Escapism
Loud laughter filled the room. The throaty deep sound carried well, echoing and bouncing off the wooden walls of the small room we were crammed in. The air seemed heavier with it, but not… not in an entirely unfriendly manner. A few candles and lanterns placed strategically illuminated enough of it, creating an atmosphere of secrecy, as backward as that could be when there was so little space to move.
If anything, the enclosed space ensured that the ponies inside had to become closer, both physically and metaphorically.
A burning furnace in the emptiest corner and a circle of stallions exchanging stories made up for a very homey atmosphere. It was comfortable, sitting as part of that group of ponies, even if the heat had some fur damp with sweat.
And the beverage did flow. Going from hooves to hooves, there was a pint, full of one worker’s personal favorite, being exchanged by everypony. Each time, they emptied it; each time, they filled it again. Before long, it stopped in front of me.
Cautiously, I eyed it, taking in its shape and volume, but more importantly the beverage it contained.
Nonalcoholic cider, they said. It would make sense, considering where we were, but I had a rather limited trust in stallions I had met about two hours ago. Pranks and hazing rituals were certainly a possibility. With so many expectant eyes falling on me though, I had little choice on how to receive their approval.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed the handle with my hoof and took a swig. The liquid quickly went down my throat without trouble and the dreaded heat spreading from there simply didn’t come.
About six voices cheered on me for about another three seconds, before I slammed the pint against the wooden crater and let out a spectacular burp. Then, their cheers doubled.
And, of course, Tom was rolling on the floor, holding his sides.
“Now that’s a prince I can get behind!” An old unicorn claimed, chuckling, his favorite pipe in his hoof. “None of that froo-frooey nonsense I keep getting from those stick-in-the-muds!”
“YEAH!” Two brown stallions hollered, Daybreak and Sunrise, proud of their blue overalls and their caps and not afraid to show them off to the poor, stuffy, traumatized prince sitting between them. He had covered his delicate ears as best as he could, one hoof occupied by a flask of cider.
The borderline battle cry got the ‘brownies’ one more recruit in the form of one overly excited colt. It wasn’t that surprising when his first reaction to them had been something among the line of ‘You two look like a pair of brownies’. With but that cringe worthy remark, Calx had set up the bar for how badly he needed to unwind.
His day of study was over and he intended to make full use of his free time. All of his hyper behavior… focused in a short period of time… Celestia’s plan might end up backfiring dangerously.
“You won’t believe what they say when we want to eat!” Calx yelled. “They won’t even let me choose what I want, just because ‘It is not the proper moment to enjoy such treats, Prince Calx’.”
“Cry me a river.” I rolled my eyes and patted the poor thing’s back with the tip of my wing, to his annoyance.
“Hehe,” the oldest engineer chuckled, stroking my brother’s messy mane. “Those are fools if you ask me. What’s in a life, if you can’t choose to enjoy it?”
Images of a few humans flashed in my mind, but I shook them off. Now wasn’t a good time for this. Luckily, none of the mechanics had caught on to my reaction. In fact, the attention was turned toward one of the other two princes.
The youngest pony of the bunch, who seemed to be barely out of his teenage years, stepped forward, emboldened by the companionship he was witnessing. “What d’you think of that, your Highness?”
Blueblood’s eyes were begging me to help him out of this one, but the correct answer was so obvious that he deserved no intervention. Then again, it was Blueblood. He was making efforts, that could not and should not be denied, but darn was he dense when it came to people skills. It was logical though, when one considered how little he had needed them before.
Finally, he answered, with but a semblance of regality. “W-well, my good fellow, I think there is a place for decorum in Canterlot… I mean, you wouldn’t want to offend Princess Celestia, right?”
Only that last part had allowed them to let it slide. Be it as it may, nopony really wanted to disappoint her, even for something as trivial as unrefined manners. So they just grumbled a few words under their breaths, the ambiance sobering up quickly.
Passable way to reply, if a bit political, Blueblood, but that could have been a lot better.
“BUT who cares when we’re not in Canterlot!” He added hastily, getting the mood back on track somewhat. “We’re just between stallions!”
Better. I nodded, approving his reply.
As if a weight had disappeared from his shoulder, his posture became a bit more lax. After I had given him the advice to mingle with his staff more often, Blueblood had responded with almost abject terror.
“Because you think they will suddenly forget me ignoring or belittling their work for years?!”
Funny how his ability to accept his previous behavior as arrogant beyond belief had a direct correlation with the amount of pain he might expect otherwise.
“The small steps, Blueblood. The small steps…”
So there he was, stuck between two stallions with stature and body mass approximately equal to his, obviously wishing to be somewhere else.
Hey, you’re the one that wanted this…
Luckily for us both, none of the workers had really picked up on what Blueblood was most likely thinking. In fact, they seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much as I did. Heck, the youngest pony in the room just stood up and looked at his much more elderly counterpart.
“Now then, Steam Salvo,” the teenage worker said with a grin, holding out an open hoof. “I believe you owe me a few bits.”
The room descended into silence, very, very, attentive silence. There were bits involved and a debt to be paid.
The old pony blinked dumbly, then spoke with a mix of incredulity and stern anger. “What are you flapping your gums about, Patchwork?”
“You said a week ago and I quote ‘the day I meet a noble that doesn’t snob me is the day I give you all seven bits’. Now, I may not be reading the situation right, but those princes over here are definitely not snobbing you, so fork over the bits.”
The pipe that had been held in the old timer’s mouth fell to the ground. It made a small thud when it collided with the ground, but in an otherwise completely silent atmosphere, it almost seemed to detonate.
The brownies stood up as once, in another remarkable show of synchronization, quickly addressing the elderly pony and demanding that he honored his words.
Now the look the old pony was sending me was definitely less than benevolent. Tough luck. In fact, you’ve barely even lost. It’s lucky for Patchwork that Calx’s around, otherwise, well, it wouldn’t count.
With a grumble and an impressive number of profanities that had Blueblood’s cheeks reddening, Steam Salvo handed them their money, his face crunched up in a stern glare. Amusingly enough, it made his wrinkles thrice as prominent. It lost a bit of its impact because of this.
“Don’t be like that, Salvo,” the young worker chuckled, not impressed. “When you play, you must be willing to lose.”
Except when the stakes are too high. Then anything is fair game.
The light that appeared next in the old stallion’s eyes had me thinking of predators like the timberwolves. Salvo wasn’t done with this. “Now, who’s up for some poker?”
Patchwork confident and easygoing attitude evaporated on the spot. “No way, Mr. Salvo! No way!”
“Eh,” he laughed. “Sounds like one youngster’s got no balls. What’s wrong, sonny? Afraid you’ll have our bits taken away?”
“Hey! If there’s a game going on, I want in!” One of the brownies – Daybreak, I think – stepped forward. The other scoffed, whispering something about ‘suckers’ and just moved to the further corner, where the firebox was.
Now Patchwork seemed torn. On one hoof, he clearly didn’t want to be part of a game where he might lose the money his smartass mouth had earned him, but peer pressure pushed him to seek acceptance from his colleagues.
“Hey, I want to play too!” Calx yelled, effectively killing any chance for the young stallion to back away from the challenge. “You too, Sam!”
Now, not that seeing how the game would unfold with him wouldn’t be a story for the ages, but there were other factors to consider, such as the fact that we were broke and living on charity at this point. Plus, I’d rather not see my baby brother try his hooves at gambling.
Since he would not listen to reason, I went with the simple truth. “We don’t have any bits to bet, bro.”
“Nonsense, Prince Ventus,” Blueblood interjected. “As part of the royal family, you do have access to certain funds…”
Oh buck you, Blueblood.
“Great, so that’s five players!” Salvo cackled, tapping his front hooves together.
“F-five?” Blueblood repeated dumbly.
Ah, serves you right! This was getting fun now. They wanted to play poker with their boss. Said boss was also trying to fit in. Who would be losing or winning the most?
“I’m glad you want to join us, Prince Blueblood,” Daybreak grinned, slapping a friendly hoof into the noble’s back.
The resonating smack that followed had me silently chuckling. Oh yes, this had been a great idea. “So it is settled. A five pony game?”
“But…” He sneered, not amused. “Oh fine! I will play this com-… this game.”
His slip-up went unnoticed, or so I was inclined to believe until I noticed Steam Salvo’s slightly raised eyebrow. His gaze remained unflinching on Blueblood, who was trying to sit more comfortably by the crate which we served as our table. He looked about ready to demand his bits back from the others…
“I’ll be the dealer.” The old timer grabbed a deck of cards from his pouch. “Those hooves have seen a lot of decks go by in their days.”
A few snickers followed, prompting Calx to look at me questioningly, to which I only replied with a shrug.
“You princelings know the rules?” Salvo asked, shuffling the cards with great dexterity. I doubted my magic could do the same, so with my hooves…
Now jumping up and down with excitement at the idea of a game, Calx nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! Sam taught me!”
At that, Patchwork glanced my way, seemingly confused or perhaps a little outraged. He didn’t have time to ponder however as the old stallion’s skills were true. With a few swift sleights of hoof, Salvo had served each player his cards.
Faking some interest in the game, I looked down at my hand, four out of five being black cards and making two pairs. Aces and eights…
It had been a while since I last played this though… Looking back, well… I came up with a blank. I had no idea when I had last played this… Did I ever try my hooves at poker before? Yeah, Calx said I taught him, so I must have...
Said little colt certainly didn’t look the part of an experienced trainer though. First, Calx tried to pick up his cards with his hooves, clumsily clenching them together and dropping two of them. With a yelp, he scrambled to hide them with his wings jealously. The glare he sent Patchwork for laughing only served to bring a paternal light to the eyes of Salvo and Daybreak.
Golden light engulfing them, his cards floated up to his grasp again, well hidden from the sight of cheaters. As soon as they were secured, he grinned to me. “Thanks, Sam!”
I smiled. “Anything for you, little brother.” Literally.
The others, getting a bit bored with our interactions or simply wishing to get on with the game, started placing their bets and exchanging cards.
“Huuuuuuuh… two cards?” He looked up to me, with a grimace.
“I dunno, squirt.” I shrugged. “It’s your cards.”
“…I guess three then!” He declared, throwing them against the crate and tapping its side to ask for his new cards.
Stoically, Salvo indulged him. Then, just as he looked to the cards he had been dealt with, for a split second, Calx’s mouth twisted into a grimace, before he panicked and tried to look inconspicuous. Far too late, a confident and bashful grin appeared on his face.
Blueblood and the others smirked, doing their best not to look at him and show even more clearly that they had seen through his bluff.
As for me, I decided to fold, my thoughts centered around the princesses reaction, had they known we were betting money we didn’t have. Then again, something felt off about this round. I couldn’t put my hoof on it…
My withdrawal proved wise a minute later, when Daybreak showed off three Unicorn Prince.
A strangled, inaudible gasp prickled my ears. The noise, betraying shock and pain came from the only unicorn in the room. Truly, had his coat been any other color, Blueblood’s would have paled drastically.
The intensity of his stare was abnormal as well. It seemed to have zoomed in on the paintings of the Unicorn Prince, which strangely resembled him, if only a little older… say… one generation older?
A cold hand gripped at my guts, my own image superposing itself to the white stallion’s.
All to his victory, Daybreak hadn’t noticed Blueblood’s reaction, nor did Patchwork and Salvo, both grumbling it was only the first round.
Not wishing to bring more attention to what was happening, I jumped on the first distraction that came to me. “What about you, little brother? Can you beat three of a kind?”
The second he broke into a grin, Daybreak knew he had been had.
“Who’s got a Royal Flush?” He happily threw down his cards. “Me!”
We stared. All of us, without exception. Heck, Blueblood was probably grateful from the distraction, or would be once his jaw was back in place.
And if there was a thing Calx wasn’t, it was humble. With a hoof to his chin, faking to muzzle on his thoughts in the most adorable way, he looked us all in the eyes. “I guess I’m too cute and clumsy to know how to play, huh?”
Now the spirits were starting to heat up.
After four more rounds of this though, the emerging tendency was as hilarious as it was awesome. With a little stretch of the imagination, it was quite easy to summon the very thoughts that had to be crossing the others’ minds at this very moment.
My guess? They could not believe that the little hyper colt currently bouncing in his seat was steadily taking the lead in a game of poker. For all my ability to put on a perfectly neutral mask, I just wasn’t that good at making gambles…
Calx, on the other hoof, really knew how to mess with adults. He did it all the time and certainly had the imagination to pull it off.
And I wasn’t bad at getting in on the act either. After a minute of staring at his honest-to-Elders puppy eyes of doom, I smirked. With a little magic, I slammed my cards against the crate. “I fold. No way I’m getting sucked into your little game.”
Daybreak and Salvo’s gazes alternated between us with disbelief. Blueblood, having already folded, stared at me intensively.
Exchanging glances, the remaining two stallions folded before being made fools of again.
Of course, that time, it turned out that Calx’s cards were pitiful.
I can’t believe that work. Wasn’t it obvious?
“Now, wait just a minute, tha-”
We all jumped in our seats when a booming metallic sound cut them off. In his corner, Sunrise had kicked the firebox while laughing his rump off, rolling on the floor and wiping his tears.
I like this guy.
“There you go, squirt.” I ruffled Calx’s mane, which he took in strides, looking at the bits he was accumulating and fast. “That’s another way to bluff. Classic two-pony con.”
Daybreak and Salvo glared at me, to which I replied with an innocent smile.
“What? I only didn’t want to lose against him. I completely misjudged his hand. That’s all.”
The insults they grumbled under their breaths had me almost admiring their creativity. Granted, had they known I could hear them no matter how quietly they said it, they probably wouldn’t have voiced them, ever.
Quickly though, the game returned to normal, with exchanges of cards and most players being very wary of Calx’s skills now. However, my heart wasn’t to poker anymore. My attention kept shifting to the world outside, each turbulence shortening my attention span. The open sky was calling to me; I couldn’t ignore it much longer. This was it.
“If you’ll excuse me, sirs,” I said, my voice shaking and my legs growing unsteady. “I will check how things are on the deck.”
“Huh… ‘kay, Ventus.” Calx didn’t even look up from his cards.
With one last chuckle, I took my leave, the others sending me their good wishes for the rest of the evening.
Once the door of the engine room was closed, I let the mask slip. It hadn’t been particularly tedious, as the general atmosphere had been quite relaxed in the first place, but I was starting to really resent having to fake everything I said.
The image of Calx floated in my head.
ALMOST everything.
Very un-regal, I grimaced at the steps leading to the upper levels. The wood creaked beneath my hooves, producing a grating noise with each step in the stairs I was taking. Within a minute, I had reached the door leading outside, but my patience was spent.
In front of the opening toward my domain, my heart stilled, a faint glow of magic ensnarling the doorknob. Fear held my magic in place, my heart growing nauseous with the idea of exposing myself to the sky, to diving so deep into my own concept…
My mind wandered elsewhere.
I remembered the deck had seemed to be of decent length when I had first set hoof on it, reaching approximately that of a house. From afar, it had seemed quite ordinary, almost like a botched job. From up close though, one could easily infer the fact that it had been a deliberate design. In all appearances, the airship had a military rigor and almost Spartan rigidness.
Quite different than what I had expected of Blueblood. It wasn’t anywhere near as fancy as the one Rarity had gotten the chance to ride during one of her stay in Canterlot. While recently cleaned and polished, which told me how little the ship was used, it still remained remarkably austere.
‘You don’t cheat about your cutie mark’ indeed. If there is one thing a pony should be honest about, it’s that, huh?
Makes me wonder about mine…
I shot a glance to my backside, toward the mark adorning my flanks. It was in the same veins as Celestia and Luna, simply a symbol of my nature as an alicorn. Still, today, the curves and the spirals of this pale blue held more fascination than usual. To have your destiny marking your body… it almost sounded arbitrary. It sounded like a law.
Who am I kidding? It’s just a butt tattoo. I chastised myself. It doesn’t matter. Once we’re back, it’ll be just one more thing left behind.
The world grew cold as I realized where my thoughts had gone.
…‘Left behind’? W-when did I start thinking like this?! Since when do I think of anything here worth missing?! SINCE WHEN?!
My head spinning, I felt my mind grow out of control. Images, sounds and memories came by too fast to be registered, too fleeting to be remembered. Panic was starting to take hold of me.
My name is Sam. My name is Ventus. My name is what I choose it to be. We’re not staying here. WE’RE NOT STAYING HERE!
Without thinking, I twisted the doorknob and ran outside.
Instantly, the disorientation hit me, making me stop.
I knew my words had been true when I had explained it to him, I knew that, but the difference between knowing and experiencing it was one that could never be overstated.
My legs failed me, causing another burst of pain where my head had hit the wooden planks. Flames and illness had exploded in my chest. I was exposed to an unmaking reality. It shouldn’t have been possible, not for an alicorn as young as me to do this. Fear struck my heart, as I came to wonder if I hadn’t been too foolish in my arrogance and this desire to maintain a mask.
Unable to stand, barely able to move, I remained still, at the mercy of my own concept. The winds struck at breathtaking speed. Each one was like a blade, striking at me fast and hard, or at least it tried to.
No, that was wrong. It… it wasn’t exactly… hitting me, nor was it really moving around me… it… my own knowledge of language failed me in this occasion. My more human side in particular was completely stumped. T-there wasn’t a word for this. Not in Sam’s – my – vocabulary. There simply wasn’t a human word that could accurately describe the slow loss of your soul in your environment.
Left with little strength, I couldn’t move, not yet, but I could still see. In the distance, the sun was setting, coloring the horizon orange and red. Over the rails, a few clouds drifted, sometimes over, sometimes under the airship. There was no denying this beauty, how it created aches and soothed the dread filling my limbs.
“This was a moronic idea…” I muttered, panting and sweating.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to focus on this identity rather than its essence. I repeated the mantra, I told myself who I was.
I am Ventus Vinco. I am the wind. I am Sam Miller. I am the air under the sky and the reborn concept of wind. I am human in mind, but not in body. I am an alicorn and a concept, but not a pony. I am Sam and Ventus.
Slowly, the unease receded. It changed, from an overwhelming pressure over my whole being to a scream in my ears, one that couldn’t be silenced.
Over that, I barely detected the screeching of the door’s hinges. Without looking, I already had an idea of the identity of this new pony. After all, the engineers weren’t going to leave their posts and Calx would have thrown the door open with much more confidence.
“So, how is your attempt at mingling going, Blueblood?” I called for his attention, stopping the noise of hoofsteps behind me.
Building up my strength to put out a calm front, I breathed in and out a few times, regretting the foul impression spreading in my lungs with each inspiration. Then, only after I felt I wouldn’t throw up, I turned around to face him.
“T-this is ridiculous…” He shot a nervous glance to the door behind us. “They are so uncouth I feel my fur stand on its ends just hearing them speak. And don’t get me started on the smell in that room! My airship will need to be disinfected and cleaned up when we get back.”
Mentally, I rolled my eyes. Four workers in a small closed-off room, with a heater somewhere… What kind of smell were you expecting? Besides, some nobles can be worse with how thick they lay off their perfumes.
Sadly, my true feelings had to be squashed, and a more diplomatic answer came out instead. “I can’t really deny they are rough around the edge, but what of it?”
“’W-what of it?!’ Their behavior is simply disgusting. You imitated them!” The thought seemed to give him a small aneurysm. “I cannot believe you would forsake all your manners so quickly for a few workers!”
His words struck a chord, hitting the fiber of my being I had thought dead.
Hiding a newly born anger had luckily become an easy exercise for me. “But it was fun while it lasted. Didn’t you feel accepted by them when you tried to see it from their point of view?”
Hearing this, the prince’s abrasive attitude subdued and he shrunk on himself shamefully.
“Tell me you at least tried…” I felt my mouth twist with disbelief, almost scoffing.
Parts of me were really irritated that he’d made me lose my time, but the rest... strangely, it was disappointment that shone through. When had I started placing so much faith in him?
“Don’t be so condescending all the time, Blueblood.” I shook my head, letting out a disheartened sigh. “That’s one of the first lesson you ought to learn.”
Behind me, Blueblood’s breathing hitched.
“S-sorry…” His voice came out hoarse, prompting me to look back to him. The more time he spent with me, the less well-off it seemed to be for his physical appearance. Muscles in his legs were shaking, betraying his nervousness, and the despair in his eyes struck me as pitiful. “J-just how am I supposed to connect with those ponies? We’re nothing alike.”
Only then did the truth dawn on me. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, rather than a simple inability to see where to start.
“True, but the same could be said of you from their points of view. Once they saw you weren’t going to condescend and belittle them, they accepted you. Do you at least see it?”
“I-I suppose… if one were to exclude… s-some truly ghastly moment… it was fun, for short periods of time!” Even as he said it, he seemed to grow more excited, childishly so. “T-they were… very… accepting and friendly.”
It made me grin. “Well, then, you’ve got one proof that a pony’s shell makes not for their value or their nobility. Does this rationalization help you consider them worth your time?”
Sadly, my guess turned out correct. He did look less reluctant to talk to them again. Somewhat encouraging was the internal debate I detected within him.
“But that still does not tell me how to connect with them!”
“Turn it around. Be accepting and friendly in return, without the judgmental eye. Keep up the appearances and don’t let your differences slip between you. That’s the basic for a socialite, isn’t it?”
His mouth, opened to protest or question again, clamped shut.
There, that ought to keep him busy just stewing on that. Maybe now I’ll get a moment to think of more urgent matters, like how to-
“I could not help thinking…” His voice came out loudly, again, making me drown a puppy in my head to vent the sudden rise in frustration. “They will want a raise, won’t they?”
Okay… strange question… “Do you think they deserve one?”
“I… I do not know… They have been doing their jobs well and I have been paying accordingly. If we become more civil, do you think they’ll expect… I mean, if we come into contact more often, would they not expect me to use my moneytary status to... That is how the high society live. Friends means more favors and power, financial or political.”
As ridiculous as the idea was, I felt saddened by how empty he made his life sound. Darn, it had to suck to be raised in such an environment.
Unaware of my sudden empathy, he went on, pensive and introspective, to the point I seemed to have vanished from his field of vision. He was thinking out loud. “There wouldn’t be much harm in giving them a raise… I never cared much for money itself.” Briefly, he paused, before his eyes widened in horror. “M-my status… was so much more important… is. Ventus! I do not think I can actually stop caring about my station!”
I know I’m supposed to be a well of wisdom and what’s not, being four centuries old or one and a half decade, but shit, this isn’t easy... I never thought about this stuff before! It was self-evident to me!
“Being proud… of your origin… of who you are…” I placated my hesitations behind a kind smile. “I don’t think it’s something inherently bad. Truly, it will depend on how that translates to your relationship with other ponies.”
For a moment, Blueblood looked so relieved, so thoroughly comforted, that I wavered. Something akin to warmth had grown in my chest. On impulse, I trotted the distance separating us and gently patted him in the back.
“You’ve seen today that ordinary ponies can be just as good, competent, hardworking and friendly as ponies of higher status. Superficial factors might change, but not the worth of the pony itself.”
“But…”
“Just keep trying,” I said firmly, a hint of steel and cold filtering through my behavior.
Silence was the only thing passing between us. There was no room for discussion anymore.
“You taught your little brother how to gamble?” His voice was a mixture of indignation and amusement.
Almost no room.
I snorted. “Shut up. It kept him busy.”
As it keeps the poor stallions stuck with him downstairs. Briefly, I prayed the Elders wouldn’t be unfair to the workers, as they were good ponies at heart.
“I was only wondering.” Blueblood raised a roof over his chest briefly, feigning repentance and humility.
That’s about as convincing as the CMC’s talent show.
In spite of the annoyance of his questioning, I actually grinned. The ambiance had lightened tangibly with just these few words.
“The breeze is quite pleasant at this altitude, at least at this time of the year.” The white stallion looked over the safety rail, hazarding his gaze to the earth below.
From his perch, I knew he could see the entirety of the fields separating Ponyville from Canterlot. The sight seemed touch him, as a small and childish grin appeared on his lips.
His voice turned into an excited whisper. “A-amazing! It has been months since I was given the chance…” He gulped down, though it seemed to have stemmed from excitement rather than stress. “The world below seems so different from up here. It’s so much more... refined.”
“There is no denying that.” I nodded.
“Though perhaps it is a bit cold.” He shivered.
Cold wind… I glanced to the side of the ship, an extension of my mind warning me about an anomaly. Somehow, the
presence of another, unwelcomed but so very familiar, being so up high was clear as day to me.
Without a second of hesitation, my head turned precisely toward said flying creature. At a moment’s notice, it accelerated, flying directly toward the airship. From this angle, the unmistakably equine traits of the monster only served as a remainder of the horror behind its existence.
“He tore apart his soul.” Luna’s scream echoed in my mind as a warning.
A piece of Caelum Ourobos’ soul. Perhaps a fragment of soul that should have been mine. And it was drawn to me. A windigo had come to me!
It cut through the gusts of wind like they were nothing, exhaling air cold air to create white smoke. Its cries of blind hatred started echoing, creating an uncanny version of a whinny that had my blood curdling.
I was looking straight in its eyes. The admittedly great distance did little to minimize the impact of such a sight. Behind the swirling white light, there was an instinctual truth hidden. I knew what it was. It knew what I was and the instant that the spark of recognition danced between us, a whirlpool of impulses drowned the rest of my being.
A wave of desire and affection flushed through my thought process, leaving only the connection between the two of us and reducing my capacity to reflect its most basic level.
MINE!
The wind spirit recoiled, turning on its tail and diving away from the airship. It left a trail of cooler air behind, a few snowflakes forming in its wake. Clearly, it tried to put the most distance between us.
A foolish and pointless gesture.
The entirety of my being focused entirely on the windigo, I took a few steps forward, as to make sure I would not lose sight of its form. How could I?
It was a part of me, right? Then why was it flying around?! I wanted it, violently!
With a stomp of my hoof, I put the entirety of my greed in one single mental command. Come. Back!
As the windigo faded in a panicked shriek, memories started to pour in my brain. I was completely unprepared for the thousand sensations that split my head in half. Unlike the reality warping, the assault didn’t feel like I was remembering something, I was shown somepony else’s life. It filled my brain with thoughts that weren’t mine.
A plethora of blood… so many ponies, dying… so stupid… why aren’t they listening to me?! I’ve thrown away my home for you! WHY AREN’T YOU LISTENING TO ME?!
Just as suddenly as the images had been summoned, the world was back to its vibrant, brightly colored state. There was a small exception to this though. I felt as if my chest was burning with seething fury.
“Prince Ventus, are you alright?” The fool stepped closer to me, stabilizing me with a strong hoof. “You staggered for a moment.”
“I… I am-”
Against my will, my body leaned more strongly into his hold. My legs had no strength in them; I couldn’t stand, I couldn’t breathe. My chest was heaving, so loudly those broken pants of mine just filled my ears.
Die.... Die... Die... Die... Die... Die... Die... Die... Die... Die... Die…
The corners of my eyes burned with cold so extreme it would stripe one’s flesh off their bones. I wanted to share the feeling with whoever would cross my path. Just share my pain and my hatred!
However, just as I started focusing magic in my horn, my neck twisted enough for something else to catch my attention. Painfully, the dying sunlight reflected against my retina. With just that, I was reminded of the princess waiting for her nephew to come back.
Mercilessly, I squashed those urges of violence. I can’t… too dangerous right now…
Slowly, with great hesitations, I forced myself to stand on my own four hooves, refusing any help from the unicorn prince. Judging from the wide eyes and the twitches of his tail, it wasn’t by any choice of his that I stood unsupported.
“What happened!? You were looking in blank space one moment and, the next, you collapsed!”
For a second, I could not think of an appropriate answer. Instead, my mind had focused on an information he had revealed to me. So you didn’t detect the windigo’s presence? Better not disillusion you then.
“Sorry about that. I’m afraid being so up high in the sky does affect me in ways I couldn’t predict,” I explained with a weak smile.
Oh yes, certainly not what I had predicted.
At another time, I would have noticed the sincerity of his worry or the truth behind the concerned look he shot me, but I was too busy contemplating what had happened. That windigo had disappeared without even physical contact between us. All it had taken was an honest desire to get it back.
The cogs of my mind were already turning at full speed. Now, this is very interesting…
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This is WAY too close to Horcruxes (Horcruxi?) from Harry Potter! I know you gave us that info pretty much on a silver platter with Luna's story, but it just comes back in force here and now; windigos are flying pieces of a corrupted alicorn's soul; the Alicorn of Wind, in particular. And Ventus is able to absorb them, purely by WANTING to?!
This is looking more and more like Ventus was what was left of the previous Alicorn of Wind.....not a mere reincarnation. 
On a brighter note.....
classic turn with Calx's prowess at poker. I could almost see it happen before it did: Calx pulls the "innocent colt" approach, and brutally pummels them all with it. Frankly, though, at first I figured Ventus would be the one to dominate the game. Eh.
And we haven't even seen hair, hide, or magic of Mister Justice yet.....oh dear....
The lack of "Justice" in this chapter worries me...
...
In an unrelated note, is it wrong for me to desire to play a poker game with Calx just to experience his expertise firsthand?
Jesus Christ... i think i feel bad for the windiago.
Oh crap looks like the "original" prince has gotten a hold of him. I can see most of the thoughts in the end are totally not his to begin with like, like some crow who just perched itself onto his head and is now whispering these thoughts to him. Man, this identity crisis he created for himself are affecting him big time now and with that other guy on his way here, I doubt it will end well. Still things are going into the direction I thought it would be: Sam being trapped in the center of some evil monster as it feeds off his energy and he can barely stop it from hurting everything he cared about and it's somehow up to his brother along with the mane cast to save him.
...Ooooh crap...this is not a good sign, not at all! Interesting that the Windigo was actually trying to get away, though... I guess it must enjoy being free, now that it became a lifeform. Feel sorry for the poor thing.
And, I swear, I like how Tom is just dominating the card game. Heh~!
Well crap this isn't good, what is happening to Sam now? Is there anyway he will become his old self again?
2934033 http://new.fimfiction.net/group/20/human-in-equestria/thread/27986/humans-bowing-to-celestia BTW royalty doesn't mean shit to me
2931619 Huh, interesting. I wasn't going for the Horcrux imagery, but in retrospect, yeah, probably sounds a bit like that.
Yeah, it's a strange issue, trying to figure out what Ventus/Sam is. They never found Caelum, but Ventus was born a reincarnation?
Also, poker, I also thought that Ventus could be a great player, but lack of interest and warriness in what he gambles these days... yeah, he just fizzled out. Calx, on the other hoof, knows his tricks and certainly is unashamed enough to use them all.
You don't want to see Mister Justice.
2931934 No, not wrong, especially if you have bits to lose.
2931938 2932370 Luckily, by virtue of their natures, windigoes are not sentients. Still, that's a scary end to meet.
2932280 Ah, classical dude in distress scenario. Fun times.
2933075 He got a few new memories. Ah, it has been a while since it last happened, right?
2934047 Well, there are many different ways to see the scene and Sam's behavior. For starters, royalty might not mean shit to you, but it can mean a lot to other people, especially those growing up with a royal figure as head of states. Second, Sam's trying to be as 'normal' as possible to get away asap without being a noticeable addition to the show. If ponies bow to Celestia, then so will he. Third, it's only polite to show respect and it was done in return to him. Fourth, she might be his only hope to return home, he's not going to alienate her out of pride if he can avoid it.
2934092 This is all imagined when he adsorbed it.
2948659Well yes, actually. He just vanished and left her there, which made me wonder as to what became of her. I would find it hilarious for them to meet again. Also, I was wondering who she was. I had a few ideas, please tell me if at least one of them is correct or not.
1.) The mare that Tom dropped on Sam. I thought of her because she became very familar with feeling of being on top of Sam and maybe she wanted more. 2.)The waitress that panicked when Sam said that he and Tom didn't eat hay. From the way she was scared, I figured Sam was the only nobleman to ever show her kindness and compassion. 3.)If memory serves me, Celestia said that Tom's tuter was a mare. Correct me if I'm wrong. Sam had a lustful visiter after the party and Tom's lesson would start the next morning. 4.)Silent Praise. You introduced her, yet it was nothing relevant to the story. This leads me to beleive that she is important in some way. Her name and description of her puts me under the impression that she is hiding something.
Well, that's it. I was disappointed when they both went on like nothing happened. Judging by the way that Sam's cold, menacing stare did little to make her stop, I doubt that she would give up just after being ditched. Please tell me if I was right for any one of them and if you never thought about it, feel free to take one of my ideas, I don't mind. And if you never thought to much into this, please take my words into concideration. I'm a proofreader and I know good story material when I see it.
Woohoo finally caught up!
Sam is one of the hardest identity-crisis characters I've read so far, possibly imbibing a third personality (although it could be argued it was already partially there to begin with). How has his mind not absolutely shattered yet? He's only showing level 2 insanity, even if his reality warping ties info it so much. We have an idea of who the outsider is, but at this point it's clear how powerless they are at the moment.
Not sure if it was courageous or insane for him to go up on deck, but I suppose he should at least experience it once. It's not unlike what he had done before, but combined with the rapid movement inherent in the airship was way risky, we were fully expecting him to be blown away, somewhat literally.
Keep going! ;)
I can't figure out what Blueblood wanted to say. Any ideas?
2949125 You've got your answer for that in the next chapter actually...
2995516 He was going to make a snide comment approximately like this "Oh fine! I will play this commoner's foolish game and get this over with!"
Minor American folklore
Gunfighter James Butler 'Wild Bill' Hickok was playing cards when shot. Supposedly, his last hand was aces and eights. Since then that has been called "the dead man's hand' in his honor.
The term 'gambling' implies that a certain amount of random chance is permitted to affect the outcome.
Remember A Full Pistol beats a Full House
When did they get on a ship?
8374680
They're on an airship -a zeppelin or dirigible. The episode Sweet and Elite, Rarity christens one.
That doesn't stop Celestia from... you know...
i.pinimg.com/originals/41/f0/b6/41f0b60aec6a8565fd67360d1e31a186.png