Chapter 18: Discussions in the Dark
What does a Hero Truly Need?
By: Zelkova48
Chapter 18: Discussions in the Dark
Canterlot castle, dining hall
Celestia, Luna, and Aiushtha were all comfortably seated around a massive wooden table that stretched all across the great dining hall of castle Canterlot. It wasn't particularly that late at night so they were all enjoying a light little snack before they go enjoy a well deserved night of restful sleep. Both the princesses and the doe were catered by a group of eager chefs who were all too prepared to serve them decadent and delightful meals at a moments notice. At the mere clap of a hoof, the table before them was covered with all manners of food and desserts.
While the princesses were having idle chit chat amongst themselves, Aiushtha humbly sat aside in her own chair. She kept herself occupied with her thoughts, reflecting on the world that she and her friends were now in as well as how they might return to their own world. Equestria was for the most part was some kind of utopia. It was so calm and peaceful, untouched by the ravages of conflict and struggle, on the outside that is. For all she knew right now a utopia simply can't exist, no matter where they were.
All she had on her mind was the history of this world, the princesses seemed very interested in her for whatever reason. And that strange unicorn that she met earlier today also acted strange around her, albeit with hostility rather than the princesses hospitality. From all she could tell so far, it had something to do with the way she looked or rather her species. There was something about the deer that has had everyone spooked. What is it about what she was that is so important?
Aiushtha peeked around the corners of her eyes. She could see some of the chefs and staff members whispering to each other, they looked a tad uneasy whenever they came around her. Aiushtha grew curious, she slowly nestled her chair a bit closer to the ponies. She could easily hear what the ponies were talking about. They were talking about her.
"Who is she? What is she?" one of the maid said, her voice low to avoid Aiushtha hearing her. Sadly she could hear everything that the mare said.
"I think she's a deer, a doe to be precise" an older looking stallion said "I've been around a while. I heard that there used to be a whole lot of them running around Equestria just like us" he stated. Aiushtha's interest was piqued, there really was something about the deer that has significance in Equestria. At one point in time at least.
"Is she royalty or something?" another maid said "She looks like it"
"Maybe she's some kind of diplomat" a butler said "But I've never seen anyone like her before" Aiushtha was now certain that there is something special about what she was. Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard the princesses call out her name.
"Ahem, Aiushtha. Now that we're here, how about you tell us a little about yourself" Celestia asked "Like how you survived the calamity" Aiushtha froze up at the word Celestia used. There was a calamity?
"I... I'm not sure. It's been so long, I don't know if I even remember such a thing happening..." she lied, trying her best to remain inconspicuous yet at the same time doing her best to attain information about the race that once was.
"It's quite alright Aiushtha. You don't have to tell us if you don't know" said Luna "It's just that you are the sole surviving member of your race. Nopony has ever seen something like you for a millenia" she stated "How you managed to survive such horrible devastation has left us in want of an answer ever since we met you"
"W-what did happen? Who was I suppose to be? Why am I the only one left?" Aiushtha asked, hoping that she would receive some answers in return. The princesses exchanged worried looks before turning back to face Aiushtha.
"I suppose you deserve to the know the truth" said Celestia "The records of your people have long since been lost to the ages but I can tell you what I know" she paused slightly to take a drink of water. This was going to be quite the talk.
"A long time ago your kind, The deer folk once roamed Equestria just as we ponies have. You race was old, older than the alicorns, older than Equestria itself. The deer folk had a special connection to nature, everything just seemed to bloom naturally around them. The grass would grow, the birds would fly and the clouds would move all on their own. Even the sun and the moon conformed to the will of the deer folk before my sister and I helped ease them of their burden" Celestia stopped to let her sister finish.
"Then one day, around a thousand years ago. You know now that I think about it why is it always a thousand years ago?" Luna went off on a tangent, curious as to why everything bad seemed to happened one thousand years ago "I mean think about it, Discord was imprisoned, the Crystal Empire disappeared, I became Nightmare moon. That must've been a very bad year for us" Celestia just rolled her eyes.
"Sister, the fate of the deer folks. Remember?" Celestia deadpanned. Luna grinned sheepishly before she cleared her throat to continue.
"Ahem, right. Fate of the deer folk" Luna said as she collected herself "Well one thousand years ago, your race somehow disappeared under mysterious circumstances..." Aiushtha raised an eyebrow, that was a very vague answer.
"They were... gone? Just like that?" said Aiushtha "That doesn't really explain much. You said they disappeared in some sort of calamity" Celestia and Luna sighed, they too didn't like their own answer.
"Well yes and no" Said Celestia "It's kind of hard to explain what happen when we really don't know ourselves. One day they're roaming freely around Equestria, then they disappear the next" Celestia sighed "We call it a calamity because something horrible must have happened to them if they all disappeared like that. It just doesn't make any sense, we tried time and time again to solve the mystery of their disappearance but we keep coming up short every time"
"It doesn't exactly help that they left no record of their existence behind either" Luna said "They were more of the oratory types. But now that they're gone we have nothing to show for them other than knowledge about their existence in the past. Sadly foals these days keep skipping that specific chapter in their textbooks, or so I'm told"
"Well it's good to know that we're at least remembered... kind of" Aiushtha said, somewhat pleased with this recent revelation of a kind that once was.
"But enough about that, what did you do when you realized everyone was gone?" Luna asked "It must've been lonely to wander about as the last of your kind"
"Actually, I wasn't all that lonely" Aiushtha replied "I've met some great people in my life. I wouldn't be where I am now without help from my friends"
"You mean that rag tag group of strange ponies?" Luna asked "However in the great wide world of Equestria did you meet up them?" Aiushtha simply chuckled at the moon princess.
"It's a funny story actually, we all met each other when we were all endlessly wandering around the great world" said Aiushtha "We became fast friends and we've stuck together ever since" she then reminisce about all the good and bad times she'd had along with her friends. All the victories, the losses and the narrow scrapes they'd escape by the skin of their teeth. Quite the life for someone who was supposedly the last of her kind, kind of like Yurnero, The Juggernaut.
"Do you think you can tell us more about them?" Celestia asked "They didn't tell us much back and we would like to run a background check on them" Celestia needed some more information on the other four heroes "We need to know certain things before they get inducted into the guards. Protocols, you must understand" Aiushtha simply shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I am honor bounded and sworn to secrecy" Aiushtha said "I cannot tell you anything about my friends unless you speak to them directly"
The princesses ears drooped back a bit, they were going to have to go the direct approach when addressing the other heroes. Hopefully they'll be much more cooperative next time around. They weren't too receptive about being drafted into the guards without their consent. It's still so strange, how could they not want to be an elite guards? With their skills they could possibly be the greatest group of guards of all time. It's not often you see somepony like them pass up such a rare and prestigious opportunity.
"Actually if you don't mind, I would like to turn in now. Good night" Aiushtha then stood up and respectfully bowed before she walked back to her room.
"Very well then, we wish you a good night Aiushtha" The princesses and the rest of the staff just watched as the doe went back to her own suite. The princesses just decided to stay a while longer and enjoy the last pieces of cake that remained on the table.
After a few more minutes of snacking, they too decided that it was time to turn in as well. After all, tomorrow they had to go and pardon their falsely accused assassin from being stuck in Gladius prison. As the two princesses excused themselves from the table they began their own descent back to their respective chambers, they begin to wonder how they might greet the rogue knight. If they were to try and convince to help their cause with the guards, then they would have to make a nice fir...second impressions.
"You don't think he's going to be mad at us, do you?" Luna asked "This, Sven character I mean"
"If he remembers hitting you in the nose then we should be fine sister" Celestia replied before chuckling.
Canterlot castle, apartment complex, mare's quarters
In the apartment complex of castle Canterlot, the mares that remained there were getting used to their lush and luxurious new rooms. Courtesy of the princesses hospitality. It wasn't that hard to get used to the luxuries of the apartments, pillows that contains the softest goose downs and blankets woven from the best silk of Saddle Arabia would make anypony melt with relaxation and comfort. Yet even with all of the comforts of the apartment, one of the ponies just couldn't ease up and relax. And that pony just happens to be Rainbow Dash.
It has only been about two days for her, two days of perhaps the weirdest things to ever happen to her and her friends other than the occasional megalomaniac of a bad guy trying to take over Equestria. No, this was something different. The only thing on her mind right now was the heroes that she had recently gotten acquainted with yesterday. If wasn't that she didn't trust them, no, that had already been decided. What bothered her was how different they were from the citizens of her home.
They were weird, granted they weren't weird like the first time they met Zecora. They were weird because of the fact they were from another world. Their ideology, their personalities, the way they acted before the princesses was almost otherworldly. In fact it was. She was just far too stubborn to accept the fact that they just don't believe in what she does. Because of this she was starting to get second thoughts about trusting their newfound friends, and she uses the term friend loosely.
She would appreciate it if they at least show some form of respect before their rulers. She was especially appalled by how that Gondar guy acted before them. He's rude, disrespectful and was an overall bloodthirsty individual that practically enjoyed capturing and even killing criminals. The criminal catching aspect about him was the only thing that granted him little respect from Rainbow Dash. He was certainly no Daring Do, not by a long shot.
But the biggest surprise was how Rarity acted around him. She seemed to be acting a little too friendly around him, not that it was bad thing trying to help someone out like that. Rainbow Dash just didn't understand why she was into the guy. She'd vouched for his innocence and even changed his opinion on the princesses. And that was when he revealed himself to be a bounty hunter. While she along with everypony else were very shaken by this revelation, Rarity didn't seem to mind one bit. That only begs the question...
"Hey Rarity, what's it with you and that Gondar guy?" Rainbow bluntly asked from across the room which caught Rarity completely off guard.
"W-what!? W-whatever do you mean Rainbow Dash?" Rarity replied as she felt her cheeks burn up.
"I mean how come you act so... natural around him, like there isn't anything wrong" said Rainbow.
"That's because there is nothing wrong Rainbow Dash" Rarity quickly retorted, trying to divert the question away from her "I'm just acting like any proper lady should. Kind and courteous" her response only drew some funny looks from all her other friends that were nearby.
"You know, now that Ah think about it, aren't you at least afraid of him?" asked Applejack as she joined in on the conversation "He did just tell all of us that he's a bounty hunter. He catches and sometimes even kills criminals for a living. Ain't ya at least a little scared?" Rarity simply shook her head.
"No, I'm not afraid" Rarity replied "I know he's from another world and the way he just acts... It's so different, and I like it" a small smile formed on her lips
"I can actually look past his killer's instinct and see him as something entirely different. The way he acted when he first met me yesterday was almost like something out of a fairytale..." her mind slowly drifted away from reality "That gentlecolt's behavior of his, that athletic strength of his, the way he speaks..." she dreamily sighed as she remembered how he defeated all the guards.
The way he moved, the way he fought to incapacitated them. Brutal it may have been, but to her it was like watching a ballet of skill and grace combined with raw animal like tenacity. She was so entranced by it, she didn't know why. What she did know was that he was ten times the stallion those guards will ever be. Her mind continued to drift off into space before she finally snapped back to reality when she received a wake up call from Rainbow Dash in the form of an annoying poke to her sides.
"Hello? Equestria to Rarity, are you there?" said Rainbow Dash as she waved her hoof in front of Rarity's face. Rarity quickly shook herself out of her revelry with a light blush before turning back to confused friends.
"Uh... I'm fine, just spacing out that's all" Rarity cracked a nervous grin. Applejack and the others just raised an eyebrow.
"Rare's, are you feeling alright? You're acting kinda strange right now" Applejack said but Rarity just waved it off.
"That is the second time somepony has asked me that. First Twilight then you?" Rarity reacted defensively "I will tell you the same thing that I told Twilight, I am fine. There's nothing wrong with me, got it" she then gave her friends a cold glare that showed she wasn't messing around. They all took the hint and back away from the subject, both metaphorically and physically. But before that, Rainbow had one last thing to say, something that she needed to get out of her head.
"Hey Rarity, do you... like that guy?" Rainbow Dash, once again bluntly stated. Rarity simply blushed profusely again.
"If you're implying anything lewd Rainbow Dash then you would be sorely mistaken" She angrily huffed "It's purely a professional thing. But then again, you wouldn't know anything about being professional now would you?" Rarity's face shifted from extreme embarrassment to that of a smug smile as she slid into her own bed with a loud uncouth yawn. Everyone else eventually followed suit and went to bed as well, Applejack and Fluttershy were quick to doze off, but Rainbow Dash was boiling mad.
Rainbow Dash fumed at the insult but set it aside. It was getting far too late and being angry was only going to tire her out. She conceded with her friend, choosing to instead rest so that she may find a way to get back at her tomorrow. She quickly flew over to her own bed and tucked herself in as well, with a great big yawn that sounded more atrocious than the Rarity let out she slowly drifted away to away to the land of sleep. She need to be well rested after all.
Because tomorrow was going to be filled with all kind of surprises.
Chapter 18 end
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2330091
Sry, was just wondering if any Dire heroes would 'accidentally' end up there.
Since Clinkz has Skeleton Walk, he'll be a hard find. Plus, I've been wondering if they would ever bear witness to the whole point of Dota. Or maybe Nyx Assassin, I dunno,
Then again, it sounds really far-fetched. Don't mind me
2332975 my opinion on dire heroes are somewhere in the comment sections here, try there.
The story is moving at a snail's pace right now. Understandably the rising action must be the longest part of a crossover, but right now the last few chapters have been nothing but padding. Interesting padding, but padding none the less. Your strong suit is character interaction, and that shows, but right now the whole thing is just a slow drudge right now. You drop these hints that the plot is moving, but they're getting increasingly far from each other. The pacing needs to get faster.
A weird thought also came over my mind. If it was a 5v5 with the radiant team we're reading about against that Dire one you described, then the Dire would pretty much win. The biggest problem would be that the Radiant wouldn't have a strong intiater. Meanwhile the Dire could intiate with Enigma, Pudge, and maybe even Undying. It was a Dire victory from the start. Doesn't affect the story at all, but it did cross my mind.
Also, I want my goddamn Legion Commander already.
2342127 legion commanders in the works, although they changed the gender
There needs to be more dota crossovers, this is the only one I could find on the site. Its a good thing its interesting then, and decently written. If I might be so bold to offer you some advice on any further dota related stories, I'd suggest for the characters that are non-humanoid, should keep there forms e.g. viper, broodmother, jakiro etc. I just think that since they are not humans, and thus not part of the dominant species, that there would be no reason for them to change.
Which hero is your favorite? I'm curious.
2343708 I agree with the whole keeping the hero's true form thing if they were sent to Equestria. Some make less sense than others if they were turned into a pony. Although it would be funny as hell to see a gigantic spider walking around ponyville looking for some food for her kids.
As for my favorite hero. Hmm... I would say either Bounty Hunter, Sven or Techies. Personality and gameplay wise.
2343749
On the subject of techies, why does valve hate us? Why can't they just release them so that we can blow ourselves and everyone else up. Hes been in the works for a long while now.. I just want to suicide on people, is that so much to ask!
2343756 The concept art is such a damn tease, I know how that feels. My guess is that if they release Techies too soon then we will have a whole month of people suicide spamming like there's no tomorrow. But when you think about it, it's not really a bad thing.
I want my Techies already dammit! :(
I don't get it about the Shining Armour and Princess Cadence marrying part,isn't that already happened?
2344077 The heroes and the mane six got swept into the post planning of the wedding. They did the same thing with the show where they showed up a few days earlier to the actual wedding day to help with the planning and preparations.
wait, how'd I become a gold member?
2354862
I have no idea how I became a gold member too but onto the question: I noticed that you named this Vol.1, is there going to be Vol.2?
2358240 yes