Chapter 39: Expect Only The Unexpected
Chapter 39: Expect Only The Unexpected
We had approached Mount Canter from the east so we got a perfect view of the almost ancient crater that had sheared through the side of the mountain. The mountain edge where Canterlot used to hang precariously was gone along with half of the mountain, there was an obvious trail from the now missing top of the mountain to the crater below. It brought to mind a meteor impact zone, there were still spots on the mountain visible from here that were discolored. Whatever caused this crater had turned the rock left over to almost glass. What blew me away the most was the fact that the area was already regrown, Nature had taken back over and the crater was filled with water. There was still a city but it was curled around the side of the crater and up the back of the mountain. At some point there was a reconstruction effort but it apparently failed. I could tell the city was abandoned… or at least it was before. There were trails of smoke from campfires along the back of the mountain, the largest coming from the massive citadel now perched on the new peak of the destroyed Mount Canter.
“That’s… different” My words were a clear understatement, I already knew that this Equestria was different from the one that I knew and loved but this was the last thing I was expecting. I felt my control over my sphere of influence slip as I stared in awe at what I can only call a Fallen Canterlot. The multiple smoke trails leading into the sky quickly clued me in that there were still people living in the capital, I expected most of them to be other players.
“We won’t find anything out just by standing here, let’s do this” said Morgana, I watched her steel herself before beginning to trot towards the capital again. It was time to meet the other players, I wasn’t looking forward to all of the drama and issues that are inevitably going to pop up. I went to follow Morgana as David took off and began to flap along above us.
PoV: ???
Their long journey was almost over, so many trials, so many long nights of hunger and fear. Nights cowering from the things that go bump in the night and days killing the things that decided to stay. Those days weren’t that bad, at least we didn’t go hungry those nights. Running, fighting, learning, growing. If only that was her only issue, this could all become the slightest bit easier if she didn’t have to wear this mask she called her face. If she didn’t have to fake the nobility and poise she had at all times, she felt like she was losing herself, losing the parts of herself that she loved most.
She shook herself and the dark thoughts from her mind, just a little longer. A few more hours of traveling and they would finally make it to the player summit and she would be one more step to getting back to… him. She felt a burst of undeniable euphoria at the mere thought of him, her steps grew stronger along with her feelings. She remembered how it felt to be separated from him the first time, like death. She felt herself dying inside more and more the further she was from him, but now she had a second chance. Her Goddess had promised her that he would be there at the summit, the mere thought of reuniting with her soulmate is what kept her going all these days.
She won’t let anyone poison his mind against her again, she won’t make the same mistake as last time. He will be all hers and no one will be able to separate them, she just has to play it smarter this time. With both her Goddess and her magic at her side there’s no way for her to fail. She knows that all of her hard work would have been undone by now but this is no issue, training him again will just bring the two of them even closer together! She was so preoccupied with her burgeoning plans on training her beloved she didn’t realize that her previously demure smile took a turn for the manic.
Yes… Soon, we will be reunited …
My…
Darling…
Markus!
PoV: Markus
We had reached what looked like the ruins of a wall, occasionally we would pass boulders of old marble covered in ivy or moss. The grassy fields on either of our sides were oddly ribbed in a way that confused me until I realized that these used to be farmland, tilled ground that had been reclaimed by nature. Turning my gaze back to the approaching dilapidated gates of the capital, the large stone doors were wide open and looked like they hadn't been moved in quite a few years. Glancing up the mountain I could see the occasional flash of a flying creature streaking past between the buildings and low hanging clouds.
Outside the gate was the source of one of the smoke clouds, a signal fire. It lay smoldering slightly, only recently having gone out. The other smoke clouds are probably similar, the players signaling anyone approaching that they are still there and where to find them. Morgana and David crossed the threshold of the gate without fanfare and when I went to follow them I froze. A horrible shiver rocked up my spine and took root in my brain, it rampaged in my mind in a way that almost forced me to push my magic up and into 6th Sense. My eyesight flashed as it was overlaid by my skill and I found myself face to face with a scowling armored guard that was currently impaling me on his blade.
I blinked backwards away from the gate immediately and slapped around my chest for my wound… but found nothing. Looking back up showed me that the guard was charging me with a silent warcry ringing out into the void. I flinched slightly as he swung his sword down on my head, it felt like a pleasantly cool breeze blowing past. Two more savage swings followed the head shot before a horrified look came over him and he turned to smoke and dissipated. I took a moment to still my frantically beating heart and looked up to see Morgana and David sprinting to my side.
“What happened, are you alright?” Morgana punctuated her words by making her hooves glow with the familiar magic of her Mending Touch skill. David had a hoof on his blade’s handle and was ready to draw it at a moment's notice, he didn’t say anything, he just scanned the area for threats. I took a deep breath to calm myself and the moment I went to respond the ghost reappeared. He was back at the gate scowling at the air, I took a few steps to the side as I watched him act out the same attacks, stab, charge, head chop, double swing, terrified look then dissipate. My friends were getting more and more concerned the longer it takes for me to respond so I quickly spoke.
“I’m okay, a ghost just scared me…” I quickly realized my words did nothing to assuage their confusion, it actually increased it. I forgot to tell them that I could see the supernatural using 6th sense, though that’s not completely my fault I was distracted by Canterlot being destroyed.
“I can see ghosts using my 6th Sense, I just found out earlier today… this is new to me too” I stepped around the guard ghost as he went through the motions again and watched David flick his head back and forth between me and the empty space I was avoiding looking doubtful. Morgana just shrugged and went along with it, it was kinda funny how easily she accepted that ghosts were real and that I could see them. The three of us were much more on edge after my small reveal, David looked like he was walking on eggshells. I made a mental note that David doesn’t like ghosts… I also promised myself to prank him later as payback for the horseshoe thing.
I smothered my grin at the thought of the impending revenge and continued deeper into the capital, stepping around the ghost and continuing on. I let 6th Sense fade from my vision and tried not to think too hard about how many other ghosts I might be walking past. It occurs to me that I could probably ask the ghost what had happened to it using my Commune skill but I really want to get to the other players and find out what's happening first.
The buildings we were passing were odd to look at, they were a weird mix of modern architecture and fantasy flavoring. What looked like an apartment complex was surrounded by worn down stone bricks covered in obviously magical filigree. Some buildings would have a random hole in the side for pegasi I assume while others would be partially buried into the ground, not collapsed though. Fully intact buildings buried into the ground and almost literally swallowed up by nature, the roads were overgrown with grass and moss slipping through the once cobble paved roads. There wasn’t much actual battle damage around give or take a few craters here or there, I was expecting more destruction than this… is almost like this place was abandoned before it fell.
I felt Calcifer alert me over our bond, we were approaching the next signal fire. It was built around an old dried up fountain in a small plaza and apparently it wasn't empty. I stopped on the spot and turned to alert David and Morgana, both seemed to be looking around just like I was. When I told them that some of the other players might be up ahead both reacted a bit confused, David looked like he didn’t know whether to be on his guard or not and Morgana… I couldn’t read Morgana. She had gone stone face but I could see a lot of different emotions flickering through her eyes, pony eyes are so expressive.
Pov: ???
I ignored the horrifying feeling of his blood drying in my fur, I ignored the pain in my body spiking with every step. Every heavy step a small victory against the impossibility on my back, stopping only for a moment to readjust him on my back so he doesn’t fall. I felt my friend approach before I saw him, I didn’t look at him for fear of seeing another corpse. He didn’t say anything, he just slipped a bit of his rations into my hanging mouth and urged me to chew… I almost didn’t out of exhaustion. I’m sure he could feel how grateful my brother and I were. I pulled my brother’s body closer as we finally left that impossible forest and got away from that psychopath.
We all made camp a few miles away with the mountain in the distance, it wasn’t dark yet but we needed the rest if we were going to make the final leg of this journey. It would take another day to reach the mountain. I sat my brother down near the fire to keep him warm, he really needs to take care of himself more. I laughed at him slightly as I popped his eyeball back into his head, he really shouldn’t sleep for so long. Being unconscious for this long can’t be healthy. Oh… a few of his bandages had come undone, I started with the largest one wrapped around his head. It was pretty dirty but we didn’t have anything to replace it right now, the bandage arched up and around his sagging horn and almost covered the entirety of the back of his head.
The eggshell colored fur around the bandage was stained red, but that’s okay. The pink color means it’s healing right? I felt my friends' eyes on me as I started unwrapping the soggy bandages, I had just gotten the first loop off when I heard someone rush towards me… but it was too late. With a nauseating shlurp sound the jellied remains of my brother’s brain oozed out from between my hooves. I went silent, the camp went silent, the whole world ceased to exist in that moment as I stared at the empty hole in my little brother’s head and the massive claw wound that revealed it.
I didn’t scream, I didn’t cry, I grasped onto all of my despair and hopelessness and threw it into the abyss of my mind. I refused to let this be his end! Not when we’re this close, this close to getting that magical life that I've dreamed of for so long. My hate grew like a wildfire at the thought of who caused this, that same hate was the perfect motivation to do what I had been dreading. My menu quickly popped up, my eyes flew over screen after screen until I found what I needed to bring him back. I let my ugly expression melt into a much warmer one as I felt my magic begin to take shape, I ignored the screens popping up in my vision as I watched my little brother’s body be covered in my magic, everything was going to be alright.
We broke camp soon after, but this time my brother and I trotted side by side. We were so close to finding the others and once we do… we can make that monster regret ever considering touching my brother, regret trying to steal his horn and his magic. His name is burned into my memory, I'll show you what strength really means… Arthur!
PoV: Markus
The plaza was a wide open space, overgrown cobble roads surrounding a long dried up fountain. Said fountain was currently holding the smoldering remains of the signal fire, surrounding the fountain was three players. I could tell they were players simply because they’re wearing clothes, not armor but actual clothes. Two griffons and one pony standing behind the other two, we stood at a stalemate for a moment just staring at each other. The first griffon player was unarmed as far as I could see and was wearing a loose fitting blue robe that wrapped around his large wings without impeding them, he looked to be really tall. Almost a whole head taller than me and his body was built to match, The guy was a bruiser of some kind, but I actually doubted he was stronger than Morgana with her natural super strength. His eyes were locked on… Calcifer?
The other gryphon was my size and had a crossbow strapped to his side, he was also wearing a gray robe but his was strapped tight to his body. He had a quiver of arrows secured to his back, just under his wings. He looked nervous and was shuffling on his talons, his eyes were switching from David and I repeatedly. I had to take a second look at the last pony to confirm it but they really were a changeling, I had assumed them to just be a dark furred pony but what I had mistaken for fur was actually chitin. He…or maybe she was the only one not wearing any actual clothes, their abdomen was wrapped in what looked like dark green spider silk. It was like a skin tight bodysuit and the only parts exposed was their head and a few parts of their legs.
We spent some time just having a stare-down until David started to approach the three, an uneasy tension flooded the air as David got closer and closer. I got a flash of sight from Calcifer perched on a rooftop nearby just in case. David stopped before the largest gryphon and leisurely held up a hoof and said.
“Sup… “ His casual greeting seemed to drain every bit of tension out of the air, I could see the moment when everyone collectively relaxed. A relieved smile grew on the large player’s beak and he quickly returned David’s hoof bump. I let myself relax a bit and trotted up to join David with Morgana following just behind. The changeling’s nervousness evaporated seeing we were friendly and perked up just as quickly. Calcifer told me that he wanted to stay hidden for a bit longer just in case, I could feel Calcifer’s suspicion and I agreed that he should be on guard and keep a lookout.
“It’s nice to see our message reach you guys, we weren’t sure if you’d really show… “ The smaller gryphon was the one who spoke first, he seemed like the usual voice of this group. I understood his worry whether or not we would show, it’s not like we could send a response. They probably had issues sending that letter to begin with, I assume one of the other changelings delivered it and had to escape before they were caught.
“How long have you been here?” My question seemed to catch him off guard slightly but he quickly recovered and responded.
“Well, we’ve been here for a few days now but the others have been here for a few weeks now… by others I mean all the other players. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Nick and the big guy here is Nicolas. Funny I know, it was a whole thing back home. Last but not least we have our newest friend La-”
“Webz! Ehem, Call me Webz” Cutting in suddenly was the changeling themselves, sliding past Nick and coming to a stop directly in front of me. I took a slight step back to look down at Webz, she was slightly shorter than me with her eyes reaching my chin. Her voice was high and scratchy but definitely female, kinda reminiscent of rainbow dash but with the buzzy undertone that’s characteristic of changelings.
“So… What can I call you?… other than handsome of course” Webz’s voice lowered at the tail end of her words and she looked me up and down. I felt my skin start to crawl and my voice caught in my throat as an old fear started to well up. I guess my discomfort was obvious because Webz was quickly pulled away from me by Nicolas and given a chastising look. I haven’t felt like this in a long time, I cleared my throat and tried to ignore my small breakdown. I caught a look Morgana was sending me and smoothly ignored it, Calcifer asked me what had happened. For a moment I forgot he could feel what I felt and a burst of uncomfortable anxiety surfaced before I could stop it. My sudden unwillingness to speak surprised Calcifer and only doubled his concern, pushing past the troubling emotions was almost automatic. I reassured Calcifer I was okay and tuned back into the conversation.
“ Well… my name’s David, this is Morgana and this is Markus” David had stepped up after I had fallen quiet and tried to fill the awkward silence. Nick sent another apologetic look in my direction before continuing to speak.
“It’s nice to meet you three, the rest of us are staying in the upperpart of the city. We had decided to wait a few more days to see if anyone else would show up, all the diamond dog, changeling, and gryphon players were here already. Traveling was a bit easier for us because we could all either fly or tunnel around any problems we had” Nick’s enthusiasm rose back up as he spoke and began to turn away from the fountain and start walking deeper into the city. Nicolas dragged along an embarrassed Webz and gestured for us to follow. Morgana slid up next to me and sent me another concerned look, there was no ignoring this one. I swallowed a sigh and got ready to try and explain how nothing was wrong… but I never got the chance.
In the past my 6th Sense had warned me both of danger and opportunity alike, the familiar buzzing at the back of my skull was almost an old friend at this point. The deep primal anger that suddenly gripped my mind enveloped me utterly, I wasn’t alone in my anger as I felt and also heard Calcifer’s shriek of rage high above me. I was so utterly consumed in my rage that I didn’t realize my body had moved, I had turned away from my friends and the other players. My burning gaze had turned back towards the entrance of the city, the muffled voices of my friends didn’t reach me as my mind finally cleared up enough for me to decipher what I was seeing. My sight had been switched with Calcifer’s, his view high above the clouds ranging miles further than mine. No more words passed between the two of us when I saw what was happening on the ground, emotion guided us better than any kind of practice could. Calcifer pulling up from a dive-bomb and smoothly merging with me, I didn’t spare a moment and took to the sky and moved with the fury of hell.
Pov: ???
His heartbeat was the only thing he could hear, its banging was deafening in his mind. Leaving no room for thought as he sprinted will all he had left, his body popping and sparking with his magic. Another jolt of energy was all that saved him from being impaled on the glass spear that erupted from the earth beneath him. Diving to the side and feeling something in his chest break on impact was nothing new, the buzz of his magic grew stronger as what he’s pretty sure is his ribs were repaired. Any pain he would have felt had long gone numb ever since he began his run, getting back to his hooves was getting harder and harder. The days of nonstop hard travel and using his special magic were eating away at him, he could feel it… it also doesn’t help that a monster was chasing him.
His goal was right in front of him, it was a straight shot to the grand fallen capital that his mother had told him stories about. He risked a glance behind him and almost lost his head in the process as the blood caked warhammer of the monster sheared his ear off for the fourth time. Blood flowed down his face blinding him, he tried to pull on his magic again just like he had done before many times in the past two days. The sparking and popping of his magic quickly started to swell under his skin, throwing himself to the side to dodge the grab he knew was coming and pointing a hoof at the monster.
He let the magic that boiled under his skin explode out of his hoof, he felt his hoof split and tear off from the rest of his body as both the Monster and him went flying in different directions. His body skipped and rolled over the ground until he landed with a sickening crack on a cobble path… he had made it. His body feeling like it was floating from the lack of feeling, he tried to push himself back up to his hooves… except he couldn’t. This confused him, he didn’t have issues with standing up again last time? He flicked his newly regrown ear with confusion as he looked down at his body… oh, that’s why he couldn’t move. He had lost a lot more than just his hoof in that burst. The bloody stump that was his left foreleg had been joined by the splinted remains of his right and the crumpled remains of his back legs. His numb emotions quickly sprung back to life as the reality of his situation dawned on him. The chase was over, he was too injured to move and it would take too long to heal his legs before the Monster caught him.
A deep cutting sense of fear and self-disappointment flooded his mind, he had come so far, had followed his dream, he had done everything like his momma told him to… momma. The self-disappointment cut deeper as he thought about his mother, about how she had fought to save their home and still let him go out into that same dangerous world just because she trusted in him… no. She didn’t just trust him… she trusted -
“Finally done running kid?” the monster gloated with a sick smile. Sterling, his momma trusted Sterling Flare to teach and take care of him. Instead all he has done is use and abuse us, he killed the only other pony that looked out for him and now he’s going to kill me too. The overhead sun was shining down right behind the monster, making it hard to see his impending death. The silhouette of Sterling’s warhammer slowly rising into the air was an unwanted sight, the sun almost growing brighter and brighter the higher he rose his instrument of murder… wait a second! A familiar warmth started to surround the both of them and the look of heavy confusion on Sterling’s face at the sight of the excited smile that had grown on his face was just the cherry on top.
Because Falling Star’s hero had arrived… and his smile didn’t budge an inch as he watched his hero drop the sun on a Monster.
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Webz scares me.
Burn baby burn!
Diyjhlfxjhfutrdyugoutdx The amount of plot twists in this chapter is giving me whiplash
Of course the changeling player's mentally affected by her transformation (i'd assume so, anyway?) - that's gonna make some friction and maybe even some mental turmoil for her...
I forget, did Markus have some background with women? TBH it's slipped my memory. Maybe it's something we shouldn't know...
And huh, good to see the kid made it! This'll be a battle for the ages, but at least that 'monster' will be tired out from chasing the colt.
Sounds like a love mage is coming… better run markus