Moving Out
(A friend of mine has a new site up that he wants help getting out. Please check out http://www.newponyville.tk/ it’s basically a social network for bronies and a friend of mine made it. I encourage all of you to check it out and support my friend Cloudkicker. Don’t give him too much of a hard time if you disagree with his choice of rules.)
Being around Spike made all my worries seem to vanish. Most of the day, it seemed I was running around finding my friends, and getting invited to the Gala. Now I’m sitting around with Spike, learning a language that I know pretty much nothing about. But I’m getting better.
Spike and I were sitting on the couch going over flashcards. I'd just finished going through what felt like the millionth flashcard.
“That’s the thousandth word you’ve mastered! You learn faster than Twilight with languages. How do you do it?”
“It’s not my first time I’ve tried learning a new language. Not too hard once you get used to the techniques. So... am I an official expert of Griffonian now?”
“Well, you aren’t fluent yet but you’re getting there.”
“Good. It’s getting late. Now that I think of it, I haven’t seen Twilight for a while now? Why is that?”
“Well, she said something about helping out Applejack down at the farm.”
“Yeah, maybe I should get back to my castle. I’ve got a book to read. It’s in Griffonian, and I’d like to get to it.” I said, standing up.
“Oh ok.” He said getting downhearted. “You’re coming back right?” he responded with his expression holding an eager smile.
“Spike I’d always come back. Official business, or just for you.”
“Thanks.”
I left the tree library out into the streets of Ponyville. I guessed they got the word of what I am, because I’ve not been getting as many stares. Celestia did say Ponyville was pretty far from Canterlot, so they get news later in the day. I wondered how hard it is to spread the news to other cities even farther than Ponyville. You’d think they’d have a system in place to equally distribute news and information faster than what’s being observed right now.
I spread my wings once again, and began my ascent into the upper atmosphere. Once I was high above the clouds, I stood on a cumulus that happened by. I stood there looking out at the horizon. A beautiful sunset graced my view as it flooded the world with an orange glow. I watched it for a moment, then panned my gaze over to my tower. It was entirely pearlstone and I could swear I saw some Eater of Souls patrolling around the tower.
I thought of going back, but I remembered the promise to Rainbow Dash to not move out. I thought it would take much longer for the tower to be completely redone, so I promised not to move out without thinking, I need to find a way to fix that.
I jumped off the cloud and went into a dive. As I controlled my decent choosing to land right outside Rainbow’s front door. I could feel the air rush by my face as I reached terminal velocity and plummeting toward the earth. I set my sights on the mansion like cloud home of my current roommate.
*Thump*
I landed on the cloud hard and upright. I grasped the handle and pushed open the door, to find Rainbow walking toward it.
“Was that you?” Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, I decided it would be fun to dive off a really high cloud and land outside your door. And I was right!” I responded, giving her an award-winning smile.
She looked at me for a moment, then turned around and muttered something under her breath.
“Sorry, what was that?” I questioned.
“Nothing...” she answered, trotting into the kitchen. “You hungry?”
“No, not really. I’ve come to tell you I’m moving out.” I stated flatly, walking into the kitchen.
She gave me a blank look for a few moments. “W-what?!” She inquired, showing how upset she was. “You promised you wouldn’t move out!”
“Yeah, well something came up; I have a country now, one that I can’t manage from your home. However I did ask for some guest rooms to be set up so if you ever wanted to visit then you can visit whenever you feel like it.”
“That’s not the point! You said you’d stay!”
“I have things to do Rainbow. Staying here will get in the way of those. I’m sorry if this puts a divide in our friendship, but I need to do this, even if I don’t want to.”
Rainbow’s expression softened into a frown. “Yeah, I guess you’re right… you’ll visit right?”
“As often as I can. I’ll watch over you from my keep if I can.”
“I don’t need anyone to watch after me.” she replied, a bit annoyed.
“Please, you’re bound to get yourself into trouble. Besides Rainbow, you’re technically my Thane so it’s my job to make sure you’re safe.”
“What’s a Thane?”
“Someone who’s obligated to help their King. Basically a knight, only with royal status. You’ve assisted me in battle and you’ve done your best to keep my secrets. You’re part of my kingdom, whether you like it or not. Think of it as a privilege. Though I’m not going to take you all around Equestria just because I feel like it. Only if I need you, I’ll ask for your help.”
“Wait, so I’m now royalty?”
“To the Red Rose Empire… yes. Your fellow Thanes are: Radiant Garden, Darkness, Shadow Master, Celldric, and Hunger. OH, one more thing. You know the tower that’s in the distance?”
“Yeah?”
“That’s mine.”
“Yeah, I know that.”
“And remember the Soul Eaters that we fought that invaded Equestria?”
“Yeah, and?”
“Darkness has the ability to control those. The corruption officially works for the Red Rose Empire.”
“WHAT?! THE MONSTERS THAT KILLED MOST OF EQUESTRIA ARE WORKING FOR YOU?!” she yelled in surprise.
“Yes... and I guarantee no more murders. Actually each of my Thanes has a quality about them tha-”
“SHUT UP! You need to destroy the corruption!” she was angry.
“It’s unwise to interrupt your King, Rainbow Dash.” I responded with hostility. She froze up and allowed me to continue. “I know you’re upset about the corruption, but it’s taken care of. It won’t spread; it’s contained inside the castle and underground. The only creatures being created from it are the ones that naturally grow from it. We don’t corrupt animals to gain an army Rainbow. We just grow one.” I waited for the information to sink in.
“…I’m sorry.” she mournfully replied.
“Good. Now each Thane has an ability or a characteristic that allows them to excel in a specific field. Shadow Master has the ability to become invisible and find information that spies would be too afraid to risk their lives to get. Radiant Garden can create plants that could do all sorts of things. Celldric knows chivalry like no other Thane, and his talk of nobility can change an entire kingdom. He also is good with law and proper judgment, and is not afraid to condemn his friends if they do something wrong. Hunger is logical. He’s able to analyze a situation and find the best strategy out of it. Then there’s Darkness, he’s able to create and control corruption and he excels at military strategy and engineering.” I finished my brief explanation of the Thanes that I control.
“Ok, what about me?” she asked after listening carefully about each Thane and their role. “What part do I play?”
“Well, that’s yet to be determined, right now I can only see you using speed as your advantage in a fight. Then there’s the fact that speed can do a quick reconnaissance over the battlefield, and allow you to get troop movements down and then come back to me or Darkness, so he or I can decide what to do with it. That can be valuable.”
“Ok, so what do you do? You’re the King, right?”
“Yes I am… I excel in most of the categories. I can talk my way out of many situations, and preplan the fate of an entire civilization. Hell, I’ve already got a plan for the future of Equestria. I already have a contingency plan, if Celestia decides I’m not trustworthy as well.”
“What do you mean she decides you’re untrustworthy?” she questioned, eyeing me suspiciously.
“Notice that the Griffins and the Dragons are neutral toward Equestria, just because of how far they are from them. My castle is in Celestia’s borders, and if she decides that I can’t be trusted within them, then she’ll move me with force. That means war, Rainbow.”
“NO! The Princess will never go to war because she thinks someone’s untrustworthy!”
“But she’s never had someone possibly untrustworthy so close to her capital. She’s never dealt with something like this before, so logically she could do something rash that we’d both feel bad about later.”
“B-but the Princess loves peace!”
“Does she love dragons?”
“No... What kind of question is that?”
“Well, if they were on Equestria’s borders do you think she’d allow a war to happen between ponies and dragons, just to remove the threat to her ponies?”
“…I don’t know. I don’t think so, since dragons are a big deal. If she can avoid war with them, she would.”
“…You’re right that’s a bad analogy.” I responded, scrunching my nose. “Well regardless, I’ve already gone over all the possibilities. But Rainbow, I need to know. If you were to choose a side to fight for… who would you fight for?”
To say Rainbow was caught off guard by the question was the understatement of the millennium. She froze up, deep in thought. It looked like she was discovering the secret of the universe under that blank gaze, and the more she thought about it, the more horrified she seemed to become.
“I-I…” she stammered.
“…Yes?”
“I wouldn’t choose! I can’t choose! I’d be betraying too many friends if I choose either side! If I help Equestria, I fight with my friends, but I’m against you! And if I fight for you, then I have to fight my friends!”
I came here to move out… It turned out that I also wanted Rainbow’s loyalty to me. Now when push comes to shove, she won’t be able to play the part of the Element of Loyalty if Celestia chooses to use the Elements of Harmony on me. Though... I can’t help but feel if I push too hard, she’d chose her old friends over me. I’d better watch my step so I have a trump card that I can pull whenever I need it.
“I’m glad you think this way Rainbow Dash.” I said with a soft smile that calmed her. “I would never want to become between you and your friends. If push comes to shove, I will forgive you for choosing them over me.” I said while kneeling down to be at her eye level, just like what you would do with a child.
She looked into my eyes and smiled. “Thanks for understanding.” she replied, just above a whisper and embraced me. I returned the embrace and we stayed like that for a while. Then we separated.
“Rainbow. We need to get you armor for your big day.” I stated with a sly smile.
“Big day? What 'Big day?'”
“The day I unveil you as my Thane, to Celestia at the Gala.”
“W-what?! You want me to dress up as royalty?!”
“Well DUUUUUUH! You are my Thane aren’t you? I’ve got to present everyone and give a proper back-story to each of you. For now, you’re going to be referred to as my Shield Sister. Basically, we protect each other, and since then you’ve become my Thane and give me advice as to what to do with Equestria.”
She looks at me with an unreadable expression, until it contorts into a huge grin. “It’s official. Being a knight is AWESOME!”
“Good. Now prepare some dinner for yourself, and we can head on our way to the tower.”
“Wait, you mean that one place over to the northwest? Why can’t we stay here?”
“Because, it's as I said before. We need to make you a suit of armor for the Gala. Maybe, conscript the abilities of Rarity to make you look ‘fabulous’.”
She shook her head meaningfully and walked into the kitchen and started making some food.
“You sure you don’t want anything?” she asked, putting together a salad.
“I don’t require food to live like you do, not like I want to start anyway.” I said rolling my eyes. Without the need to eat or drink, I’ve never needed to worry about dying of thirst or hunger, much less suffer from fatigue. This was fine by me.
“Yeah, yeah, I gotcha.” she stated, stabbing the salad with a fork.
I sat down on the counter, and stared at her. After a minute she looks in my direction and sees me with my blank expression, just watching her eat.
“That’s creepy.” she stated, as I refuse to acknowledge her. “Dude.” she said waving a hoof around. I still had my eyes fixed on her salad. “Umm you want some?” she waited a moment, then got a grin that screamed mischief, and she got up and hovered between me and the salad. She started making faces trying to make me laugh.
She almost succeeded, but then she stopped and looked deep into my eyes. I was still fixed on the salad or where the salad would be so it’s like I was looking right through her. “Oh, you’re good.” she said, to my face. She then went back to eat her salad. Once she was done, she announced, “All right done, let’s go!” She zipped out of the house.
I sat there like a rock. After a minute, she returned to see me still staring at the location of the salad bowl, if it wasn’t put away in the sink.
“Umm... Pup? Puppy? Puuuuuuppy.” She said while waving her hoof around in front of my face. “Did I break him?” she asked to herself, while looking around the kitchen for something to snap me out of it. She turned around and looked over at the counter on the other side of her kitchen and I sprung into action.
I grabbed her sides while yelling, “BOO!”
“YAAAAAHHHH!” she jumped in surprise. “Aw, not cool!” she half-yelled, glaring at me.
I toppled over in laughter. Rainbow continued to glare at me while I rolled on the cloud floor of her kitchen. She went out the door and I followed shortly after, once I got control of my laughter.
“You Done?” she stated impatiently.
“Oh come on Dash, it was a prank. I thought you liked pranks?” I responded innocently enough, while I had a content smile on my face. “Besides I kinda needed that. I’ve been tense for the past ten hours. Or some weird scenario pops up to ruin my day.”
“Fine, whatever...” she said dismissively, while watching the moon climb up the horizon, while the shades of orange begin to completely disappear from the skies. “Wanna race?” she challenged.
“I’ll probably fall behind, but sure, why not?” I said flaring my wings and readying myself for takeoff.
She eyed me with a grin that said victory, or the more likely meaning of ‘You don’t have a chance.’ I felt a little worried, but I knew she couldn’t do something too drastic to win. Not like she needed to cheat anyway since I’ve seen how fast she can go. Especially how fast she can defeat an enemy with a heavy weapon that weighs more than her.
“Reeeeeaaaaadddddy?” she questioned, getting into position. “SET-GO!” She shoots off toward the tower in the distance.
I’m standing there for a moment, before I shank my head and fly after her. I moved as fast as I can toward my castle. I wasn’t all that fast, compared to Rainbow Dash, but I can outrun Fluttershy if that means anything. Eventually, I could see the tower in the moonlight. To be honest, even at night the pearlstone looks amazing. It glistened and sparkled in the moonlight. It looked as reflective as water, when the moon's light reflected on its surface.
Though I stopped for a moment, when I saw a figure just hovering from a good distance away from the tower. I got closer and realized it was in a shape of a pony. I decided to close the distance to investigate the new arrival. As I got closer, I recognized the rainbow hue of a mane that I’ve come to know so well. It was Rainbow Dash. I came up to her from the left and I saw her face. It looked worried and unsure. I noticed she was also eyeing the Eater of Souls that patrolled the tower, my mind quickly connected the dots, and I hovered beside her.
“You know they won’t hurt you, right?” I stated, matter-of-factly.
She didn’t respond at first. Instead she took a few moments to think then responded with a solemn “Yeah.”
I hovered beside her for a few moments just basking in the moons glow and the pearlstone reflection of said moon, on its rough surface.
“Do you want to fly with me? We can go together.”
“I’d like that.” she responded flatly, but she turned her head and gave me an affectionate smile that had the words ‘thank you’ written all over it.
“Let’s head on in. We do need to meet up with the other Thanes and think up a plan for the Gala.” I said while moving forward. She followed suit as I took the lead.
“Why do we need plans for the Gala?” asked Rainbow Dash.
“Because I want to present a project to Celestia so she can provide me the right resources.”
“What kind of resources?” she inquired curiously.
“I’ll tell you, once everyone is assembled.”
She fell into a formation beside me as she nervously watches the patrols that fly in squads of six around my castle. We made our way above the skylight, and swooped inside. Once there, we went into the Throne Room where Darkness sat on my throne. He was in his usual lazy position, with his feet elevated and his head resting on his hand. He got up and met me half way, before he knelt before me.
“Darkness. I need you to prepare a room for Rainbow Dash. She’s our newest Thane and she needs a place to stay where she can come and go as she pleases. Preferably near my quarters.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Oh, and before you do that, assemble the Thanes to the throne room. This includes Radiant Garden if he’s able. Speaking of which, how is his condition?”
“He could not make a health potion in the forest, and once he got one it was only a matter of him getting used to using his legs. He’s still in his room, walking around. And I’ve set up the spy network that you requested with Shadow Master. His bed has been tested and he can return here on command.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, spy network?!?!” angrily questioned Rainbow Dash.
“Yes, Rainbow. But it’s not exactly as it sounds, I do listen in on the Princess, but you know how news travels slow in the kingdom, right?”
“Yeah, what’s this have to do with spies?” she inquired, glaring at me.
“The spy network has two purposes. It's first is to relay news and discover secrets that are important to me. It's second is to watch over Equestria, so I can respond to threats faster than Celestia. She has a magic messaging service from Twilight, but I doubt she has baby dragons for all her companies in Equestria. So... when tragedy strikes she’s usually too late to stop it. With the corrupt eyes however…”
She visibly calmed down. “You can save lives, rather than rebuild them.” she sullenly finished, and avoiding eye contact from feeling a little foolish for not seeing the other reason so soon. “But you’re still spying on the Princess!” She said willing herself to remain angry.
“I’m doing it for the Princess. If she decides to remove me, then I have no choice but to act against her!”
Darkness slipped out of the Throne Room to retrieve the others while we stayed and argued.
“You should have more faith in her, though!”
“If she finds out about the disappearances, she might put the blame on me, and we’d never be able to bring them back!”
“But she’s still the Princess! We can’t betray her trust!”
“Rainbow Dash, I know you think highly of the Princess... but in this court, you should think highly of me! Celestia isn’t capable of doing the things that I have to do! I admit in time I’ll need her help, but right now she’s just a loose asset that I need to tighten! I’m sorry if it conflicts with your beliefs, but SHE can potentially ruin our plans to save the world, if WE don’t play our cards right!”
“W-well! Uh! AUGH!” she was verbally defeated and began pouting. If I were arguing with Twilight, I probably would have lost. But Rainbow Dash never was a public speaker.
“Are you done?” I asked, after a few moments of her pouting.
“Yeah...” she said crossing her hooves and sitting down in the middle of the room.
I walked over to my throne and sat down. I waited for my Thanes to arrive. Rainbow stopped pouting and started to rhythmically tap her hoof on the ground out of boredom. I watched with interest as Rainbow’s patience deteriorated, right before my eyes. I found it impressive that someone could go from patient to impatient and antsy so quickly. It was pretty entertaining to watch, honestly.
My Thanes entered the room, and all stood in a semi-circle around Dash who was in front of my throne. I kept my eye on her, while the rest did the same. It made her feel so uncomfortable that she had to break the ice with a noise.
“Uhhh...”
“Radiant! Glad you could made it. How are you feeling?” I said to Radiant Garden, who was without armor but wearing green pants and a green shirt. I effectively secluded Rainbow Dash with my statement, despite how centered she was.
“Fine, my Lord. I got a health potion and was up within minutes. Though I feel a little weak, so I needed to come up the stairs slowly.” He finished, while holding up a cane to show his slow progress.
How he fashioned the cane, I could only guess, but that wasn’t important.
“Good. I’ve called you hear to talk about the upcoming event called the Grand Galloping Gala. I want only three of you to come with me. Rainbow Dash, Radiant Garden, and Darkness. Celldric, you and Hunger have a task of finding me strange artifacts that can potentially mess with time. Shadow Master, I need you to check the Canterlot Archives and find all time spells and bring them to me. If you can make copies and leave the originals there, as to avoid suspicion, then return here and we will begin planning for the final stages of our plans.”
“May I interrupt?” asked Celldric.
“Yeah, go ahead.” I responded.
“Why Rainbow Dash?”
“She’s officially part of our little order. She’s my new Thane, and she will be on her first field mission at the Gala.”
“What mission?” she asked.
“One of loyalty. To see where your loyalties lie.”
“How do I pass?” she asked.
“I will determine that one.”
“May I inquire about my task?” questioned Hunger.
“Yes.”
“What am I looking for?”
“I don’t know. Basically, I’m sending you on a wild goose chase, and I don’t even know what the benefit of it is. But I can’t have you guys doing nothing. I need a catalyst for what I’m planning for anyway. If I’m going to mess with time then I should have some sort of console to guide my jump right? I can only guess the magical land of Equestria will have some things of unknown and magical origin.”
“Actually.” stated Rainbow. “You’d be right. But most rare and weird things get sent to museums, and the heavier stuff is left where it is and the site becomes a museum.”
“There we go. Search well and find what you can. Don’t take it, just mark it. However if it’s in a state that requires you to take it or you’ll never see it again, don’t hesitate to do so. I’ll work out the rest with the other nations. Don’t worry if you think it’s going to be a challenge.”
“That’s more specific. I think we can work with that.” replied Hunger.
“Ok, now to the final task. Radiant Garden. I need a body of a pony. Specifically one that’s powerful enough to hold a lot of magic, but not an alicorn so I won’t draw too much attention to myself in the past.”
“I will need blood samples my lord.” said Radiant Garden, while leaning on his cane. “And a chamber to grow a pod with a tree. I have a good idea of what I need. It should look similar to the tree I put myself inside.”
“Rainbow, you can offer the first blood sample right?” I said looking at my newest Thane.
“Sure.” She responded simply with a shrug.
“Oh, and Darkness, make a room for our new Thane, Rainbow Dash. And some complimentary armor that will go well with her coat and skills. She’s the fastest Pegasus in the world, so take that into account when you make her outfit. Mainly, make it light weight, so she isn’t slowed down.”
“I can fashion something of that nature. Maybe even make her faster if I get some accessories to go with it.” replied Darkness while rubbing his chin in thought.
“Excellent, I believe we’re done here.”
“May I speak to you in private, my lord?” inquired Darkness.
“Very well. Everyone’s dismissed. Leave.” Everyone began moving out. Rainbow seemed unsure. “You too, Rainbow, I’ll meet up with you later.”
“K.” she said simply, and followed Radiant Garden.
The doors slammed shut, and its echo reverberated throughout the throne room. Once it stopped, Darkness looked at me and began to speak.
“What are you doing?” he said accusingly.
“What do you mean?” I said confused.
“Celestia. You’ve not told her anything. I know you better than you think, and you and I both know that it would be beneficial if she knew about the missing ponies.”
“Well, I don’t want to tell her because she might react wro-”
“DON’T GIVE ME THAT!” he snapped. I gave him a glare that told him he stepped out of line. “Sorry. But you and I both know that’s not the reason you’re not telling her. Why do you withhold the information?”
I sighed loudly. I know why I wanted to keep it from her. Why I wanted control. Why I wanted her to be suspicious. I love conflict.
“I love conflict. Honestly… I want Celestia to fight me. Like in Civilizations I’ve always aspired to kill all my enemies, then betray all my friends. Course I won’t do anything to my Thanes, but when it comes to other countries it’s a matter of when I want to pounce on them just to add some spice to my life.”
“So in other words, you’re similar to me?” asked Darkness, seemingly puzzled.
“Don’t give me that. You should have known about this before. Every one of my creations has an aspect of me. You are my warmongering and need for violence. Radiant Garden is my charity and peace. Shadow Master represents my ability to hide the truth. Celldric and Hunger aren’t mine. They have nothing to do with me. But when it comes to the ones I’ve personally created, you all have an aspect of me, and it creates each of your personalities.” I let the information seep into Darkness’s mind, and I saw the wheels turning in his head. His expressionless face made it difficult to figure out, but I could still see it.
“I will follow you wherever you take me.” he finally responded, while having a sincere and rare smile on his face. With his helmet on it was difficult to detect but I could feel his joy with this revelation.
“Go build Rainbow’s gear, and ask Radiant to join me in the Throne room with Rainbow Dash in two hours. I’ve got thinking to do.”
“Yes, my Lord.” he said bowing low and making his way out the door.
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Sorry, i've been sick, so i've not edited this one. That's my plan for tomorrow peeps.
1635484 Heh.
I feel like he's become a tad too bossy lately :/
just a thought.
images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090129224844/mspaintadventures/images/d/dc/Suicide_stump.gif
Hi
So,he saved equestria from a threat he caused,and now seeks to go into the past to undo all the lives lost.
And all so he can conquer all of it?This story doesn't make any sense.Just because you do something in a game doesn't mean it's alright in real life.
It's like it's all a game to him.
I thought this story was different.If I wanted to see a dark/grim story about a bloody war with equestria where lives are lost and treachery abounds I would have read it.Seems kinda strange since this new character trait wasn't revealed until 3 short chapters ago.It's like the Protaganist just flipped or became corrupted himself.
Well,anyway,I guess thats why I'm downvoting,your story's all over the place,when your character is first a hero and then an evil warmonger and no explanation as to how the change occured I call that a bad plot.Therefore I would reccommend that 1.You go back to the begginning and show that side to the character 2.Show the reason/s that lead up to such a drastic change.3.or just change your discription on your story so anyone wanting to read it will expect the right thing.I personally never would have read this story if I'd known the grimdark,tragedy,and Sad nature,all of which you never tagged.I rest my case.
7145909 How do you feel in a game of chess? And if that game melded(grew into) your life with your friends, enemies, etc, and your feelings, thoughts, and emotions from both life and game mixed and melded together? Similar thing happened here.
Breaking news! The hero is an antihero!