• Published 23rd Dec 2021
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Chaotic Visage - Orderly Disassembly



sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurrrrt meeee... A comforting lie. Isn't it?

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Ch 9 - Journeys

the whole back of my spine popped in multiple places every time I shifted.

Each shifting bone sent its own fragment of suffering, burning through each joint.

A deep stabbing ache cut through my eyes. My breath rasped, searing the insides of my raw throat with barely noticeable pain.

It had been days since I’d stopped.

My gaze was fixed on the horizon and only moved to avoid singeing my irises with bright lances of sunlight.

Heedless of the lush forest below, I floated onward.

Onward I stared.

Onward lay my goals, my focus unwavering.

A ringing in my ears drowned out any thought not related to that distant horizon.

It grew louder, more intense, to the point it felt like a spear had been jammed into one ear and came out the other.

They’re after you.

I shook my head.

The princesses probably thought I was dead because of that stunt I pulled.

However, that wasn’t a guarantee so I kept flying west.

The carpet bunched beneath my fingers as I gripped it

You can’t keep running

Except I could.

I could run, I could hide, I could leave them in the dust for the rest of my life if I wanted to.

They will always catch up. They-

Tearing my focus away from the horizon, I pulled my mind together and stuffed the nagging voice in a far-away corner of my mind.

I trapped the nuisance beneath my pool of knowledge and sealed the pool with a block of obstinance.

When I finished, my headache receded, leaving me to sigh in relief as I turned to stare at a passing village.

Maybe later. I don’t really feel like dealing with any more nonsense for a while.

I turned away, ready to float towards my goal once more, a scowl adorning my face.

The mental haze began to return but before I lost myself to it again, my eyes shot open.

Now grinning, I started towards the village with a new thought shattering my melancholy.

They’re scared because I look like a monster, not because I am one!

I began to experiment with different possible pony forms.

My body flashed several times, flickering between earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn forms, dozens of possibilities realized and discarded in mere moments.

Eventually, I settled on a gray unicorn with a map as a cutie mark.

I pointed one hoof skywards as a grin grew on my face. “And my name shall be Path Finder!”

I directed my carpet downwards into the forest.

The graceful square of red fabric slipped past the forest tree canopy and I hopped off of it onto the soft grassy ground.

I poofed a pair of saddlebags onto my back and began to make my way to the village.

The odors struck me first.

Freshly baked bread, and roasting vegetables, among less… pleasant things.

As I got closer I also began picking out noises coming from the village.

The clopping of dozens of hooves, the drone of a crowd, and metallic dings that rang above the rest.

The clopping of my hooves alerted a pair of wall guards to my presence.

I saw them peak over the edge of their fortification.

“Halt, who goes there?”

I flattened my expression as I replied: “Just a traveler looking for a shortstop.”

“A stop? Where would you go from here? Other than the mines, there’s nothing of value anywhere near here.”

“I’m off to explore mysterious lands, and this is my last rest spot before I hit uncharted territory… on my maps at least.”

I slipped a couple of recently fabricated maps out of my bag to punctuate the point.

The guard stallion squinted at the papers that floated up to him before he shrugged.

“Very well, we’ll run a quick search and you should be good to go.”

I nodded. “Alright. Uh, what does that entail exactly?”

The unicorn’s horn began to dimly glow a midnight blue. “Just stay still for a moment.”

Tingling sensations slithered across me in slow, methodical passes, making me shiver.

The itching beneath my skin intensified as the magic passed over my horn.

After the magic had taken its course, the unicorn guard nodded at his fellow.

“He’s clear. No corruption, no illegal magics, and no illegal substances. He did feel a little weird though.”

The presumed leader of the duo squinted at me as I smiled nervously back at him. Eventually, he shrugged.

“He doesn’t look off. Maybe you’re just overthinking things again, like yesterday.”

The unicorn visibly cringed. “I swear they were acting suspicious!”

The first guard snorted. “We’ll discuss it later.”

“Lift the Bar!” The stallion craned his neck backward and shouted.

My poker face fell into a wide smile as I passed through a pair of wooden doors.

A cobbled road marked the threshold dividing town from country.

The street shot straight ahead into a corridor walled by many kinds of buildings and speckled by stalls of various sorts.

There were dozens of ponies occupying the street.

Some were standing in front of stalls, others were talking in jovial groups, and some were just trotting by.

As I walked, new smells assaulted my nostrils.

The bread from before was even more prominent now, but I could also pick out the sweet scents of various pastries.

The odor of roasted vegetables filled the air as I passed a food stand.

The drone of the crowd grew louder as I went deeper in.

The stalls that only dotted the road before now formed a full-on wall of commerce, each standing only feet away from the front door of one building or another.

The smells that previously dominated my senses were quickly whisked away by a whirlwind of new odors.

Spices drifted up my nose one moment, cheeses the next, and occasionally I got a whiff of…

Gragh. Yugh. I had to stifle a gag, but I managed to keep my lunch down.

They have magic. Why do they put up with having that everyyywheerre…

My thoughts petered off as I realized that a sewer cover had been left open, but before I could close it, a pair of tiny putrid ponies climbed out… And they were children?

An adult stallion walked up to the fair of filthy fillies with a small bag in hoof, glaring as he gave them the clinking bag of coins.

“You better have done it right. If I get any complaints from the unicorn sector I’ll-.”

One of the fillies rolled her eyes. “Sir, we haven’t got it wrong yet.”

The earth pony's glare hardened further before he sighed. “Fine. Now scram! I got more important things to be doin’.”

The pair of children galloped away with the bag in one of their mouths.

I tilted my head as I passed the spectacle.

My eyebrows drifted downwards in thought.

Couldn’t they just clean it out with magic?

I shook my head as I noticed the market thinning out.

I looked back and found that I had passed the town square entirely.

Once more, I turned forwards, now in search of an inn.

There were a few buildings that lined the street, but only one had a sign hung above its door which said Tabherd Inn in plain lettering.

It was entirely wooden, had simple windows, and lacked any other decorations.

The worn wooden door swung inwards on well-oiled hinges to reveal a warm room beyond.

Circular wooden tables were scattered across the room with several chairs at each and occupants filling a few.

One in the corner held a pair of quiet, hooded earth ponies.

Another, in the center of the chamber, had a quartet of stallions: two earth ponies, a unicorn, and a pegasus.

They all had half-empty mugs before them and their conversation charged the air with enthusiasm.

“I’m telling ya, Brickhead, rebels got 'em! They’ve never been this late, and the rumors are getting more common.”

“Look, Stopper, I like you, I really do, but that’s hogwash. Why the hell would anyone rebel? Celestia’s brought in more trade, cut taxes, and we got better medicine nowadays.”

The first speaker shrugged. “eh-I don’t know Brickhead. What I do know is that ponies are talkin’, and they’re talkin’ bout rebellions.”

Opposite the door, a bar counter stood. A gigantic earth pony mare sat behind the counter absent-mindedly wiping out a glass.

“Bah, ponies always talk. I mean just last week everypony was on ‘bout…”

I wove between the tables and tried to tune out the talkative stallions. The bartender looked up from her work before she set the clean mug below the counter.

The mare greeted me in a raspy voice. “Hello sir, what can I getcha?”

I put my hoof under my chin to appear to consider my options. “Hmm. A room perhaps? I’ll probably only be here for a day or two.”

The bartender smiled. “Can do sir, seven bits a night. That’ll get ya a room, breakfast, and dinner. Though seconds’ll still cost extra.”

I dropped fourteen bits onto the counter, and the mare tossed me a key.

She nodded at me before pulling up the same mug from before along with a cleaning rag.

I trotted up the stairs located to the right of the bar counter and headed towards my room.

Bed, check. Covers, check. Nightstand, check… Bedpan, ew.

After finishing my room check I trotted back down to the ground floor.

As I reached the bottom step, one of the quartet shouted.

“Can ya Just. Shut. Up. You’ve been on bout rebels for the past hour! Brickhead doesn’t believe ya, Cloud Striker doesn’t believe ya, and yes. I. Don’t. Believe. Ya. Either!”

The angry unicorn took a deep breath before continuing in a normal speaking voice.

“So get that stupid idea outta your head, and just accept that Belle’s caravan is just late. Or maybe goin’ a different direction. Besides, her lot are clothing focused, why in Tartarus would any rebellion kidnap her?”

Cloud Striker snorted.

“Armies need clothes dolt. I don’t think that the Belle caravan got kidnapped, but that doesn’t mean they’d be useless to a rebellion. Winter gear, under armor padding, flags, hell even cleaning rags. An army needs seamstresses as much as it needs cartographers, fletchers, and cooks.”

The unicorn was about to butt in again, but I chose to duck out before he could.

My gaze passed over several different stalls and buildings.

An orange stall, a vegetable stall, an apple stall, a flower shop, and so many more stretched down the street all the way to the town’s entrance.

I meandered towards the town square and lost myself to the market.

The orchestra of rhythmic clangs sounded out from a forge just out of view and provided an almost steady beat to the crowd’s droning melody.

Minty spices slashed through the haze of pastry odors only to be buried under a mountain of fresh foods.

Apples, oranges, leeks, spices, cabbage heads, carrots, and so much more.

Every stall held its own unique merchandise with some in baskets and others on counters.

The bakery’s scent grew stronger as I neared an intersection.

Off to my right, I saw a hole in the line of carts that left a door and display window unobstructed.

Pastries, loaves of bread, and cakes all could be found with more promised just past the door. Almost without thought, I found my hooves carrying me towards it.

I reached for the door, and…

SLAM

“Get back here ya gremlins! Those aren’t yours!”

A pair of fillies had sprinted out the door and tried to brush past me with loaves of bread in their mouths.

However, before they could scoot around me, I yanked them into the air with my magic.

The little brown earth pony thrashed about while the ocean blue pegasus tried to flap her way out.

Neither succeeded of course, but their efforts were still commendable.

More crashing emitted from the store as I heard the owner roar “I said get back here! I’m gonna tan yer worthless hides for this!”

The two children suddenly stopped and whipped their heads towards me.

They used their ultimate weapons, a trump card without peer.

The dreaded puppy eyes.

Their massive eyes gazed into my own as their gargantuan shiny pupils started to water.

The pegasus whimpered while the earth pony’s mouth quivered. “P-please, sir. L-let us go. We’re good lil fillies. We promise.”

I smiled back at them.

“I’m sure you are, so, like ‘good lil fillies, you’re going to apologize to the-”

“You better be miles away ya worthless rabble or I swear I’m gonna-oh.”

The earth pony stallion blinked as he saw the two thieves restrained in the air.

“Uh. Thank you, sir. Ya’ mind handin’ em over? Or take 'em to the guard? Either is fine by me.”

I looked back to the fillies, then the baker, and back before I quirked an eyebrow.

“Why did you two steal?”

The earth pony spoke out while the pegasus curled up.

“We were hungry.”

“So why not buy it? A lot less dangerous if you ask me.”

The earth pony snapped at me.

“We can’t you idiot! Who would steal bread from him if they got money? Nopony! Especially not us!”

I frowned at the sudden shift in tone.

“Where are your parents?”

The little filly sneered at me and scowled more furiously than I thought possible for one so young.

“Try one three two arrowhead lane.”

The baker snorted.

“Don’t give him lip like that you worthless little-”

I cocked an eyebrow at the baker. “What’s wrong? It sounds like a real address, and I saw Arrowhead lane on the way here.”

“That mongrel just gave ya the graveyard’s address!”

Lines of anger disappeared from my face, my flint-like gaze softened, and my voice lowered.

“How much?”

“Wha-?”

“How much for what they stole?”

“Yer gonna pay for them? Are ye insane?”

“Less complaining, more answering questions.”

The baker huffed. “Three bits for the two loaves. Still don’t know why you’d pay for-”

A trio of bits clicked on the street before the baker as I walked away.

I pulled the two fillies closer but kept my magic on them.

“Where do you two live?”

“As if I would ever-”

“I assume you two belong to an orphanage, so either you tell me where to find it or I spend all day getting directions from others.”

The earth pony continued to scowl at me before the pegasus whimpered. Then the poor feathery thing mumbled something.

“Apologies, I didn’t quite catch that. Do you mind repeating yourself?”

“Thirty-two seventh street.”

The earth pony filly opened her mouth while she glared at her accomplice.

However, before a word could pass her lips, I clamped them shut with magic.

“Thank you little one, we’ll be there in no time.”

It took some time, but I did end up finding 7th street.

For whatever God-forsaken reason they put the thing between 9th and 10th street.

How?… Why?... Never mind, questioning this is probably bad for my sanity.

I shook my head as I entered the alley-like street.

The buildings closed in on either side and only left just enough room for the fillies to float beside me.

The sun hung just over the horizon, leaving the whole road in shadow.

No lights lit the street and no ponies clopped around the road.

The buildings here held only faint, faded colors.

Some doors were boarded over and vines sprawled over the sides of several buildings.

Eventually, the three of us stopped in front of the address.

This building was slightly taller than the others, but the colors were still faded and the windows were still glassless.

Green creepers hung from the slanted roof but stopped before they got close to the door.

Several boards on the upper half of the building stuck out slightly, but no large holes made themselves obvious.

I examined the building as I spoke. “So this is it huh?”

The earth pony snorted. “What? It’s an orphanage. The buck you expect?”

“Language, young lady.”

“Yes, I’m using language, thanks for noticing you moronic hornhead.”

I sighed as I started forward.

The earth pony filly kept slinging insults while the pegasus was curling up tighter.

The dim light of the sun darkened even further as we entered, but a couple of lit candles stood at the corners of a reception counter.

Nobody manned the desk, so I rang the bell.

‘Ching’

I waited for a moment.

‘Ching’ ‘Ching’

I went to go for another round, but the earth pony filly spoke up.

“Maybe, just maybe. Ringing that bell again isn’t going to help because get this: she might be busy. Ever thought o’ that big boy? Gonna keep ringing that bell like an idiot?”

I shot her a look so flat that I may have gone two-dimensional.

Then I tilted my head.

“What’s your name? It’s getting very tiresome calling you ‘earth pony filly,’ and your friend ‘pegasus filly’ in my head.”

The pegasus whimpered before speaking. “Cloud Feather.”

The earth pony filly snorted as she rolled her eyes. “Sugar Plum.”

Before I could question them further, I heard the clopping of hooves.

I turned towards the door adjacent to the desk and saw a dull golden earth pony trot through.

Her eyes shot wide open when she saw the two fillies hovering in the air.

“There you two are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Where have you two been?!”

Sugar Plum opened her mouth, but I cut in before she could make an excuse.

“I caught them stealing bread from a bakery.”

The adult earth pony blinked at me before she turned a sharp glare on the two little ones.

“What?! You are both grounded!”

The fillies both drooped in my magic

“For a week!”

Sugar Plum opened her mouth again to argue, but the matronly yellow pony raised a hoof to the filly’s face.

“Now listen here, young ladies, if this fine gentle colt hadn’t gotten to you first, you may have been foalnapped, or maybe even sent to the guard! Jail is no place for a filly like you. Now, what do we say?”

Sugar Plum ground her teeth while Cloud Feather avoided eye contact. However, they both managed to choke out their false thank you's.

The adult nodded before stepping forward.

“Thank you, sir. Now would you please let them down?”

I floated them onto the ground and the two fillies rushed away through the door.

I trotted out the entrance while the matron bade me farewell.

My hooves clicked on the cobbled street as I trotted back towards the alley entrance.

One look back, the shaded alley looked slightly drab, but I could still pick out the candle lights shining from around window sills.

Boards stuck out and vines swung from the roofs, but it still had that warm homey feel that all true homes radiate.

A smile crossed my lips as I turned the corner.

The sun hung just over the horizon, glazing the cobbled street in a warm orange glow.

The golden light capped each stone on the road, letting the slate-gray rocks show their true colors in the shade.

The trot back to my room wasn’t very eventful as noone-pony. Nopony stopped me for any reason.

Phew, glad that I wasn’t talking there. Can’t afford Freudian slips like that. Wait, who’s Freud and why is he slipping?

With a shake of my head, I crossed the inn’s tavern.

A couple of quiet stallions huddled together with the bartender over a few mugs.

The group and I nodded at each other as I walked to the stairs.

One blink and I reached the top and another revealed my door open before me.

One more moment left me in my bed, up to my neck in sheets and blankets.

I sighed as I let warm thoughts of the little orphanage dance across my semi-conscious mind.

Little ponderings like who else lives there, are they doing alright, do they need help?

Questions, little concerns, nothing too big.

I’ll deal with it tomorrow.

With that thought, I slipped past the veil of wakefulness, and into the land of dreams.

Author's Note:

I'M BACK BICHES
Heavy editing from
DarthBall - Fimfiction
UnamusedWaffle - Fimfiction

thx for the help Guys!...
...oh also 0fficerZ0mbie - Fimfiction helped a bit to I guess...