black and the end tips of them went a couple of inches past his rump. His emotions had been dampened by the mutations so his surprise was tempered. But even he was surprised at what he saw. Around his barrel sat a pair of black saddlebags and his swords sat across his back. He felt relief go through him but his eyes went back to stare at his legs. He swallowed quietly as he looked away and then looked down at what he discovered were no longer arms but a pair of long forelegs. He inhaled deeply and held his breath for a moment before slowly releasing. He closed his eyes and inhaled again. A loud snap shook him and he bolted to his feet...hooves. He looked down to find that he was now standing solidly on his hooves. While this was a welcome development he was still unsure how to move like a horse.
"Mighty sorry Ah spooked ya."
A voice that he did not recognize startled him into looking away from the fact that he was now standing. An orange mare walked toward him. He blinked and tried not to stare in surprise at the small horse walking toward him with an easy stride. She showed no fear in her green eyes as she approached him. He was unused to anyone looking at him without fear or trepidation. Her long blond mane was pulled together with a binding at the end of her mane. Her tail flicked to her side, revealing that it too was held into a binding at the end. His forelock fell in front of his eyes and he tipped his head to the side to push it out of his face.
"Yer new around here, ain'tcha?" She asked with a light chuckle. "Mah name's Applejack. Ah heard a couple a' loud whistles, followed tha sound, and found ya sitting here."
She looked back at him with expectation in her eyes. It took him a moment before it dawned on him what she wanted. It was polite to respond to an introduction in kind. "Oh, my apologies." He gave a nod of his head as he tried to square up his forelegs to greet her properly. "My name is Oblivion... Shadow." He used a surname that he had been given by his teacher during his training many years ago, due to his easy movement among the shadows.
The mare smiled wider. "Nice ta meetcha."
"Pleasures mine, Miss Applejack." He nodded to her again and held his head up slightly. He already knew that he was taller than her and didn't wish to make her feel small by holding his head up high over her.
She gave a loud laugh as she looked at him. "Ya'll don't need to be so formal. Just Applejack or my friends call me AJ. Either ah those are fine." She chuckled once she finished speaking.
Oblivion raised one eyebrow and he barely noticed when he took the weight off one of his hind legs. He stood in front of her and gave another nod. "As you wish."
The mare nodded and seemed pleased with the outcome of the conversation so far. "Ya'll didn't answer mah first question."
He looked at her for a moment as he thought back. He surprised himself when he gave a low snort as he remembered her first observation. "Ah, yes you would be correct. I am actually unsure of my present location. If you would be so kind as to inform me I would appreciate it."
His manner was still a bit formal but the mare seemed to take it in stride as she nodded. "Ya'll are just on the edge of the Everfree Forest. Happen ta be closest to mah farm which is just beyond Ponyville." She gave him the requested information easily.
Oblivion was unable to stop his snort of surprise at the information she offered him. ‘Ponyville?! Where in the name of the Realms is that?’ He liked to think he was well informed about the local geography. But the locations she had told him were not within his knowledge. His head was now raised to its full height as he looked around him. He suddenly looked back to his saddlebags, remembering he had a map with him. The Witcher was silent as he reached for the bag and it suddenly flipped open with a cyan blue aura surrounding it. A slight mist was coming off of the bag as he jerked back and the coloring faded. He was silent as a sound from Applejack caught his attention.
“Did ya use magic?” She asked him as she stared at him.
“Is that what it was?” He replied.
She simply nodded and he looked back to the saddlebag and he used the same method he used to command his signs. The magic held it and he brought it around to allow him to look at it in front of him. He looked at it and he could see that the map had been changed. The map of the Northern Realms was on the top and underneath it showed a new area. He looked up at the mare and she was staring at him. He looked at her and she finally seemed to find her voice.
“What is on yer forehead?” She asked him.
He looked up and nothing stood out to him. “What are you talking about?”
“There is a symbol on yer forehead.” She stated. “Yer a Pegasus, how can ya use magic?”
“I have no idea. I can use my Signs but they are a limited form of magic.” He replied.
She looked at him for several seconds before she looked back to the symbol on his head. “Are ya sure? Are they used on yer head?”
He shrugged and she seemed to let it go and she moved up to him and looked at the map. He could tell that something was amiss as she kept looking at his forehead as she looked at the map as well. He could see confusion crossing her face as she looked at the map that hovered in front of her. He watched as she reached out with one hoof and gripped the map in her hoof. The Witcher stared for a second as the magic faded and the slight mist vanished from the map and he allowed the magic to fall dormant. He looked at her and she was now looking at his eyes closely.
“Yes?” He said to her.
She startled and looked down at the ground for a second before she looked sheepishly at him. “Sorry bout that. Ah was lookin’ at yer eyes. They’re not the same as mostly ponies.”
Oblivion brought his head back up slightly and looked at her with an unreadable expression. His eyes took on a hard look for a few moments and Applejack was suddenly concerned that she had upset the stallion. That was the last thing she had wanted to do. His eyes softened and he looked back to her.
"I see. Well, that is due to my eyes being cat-like. I can see in the dark with them and I can use them to track when I am out in the forests." His answer was a matter of fact and Applejack blinked at his explanation and looked away from his face. Oblivion was silent as he brought his head back down and looked back at the map in her hoof.
"Alright as an apology Ah’ll answer yer questions about this here map. But Ah also wanna know what the hay is with the rest of the map? Is this where you are from?" She asked of him.
“Yes.” He took his weight off one hind leg and leaned into his hip. He looked back at the map and waited for her to explain it to him.
The mare looked at him, blinked several times, then the look dissolved into a scowl before she started. "This here is a map a' Equestria. It shows tha main cities and all tha borders. If ya look at it ya can see tha outline of Ponyville and tha dark areas are tha boundaries of tha Everfree forest. Tha map is very detailed considering' that it seems old." Applejack explained some of the basic areas before looking back at the taller stallion.
Oblivion was silent as he raised his head to look around him. His ears flicked in separate directions as he listened. Applejack looked back at him, she then looked past him toward his saddlebags. She looked startled at the sight of the swords on his back. The swords laid down the center of his back and his wings stayed unmoving at his sides. He stared at her as she was still and silent as she looked at the swords.
“Would you care to explain what has you upset?” He asked her.
“Sorry about that. Ah was a bit shocked ta see the weapons on yer back.” She explained.
He nodded and looked at her closely. “I see.”
“Why in Equestria are ya carryin’ so many swords on yer back?”
Oblivion looked back at his swords then back to the orange mare. "I always carry them. They are part of my purpose. I am a Witcher of the Wolf School, these swords are my tools and... Yes?" He paused when Applejack's eyes went wide at him.
"Wha' in tarnation is a Witcher? And what do ya mean Wolf School?" The mare asked her voiced pitched slightly.
Now it was Oblivion's turn to gape at her for several seconds. He lowered his head to be a bit closer to hers and he looked at her. His orange eyes searched hers for any sign of deception. When he found nothing but honesty looking back at him he pulled back in surprise. “By the Realms she truly has no idea what I am speaking of. What kind of world is it that knows nothing of Witchers? Though not being looked at with scorn is a nice change. I have to ask more about this, but am unsure how to answer her without truly frightening her.' He was quiet as questions began to bubble up in his throat and they flowed over his mind. He paused as the questions swirled and he pushed the most immediate ones to the back of his mind. Instead, he chose to focus on the one that made more sense for him to question immediately.
“A Pegasus?”
“Yeah. Ya can fly if ya want to.”
He looked at her and then back to the wings that adorned his back and were pinned to his sides. The mare watched as he looked at the wings and then back to her. She suddenly looked at him and he saw her look behind her and then back to him.
“Come with me. Ah can show ya what Ah meant by the symbol on yer head.”
He nodded in understanding and she moved to lead him away from the area they were in. Oblivion watched as the orange mare moved past him. He stood still for a few seconds before he looked down at his hooves and then looked after the mare. 'Okay it can't be hard to move forward. I just have to decide what to do and this body should do so. I have seen Sasa move plenty.'
Oblivion looked after Applejack and focused on simply following her. He shifted his body and much to his surprise he was able to pivot on his rear left and came down to follow the mare. He was pleased with himself but lost his focus and the next thing he knew he was pitching forward and barely managed to stop himself from planting his snout into the ground. He was down with one leg in front of him and the other under him. He looked up to see Applejack coming back toward him. 'If I could I'm sure I would be blushing. Thankfully I lost that ability in the beginning. Hmm...Oh well, this could be worse.' Oblivion managed to stop himself from giving a low chuckle to spite himself.
Applejack pulled up in front of him and knelt down as well. "Are ya alright?" She waited as Oblivion nodded in response. "Mayhap ya was lying down too long? Or standing too long and yer legs gave out?" She tried to explain what could have happened even though she truly had no idea. For his part, Oblivion looked up and a short chuckle escaped him.
"Maybe." Was his response. He looked back to his tangled limbs and he was well aware that his rump was in the air. Which was not the most dignified position for anyone? Especially a stallion. He started to try to move but found that if he did his flank started to fall. His right leg was stretched out underneath him and the left was planted into the ground to stop his fall. Applejack watched as he suddenly stopped and seemed to be analyzing his options.
"Ya need some help?" She asked trying to land on sympathetic instead of mocking.
Oblivion looked at her and then back to his predicament. He gave a loud snort at the position he was in before heaving a low sigh. "Yes." Was all he said. Unlike many people he knew, he was not too proud to ask for help when needed.
Applejack moved to stand with her shoulder planted again his right flank, next to his hip and then looked over to him. She gave a nod to tell him to try to stand and she would support his flank to prevent him from falling. Oblivion's ears flattened against his skull at the presence near his tail. But he understood it even though it wasn't a comfortable position for him. He put more of his weight forward, relying on Applejack to keep him from falling over. He was able to dislodge his left hoof and move it slightly to his side and then pull his right foreleg more forward as he wavered Applejack planted her hooves, pushed her shoulder into his hip, as a way to keep him standing and support his taller frame with her shorter stature. Oblivion suddenly growled as his wings spread off his back, angled toward the ground, and flapped once. His body was given enough lift and that allowed him to get his hooves underneath him. He did pitch against Applejack but she held her ground and he finally got to his hooves. He snorted and shook his head to get his forelock out of the way. Applejack jumped away from him and allowed him some space to get himself balanced. He stopped and looked back to her with a grateful nod. She walked over to stand next to his shoulder and then looked up at him.
“Ya okay pardner?" She asked him.
Oblivion sighed and nodded to her. She walked forward a few steps and then stopped. Oblivion realized that she was going to walk with him just in case. He didn't blame her since he had nearly face-planted his muzzle into the ground. He looked down at his hooves and took a step forward. He was pleased when he managed not to fall. Applejack moved with him and soon he was striding easily across the short grass with her. As they neared a short incline hill he paused near the bottom of it. 'Just got the basics of walking down and now I have to climb a hill. Well hopefully the end result of this is better than my attempt at walking without thinking.' He was about to turn to look at Applejack to ask about going around when the mare jumped to stand in front of him.
"Ya'll can climb this little hill. I'll be right wit' ya. Though Ah do wonder why yer having such trouble? You were fine getting up earlier when Ah startled ya and then when Ah pulled yer wing. Hmm... Wonder why ya can't climb this little ol' hill." Applejack said to him looking thoughtful.
Oblivion was well aware that she was trying to goad him into proving her wrong. It was a technique that he had used many times as well on trainees. He simply gave her a bland look and waited. Applejack couldn't stop herself when a grin threatened to break through her thoughtful expression. Oblivion simply stared back, his expression flat. The mare finally broke out laughing and seemed to give up. She went back to his side and waited for him to start moving. Oblivion looked up at the hill and waited for a moment while he thought of how Sasa had always tackled the hills he asked her to climb. Her body had pitched up into the hillside and she had climbed them fairly easily. Oblivion closed his eyes and focused.
Applejack looked at him and was about to comment about how they could go around when he snorted and plunged forward. Applejack yelped as she saw that his eyes were closed as he plunged up the hill. She was about to yell for him to stop when he plunged to a halt at the top of the hill.
Oblivion felt the angle change under his hooves and he stopped. He heard Applejack come to a stop beside him and he opened his eyes to look over at her. The mare breathed heavily and glared at him. "Ah wasn't talking about racing up it like a danged fool!" She yelled at him. Oblivion's ears pinned as she shouted. His ears rang for a moment before he looked at her with another blank look. Applejack fumed at him as he looked down the hill. He looked down and Applejack jumped in front of his snout.
"Oh no, ya don't. Ya try to race down this and ya'll end up hurtin' yourself. Just watch and Ah'll show ya how to go down tha hill." The mare went back to his side and Oblivion watched her as she angled down the hill and leaned her weight into her hind legs and started going down the hill. "Well come on." She said as she slowly went down.
Oblivion knew she was going slowly for his sake and while he appreciated it he had to work to try not to plunge down the hill. He leaned back and mimicked Applejack's posture. He quickly realized that going down was harder than going up. 'If I ever get back to Sasa I will never make her run downhills again. This is horrific.’ He vowed as he slowly made his way down the hill. He looked up at Applejack and tried not to slip. Her tail was in front of his snout when she yelped and began to slide forward. Oblivion's head snaked forward, grabbed her tail in his teeth, and planted his hooves to stop her slide. Preventing himself from doing the same thing.
Applejack panted as she looked back at the black stallion who had a mouthful of her tail. She panted at the sudden surge of adrenaline. "Thanks, Oblivion. Ah have to admit tha' was some quick thinkin', Ah was about to go head over hooves." She thanked him as he quirked an eyebrow at her.
'That’s one way to say my name. She drew out the O a bit but not bad enough to be hard to understand. I think that accent of hers is to blame. It seems to thicken if she gets excited.' He thought to himself as Applejack tried to say his name with that drawl of hers. He had heard accents before, but hers was quite strong. When she appeared to be situated he released her tail from his mouth and waited for her to move. When she did move forward, he followed slowly behind her. He had to admit it was tiring going down the hill. When they got close to the bottom Applejack gathered herself and jumped down the last several feet of the hill. Her head came up as soon as she landed and she whirled around to face Oblivion. He knew the look in her eyes. She was practically pleading with him not to do what she had. He snorted and continued his slow, controlled descent. He was a lot of things, but stupid was certainly not one of them. Until he got used to this horse body of his, he would not be doing any jumping downhills. Applejack looked more than a little relieved when he didn't follow her example. The orange mare waited until he got to the bottom and stood next to her. She walked forward and he followed her forward till they came to the edge of a pond.
“All right. Now ya can use some of yer magic and ya can see what Ah mean.” She said to him as he looked down.
Oblivion looked down and snorted at the image looking back at him. Applejack had moved out of the way when he started moving to the side. He looked and saw that even though the saddlebags obscured a good portion of his barrel, but even he could see that he was built similarly to his original body. He had always been tall and lean. Though for a horse he might have looked unhealthy to some. But the mare with him didn't say anything. His tail was white/silver like his mane and was almost on the ground. He was about to move it when he saw something tattooed on his right flank. He brought his head closer to the water until he realized that made no sense when he could look at it from a better angle. He raised his head and look back to his flank. He was not sure when it had happened but on his flank to the side of his hip was an emblem in the shape of his medallion and had his swords crossed behind it. He blinked at it and inclined his head to look closer at it. He suddenly brought his head up and looked down at his chest. Around his neck, his medallion still hung. He heaved a sigh of relief and then looked more closely at his hooves. His cat eyes narrowed and he looked closer at them, noticing that they seemed to be cracked. But he dismissed that thought when he looked at both of them and saw the 'cuts' went down all of them in exact same places. He chose to ignore that for now since unless you looked at them there was no way to tell and he would look more closely later.
“Use yer magic.” She encouraged.
He nodded and looked back at the water as he called on the magic that hummed under his skin. He watched as a symbol appeared on his forehead and he recognized it. It was a letter from the Elder Speech. He felt the magic fade and the symbol went with it.
Applejack watched as he looked at himself with unhidden curiosity. She tilted her head and looked to him. "Y'all act like ya never seen yer cutie mark before." She chuckled as she spoke to him.
His ears flicked to listen to her and once he heard her he looked back at her. Oblivion's ears flicked to listen as she spoke and once he heard her he looked at her. "My what now?" 'A cutie mark? That just sounds ridiculous and what in the Realms is she speaking of?’ He knew for a fact that he was a stallion and what she had said sounded the opposite of masculine.
Applejack looked at him. "Yer cutie mark. The marking on yer flank." She pointed to the emblem on his flank for emphasis.
Oblivion's eyes widened as he looked back at the mark on his hip. "I will be honest with you Applejack. I have never seen this before." He replied as he looked back to her.
He internally cringed at the confirmation of the name of the tattoo. He kept his disdain for the title hidden from the mare and simply waited for her reaction which he had to admit he was waiting for. He wasn't disappointed.
Applejack gaped at him with her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. "What ya'll talkin' about? Ya don't know about yer own cutie mark? Thought Ah have ta admit Ah have no idea what it means, but that ain't the point right now." She paused at his look. It conveyed that he was not kidding. "Oh by Celestia. Ya ain't joking. All righ' so ya don't know anything about yer cutie mark and ya don't seem ta be used ta walking like a pony."
Oblivion watched her as she reasoned things out on her own. He didn't interrupt and stood quietly. When she stopped he gave her an affirmative nod before cocking one hind leg. "Applejack. I have never heard of a 'cutie mark', nor have I heard of Equestria, and I have never heard of this Celestia you mentioned. And your belief that I am unused to moving as a 'pony' is accurate." He stated to her since he knew that those questions would come up eventually.
Applejack paused as she processed what he said. She gave a quiet snort and looked back to him. "But how can ya not know what ya are? Are ya cursed?" Applejack cringed away from him at that question. Oblivion looked at her with a withering glance that said 'seriously?' She paused and thought for a few minutes before she looked at him and sat down. "Go ahead an' sit down. Ah think we need to talk 'bout this." She motioned for him to do the same.
Oblivion looked at how she was sitting and tried to mimic her, but ended up falling onto his rump instead of sitting. He growled for a moment before composing himself and looking to Applejack. "What is it that you would like to speak of?"
Applejack looked back to him and inhaled before starting. "Alrigh'. So first thing Ah wanna know is why yer having so much trouble moving around. Ya do jus' fine at some times then yer falling down the next. Any idea why?" She sat quietly and waited for him to respond.
Oblivion sat in silence as he considered her question. 'How do I answer these without revealing too much? I'm not going to reveal everything until I have more information about this world and how it works. So for now I will be truthful but I'm going to hold back on major details.' He stopped his internal thoughts and looked back to the orange mare sitting in front of him. "There are many possibilities but the most logical would be that I seem to have lost some of my motor function. The reason for the movements before I think would be due to reflex and muscle memory. But that could be conjecture on my part." He said as he moved one hoof in front of him. He looked away from Applejack to the water as he waited for her response.
When he didn't hear anything he looked at her to find her staring at his hoof. He cleared his throat to try to get her attention and she shook her head and stood up. She walked the couple of strides to him and stopped. He watched as she reached down and gripped his hoof in hers and then turned it over to see the bottom of it. She stared intently at the bottom of his hoof. Oblivion rolled his eyes and tried to pull his hoof away, but Applejacks grip was stronger than he anticipated. He finally cleared his throat again but when nothing happened he gave a loud rumbling growl and that got her attention.
"What are you doing with my hoof?" Though he was curious about how it was able to move like that. As far as he knew a horse's joints weren't supposed to move in that direction. Applejack flushed and let go before scooting swiftly backward.
"Ah well yer hoof split apart and for a moment it looked like there was claws or something like that. Ah was looking but Ah couldn't see them since they would have gone into the bottom of yer hoof but there was nothing there and...wha?" She looked at him when he raised a hoof to stop her rambling.
Oblivion looked at the hoof he had raised with open curiosity. He focused on it and showed mild surprise when the hoof did indeed split into 4 long claws. The claws made him think of his fingers but there were only 4 of them he looked at the edges of the hoof and found that where his thumb would have been was an edge that kept the claws inside of his hoof and kept them hidden. While he looked at them, he flexed them to see if he could control them like he had his fingers. They could not straighten fully but enough for him to stand on them. He put the hoof down while keeping the claws out and discovered that it was comfortable to stand on the claws. Felt as though he was standing on his hooves but the claws instead.
"Hmmm. Very interesting." He looked up at Applejack and found the mare staring at him. "It’s nice to have an extra weapon in my arsenal. Also feels like standing on them is a natural feat so that’s a good sign as well. Don't think these could hold my swords though which is unfortunate but adapting to situations is a Witcher's job. This magic you mentioned can make up for lacking the grip to hold the blade the way I have been trained." He stopped himself when he heard a light cough. He blinked and looked at Applejack who looked a bit disturbed at what he was saying. He put the claws back into his hoof and looked at her expectantly. "My apologies. Your next question."
Applejack shook her head to stop herself from staring at him. 'Is he talking about using that sword in real combat? That can't be true. Nopony would go against somepony his size even in a battle. Ah can't believe Ah am even thinking of asking. Ah well, that ain't important right now. He's right Ah have other questions for him. But Ah have to hurry its gettin' late and Ah don't think he has anywhere to stay. We have an extra room at home but Ah would need ta talk to mah family. Gotta hide those swords Ah think. He doesn't seem ta like the attention. But how do we hide them?' She looked closely as he remained silently watching her as well.
"Okay next question then we should head out to mah farm. We have an extra bedroom that ya can rest up in. So what is a Witcher?" She asked him.
Oblivion looked at her for a moment before he looked away to gaze at the forest beyond where they sat. "That’s not an easy question to answer Applejack. Where I am from a Witcher is known even if they wish not to be. We are easily distinguished not just by our looks but by the weapons we carry. We are trained from a very young age to do battle with the monsters of the world and protect both lives and the balance of nature."
He paused to make sure Applejack was following what he had said. She appeared interested and so he continued. "We take up contracts in an area where the peo... ponies have requested the help of a bounty hunter, or a Witcher specifically, to rid them of a monster. Though we are trained to track and kill we also have the ability to reason with creatures if needed. For example, I can think of one of the last contracts that had me chasing after a monster that was believed to be destroying homes. I tracked it down and it was revealed to be a mountain troll that was actually simply lost. After directing the troll to the proper direction it all ended without bloodshed and I was still given the agreed on the amount of the coin in exchange." He finished the tale hoping it cleared up any fears about what he did as his profession. She appeared thoughtful and put a hoof to her chin as she seemed to be thinking over what he said.
"So ya can choose to either kill or save a monster even if it has hurt ponies?"
"Yes. Sometimes bloodshed is not needed and can be left behind in favor of reason." He responded.
"Ah have to admit that's quite a tale. But Ah can tell ya'll aren't lying. So ya help ponies with monsters, but ya talked about getting paid for it. Ya don't help just for the sake of helping?" She asked him with a somewhat concerned look.
He couldn't stop the bark of laughter that escaped him. "There are times that we will jump in to stop an immediate attack but if you want the monster gone a contract is what is required. A Witcher doesn't put their tail on the line without payment. There can be exigent circumstances but the majority of the time we require a contracted agreement. We do always provide proof if a monster is on the losing end of a contract." He stopped at the look he was getting from Applejack. He wasn't sure what the look was but it appeared to possibly be somewhere between anger and disgust. "Yes?"
Applejack sat in silence as he explained. She was disgusted by how he responded to simply helping another pony just for the sake of helping by laughing. Then to find out that he would not defend another pony without a contract. "How can ya not help anypony out if they are in danger? That’s just cruel. Ah can't believe what Ah am hearing. And the fact that ya say that with a straight face is... is... wrong. How can ya not help?" She ranted for several seconds before the aqua aura surrounded her mouth and silenced her. She looked down at her snout and she shook her head to try to clear it. When nothing changed she scowled at him and waited for him to remove it. Oblivion did not say anything for a moment his face unreadable.
"Witchers are hated where I am from. Not just due to our mentality. We are not like everyo... everypony. We lack many emotions due to how we are trained. There are so few of us left that while ponies hate us they still need us to accomplish what they cannot. Our sole purpose since long before I came along is to do battle with the monsters that hide in the darkness and you expect us to put our lives on the line doing something that only we can accomplish for free? That is a ridiculous notion. Do you not expect me to help you in exchange for the information you have provided and for offering me a room for the night? I do not expect to get anything for free in any aspect of my life. I am used to being hated and treated with cruelty and disdain my lack of emotion makes that very easy for me to ignore. So I ask you, Applejack, are you helping me for the sake of helping, or are you expecting me to earn my keep?" He chastised her but his voice lacked any true anger or cruelty. He spoke with a low tone and released her mouth so she could speak. He had been surprised when he had been thinking about covering her mouth with a hoof out of annoyance when his magic had done it for him. He waited for her to respond as he regarded her with a flat look.
Applejack looked at him for a moment before responding. "Alrigh'. Ya are right that Ah was gonna have you help out at tha farm in exchange for the room. Ah am sorry for accusin' ya of being cruel. That was wrong and ya did nothing to deserve it. Ah am sorry ta hear that your kind is mistreated for no good reason. It must have been difficult to grow up with that." She looked at him as he shook his head at her statement. She heard him mutter something about needing emotions to care what others truly thought. She kept going instead of asking him for more information. "Ah was wrong and I hope ya can forgive me for mah assumptions." She lowered her head in shame and waited for him to speak before raising her head.
Oblivion stared at the mare as she kept her head bowed and waited for him to speak. None had ever asked for his forgiveness for something they had said. No one had ever apologized to him or any other Witcher that he knew of. He blinked a couple of times before gathering himself and looking back to the mare. Oblivion reached out and put one hoof on her shoulder.
"There is nothing to forgive Applejack. You were speaking in honesty and I cannot fault you for that. You had no way of knowing my past and how others treat me and mine. It is something that I am used to and it does not bother me as much as it might others. But if it eases your mind I do forgive you for your words." He waited for the mare to look up and nodded to her. He removed his hoof as she stood up and gave him a wide smile. He startled when she came forward and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. He sat in stunned silence before he reached a hoof up and patted her back. 'Why is she hugging me? This makes no sense.' Was his thought when she finally let go and backed away from him.
"Alright, pardner. Let’s get goin'. It's startin’ ta get dark and Ah'm sure ya are probably hungry. I'll treat ya to a nice meal before we head to bed. Ah'll introduce ya to mah family.”
He stood silently as the mare turned to lead him away from the pond that they had been standing next to. Oblivion pivoted on his heel once more and stepped slowly up next to her. Applejack walked slowly beside him at first allowing him to get used to walking again and only then did she pick up the pace little by little to allow him to learn how to stay with her. They were halfway there when he seemed to have the hang of walking and no longer needed to watch her hooves to mimic her. Applejack saw her home and broke into a brisk trot. Oblivion rolled his eyes but continued walking. He did lengthen his stride not wanting to get left to far behind the orange mare.
Applejack trotted through the gate and saw her big brother. "Big Mac! Git over here! Ah brought a guest!" She hollered to the red stallion.
He looked up and walked toward his younger sister. Applejack stopped and waited for him but then face hooved when she realized that Oblivion couldn't trot yet. She looked back and saw that he was walking through the gate. She noticed that he had lengthened his stride and was able to keep up with her due to his long legs. He stopped at her hip and waited. The big red stallion reached his sister and looked at the taller black Pegasus behind her.
"Mac this here is Oblivion Shadow. Ah met him by the old pond and he's new around here. Ah offered him a room for the night and a good meal. So he needs some help learnin' the area." Applejack motioned for Oblivion to come up to stand by her.
Oblivion walked up to be level with the orange mare and looked at the stallion that was Applejack's older brother. The big stallion held out a hoof and offered it to him. "Nice ta meet ya. Mah name's Big Macintosh and yer welcome to stay here." The roan had an even stronger drawl that Applejack and it made it harder to understand him but Oblivion got the basics of what he said. He shook the stallion's hoof cautiously.
"Oblivion Shadow. Just Oblivion is fine. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Big Macintosh."
The stallion gave a good shake of Oblivion's hoof and then let it go. "Just Mac is fine mah friend."
Oblivion started at being called a friend. That was a first. The Witchers from the Wolf school were considered his brothers, not his friends. Being called a friend was a foreign concept to him. For now, he would ignore it and keep going forward as always. The stallion backed up and Applejack moved forward after giving Oblivion a nudge to follow her. The black stallion watched as Mac went back to what he had been doing and his ears suddenly flicked back and he stopped walking. He listened and he could hear what sounded like a large bird coming toward him.
"Duck!" He yelled at Applejack and the mare wisely listened. She dropped to her belly as Oblivion put his head down hoping he was right about how far off the ground the bird was as it neared them. His tail was blown between his hind legs and his mane went into his face.
He gave an annoyed snort and started to open his mouth to yell when Applejack beat him to it. "Darnit Rainbow why can't ya greet ponies normally? Especially when Ah'm tryin’ to show a guest around mah farm!" Applejack yelled at a… flying… blue pony… with a lightning bolt of red, blue, and yellow on her flank.
Oblivion managed to stop himself from staring. That must be what Applejack meant by a Pegasus. Oblivion looked at her wings and was surprised to see that they were much smaller than his own. She seemed to fly just fine on them but Oblivion wasn't sure how. The blue mare laughed at the outraged Applejack but stopped when she looked behind Applejack to see Oblivion.
She was suddenly in front of Oblivion's face, he snorted and he felt his magic react and he could sense the symbol as it activated and the magic gripped the mare’s rainbow tail. The blue mare yelped as her tail was pulled backward. Her wings flapped as she tried to get away from it. Oblivion looked at Applejack and Applejack seemed to catch on to his intent. Oblivion ducked his head and let go of the mare’s tail. She tore through the air above him and landed in a haystack 20 feet behind him. Big Mac looked less than impressed as the hay had seemed to explode and was now all over him.
Applejack howled with laughter and fell to her rump holding her stomach. Oblivion simply looked over his shoulder with a small grin on his muzzle. The mare's head poked out of the ruined haystack and spat out a mouthful of it. Oblivion watched as she climbed out of the hay and looked to Applejack who was now laying on her side holding herself laughing. She looked to Oblivion and glared. Oblivions' orange eyes gave away no emotion and his face was unreadable. The mare jumped into the air and looked like she was going to charge him. Applejack calmed down and sat up.
"Ah wouldn't Rainbow. He's got more magic than any pony Ah know. So messing with him is not a good plan." The orange mare called out.
"I'll decide if it’s a good idea or not AJ. Nopony can get away from me. I'm the best flier in Equestria. Besides now I owe him for that stunt. Though he's kinda weird looking isn't he?" The blue mare commented and lowered herself to the ground and began pawing at it as she looked at him.
"Rainbow ya'll need ta quit being rude to mah guest and calm down. Someone coulda’ been hurt by ya flying that close. And he looks fine ta me. Yes,he is a bit tall but that’s fine." Applejack jumped to land behind Oblivion in his defense, which surprised him and he watched as she moved to stop the blue mare.
Oblivion looked behind the Pegasus and watched in amusement as Big Mac stormed up to the blue mare. Mac reached out and tapped her on the shoulder. Rainbow startled and looked behind her to find a very angry Big Mac behind her. He didn't say anything and simply pointed to the scattered hay and pointed to the pitchfork to the side of them. Rainbow opened her mouth to argue and started to point to Oblivion but Mac got into her face and glared even more at her. The mare shrunk under him and walked over to the pitchfork, picked it up, and started cleaning. Mac walked up to Oblivion and as he was passing by him he paused and a big smile went across his muzzle as he chuckled. Obvious approval in the other stallions eyes for his actions.
"Ah was cleaning that up and now she can do it instead." The red stallion walked away chuckling as a small grim crossed Oblivion's muzzle. Applejack came up to stand at his should and laughed at her brother.
“That was perfect Oblivion. Ah’ve never been able ta get her ta work. But nopony messes with Big Mac.” She laughed aloud as the other mare.
“So who is she? Despite the yelling, you seem to be fairly close.” Oblivion observed.
“Eeyup. We been friends for a while. She may be a blowhard but she’s a good friend. Her name's Rainbow Dash. Ah’m sorry Ah didn’t introduce ya.”
Oblivion gave a low chuckle as he looked down at the mare. "I doubt she would have been interested in meeting me the normal way anyway Applejack. Especially since I put her into that haystack."
Applejack laughed and nodded. "That was one of the best things Ah have ever seen." Applejack finished laughing and started walking forward and then checking to make sure he was following. "Ah'll introduce ya to the rest o' mah family inside." Oblivion nodded and followed her. "But now that Ah think of it how were ya able to hold her in place. Rainbow is a strong flier. But you looked to not be struggling at all to hold her in place."
Oblivion looked at her as they walked. He thought about it for a moment before he responded. "I honestly just wanted her out of my way. I don't appreciate having any... pony in my face like that. The amount of magic I have could be due to other factors."
She said nothing for a second before she nodded. “Did ya want to keep yer magic a secret fer now?”
He was quiet as he considered his options. He understood after watching Rainbow Dash that a Pegasus didn’t have any magic since she did not react to his use of magic with any of her own. She didn’t seem to have noticed the magic that he used against her right away. If a Pegasus had any magic he was sure that she would have used it against him.
“We will leave it for now. In time we will let them know as it comes out.” He decided.
Applejack shrugged and kept walking toward the house. He glanced back to the Rainbow mare and saw her glaring. He felt the side of his mouth raised in a grin and he winked at her just to ruffle her feathers. He was pleased to see that it worked as she threw down the pitchfork and sputtered at him. He ducked his head and walked into the kitchen with Applejack. Applejack looked around and led him into the front room where an older mare was sleeping. She motioned for Oblivion to stop. He stopped in place and waited for further instructions. Normally he wouldn't let another command him but Applejack was smart enough to request he comply and gave him the choice whether he did so or not. He waited where she had requested as she walked up to the aged mare. She was an apple green mare with a gray mane pulled up into a bun on the back of her head.
"Granny Ah brought a guest." Applejack nearly hollered at the mare.
Oblivion stood in silence and couldn't help but turn his ears back at the volume. The old mare started and jumped to her hooves. Oblivion cringed when he heard the mare's joints creak. She looked up and saw the tall Pegasus in the opening to the front room and moved slowly toward him. Oblivion crossed the room in two strides to prevent the old mare from moving more than what was needed. She looked at him and he saw that her ears were constantly down and flopped against her head. She looked up at the stallion and smiled. Oblivion lowered his head to her and let her get a good look at him.
"Well, Ah'll be. Applejack brought home a colt." The old mare laughed at her granddaughter’s expense.
"Granny!" Applejack yelped as she flushed. "Ah found him by the forest and he had nowhere ta stay." Applejack quickly explained with an affronted look at her grandmother.
Oblivion gave a small smile and shook his head. His orange cat eyes looked back at the old mare and spoke more than spoken word would. The old mare looked back at him and she could see that while he looked young his eyes spoke volumes more than he ever would. She looked back at Applejack and Oblivion raised his head back up in response.
"Well, he's welcome ta stay a’ course. Better get to feed'n em. Call on Apple Bloom and let’s get ready for the reunion tomorrow." The old mare wandered toward the kitchen.
Applejack huffed and looked back at Oblivion. "Ah'll show ya to yer room. Then we can have some dinner." She looked to the stallion who nodded in agreement.
Oblivion spun around and followed the mare to a flight of stairs. Applejack led him up the stairs but he paused at the bottom of them. "To the right." Applejack heard him then realized what he meant and jumped to the right and flattened against the wall as a filly raced past her.
"SorryApplejackmove!" Even Oblivion had a hard time following the yellow blur as it ran past them. Applejack jumped away from the wall and stormed down the stairs.
"Apple Bloom you get yer tail back here right now!" The filly stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. She looked at her sister and walked slowly back to her with her head down. Applejack waited till the filly was in front of her before she scolded her. "Apple Bloom ya know better than ta race through the house like that. And ya are being inconsiderate to our guest. Now apologize to him. If he hadn't been paying attention you would have hit us both and knocked us both down the stairs."
The filly looked up and found her big sister glaring down at her and then she motioned her head to where Oblivion was now standing. The filly looked sheepish as she turned to the stallion.
“Ah’m sorry fer runnin’ past you like Ah did.” The filly said to him.
He lowered his head to her level and looked her in the eyes. She looked at him and he could see her lower lip quiver slightly. She had a yellow coat and red mane and tail with a large pink bow in her mane. The black stallion stood silent and raised his head back up. Apple Bloom was now staring at him in curiosity. He could see that she had gotten a good look at him.
“All is forgiven little one. Simply learn from your mistakes and do not repeat them. Do that and there will be no hard feelings between us.” He said to her.
“Why do yer eyes look like a cat?” She suddenly asked. Her voice seemed a little squeakier than it had before.
“Apple Bloom!” Applejack yelped.
“It’s fine Applejack. She is not the first to ask about them and she will not be the last. They are like this so I can see in the dark and I can track monsters in the deep woods if I need to.” He said to her.
The filly smiled as she processed his reply to her. “Can I get eyes like that?”
His ears went back slightly at the question. “No.” He looked up at Applejack and motioned for her to lead him up the stairs.
“Why not?” The filly asked as she stood in his direct path.
Oblivion sighed and looked back down at the inquisitive filly. “Because there is no reason for you to have them. You live in a world of light and have no need for eyes that can see in the dark. My eyes help me do my job of protecting ponies from danger. And that is all I will say on the subject little one." The stallion stepped over her and followed the older sister up the stairs.
He missed the filly's look of disappointment as he stepped over her. His tail hitting her in the face as he climbed the stairs. When they reached the top Applejack led him to a room at the end of the hall. Unbeknown to her that was what he preferred due to him being able to respond to an attack faster if he can hear it coming. Though judging by his experience so far an attack was a very remote possibility. She held the door open and he walked into the room. It was wide enough for him to turn in comfortably and had a desk, dresser, and a bed with a quilt on the bed. There was a window above the bed and he looked out it and saw that he had a view of the property.
He looked back to Applejack, who was standing in the doorway looking at the floor. He turned and was a few steps away from her when he spoke. "What is it Applejack?"
The mare startled and looked at him. He had his head down to just above her when he spoke. "Well... Ah wanted to thank ya fer being gentle with Apple Bloom. She's a good filly if a little unthinkin' at times. But thank you for toleratin' her question. Ah, know ya don't like ta talk about it." She said and gave him a smile before she turned around and started down the hall.
The aqua aura covered the saddlebags that were around his girth and he set them down on the floor and he pushed them under the bed with a hoof. He started to turn back around before he felt a hoof on the shoulder. Applejack had come back into the room. She looked nervously from him to the swords on his back. He looked around the room and then looked over his shoulder at her.
“Yer gonna wear those swords?” She asked him, her voice quiet.
"Would you rather I leave them up here where they could be seen?" He asked with a blank look. "Plus I don't go anywhere without them. Old habits never die."
She groaned at his response. He knew that she was aware of the normal curiosity of the filly that would inevitability of the filly finding them. She opened the door and he followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. She went down the stairs and looked up them to find him treating the stairs like a hill. She giggled at him but looked away quickly. Mac barreled in the door and ended up colliding with Oblivion as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
“Shit!” Oblivion shouted as his hooves were thrown out from under him and he landed on Macs back which tossed them to the ground. “Ouch.” Was Oblivion's next comment as he reached up to massage his head which had hit the ground on the other side of Big Mac.
Oblivion laid across Big Mac's withers and managed to get his hind legs under him as Mac groaned underneath him. One of Oblivion's hooves had struck him just above the left eye. While Oblivion cringed from landing on the work collar he wore. Apple Bloom was hanging onto her chair as she laughed and Granny Smith was making her way over to her grandson and their guest. Oblivion managed to sit down and get his forelegs under him before he tried to stand up.
Though he discovered that trying to stand when you don't have a solid footing was a poor decision on his part as his hooves slid out from under him and he fell back onto Big Mac's side. Big Mac groaned again as Oblivion landed on him. Oblivion laid there before a low growl came from him. Applejack walked over to the fallen stallions and tried to pull Oblivion to a better spot. He couldn't use his wings to help him this time. Granny Smith reached them and stood by them. Apple Bloom stopped laughing when she heard the growl from their guest. They all backed up when a blue aura with a slight mist coming off both stallions.
“By Celestia!” Granny Smith yelped and sat back on her haunches. Both stallions were lifted into the air and were deposited gently onto the ground. Applejack watched as Oblivion looked more annoyed than hurt, but it was Big Mac that was holding his head. Oblivion looked at him and rolled his eyes. He reached out a hoof and poked Mac in the shoulder. "I could help fix that bump of yours but I won't, this debacle is your own doing. Apple Bloom got scolded for just this reason earlier. Now it’s your turn. Don't run in the damned house!" Oblivion yelled in Mac's ear making him collapse to the ground again.
The black stallion stepped carefully over the red pony and looked up to the mares in the house who were now staring at the Pegasus. He looked from each of them and tried not to look angry.
"Yer eyes are glowing." Was Apple Bloom's commentary.
Oblivion's head looked up and he turned to Applejack who nodded. He looked around and didn't see a mirror close to him. He instead focused and his magic conjured a small mirror appeared in front of him and he looked at his reflection only to find that the filly was right. His orange eyes glowed back at him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again they were back to normal. 'Hmm, that makes things easier, and apparently I can conjure items as well. The Lodge would die of jealousy.' Oblivion went over to the table and sat down beside it. Since there were no chairs he assumed that they just sat on the ground. He was correct aside from Apple Bloom who needed a chair to be level with the table. Applejack went over and helped her brother up and into the front room. She spoke to him and Oblivion had to focus on the outside to not overhear. Applejack came back into the kitchen and Mac was following her. He seemed to have recovered enough to stand easily. Oblivion was well aware that his hoof had hit Big Mac in the head but he was firm of the opinion that it was his own fault. The Pegasus didn't offer any help due to this fact. Plus his head hurt from the impact his head had been subjected to from the fall.
Applejack began serving up dinner while Mac sat down across from Oblivion. Apple Bloom bounced in her seat as she waited for her dinner. Oblivion could smell that it was some kind of pasta and bread of some kind. He focused back on the ponies around him and then looked out a nearby window. 'Well this is an interesting turn of events last thing I know I'm fighting for my life against two Leshens who would like nothing more than to end my life. Then I wake up in the body of a horse and am surrounded by very welcoming talking equines. If I wasn't living it I'd be convinced I was losing my damned mind. And to top it all off I seem to have been given the ability to use magic. Which makes no sense as well. I have never even wished to have the magic I am perfectly happy with my Signs and the old fashioned way.' His internal musing was interrupted when a plate of food was set down in front of him.
He looked at the plate and had no idea what he was looking at. He knew the strings were pasta but the little balls on the plate were a mystery to him. He looked to Apple Bloom and she had dived snout first into her food. He looked away and saw that the other was using forks but Oblivion had no idea how to use them with hooves. As he looked he realized that he was being foolish and used magic instead of his hooves since he had no idea how to grasp with them. The aqua mist held the fork and he speared one of the tiny balls and popped it into his mouth. Upon biting into it he had to fight not to gag. He turned his head to the side and managed to swallow whatever the hell it was.
Upon looking back at his food he watched from the corner of his eyes as Applejack ate her food and mimicked her once more. Though the rest of the meal wasn't as appealing either he ate it to be polite to his hosts. He ate as much as he could handle before pushing the remainder away from himself. Apple Bloom's head spun to look at him and his hoof pushed the plate toward her and she happily took it and cleaned his plate as well. He looked up as Granny Smith cleared her throat and she looked at him.
“Now Ah may not know much bout magic. But Ah know that a Pegasus isn’t supposed ta have magic. Ah just saw ya usin’ magic.” She said to him.
“I don’t have much of an explanation for you.” He admitted. “I have never thought about having magic beyond my Signs. I am not from around here so I suppose it could be possible that the magic that creates my Signs was made stronger by coming here.”
The family looked at each other and he hoped that they bought it. He truly had no idea how he had magic and he was unsure how to react to it now. The ponies seemed to understand his explanation and accepted it as he explained it. He pushed himself back from the table and moved to the door and pushed it open. He walked out and stood in the middle of the area. He breathed out a breath and allowed himself to sink into a heap on the ground.
Mac looked up from the table and a look from his grandmother made him move away from the table and head for the front door. He looked out of the door and he could see the black Pegasus laying on the ground in silence. He breathed in a breath and pushed open the door and walked out, heading for the black stallion. He drew up close to him and he could see Oblivion's ears flick back to listen to his hooves as he drew near. The red stallion drew up next to him and sat down beside him.
Oblivion looked sideways at the other stallion and he waited for him to speak. "May I help you?" He finally asked after a short delay.
"Ah'm sorry fer knockin' ya down earlier. Ah should have apologized righ' away but ah didn't and for that ah am sorry. Ya were right, ah did deserve the knock on the head. I wasn' thinkin' and caused trouble for mah family and especially you as our guest. Ah hope ya can forgive me eventually."
The Pegasus said nothing right away and he looked forward and pushed himself and sat up straight as he looked over his shoulder at the stallion. He fought back a deep sigh and looked back forward as he considered if he should give the immediate forgiveness or hold back. Considering what he had learned of these equines since he had been among them over the course of the evening he had learned that they were quick to forgive and let go. He released a short sigh.
"Forgiven." He replied, his tone bland.
He saw the shocked look cross Mac's face as he stared at the Pegasus. he knew enough to know that the shock would subside and then they would let it go if he had pegged the other's personality correctly.
"Thank ya. Even though Ah'm not sure Ah deserve it." He commented.
"Accept the forgiveness and we will move on from there. I trust you will not make the same mistake?"
"Nah. Ah know better than ta do what Ah did." He admitted.
"Then it is forgiven."
Behind him, the front door slammed and he lunged to his hooves, magic humming over his skin as he looked at Apple Bloom who had slammed the door. The filly trotted up to him and her eyes were bright as she looked up at him. The stallion’s eyes gave off a slight glow in the dark as he looked down at her.
“Can Ah ask ya something?” The yellow filly asked him.
Oblivion gave a small sigh and sat down. The magic faded as the filly looked at him. “I get the feeling that even if I said no you would ask anyway.” He commented. Big Mac came out and sat down behind her as she nodded. “You can ask one question.”
The filly looked thoughtful as she sat down. Applejack walked up to them and joined her brother as they waited for the filly to speak up. “But Ah got a lot of questions!”
Oblivion shook his head. “You get one question. As that is all you asked for and it is getting late. I’m certain your family would not appreciate you being up late.”
The filly sulked for several seconds as she thought over what question to ask. “Since mah sister brought ya home are ya her special somepony?”
‘What in the Realms does that mean?' Was all that Oblivion could think of in response to the question? "A what pony?"
Applejack snorted and spun her sister around to face her. “No he is not mah special somepony. Apple Bloom Ah met him in the forest and since he had nowhere ta go so Ah brought him here ta rest. Making an assumption about somepony is not going ta help matters." She looked at Oblivion to see what could only be confusion on his face. She had to admit she was thankful he didn't know what that meant.
Oblivion shook his head as he looked back at Apple Bloom. “Listen to your sister.” He said to her.
He managed to put aside his own curiosity and his questions. He’d ask Applejack about it another time. He stood up and walked around them to back into the house, his body was tiring and he was planning on turning in. Oblivion's magic opened the door and he walked inside to find Granny Smith started to go up the stairs to her own bedroom. Oblivion stood behind her as she slowly made her way up the stairs. Oblivion's magic picked her up and carried her to the top of the stairs. He gently set her down and began to walk past her toward the room Applejack had told him to use.
“Thank ye, youngin.” She said as she went into the first room on the left.
Oblivion stopped and stared at the old mare for a second. 'Mm. Another first. Being thanked for something small and fairly insignificant. I suppose that is normal for these ponies. Not sure how I will fit into this world. But if I'm here I might as well get used to it, since I am stuck here for now.'
He pushed open the door and walked into the room. The door closed quietly behind him and he sighed deeply. He looked over his shoulder at the wings that were pinned to his sides. The wings spread as he felt the muscles move and shift under his skin and the wingtips touched the ceiling. He brought them back to his sides and let them sit in place.
“Interesting.” He whispered to himself.
He heard the others coming in from outside and looked to the door. There was no lock on it but he used magic to create one. It would not open unless he wanted it too. He turned to the bed and looked at it. It appeared to be smaller than him so his hind legs might hang off the end of it. Having slept like that before he knew it would lead to waking up sore. He pulled the blanket off the bed and tossed the pillow to the plush rug. He pulled the baldric off and laid it down on the ground beside him. The blanket went over him and the pillow laid on the ground in front of him. He laid his head down in front of him. His magic pulled the curtains closed as he closed his eyes. He could hear the others getting into bed as well and he began to allow himself to fall asleep.
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Thanks for the step by step guide and such a detailed info lowes employee login. Nice post!
... ?! What's this? A Rewrite? Think you can do better than the first? Where will this one go? It's already got less words than the other chapter one. What's going on bud?
I dig it. Considering he isn't an alicorn this time I imagine the whole debacle of hiding his wings won't have to be a thing. That would change a lot of the interactions between the characters, and maybe a decent number of plot points.
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Its a rewrite, kind of. The other one will keep going but this one will mirror it in some respects. I heard how much my readers wanted a story without the Alicorn so I figured why not? I have some extra time and I will post it when I have extra time. It's not a huge priority to finish it or catch it up with the other one since that's a really overwhelming amount of chapters to consider. So it's not replacing the original, just a side work for some fun to remind me why I love the original and drive me to work more on it.
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It will definitely make them easier to handle since they are not needing to be hidden. Lol. But they add in some interesting dynamics due to their size and the fact that he does not know how to use them. So it should be something new and kind of fun to work with.
Very nice, I do indeed wish for more.
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I am working on the final edit for chapter two. Its proven to be a bit of a pain but so far I think it will work. Thank you for reading!
I'm guessing these are just leftover remnants, thought I'd let you know.
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Fixed! Thank you for letting me know. I get in the habit of one style of pony and its hard to go against it lol.
northern realms . Is this pre or after Witcher 3 timeline wise? Does he accept Temerian Orens or Novigard Crowns and Nilfgard Florens?
Since he's a pony his armor is gone but what kind of swords he has? the default witcher steel and silver swords?
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It is post Witcher 3. So he has the legendary wolven weapons. For the most part, he accepts whatever coin he can get but the Crown was what he preferred.
When you think about how many sorcerers are pretty shitty and that a lot of monsters are made by magic and/or alchemy just like Witchers are, it actually makes sense that they are so feared and hated. Besides, intelligent monsters are afraid of Witchers. So, what is a common peasant supposed to think of someone that superpowered monsters are afraid of?
It doesn't help that Witchers tend to resort to violence as pretty much their first option when confronted with a problem thanks to their severely suppressed emotions. Like, some drug dumbasses getting violent with a Witcher is probably going to end up with them being quickly killed and the Witcher in question not understanding why this upsets the people around him. "They attacked me, so I killed them, why are these people angry at me for it?" That kind of thing.
Although, the lore does tend to greatly exaggerate what Witchers' treatment would be like in real life medieval Europe, among other things well beyond what actually fits human behavior. Authors love doing that and hand-waiving it as human stupidity or something like that. Human nature doesn't work like that. Humans are a very reactive species, which unfortunately has also caused problems with people not accepting this fact throwing accusations of racism around like confetti instead of addressing and helping fix social problems. The fact that Witchers just quietly do their jobs and don't bother anyone would mean that, while people would be warry of them due to slight fear that they might abuse their power, generally people wouldn't particularly have a problem with them.
Another exaggeration in contradiction to human behavior in-universe example is the violence against mages in the setting. Before that was ordered by at least one king (Radovik or something, right?), a lot of mages were from noble families or others connected to them or otherwise important to courts and armies. Naturally, this means that if a king were to declare the mages be destroyed, there would be basically no one who would obey that order among the nobility (contrary to popular belief, kingdoms generally worked like a confederation of lords, not a dictatorship) and the king and possibly his dynasty would be removed from power by his own nobility and replaced by another they elected. They wouldn't be "Oh okay, here go ahead and murder my daughter or son." They would be more like "You're a traitor and I denounce your authority." The armies are primarily made up of the Lords' own soldiers and levies.
Speaking of which, these connections also means that the Eternal Flame being the dominant religion in the Northern Kingdoms is flat-out impossible as any such religion would be destroyed the moment it showed up as it would be seen as rebellious against the kingdoms' rulers and aristocracy.
The Gauntlet exercise at Kaer Morhen has me thinking that, while Witchers' mutations do dull emotions, the kids are probably intentionally traumatized to the Nth degree beforehand intentionally to separate their minds from their emotions as a coping or survival mechanism. For those who don't know, The Gauntlet is an exercise practiced by the Wolf School in which the trainee kiddies are made to run through the forest around the keep I think at night. The forest crammed full of a wide variety of monsters.
Because you're a girl! No girls allowed, they're icky!
In all seriousness, though, judging from how insane elf and female Witchers turn out, I think it's safe to say that removing or suppressing emotions in people whose way of thinking relies heavily on emotion was a very stupid thing to do.