Branded by Friendship

by redstone

Chapter 8 : Storm and Memories

The day had started just like another peaceful morning in Ponyville, the roosters crowing and the cats meowing in response. The noises coming from the tree library sure were unusual though. It sounded like a dog was abusing a squeaky toy. Most ponies chose to ignore the yelping and squeaking, electing instead to take advantage of the early bright light.

The town’s activity peaked when the bell tower announced midday, the market resounding with the calls coming from ponies selling their wares and the occasional giggling of younglings running around. The general hubbub grew quiet when a small explosion was heard coming from the library, but the maniacal laughter that followed robbed everypony of any fear: the new custodian was probably just in the middle of another experiment. A new rumor had quickly spread concerning Twilight and her guest, originating from a mysterious white unicorn that wished to remain anonymous. Word was, the creature sighed the day before was part of a species hailing from a faraway land, and the purple unicorn was acting as a diplomat in behalf of the princess. The whispers came with a warning not to get too close to the library until negotiations were over, giving both unicorn and human the space they needed.

The nice weather had endured well into the afternoon, but soon the sky began to fill with pegasi pushing clouds in place, and gloom started to creep upon the small town. The sun was quickly hidden behind an ashen veil of fog, taking with him the carefree atmosphere of the day; the laughter of foals was replaced by the howling of wind, a warning heard by all residents. The townsfolk gathered their goods and the streets began to empty, and just as the slowest ponies hurried to get home the grey sky shifted, evolving into an impressive dark vortex.

The zealous weather teams had outdone themselves to make up for the lack of rain in the last few days, the scheduled sprinkles canceled because of the draconian smoke, and Ponyville was now hidden from all light by several layers of dark clouds, a torrential rainfall drenching the dry soil in instants. Wind, clouds and thunder, the mixing of all the ingredients for the perfect storm had been carefully planned and beautifully executed, a fact that gave all pegasi great pride.

A sentiment that a certain unicorn did not share.

“This is unacceptable!” Rarity zigzagged under the downpour, trying to protect her head, crying out whenever a drop managed to hit her.

“I told ya not to be all prissy and neat about it. We didn’t even finish the job!” Applejack shot her an accusing glare from under the bench she had selected as a shelter. She had spent a good portion of her afternoon with the unicorn, the diva’s attitude slowly eating away at her patience.

“If the weather pegasi had not decided to turn this a beautiful day into such a disaster then none of this would have happened!” She tried to cast a spell to create a magical umbrella, but she failed miserably. She was a seamstress, not a conjurer. “My mane is going to be ruined!”

“Then stop being fancy and get under here. It’s nice and dry... sorta.”

“Don’t be silly, I might as well roll around in one of your pigsty.”

“You are such a... Hey, is that Twilight over there?”

Rarity turned towards the tree library. How could she have forgotten, the square she had been asked to clean up was next to Twilight’s house, they could just take refuge inside while waiting for the tempest to subside. Looking through the rain she distinguished the purple unicorn standing in her open doorway. She seemed to be yelling something, but the wind made it impossible to distinguish her words.

“We will have to take advantage of Twilight’s hospitality if we don’t want to be soaked to the bone. Unless you prefer to stay in the mud?”

“Freezing under a bench or trapped in a building with you? I’m weighing my options.”

“Fine, be that way.” Rarity trotted hastily towards the massive tree, Applejack catching up to her in an instant. “Made your choice then?”

“I’m already regretting it. Besides, is inside a tree really the best place to be in a lightning storm?”

“Do you really think Twilight, of all ponies, would let something like that up to chance?”

“I reckon you’re right...”

Both ponies came up within hearing distance from the library, Twilight’s exasperated words finally reaching them.

“Mès! I swear to Celestia if you don’t come back inside this instant you will only have carrots to eat and nothing else!” No response. “For a week!” The purple unicorn spotted her approaching friends and beckoned them inside. “Rarity, Applejack! Come in, come in! What are you doing outside?”

“We were pruning the loose branches on the town square, but someone decided to make leaf sculptures instead.” Applejack tried to cross the library's threshold, but a white hoof stopped her.

“What? Do you want me to take off my hat or something?”

“That would be nice, but first.” Rarity pointed to the farm pony's hooves. “Why don’t you go wash off all of that mud before you drag it all around the floor.”

The white unicorn scrubbed her wet pristine hooves on the welcome matt and closed the door, leaving Applejack outside. The orange mare grumbled and went to grab a nearby hose, at least the overhead branches were stopping most of the rain from reaching her... But they were doing nothing against the bitter wind. Twilight’s voice could be heard coming from inside.

“Some storm uh? I observed the cloud patterns used by the pegasi to get it underway, it’s really fascinating. From my calculation it should last until tomorrow morning!” From the window Applejack saw Twilight summoning a towel from a drawer, giving it to the other unicorn. “I hope you and Applejack don’t have any problem getting home.”

Outside of the comfortable and warm library, Applejack was having a hard time with the hose: it had not been modified to suit earth ponies, it was clearly made with unicorns in mind. She grabbed it with her teeth, turned it on and did her best to point the blast at her hooves, barely managing to clean a single one. Suddenly the rubber slipped in her mouth and she received a face-full of cold water, making her stetson fly away.

“Darn it!” Applejack spitted the hose out and whipped her head around looking desperately for her hat. She saw it fluttering in the air, already too far away to reach. The wind quickly picked it up, she was about to lose her precious memento. She almost cried out, but before it could fly away a tall creature appeared out of nowhere, catching it deftly with one hand.

At first Applejack thought that a beast had wandered into the town using the storm as cover, but as it turned to face her she recognized it. The rain was colliding with his bald head, water running along his mostly hairless body making his tanned skin shine in the dark. The farm mare couldn’t believe she had failed to notice him until he had jumped out of the shadows to catch her stetson, his movements were much too quiet for something his size. That kind of feline furtivity was definitely unnerving.

He gave her a small smile as he approached.

“Applejack, right?” Mès handed the mare her hat back, carefully setting it on her head. She was everything he expected from the description he had been given. Right down to the freckles. He extended a hand like Fluttershy had thought him. The gesture was usually reserved for merchants closing a deal in his world.

“Yep, pleasure to make your acquaintance. You are the critter that fell from the sky, ain’t you?” She shook his hand with the one hoof she had managed to clean. She eyed the man, noting his strong grip, muscled arms, squared shoulders and imposing chest.

“Crashed and burned like never before.” Mès grinned widely at her, then gestured to her muddy hooves. “I’ll give you a hand with this.” Mès bent over to grab the hose, fidgeting with it until he understood the mechanism. “Twilight told me you had a farm, is that right?” He appraised this new pony, sensing that she was unlike the ones he had met until now.

“Eyup, Sweet Apple Acres.” She presented her other hooves, Mès washing them down carefully one by one. “Best production of apples in all of Equestria. Thank you kindly partner.”

“My pleasure.” Mès put the hose away, still considering her curiously. “Maybe someday I could visit it?” He grinned innocently. “I hear you have some pigs there, I would like to help you care for them."

“Interested in being a farm hand? I did think you had the body of a hard worker.” Applejack had a good sense when it came to judging ponies, and she could tell that Mès was hiding something. She felt that his interest in her farm was not entirely pure. “Do you have a lot of experience in dealing with pigs?” She watched his reaction suspiciously.

“Lots of it actually, I really enjoy the company of a good fat pig, I know some good ways to accommodate them...”

“Those ways wouldn’t happen to involve a roasting spit and a fire, now would it?” She had noted his sharp teeth, that added to his silent approached reminded her of the many predators she had to deal with, when they roamed out of the Everfree Forest into her farm. A lesser pony would have cowered, but instead Applejack took a step closer to the creature towering above her, looking him straight in the eyes.

Mès did not respond. Instead he scratched his chin, deep in thought. This pony was definitely special. He crouched slowly, brought his face to her level and started to analyse her: he looked intently at her mane, plucking a couple of twigs and leaves from it, he sniffed her coat on several spots and gently booped her nose with his index finger. Mès repeated his testing a couple of times, then he gave her a big toothy smile, apparently satisfied.

“What in tarnation are you doing?” Applejack did not flinch at his proximity, neither did she blush at his inspection. She was reminded of the way Winona, the family dog, would often greet a newcomer. “You are not going to start licking me, are ya?”

“We’ll see...” Mès rose up, and without another word went to the door. He opened it without knocking and peeked inside carefully, as if trying to sneak-in unnoticed. Applejack followed with a puzzled expression, trailing after him as he entered the library.

“There you are!” Twilight bore down on Mès as soon she saw him enter. “Do you have any idea how worried I was? With all of those lightnings out there... If you went too far... I wouldn’t even know!” She bore a resentful expression, her horn sparkling ominously.

“Sorry Tali.” Mès raised his hands,trying to appease her. “I just love this kind of weather! I’m so used to the burning sun, the permanent boring blue sky... But this, this is just beautiful!” He gestured to the chaos outside, clearly exhilarated by it. “I just needed to feel the water on my skin, the wind, the cold!” Mès ran his hand across his soaked bald head. He could perceive the first signs of his hair growing back. “Besides, your warning spell works wonders: your brand flashed whenever I got too close to the distance limit, no need to be concerned.”

“I gave you that spell as a precaution, to be sure you were safe, not so you could dance around the boundaries separating you from death while I worry about you.” She levitated a fresh towel, drying his body as best she could. “You’ll be lucky if you don’t catch a cold from this.”

“Don’t worry, I’m very resilient.” He let the unicorn’s magic run the cloth all over his body, clearly enjoying the attention.

“You will sing a different tune when you are stuck in bed with a running nose and a fever.” Twilight gave Mès a worried look as her magic scrubbed him dry.

“I have never been sick before, and I didn’t work in the best conditions, so stop worrying so much.” He saw the mare frowning, and he knew instantly what it meant.

She was about to lecture him. Time to change the subject.

“I met Applejack out there.” He grabbed the towel and walked towards the kitchen, Twilight fell in besides him matching his quick pace. “I think I like her too.”

“Are you going to put her on your lap and pet her?” Twilight was amused by the thought of the prideful mare in such a position.

“Not really, I have a feeling that it would not be good for my health. She is strong, that one.”

“That one? What do you mean ‘that one’?”

“I felt a lot of power coming from her, it was really surprising. Fluttershy is cute, but very weak, and you...”

“What about me?”

Mès and Twilight’s happy bickering subsided as they entered the kitchen, leaving a flabbergasted Applejack, still in the doorway. It seemed that the purple unicorn had not even noticed her friend standing there, right behind the human. She was brought down to earth when Rarity threw a towel in her face.

“Here you go darling, dry yourself up.” She giggled at the stunned expression under the cowpony hat. “Don’t expect me to do it for you.”

“What in the hay is up with them?!” Applejack carefully hanged her stetson on a hat stand, passing the towel through her mane and coat. “They’ve know each other for what? Three days? How come they are so close?”

“There are some experiences that can create deep bounds very quickly, we of all ponies should know that. Didn’t we all become good friends with Twilight overnight?”

“That was special! Elements of Harmony and all that. They are acting like...”

“Like a couple?” Rarity grinned widely at the idea.

“... Like siblings.” Applejack frowned at her unicorn friend. “You read too many of them mushy romantic novels for your own good.”

“Is that right?” Her smile disappeared, a scowl replacing it.

“Don’t forget that Twi is very motherly, with Spike in her charge for all this time. I’m just surprised at how fast they hit it off. Did you hear him call her Tali?”

“Ah yes, Mès started doing that this morning during breakfast, after we had tea.” The unicorn good humor was back. “Apparently he thought that ‘Twilight’ was a very strange name, so he gave her another one.” Rarity laughed at the memory. “She instantly got annoyed by it, so of course he adopted the new nickname.”

“You had breakfast with Twilight?” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “ Is that why you came to see me? Big Mac told me you and Fluttershy were at my farm this morning, but I was already working.”

“We came to ask for your help, Fluttershy was very worried. The poor dear came to see me very early, she wanted to make sure that Mès was alright after his brutal arrival. I planned for all of us to go, but we could only get Rainbow Dash to come with us.”

“What about Pinks?”

“Sugar crash...”

“Not surprising.” Finally dry, Applejack threw her towel on top of Rarity’s, which was folded neatly in a corner to be dried, it landed in a heap. The unicorn ‘tsked’ at the messy display. “I bet RD and Mès got along? He seems like the kinda guy she would like.”

“Well if you must know, Mès outright said he did not like her, and Dash called him a creep before flying off to hide. If you call that getting along, then sure.” Rarity smirked at the earth pony.

“That bad uh? At least I hope he didn’t scare Shy..”. Anyone that could bring Rainbow Dash to run away was probably too much for the sensitive pegasus to handle. “He didn’t make her cry, did he?”

“Not exactly. When we both said goodbye after breakfast she and Mès rubbed their noses together as a farewell gesture.” Rarity shrugged at Applejacks inquisitive look. “She told me that it was the way bears do it. He is very taken with her, and she considers him like another one of her big furry creatures.”

“... He’s a strange fellow all right... What about you?”

“He spent the majority of our time together avoiding me, or at least avoid looking into my eyes, I still don’t understand why.” Rarity tried to focus on the babble coming from the kitchen, they were still arguing over something. “Twilight told me he is suffering from amnesia, so maybe I remind him of something he forgot, even someone? It could be painful memories so I didn’t try to press it. He is such a dear when he is flustered.”

“And what do you really think about him? Reckon he is completely trustworthy?”

Rarity thought about Applejack’s question. For all of her flaws, she still had to admit that the farm pony could be insightful when she wanted.

“There is something that I don’t like about him, but I just can’t put my hoof on it yet. I take it you felt it too?”

“Something is off, that’s for sure, I could see it in his eyes. Maybe when he recovers his memories we’ll have our answer.”

“I just hope we don’t regret it.”

Mès and Twilight chose that instant to come back, still in the middle of a dispute. The man was now covered in what looked like a yellow tablecloth, making Rarity groan in frustration.

“Are you telling me she smells bad?” Twilight looked accusingly at her companion. “That’s not a very kind thing to say.”

“No! I’m talking about what she tastes like.”

“Tastes? Mès don’t tell me you...” The purple unicorn turned towards her earth pony friend. “Applejack, he didn’t lick you or anything, did he?”

“Eeer...”

“I’m talking about her aura, not her physical scent!” Mès shot an annoyed look at Twilight. “I thought you told me you could sense power too...”

“Yes, but not taste it! How does that even work?”

“Well you tell me, miss ‘I’m a scientist so let me play with your ass’.” Both of them ignored Applejack’s surprised sputtering and Rarity’s giggle. “All I know is that Applejack is very powerful, and her aura tastes like freshly tilled earth and damp tree moss; Fluttershy has a faint sweet aftertaste; Rainbow Dash is metallic, like when you hide a silver coin in your mouth... Don’t really like it.”

“And what about me?” Rarity tilted her head curiously. “Do you dislike mine too?” Was that why Mès constantly avoided her? She noted that Applejack was trying to hide a mocking smile.

“... I don’t dislike it.” Mès could not look into her eyes for longer than a few seconds. “Your’s is like an expensive piece of fabric, smooth and warm, it’s really nice actually.” He smiled at the ground, his cheeks reddening just a little. He chose not to tell her that the perfume she wore made his nose itch and his mouth retch.

“I’m glad to hear that.” The white unicorn looked smugly at the earth pony. The orange mare took the bait.

“And what’s your favorite one? Gotta be tilled earth, right?”

“Don’t start girls...” Twilight’s plea was ignored by the two rivals.

“Of course he would prefer mine over yours.”

“Who would choose dusty old cloths?”

“Someone with taste.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Actually...” Mès interrupted the escalating argument. “I prefer the taste of an aged noble wine over the both of you.” He gently put his hand on Twilight’s head. “That’s definitely my favorite.”

“Are you saying that I taste funky and old?” Twilight eyed him with a smile. Mès’s teasing was starting to feel natural, it had been awhile since he had managed to make her blush.

“Nope, I’m saying that you taste delicious.” He laughed, then cried out when Twilight’s magic twisted his hand out of her mane.

“Okay that’s it, off with you.” She led him to the staircase, Mès offering little resistance. “Please go take a hot bath while I talk with my friends, I’ll order you if I have to. I can feel you shivering.”

“Only because you are breaking my wrist!”

“Nonsense.” She released him and pointed to a door carved in the staircase halfway between the main floor and her room. “You know how to use a faucet, please don’t make too much of a mess.”

---ΩΩΩ---

Mès went up the stairs without a fuss. Twilight was right, he really was shivering from cold, but he would not admit it to her face. Once he reached the bathroom he looked back, seeing the purple unicorn chatting with her friends. He smiled as he got in and closed the door, not wanting to spy on their conversation. The bathroom was not very big, with a pony sized bathtub, a toilet and a sink all jammed in the cramped space. He sniffed unhappily at the smell of shampoo still lingering inside.

He eyed the tub carefully, remembering all the water it could hold. He had seen the unicorn taking a bath inside it the day before, until she had thrown a lump of soap at his face for peeking. He still didn’t fully understand what was considered indecent in Equestria: no one seemed to wear clothes, yet Twilight insisted that looking at her while she bathed was perverted, and she had turned away when he had put his new toga on. If only the climate was warmer, he could dispense with clothing all together, that’s how he usually did it when he was in the slave district.

A sudden sneeze reminded him why he was there. He plugged the drain and began to pour hot water inside, still marveling at this simple act. He then stripped off his tablecloth and got in, just as his nose began to run. The feeling was divine, the warmth healing his gripped body. Once the water level was high enough he relaxed, leaning back as much as he could in the small tub. The last few days had been very stressful for him, even if he did his best to hide it from the others, especially Twilight. His constant foolish behavior seemed to have fooled her for the most part, but he still was hurting. Once again he brought his palm before his eyes.

Receiving a brand should have marked the end of the somewhat content life he led until now, turning it into a daily toll of servitude and misery. Instead he now found himself a guest of another world, bound to a magical creature he very much liked, free of his usual fear of the tomorrow. Yet something was off, something was missing from his life and he could not remember what, it relentlessly nagged at the back of his head.

Whenever he tried to think of the past, images would assault him, memories he did not welcome. He would see the faces of many strangers, full of anger and fear, before they were all consumed by a familiar green fire. In one of these flashbacks he had recognized Melkor, the Damned whose stima he bore before, he realized that his old foe had been on his trail. For such a high ranked member of the Order to be after him... Mès did not want to know what he had done to deserve such an honor.

He suddenly thought of Twilight, the unicorn was waiting for him to make up his mind before confessing to her mentor, and he found that he could not bear to delay the truth any further. If only for her sake, he had to accept to face his memories.

A new resolve filling his heart, Mès quickly got out of the tub, dried himself thoroughly and went to find her. He would tell the unicorn that he was ready, that she could put a memory spell on him and be done with it.

“Tali...” Mès got to the main floor, ready to face his fears, but what he found there made him completely forget about his plans. “... Why are you covered in green gunk?”

---ΩΩΩ---

“Are you sure about this?” Twilight looked skeptically at the bottle in Mès’s arms.

“I’m telling you, olive oil is great for the skin! Romans and greeks use it as a part of their bath routine. I used to help in the furnace of a thermae before, I saw them.”

“But will it work on fur?” Rarity was not convinced: if the spa did not offer this treatment, it was unlikely.

“They use it on their hair too. It’s pretty much the same.”

“You sure they were using olive oil made for eating? There are different types of oil you know...” Applejack did not want to smell like salad topping for a week.

“Hey! I let you put mud all over me, now how about you trust me a little?” Mès pointed to the clay covering his face, faking outrage.

“I trusted you with the furnace earlier, remember what happened?”

“You’re still mad about that? You only got a little singed, I told you it was cute!”

“And I lost the bedsheet you were wearing.” Twilight sighed, she didn’t know how Mès had managed to create a fireball out of her stove, and she knew that he would not let it go unless she relented. “All right, try it on me then, lets get this over with.”

“That’s the spirit!” Mès sat next to her and happily started to pour oil on her.

“Just don’t spill any on the ground.” They were all lying on beach towels, their legs tucked beneath them while the medicinal clay worked its wonder. The oil was warm, Mès having preheated it with hot water, and she left escape a contended groan as his dexterous hands massaged her, making her close her eyes as she relaxed. She heard a giggle coming from Rarity. “What?” The white unicorn was positively giddy, hiding her mouth behind a hoof.

“Nothing, you just look very comfortable.” The fashionista replied innocently.

“So Mès...” Applejack glared at the white unicorn, changing the subject. “Have you done this before? You look mighty skilful with those hands of yours.”

“Slaves are taught to please their masters in many ways, massages are one of them.” Mès worked on a tense spot near Twilight’s shoulders, eliciting another sigh from her. “The basics seem to work on ponies too.” To prove his point Mès pressed his hands harder, making the purple unicorn positively melt on the ground.

“Have you done it with oil before?”

“No, but I saw how they do it: when they are finished they scrape the excess oil with a blunt knife, washing away any dirt with it. The skin gets all clean and scented.”

“I don’t reckon that would work on fur. How are you going to get it out?”

Mès paused in his work, ignoring Twilight’s weak protests, and slowly turned towards the earth pony. The look on his face made it very clear that he had not thought that much ahead. Applejack face-hoofed and Rarity dissolved into a fit of hilarity as a very greasy looking purple unicorn rolled around on the floor, trying to find grip with her sleek hooves to grab Mès, and probably strangle him.

---ΩΩΩ---

“I’m not sick!”

“Who said you were darling?”

“Then why are you trying to give me medicine?”

“This ain’t no medicine, they are marshmallows.”

“Back home we call these lu’q, and they are definitely medicine.” Mès pocked one of the sugary delicacy with a finger, making it roll around on the table they were sitting at.

“Stop being stubborn and try one.” Twilight was wearing a scowl while she prepared a perfectly measured s'more. Her coat was definitely shinier, but it was not worth the smell that came with it.

“NO!”

“I swear I’ll go get the probe...”

“... Fine.” Mès grabbed a handful of marshmallows and stuffed his mouth with them to appease the fuming unicorn.

“So, do you like them?” Rarity leaned in close to him, putting her hooves on his thighs. To her great pleasure he began to blush and choke a little on his excessive mouthful. “Marshmallows can be very enjoyable, if only you let them.” She whispered her last words, trying her best to sound flirty.

“Oh for pete’s sake, will you stop that?” Applejack threw an annoyed look at the fashionista. “Can’t you see you’re making him uncomfortable?”

“I’m just having a little fun, no harm done.” She looked at the orange mare. “You have a knack for ruining other’s enjoyment, you know that?”

“It’s not fun when it’s at the expense of another.”

“You take things much too seriously darling.”

Applejack and Rarity lost themselves in petty insults while Mès finished his marshmallows.

“You know what, those are pretty good!” Mès licked his lips as Twilight frowned, she was looking at her friends bickering, trying to think of a way to stop the fighting.

“I don’t get it, why can’t they get along?” Her ears flattened on her head as the argument grew louder.

“Don't know, maybe we should tell scary stories again?”

“What, so you can terrorize them with your stories about angry gods again? No, thank you.”

As Twilight got up and tried to stand between her quarreling friends, Mès discreetly grabbed the bag of marshmallows left unattended and started to eat again. One more couldn't hurt. Or another two. Or three. Or ten...

---ΩΩΩ---

The three royal guards had braved the tempest in the middle of the night, their powerful wings strong enough to beat the winds and their eyes sharp enough to see through the darkness. Princess Celestia had made it clear that finding the creature known as ‘Mès’ was imperative, and that he had to be brought back to his mate as soon as possible. They had been warned about the possible danger he represented. His description had been given to the fastest pegasi in the regiment, and the teams had scattered all over equestria to give his description to local authorities.

They had come to Ponyville thinking of dropping the message and going to the next town as they had done through the afternoon, but the local law enforcement had given them an astonishing information: a creature matching Mès’s details had been sighted in the village, and it was Celestia’s personal pupil that had it under her custody. The fact that Twilight Sparkle could be in danger made them rush to the tree library, there was no time to wait for reinforcements.

---ΩΩΩ---

The tree library was quiet, the storm still raging outside. A few holes in the layer of clouds occasionally permitted the rising moon to shine through, illuminating Twilight’s room. In those few moments a pair of emerald eyes could be seen in the gloom, watching over the unconscious body of a purple unicorn, plotting for revenge. Mès could not believe how much he hated the game of truth or dare he had been subjected to. He had been coerced by Twilight to choose dare, and the unicorn had fully taken advantage of his blunder. He could have taken revenge on her with his own dare or an embarrassing truth, but Applejack and Rarity had ended the game with an impressive pillow war. The two mares had fought with little regard for the two civilians stuck in the crossfire, and a few stray projectiles had buried Twilight alive and sent Mès flying in the air. He still had a bump on his head from his rough landing.

They were now all sleeping in the mezzanine, or at least Twilight was. Mès could hear Applejack and Rarity bickering on the other side of the room, where they shared a bed. The man eyed the mare sleeping less than a couple of feet away: he had been given his own bed, placed side by side with hers, if he rolled in his sleep he would fall in the hole separating their two mattresses. He sniffed, his nose a little congested, smelling the remnants of the oil in her mane. The results of his experiment was mixed: on one side her fur was luscious and soft to the touch, but on the other it had taken a long, long time to get it out. She had been a little resentful after that... Even more so after he had terrified the three ponies with scary stories about Ammit and Anubis. Eating all of the marshmallows could not have helped either.

Rarity and Applejack had laughed at his antics, the farm pony warming up to him very quickly. She had a side to her that reminded Mès of his home, she was much more down to earth and reasonable than the unicorns, she was a merchant after all. Rarity was more difficult for him to get close to; he simply could not hold her gaze, that deep blue stare made his heart race and his stomach do backflips. And whenever she teased him he could only respond with strangled sounds and blushing. It was quite uncomfortable.

He closed his eyes, and sleep soon found him. His dreams were not peaceful, but neither were they about shadowy figures bursting into flames for once. He dreamed of the three pony he had shared an afternoon with, they whirled around in his thoughts. He saw Rarity, her teasing nature, her deep blue eyes, he saw Applejack, her strength, her spirit, and he saw Twilight, her intelligence and her kindness. Slowly the three ponies melted away, their individualities beginning to be merged together. He remembered a voice, teasing him like Rarity, comforting him like Applejack, a voice he loved... He remembered a face, a human, and at first he did not recognize the woman. He had her name on the tip of his tongue. He clung on to the memory for what felt like an eternity, until he finally won over his mind block. The name came unbidden, loud as if someone had shouted it in his mind.

Aurora.

Suddenly a rush of memories crashed on top of him, he felt like he was about to be crushed under the weight of all the knowledge but he held on, sorting his thoughts. Aurora, he had met her a few years ago. They had courted each other for some time, exchanging playful jibes, talking of freedom and travels and generally playing a dangerous game of hide and seek with the authorities. Then one night she had taken him as his man, and she had given herself to him in return. She was his companion, his wife, his everything. With all the love he felt for her returned a terrible determination to protect her, and he suddenly realized that he had lost her. His panic was short lived, as a thunderous noise woke him up, the cries of the three ponies almost alien to him. Long gone was his enjoyment with the presence of those he had considered as friends not minutes ago, in his mind they were only obstacles, preventing him from finding what mattered most: Aurora.

---ΩΩΩ---

Twilight Sparkle awoke in panic when the lightning bolt ravaged a nearby tree, she had not been the only one to cry out. With a flick of her magic a lantern came to life, casting a weak light around the room. Both Applejack and Rarity were hugging each other in fear, and Mès was starting to open his eyes. She was about to ask if everyone was alright when she noticed something in his eyes: they were glowing with an eerie green sheen, and they were getting brighter by the second.

“Mès... What is...” She never finished her phrase. Fast as a snake, the man leaped on top of her and muzzled her with one hand. Her heart stopped as she felt how strong he really was, and how roughly he had silenced her. She looked into his eyes, searching for answers, but she could not find his irises: his glare was now entirely made of green fire, shining much too brightly to hold his gaze for long.

With a sickening eruption of fear she realized that Mès was looking at her with infinite loathing and hatred, she had never seen such a terrifying expression on anyone’s face, not even on Nightmare Moon or the dragon she had encountered. The happy and kind man she knew had been replaced by a bloodthirsty creature straight out of her darkest nightmares. In that moment she believed that if a powerful spell was not stopping him from killing her, Mès would have sank his teeth into her jugular; his bared canines were clearly ready for the kill. In her terror she tried to use her magic against him, but the spell never left her horn... She tried to scream when she realized that the crazed human was siphoning her magic before she could use it. The Familiar Spell was made to provide the familiar with some of his master’s magic, but Mès was taking it all, leeching everything out of her by the strength of his will alone.

“What the hay is going on?!” Applejack was looking at them both with alarmed eyes. She saw Twilight’s tears and her bruised gagged mouth. “I knew it, Mès! Let go of her!”

Twilight tried to convey to her friend how dangerous the man was, but she could only watch as the earth pony charged him with all of her might. Mès watched her approach, he was now fully powered and could turn the orange mare to ashes in seconds, and Twilight felt him prepare a spell. It was not like unicorn magic, which stemmed from concentration and carefully weaving energy in their horns. It was brutal, raw and came from his emotions. She could feel the power building inside the body pressed against hers, she felt the primal power and she wept, for the will inside that power only promised pain and sorrow. As Applejack got closer Twilight saw the first signs of a magical spell shimmering around her friend, and she closed her eyes, knowing what would happen.

“NO!” Rarity’s voice cut through Twilight’s fears, she opened her eyes and saw that the magic aura that had grabbed the earth pony was blue, and not green.

Rarity’s magic stopped Applejack in mid air and yanked her out of harm’s way, leaving a clear path for Mès. The man jumped from the bed like a lion, still holding on to Twilight’s muzzle with one hand, his other arm twisting around her midriff. He was holding onto her like he had carried many animals before, most of them he had brought to slaughter. Faster than she thought possible, Mès crossed the room and blasted through the door, flying down the stairs. Twilight caught a last glimpse of her friends as she was carried off, Rarity was holding on to Applejack like a mother would her child, her face was blank with shock. The nightmarish situation would have made Twilight faint, if not for the sharp pain she felt in her mouth.

---ΩΩΩ---

Once they had reached the main hall Mès stopped and sniffed the air, like a hound trying to find a trail.

“Where are you... Where are you...” His prayers punctuated his sniffing, but his searching was brought to an end when three figures appeared outside the library windows, loud knocks making the front door shake. Mès glared at the door, seeing the plumed helmets through the window. A snarl escaped his cruel maw. “Imperials!”

Mès crouched low, prowling towards the kitchen silently, clearly hoping to escape through a window. His plan was cut short when a scream echoed from upstairs, one of the mares was calling for help, her voice amplified by magic. The shadows outside responded instantly, the wooden door exploded inwards, revealing three pegasi royal guards. The combat trained ponies zeroed on Mès instantly, noting his hostage and his hostile expression, in another heartbeat they had surrounded the man, cutting off any escape route.

“Release her!” One of them shouted.

“Mès, we know who you are.” Another one said.

“We have your mate.” The last one declared, this was not the right choice. Before he could add that they would bring him to her he was knocked out from his hooves by a shockwave of energy.

“AURORA!” Mès immediately reacted to these words, his power exploding out of his restraints. “What have you done to her!”

The crazed man sent two pegasi flying against the walls, brutally slamming them onto the shelves. The last one he brought to him, dragging him effortlessly with his magic. He stood over the pegasus, his eyes burning with anguish.

“Where is she?” Mès shook the guard violently, but the energy in his spells had taken all the wind from the pegasus’s lungs. “WHERE!” He prepared to release the fire that burned inside him, he had to make him talk. He readied his spell and aimed for the downed pegasus, thinking of inflicting pain to loosen his tongue.

A soft noise broke his concentration: it was the smallest of whimpers, the sound coming from his arms.

Suddenly remembering that he was holding Twilight, Mès loosened his grip, letting her go. In his fury he had all but choked the poor unicorn, obstructing both her mouth and nose. The sight of her tears, the sound of her ragged breath but above all the smell of blood coming from her cut lip made Mès’s mind spin. In his moment of confusion he didn’t know who he was... Was he Mès the peaceful slave, or was he Mès the fire spewing killer. The memories of his good time with the purple mare clashed with his need to find his wife, and the faces of Twilight and Aurora began to flash before his eyes, blinding him.

“Mès...” The hurt in the small voice pierced him, guilt overpowering anger in an instant. “I order you to stand down.”

Mès’s eyes went wide, his free will smashed by the Brand in his palm. He fell to his knees, his arms floping uselessly to his sides. The pain coming with the order unlocked the last of his hidden memories, and as the remnants of his backed up power left him, he remembered how he had arrived in Equestria.

He remembered how his power had consumed them both, how they had travelled over distances unknown and how at some point his energy had been sidetracked by a tremendous power taking the form of a huge rainbow. Their bodies had been yanked towards the source of the energy, and he remembered what had happened right before he had lost consciousness: he saw again how Aurora’s body was torn apart by the unstable power flux, he witnessed in utter terror when his own magic ripped her legs and mangled her body, and he was reminded of a crucial fact when he saw her round belly.

She was pregnant with his child.

And he had probably killed them both.

Mès’s howl of despair mingled with the dying storm outside, his will and body broken by sorrow.

---ΩΩΩ---

Melkor watched over the mountain side. A couple of days ago the place was undisturbed and wild. But now, now tents had been erected all round the cave, a hundred Branded milling around under the direction of a dozen Damned. And more were coming everyday. There were no Romans, that was part of the plan: the emperor could not be made aware of what they had discovered, or it would be taken away from them. He approached his brothers, seated around the mouth of the cavern. The ground was marked with many sigils of power, painted or drawn with chalk.

“So, any progress?” He spoke nonchalantly, he was in no hurry. No Damned ever was.

“The walkway isn’t stable, seems like we’ll need a lot more raw power.” An elder Damned spoke, stroking his white beard lazily as he responded. “More Branded, and many more of us. Can’t rush it though, we don’t want to attract any attention to ourselves. It could take a long time brother.”

“Did you manage to look at the other side?” Melkor took a seat in the circle of sorcerers.

“Only for a few seconds. The power coming from that place was amazing.” The old Damned sighed at the memory.

“Not of this earth.” Another Damned spoke, others taking his lead.

“Definitely from another realm.”

“A land ripe for the taking.”

“No emperors.”

“No Romans.”

“Just us.” Melkor concluded.

He didn’t know where Mès had managed to go, but the trail he had left behind had lead them to a very interesting location, where energy was pure and powerful, and where the Damned could use their power without restrictions. From the glimpses they had managed to get, they were sure to be unstoppable if they managed to tap into that new power source, and if they got a foothold into this new land, they could be conquerors of their own, unmatched, unchallenged. The circle of Damned eyed each other with amusement, and as if acting by an unseen signal they raised their arms in a salute, and chanted with one voice.

“Hail Mès, may that fool bring us riches and power beyond our dreams.”

They all bursted laughing, the portal to Equestria shimmering weakly between them.

Author's Note:

Once again I give my thanks to Zobeib for his help.

Comments

[Mother3Forever]

Oh crap...this isn't good.

[redstone]

2563190
I think that's a fair thing to say, yes.
I tried to write her character by looking at all the instances when she is put in front of a crazy situation, but in the end the mix may have come out very ooc. The way she acts varies a lot in the episodes themselves (lesson zero, it’s about time, feeling pinkie keen and others), the constant being that she gets kinda crazy and irrational. And unpredictable. When things calm down I may be able to get her closer to 'normal' canon. But she doesn’t usually have a crazy human blowing stuff up next to her, so...
Now the question is: is her characterisation to your liking?

[shira]

Well I was curious where the conflict was going to come from. Guess I got my answer.

2565293

Mmmmm, I'm not sure if I feel that it's consistent enough. Maybe it's not consistency that's the problem...hmmm I don't know, chapters 7/8 were the first ones where I felt like I was reading about Twilight and not some bizarro version of her. I'm still not thrilled about it but I'm not going to have time the next couple of days to go through and do reread and figure out why :/

[redstone]

2569731
Fair enough.
In other news it would seem that we will soon have a canon example of how Twilight reacts to humans... For better or worst.