Shed Skin for Scales [Rewritten]

View Online

I frowned as the red screen exploded onto my TV, the words “defeat” blaring a noise like hissing snakes into my ears. Angered that my ninth loss had been given to me after twenty minutes per duel, I slammed my black Xbox 360 controller on the bed and slapped a hand onto my face angrily. The action wasn’t hard enough to cause pain, but it did help in alleviating some of the stress I was feeling.

“I hate you, Nicol Bolas. Why did they design your deck to work so fucking flawlessly,” I yelled, pounding a fist into my mattress. Irritation coursed through my veins like a liquid virus, attaching and then burrowing into all of my blood cells, causing my body to heat up while I gritted my teeth. “This is just great. I spend all night on this fucking game, trying to beat his scaley-ass, and I can’t even do it! It’s fucking three in the morning, I have school in three hours, and I didn’t sleep once!”

I balled my fist up, getting ready to punch something else, before opting to just sigh the frustration away. The anger didn’t just disappear, and it made itself known by remaining a tight knot in my chest. Getting up from my queen-sized mattress, I walked over to my Xbox Slim and pressed the silver power button. The machine dinged once and powered off, placing my room in darkness as I turned off the TV.

“I can’t believe I let a fucking video game get to me like that. So much for my cool head,” I thought with a chuckle, walking back over to my bed and flopping down on it. My body was cold from the lack of night clothes, so I crawled under my comforter to protect myself from the autumn-temperature in my room. The heat came in like a wrecking ball.

Once again, a frown worked its way across my face. “That’s it; I’m hell-a tired.” As my brain ran a mile a minute to dislodge the nasty image of that girl at the VMA’s, I wiggled myself down and fluffed my pillow. Slamming my head on the soft, sheet-covered pillow; my eyes closed and solidified the darkness I was seeing before.

A breath of cold air left my mouth as the warmth washed over me, and I stayed like this until my burning eyes finally eased up on me. It didn’t take long for me drift off to sleep...

I yawned greatly, smacking my lips in weariness. My body felt heavy, and I chalked this up to having stiff muscles from sleeping awkwardly. It happens more often than I would like it to, but I’m a heavy sleeper, so there’s not much I can do for it.

“Ugh, what time is it? No way in hell I’m catching the bus, that’s for sure. Meh, better get the day started.” There was a morning ritual I went through to get up and get ready for school. The ritual began with me doing what I’m doing right now; which means swinging my body around so that my feet rested on the cold... metal...

“The fuck is this? I swear, if my dickhead brother moved me while I was asleep again...” Positively pissed-off now, I jumped off my bed and stumbled forward awkwardly. Regaining my balance after hopping on one foot forever, I made my way to the light-switch next to my bed; which I knew was there, because that’s how my house was built.

But when I tried to flip the switch up and felt nothing but air, one could only imagine the amount of distaste I had boiling within. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! Why won’t these lights. Come. ON!”

With a dull hum, the lights came on above me. They were so bright, that I had to cover my eyes with my forearm just to keep the harmful glare from annoying me. Hissing in annoyance, I turned my shielded eyes to the left and opened them, and then stopping to stare blankly at a window in the distance.

Now, the average person would not find a window all that interesting. It’s what was on the other side of the window that was! And as I ran over to this window, my face fell into an abyss of no emotion. Placing my face against the glass, I peered outside, and it took everything I had not to lose my shit right then and there.

“I’m... I’m in space!? Did I get abducted!?” My face began to sweat, and so, I lifted a claw to wipe away the perspiration with its back. Sliding the scaly extremity across my brow, I felt momentary relief as the cool air of this room washed up against my moistened forehead. “That’s way better! Now, I just have to.” I froze and thought about my actions.

“Wait! Did I just use a claw!?” Slowly lowering my head forwards while raising my hand, I nearly screamed like a diva that broke a nail when a navy-blue dragon claw, with no clear indication of where claw stops and nail begins, opened and closed itself to my thoughts of opening and closing my hand!

I babbled half-words and fractured sentences, trying to come up with one coherent thought that would help me out of this fantasy I was living! Stepping backwards with the fear of being changed into some type of monster, I did not expect my foot to run into something and send me tumbling.

I fell backwards and slapped my head upon the metallic floor, and for just a minute, I swear I saw tiny Spyros flying in a circle above me. But, I swatted the dragon apparitions away and stood back up, hissing in pain as the back of my head throbbed.

A habit of mine forced my claw onto the offended spot, and I freaked out the moment I touched my head. “I know from past experience as an avid gamer that dragons do not have hair, so why the fuck am I feeling some pretty nice hair back there!?” I grabbed the offending locks and swerved them around so I could see them, gasping in shock at the color and beauty of them.

My hair was a sunny summer sky, with traces of clouds between the endless expanse of bright blue locks. It was cool to the touch, almost like a comforting breeze would run itself through the tresses themselves from time to time. The hair was vibrant, and as I followed its length up with my hand, I eventually found out that two fang-shaped bangs tucked themselves and hung below two triangular-shaped scaled ears. My bangs stopped just after my jaw, while the rest fell down to about mid-back.

“Holy shit. This is the most fucked up dream I’ve ever had! What the hell kind of body is this!?” Taking a deep breath, I looked out the window and into space again. This time, instead of looking straight ahead into the vast scenery of black sky with white stars, I looked down and beheld a planet.

There were continents, but they were not like Earth’s. The shapes were different, and since it’d be useless to count the continents when I’m sure as hell there’s more on the other side, I didn’t count how many I saw at the time. At least there were clouds floating around like they owned the place.

“It’s blue and green, just like Earth. Although, there seems to be more land than sea, but the difference is hardly noticeable. As for me...” I trailed off mentally, looking down at the rest of my naked body.

“This is surprising, yeah, but the thrill is gone now. Being the ‘Furry’ that I am, this is definitely some type of anthro body; possibly reptilian, if the scales are anything to go by. However, I don’t know too many reptiles with actual hair; that’s something entirely new.” Frowning at my new predicament, I inspected my body further.

My chest would’ve knocked the socks off of any horny high-school female. There was a bevy of perfectly defined muscles littering my person, and I could feel unholy amounts of a tension in them like I hadn’t stretched the muscles a single second in my life. It was uncomfortable, yeah, but I found my eyes lingering on the belly-scales that matched my mane. The abdominals flexed on my command, and all twelve of them started their stoney salute.

I smiled like a big idiot who just found out how to operate a whoopee cushion.

Using my hands to map out my head, I soon discovered my narrow, reptilian muzzle. Based on the way my hands slid forward and slowly traveled to meet each other, I knew it was the mouth of a predator. Opening my mouth next, I used a single finger to map it out as well, coming across several rows of dagger-like sharp teeth. My chin was square, and the jawline was like chiseled rock. “I could ram a billy goat and I bet he’d be the only one to feel anything!” That thought of mine made me chuckle, but I stopped it short and continued my inspections.

With my mouth still open, I let my tongue fly out. To my surprise, it actually started to touch my belly-button! Shivering from the unnatural length and coldness, I rolled it back up with muscles I never used before and closed my mouth, deeming myself done with it. Based on the way it snaked about, I knew the appendage- if I wished -could be used like a third arm.

My body was humanoid in appearance, the only key difference being the inverted knees I now had. “Ugh, it just keeps getting better, huh? Now I look like a freaking lycanthrope, or some freaky-ass creature of the night. This shit is so fucked,” I thought with exasperation, rubbing my neck and turning my head to crack it.

I stopped as a happy smile worked its way across my face slowly. “Hello~! What have we here~!?” My excitement was rising as a curved, ivory talon jutted out from the tip of a large, bat-like wing sprouting from my right shoulder! “I bet these wings of mine stretch out further than my arm span when unfurled! I’m like, six-feet ten-inches, though! Shit, man; I’m huge as fuck!”

It took me around five minutes, but I eventually found muscles that shot both my wings out to their full glory with a mighty blast of air. I even gave a couple test flaps, feeling the cool air in this all-white metal room caress the paper-like membrane of the wings. Instead of the leathery hair like bat wings would have, mine were covered in the navy-blue scales of my body. The membrane itself matched my mane and underbelly.

My thighs were a little girly, but as I walk around now, I can’t complain about them. The thighs have given me a regal and graceful stride, almost as if demanding the attention of any sentient being around me at any given time. My butt is a little more plump than I would like, now that I’m touching it, but it doesn’t really matter.

The legs themselves are muscular-but-lithe, with a strong calf muscle that could be seen from a mile away. They end with clawed feet, with three small toes in the front and a small-hind claw on the back.

Folding my magnificent wings back up, I turned around from the window with a smile and beheld what I got up from. Twas a small black chair, made from some type of material I couldn’t place a finger on while I rested upon it. Inside the pure white room, this black chair stuck out like a virgin on a nudist beach!

My face contorted into a frown as I walked up to the chair and sat back down, feeling the soft fibers push up against my back and wings. The biggest fear I had about lying down on my back with these wings was to cause them serious damage. Nevertheless, I did sit back in this chair and made good use of its armrests. I was completely relaxed, and now that I have time to reflect, I can honestly say this whole situation was handled well!

“Unfortunately, this appears to be some sort of lucid dream. I’ve never had one of these before, so I don’t know shit about keywords or techniques to wake my dumbass self up. Best thing to do is to go with the flow, I guess. Better milk this for all it’s worth.” I folded my claws together and rested the elbows on my stomach softly, as to not cause discomfort.

“Now, this ship seems futuristic enough. Voice command shouldn’t be that farfetched for me not to try,” I reasoned mentally before clearing my throat. Taking a deep breath and then exhaling slowly to blow out any jitters I had, I got ready to try something no human has ever done.

“Well, anthro lizard, if semantics mean anything.”

“Computer: turn on,” I ordered calmly. There was a click and a whir, before a shimmering, pink hologram of an anthro lizard appeared before me. I raised an eyebrow as the tiny wavering image got down on a knee and dipped its head in greeting.

It then stayed there, making me tilt my head. “Aren’t you going to do anything? Say something,” I asked with curiosity, sitting up in my seat as the image floated away to keep distance.

The pink head came back up, and the female hologram- if the digitized tits were anything to go by -smiled at me. “Tiamat bless you, Silas Epista! Can I get you anything?” Her voice was soft, almost like a grown woman from back on Earth. In fact, this thing sounded like another female hologram I know.

“Siri? Is that you, Siri?” I sounded like someone just told me they were going to shit down my neck. The hologram let out a buzzing chuckle and nodded her head.

“I’m surprised you remembered me, let alone being able to remember how to talk! Quite a feat for a Draconian that just woke up from hyper-stasis; but I guess that can be chalked up to your Sigma Draconian body!” Siri blinked out of existence and appeared next to my cheek, smiling sweetly as I studied what she was doing. Using her pink holographic finger, Siri began prodding my face, sending little jolts of electricity through my nerves with every touch.

I raised my eyebrow, growing mildly annoyed at the constant shocks. “What are you doing, Siri,” I poked her in the stomach with my pinky, getting a echoing guffaw of joy from the hologram.

“Stop! Heheh, that tickles!”

I obeyed, lowering my finger but keeping my eyebrow up as she took deep breaths to control herself. “Phew! Alright, I was just conducting scans on your body. As it stands, you’re a little malnourished. You should be back at full strength...” My eyes nearly bulged out as she flexed her bicep into a large mass of rippling holographic muscle, giving me an impromptu ‘gun show’ while wearing a manly face. She fixed her disproportionate body with a giggle. “... roughly around a day from now, should you eat something between now and then! Your vitals are a-okay, and nothing seems wrong with you mentally!”

I watched as she flew up, winked, and booped me on the nose with a giggle.

“On one hand, I’m lost on this fucking dream. On the other, this is by far the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t know whether to feel lost or squeeze this cute little thing to death.” I blankly stared at Siri for what felt like hours, before shaking my head smiling.

“You’re too cute to live, Siri; you know that,” I stated with a giggle, poking her in the stomach again. “Now, could you tell me why I’m here, in space?” Leaning back after asking my question, Siri nodded and disappeared from the feet up. Many clicks and whirring noises were heard before the sound of falling water caused me to look up.

The ceiling was shifting, and as the panels moved, I noticed pink lines of electricity moving throughout the black cords as they shifted about. “Figures she’s a part of the... wait; what am I even inside of? Is this a ship, or a space station?”

The final amount of panels shifted, and then my chair began leaning back slowly, so that my head faces the massive black expanse of seventy misplaced white squares. The whole filled with a sky-blue holo-screen, displaying the words “Asla Tech” in white letters. These words stayed for about half second before disappearing, replaced with multiple squares on the huge screen.

“If you must know, Captain; this is the Traveler-Class space station, Ark. The last one to pilot this vessel was the Goddess-Queen of Asla herself, Atharva. Its course and destination is undetermined, and our location is equally unknown. The Ark has been traveling at the speed of light for some time now, approximately eight-hundred-twenty-seven years. I regret to inform you, Captain, that one of the main thrusters was hit during lightspeed travel; destroying the Ark’s capabilities as a space-faring vessel.”

“Since then, we have been stuck in orbit around a massive star and moon. This forced equilibrium caused us to drift for fifteen-and-a-half years. In order to save power and keep your body alive, I had to turn off all non-important functions for the sole purpose of power conservation.” As Siri’s explanation ended, the massive holoscreen pulled up one of the black rectangles, and it kicked to life with a colored image of the planet below. Spinning slowly, I found my curiosity spiking again.

“And this? What of this planet, Siri?” I gripped my armrests and exhaled peacefully, all the information from her earlier rant being stored within the confines of my brain. In response to my question, however, the video screen zoomed in until the unknown planet filled up the entire center of the seventy-inch holoscreen.

“This planet is does not match the descriptions of previously charted planets by the Aslanian Star Fleet, and therefore, no information can be brought forth. But, based on a scan I conducted before you awakened, I have safely determined that large amounts of magic and life signatures have been identified. The planet below is inhabited, and the Ark seems to be facing the side of the planet currently experiencing autumn, based on the tilt away from the star,” Siri explained expertly, like she’s been doing this forever. Which she probably has, what with the entire “holographic A.I” thing being a factor and all.

“Right. So, can this space station take us down there? I’m getting a feeling that being here on this station for much longer ain’t a good idea.” Sitting up as the holoscreen zipped back up into the ceiling, I hopped off the chair and walked back up to the window, crossing my arms as I glared at the endless expanse of black and twinkling stars.

A wobbling sound, the ones that sound like a hollow teleport, rung out beside my head. It doesn’t take a genius to know that Siri had just popped up from nowhere, and I found myself not caring in the slightest.

“You’d be right,” Siri answered somberly, making me turn to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “As things stand, the space station will lose all power tomorrow. No more power means the life support systems will be turned off, and you will asphyxiate within ten minutes. News like that is really bad to give, and I don’t enjoy doing so at all!” Siri crossed her arms and pouted, reminding me of a little kid who was just denied his turn on a video game. This caused me to snicker somewhat, before using my pinky to rub her underneath the chin. She seemed shocked at first, but quickly smiled and began purring into my caresses.

Little jolts of electricity tickled my nerves subtly, making me smile and stop touching her before things got weird. Those jolts were beginning to affect me in strange ways, and I didn’t want to find out how this new body of mine would respond to such stimulation.

“So what do you want to do, Captain Silas Epista? I have food for you, if you so desire; or we could brainstorm on how to reach the planet below before tomorrow comes... which is in five-hours.” Siri drifted onto my shoulder lethargically, sitting down on her petite holographic rump before lifting and placing her left leg over her right.

Taking a deep breath, I thought about my options.

“Option one: I eat. Option two: I think of a way to reach the planet below us. Out of these two options comes a number of other questions,” I thought with a small amount of panic, turning around and walking back to the black chair. “Is there a way for me to do both options? How will the people of that planet respond to my arrival? Would I be able to take Siri with me? And most importantly...” I trailed off with a grimace, leaning my back on the armrest and staring at the ceiling. “... who is Silas Epista, exactly?”

Messing around with the questions’ order, I eventually worked out a good pattern in which to ask them. Turning my eyes upon the small hologram that was waiting patiently on my answer, I smiled a disarming smile. “I’ve got four questions, Siri.”

She nodded, and I took my cue like a well-learned actor.

“The memory loss you mentioned earlier wasn’t completely lost on me. My memories of Asla are a little hazy, and I need a refresher on its inhabitants and key moments of my past,” I lied expertly, hoping she wouldn’t pry on the matter and just do what I said. She studied me a little bit before shrugging her shoulders and flying off of mine, doing loopty-loops as she got further and further away.

Turning around sharply, Siri raised her arm and opened her hand, drawing the outline of a rectangle in the air. A pink holoscreen manifested itself and sped towards my face, making me raise an eyebrow as it stopped just short of hitting me in the kisser.

“Oh, come on,” Siri called out in exasperation, “You didn’t even flinch! A real stick in the mud, aren’t ya’!?” I couldn’t help but laugh at her squeaky voice as the screen slid back from my face. The pink squares making up its existence changed from pink, to white, to black, like a bunch of dominoes falling in reverse.

The screen- once it was completely black -came to life with a schematic of a shuttle-like spacecraft. Placing a hand on the screen, I touched different parts of the ship and watched as they responded by zooming in on the specific parts. Details about what each part does and its weight, length, and approximate cost for replacement appeared. The monetary value was just a bunch of gibberish, so I didn’t stay too long on it.

“What is this, Siri,” I asked while zooming out of the “wing” section and viewing the inside of the shuttle itself.

“Traveler-Class Multi-Purpose Shuttle, Judgement. Solar rechargeable, able to reach speeds up to Mach 2, and fully capable of supporting a crew of twelve; the Judgement is the perfect candidate for planet exploring-slash-charting. The Ark has one of these vessels within the Cargo Bay underneath the Command Bridge. It wouldn’t be problematic for me to switch over to its central processor and fly you down to the planet. It’s in pretty good shape, too!” I saw Siri’s claws from the corners of my eyes; and when they stretched to encompass the sides of the holoscreen, I raised my eyebrows.

“How are you able to stretch like that,” I asked with no small amount of shock as she slammed the holoscreen closed, giving me a digital toothy grin.

“Heheheh! An A.I never reveals her secrets, Silas! Oh, and I can’t tell you about your past. Sorry.” She gave an indifferent shrug, drifting further and further away from me. I got off the armrest and followed her back over to the window. She pressed her face against it and peered down at the planet below. “It’s so pretty...”

“Yeah. And to think we get to visit it soon!” I patted her head, hopefully comforting the melancholy-stricken hologram. “But before all that, I need to know why you can’t tell me about my past.”

“That’s simple,” she responded. “The only thing I have on file matching the query of ‘Silas Epista’ is my programming to call you that. I have no files, video, pictures, or any other type of media matching your inquiry within my database. However,” Siri enthused, booping me on the nose again. “I recall seeing Atharva place your personal possessions within a locker in the Cargo Bay. I can have it transported here lickety-split, but it’s gonna take at least five minutes. Is this satisfactory?”

Siri crossed her arms and tapped her foot, letting me know how impatient she is. “You just gave me the option! Why are you looking at me like a mother who’s waiting for her ornery son to tell the truth!? I haven’t done anything wrong yet!”

“Yeah, bring it up if you want. I’ll be resting on this chair.” I walked back over to the chair and sat my ass on it. Scooting back so that my wings were pressed up against the back of the chair, I swung my legs up onto the appropriate leg area and rested my arms on the armrests. My head went back on instinct, and I closed my eyes to complete the motions in getting comfortable again.

“I’ll buzz you when your locker comes up then, Silas! Be back in a jiff!” As Siri ended her enthusiastic statement, I heard a beep sound and then the hollow one, like someone botched a teleportation. Siri was gone now, and I had time to think about this weird-ass dream again.

“But is it truly a dream? I’ve never experienced a lucid dream in my life, and I’m pretty sure I did a couple of things that would’ve woken me up in the real world. That time I took a tumble is a good point, and I’m pretty sure the head trauma should’ve been enough to knock me back into my own body. If I find out that this is real, and that I’m in this body because of some bullshit reason; I’m going to off on someone,” I thought with a large amount of distaste, snarling to myself in anger.

“Still, I rather like the fact that a world like this exists, and that I’ve been given an opportunity to explore it. I was never one for the ‘blending in’ scene anyway, and being an alien isn’t all that bad.” I opened my eyes and inspected my claw, narrowing my eyes and nearly coughing a lung up when something unexpected happened.

“The hell was that!? Did my vision magnify!? On Earth, I had to wear fucking glasses, and now I can zoom my eyes in like fucking range finders!?” Utterly amazed by my new discovery, I focused on the window across the way and narrowed my eyes again.

White lines blurred themselves to the edges of my vision like a hive of spiderwebs, and as my sight quickly zoomed in, they disappeared completely when I willed the zooming to stop. My vision was filled with black sky and white stars, having completely shot through the clear window itself and traveled some grand amount of distance into the final frontier.

Giving a loud whistle of admiration, I blinked and thought of retracting my sight. Like a rubber band that was pulled into nigh impossible lengths, my enhanced sight snapped back into the normal view instantly; a feeling of nausea coming over me, making my hand come up to rub the numb feeling from my eyes.

“That... that’s cool. I don’t care what anyone says...” I breathed out in excitement, a smile growing on my face again as I sat up. “... that shit is amazing!”

“I’ve brought the locker so that it can pop up right in front of you!” I did not expect Siri to pop up in my face like she did, yelling her little holographic lungs out like it as going out of style.

I inhaled deeply and audibly, my eyes becoming dinner plates for a second or so. Siri laughed her ass off as I released the breath I was holding, expelling a little torrent of blue fire from my mouth like normal. Glaring at Siri, I made to grab her but fell short when I realized something.

“Did I just expel flame from my mouth!? Holy shit! That means I’m some sort of dragon!” I stood up sharply, barely missing Siri with my shoulder as I did so. I inhaled mightily and blew out, seeing a roaring jet of flame explode from my mouth about five feet out. It was short, yeah, but it got the point across! I could breathe fire!

“This is officially the best body ever,” I stated with a cocky smile. One thing still bothered me, however, and as I looked at my naked body, I found the niche quite easily. It was obvious of course, the whole lack of clothing and all. “But I could make do with some duds. Call me zany, Siri,” I spoke calmly, watching as Siri blinked at me with a blank stare. “But I don’t really care for walking around in the buff. If that locker has clothes in it, I want it up here yesterday.”

She nodded and smiled. “Goddess-Queen Atharva was really thorough with your stripping, Silas! I’m pretty sure all your things are inside there!” Siri snapped her fingers, and a purple locker shot up from the floor in front of me instantly. I gave a grunt of surprise, but kept most of it under wraps as I stepped forward with a claw on my chin, inspecting the metal container that rivaled me in height.

The locker itself reminded me of the ones at my high-school, only wider. It was rather interesting, the silver locking mechanism on the right hand side. Instead of the sliver of metal one would normally pull up on to unlock the locker, there was a metallic pad with the print of some type of dragon claw. There were five fingers on each claw.

Quickly putting two and two together in my head, I reached out with my claw and placed it firmly upon the locking mechanism. I jerked back a little when a hissing sound came from the locker, but I determined this to be some sort of depressurizing mechanism Silas Epista had installed. Why he would install something like that in a locker was a little puzzling, but I eased my way out of the curiosity in trying to make sense of his reasoning.

Needless to say, the locker did open; showcasing a purple interior with a large blob of black on the bottom. Hanging up on one of the purple hooks was a sky-blue, anaconda-patterned, biker-styled jacket. No studs or triangular-shaped shoulder spikes were visible, but it was just from the fierceness and manly over-slash-undertones I got from looking at it that made me think what I had thought.

“The blue’s a nice touch. It goes well with the underbelly and mane. This guy had taste,” I complimented the deceased alien mentally, reaching for the jacket and taking it out. Flapping the leather-feeling material once to expel any dust that might have gotten on it, I hastily slipped it on an smiled. “Feels awesome, too! Normally I’d wear some sort of undershirt with a jacket like this, but the material is comfortable enough!”

Zipping the jacket up to my neck, I hastily snapped my head around to view the black mass on the bottom of the locker. Smiling devilishly, I practically tossed it from the confines of the locker and onto the black chair, swaggering up to its side like this was my duffle bag to begin with.

I pinched the sky-blue zipper between my index finger and thumb, pulled back on it, and opened that bad boy up! Peering inside the abysmal folds, I beheld quite the sight.

Giving another whistle of admiration, I pulled out the jeans that matched my jacket. There was no button or zipper, but there was a black, lopsided belt that was lower on the right side and higher on the left. The opposite sides carried all black gun holsters, and I found myself eyeing that damn duffle bag pretty hard after noticing them!

“Please tell me there are guns! Please tell me there are guns,” I chanted mentally, sliding the jeans on with some difficulty thanks to my new knees. Once situated, however, I was stopped mid-way from reaching inside the bag by Siri.

“Hold it! Let me hand you the stuff! You’re malnourished, and shouldn’t be expending energy like this! Your Draconic Powers already take a huge toll on your body; all this extra business is gonna get your sorry ass killed,” Siri ranted like a really mature younger sister, who grew up with a brother that often got into trouble.

“Wait a minute... she’s like my younger sister, Natasha! Goddamnit! Just when I thought I had gotten rid of one nuisance...” I thought wearily, not really up for the holographic sprite’s shenanigans. But if what she was saying had merit to it, then I had no choice but to listen to her. I eyed the duffle bags zipper with a smile, noticing how Siri was inside of it just enough.

I shot my hand out and grabbed the zipper, sliding the bag closed right as the first squeak of defiance left Siri’s transparent lips. Chuckling at how easy it was to get her like that, I gently placed the bag on the ground and unzipped it again.

Now in my lifetime, I had come face to face with a lot of different scenarios thanks to my brother’s pranks. More often than not, I would be moved during my time spent sleeping it out with one of my afternoon naps. Two places I’ll never forget waking up: the dog house and the shed. Both of these places irritated me greatly, and my ire was made known on those days.

I did not, however, expect to come face to face with a gun-toting hologram of ultimate cuteness. Both of these pistols, which were flintlock in design, were practically being shoved down my throat. “Ummm... those are pistols, Siri. I don’t know how you do it, but these things shoot things to death,” I roared in her face, causing the hologram to shove the barrels into my mouth.

“A-bup-bup-bup; don’t talk! Ease up onto the chair nice and smooth, and maybe I might still have a Captain with a brain when this is done, yeh?” I don’t know why I found her forced mafioso accent to be so terrifying, but I complied with her order and sat down on the chair while crossing my arms. Siri kept the pistols in my mouth as I sat down, and after making me promise that I wouldn’t get up for the rest of my time here, she let them drop out of my mouth.

Covered in saliva as they fell on my map, I stared at the weapons with lustful eyes. Before I could touch them, however, Siri cleared her throat. It was with a sigh that I found myself turning my head to look at her again.

“Alrighty then: only two things remain in this duffle bag, Captain! I found a Sirios Unit, Contact Lens addition; and I found Zaelstrom! I always liked this sword,” Siri exclaimed, digging through the bag until her rummaging was interrupted by grunts of exertion. Her pink butt slowly appeared over the bag’s opening, and as she came out more and more, my eyes locked onto what she was lugging.

A sheath made of a waxed, black wood slid from the depths of the duffle bag; Siri tugging on the handle of the sword without removing the blade as it came out. With one last grunt of supreme effort, the sword was flung at me. Luckily for me, I had some pretty good reflexes and grabbed the five-foot weapon by its handle.

“A sword, eh,” I asked myself in amusement, turning my hand and inspecting the katana-shaped sheath like an old sword master. Truthfully, I had nary a clue on what to be looking for, which only made my constant analyzing useless. “It’ll come in handy later. I don’t need to remove its cover to see it’s a katana. Guess I tuck this on my side?”

I stood up and shoved the sheath into space between my left holster and jeans. Satisfied at the perfect fit, and that the sword wasn’t moving on its own; I stretched mightily before sitting back down, scratching the back of my head with a claw as Siri came out from the duffle bag again.

Her hands were wrapped around a contact lens. Thoroughly intrigued by it, I held out my hand and watched with some amusement as she dropped it into my hand with a glare. “These things were heavy, you know! You could have helped me once or twice, jerk!” Siri made her face pout, and I found myself chuckling as a blaring loophole popped up in my head.

“Fix your face, Siri,” I quipped with amusement, barely holding back a guffaw as she started gritting her teeth. “You’re the one that told me to sit down! If anyone should be getting that stare of yours, it’s you!” Laughing as Siri crossed her arms and turned her nose up, I took the contact lens between my index and thumb, inspecting it closely.

“She said something about a Sirios Unit. And from the way she said ‘Contact Lens edition,’ I can assume there are other forms of these things. I wonder what it does...” I thought as I slowly slid the thing closer to my left eyeball, readying myself for insertion of an unknown alien device.

I’ll be honest here: I’m not a genius when it comes to settling my curiosity. There are times where my body has come under harm from acting without thinking, all for the hunger of knowledge and busting myths. Like that one time where I used iron wool to see if it made for a better washrag.

I paused; the contact lens basically touching my eye, causing the nerves to buckle and flicker my eyelid. “Why would I think of that now?”

“BOO!”

I shoved my hovering finger forwards into my eye, causing me to shriek in horrid agony as the stinging sensation flooded my eyeball. The contact lens was in place, and I prayed that it was clean right then and there so I could avoid a harmful infection or something. Covering my hurt eye with the palm of a claw, I glared at the pink apparition venomously.

“What was that for!? I have half a mind to E.M.P this entire ship!” I stomped my foot, feeling the entire room quiver from the action as it gave a grow of protest. Siri’s eyes went wide when she saw how steamed I was and promptly bowed at the waist, repeating the action quicker than I would’ve thought possible as she became a blur of apologetic motion.

“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry...” The apologies ran from her mouth like escaped convicts, stumbling over her speedy tongue. Growing annoyed with this, I slowly slid the bottom-side of my pinky under her chin, feeling her jaw slap upon it as forcefully as her motions were halted.

“Knock it off,” I commanded like a stressed babysitter, pinching the bridge of my muzzle in irritation. She turned her flattened face up to look at me. “I still need to get off this space station, remember? Where do I need to go; and as I go there, explain to me the importance of the Sirios Unit.” I slid my finger back and turned on my heels, my moment of badassery interrupted by this black chair.

“Really? I looked so cool,” I mentally whined, drooping my shoulders before kicking the chair playfully. “Dumbass space furniture; I hope you die to death and then get reborn to experience the pain again.”

“Hey, Silas,” I turned my head so that I peered over my shoulder, looking at Siri with a raised eyebrow as she flew onto my shoulder and sat down. “The elevator is like, twenty paces forward from the left side of the chair. We should probably get over there before tomorrow comes.” She turned her body and leaned her back against my neck, placing her pink hands behind her head for added digitized comfort. I rolled my eyes in response to her actions, turning my head around and stepping over the black chair in order to reach my destination.

As I carefully counted my paces while thinking off all the terrible things that could happen if I misjudge a step or two; I stopped right before the broad white wall with waning curiosity. An event or other type of humdrum needed to transpire, or I would do what I always did, and make something happen.

“What now,” I asked with boredom slowly creeping up, placing a hand on my hip and tilting my head up. “Where’s this elevator you were going on about? I’m starting to get bored, and boredom is the natural enemy of Jus...” I trailed off and went wide-eyed, almost spilling the beans on my actual name. If Siri was more placid and showcased little emotion, I wouldn’t have cared. But since the little terror thought it was cool to shove pistol barrels halfway down my throat; there was no way I was going to continue on with my name. “... Silas Epista,” I awkwardly finished, shouting the name as if my life depended on it.

Siri’s face was in shock. I likened it to having a mother be given her newborn after long wait and a day of labor. As she uncovered it with all the hope in the world, she finds out her womb was carrying a deer with a snake tongue. “Oooo-kayyy...? If you’re done weirding me out, I propose announcing your status and name. The elevator only opens with voice commands.” She was still looking at me like I was a hacker who’s obsessed with tiny holographic avatar porn, and I had taken an interest in what her operation code could feel like around my penis.

Turning my head with a smile, I looked at the wall and cleared my throat. “Captain Silas Epista, requesting usage of Command Deck elevator.” As the words left my tongue, I found myself disappointed and irritated when nothing happened. Thinking I was fibbed to, my head whipped around as I affixed Siri with a narrowed eye. “Why isn’t it working?”

She snuggled further into my neck with her back and head, letting out a sigh completely devoid of fear from my gaze. “The contraption needs time to come up, Silas. You should probably mess around with the Sirios Unit and see if you can scrounge up some memories. The lens is used for data storage, data exporting, communication, and recording memories,” Siri counted off with pride, closing her eyes and smiling like a pleased kindergartener that just finished an abominable finger-painted piece or art.

“Yeeeahhh...” I trailed off smugly, tilting my head to the left. This got a squeak of surprise out of the apparition, which then turned into squeals of pain as I kept leaning over. “It’s almost like I have amnesia!” Pleased at how well I was playing this part, I allowed my head to crane a little further left before stopping, imagining Siri as some sort of folded up, pink lawn chair with her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

“Uncle! Uncle! Give! Give,” She protested quickly, which was all the incentive I needed to lean my head back to its regular place. Chuckling as I turned my head to look at her, I heard the door ding in alarm to the elevator reaching the Command Bridge. Siri, however, was glaring at me like I had taken all her life savings and spent them on booze and skanky flings. “Don’t you ever do that again!”

“Yeah, well, don’t tell me to do things I have no memory of doing again,” I remarked back, giving her a raspberry just as the doors opened. Stepping inside the glass elevator with a smile, I felt Siri leave my shoulder momentarily. Stopping in the center of the machine, I turned around so that I was facing the black chair in the middle of the Command Bridge’s floor. And it was with a soft ding that the doors closed, revealing a set of all white metal doors.

Crossing my arms, I gave a cough into the quiet hum of the elevator. This was meant to grab Siri’s attention, but it seemed as if she was still sore about the whole “crush you to death” schtick I pulled earlier.

I was just about to open my mouth to call for her, but I felt something small and almost weightless press itself against the top of my head with an indignant huff. Frowning at the contact with my hair, which is something I had always hated with a passion back in the real world; I gave another cough, although this one was more assertive and guttural.

“Oh, calm down. Just tell the elevator to take us to the Cargo Bay!”

“Fine. Elevator, take me to the Cargo Bay,” I snarked, trying to mock the apparition. Apparently, sarcasm was lost on elevators, so the machine promptly dinged its assent to my order and started lowering itself. “Huh, I was only playing around.”

Siri’s face came into view, hanging upside down as she clung to a bang of my mane like a spider. A horribly, pink, cute holographic alien spider. “Welp, we’re gonna reach the Cargo Bay soon! From there, we’ll make our way over to Judgement, and leave the Ark for an unknown planet! I’m excited!”

I gave a chuckle at her enthusiasm. “I’ve noticed.” Willing a single finger to come out and up, I pushed Siri back up into my mane while smiling. I then gripped the silver holding bars lining the back of elevator with my claws, feeling the cold metal upon my scales.

“This dream has been awesome so far. Let’s just hope it stays entertaining. Boredom is my natural enemy, after all.” I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths as I tried catching up on some lost sleep.

When next the elevator rings, I’ll begin a dream adventure of which I’ve never experienced. Everything feels real here, almost as if I had been given a different body for some odd reason. But I know that can’t be the case. It wouldn’t make sense if it did.

“Pssh, as if that would ever happen.”

Queen [Rewritten]

View Online

I have a headcanon that all leprechauns bleed Lucky Charms. So what do unicorns and alicorns bleed; rainbows?

The glass of the elevator proved to make this ride of mine quite the experience. As the machine descended lethargically, every two or three seconds would give me a bright flash of neon-blue light. The light came from the wired walls just outside my reach, making up the elevator’s shaft.

Of course, this did very little in alleviating the heavy amounts of boredom coursing through my veins. I had thought waking up on an alien space station to be exciting, or terrifying if it was filled with the kind that wanted to probe my anus with sharp objects because they thought all my organs were shoved up that little tight passage. Or it could be that they had a strange affinity for dirty, shitty equipment.

“I hope the locals on that planet don’t think I’m here for the tissue lining their anal walls. That would be...” I trailed off and shivered, utterly grossed out by the thought of aliens harvesting the skin on the inside of an asshole. “That’s just wrong on so many levels! I really don’t want them to think I’m there for that!” Switching the legs I had crossed over one another, the elevator decided now to be a good time to reach the Cargo Bay.

With a ding did the contraption stop, and it was with that same ding did the doors slide back and reveal to me a hanger that was probably fifty feet high by sixty feet in length. I could see only one vessel in this black and silver docking station, with cardboard-looking boxes stacked off to the sides. These chestnut-colored squares devoured the entirety of the left and right sides, leaving the center completely untouched.

“And that...” I thought with some amusement, before sauntering towards the shuttle in the distance. “... must be Judgement! Twelve rooms for bunking with a full kitchen, Command Bridge, Two Bathrooms, and fully compatible with Siri. Looks like that screen with Judgement’s specs was pretty useful after all.”

As a yawn tackled my throat, making me close my eyes momentarily for the experience; Siri saw fit to destroy the soft hum of the Cargo Bay by popping up from nowhere in front of me. I kept walking, my reflexes failing me, and slammed my face into hers at the end of the yawn. I barely felt anything, but the hologram felt a little bit of pain from the impact if the cute little “Oomph!” was anything to go by.

Nevertheless, I was undeterred and making steady progress towards the shuttle in the distance. Even when Siri detached herself from my face with the sound of velcro coming undone; which I willed my mind to ignore, since it’s an obvious breach in sensibility and natural law, I was not phased by it. “Stop, Silas! I’ve got to warn you about the Denizens! I have no control over them when the Ark is running on bingo power!”

“Then warn me,” I quipped with a smile, not stopping my advancement towards Judgement. “It sounds like great conversation material while I walk!”

Siri growled and flew off of my face, crossing her arms in front of me. “The Denizens are a part of the Ark! It’s a symbiotic defense protocol, and it attacks anything it deems as dangerous to the object assigned for it to protect! The Judgement is that object,” She explained frantically, once again defying all logic as she chewed on her nails, almost mimicking the sound of a typewriter in use by a professional author. Her eyes were battling one another to scan every nook and crevice the Cargo Bay had to offer, and she feasted well on the metallic anatomy of this room.

I put my hand on my hip and glared at her. “Move aside. I’m not gonna wait for your heart attack to come, and then try to leave the Ark. Keep in mind, however, that I can just walk right through you, too.”

Her frantic staring settled on me again, and I saw how her body kept shaking even as her eyes narrowed down to dangerous slits. “You would do well to listen, Silas. Even a Sigma will have difficulty against the Denizens. They are a Ronin Program, and only the installer can deactivate them by voice. You, are not Goddess-Queen Atharva! They will devour your body!”

Quite fed up with her antics, I move her to the side with a roll of my eyes and kept it moving. “Spare me, Siri,” I remarked dryly, continuing ever onwards. “If these so called ‘Denizens’ wanted me dead, then shouldn’t they have struck while I was ignorant of them? And look at that,” I proclaimed with a smug grin, turning my back on the shuttle I just reached and leaning said part of my body upon its cool metal. “I’m perfectly safe.”

*Silasssss... Eeepissstaaaa...*

My eyes widened from that, and I promptly shot myself forward and turned on my heels to face whatever just whispered my name! In my haste to distance myself from a potential foe, I found myself placed next to Siri again. She was, in a couple words, scared byteless.

“You woke them... Tiamat help us...” She breathed out, putting an arm around her mouth and backing up. Placing my eyes back on Judgement, I became aware of two things. One, there were enemies near it. And two, Siri could see them, but I can’t.

“Hey, you with the pink face,” I called out to her shivering form, watching with mild bewilderment as she snapped her head to face me. “Where are they!? Don’t give me any shit about you not being able to see them! Your face from earlier, the way you were staring at Judgement: you can’t say you didn’t see them!”

Siri froze up, giving little squeaks as an indication that she was still functioning.

“Answer me,” I roared, causing the hologram to flinch. She then got this look on her face, as if she was witnessing the birth of a deer for the first time. That experience will forever scar me, so I know it would be equally traumatizing for an alien hologram like her.

Siri lifted a finger slowly, pointing the petite digit at Judgement. My eyes followed, and what I saw almost caused me to curse out loud.

Whatever this thing was, it had claws and teeth. From the way its sinister blue eyes stared Siri and I down, I knew right then and there that we were looking at trouble. Its body could be likened to a komodo dragon’s, but more lithe around the legs and bulkier around the neck. Hissing came through a waterfall of a dripping, silver-looking substance that dripped from its built-in fangs.

A long, clear, transparent appendage slithered out from the recesses of the built-in fangs and lapped up the silver substance dripping around its mouth.

“Great,” I thought in a crotchety manner, pursing my lips to the side as I glared the Denizen down. “It can cloak itself.”

Too suddenly for comfort, the Denizen lowered itself into a pouncing stance, still hissing at us all the while. *Eeepissstaaaa... moreeee... come...* It hissed metallically, and the sound of scraping metal filled the room.

All around me was the screech of metal on metal, and the hissing of the one Denizen turned into a demonic chorus of them. Siri saw fit to shoot herself into my mane, shivering uncontrollably as I drew my sword from its sheath.

I noticed how it had a diamond blade instantly, and took note of its surprisingly light weight. “Good. This will cleave right through ‘em!” Swinging... Zaelstrom, if I remember correctly; I tested its quickness. And with great satisfaction on my part, the weapon was deemed worthy of my usage. “And by ‘deemed’, I mean ‘I’ll take any weapon I can get right now’!”

As if on some sort of ironic cue, the lights in the Cargo Bay went out completely. This left me in the dark, and did well to unnerve me greatly. I kept my eyes wide open, hoping to see something that would give away the position of the Denizens.

“Come on,” I thought frantically, turning my head and walking in a cautious circle, warily keeping Zaelstrom in front of my body while staying light on my feet. “Show yourselves!”

Something brushed against my leg, moving too quick for me to react. It felt slimy, whatever it was, and disappeared from my striking range before proper retaliation could be made. “Oh, so we’re playing this game, huh? The old ‘Ring-Around-The-Helpless’ schtick?” I frowned at the familiar situation I had witnessed so many times in movies like Alien v. Predator and Slither.

“Well I’m craftier than those idiots who just sat there and waited for death!” Steeling myself, I took off towards Judgement suddenly. It was quiet for about three seconds, and then the sound of a ear-splitting screech filled the air. “Yeah, they’re pissed! Haha, fuckers!” I ran for what seemed like an eternity, never reaching Judgement for some odd reason. But what I did run into made my ski... scales crawl!

I thought it was a wall, but as the eyes of more and more Denizens lit up, I started taking steps back. Then, in a powerful frequency that made me clench my teeth, they screeched again. The multiple mouths opened up to reveal revving motors and dripping silver streams of symbiotes.

“That’s my cue!” I turned and ran, not stopping as the wind whipped my wide-open eyes. “I would murder the fucking Catholic Church for some gods-damned night vision right about now!” As I continued my wild sprinting, the sounds of grating metal claws upon the floor made me wince as the Denizens gave chase.

“Stopping would be suicide, and I’m not a guy that’s fond of people killing themselves. For any reason. That would make you a coward, and a quitter. Justin Richards is not a quitter. He is a winner, and he’s proven that through and through, time and time again. Whoops, tautology!” Deciding that my sprinting forwards had gone on for long enough, I promptly peeled off to my left and jumped over a pair of blue eyes that decided to open in front of me.

Landing on the floor with a roll from how fast I was running, I continued my progress undeterred once more. The slaps of my bare feet against the ground was beginning to annoy me a little bit, and I had that familiar burning of weariness in my lungs. Something was going to give out sooner or later, and boy was I praying for ‘later’!

“This is fucking insane! Who wakes up in an alien body, on an abandoned space station, and is then chased down by symbiotic hounds of ultimate destruction!? What kind of low-budget movie by Michael Bay did I land a role in!? Transformers: Fuck You, That’s Why,” I thought to myself frantically, praying to all the deities in the world to at least graze the fucking ship!

*SCREEEEEEEEECH!*

“Ah! Their screeches are fucking horrifying! It’s like a million chalkboards are being cheese-grated right inside my ear canal!” I, in my efforts to flee, appropriately tripped over my feet.

There was no end to the amount of tumbling I began doing, and as the fourth full roll came to pass, I found myself at the bottom of an impromptu avalanche of cardboard-feeling boxes. I thanked the high heavens above for the fact of these boxes being empty, and quickly gathered myself together.

Just as I got done hissing in pain, I realized that the hissing was, indeed, still going on. Snapping my eyes open, I didn’t have time to dodge a whistling claw. The metal appendage carved the left side of my face diagonally from southwest to northeast. Once contact was made, I had enough reflexes to shut my left eye tightly, and felt the claws mutilate my eyelid.

Screaming in pain, I threw a fist out and punched the Denizen square in his mouth. It yipped in pain, and with my right eye, I saw it fly back from my strike. “This shit is getting crazy! That was way too close!” Thrusting myself from the cardboard boxes, I wiped the blood from my left eye and opened it.

For some odd reason, I could now see in the dark. Everything was tinted and shaded blue, but I could see! The stinging pain around and on my left eye was making me hiss in pain with every footfall during my sprint, and as the familiar sight of Judgement came into view, well; let’s just say I “added more fuel to the afterburners.”

“Siri, do something! They’re right behind me,” I yelled out into the dark room, een shaking my head back and forth to try and eject the hologram from my mane. When I stopped whipping my mane back and forth, and noticed that Siri was not inside of it, I swore under my breath and readied my blade for a fight!

I could see at least twenty Denizens stalking up, their bodies solid in some areas, but mostly made up of roiling liquid. Every now and then, a mouth would form on their sides and gape open, as if acting as a pair of gills or lungs. These defenders were horrible in appearance, and if the left side of my face was anything to go by; they could do massive damage in a short period of time! Especially since they have a pack mentality!

“Alright dogs,” I took a deep breath and pointed Zaelstrom at them. “Who wants the stick first?” I narrowed my eyes at the Denizens, who all flared their mouths and eyes open. Nothing could be heard in the room save for my breathing and their collective hissing, our staredown seeming to stretch farther than three eternities.

I flinched when the one in the middle hunkered down. *Eeeepissstaaa... meeessage...* The beast hissed, making me raise an eyebrow but kept Zaelstrom leveled towards it. The Denizen- who I will now call Leader because it stepped forward while the others stayed back -took about ten paces towards me and then sat down.

Using its front paws as support, the beast opened its maw and screeched. Instinctively, my ears came flapping down to minimize that harsh frequency. The other Denizens ran into Leader, and they started pooling together. The symbiotic material sloshed around, and the sitting for of Leader became a round, rolling-in-place ball of silver. Once again, a gaping maw would breach the surface in order to breath every now and then.

“What the hell is going on here!?” Even though the sight of all those Denizens coalescing into one solid ball was disturbing the crap from my colon, I felt strangely at ease for some unknown reason. My body was slowly losing the adrenaline I had accumulated during my running, and my bated breaths were slowly being rectified by the air of calm that had descended around me. “And why am I relaxing? This is... strange... but oddly stroking my curiosity.”

The ball in front of me began bubbling and morphing itself, stretching and pulling like some sort of masochistic rubber band. The sounds of boiling cauldrons and pots filled the air, and the hissing I had come to associate the Denizens with added to the odd ambience that now infected the Cargo Bay.

And I watched, with slightly interested eyes, as this ball of symbiotes gained color while the lights turned back on with a loud click. The silver symbiotes slowly turned a lovely shade of copper and dark-tan, and then took on the shape of... me. Well, something with the same body structure as me. The only noticeable difference was the breasts and normal knees.

A face, feminine in structure, appeared, and then gave way to a short blonde mane with blood-red horns that grew from the forehead and swept back and up, layering overtop of the mane that swoope to the back and upwards like her horns. I counted four horns, two on either side of her head, and two shaggy sideburn-looking pieces of mane that fell down just past her jaw line.

From her nose up was a plate of fractured, dark-silver metal with a green gem encrusted in the middle. Crimson eyes with a slitted black pupil eyed me down mirthfully. Her armor consisted of very provocative clothing, with a top of red and white silk that made some sort of bra. I could see her areolas and nips through the fabric, and wondered why a warrior would wear something so revealing. A single piece of thong-looking silk covered her vagina, and rose high so that its straps went around her waist instead of her hips.

Red and white gloves with brown leather bracers adorned her claws, and her tail- which was just as long as she was tall -ended with a silver, megalodon tooth-shaped tip. I could see the jagged edges of it from where I was standing, and that also included the two red horns just below the tip on either side of her tail. She was striped tribally, with the copper dominating most of her body. Her knees were the last line of defense against the symbiote-made greaves that ended with clawed feet. Three claws in the front, and one claw in the back. She was standing on the ball of her metallic feet, which caused the back half of her foot to remain raised in the air.

Bringing my eyes back up to her face, I noticed the two-layered pauldrons overtop her shoulders, and the brown leather covering underneath. She stuck her tongue out at me and smiled, snapping me out of my trance of observation.

“Ava’yorn, Silas Epista! Tir svanoawux fare naeck?” She placed a glove on her hip and cocked it to the side. After this was done, she bounced on her heels minutely, but it was enough to get those melons in motion.

“Gah!” I rapidly shook my head. “She’s an alien! You do not ogle alien breasts, Justin!”

Her face dropped down from happy to concerned, and she hurriedly made her way over to me. I tensed up when her face came centimeters from my own, her eyes staring holes into my cranium as she hummed. “ Jilinth mefawg? Axun, vur creolnali else kiri.” She placed her gloved claw on my left cheek, inspecting my recently added wounds. “Wux jahen giln mrith sia suorraic,” She asked me again in that weird-but-familiar dialect of hers. “Batobot ui svabol wux mirjal, malai,” The dragoness stated with a glare, ficking me on the forehead and then grabbing both sides of my face.

As I was held in place by her gloved claws, she saw fit to take me then and there. I let out a grunt of surprise when her mouth slammed home on mine, and since I was not ready for the passionate attack, I found myself short of breath as she deepened the kiss. Her C-cups were pressed against my jacket-covered chest.

She wrestled against my unwilling tongue, and her saliva tasted of tart raspberries. It didn’t help matters when she saw fit to place her knee against my right leg, pinning me to Judgement. Her strength was sizeable, but for some reason, I knew pushing her away would be very easy. So, I placed both my hands on her arms and did just that.

Our mouths pulled apart with a wet pop, a trail of saliva still connecting us to each other as we panted. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were cloudy.

“Listen,” I breathed out, feeling the organs in my chest scream at me for not allowing them air. “Although you are a splendid kisser, I have to say that,” I cut myself off as her eyes teared up while she sniffled. “Oh no,” I continued sharply, tightening the grip around her arms a little bit more. “You will not cry. I know for a fact that anyone insane enough to smack doggies with a complete stranger is made of tougher stuff than this!”

Her sniffling stopped, being replaced by laughter instead. It was like listening to a chorus of oriental flutes. This went on for five seconds, causing me to frown at the alien woman with an annoyed exhale to boot.

“Wux re eschoup ekess jekip mrith,” She suddenly exclaimed, pinching my cheek and wiggling it about like that one aunt or grandma no child likes. Grunting in annoyance, I swatted her hand away.

“Look here, woman! I don’t have time for this! Since you look like me, I’m going to guess you’re from that Asla place, right?” In response to my question, she opened her mouth to say something. I, however, had a feeling she was messing with me by talking in her native tongue. So, like I always do; I went with my gut and head. “And,” I interrupted her, just as the first sound left her mouth. “Please talk to me like you know what to say. I have a feeling you know how to speak my language. Yes or no?” And at the end of my rant, I raised an eyebrow and tapped my foot.

“No,” She quipped with a small chuckle, making me growl from the back of my throat. “Ah, I jest of course! It seems you’ve lost your memories, hmm?” Her voice was angelic now that she was speaking my language. and for just a second or so; I found myself wondering if listening to her was some sort of blasphemy. I was also feeling the need to prostrate myself before her, but I pushed that irritating notion to the back of my head, because I don’t bow to anyone.

“Lost my memories? No, I’m pretty sure I remember my life, thank you very much,” I sassed, getting a snicker out of the alien woman. “Just who are you anyway? You never gave your name.”

Her lips peeled out into an ‘O’ shape, before she raised a gloved claw and placed it on the hole. “You’re right, Silas! Very well; I do believe introductions are in order, for my part anyways.” Placing her claws off to the side, she dipped and crossed her feet daintily, completing a perfect curtsy. Rising back up from the maneuver, she placed her head upon my chest and looked up at me. “I am Goddess-Queen Atharva of Planet Asla: Head of House Amaranth, The Immaculate One...” She trailed off with a mischievous smile, making me shiver. “But I’m not feeling too immaculate right now, if you see my undertone.”

I gulped, thinking off all the aggressive girls I had to put up with in high-school. Out of all the girls that came to mind, Sarah Logan was the worst. Flirtatious bumps and grinds in the hallway, multiple love letters with naked pictures inside them, and the overly-occasional wink while passing each other. You can only imagine my horror inf facing an aggressive woman again.

“You want me to pipe you? Lady, I just met you! Granted, a lot of women at my high school wanted me for that same reason after one meeting, but my point still stands!” I released her arms and crossed my own, tilting my head to the side and looking at her like a disappointed father would to this child. “And for a ‘Goddess-Queen,’ you sure like to come on pretty strong!”

“Now there’s the Silas I remember! Always speaking in Common, and always mouthing off to his superiors! You’re the only one on Asla that didn’t prostrate yourself at all times when I’m around. The most you did was bat an eye and kept it moving,” Atharva enthused, snuggling against me even tighter. She then began to purr like a housecat, and that one action alone caused me to nearly have a brain attack. I mean come on; she’s a fucking reptile!

“Ugh, am I going to get answers out of you or not?”

“Maaaybe~!”

I slapped my claw onto my face as she began pulling down my jacket’s zipper. “You know, this is technically rape. I didn’t agree to this.” My voice was an irritated lion, poised and ready to slap some sense into the foolish kittens he sired if they didn’t stop biting the absolute shit out of his tail and ears.

In response to my crotchety tone, Atharva saw fit to laugh. “Rape, you say? Well I don’t see anyone else on the Ark to confirm that heinous claim of yours~! Plus, it’s normally the males that rape the females.”

“Oh,” I responded curiously with a raised eyebrow as she fully unzipped my jacket, spreading the piece of clothing apart with both her claws as she nuzzled my pectoral muscles and flicked my black nips with her fingers. “Then shouldn’t I be the one violating your body like that? Would you prefer it that way?”

She stopped her caresses and looked up at me with that mischievous grin from earlier. “Normally, since it seems you’ve forgotten; the males of Asla fight the females for the right to mate. You seem pretty rusty, but if you want this body of mine, you’re gonna have to chase it with Zaelstrom,” Atharva teased, an aura of smugness nearly suffocating me with its density.

Giving a chuckle of my own, I placed a hand on her left breast and gently rubbed it. “No, this body is far too young for my liking. I mean look at this,” I laughed, jostling the breast for good measure. “What are you, twelve? I can still fit my claw around this gumdrop!”

Atharva- for the first time since I met her -glared. She immediately distanced herself with an angry snort, turned on her raised heels, and took about twenty paces away from me. After an appropriate amount of space had been consumed by her hungry, greave-covered feet; Atharva turned back around and struck a pose.

Her forearms and fists were held up in front of her face with their backs facing me. “Ouroboros Aegis, deploy!”

And that’s when the freaky shit happened. Symbiotes from her pauldrons, greaves, and headpiece, all flowed down to her forearms and gloves. Atharva’s right arm showcased a silver shield that didn’t reach her elbow and had three spaced out tips. The middle tip was sharp, impeccably so, and came to a spade-shaped end; whereas the other ones were merely round. Her sword was the same length as her elbow forward, and the front handguard reminded me of a halberd blade while the back was just a normal rectangle of white metal. The whole ensemble was angelic in appearance, only adding to her slightly regal visage.

“What you see now is the bane of every challenger that dared to fight me for the throne. It was also the last two things they saw before entering the embrace of death. You,” Atharva snapped, narrowing her eyes and pointing her shortsword at me. “You will be given something far worse than death for your earlier comment about my bosom! There is nothing wrong with petite breasts!”

For some odd reason I can’t describe, a feeling of déjà vu washed over me as I raised Zaelstrom and pointed it at her. “Something tells me I insulted your breast size before. Are you ill-tempered when it comes to your underdeveloped body,” I sassed with another chuckle, making Atharva grit her teeth in irritation.

“Your witty tongue will look good on my mantle, Silas. And then, I’m going to take you for everything you have, and destroy your pelvis! I will not suffer this heat anymore! No one else is worthy of my body but you and you alone!” After her speech ended, Atharva and I saw fit to start circling each other.

Where her face was serious, mine was the picture of absolute terror. “D-did you say heat!? I’m not going to fuck you, lady! Get it through that little-girl shaped noggin of yours!” I kept tracing every part of her body for the first move, because I never started a fight. Zaelstrom was lowered to my side, but still pointed minutely at Atharva.

“You’ll happily turn into a pedophile when I’m done with you, Silas babe~! All you’ve got to do is lie down and take it,” She cooed in response, making the scales on the back of my neck tingle. “So why put this off any longer, schnookums? Let the Queen have her way with the Mate!”

I was charged too fast for my eyes to register.

The Queen and Me [Rewritten]

View Online

Having a new body is fun and all, but there is one thing that's been pestering me. Where in the Blue Hell is my DICK!?

“Well this is embarrassing,” I thought mirthlessly, looking up at Atharva while she pointed her sword at my face. I was currently folded up like a halfway-done lawnchair, my feet practically touching my chin. Zaelstrom was wrapped up in her tail, and she saw fit to keep smacking the side of my face with the sword.

Grunting in annoyance of being belittled like this, I grabbed the sword in my mouth and used my wings as a springboard. The muscles were surprisingly strong enough to send me over her head, but I was really going for having both of my feet slam into her cocksure mug.

I used the momentum in my body to aileron roll off the ground and land on my feet, twisting Atharva’s tail and causing her to flip onto her back with a startled yelp. Taking the opportunity while it was still ripe, I sprung onto her and slammed each of my four extremities onto hers. She was pinned, and I was applying all my weight to keep her like that.

Spitting Zaelstrom out onto the floor next to her head, I grinned like an idiot and tapped the side of her jaw with my own. “And down goes Frazier,” I remarked smugly, and thought highly of myself for exacting revenge on all the humiliating pins and tosses she gave me; not counting all the painful wallops with that Godforsaken shield she had strapped to her right arm.

“Interesting. After ten minutes of ‘fighting’ me,” she mocked, “you’ve finally managed to come out on the proverbial ‘top’! I’m impressed you were able to pin me like this, and let’s not forget your ability in placing me on the ground. It’s been quite some times since anyone’s been able to do that, without my say so!” Atharva stuck out her tongue and licked the side of my face with it. “You’re perfect for my mate after all! And you didn’t even use your highly coveted Hearth’s Fire to do so!”

I raised my brow. “What the heck are you blabbering about, Atharva? In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have a clue.” I felt her body move slightly, alerting me to foul play I hadn’t the time for, so I applied more pressure to her limb’s joints. “Stop moving about. I was state champ in Wrestling. You’re not going anywhere, girly.”

“O’really,” Atharva snarked quickly with a smile. “That technique you used earlier look very well done. As a refresher course, let me tell you who I am. The name’s Goddess-Queen Atharva: Head of House Amaranth, The Immaculate One, Aphrodite’s Lingering Shell,” She purred, sending a shiver down my spine. “The last name is... ‘Diviser of Heinous Tech!’”

My poor stomach never felt so much pain, and as I screamed and looked down in horror at the barbed tail sticking out from my stomach; Atharva saw fit to add insult to my new injury by pecking the top of my head with a kiss, using the small wings on her back to drive herself forward, and then rolling us both over with her weight so that her back was now on my stomach.

I gave a pained holler as the barbed tail sliced me internally, before wiggling itself out quickly. Giving a gasp from the pain, I tried rolling over with all my might. Being able to pin her effectively before this happened, you could only imagine the amount of worry that swelled in- and out -of my recently-pierced, toned stomach as she didn’t even budge. Looking down my chest, I saw Atharva straddle me and smile lecherously. Her face was near my stomach wound, and my ‘freak-o-meter’ assaulted the red zone, which is the second to last section.

“Looks like I win, love~! When you fought me earlier, I could tell from the look in your eyes that the use of Magic would nary be on my list of worries! But don’t worry, Silas babe~,” Atharva purred as she slid her tongue over the top edge of my stomach wound, making me wince in pain. “I’ll be tasting a lot more than your blood in a moment~!”

I was never one to be affected by emotionally damaging situations. ‘Murders and deaths happen, even though they shouldn’t, so why should I fear it happening to me,’ is what I tell myself every day. This isn’t a place to be terrified; this is a time to use some of the aggressor’s words against them. “But the only thing I got from her is Magic and Hearth’s Fire. She might as well been speaking her alien talk!”

A tugging from below made me roll my eyes. Sexual situations and acts do not bother me, so there was about a snowball in hell’s chance of me getting any type of flustered from being felt up like this. Judging from how cold air keeps hitting my waist, I say Atharva was trying to get rid of my pants.

“There’s no button, Atharva. Unless you actually cut those pants, you won’t be gettin’ in em’.” Placing a claw on my chin while earning a bemused exhale from Atharva; I quickly began pondering the multitude of possibilities that could encompass the words ‘Magic’ and ‘Hearth’s Fire.’

“The only thing I can think of for ‘Magic’ is- obviously -Magic: The Gathering. ‘Hearth’s Fire’, however, is not ringing any bells. Also, I don’t really know which element of Magic from The Gathering will correspond with my current surroundings; or if I know that Planeswalker magic will even work. Gah, to hell with it! When you have a hammer!...”

I sucked in a deep breath of air, making Atharva look up. My cheeks were puffed out, and the smell of sulfur in the back of my throat made me gag momentarily. “Not enough to hurt her seriously; even though payback for the massive hole in my fucking stomach is an alluring idea.”

Atharva chuckled. “What’s with that face you’re making, Silas babe~? Scared your package won’t be aesthetically pleasing to me~?” She fluttered her black eyelashes teasingly.

“Scared that my package won’t be aesthetically pleasing? Did... did she just insult my dick?” I blinked once or twice, and then furrowed my brow.

“What,” Atharva mused, poking me in the upper abs above the wound big enough to fit a whole fist into. “Did I strike a sour note with that one? Did you get burned?”

Smiling treacherously, I quickly emptied the flame that was crawling at the back of my neck. Even though I was mad at her teasing of my meat and two veg’; I decided that a non-lethal impact type of flame was going to be satisfactory in removing the feminine-shaped pest from my body.

My guess was correct. The pale stream of gases rocked her face, making a deep imprint in it before exploding off with the sound of dubstep being turned up to eleven. Atharva was sent soaring with a pained grunt, flying into the cardboard boxes some ten feet ahead of me. There was a metallic clunk that rung out for a couple of minutes.

I sprung onto my feet, clutching the hole in my stomach with a pained gasp.”No, but you got burned! Now, while she’s recovering...” I hobbled to the right a little and rooted myself down, making sure that my alignment was perfect with my target. Craning my head so I could look at Judgement, I gave a pained nod at it.

“I’m the Goddess-Queen...” Atharva singsonged as rapid slashes of grey decimated the cardboard boxes she vanished behind, sending the scraps flittering down in the non-existent breeze like rotten cherry blossoms. “Did you think an Impact Breath was strong enough to defeat me? I’m insulted.”

Once again, Atharva pulled off this technique where she disappeared instantly with the sound of a stick slicing through the air at high speeds. Giving a grunt of annoyance at how fast the Queen could move; I willed myself to stay still even though every nerve in my body screamed at me to move or find shelter.

“She did this before. Back then, I tried making the first move...” I thought with a smile, balling my claws into fists while chuckling. “Gonna attack me from the back again, Atharva? You’re even using your powers against me; a simple man who has lost his battle prowess due to a sudden spell of amnesia,” I goaded, hearing some teeth be sucked on to my right. Now that I had a gist at where she’s hiding; I turned my head to face her general direction. “Some Goddess you are, huh?”

I waited in the silence of the Cargo Bay for what seemed like hours. I knew she was still watching me from the safety of her Camouflage ability. Her superspeed didn’t make my job of goading her any less difficult.

“Ya’ know,” Atharva called out with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “Attacking a warrior’s ego is risky business, Silas babe. You might tempt me into doing something very painful to you if the goading doesn’t stop,” She warned, the hissing I heard from the Denizens returning once more.

I bit my lip in fear. I hadn’t taken into account that she would summon more of her Denizens in response to my jeering. This situation just went from worse to ‘oh hell no’ in the blink of an eye. Even so, I was determined to see my plan through to the end. If I chose to run here, the Denizens would have their way with my back. “Hoh? You’re still sticking to the shadows? What good is your ego when you use your powers against someone weaker than you, hmm? How are you a Goddess-Queen when you torment a greenhorn like myself?”

My cocky questions were doing wonders to her psyche. Every inquiry I made, she gave a grunt of annoyance or another suck of her teeth. Smiling widely, I continued my assault undeterred. “I see; you’re nothing more than a horny woman, completely obsessed with having a long mating rod shoved between your legs, that any remaining shreds of honor have been washed down the drain. So reveal yourself, Horny-Queen; show me that I’m wrong on so many levels.”

And that, ladies and gentleman,” I thought with a small smile as Atharva reappeared in front of me, a look of pure scorn written over her face as she cocked her right arm back. “Is how you lure Fafnir over the hole.”

*POOM*

I exhaled any air in my lungs from the ferocity of her shield bash, my body actually leaving the ground a whole foot. The momentum from her hit slammed into my pectoral muscles, which sent me flying backwards at speeds I had no business in calculating. “Grh, it worked!”

“Siri now,” I yelled, hearing something open with the sound of depressurizing following it. And it was here that I stuck my tongue out at Atharva, whose face was the very definition of surprise now. That lasted for all about ten seconds before a metallic-like substance wall made contact with the back of my head.

I gave a grunt of pain and knew of nothing else as I passed out.

“I can’t go out with you. You’re too apathetic. Sorry.”

“Woah, Justin; you dropped that guy with one punch! That’ll learn em’ to never mess with Mr. Apathy of Chester High!”

“You think so lowly of everyone, Justin. How do you ever expect to find happiness in life if you only dwell on the bad?”

“Listen, son: there’s an easy way and a right way. Keep in mind that what’s easy, isn’t always right; and what’s right, isn’t always easy. Just keep thinking your way through situations and never give up!”

Groaning in pain, I slowly tried opening my eyes. All this did was disorient me more. With a sigh that carried incalculable amounts of exasperation and weariness, I forced my weighted eyelids open and peered at the all-white wall with a tall rectangle cut into the center of it.

“Siri motioned at me from the door I just flew through. It was all a plot; my antagonizing Queen Atharva into hitting me from the front.” I grunted in equal parts exertion and pain, shakily rising from my sitting ‘v’-legged position on the ground. My eyes lingered on my stomach for a moment, and I was surprised to see it healing itself around the edges of the wound! “Now that’s a little cool too. This body is just full of surprises.”

“Enjoy your nap, Silas babe~?”

I widened my eyes a little before closing them with a sigh of annoyance. Looking over my shoulder; I was not surprised to see Atharva there, twirling Zaelstrom like the color guards at Chester High; with one hand.

Sucking my teeth, I offered the stronger Queen a hard glare as I finally stood erect; clutching at my healing stomach as- surprisingly enough - blue blood dripped down the cracks between my fingers and jacket.

“Get bent, girly. How the hell did you get in here,” I asked with no small amount of venom, watching with disinterest as she glared at me for my rude tone.

“You should be happy I let you off with an intact pelvis, Silas. You were the only one worthy enough to sire my young.” Atharva placed a gloved claw on my shoulder and massaged it sensually, sending shivers up my spine as her freaky ass came around the side and slid her claw off while winking at me. “I really wanted to hear how you sounded during the act, but alas; you were knocked out, by your own scheme no less.”

Rolling my eyes once she was directly in front of me, I turned my back on her with a huff. “You took what you wanted. Why are you still here? What’s your purpose?” I scanned the white metal in front of me, not really caring about any answer she could give. As far as I’m concerned, she could say anything and be lying through her teeth.

“You were raped, and yet, do not desire retribution? Your memories have truly eluded you then, Silas Epista. The old you would’ve killed me where I stand, and then used my scale hide as a foot-stool when he gets weary from training. Nevertheless,” Atharva purred in that silky voice of hers as she hooked her arms around my neck and pressed herself against my back, giving a momentary sigh of comfort. “My business has been completed. I shall be heading back to Asla now. Will you not come with me; to live in a palace with me all the days of your life, and help nurture the seed that I can feel growing inside me?”

I looked over my shoulder with a stoic gaze, locking eyes with the Goddess-Queen of Asla.

“Ewwww....”

“Listen,” I began somberly, not really knowing how to broach this weird-ass topic she just brought forth. “I was never one to sugarcoat things, woman. There’s no way in hell I’d ever know happiness if I returned with you to Asla. I don’t remember the language all that well, or you for that matter.” Turning around completely; I reached out with a claw and lifted the copper-colored head of the Goddess-Queen, which had become downtrodden with my recent words.

Piercing her soul with my steely glare, I waited for any sort of response as she stared up into my eyes. “I could never be the man you once loved... ever.” Her whole world seemed to shatter from that as her eyes filled with tears and widened. Seeing this happening, I gently placed a hand on her midsection. This action caused her to gasp and look down. “But, this baby; this seed... it will love you unconditionally where I cannot. Take it as a reminder of the man you once, and still may, love. But know that I cannot return with you.”

As cool as I was sounding right here, the inside my head was like, “Please take the bait! Please take the bait! Please take the bait!”

I honestly expected to be beheaded on the spot, but when Atharva crashed into my chest while weeping; you could only imagine the look of pure stupidity gracing my features in that time. Zaelstrom fell to the ground, and Ouroboros Aegis dispelled back into the metal pauldrons; Atharva opting to clutch my opened jacket’s opening sides like her weapons.

“... You’re right,” She sighed out, still sniffling onto my bare chest. Sighing from the awkwardness of having a female you’ve never meant rape and then snuggle me, I placed a hand on the back on her head and rubbed it; because it was the spur of the moment and I really didn’t have much choice after breaking her heart like that. “... You’re not the Silas I want and need back on Asla.”

“Ah,” I agreed, “I’m not. But I’m sure the seed that has taken root within you will grow into someone even greater than I was. It was nice meeting you,” I paused, “again. Take care on your voyage back to Asla,” I lifted her head by her chin and offered a fake smile, hoping she’ll take the freakin’ hint and go away. “My Queen.”

I didn’t have time to prepare for the french kiss that came after that. Her tongue invaded my mouth again, and I barely held back the notion of barfing all over her tonsils from the fact that she raped me earlier in order to get a prodigal heir. But her kiss was filled with so much loss and passion that I dismissed my repulsion, if only by a little amount.

Breaking it off, Atharva decided this was a good time to bend down and pick up Zaelstrom. Placing a hand over the blade while holding the entire sword horizontally with the handle; Atharva closed her tear-filled eyes and adopted a face of concentration.

I had to address the pachyderm farm. “Uh, what the hell are you doing with Zaelstrom?”

Atharva didn’t respond, either because she was ignoring me or felt like there was no reason to entertain me with an answer. Instead, she continued humming to herself as the sword glinted and gleamed in the all-white room.

And then, when the room was completely silent; Atharva saw fit to open her eyes quickly, showing the completely red sockets as blood-red tendrils of a gaseous substance leaked from the corners of them. As if this wasn’t creepy enough, Atharva started hissing the words to an incantation I could never understand.

“Si renthisj ekess wer, Zaelstrom,” Atharva hissed, her voice echoing like a hundred heathen practitioners singing praises to pagan gods over the corpse of a burning virgin. My nerves were committing suicide one after the other as Zaelstrom started to float out of her hand and angle itself to having the tip face the floor. There it hung suspended, like a criminal after a quick lynching.

The sky-blue, diamond-looking katana was then encompassed in a shell of blood red. Atharva’s head tilted to the left with an audible crack, making me jump minutely as her bones snapped. “Xkhat klael huena throdenil!” Atharva, despite her broken neck, saw fit to finish this creepy-ass ritual at long last; crossing her forearms into an ‘X’ as the field around Zaelstrom dissipated in a flash of black and red.

The sword fell and embedded itself in the ground as Atharva stumbled backwards a little. I saw that as her back arched further than her legs could keep up with, she was going to fall. Leaping towards her quickly; I brought my arms up in the forklift position, cradling her sides in the embrace of my rippling forearms. Of course, this only served to make me fall with her.

I was winded from the impact of my stomach against the unforgiving metal, but Atharva looked rather well off from all that transpired. “Good for her. Least she didn’t get her ass handed to her for ten minutes straight,” I thought morosely, wincing when the pain of an impaled section of your body being hit registered. “Not counting the fucking pain of landing on a hole in your goddamn stomach.”

“B-bwuh?” Atharva looked rather out of it as she leaned her head forward to look at me. “You caught me, Silas? You really aren’t yourself...” Atharva trailed off momentarily, taking a deep breath and then removing herself from my hold. “I should get going now. Asla is at war right now, and it’ll only stop if either I or you return as victor from a hard-fought battle.”

I raised my eyebrow, still on the ground but not letting that fact deter its raising. “You mean the one you won?”

“Your tone indicates this is no longer a problem. You would be right, Silas. A child,” She placed a hand on her stomach and looked down at me. “Will be all it takes to stop the fighting between Alphas and Omegas. This is due to the fact that a child conceived of both Alpha and Omega blood; you” Atharva said as she pointed at me. “Would have denounced all violence with the Queen and sired a child. I am an Alpha, Silas. A Sigma is the product of an Alpha and Omega coming together,” She explained with a sagely nod, crossing her arms and waiting for a question to be fired at her.

Her expectations would not be tarnished. “I see,” I commented indifferently, standing back up and zipping up my jacket so that a low-cut ‘V’ was the outcome of the action. “What’s the difference between Alpha and Omega. I’ll make an inference about Sigmas based on what you tell me, by the way.”

“Alphas are gifted with magic; Omegas are blessed with critical minds. When I reveal the truth about our relations to the masses back on Asla, the war will stop.” Atharva dusted herself off and made her way over to the opening of the ship. I followed her warily, not trusting her completely.

“Magic? Huh, like the ability to control fire and whatnot? Sounds awesome,” I snarked, dusting myself off as well. I shifted my weight between my right foot and left, practically bouncing as I did so. When all the kinks were knocked out finally; I found myself at the back of Atharva who was using her tail to curve around my midsection. “Maybe it’ll help with the hole in my stomach,” I droned out without amusement, still a little butthurt from the wound that pulsated pain every once in a while.

“Be grateful it was just the tip of my tail and not the entire spade. You wouldn’t be able to form sentences has the poison barbs taken route inside of your bloodstream.” Atharva’s voice was like a pretty handkerchief given to you by an orphan, who later revealed herself to be a repeat rapist that doused said hanky in chloroform.

I gave a nervous chuckle, wincing when the side of spade brushed overtop of my concealed wound. “Yeah... so do you know any magic that will help me with this wound of mine? Is it better to let it heal on its own?” Both of these questions were meant to curb her attention towards my plight and drop the caresses of her tail.

Scrounging my face up in disappointment when she not only turned around, but kept her tail-spade on my stomach; I contemplated many ways on how to eat barbecued alien dragoness, even if the endeavor to do so would probably end with my horrid defeat and another hole next to or above my abdominals.

“If you use the Eldest Tongue of Common, magic should be within your palm. Just remember the Three Paths of Magic, and you should be able to avoid any,” Atharva went on to explain more, but I silenced her train of thought with an ill-timed cough.

I ignored the narrowed eyes and went on with my question. “Don’t just skip over the whole ‘Three Paths of Magic’ thing like it’s nothing, Atharva.” My subtle demand made her narrowed eyes brighten a little, and I could’ve sworn there was a spark of mischievousness in them as well.

Atharva poked me in the chest with a gloved finger, making me raise an eyebrow again. She smiled as she said, “Hearth’s Fire: it is a living manifestation of the First and Third Paths; Power and Will. This flame is also your staple weapon, for you have a strong distaste towards giving up and an otherworldly synonymous power and soul about you. Which brings me to your Element.” Atharva removed her tail from around my side and stomach, placing a gloved claw on my left eye.

“When my Stalker slashed you earlier, they left a large amount of microbionic symbiotes that tunneled through your wound and into your bloodstream. They acted as relays, speaking to me through the Draconic Link, so that I may know of your abilities and adjust my combat style as such.” Atharva grinned cheekily as she caressed my face, completely satisfied with touching me in any way, shape, or form.

“If I wanted to, your heart could’ve been disintegrated and discharged from your rectum. My symbiotes will forever be inside you, relaying me information about your current situations and such.” Laughing out loud, Atharva removed her claw from my eye and placed it on my cheek. “I know everything you’re thinking about right now, and from before our little tussle. Which means the classification of your Element is a cakewalk, Silas; it’s Fire.”

I rolled my eyes and turned away from her caress, walking back into Judgement and looking around. By the door where I stepped away from Atharva, there was a silver door that was metal in nature to my-right-her-left. That door held no indications of an apparatus to enter it, such as a handle or sensor. “Which probably means Siri operates everything in here. Ugh... all this white is bothering me.”

Turning back around, I nearly bumped into a glass egg seat. But because of my curiosity, I fell when I did touch it with a claw; for it rotated around and caught me- by the fucking stomach no less -and proceeded to keep spinning around. Its fun was halted abruptly when I made quick use of my feet, however; stopping the sadistic chair from twirling as I brought myself to the rightful seating position.

Footsteps made me turn my head, coming face to hip with Atharva as she came around and sat on my knee; leaning back so that her head was under mine and her muzzle on my neck. “You’re not going to activate the Comfort Camouflage protocol,” Atharva purred, her eyelids fluttering in weariness instead of lust. Her voice was becoming lethargic and strained, and I could tell that sleep was clawing at her from the inside out.

“Comfort Camo? I guess she’s talking about something Siri can do to spruce the place up? Wouldn’t hurt to try...” I trailed off mentally.

“Siri,” I called out, knowing the hologram was in here somewhere because she opened the door and the lights were on. “What are the options available for the Comfort Camouflage protocol?”

It was with a ding that Siri appeared in front of me with her claws on her hips, tapping her foot with a raised eyebrow to boot. “And where’s my ‘thank you’, Mr. Slave Driver? I put my life on the line to get you in here, and the only thing you’re concerned about is a camouflage program?” The hologram woman wasn’t mad, just disappointed with my priorities apparently.

“Thank you, Siri.” I rolled my eyes as she narrowed hers with humph. “Now, what are the camos available for Judgement? I’m actually curious about this whole thing.” Siri, in response to my command, decided to turn her back on me with yet another humph of disgust.

Sighing deeply, I apologized to her. “Once again, I’m sorry for talking to you like that. I’m just curious is all. And another thing,” I pointed at the hologram as she uncrossed her arms and placed the back of her claws’ writs on her hips. “Even though I was still raped; I thank you for at least helping me try to get away from this one.” I jerked my head down to indicate Atharva, whose eyes were closed as she slept on me.

Siri rolled her eyes and disappeared, making me raise a brow at the suspicious action. She didn’t even answer me, which made her disappearance all the more concerning. But my nerves were relaxed when her womanly voice echoed throughout the room.

“Three Comfort Camo settings exist for the Traveler-Class Shuttle, Judgement. Toasty Log Cabin Den, Humble Prairie House, or... hmm...” Siri sounded perplexed at the last one, making me clear my throat.

“Continue?”

“Ah, yes; Manhattan Apartment Complex. I’m afraid this one is lost on me, Silas.”

I, for one, was now laughing my ass off in the chair. This abrupt laughing spout caused Atharva to shoot up from her slumber and slam her muzzle into my bottom jaw, slamming it shut against my top jaw and making me bite my tongue. The rows of teeth did nothing for me too.

Groaning in pain as Atharva looked at me like I had grown a second head; I hastily decided that a nice fireplace would be the perfect setting to destroying the pain in my mouth and all the crazy shit that’s happened so far. “A dirty apartment ain’t gonna do shit for making me feel better about all this.”

“Siri, do the Toasty Log Cabin, please,” I commanded wearily as Atharva settled back down, frowning at me as I offered her an apologetic smile. Grumbling to herself, she grabbed hold of my arms and forcefully induced a hug around her.

“That’s... better...” She dozed, making me snicker as consciousness was stripped from her again. Ever so slowly did I remove my arms from around her, giving a smile of victory when I finally rested my hands behind my head and she didn’t wake up.

“Deploying camouflage,” Siri enthused, before the whole place was illuminated in a bright flash and reverberated with a dull hum. When next I opened my eyes, they nearly fell out from how wide I made them.

Apparently, I was in some type of Command Bridge. This was strangely apropos, considering the door I flew through was located near the front of Judgement. The white backdrop was concealing the entire room into looking like the Command Bridge from the Ark. Now that the camo was activated, the walls resembled deep brown tree logs, while the floor and steps flanking a huge circle in the middle of the room became a freshly waxed hardwood floor.

I knew all this was digitized, but as a fire was lit in the middle of that large circle podium in the middle of the room, those thoughts melted away. “The only thing missing is that smell of earth and freshly cooked deer jerky. There better be deer on that planet now...” I trailed off hungrily, thinking about the smoky, meaty aroma of the freshly cooked delicacy.

The Command Bridge was now more home-y in feeling, which is odd considering I’ve never stepped foot into an actual log cabin. I felt like a successful huntsman, who desperately wants head trophies of different stag and wildcats upon his log walls. But most of all, I wanted some fucking sleep.

“This must be the part where I wake up after falling asleep here. Makes sense if you think about it.” Yawning in weariness, I smacked my lips and sunk further down into the egg glass chair. The glass actually felt like a waterbed, and massaged my back sensually. This only served to bring me further down into the throes of unconsciousness.

I grabbed Atharva by her waist with my hands and hiked her up more, so that her backside was on my lap and her head on my own. She smiled, giving me a playful nip to the side of my face as I drifted off.

“At least I can write this dream down in my... dream... journal...”

Visitors [Rewritten] {Crossover with "Dark Body, Light Soul"}

View Online

Yes; I am an alien. And no; I don't desire tissue samples from your anus.

I opened my eyes to the sound of running water, dripping grandly in separate streams. My butt was on something I dreamed up since I was a kid; a fountain, with a statue of a dragon roaring towards the heavens as water spills from its open maw. The dragon itself is rather lithe as I bend back to gaze up at it; placing my face near a stream of crystalline water cascading down from its twenty foot-high maw.

The whole statue and fountain was made of marble, feeling remarkably cool against my bare bottom and hands. Mist battered my face in sprays of delicate caresses, making me smile at the tranquility of my favorite dream.

“There is no awkward teenage romance here: no nagging parents, no disrespectful schoolmates, no annoying siblings, and no angst. This is heaven, where everything is tranquil. I need not religion or expectations of others... it’s all about me here.” I grinned and sat back up, casting my gaze downwards at the second part of my quiet place.

“As an avid gamer of the fantasy genre, it can only stand to reason that I fell in love with this backdrop of darkness against this cylindrical podium. I always loved the Station of Awakening in Kingdom Hearts games, so why not have one here?”

Standing up, I walked forward while keeping my eyes down on the suncatcher podium. The fountain I had left took center stage on this platform, but it was only amplified by the soft purple background glass of this mural.

A large picture of myself covered the left of the podium, fully colored and clothed with his arms crossed and head up, looking to the moon above. I looked to be leaning against the border of the podium for support, even placing a foot up so that my legs looked like a slanted ‘4’. My face was the definition of patience, like I was waiting and wishing on a prayer or something of the like. The mane spilled down over my shoulders in two bold strands, the rest being cut off by the border.

Turning my head to view the middle, I saw Three white circles with three images inside nearest the fountain. Directly below those three images were four more; dragon heads, similar to my own.

The three white circles were filled with three images. From right to left went as such: A circular crown with no top, a bird in flight, and a burning sky-blue flame. For the four circles from right to left, the images were completely black like the ones of the crown and bird from earlier. Their eyes were the only thing no black about them, radiating with a different color. Right to left, the colors went as such: dark-blue, crimson, neon-green, and sky-blue like my mane.

Other than what was described earlier, nothing else interesting made up the stained-glass mural. It was cold against my bare feet, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. “I wonder what all this could mean. In the games, all these pictures had a plan that saw fruition in the end. And most of the time, it wasn’t good.”

“It certainly is epic though. I wonder how much I’d have to pay an artisan to craft something like this? It’d look nice as the ceiling for Judgement.” Giving a sigh into the nothingness, I sat down and crossed my legs. For the moment, I decided to think about the meaning behind each of these pictures.

Why I had decided to sit myself on one of the black “filler” circles is beyond me, and I found myself grimacing when the thought of sitting on myself nagged at me. I wasn’t going to get anything thought out at this way, which was bad considering that the protagonists in most Kingdom Heart games meet strife because they never heed the picture warnings of their “Stations”.

Closing my eyes, I let my mind ravage any thought about why I was staring up at the moon. And then almost as if on some sick cue, a jingling of soft bells and a pop made me jump minutely and snap my eyes open. Hoof-falls filled my ears as I got up quickly and turned around, bringing to light a...a... “Hooded Figure!? It’s the Organization!?”

I tensed up, knowing that if I tried to engage, I’d probably get my ass handed to me on a silver platter with extra steak-fries on the side. As I scanned the quadruped of nothingness over in subtle fear, I tried coming up with countermeasure for attack in my head.“In the worst case scenario, I’ll probably die slowly. Probably be injected with Nothing itself and whittle away into a heartless or something!” My mind was running a mile a minute as the figure approached, allowing me to see light-blue horseshoes as it did.

“We have yet to see a dragon of your makeup on Equis, strange one. From where do you hail?” Her voice was very serene, but carried powerful undertones to it. I felt the urge to prostrate myself before her, but shrugged that degrading notion off as I stared her down. I said nothing, but I’m sure my face was having no problem in communicating my unease to her.

“It is rude to ignore royalty, sir or madam. Although,” She sat down, placing her rear upon the moon on my Station. “We see the unease on your face, sir or madam. How could We ever forget to introduce Ourself first? We art Princess Luna, Co-Ruler of Equestria and only sister to Princess Celestia,” She declared without taking off her hood, making me a little more than suspicious of her words.

“If she is what she says she is, then keeping herself hidden would be pointless. For some odd reason, this Organization Member believes me to some sort of idiot. I don’t even care for titles, so what point is there in trying to intimidate me with one!?” I snarled to myself and pointed at her.

“I’m Silas Epista, and you’re in my dream. You have two options: remove your hood and let me see your face, or leave and never return. I want to see what you look like, and staying covered up isn’t helping to crush my wariness towards you.” I narrowed my eyes and lowered my arm so that I could cross it over the other one on my chest.

“There is nary a need for such a hostile disposition, Mr. Silas. We believe in making friends instead of adversaries, if you must know.” One of her forehooves went up to the hood and slid it back, allowing the... unicorn - I shit you not - to whip her mane from the recesses of her cloak; which began to flow about, reminding me of a starry sky as her stoic face and light-blue eyes settle on mine.

Her fur was a dark-blue, darker than my navy-blue scales actually. Her horn was probably half the size of a human’s arm, and if I were to stand next to her, she would probably come up to the bottom line of my pectoral muscles.

“We’ll see about that,” I snarked, uncrossing my arms and walking back to the fountain. “How did you even get in here, Ms. Luna? Last time I checked, this was a dream of mine. There’s no way you should have came to be here.” I sat down, gripping the rim of the fountain with my claws as I looked her in the eye constantly.

“As Princess of the Night, We keep the night terrors of our subjects at bay when they rest. You were giving off weird signals with your dream, Mr. Silas; it only stands to reason, then, that We had to come and investigate the disturbance in Our normal patrol.” At the end of her rant, Luna began a short walk over to the back of the fountain.

I heard her sit down on it a moment later and sigh. “This is truly a tranquil place you’ve conjured into existence, Mr. Silas. What was the inspiration for it?” It was still platonic, her voice; it carried very little curiosity, almost as if she was asking the question to alleviate the boredom she was feeling, if only a little.

“You don’t sound all that interested. In fact, you sound rather tired,” I responded quickly, twiddling my thumbs together as I leaned forward and placed my elbows upon my knees. “Is something boring you, Ms. Luna?”

“...”

“I take your silence as a yes.” Smiling to myself for some unknown reason, I took a deep breath and allowed my mind to melt from the tranquility of my Station. “I used this dream world as a means of escape from the real world and its problems therein. This dream,” I paused and stood up, then began walking towards the edge of my Station. “This Station, is my sanctum; a place I hoped would never be defiled by someone else. As long as this world was my own, I couldn’t give two damns if the one outside wasted away. It helped me get through life till this point, you see.”

“You use your dream as a placebo to cure reality’s pains? That is most unwise, Mr. Silas; in fact, it has the capability to worsen complications,” Luna responded, the sound of her rising from the fountain making me grimace a little bit. Her hoof-falls became louder with every step towards me. “Why are you here on Equis?”

I paused my thought process with a smile, looking over my shoulder to her. This action of mine froze her in place as she saw my toothy grin. “You sounded curious about that~. Do I interest you, Mare of the Moon?”

I watched with some amusement as my remark got under her skin somewhat. A small frown worked its way across her face. “We fail to see the humor in your shallow cleverness, Mr. Silas. Please refrain from using humor of such a crude disposition when conversing with Us.”

I scoffed in glee, happy to get another emotion out of her besides stoicness. “Fine, be a killjoy,” I breathed out, waving my hand dismissively. “I’ll keep my happiness to myself; sure enough seems like I’m the only one to care for it. And to answer your question from earlier,” I said quickly, turning my head to face the onslaught of darkness past the border of the Station.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m seeking fun; maybe I’m seeking happiness, love, hate, power, wealth,” I listed cheerily, reaching out towards the darkness and beckoning it to come near my hand. A snake head formed and slithered its way towards me, curling around my arm until its smoky head nuzzled against my cheek with a hiss. “I don’t think I’ll ever know.”

Luna was quiet for a moment, but I knew her gears were turning. “... Then answer Us this: What do you plan to do now that you’re here? Be warned, however; We sloth not in detecting deceit.”

I chuckled and told the snake to fade back into the wall. With a nod of its head, it obeyed my command. As I turned around to face her again, I took heed of the small frown increasing in size. “She seems ready to drive the nail into the coffin if I answer this wrong. I wonder how strong she actually is... but it’d probably be best not to see via combat. She does enter the dreams of others; which means she’s surely gifted in Magic.”

“Worry yourself no longer,” I finally responded after staring for a while. “If you think me a threat, you’re deluding yourself. I haven’t the time to concern myself with petty subjects such as world domination and the like.” Crossing my arms, I awaited her next response.

But apparently, the Station felt like just the two of us weren’t enough actors in this awkward ballad.

“So what ARE these plans of yours? You didn’t quite answer the question,” a baritone voice called out. A human, black shirt with a blue multi-tailed fox and JCC on the front with blue jeans ascended to the Station, right in clear view.

“A human? Hmm, this means something because I’m still in the Station. But why is he on her side and not mine? Something doesn’t add up here,” I frowned at the recent addition, disregarding his presence completely until later.

“My reasons revolve around survival only, Luna. I was forced to come here; a situation in space demanded it to happen. There was no choice. Your people will not be harmed, I can assure you.” My eyes lingered back onto the human. “And as for you: who are you and what do you want? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dealing with royalty right now.”

“Ah, you too? What a coincidence: I just got finished talking to royalty. Convinced me to stay in Equis. My name is Daniel Fortesque. As for what I want...the world, chico, and everything in it.” Cocky doesn’t even begin to describe his voice right there.

“And yet I’m the suspicious one. Humourous, universe; very humorous. Luna doesn’t even seem fazed by tha- oh...” I gave a quiet snort as I brought to light the elephant in the train car. “She’s ignoring him! Hah, looks like he’s not too popular with her it seems!”

“Ignoring that shameful response, We wish to impart an apology for my earlier assumptions, Mr. Silas. Your exotic appearance did little in helping Us to discern your position as malicious or harmless. We were only protecting Our subjects from would-be threats.” Luna dipped her head stoically in my direction.

I waved my hand dismissively again. “Save the formalities, my dear, they serve no purpose with me. As you can see, I’m a very laid back individual that seldom gets upset or feels anything other than boredom or happiness. This was, however, a rather interesting experience to say the least...” I paused and went wide-eyed with a smile. “And opportunistic! As you might have guessed by now, I’m not exactly from Equis. Do you think a showing of myself backed by you could happen in the future?”

“Wow, get in line, buddy. Behind about twenty thousand nobles who want their backing.” The human seemed to be getting rather sore from being ignored. He must not like the fact that I’m getting the attention while he sits there and twiddles his thumbs. But his statement did strike a sour chord with me.

Frowning at his second, and very unneeded interruption thus far, I decided that at least one response would do well in quieting him until my affairs with Luna are completed. “The same twenty-thousand nobles that plague her courtroom with pleas of increasing their wealth, no doubt? You must be kidding, declaring them to have better standing than me. Their lives aren’t in danger the moment they step out of their spaceship, nor are they prone to any violence after leaving their homes. Do not interrupt this matter again, as it is very important to my health, sir.”

“Oh, so if I interrupt again, you’ll keel over or something? That’s pretty unsafe, you might wanna find a doctor around here. As for those nobles, I’m not saying they’re higher standard than you. But that wealth they have? They would NOT hesitate to spend it going after something they deem ‘foul’ or ‘evil,’ even when evidence says otherwise. Trust me on that, I have a whole army after me just because I’m not a species they like.” He smiled and chuckled at me cockily, making me snarl a little bit.

“Daniel...” Luna warned, and the human stopped his chuckling. Shaking her head in annoyance, Luna looked back at me with a small smile. “We see no harm in this. Should you ever happen upon Canterlot, Mr. Silas, please drop by the Castle. We know Our ponies will not receive you well based solely on your draconic appearance, but rest assured that the Guard won’t be giving you any problems.”

I quickly stuck my tongue out at the human to her left, before smiling at Luna quickly to hide the childish action. “You have my thanks in advance then, Ms. Luna. I hope this marks the start of a great companionship,” I asked hopefully, watching as Luna faked thinking it over with a hum. I knew it was fake based on the smile that graced her own.

“We have no qualms with it, no. Welcome to Equis, Mr. Silas. We await an audience with you at Canterlot Castle. Take your time in getting here, and enjoy the view as you do. This world has many wonders, We can assure you,” Luna replied, dropping her playful stance.

“Geez, can you get any more cliche, Mr. Businessman? Seriously, just give her the Oxy-Clean now and be done with it.”

“Is this really the time,” I roared at Daniel, my patience seeping off of me like mist on a boat. “I’m trying not to die here, and you’re being quite rude with your comments! Knock it off, or get out! I’ll talk to you after Luna and I are done!” I growled at him and crossed my arms.

“Okay, okay, geez...seriously, though, just what have you done to just ask her for support? Or shall I wait until the Night Princess has taken her leave to hear that answer?” Daniel crossed his own arms and tapped his foot, raising his eyebrow at me.

“What an annoying little monkey, clapping his hands and doing a silly dance for his next cup of coins!” Sighing deeply, I pinched the bridge of my nose and waited for my encroaching irritation to die down. “... Nothing. I have done nothing. I do not have the right to ask her for help, for I am not one her precious sheep. But again; I am no hungering wolf roaming her pastures. If anything, I am the blackbird near her chicken feed; barely worth her time or effort. Is it wrong to count on the kindness of others without any redeeming qualities to speak for oneself; to simply rely on the good graces of a fellow sapient being to help them?”

“Honestly? I’d rather know it’s the wolf than deal with the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Yes, getting some kindness from others isn’t something I should preach against, but why not offer her something in return? Y’know the saying, I scratch your back, you scratch mine.” Persistence was something this man carried in spades, and I found myself wondering if he could hold a candle to my own.

“Unlikely. I am the word.” Giving a deep sigh once more, I applied more pressure to my bridge and glared at him. “What could I give? I am not from here, and I don’t recall how to work most of my technology. Giving them parts from my ship could end up starting something no country wants... war. A war over who gets to keep the shiny object that the alien gave to the Princess, or a war for its uses thereof! Your questions, while valid, are nothing more than the bare minimum in what’s to be assumed when dealing with extraterrestrials. Please silence yourself, Daniel, and let me speak to Ms. Luna.”

“One more thing before I allow you two to finish undisturbed. I’m not saying give her tech. Helping with an uprising or balancing taxes or just, I dunno, doing a random comedy routine to brighten someone’s day. Those things can do just as much as giving up a shiny object capable of engulfing a world in flames just because everyone wants one. Now, I’m not saying do something immediately, but when you’re asked to help, you’d best be prepared to help; double time if they’ve already backed you.” He returned my glare, but his was softer. It was almost as if he was really hoping I’d accept what he said as actuality and move on.

“Cute,” I thought smugly. “I don’t know where you read up on how to deal with extraterrestrials in first contact, but you need to burn whatever article you did to cinders. I will once again present you with the pachyderm circus in town; I am an alien. I do not understand this planet and its inhabitants, nor do I care to. No one will accept a random act of kindness from me, not if driving the ‘unknown creature’ from their town will work in alleviating the falsely erected fear of me.” I dropped my claw away from my face with a frown.

“There will be no guarantee for my safety unless a public address happens; preferably from a notorious political figurehead; double that if they are one the people enjoy. I have nothing to offer, and I refuse to offer myself. I keep my word, and although I have no proof of this, I had honestly expected to count on any shred of goodwill from anyone. But as it stands...” I dropped my frown and looked at the both with equal displeasure, quite miffed about being interrogated for so long. “I can see that goodwill is all but extinct on this planet. It’s an illusion.”

“We see this clearly now.” Luna’s voice made me focus on just her for now. “You wish for Us to help you with no strings attached. No qualms exist with Us on this matter, but We do not think proper explanation is necessary if you spit upon our goodwill,” Luna stated sharply, narrowing her eyes at me as I felt a shiver jump down my spine.

I simply nodded my assent.

“Good!” Her smile returned. “Then an accord has been reached! We are pleased to have made an extraterrestrial friend on this night of Ours! Well then,” Luna said cheerily as she made her way to the right edge of the Station. “We must be off. The duties of the night never rest, even as my subjects do. Remember to play nice, you two.” She flashed me a sly smirk before jumping over the edge and disappearing with a bright flash of white.

“Couple of newsflashes...Silas, was it? Yeah, I think that’s right. First off, you’re NOT the only extraterrestrial here. Humans don’t exist on Equis. Second, if you’re gonna be here for so long, whether it be a week, a month, or even a YEAR, you’d best understand the planet and all of the sentient beings it inhabits. For example, you asked the wrong alicorn to get good PR for Equestria,” Daniel called out sharply, not even ten seconds after Luna left. From the recesses of his clothes, he pulled out what looked to be a handle for a sword. Instantly, I placed a claw on mine and growled.

“And that’s out for what purpose, Daniel?” I narrowed my eyes at him as he smiled, pressing a button and allowing the blade to finally form itself as a pulsating beam. It was broadsword in appearance, and I knew one good slice could take an arm off; no sweat.

He ignored me and twiddled with it, making me less irritated and alert. After about five more seconds of him just screwing around with it, I removed my claw from Zaelstrom’s handle. “Irony at its finest; a Princess who the people barely like. Normally they’re something out of fairytales; played up to be too righteous and really good singers that love peace and happiness. I could tell from the way she looked at me that her life wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, like how most of those fairytales go. That’s why I asked her, and not her sister when she spoke that she had one.” I turned around so I didn’t have to look at my annoying guest.

“It is because she seeks to do things to improve her own standing with her people. Back then, when you said I should do something to scratch her back; little did you know that I was way ahead of you in that regard. I saw the hurt on her face, even though the mask she put up was rather good,” I paused and looked back over my shoulder, giving him a good narrowed eye severity’s sake.

“One who constantly wears masks is quite good at getting behind those of others. And to think you thought yourself to have her best interests at heart....tsk tsk tsk, Daniel; alas, you do not. Nor will you ever, I’m afraid. If you’re done, please leave and stop taking up my time; or do you have something else to discuss rather than my future plans on Equis?” I turned my head back around and looked into the darkness moving like a curtain in a drafty room, awaiting his response.

“Well...I do have two. First, if and when you face your Shadow, will you be ready to face it? Everything you’ve said and done to build your own mask, being attacked from every angle, blows that are low even for a heartless villain. If you had to face yourself, your TRUE self, would you be ready to fight for your life?” Daniel appeared to be speaking from experience here, and it honestly struck somewhere close to home. As peaceful as my Station is, there’s a reason why it’s surrounded by all this darkness.

:.... I guess I’ll find out,” I seethed, not turning back to look at him.

“Now, the other question, and this is far more important…” There was a bit of hesitation in his voice. “...are you gonna give Luna the spray-on Oxy-Clean, or the detergent-type Oxy-Clean?”

“... Leave... now,” I snapped, turning my head to glare at him with all my hidden displeasure to bear. My stare was good as a human to get would-be aggressors to back off and rethink their approach, if only for a little bit. It’s unnerved the strongest of wills, and I could see that it still held its power against Daniel. “You’re no longer wanted here. This is my dream realm, and I want you gone!”

“Yeesh, sorry for trying to get you to lighten up. If you can’t take a joke, your time is gonna suck in Equis. If you really want me gone that bad, I’ll take my leave. There are other platforms like these that I can walk on, and less draconic.”He turned to leave like he had appeared, but I cleared my throat loud enough to get to look back with his hands in his pockets. He had put the sword away when I had my back turned, apparently.

“You just don’t show up here for no reason; I’m not daft. What has brought you here, besides annoying me and hindering my progress towards survival... and for that matter; what are you?” I turned around and slid a claw up to my jacket’s zipper and pulled down, causing my only article of upper clothing to open and relieve the tightness around my neck.

“That depends. Are you talking about what you’ll see on Equis, or what you’re looking at now? Because right now, you’re looking at one of over six billion humans from a planet simply called Earth. And I’m here because...well, I can’t currently wake up and go back to my own body.”

“Oh? You’re using Magic, I take it? Scrying, perhaps; if I do recall correctly. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why you’re here, and I want to know what it is. And of course I know of this form of yours; I’m human as well, Daniel, even though I might not look it right now. However, I do not plan to recover my old body whatsoever; I haven’t a need for it anymore, not when this one is superior.” I walked over to my fountain and sat down on the marble rim, crossing my arms and then crossing my legs at the ankles.

“I’m not using magic. As it stands, I’m in a coma that’ll last for another...six days or so. I am here because I wandered here. I saw yourself and Luna and, fearing for her, I approached. I won’t lie and say I didn’t think you’d do something to her.” I smirked in triumph at the end of his statement, knowing I caught him.

“And your basis out of that assumption; does it not stem from the fact that I’m an alien, unseen and uncharacterized? It is as I said earlier; the masses will not bother understanding me, just like you assumed I’d harm Luna, they too will assume me guilty in plotting to harm them.” I uncrossed my arms and used a claw to wave him away. “As fun as this chat has been, I’m afraid you’ve overstayed your welcome. If we do meet outside this Station, I hope it will be on less annoying terms than in here.”

“...so it was wrong of me to stand aside and watch what would happen? Give you the benefit of the doubt instead of pull out my sword and engage immediately? Though my initial impression was you two were about to fight, I wasn’t about to go berserker on you just because you look like a dragon. And apparently have the attitude of one, being somewhat selfish,” Daniel retorted sharply, almost dropping his tone into one of disappointment and annoyance. This made me scoff in amusement at the falsehood of his last sentence.

“Selfish? No no no, I don’t think it was selfish to preserve my life, Daniel; that’s instinctual; a commonly shared survival tactic amongst all races, regardless of planetary background, you see. Even though I could thank you for not charging me with that blade, I’m afraid I won’t; seeing as how it should be common practice not to act so crudely to the unknown unless they identify themselves to be of malicious intent and insidious in nature.” I moved my claw back and grabbed some of the crystalline water from the fountain, placing it in my maw and drinking it down.

I gave a pleased exhale afterwards, and continued. “I hope this planet will continue to be entertaining, for Earth was too monotonous for me. There was no place for someone of my caliber there; someone with my indomitable spirit and quick mind. Do not think this to be pride, Daniel; it is fact.” Smiling at him smugly, I waved my claw at him with the back of my fingers ‘brushing’ him off. “You may take your leave now; and trust well that we’ll be in touch again. As much of an annoyance as you were, your entertainment factor has drawn my curiosity. I look forward to when we meet next, Danny boy.”

Daniel was already facing the edge of the Station, not looking back at me as he spoke again. “I have no doubt I will see you again, Silas. I do hope you do something for Luna, despite the fact you say otherwise. But then, I hope for many things. Like I hope to see you outside of dreams. Until then...farewell.” And then he jumped; well, not jump so much as stick out both his arms and fall forwards.

When he didn’t come back up in an attempt to “troll me”, I let loose an annoyed sigh and frowned. “Are you done hiding now? You’re not too good at concealing yourself, whoever you are.” Of course, my eyes were locked on the dark wall I had conjured the snake from.

A hollow laugh, deep and loud, rang out across my Station. “You actually detected me! It seems I have not erred in selecting a valuable and entertaining Piece for the Game after all! But you have much to learn, I’m afraid. Your knowledge of magic is infantile; especially when it comes to your power in being Silas Epista from Asla, Justin.”

My frown deepened at the familiar voice. It belonged to a plague upon the Multiverse in the Magic; The Gathering universe; to an elder dragon that became one of the most heinous beings in existence by obtaining the powers of a Planeswalker.

“Stop hiding, Bolas. Come out already,” I ordered, causing the dragon to laugh at me again. I gritted my teeth in annoyance as a response, my anger rising to dangerous levels as the laughter continued. “An elder dragon, biding his time in the shadows instead of showing his might to instill fear? What a cowardly wyrm you are indeed, Bolas.”

The laughter stopped, making me smirk.

“You will watch what you say, human. I was the one who placed you in that body, and it shall be me who removes you should this insolence drag on,” Bolas hissed, two sky-blue eyes of roaring flames breaking out from the darkness. “You are nothing; on the inside and the out. The only purpose you have in serving me is entertainment, boy; never forget that.”

“Words alone do not affect me, Bolas. You’re better off speaking to someone who actually acknowledges you as a threat,” I growled back, the Station rumbling from what I assumed to be Bolas’s rising anger. “Planeswalkers: gods, goddesses, immortals? What are these things to me? Titles, and nothing more. You’re all the same, nothing’s eternal.” I closed my claws into tight fists, glaring with all my might at the giant narrowed eyes some ways forward of my position.

“Do you expect me to bow; to prostrate myself for someone like you? HAH,” I laughed shortly, finding the notion of myself bowing to anyone hilarious. “Why don’t you blow all that shit from your nose from having it up your ass, buddy!? The multiverse doesn’t revolve around you, Bolas! Wake up and smell the fucking realism!” I stood up and pointed at him. “YOU are going to place me back into my body before I get sore!”

“Sit.”

My eyes widened as my ass planted itself back down on the fountain. There was no odd feeling of magic that came over me; I just... sat down! “What the!? How!? Is his magic this strong; to have me sit down on words alone!?”

“You’ve grown quite uppity with that mouth of yours, Mr. Richards. These titles symbolize your worth among others; you’re not worth anything without them. Remember that the next time you feel the need to open that hole festering with ignorance, fool.” His giant copper-green face broke through the wall of darkness, stopping when his two horns with a suspended ovoid gem in the middle came out. “You know nothing of real magic, boy. Be grateful I did not animate your skeleton while you still breathe.”

I smiled at him, even though my body decided joining him would be better. “Whatever you say, Bolas~! Do you feel good about yourself, by the way; bullying someone as insignificant as me? You really are a sad little dragon, aren’t you,” I asked playfully, earning myself a deafening roar to my ears as a response. This blaring warcry of tuba-playing garrisons continued on for around ten seconds, leaving an even bigger smile on my face than when Bolas began.

“Enough! You will answer for your insolence on a later date. Important matters are to be discussed right now! Important matters...” His angry frown transformed into a happy grin in a quicker time than I liked. “... Like your human body~!”

Let me state here that I don’t know how I did my next action; or if it was even possible in that regard. I definitely should not have been able to slap the dogshit out of his face, but the sound of my scales turning his fifty-foot tall head like a bobblehead was too rewarding not to mention. And his face after the deed was done?

“Fucking priceless!”

Bolas continued to look off in the direction of the right wall of darkness for some time; his face the very definition of concentration as he tried to compute what just happened to him. I, on the other claw, decided that hanging around an about-to-blow elder dragon demigod was not a good idea.

I got up and ran back to the other side of the fountain, drawing Zaelstrom from its sheath as quietly as possible. A deafening roar signaled that Bolas’s brain finally caught up , and from seemingly nowhere, I began to have chills go down my spine as it ended. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I swaggered out of my retreat place and pointed Zaelstrom at Bolas’s head.

“You will pay for that, Richards! I will end your life here and now, even if my power isn’t as great here!” Bolas’s growl caused my fountain to shatter and rumble off my Station, leaving me only with my mural and Bolas’s head reaching from the shadows.

“His weaker here; it’s an opportune chance to wound him! I’ve got take this and earn my freedom!” I kept my sword leveled at him, snarling my damn self. “Talk is cheap, Bolas. Back up your words with some action.”

He sucked in some air, and the sound of bubbling oil made me widen my eyes before running towards the back of my Station. I could feel the tension rising in my blood, urging me forward with a yell as I jumped off the edge and dug my sword into the side of my Station; right as the sound of hissing flames slammed into the darkness directly above my dangling body.

I was surprised the stained-glass didn’t melt off and drip onto the only claw holding me up by Zaelstrom’s handle. Snarling, I pulled up with all my might and surprised myself when it sent me flying up into the air above my Station with Zaelstrom in tow. My body was sent into a slow backflip as I landed onto the stained-glass, which had remained pleasantly cool.

I charged Bolas instantly, and he responded by shooting more sky-blue fireballs the size of fruit stands at me. I rolled to the left to avoid the first, and leapt over the next one. The roaring of another ball of molten death made me tuck into a ball and use the momentum from my landing to roll underneath it, since Bolas angled it up to hit me in the air.

Coming out of my roll, I used my feet to close the final amount of distance between Bolas and I with a spring forwards. Cocking my arm back, I then swung Zaelstrom across diagonally from bottom-left to top-right. This slash cut the entirety of Bolas’s left jaw-side off, splattering me with his lukewarm blood as he hollered his pain through a magically amplified burst of wind.

I was sent flying with an alarmed yell straight towards the darkness I had recently escaped from. “Shit, I’m gonna be lost forever! Gotta do something before it comes out!” Frantically, I snapped open my wings and caught myself, but since I didn’t know how to fly; well, the ground made sure to make that point abundantly clear as I fell towards it face first.

Grunting in exertion, I flipped myself forwards just in the nick of time as my feet found purchase on the stained-glass of my body. This put me at the left side of Bolas, who I then charged quickly.

“Get back,” He roared, shooting a small stream of flame at me. I bent backwards as far as I could and slid with my body parallel to the roaring flame; right underneath it actually. I had to suck in a large breath of air in order to flatten myself more, and the result was having the tip of my mouth burned by the outer rim of Bolas’s flames; but other than that, I was fine.

As his first stream ended, he sucked in another breath. I straightened myself out and made a dead run towards him, the plan for my inhaled breath unfurling before my very eyes. Bolas tried blowing forth another stream of fire.

“NOW!” I let loose the air in my glans, smacking Bolas’s fire back into his throat. This caused his eyes to expand as a large boom was heard from his direction, followed by a savage yell of agony as he splattered me with what must be his flame glans. It wasn’t enough to halt my charge though, and with three more steps, I angled to deliver the final blow as the last part to my plan unfolded.

Bolas lifted his head...

“You’re done,”I thought with severity as I drove Zaelstrom home, getting it in all the way down to the handle, before bringing my entire weight to the right and tearing it out in a wicked-looking jagged pattern. This rewarded me with a yell that turned into a gurgle as Bolas began to bleed out quickly.

His head slammed forwards onto my Station afterwards, his blood sliding right off the edge. It almost seemed as if the stained-glass was denying it purchase upon its surface. “Die, monster.” I jumped up and stabbed the katana through his skull, coming to rest right under the floating jewel on his head.

“Heh... not... over...” He breathed out before fading away, making me land on the ground. Taking in a deep breath, I swung Zaelstrom to clear it of blood and then sheathed it. I fell forwards shortly afterwards, my breaths like racehorses tearing up a track. My eyes closed tightly as I tried to regain my composure.

“Damn. I didn’t feel any of the fatigue during the fight, but now that it’s over; the weariness is finally catching up. I feel like I’m gonna throw-up.” As my breaths remained the only sound in my Station, I slowly opened my eyes and beheld something odd.

“Bolas’s Gem of Becoming? What the hell is it doing here? It should have vanished with his dumbass!” I reached out a claw and grabbed it around the side, feeling its smooth texture slide into my grasp. It felt like a large marble; a large, black, probably insidious marble filled to the brim with magics.

“Take it. The first Gift is yours. You have proven yourself worthy, Justin.”

My eyes widened from the voice of a woman. I was too weary to stand, however, so I promptly keeled over. Landing on top of the Gem of Becoming with my chest, I breathed somewhat hysterically until I found the breath to voice myself. “What do you want? What are these gifts? Why me?”

“Your will, Richards; that’s why. Most beings would have prostrated themselves before Nicol Bolas, which he had counted on you doing. We held him back for you; inside your Darkness until the fight was over. Take his Gem and use its power to keep yourself alive. Let it dive into your heart, and fill you with more power to use in furthering your chances of survival!”

This voice was male and high in pitch. “... I don’t understand,” I called out in sorrow, breaking down into a fit of tears. “I just want to go home; to see my loser friends and family again! Send me back, please; I’m begging you!”

“It’s too late for that. Bolas is dead. You killed your only way out. Now, you must face the challenges a new world shall give you. And remember, Justin Richards. The closer you get to the light, the stronger your shadow becomes.”

I no longer had the energy to do anything but pass out slowly.

First Contact [Rewritten]

View Online

You are strange. I've seen two drunk hobos use socks as condoms and try to sodomize each other before, and yelled to them, "Whoever finishes first has to eat the socks!" What does that say then, Ms. Shimmer, if I am the one calling YOU strange?

I opened my eyes calmly, staring up at the ceiling of my ship with a stoic face. “Damn, I have some fucked up dreams. At least I got a meeting squared away with that Princess Luna character. Still can’t believe there are talking ponies on this planet.” My thoughts swam with the implications of having to commune with talking ponies. This complicated things greatly for two reason. One; what if they shun carnivores like the plague, such as myself. And two: are they just as skittish as equines from my world.

Sitting up, I heard the sound of something papery making contact with the ground. It was a soft sound, like a short hiss of pleasure or something of the like. The sound itself was enough to catch my interest, so as I fixed my chair by sitting up, I let my head fall down to search for the paper.

I froze as my eyes lingered over the black gem embedded directly into the middle space between my pecs. Not believing this stone to be the Gem of Becoming, I hesitantly reached out and played my fingers upon it; tracing indiscernible patterns along its smooth face. The scales around its edges sunk in, making it look like someone decided to fill a hole in my chest with a large dark gem instead of healing it properly. A patchwork job, in other words.

“Well this is a thing, apparently,” I thought with a sigh, bending down even more to search for the letter. I had expected it to blend in with the all-white flooring from before the camouflage was activated, but I was rewarded instead with hardwood floors that were recently polished. This of course, made my job of grabbing the white paper easier.

“Come here you little bugger.” Snatching it between my index finger and thumb, I flipped piece of paper over to view what had to be the neatest cursive ever. All I had to do was make out the words “Dearest Silas” at the top to know who it was from.

“If you’re reading this, I have left. The Revolutionary War on Asla must be halted by the news of your child, so I had to leave the moment I awoke. Even though you have no memories to call upon in order to understand the hell plaguing Asla, I think that it’s for the best you have forgotten. The horrors you faced would’ve torn any other Draconian to smithereens mentally; myself included.

Even though you’re so far away from me now, I couldn’t help but leave a memento of myself with you. Where my Stalker Bot wounded you back on the Ark has now become a pool for self-replicating symbiotic nanomachines (Refer to it as a Fester). Their only purpose is to add another layer of ‘skin’ under your scales and speed up the regeneration process; which will need a considerable amount of food for excess energy. You will have to stay perfectly well fed, or the symbiotes will begin eating away at your body.

You might not remember the natural abilities of all Draconians, so let me explain the basic ones to you.

Draconic Sightline- The ability to enhance your vision up to twenty times, with the added effect of discerning magic infrastructure within objects.

Draconic Link- This can only be had between those who share a strong bond with you. It is literally the act of melding your minds as one to increase the strength of you both. Strength is limited to Physical and Arcane only.

Draconic Blood- The blood of the Alpha and Sigma Draconians surges with magic. With enough practice, you will be able to tilt the ratio of magic to blood in your body; a useful skill to have when in combat, as it will increase your magical input up to two-fold. Remember this, though; it is not a technique to be treaded upon lightly. If the magic in your blood saturates enough cells, your body will undergo Arcane Combustion. You will die.

Corpus Draconis/Draco Mutatio- NEVER use this unless the situation calls for it! A Draconian MUST have something worth returning to in his heart, or you will stay in your Lowborn form forever; eventually going mad from the strain it puts on your Will and Mind, and then you will be lost from all salvation. Someone you TRULY love must be in possession of a keyphrase to turn you back, or you will become the beast the Aslanians have sealed away over generations; an unstoppable force of destruction that will surely lay waste to that planet of yours. A behemoth of Greed, Pride, and Aggression in which will rise in power with each use. PLEASE make sure you have something to go back to, Silas.

I cannot tell you how much my unruly actions- no matter how you might view the “assault”- have helped the people of Asla in such a short amount of time. News of my pregnancy is spreading like wildfire amongst the Omega/Sigma forces. Even if you never remember anything about your homeworld, I hope you can rest easy knowing that you helped what could’ve become a massive genocide.

My thanks to you are everlasting, Silas. May your time on Equis be blessed by Lady Tiamat forevermore. And don’t worry, we’ll be in touch later~! ;)

With Love,

Goddess-Queen Atharva Sel’Narva Amaranth the Second.

I nodded my head in understanding, before folding the note up into a nice little square and sliding it into my jacket’s right chest pocket. Amazingly, the jacket itself was still unzipped; regardless of the fact that I had pulled its zipper down while in a dream, no less. “This new body has given me more problems already than any normal human could face in nine lifetimes. Not that it’s unwelcomed, just a little farfetched.”

I stood up then from my hunched over position, feeling a mighty stretch take over my body instantly as I bent backwards. A huge breath of air was sucked in at the beginning and exhaled at the end, leaving me with a smile on my face as I cracked my neck with my claws and then rolled my shoulders simultaneously a couple of times. “That was a good one! Mmm, I could never tire of that.”

As I made my way over to the wall where I had flown through to enter, my mind abruptly froze at a revelation of extreme importance. “How in the hell did I defeat Bolas so easily? The Voices in the Station had said they held him entrapped within my mind, but for what purpose? Why would trapping Bolas’s head benefit them, or HIM for that matter; because that was definitely a male’s voice I heard. “

“You okay there, Champ?”

It was only natural to turn my head towards whoever was speaking, and Siri would be no exception to this basic function as her voice called to me from my left. “I’m fine,” I sorta-lied. “What’s up with that new nickname, though? What made you start calling me that?”

Siri saw fit to fake receiving a bullet wound to her heart, putting on a face of shock and despair. “You don’t like it!? And here I thought capturing the way you treat others with a nickname would be smiled upon! You wound me, Champ; to the point where I just might die from a shattered heart!” It was at this point in time that Siri decided to give a final gurgle then fall backwards. Her body remained floating as I rolled my eyes, continuing onwards to my destination.

“Hey,” Siri called out with a hint of betrayal. “I wanna come too! Don’t just leave me here, asshole!” I turned around and crossed my arms, giving an irritated sigh to her for good measure.

“Just shut up and float next to me already, geez. I wanna check out this planet before it gets dark, because that’s a key time for predators to be out an’ about,” I reasoned sorely, which caused Siri to frown and cross her own arms. I felt my temple pound against my skull in response to that. “Hurry up,” I ordered, watching as she rolled her own eyes and floated over to me.

Before I could turn around and head through the opening, Siri darted into my left eye. There was a buzzing sound, a click, and then the whirring of an old television coming to life. “Good, it still works. My programs have been uploaded into your Sirios Unit, allowing a hologram like myself to travel using it as a hub. Now you may go.”

“Well aren’t you just a little treat,” I thought sarcastically, getting a whine from Siri not even a millisecond later. I easily connected the dots on that one. “Oh; you can hear my thoughts. You did say the Sirios Unit was for gathering, storing, and exporting information after all. Humorous, but this has now become somewhat of a boon.” I walked up to the door after speaking out loud, paused when I realized I just talked to myself, and then shrugged my shoulders as I kept it trucking.

“Ugh, why did I get stuck with you? There are exactly eight-trillion scaley-fucknuggets on that Tiamat-forsaken cesspool of pride and violence, but the universe saw fit to stick me with...” Her rant trailed off as I snickered, the entrance door to Judgement sliding up to reveal a shining sun that momentarily blinded me. “... Well, you. I don’t think no greater insult exists than you, as a matter of fact.”

“You can’t leave me hanging on the edge, awaiting a witty insult and then don’t deliver. You need to calm down, Satan, and reevaluate how you think about trivial matters like these. They could be very crucial in the long run,” I warned with a smile, hearing Siri snort as I blinked my eyes a couple of times to adjust them to Mr. Bright-And-Fuck-Your-Eyes above. A cold breeze washed across my face, making me smile at the delightful chin that clawed its way up and down my spine.

“How can you be so cheerful all the time? Isn’t that unhealthy, to ignore your anger and such for long periods of time,” Siri buzzed, causing me to guffaw loudly; some birds leaving their nests because of how loud the laugh was as I stepped the one step down onto the soft earth.

“Anger never solves anything, Siri. I remember some quotes heard throughout my meager life, Siri. They will do well in providing you an answer to the inquiries you so needlessly force down my frontal lobe.” I took a deep breath and curled my toes up into the cold-but-soft earth below, absolutely loving the smell of countryside and forest. Unsurprisingly, that’s where I had ended up; in the middle of a clearing inside a forest of evergreens and oak trees. The smell of pine was refreshing, to say the least, and the cool air definitely verified Siri’s claim to this side of Equis experiencing autumn.

“For every minute you spend angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.” At the end of my quote, a particularly strong gust of wind assaulted me from the left side. For a moment there, locked inside that gust of wind, I thought the sound of voices was being carried. This was not the case, apparently, as no one showed up a few minutes later.

“You sound old; really old. That’s the kind of things those old geezers who don’t fight back on Asla would say to get the youth concentrated in giving their lives. That whole war is asinine, and may whoever instigated such a dark time in Draconian history be sodomized with a ‘Grobleneth Mrshalmnen’!” Siri was, as weird as this may sound, panting in my head.

“Stop that panting,” I thought strongly, using my inner voice authoritatively. “Also, for some odd reason, I interpreted that alien garbage as ‘Cactus Orchard’; which, when you actually think about it, still sounds painful as all hell.” I walked out into the forest, which only required three-to-four steps really. Twigs and leaves bore their backs to me like prisoners would a roman jailer with whip in hand; becoming crushed under heel as I pressed on through the discarded flora of mother nature.

To my left and right rested a calm sea of brown and green, with some odd specks of shining thread. I quickly realized these glinting wonders to be spider webs, or orphaned threads of silk that will forever remain useless like the lifeless leaves and sticks below me. This neverending stretch of green and brown bored me quickly, so I disregarded going left or right and continued forwards to the light breaking through the trees ahead.

Various bird calls enthralled me to look up, beholding yellow and green cardinal-looking avians fluttering about and communicating with one another. And then, almost as if for some slapstick comedy routine; this giant black bird barrels through the happily singing pair or avians with a very deep bellow of a chirp. This bird could’ve easily been the size of a toddler back on Earth, with a wingspan that stretched out further than the branches it stood on; why, it’s a small wonder it didn’t snap and make the bird plummet the ten feet down to the ground.

“It isn’t a raven, for their feat aren’t yellow. And it can’t be a crow, because their beaks aren’t yellow as well; and they’re definitely longer than the abrupt cone shape this bird has going on! The oil it’s giving off on the wings is similar to.... a blackbird?” I stared at the bird as it tilted its head at me, showcasing confused all-black orbs of perception. “No... it can’t be.”

The abyss-colored avian continued to look at me with unreadable eyes, which would blink every once and a while. It’s countenance was mystery itself, but an air of rare majesticness whispered sweet nothings into my consciousness as we gazed each other down. All the wind from earlier had gone completely silent, and all the bird calls stopped as well. Apparently, they were paying respect to his fear-inducing beast of the woods.

Slowly, I slid my left claw up to the handle of Zaelstrom and awaited the bird to do something stupid. My action caused the monstrous blackbird to cock his head the other way, giving a deep caw of wonder. “I’m going to kill you should you attack me, Mcnuggets,” I warned sharply, then went wide eyed and dropped my guard at the same time when a startling realization came over me.

I just threatened a bird. Not only did I threaten a bird with actual words, but I even went so far as to use an insult normally resolved for a certain type of barnyard foul. “This world is doing strange things to my mind. Must be something in this air, no matter how serene and crisp it might seem.” Using my nose, I took a precautionary sniff of the surrounding area.

My nasal receptors distinguished the smell of forest, with a subtle hint of mango and strawberries. I can’t tell you why it was mango and strawberries; my brain just sort of pushed it out from my memory banks. And then, just as I pinpointed the scent down as one directly ahead of my position, the blackbird called out to me louder than before.

“What do you want!?” Swinging my head to face the bird about four feet above me, I contorted my face into a frown and awaited some type of response. And what I received was too weird for me not to raise my brow at. The blackbird lifted a single talon and pointed at something to the left of my head.

Keeping my eye on the bird, I slowly turned my head to the left to inspect whatever had interested it. I nearly jumped out of my scales when it squawked awfully loud, just as I passed the zone of my shoulder. Stopping, I slid my head back to the right a little bit, earning a drawn-out caw as indication for me to keep going.

As I came back around, the blackbird made another awfully loud squawk when my eyes settled on my shoulder. Frowning my face up in confusion at what the bird wanted from my shoulder, I began to ponder just that. The realization hit me like an offended barmaid, causing me to shake my head rapidly. “You want to get on my shoulder,” I tried with unsurety, looking back at the monstrous bird for a reply.

It cawed and nodded its head.

“...Why?” I was honestly baffled.

I then made sure my nose knew the smell of my claw by slapping it upon my face; the blackbird causing this to happen because it gave me the ever-effective “Are you fucking kidding me?” head tilt and look.

“You’re a bird; you can’t talk. Right.” I sighed deeply and looked back up at the massive bird. There were no qualms that came to mind about letting it on my shoulder, save for the most obvious one. I pointed a claw up at it and glared. “Shit on my jacket, and I’ll be plucking feathers out of my teeth. Capiche?”

Blackbird cawed cheerily and swooped down onto my shoulder, batting me in the face a couple of times with its heavy wings. I sputtered as its feathers tried to invade my mouth, but the flapping died down after three more seconds or so. Giving the winged annoyance a good glare for troubling me so, which earned me a pair of shrugged...shoulders; I continued forward, following the smells of mango and strawberry.

“If you’re thinking about tagging along, I don’t rightly see a problem with it,” I said as I maneuvered through the middle of two trees leaning against each other, making a n ‘X’ as their gap. “I just need to come up with a name for you. Can’t keep calling you ‘The Bird’, even though it would be quite funny if I gave you away while you held that title, heheh,” I laughed briefly, earning myself a glare from the blackbird as a result.

It cawed at me, getting close to my eye with its beak.

“Alright, alright; I’ll stop with the jokes you partypooper. Now onto more serious matters,” I said cheerily while moving an obstructing evergreen branch to the side with my claw, holding it there until I passed by. It snapped back into place a millisecond after release. “How about.... OH! Yeah, that’s a good one! How about, Bridge?” I stopped and looked at the blackbird, watching with with a happy smile until it frowned and shook its head.

“Blast,” I snapped, hoping I had chance to use that name as a reference to a song I liked. “Are you female, then?”

The blackbird nodded.

“Bridgette,” I responded quickly. The blackbird put its wing to its chin and thought about it. “My mind is so full of what right now.” Shaking my head rapidly, I settled my eyes back onto the bird just as it made its face strain with the notion of ‘You’re almost there, but you don’t got me yet.’

“Altaria Bridgette,” I finished with a smile, praising myself mentally for the nice save. The blackbird thought about it again, and then smiled as it nodded. I gave a laugh and continued forwards. “Altaria Bridgette it is! Nice to meet ya!”

Altaria cawed her happiness to a new name and my acquaintanceship.

Stepping over the last patch of shrubbery, I came across something quite peculiar. There was another clearing here, and in it was something I will never forget for the rest of my bizarre life.

Even though I had seen a unicorn in my dreams before, I wasn’t quite ready to see a unicorn and a baby minotaur playing catch with a giant rubber ball. The unicorn was using her golden horn; and I say her because of the overly-pronounced eyelashes thing they unicorns share apparently. Her body was the same type of lustrous gold as her horn, and the mane on top of her head reminded me of rubies and topaz. curled magnificently into a fancy style that hung off the side of her head neatly.

Her color scheme was unforgiving to even the most dull of eyes, and mine were no exception. The minotaur she was playing with, however, showed no discomfort towards her makeup.

Toddler sized, cloven hooves thudded along the ground rapidly as the small calf ran away from the unicorn who, probably to his overwhelmingly abundant joy; had initiated a game of tag as their ball was sent airborne once more. The minotaur calf laughed deeper than a girl would, so I labeled his green overall-wearin’ ass a boy. His dark-brown tresses fell down about shoulder length, a tangle of curls with no intention of being combed out. It reminded me of aged jungle vines, his hair.

Altaria decided to initiate first contact without my say-so, however, and abruptly caught the attention of them both. I had to stop myself from doing a dry spit take as the unicorn and minotaur froze and looked at me mid-step; their eyes alight with the natural instinct of flight against an obvious predator; the dragon.

Raising my eyebrow at the somewhat-far duo, I called out questioningly, “Are you done being rude?”

They simply stayed there, but a flicker of movement from the unicorn’s pink tongue sliding out over its lips gave me a little pause myself. That slow lick turned into a rapid shake of the head as she snapped herself out of her fear lock. Turning her head so I couldn’t see her lips move through her mane, the unicorn whispered something into the ear of the minotaur calf.

Yawning at the whole ordeal, I placed both hands behind my head and leaned up onto a tree. Atlantia flew up into the tree branch right next to my head, looking out towards our recent find with a stoic countenance.

It took about a minute, but the unicorn eventually nudged the minotaur away from my general direction. He took off to places unknown behind the foliage on their side of the clearing, which I could see very well without the need for my Draconic Sightline.

I gave a small smile some leeway on my mouth as the unicorn began an unsure walk up to me. She kept looking back at the foliage behind her, checking to see if the minotaur had listened to her. When she saw that he did, her walk became a little more brisk and hurried; her head facing the ground as she chugged her way towards me like a coal train.

Stopping just feet shy from my position, she raised her head and smiled. “Are you a teenage dragon; yes or no?” Her voice wasn’t like anything I had pictured. It had traces of recently-terminated adolescence, reminding me of those ‘early twenties’ die hard partying girls, with none of the surfer accent but plenty of sophistication. One could even mistake it for being snooty, her way of speaking.

I stared into her crystal blue eyes for a while before chuckling. “Lady, you have no idea."

Introductions are in Order [Rewritten]

View Online

STABBED THROUGH THE HEART, AND THEN YOUR BRAIN~! Yeah, 'hope your blood... doesn't stain~!

“Silas Epista, you say,” the unicorn now known to be Sunset Shimmer stated with a smile, sitting in front of me as I stared at her from my position against the tree. “And you’re also an alien no less! Why, this is exciting to say the least; if only you knew how much I’ve longed for this moment,” Sunset enthused happily, showcasing a little bit of teeth in her grin.

“I think I can make a ballpark guess, ma’am,” I pointed at her with a raised eyebrow, a question coming to mind pretty quickly. “You’re uh... you kind of smell like mangos and strawberries. Do uh... do you use a shampoo with that scent or something, because that shouldn’t be naturally possible.”

Sunset raised her eyebrow at me, bringing her mane around to sniff at it. “No... I don’t. Are you sure I’m the one who smells like that?” She began an impromptu turn around session, sniffing at every inch of her body accept her butt, because she was a mare of tact apparently. That, or it was just ‘weird’ to sniff your ass in her culture.

“We are in a forest; a forest that could possibly house wild strawberries within, but definitely not mangos! Where the hell is it coming from!?” I pulled at my collar, my mind feeling a little hazed from the smell as I scanned the surroundings. Left was first as I took a couple of hard sniffs; the smell of mangos and strawberries fading greatly as I did so. The same thing happened when I sniffed to the right and behind me as well.

Lifting my arm, I smelled my pits. There was no rank smell like I had been expecting from a body that spent well over eight-hundred years in stasis, and definitely no mangos or strawberries. Not satisfied with my negative results in detecting the source of the smell, I turned my attention back to Sunset Shimmer.

“I swear on my life that it’s coming from you, Ms. Shimmer. I don’t know what it could be, but it’s starting to mess with my head a little bit.” I crossed my arms again and eyed her suspiciously, something she took as an insult; given the way she was now frowning at me.

“But I can’t think of anything that... could...” Her face slowly contorted into one of horror, her eyes becoming distant at the same time as well. Almost making me jump, Sunset Shimmer snapped her eyes back down to reality and glared at me. “You... you must not speak of this smell in public, do you understand,” She roared with a massive blush on her face.

Even though she was trying to appear very angry at me, I knew there was more to her sudden outburst than what she was letting on. Regardless, I waved it off and nodded. “Yeah, I hear you loud an’ clear, Ms. Shimmer. Though the notion of being angry at the smell of strawberries and mangos is lost on me forevermore, if it truly upsets you; I don’t see the harm in dropping it in public. But rest assured,” I stopped leaning back on the tree and dropped down to a squatting position, almost coming down to eye level with her. “I will find the source one day, because quite frankly, it’s a smell that’s beginning to grow on me.”

Her mouth dropped as the blush on her face skyrocketed to such extremes, that I thought my face was going to be hit with a wave of flame from her throat. Words sputtered out from her jaw in cracked up patterns like water from a dinky faucet, completely barren of all comprehension as she just sat there.

“Bu... You don’t... EYAAAAHHH!” I was blasted in the nose by a gold hoof, giving a startled yelp of pain as I was put on my ass by the blow. “You barbarian! Have you no tact!? The nerve! Just who do you think you are, saying such rude things to a refined lady such as myself,” She barked, making me glare at her for hitting me.

“The hell you sock me for, you walking mustard bottle!? Being punched in the face isn’t enjoyable, you know,” I snapped, grinding my teeth together to fight back the stinging inside my nose.

“Well, it’s not worse than accusing a lady of carrying an aroma about her that you find enjoyable! That’s simply crass and tactless,” She pointed the same hoof she used to clock me at my face, the blush receding somewhat. “If you plan on entering the society of us Equisians, you will need to be coached accordingly on the mannerisms of not only ponies, but minotaurs as well! I’m not going to sit here and let such... lechery be introduced into our homes and residential areas, Mr. Silas; not if I can help it!” Sunset slammed that hoof down, kicking up a little bit of smoke as she smiled at me smugly.

Dropping both my claws away from my injured nose, I got up and dusted myself off away from her direction; even though my mind screamed at me to do it towards her as payback. “Listen, Sunset; can I call you Sunset,” I asked with fake sincerity.

“Well I don’t see why no-”

“Good,” I interrupted, stretching out an arm and dusting it off with the opposite claw, bringing my full attention to removing any speck of dirt from my jacket. “Listen, Sunset; most women from my world would have taken that as a compliment, being told they smell of fruit, which is normally appealing and attractive. If what I consider to be honest-to-good compliments are seen as boorish and unruly on Equis, then yes; I am going to have a bad time. That being said, I wholeheartedly welcome the notion of taking you on as my personal guide to Equisian Etiquette.”

“Well that’s all fine and good,” Sunset spoke up, a little bit of irritation from being cut off earlier prevalent within her words. “But did you really see a need to interr-”

“And another thing, if I may be so bold.” Of course I knew my second interruption was pushing the limits of her patience towards me, but the gag was just left sitting there! It would’ve been rude not to take it! “Please understand that I have absolutely no clue on how to conduct myself around your kind. There’s no comprehension on proper speech etiquette and the like, which means I could’ve offended you right when I interrupted you and would never know unless you told me.” I laid it on thick, shrugging my shoulders and staring at her with all the innocence of a choir boy.

Sunset was now engaged in internal warfare. Her eyes were narrowed into an angry glare, but her mouth was turned up into a friendly smile. “No... no... it’s fine,” She said shakily. “Just keep in mind that Equisians don’t like to be interrupted, alright!?” Her eyes softened up, almost begging for me to egg her on again, but I held back on the account that she was looking at me like a seriously psychotic pedophile would an unwatched orphanage.

Gulping at the cracked-up expression upon her face, I held my hands up in a placating manner and nodded. The ball was still in my court in terms of freedom from blame, and I plan to milk it for all its worth in due time. Preferably, when amidst an obscenely large amount of people. I can only imagine how fucking embarrassed Sunset Shimmer would be!

“Well if that’s squared away,” Sunset spoke calmly, “I can assume now that you’re not dangerous, as you are sapient and just a little misguided on how to conduct yourself. Which means...” Sunset trailed off as she turned around. My nose was instantaneously assaulted with the force of a million mangos and strawberries, causing me to sneeze and stumbles backwards while slapping a claw over my nose to protect it from the stench.

“Ja~ck! Ja~ck! It’s okay, he’s not a predator; just a blundering idiot,” Sunset called out, facing where the mini minotaur had run off to. I sent a glare to the back of her head, praying that Draconians had heat vision like Superman minutely. I was ultimately disappointed when nothing happened after two seconds of intense glaring, but at least this body isn’t overkill; that could make any future engagements unbearably boring.

The sound of tiny hooves- well tinier hooves -slapped upon the ground as the boy from earlier came out of the shrubs. He ran as fast as cloven-hooved bipedal children could, right until he could get underneath Sunset’s legs and cower behind them while looking up at me.

I gave him a wide smile, showcasing all my teeth.

“Heh, he looks so squishy,” I mewed as Sunset turned around to glare at me; moving her foreleg back to distance Jack from me. This caused me to look at her with short frown. “I’m just a blundering idiot, remember!? Just what the hell do you want me to do, Sunset!? I can’t smile; I can’t compliment people without causing some sort of offense... I might as well leave!” I tossed my claws up in pseudo-frustration, then crossed them as I closed my eyes in mock offense.

I heard a short sigh of exasperation not a second later. “... I’m sorry for that. You scared him, and I thought you were being a jerk.” Sunset sounded really sorry for her actions, making me crack open an eye and look down at her. It took everything I had not to laugh out loud, and I’m pretty sure Jack saw my struggle because he was glaring at me now.

“Apology accepted, Sunset. You don’t have to lower your head when apologizing; it’s not like I’m royalty or anything. Even then, I don’t really believe in titles and whatnot, since ‘higher powers’ are just like us anyway.” On the inside, I was fucking losing it. I knew this assholery could not go on forever without my intentions being let out.

Sunset gave a breath of relief before smiling at me again. “I’m glad! It was never my intention to offend you, as I’m sure it wasn’t yours to offend us!”

“Keep telling yourself that, you Heinz mascot.” Smiling at my thought, I looked up at the branch where Altaria was happily preening herself. I gave a short whistle to grab her attention, making the massive blackbird stop mid-peck and look at me with a tilted head.

“Get on my shoulder, we’re going back to the ship,” I ordered, seeing this train of fun in regards to messing with Sunset running out of coal. Altaria shrugged her shoulders again before swooping down to my left shoulder, which has obviously become her new ‘spot’ when traveling with me.

A sharp gasp made me halt in walking back into the woods.

“That... that bird! It’s a Bullivian Gigantacles! It’s... it’s one of the rarest birds on Bullivian soil! How did you tame one so quickly!?” Sunset’s voice was the definition of awe as I heard a jingle and pop, like the one Luna had done when entering and exiting my Station. Piecing two and two together was not difficult; she had teleported. And as if on cue, she reappeared in front of me with a light-blue pop of magic.

“She’s not going to leave me alone until I answer, right?”

“And I’m not going to move unless you answer me right now,” Sunset finished with a cocky grin.

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms. “I tamed her by-”

My head jostled to the right as pain arched through my left cheek, a fierce squawk of irritation revealing the culprit behind my new pain.

Grunting in annoyance, I glared at Altaria; an action she returned all too happily. “I befriended her by coincidence. She just flew onto a tree next to my ship, I saw her and interacted; whip, bang, boom, hamburger time.” I shrugged my shoulders and walked past Sunset Shimmer, heading into the forest without a care for how she took my half-assed story.

“W-wait! Jack, go back to Stonehaven for me. Quick! Hold on a blasted second, Silas!” The sound of a speedwalk made me roll my eyes as I stopped, Altaria offering her condolences by patting my shoulder with a talon. Don’t ask me how that’s possible, she just did it. Once again, this world is something else.

Those hurrying hooves of haste stilled themselves when Sunset finally caught up, walking to my left as I continued my way back to Judgement. “You said ‘the ship’, meaning there’s an actual spaceship around here! I want to see it!” Her voice took on the excited one she had when first meeting me’ a clear sign that she’s let all I did so far go.

“Yeah, there is. It’s called Judgement, and it doubles as my base of operations for the time being,” I explained as I passed through the middle of the ‘X’-shaped trees from earlier. I got somewhat annoyed when Altaria hopped aboard my head to avoid being plastered into the trees, but it blew over when she got off and back on my shoulder.

“Oooh, you have to let me see it! Please! I’ll even show you my house once we’re done!” Sunset came up just enough to place her face in my peripheral vision, baiting me in looking out the corner of my eye at her.

“As lovely as your house may be, Sunset; I’m afraid there isn’t a pad on this planet that could outshine an alien spaceship. Although, the prospect of being welcomed into the home of one who’s of the other sex; well, that’s a different matter, and one no sane man should turn down if he’s worth his salt!” I gave a brief chuckle as Sunset did a dry spit take, stuttering over her words for a little bit and then deciding to just resign herself to a simple sigh of frustration.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that, brute,” Sunset snapped, making me chuckle as the white hull of Judgement came into view for the second time today. “Besides; I’m not the type of mare who operates in such a deplorable manner! I may have an affinity for the exotic, but I safely base that off my ever-expanding curiosity to finding new life out in the stars!”

It was now my turn to do a dry spit take. “What d-did you say!? An affinity for the exotic; as in aliens like me!?”

Sunset tripped over her hooves and fell onto her face with a startled yell. Apparently, she didn’t realize her mouth betrayed what’s possibly one of her most darkest secrets so early. We both stopped walking and slowly turned our heads to look at each other; our faces making disbelief an insufficient word for description.

Something gulped, which I mentally checked to not be me, but Altaria as she flew off. I should have known right then and there that some shit was about to go down, but it wasn’t until I was being held by the neck magically against a tree that the realization sunk in.

I had just unearthed a woman’s darkest secret without her permission. “God help my soul!” I thought frantically as Sunset’s blush threatened her face with thermonuclear warfare.

“ I demand compensation! You are going to tell me a dark secret of yours or die; the choice is left to you, Silas Epista,” Sunset roared, adding more force to whatever magical band she had around my neck. I gagged audibly, spitting a little bit into the air and wincing when it came back down onto my face. “And it better be equal to mine, or so help me!”

“Okay! Okay,” I choked out, my voice scratchy enough to replace the roll of Smeagol from the Lord of the Rings. The pressure eased off, making me inhale greatly. “Commando! I SLEEP IN THE BUFF! THERE, I SAID IT!”

There was a pause all throughout the forest, making me shut my eyes and fight against the blush of embarrassment clawing at my face. Sunset raised her eyebrow while looking at me in angry shock, as if asking with her face, “Did you HONESTLY think I would like that!?”

My eyeballs nearly popped out from the force she added back on, making me claw at my neck like a cat about to sliding off a counter. Every gag that happened forced gave the band of magic around my neck a little more leeway into my scales; furthering the effects of her stranglehold.

“GET SERIOUS! Everyone sleeps in the nude, you ass! A real secret, NOW,” She roared with the force of a volcanic eruption, dropping the pressure again as I wheezed and inhaled deeply.

“A secret I would never tell anyone... what could there be!? Wait... “ My mind wandered into dangerous territory. “No! I can’t tell her that! She’ll look at me like I’m some kind of freak! But if I don’t say something potentially life-scaring, my ass is grass!”

Sunset grinded her teeth together audibly, the sound of stone scraping against itself reverberating about the brambles and leaves. “ONE!”

I went wide eyed.

“TWO,” She continued loudly, causing me to cry out for her to stop.

“... I’M A FURRY! I HAVE A THING FOR FUR-COVERED PERSONAS THAT ACT LIKE HUMANS! THERE; MY DEEPEST, DARKEST SECRET IS YOURS!” At the end of my shouting match with the heavens, I hung my head in defeat. The blush from before might as well stay as a tattoo, because I fear any sense of normalcy between this mare and I was just shouted away.

“... What,” Sunset asked breathlessly. “What are you on about? What the hell’s a ‘human’ and a ‘furry’,” She inquired with genuine confusion as I was dropped from the tree, her hold leaving my neck. I fell onto my knees and coughed a lung up. “You better not be yanking my chain again, Silas! Don’t think you’re too good for that tree!”

“Give me... haah... some time... please. Ten seconds... *cough*... at most.” I continued my endeavors in regulating my breathing, inhaling slowly even though it hurt to do so. My chest felt like the aftermath of lying underneath a Bull Parade in a Latin country. And apparently, my would-be murderer was patient as well; granting me what I wanted.

Giving one or two more coughs, I prepared myself for the hardest speech I’d have to give probably. “I may look like a dragon. but in reality, I’m a human. This isn’t even my real body. I was taken from my world and placed above this one, on a space station that’s probably decommissioned right now.”

“So what you’re saying is that you’re an alien within an alien’s body? How is that even possible?” The sound of shifting body was heard, making me look up at Sunset as she sat down. Once again, I had to use this situation to make an obvious joke.

“It’s magic; I ain’t gotta explain shit. Just know that it wasn’t by my han-,” I frowned, “claw that it ended up this way.”

“Magic isn’t that complicated; you’re just daft. Double that fact if you think I’m ignorant enough to believe your fantasy story true. What is a human, and what is furry? I don’t believe I asked you about your backstory,” Sunset tilted my head up with hoof, making me look her in the eye. “Of course, I could always go back to being Bad Cop; if that’s what you want~...”

“No. Please no. I’d rather have my... you know what, nevermind; that was gonna be too suggestive. But yeah, you get the picture. Let me get up and I’ll have no problem with telling you the rest of my tale,” I said wearily, using my arms to raise myself-

“Sit down.” I felt a feeling of weightlessness before my arms gave out. “I’m not letting you do anything until this is over, Silas. Keep going,” Sunset ordered, making me huff in exasperation. Being reintroduced to the ground didn’t hurt, but it was something I didn’t enjoy to be sure.

“Humans are Planet Earth’s prime example of evolutionary success. Many of my kind believe we evolved from primates, other’s believe us to be the works of higher powers. All that is irrelevant, in case that’s information you actually value...,” I trailed off askingly.

“So the founding of your race is subjective, big whoop de doo; now where are the good parts? You know, the actual descriptions,” Sunset sassed, making me roll my eyes as I stared up at her.

“Being rude will get you nowhere, madame.”

“But threat’s of asphyxiation will, I’m afraid,” She returned equally, making me huff again.

“We’re basically furless. bipedal monkeys with the average male standing around six feet high. Our skin colors are variants of brown and white. Over the course of cultivation, we’ve covered the entirety of our planet, and are almost always at war with each other. We are a species trapped in the grey area in terms of morality, as everyone always has a different take on what’s evil or good. Religion dictates more things than it should, making small issues bigger based on the beliefs of different cultures...” I paused, looking at Sunset for approval.

“And the furries? What of them?” Her face reminded me of a stern librarian, who enjoys slapping a wooden meter stick in front of people’s heads when she comes across them sleeping with their faces down in a book.

“It is considered taboo to have relations with animals. However, if it is sapient, and shares the characteristics of homosapiens; then it should be alright. That’s the Harkness Test; developed by a fictitious man from a show about a time traveller. This man; Jack Harkness, laid with a great many aliens in his lifetime; living by what I told you earlier. Furries apply this idiom to fursonnas; avatars on the internet made to resemble certain types of animals, but share the same attributes as a regular human,” I explained, the blush on my face moving on to conquer the land of my ears.

“You still haven’t told me what these furries do, Silas, or why it’s so bad.”

I sucked in a big breath of air. There it was; the backbreaking question I had been fearing this whole time.

“Well? I’m waiting.” Sunset began tapping her hoof slowly, making me gulp.

“We do a lot: art, music, animation, movies; I sing myself, just to let you know. But there is a... um... darker aspect to us that’s basically there for anyone to see,” I said tentatively, like my words were switches that could trigger World War Three if I’m not careful with them.

“You already know what I want,” Sunset stated, making me give a whine.

“Do I have to? Honestly?” I moved my claws so that they grabbed fistfulls of my mane, which I then proceeded to throw over my face in shame.

“It’s only fair~,” Sunset teased with a giggle. A sinister giggle. The type of giggle they throw the mentally insane inside asylums for. The same giggle that will forever haunt to me to this day as the giggle Sunset made when she found out that I-

“Smut. There’s a lot of smut,” I finished lamely.

“And that is...?”

I groaned in pain; the pain of having my pride eviscerated by the curiousness of a small unicorn that resembles the inside of ketchup and mustard packets. That very same unicorn that probably bleeds pixie jizz and shits rainbows after eating a bowl of “magical oats” for breakfast, lunch, and din-din.

“... Porn. There’s a lot of furry porn.”

Quiet.

That was honestly the worst part of this ordeal; the silence. I knew she was looking at me like a parent that just walked in on their child polishing his helmet for the first time. And then if you take that face, imagine how far south it could go after the kid “finishes up” on his parent by accident, then plaster it onto Sunset’s, well; you could probably imagine anything you fucking sicko.

“There’s porn of sapient creatures that are furry where you come from; and it’s also taboo,” Sunset asked warily, making me huff again.

“Just kill me now. I don’t care how it gets done universe; fucking off me right this second!” I paused. “... Yes.”

“So let’s say in the off chance that there’s furry porn about someone that resembles me; would you find it attractive?” Sunset’s voice was accusatory, like an executioner asking a criminal to identify if his charges are correct.

There was never a moment in my life where I wished myself to die. This moment marked the turning point of my clean slate towards suicidal wishes and thoughts. “...Yes,” I answered like a nerd does his bully.

Quiet again. I couldn’t see anything because of my mane, which I then brushed to the side carefully.

There she was, staring at me. Her face completely reddened from my admittance to my shame. I knew for a fact that any chance at placidity between the two of us was just extinguished, replaced only by the flames of embarrassment and regret. At least, on my part.

Her head became a whirlwind of motion as she shook it back and forth quickly. Stopping herself just shy of another shake, Sunset Shimmer looked back down at me with widened eyes and a face of disbelief. “You did not just say that too me,” she stated quietly.

“This was all a giant mistake! It’s not even my fault! Please don’t kill me!” She continued her staring, head resembling a giant cherry because of that full-faced flush of the cheeks.

“I... I don’t even know how to take that...” Sunset trailed off, turning her head to the side. “If I was any other mare; your genitals would be pretty much non-existent. She would’ve turned them into a carrot and apples or something of the like, but - I could tell you weren’t lying.”

“Uh-”

“Just don’t put me through that type of situation again, alright!? I don’t like harming others with my magic if I can help it. You forced my horn!” Sunset turned her head away after that with a strong huff of her own, continuing her trot into the woods towards my ship.

“Put you through,” I yelled incredulously, springing to my feet and taking off after her. “You’r the one who asked, shortstack!” She whirled on me, giving me a good glare. I returned it in spades, of course.

And we sat there, in the middle of a forest; a dragon and a unicorn, glaring at one another.

Sunset’s blush had gone away, but it came back full force when she made a face like she remembered something important. “Just shut up already! I want to at least get your tour of my own home done by nightfall! Hurry up!” She took off in a gallop down the path, making me roll my eyes and run after her.

If this was how our engagements were gonna go from now on; I’d take the solitude of my ship any day.

Sunset and Silas: Part 1 [Rewritten]

View Online

I'm so hungy; I could eat a Hor.... whore's fetus! Yep, a whore's fetus!

“There,” I announced with a frown, holding a claw out to indicate Judgement as we entered the clearing. Sunset was giddy from the hooves up as she zoomed up and all around my ship, touching every surface with reckless abandon. The glass marking the window for my ship was heavily violated by her face. “Welcome to your first experience with an alien space ship. Please keep all parts of your body away from the space-faring method of transportation.”

Her face peeled off my windshield with the sound of peeling velcro, making me wince at the sheer cartoonish quality this world had. “Are you kidding me!? This is the best day of my life! Not only did I get to meet an alien, but now I’m in the presence of what could possibly be the biggest scientific breakthrough ever! I have spent my entire life awaiting a day like this; so if you think I’m going to move from this magnificent specimen of advance technology, then you have another thing-”

“Prepare to activate defense turrets...” I sighed out, watching as Sunset’s eyes bugged out as she teleported off the front end of my ship. There was another popping sound next to me, displaying and projecting her arrival with a bright flash of white.

“That was horribly rude! I hope you realize my life could have ended right there!,” Sunset snapped as she poked me in my hip with her horn.

“Ow! Stop that! Bah,” I barked, quite fed up with her actions as I gripped her horn with my claw. “Calm down, Sunset Satan! You wanna enter my ship or not!?” I showcased most of my teeth as I snarled at her. Many people would’ve eaten her by now, or told her to fuck off at least. “The same could be said about myself, but come on; who want’s to hear anything about little ol’ me anyway, right? It’s not like I wasn’t an unbearable ass back there.”

“Please and thank you,” Sunset asked with a sheepish grin. I sighed in exasperation and released her horn.

“Siri, I’m home. It’s been a long two hours or so, huh,” I asked rhetorically as the little pink hologram floated out from my left eye. She was digging up her nostril with a finger while wearing a bored expression, flicking hologram booger-dust into the air after a moment of excavation.

“Oh goody; we’re finally back at Judgement. The best part about our little adventure was finding that blasted bird. What did you name her again... nah, don’t tell me. I’ll just check your memory banks with the Sirios Unit while you sleep tonight.” Siri was now doing a lazy backstroke through the air, circling my head slowly but surely as I followed her with my eyes.

“Cease your shenanigans and open the door, please. It’s been a long day.” I crossed my arms as I waited for a witty response; the kind Siri is wont to give when asked anything by me.

“It’s sensor-activated, dickhead. I don’t have to open it, so there!” She stuck her tongue out at me, earning herself a sigh from my mouth as I opened it wide just as she came around again. Snapping it closed around her tiny frame was easy to say the least, and it’s intended effects were immediate. “Gah! Open your mout- HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU’RE PUTTING THAT THING!”

I slammed her against the side of my cheek with my tongue, then used the tip to tickle her. “Hey! Hahahah! Knock it- pffft- knock it off!” Many more sentences like this came out from between my lips as I continued my assault undeterred.

That is, until I was blasted in the gut with some heavy and fast; which caused me to spit out my captive and double over. I fell to my knees, gasping for air as I looked up at my would-be assaulter.

“She is a construct of advanced technology; a sapient piece of equipment! She is not a toy to be played with, but an integral part to your survival. Start treating her like it, Silas!” Sunset loomed over me again, but I had just enough of her aggression streak. “Furthermore, I should tell you tha- EEP!”

I yanked her down by her front legs, shooting around to her side all the while. Pushing my weight against her side, the pony had no choice but to fall over into the dirt as I pinned her down. She was on her side, staring up at me with wide eyes as I smiled smugly at her.

“Rawr, goes the hungry dragon~,” I mocked with a chuckle, biting her ear for good measure before picking myself up and dusting off. Dirt from this planet made it a habitual thing to stick to any surface it could, apparently. Makes me wonder how Sunset Shimmer looks so flawless as her horn gathers blue energy like that.

Wait.

I didn’t even have time to react. That ray winded me as I was sent flying back, landing on my back roughly and skidding a couple of feet. A pathetic groan left my mouth as tiny purple dragons with gold horns flew around my head, a yellow light flanking the images as they did so.

Sunset’s face came into view not even two seconds later, smiling down at me as she inspected her hoof cockily. “I think that oughta teach you who has the biggest horn here, no? Hehe, I still got it!”

And that was as far as she got before my legs wrapped around her midsection and shoved her towards me. I caught her horn with my claw and opened my maw wide, showcasing all my teeth for her eyes to see as I held her head up by her horn. I felt her shiver from the neck down, completely transfixed on the inside of my gaping maw.

Sweat formed on her brow as the moment dragged on, and I had to try with all my fucking might not to start dying of laughter on the spot. “Silas...? You can stop now; I’m getting kinda scared...” Sunset mewled, completely fear-locked in place.

Smiling somehow, I slowly eased my tongue out and let it flop on her snout. With a wet smack, I knew the saliva-drenched appendage had found its mark. Another shiver was my reward, which also prompted me to start moving my tongue around her face. It brushed against her cheeks, the corners of her mouth, and the space between her eyes before I retracted it slowly.

“What’s wrong, buttercup? Can’t use your magic while my claws holding your horn?” My voice was laced with mockery as I held her head up more, exposing her neck to me.

“Haven’t you had your fun, jerk? Let me go!” Sunset started making grunts and huffs of effort as she tried getting away, but I felt as though proper payback hasn’t been dealt. So, I bent forwards and bit her neck.

“No! Not there- Ah!”

I paused for a moment, looking up at her face as it exploded into a million shades of red at once.

“Y-you’re so dead for this! If I could just- AH! Don’t move your tongue, idiot,” She roared, trying her best to look angry but failing miserably. I disengaged my mouth quickly, looking at her with a raised brow.

“The neck? That’s one of your erogenous zones,” I asked with a smug smile. She shifted her eyes away from mine as a response, giving a sharp huff as well. “I believe I asked you a question~...”

“Yeah, it’s not like I’m here or anything. Quite done with your baby momma, lover boy?” I stiffened up and quickly pulled myself away from Sunset, scrambling to my feet while making my way over to Judgement as if that whole situation didn’t just happen.

“Hey, Romeo; you’re forgetting your main squeeze! You can’t just leave a flustered and embarrassed damsel in the middle of the woods; that’s how witches are made,” Siri continued. As I reached the door to Judgement, I quickly found out that it was locked. Another action I deduced to be the work of one small and pink annoyance. “Yep, us girls gotta stick together! So how about a little game~?”

I slowly turned my head around to see Sunset Shimmer standing up with her legs spread out by inches, taking up a defensive stance. Her head was lowered, and her mane only served to block off her eyes even more than the shading around them.

“On the count of whenever-the-fuck-I-feel-like-it, I’m going to sick my new friend on you. Of course, I’ll also be opening the door to Judgement. So here are your options, Champ,” Siri enthused with a sick smile on her face. “You can either sit there and take whatever means of revenge Sunset has in store for you; or you can run and have the same thing happen. I should warn you though; picking the second option could come back to haunt you~,” She singsonged, floating down to pet Sunset on the head.

I nearly screamed like a little girl when the touch caused her head to snap up with the sound of all her spinal disks breaking at once. She was expelling white clouds of mist from her nose like a cartoon bull, and her light-blue eyes were almost feral in appearance as she scraped the ground with a hoof.

“One... Two... wait,” Siri stopped, causing my heart to nearly leap out of my anus and make a run for it. That same sick smile of hers got even more nauseating as she glared at me. “A riddle, before you perish at the hands of an overly-embarrassed mare~! ‘I run on coal, and my path is always straight. Try to stop me, only to find no brakes.’ What am I?”

I froze up. If I answered this correctly, chances are, she’d let me go. I can’t afford to mess. This. Up.

“Uhhh.... a train! That’s it! Woo! In your face, robot!” I danced a little dance at my success. The answer was so obvious, it’d be stupid to think it as anything else. No other machine that I know of still runs on coal to this day and age!

“Not a bad guess.” I stopped my cabbage-patch prematurely. My eyes slowly traveled back over to Siri as she held a pink claw up to her mouth in order to conceal a snicker. “You said train, but trains have breaks, dumbass. There is one type of train, however, that doesn’t need them~~!” I gulped and placed my back against the door of Judgement.

“A-and what kind of t-train is that,” I asked with a little bit of fear as Siri placed her middle finger and thumb together. My eyes never left the hologram as she spoke the words that sealed my fate to the hooves of an angry mare.

“I believe you’ll make the connection after she gets ahold of you... CHAMP!” Her fingers snapped apart, and that’s all it took for Sunset to charge me with a roar of rage. I turned around and started to beat on Judgement’s door, but it wouldn’t open for me no matter how hard I hit it. I even tried sliding my fingers underneath and lifting, but there was no luck in my endeavors to escape.

By this time, I realized that any attempt at actually running away was pointless; for most of my time was spent up in trying to get the fucking door to open. But alas; some of us are doomed not only to the short end of the stick, but it also happens to have rose vines around it.

The door opened at long last, and just as I got a foot in I was hit by Sunset in the back her shoulder; which sent us both into the confines of my ship quickly. I heard the door shut behind me and the faded voice of Siri through it as Sunset hovered over my face so that our mouths barely touched each other’s.

“Remember to play nice, kiddies! I’m just gonna be watching and recording from the ceiling~!”

Sunset lowered her muzzled near my ear as she breathed out, “It’s my turn...”

My thumb never relaxed me so well in my life as I sucked on it from the safety of my corner; Sunset digging holes through my will with her ice-cold gaze from my chair. “Did we learn our lesson?”

I clapped twice on reflex, just like she had taught me to do while my spine played whack-a-mole with my femurs. The pain was unbearable, and got her the results she wanted almost instantly. I had no idea the Draconian body was so flexible.

“Good boy. Now who am I?” She raised her eyebrow after that. I froze up, not really wanting to call her such a demeaning name. Sensing my apprehension to her demand, Sunset ignited her horn again; making me cry out in fear while rocking back and forth.

“It’s-gonna-be-fine-It’s-gonna-be-fine...” I repeated the mantra I had taught myself during my minutes-long torture session.

“Say it,” She hissed.

I stopped moving. “... Mama Shimmy.”

Sunset smiled warmly, jumping off my chair and then making her way over to me. I shrunk back further into my corner as she approached, letting out a whine of fear as her muzzle brushed the side of my head. “And who are you, hmmm?”

“S... S...” I struggled, my pride as a man barely hanging on.

“Don’t make me do this again, Silas! Who. Are. You?”

“.... Shitface McButtsniffer! I’m sorry!”

“He won’t be back until the night has fallen, Siri. Enjoy the rest of your day,” Sunset yelled back at Judgement as she dragged me with her magic by my mane. I was sitting in the dirt again with my arms crossed, allowing myself to be dragged along. At any given time, I could easily flip the tables now that Siri isn’t here to interrupt us, but I don’t want to right now.

“Not after all that shit I went through to finally get this day rolling again, no sirree Bob!” For all her threatening and bending, Sunset was actually pretty laidback. She seems to have mellowed out some after I showed her the Command Bridge and shit. Even so, I’m just going to go ahead and call this little game of ‘Dominance’ a thing now; putting us as even should be alright as well.

“She won’t be so gung-ho when I figure out how to use magic! Actually, screw magic; I just wanna learn about the Hearth’s Fire! Magic sounds way too OP in terms of combat, and mages- unless defense-based -have jaws of glass!” I cleared my throat in approaching annoyance, getting the train of indifference known as Sunset Shimmer to pull on the brakes.

“I have two legs, y’know; there’s nothing wrong with them either. Pretty sure I’m capable of walking now,” I said with an exhale of boredom. Sunset looked over her shoulder, giving me an analytical eye of askance.

“And you won’t run off? Excuse me if I see that as false, Silas; you’re too much of a loose cannon and have a knack for doing the unexpected. This is a precautionary method of travel, you see.” Sunset gave me a small smile of victory, which I returned with a roll of my eyes.

“Loose cannon? Knack? You just met me today, woman! How do you know my mannerisms!? Maybe I just choose to mess with you because you’re the first person I’ve met; couldn’t that be a possibility,” I asked in half-irritation, the other half coming from... something else I’m having trouble in describing. It’s that feeling you get when you’re fed-up at something, but don’t really care at the same time, I think.

Sunset sucked in a large breath of air. “So if it wasn’t me that met you first; you would’ve acted differently towards me?” Her question was made in a way that indicated a subtle meaning to it.

“What,” I responded in disbelief. “Of course I wouldn’t! You’re the only person on this planet I met; and so far, the only one that didn’t label me as a freak! I’m acting this way around you, because unlike some others I may run into; you’ve shown me that not everyone out there falls within the parameter of fearing the unknown! You’re my...” I trailed off, putting a claw to my chin in order to help ponder what Sunset Shimmer is to me.

“Friend would be a little forward, and she might not like that brash a term so early. Ahhh! But calling her an acquaintance would be just as rough, because I’ve already done things to her that a normal acquaintance should never experience!” I closed my eyes and thought harder, almost feeling my temples whistle out in harm as I did.

Sunset turned her whole body, using her horn to turn mine around as well. Her eyes were narrowed down into ravines of challenge, peering through my weak and shameful sheepish smile. “Well come on; don’t keep a lady waiting now.” She seemed to be almost jubilant in tone, but her face spun a different campfire fable altogether. How she was able to be so seamlessly two-faced frightened me somewhat.

Now that I had not the comfort of having my face unsupervised, this made the delivery of my next few words all the more awkward. “... I guess... you’re a friend?”

“There! I said it! If she takes this negatively, I’ll have enough spaghetti out of us to open an italian restaurant! And why did I say ‘friend’ in the first place!? If anything, we’re rivals in our little game of dominance! I know nothing about her; nothing,” I inwardly panicked while keeping the same sheepish smile aimed at her.

Her left eye twitched somewhat while I noticed a faint pink underneath her left ear. I don’t know what it could have been, but it became the center of my attention; which means it should work in a way that she won’t notice I’m avoiding eye-to-eye contact. “And why is that? Excluding what you said earlier; how have you come to the decision that you want my camaraderie?” She phrased this question like the ones on Judgement; that I had no choice but to answer them.

“... You’re not boring and you smell nice?” I winced when her head jerked back, knowing I had fucked up. Sunset lowered her head back down to my face after a couple of seconds, staring me dead in the eyeball with a face so angry, she could melt the soul of Satan himself.

“What did I say about the smell thing, Silas,” She warned.

“Well I tried to ignore it! Honest! It just got stronger when you were dragging me so close to your-”

There has been many times where I was sent airborne. Once, I was rear-ended by an angry motorist back in my hometown of Chester. The hit was hard enough to catapult me off my Mongoose, and send me into the highway underneath an SUV and a Mack truck. Thankfully, I had the common sense to lie flat on the ground until the vehicles passed by.

I beat the living shit out of the guy that rear-ended me that day when he came over to check on me. The act was made funnier by the fact that his little twerps were in the back of his van, bawling their eyes out as I beat him senseless for almost killing me.

But here? Right now? This shit was scary.

Not only was Sunset holding me suspended in the air with magic; she had the nerve to do it so that I was upside down. And it wasn’t like I was only five or so feet in the air either; I was above the fucking treeline!

“STOP! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN,” I yelled out in panic, swinging my arms to an fro. Sunset saw fit to let out a girly shriek and shake me up and down.

“What is wrong with you!? Do the men on Earth find a situation like this funny or something!? How could you even try to say that, idiot!? I should drop you right here!” Sunset was shaking her head back and forth quickly, which caused me to shake back and forth as well. Couple that fact with the knowledge of being suspended at least forty feet in the air...

“I’M SORRY AGAIN! I’M SORRY AGAIN! PLEASE PUT ME DOWN! I WON’T TALK ABOUT YOUR FRUITY FARTS AGAIN; I SWEAR!” In the midst of my horrified screaming, my shaking-about session stopped. My breathing slowly started to regulate as I was lowered ever-so-slowly to the ground.

Seeing my earthen salvation close at hand- er- claw; I reached just that appendage out as the last couple of feet remained of my descent. However, I was not expecting to suddenly impact the ground at a fast enough speed to not be caused by a sudden drop. It was then that I figured out what happened.

Slowly peeling my face off the ground, spitting dirt and debris out all the while; I peered up at the mare responsible for my mud facial. “Owwwww...” I shouted angrily, right before I was hoisted back up into the air and slammed back down.

“Stupid! Idiot! Just! Die! Already,” Sunset commanded in parts, each word signalling another slam in the ground. It hurt to have my snout hit so much, but the pain wasn’t enough to be life-threatening. There was no doubt that I was going to be sore later, though.

It took two more slams before she deemed her message as accepted, and in those two slams; I found myself groaning in pain. My snout felt like someone decided to build a replica of a hammer inside it. “Ow~,” I whined. “What the fu~ck!? I know the exclamation was childish, but damn it all, Shimmer! You didn’t have to blow your stack!” I shook my head rapidly, ejecting some straggling pieces of dirt, twigs, and leaves.

Sunset pressed her snout into mine, making me wince as she glared. “You understand nothing! Drop the smell thing at once, or SO help me Celestia; I will toss you into the stratosphere, idiot!” Her breaths were hard, like the muscles of a bodybuilder as he flexed for the interested eyes of his peers inside the gym.

I gave her another sheepish grin. “Consider it dropped? Any way you’ll forgive me?” Sunset flinched back at my question, adopting a face of disgust as she pointed at something near my mouth.

“You have a worm between your teeth. Do something about it, please,” Sunset said in repulsion, before her face went even further south into nausea as I began chewing. “EUGH! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?” Before she could say anything else, I swallowed the chicken-tasting bug.

Both her hooves went to her mouth as her cheeks adopted a green tone to them. She retched once or twice, making her way over to some nearby shrubs. Sunset proceeded to empty everything but her pelvis into the bushes, making me smile in victory as I held out my tongue and lifted it up.

Silently, I took my claw and scraped out the still-alive worm; placing it back into the me-shaped crater Sunset made and then standing up while dusting myself clean. In between each bout of regurgitation, Sunset would give a moan of discomfort.

I walked over to her upchucking form, rubbing her back smoothly as she continued unhindered. This went on for another minute or so, leaving me completely bored by the time she finished up. “That was... haah... revolting,” Sunset spat into the bush, before looking back at me with a scowl. “Why do I put up with you? Really; you are disgusting, tactless, and an ass.”

“You’re flattering me, miss,” I snarked with a smug smile, placing a finger on her horn and prodding the tip. “You should really learn how to unwind sometime; it’ll help relieve stress.” I kept rocking her head back and forth by pushing on her horn, causing the mare to lock up and freeze.

The blush came back full force, as did her loss of breath. “Stop that, please!” Sunset moved her head away before I could try to do it harder, just to spite her. “We’re near my home, you smell like a barnyard, and I’m hungry. Save the stupid antics for when we’re inside, hmm?” Rolling her eyes, Sunset Shimmer moved out of my touching range and started back down the ‘path’ to her house.

I chuckled to myself and followed after her; my scaled-feet thumping upon the soft earth loudly as her hooves clopped softly. My gait was a little awkward, as I was still disoriented from her little slamming streak. The area on the outskirts of my vision were blurred still, causing me to shake my head about in order to clear it up.

“Again; what are you doing,” Sunset asked in weariness as we cleared some shrubs and stepped out into another clearing. I didn’t answer her, for my eyes fell upon a scene that should’ve been reserved for a Disney Princess.

Wildflowers of dark colors offered praises towards the evening sun as we stepped onto a dirt path, leading up to a set of three wooden steps. These same steps led onto the long porch of a log cabin, made from some type of dark-brown wood. The house itself was rather tall for her, sitting at ten feet almost. Four windows carved into the otherwise solid frame gave the wooden construction a means of sight.

It reminded me of my father’s feed trailer in the countryside.

“Not bad, Sunset,” I said appreciatively of her house, our separate bodies making their ways up the steps and onto the porch. The mare in question opened her front door with magic... which seemed to be the only way considering the lack of a handle or knob thereof. “You built all this yourself?”

“No,” she responded simply. “I enlisted the help of Jack’s- the minotaur you saw earlier? - father, who happens to own the largest lumber farm corporation in Bullivia.” Sunset turned off to the right, drawing my attention as she stepped to the side of a round counter made of the same dark-brown wood of her house, only polished up to give it a shiny appearance.

This counter gave way to an onslaught of tan tile, which looked surprisingly well-mopped from my vantage point. A series of brown cabinets were bolted down pretty sneakily to her ceiling, providing a type of rural kitchen area. The brown table in the middle of the room and the black refrigerator near the back completed the trailer-like appearance of her house’s interior.

“Yeah,” I asked, my curiosity mildly drawn. “And what’s his name?” My eyes fell upon her living room area, which had tan carpet like her kitchen had tan tiles; where another dark-brown table was the dominant focus. What she calls a living room table; I could call a footstool, however.

The sound of dishes being drawn out and such racket filled the air, making me remember the time I was bumbling around with grabbing kitchenware for guests during my school’s homecoming. “Lumber. Make yourself at home, but don’t get too comfortable. There’s a bath in your future, mister!”

Frowning at the way she addressed me as a child, I pulled off my jacket and hung it up on the coat-stand next to the door, which had multiple arms like a freakish, gold-colored cactus. The article of outerwear draped itself over the first rung lazily, almost sighing into its embrace as my eyes traveled down to my pants.

“I don’t remember them being this dirty. Ah, but dare I take them off!? Sure, it’s not like my dick’ll just hang out, but it’s the thought that counts! But then again, she walks around in the buff with not but a single tail to keep herself decent!” This new line of thinking caused me to blush. “It’d be rude to sit on her furniture while dirty, but it’ll be perverted to strip down inside a woman’s house without her permission! This isn’t some wacky-ass anime; this is real life!”

“Hey,” Sunset called out worriedly, making me jump with a quiet yell of surprise. “I hope you weren’t thinking about sitting on my recently cleaned couches with them dirty pants! Just what kind of house do you think I run? Take them off.” She raised a hoof and pointed at my last line of moral defense.

“.... But then I’ll be naked,” I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world; as if she was not only insulting my intelligence, but her’s as well. “A man would be naked in your home. Granted, it would be because you gave permission, but still...”

“Take. It. Off.” Sunset glared at me far harder than I would’ve like, but i complied nonetheless. The pants came off easy enough, seeing as how I was getting used to my new pair of legs quickly. I slung my pants over my jacket, holding Zaelstrom with its sheath inside my right hand. The other was over my crotch, just to let you know.

Sunset, for the most part as she walked out from around the counter, gave me a raised eyebrow. “I’m naked too, you know,” She sassed, rolling her eyes and sitting down upon a dark-brown love seat made out of what appeared to be leather. A tray with two teacups, a kettle, and some rice crackers on top of a white doily floated down onto the table with the aid of her light-blue magic.

“Yeah, but it’s diff- Aaa screw it!” I gave up in trying to convince her otherwise, setting Zaelstrom down by the door and making my way over to the long couch next to her love seat. Sitting down while offering a pleased sigh at the pleasant textures of both soft carpet and sofa. “Now this feels good, Shimms’,” I sighed, relaxing even more as the smell of green tea wafted into my nose.

I then sighed deeply as the doily from the tray hit me in the face. “I thought I said not to get comfortable, Silas,” Sunset remarked snootily as I shoved the offending piece of smooth cloth from my face. “What is your real name, by the way? Silas sounds too refined for someone of your... out-there nature.”

Frowning at basically being called a ruffian, I sat up and pinched the bridge of my snout. “Since you’ve let me inside your house, and have done things to me that shouldn’t be allowed to leave the sanctity of our minds and mouths; I guess there’s no harm in telling you. Justin is my name; please don’t tell anyone else, since I don’t know anyone else.” It was here that a big stretch came over my body once more, making me flex every muscle in my upper torso mightily.

“So tell me about yourself,” I sighed, coming off of my stretching-induced high. Looking down at Sunset, I immediately took notice of her blushing face; which she quickly turned to the side and inhaled a large amount of tea into her mouth.

Realizing that the drink was fairly hot, Sunset appropriately spat some of it out with a wet sputter. She coughed once or twice and then looked at me. “Why do you want to know?”

I gave her the “are you fucking kidding me” face. “I’m on your couch, butt-naked. I was in a position to give you a hickey in the woods. I just called you my friend. Why would I not want to learn about you, Sunset?”

She stared at me, her blush never going away. Lifting the white teacup to her mouth, Sunset took a shallow sip in an attempt to quell the fire in her cheeks. “I will never know what has her so fucking flummoxed all the time. She might be acting like seeing me naked is no big deal, however; when actually seeing me this way is rather flustering for her.”

“It’s only fair,” I leaned forwards more, placing my claws on both sides of my face and putting my elbows on top of my knees. “I told you my real name; something no one else is going to hear. That should tell you something, Sunset. I trust you with information no one else will ever know about me because... well... you and I just kinda clicked, I guess.” I shrugged my shoulders and stood up.

“I have no problem in telling you about my past; and the fact that you found little old me to be of great import to impart such personal information on has made me...” She rubbed her forehooves together in unsurety, offering me a sheepish smile all the while “... happy. But why don’t you want to sit down and listen?”

“Because I stink,” I responded quickly, placing a smile on my features as I headed for the hallway next to the door. “I’ll hear all about you when I get out of the shower,” I paused right by the hallway entrance, turning my head to look at from over my shoulder. Seeing as how I snapped my head too fast, I could make out Sunset staring at me a little south from where the Line of Creeper is drawn. “I’m not too familiar with the etiquette of Equisians, you see. Maybe a joint wash will do you some good in alleviating that rush of color to your face?”

“Go take your shower, moron! Down the hall, second door to the left!” She huffed and turned her head.

Shrugging my shoulders, I made my way down the hall and through the door she had indicated. Closing it behind me, the bathroom laid its sanitary body before my eyes. Everything was white, save for the shower curtain which was a lifeless-tan. “It’s really clean in here, but a little on the small side. Just stepping into the place put me right in front of the toilet, and has me pass the sink,” I thought with a chin rub.

Turning towards the shower, I slid the curtain back and stepped in. This was the time I realized an earth-shattering revelation... I’m tall. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem back on Earth. Here?

This shit was ridiculous.

My head peeked over the shower bar; even having the audacity to scrape against the ceiling a little bit with every little motion I made to get comfortable. Length of the tub? Forget about it. There was no length, considering it was made for the comfort of a pony. There was room to move around, yeah, but it was overshadowed by the blatant fact that I could clear the entire distance with a step forwards and backwards.

My wings did not make anything easier as well. “Keeps getting better and better, huh? Tall bodies are a hassle, yeah; but tall bodies with wings? This shit is ridiculous!” I frowned and turned around, pulling up the silver knob thing most showers seem to have up with my index finger and thumb, before turning on the hot water.

I moved back as I am wont to do when taking showers, fearing the Spritz of Antarctica; the name I gave the first few minutes of water flow from the showerhead, which were always below zero.

The water came out and dropped onto my feet, making me grimace as the Spritz still found its mark. “Fucking hell. This shit is too cold. That should be the next breakthrough invention; ready-warr showering water. Someone could make a fucking killing.” Eventually, my frown went away as the water heated up. I smiled and entered it’s embrace, whistling a merry tune as I found Sunset’s soap and shampoo.

“Welp; let’s get squeaky.”

Sunset and Silas: Part 2 [Rewritten]

View Online

The Hearth's Fire? It's like Imagine Breaker with pyrotechnics.

I stood in front of the mirror; a white “towel” barely covering my lower half. I had been ignoring a blatantly obvious thing the whole time I was washing myself, and it was time to confront it head on!

Looking down at my crotch, I prodded around the front for any sign of my penis. I even went so far as to drop the fucking towel. “Having a new body is fun and all, but there is one thing that’s been pestering me.” If an actual phallus was there, my hands would be violating the absolute fuck out of it! “Where in the Blue Hell is my dick,” I thought angrily, etching a frown onto my face as I gave up.

With a sigh, I picked the towel off the clean white tile and went back to drying myself off. Walking out of the bathroom while using the towel to wrap myself back up, I stepped into the Living Room just to see Sunset using a spoon to eat some soup. The broth was brown with a fine layer of melted cheese and bread on top. The smell of onions wafted around the vicinity as I placed a hand on my hip and licked my lips.

“French Onion Soup? Don’t mind if I do!” I cleared my throat with a smile. Sunset wasn’t looking at me as she responded.

“So you finally decided to leave my shower?” Sunset slowly turned her head up to pay me some attention after shoveling another spoonful of soup into her mouth. “I hope you cleaned yourself rathe- PFFFFTTT!” Her soup was instantaneously sprayed all over her table as I leaned up against her wall.

Offering a suggestive smile, I held out a claw and flicked my index finger back towards myself in a “come hither” manner; slowly, as if I were trying to touch a spider’s web without alerting it. “I don’t bite...” I purred, watching as Sunset fell off her loveseat in embarrassment.

“PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, IDIOT,” Sunset roared, turning her head away from me while pointing at my body with a hoof. “Don’t just walk around a lady’s house in nothing but a towel! Have you no manners whatsoever!?” That same hoof became a golden blur as he waved it up and down, keeping her head turned away from me as I strolled over to the coat rack.

“What’s the big fuss all about this time, Sunset? You didn’t seem to have a problem with me being naked on your couch,” I pointed out with an actual finger, indicating where my scaley-ass was sitting only half-an-hour ago. My eyes widened as Sunset turned her head back around to face me, and I cut her off just as her mouth opened; figuring out why she was acting the way she was.

“Don’t tell me you ponies view “suggestive apparel and situations” as smut,” I tilted my head to the side in askance, but in truth; I knew I was right simply by the way she was now stuttering over herself. “Apparently I’m right. Your kind doesn’t get aroused by simple nudity, as you are around it every day. So, “skimpy wear” is your softcore, huh? Which means if I pose like this...” I grinned and placed a claw behind my head, cocking my entire body to the left. The other claw pulled the front face of the towel towards Sunset, while I on-purposely flicked my head forward to have my mane spillover and conceal my right eye.

Sunset just stared at me with her mouth open.

“I’m waiting for you, Princess~,” I cooed, making sure to hiss at the end like I had touched something hot. Fluttering my eyes, I whipped my wet mane back into place and stared at her stoically. “How long are you going to stay over there, my honey. Why not be a bad bear and stick your hoof into the hive?”

“STOP IT!” Sunset practically slammed her hovering spoon down into the soup bowl and magicked over a dark-brown throw pillow. She then buried her face inside the material, hiding the painfully obvious blush that had already claimed both tips of her ears.

“I could get some socks for you, dear. Slip ‘em on nice an’ slow, just so that I could watch your face as the fabric caress those flawless flanks and legs of yours~. I’m getting excited just thinking about it~!” I licked my lips loudly, making sure to slurp as my abnormally long tongue nearly covered the entirety of my maw.

“JUST LEAVE ALREADY! WE’LL VISIT STONEHAVEN TOMORROW AT NOON! DON’T BE LATE!” She cradled up into a little Sunset Ball of embarrassment on the loveseat, using one hoof to keep the throw-pillow against her face while she used the other to point at the door. “I WASHED YOUR CLOTHES TOO!”

“Stop yelling,” I stated simply, picking up my recently washed jacket and slipping it on; followed by the pants, the belt, and then sliding Zaelstrom into the space between the right pistol holster and my hip. “It’s quite unbecoming of a lady, Sunset. What do you want me to do with this towel?”

The pony tilted her head minutely from the cover of her pillow. “Wow, you’re practically shining! I guess your scales just lose their luster as the day goes on, perhaps? Oh, and just leave the towel on the coat stand.” Sunset waved her hoof in dismissal, dropping the pillow from her face. The blush was still on her cheeks as she went back to her soup.

*Fesssterrr... Feeeeeed...*

I paused on heading out at the familiar hissing voice of the Denizens. The letters of warning spilled into my head from Atharva’s letter, making me turn around with a sheepish smile on my face as I shut the door.

“Uhh... you wouldn’t mind too terribly if I had dinner with you, right? I’m actually out of supplies for my ship.” I held my claws up so that the inside-wrists were touching while I drummed the tips of my fingers against one another. If I didn’t get food here, I could always do what I was taught to do by my dad... hunt. This new predatory body could tear any type of game to shreds in seconds, which- even though it worries me to say this -stimulated the idea of leaving more.

“YOU...” Sunset stated sharply, puffing out her cheeks the way a miffed woman would do when something didn’t go her way. All the air came out like a deflating hot air balloon, making me smile as she closed her eyes. “Fine. Whatever; just don’t do anything like that again, please. You have no idea how bad that was.”

I chuckled and made my way back over to the couch, sitting down while placing both my arms on the hard back rim. Completely stretched out, I sniffed the air a little bit more. “You wouldn’t happen to have anymore of that soup, would you? Because let me tell you; I’m so hungry, I could eat a hor-” I paused.

Sunset stopped her spoon on the tip of her lip and looked at me from the corner of her eye. “... You were saying?” I could almost hear the mile-high slamming episode she was building up to.

Panicking, I just went with my gut. “Whores! Yup, a whore’s fetus!” I smiled at her as the spoon dropped from her aura. It took me a while to figure out what I had just said, and when I did, well; let’s just say I wasn’t too good at swallowing my worries right then and there.

“... Excuse me!?” With her teeth deadlocked and grinding, Sunset rose from her loveseat: stormed her way over to the couch, jumped up, placed both her hooves on both sides of my neck, lowered her face near mine, and then glowered deeply. “I believe I asked you a question, Silas,” Sunset demanded forcefully, ramming her snout into my own as I smiled at her in a little bit of fear.

“... Did I mention how nice you smell?”

That wasn’t my finest hour. The wooden door I flew through and the unforgiving dirt-path leading up to Sunset’s house likened to agree.

“Really, dickweed? You really tried the ‘smell’ thing again? Truly!? It’s a wonder something hasn’t come out of the woods and sodomized you yet.” Frowning after reprimanding myself, I slowly picked myself up and dusted off. If this was going to be a thing, then someone could just take me off this planet right now.

After properly cleaning myself off, I made my way back to Judgement as the sun started to disappear behind the trees. The area had become dark quite quickly, considering the sun was just beating down on me earlier.

The sound of flapping wings gave me pause as Altaria landed on a branch next to my head. Turning to face her, the Bullivian Gigantecles tossed a red apple at me with a smile. I grabbed it out of the air, rubbed it on my jacket, then took a nice big bite out of it. I knew the fruit wasn’t going to be enough in settling the surely voracious appetite of the nanomachines.

“CAW,” Altaria enthused as she flew onto my shoulder, nuzzling my face. It felt like a million toddler hands were trying to haymaker me. Altaria nuzzled for a little longer, eventually settling down while using her wings as a set of blinds to cover her body.

“I guess that’s how she sleeps? Huh, so she’s like a bat in regards to slumber? That’s pretty freaking nifty for a bird with no bat-like characteristics to take note of.” I bit into the apple again, nearly destroying it with my powerful teeth as I ripped half of it to shreds within my maw. I figured there was another two bites going for me if I was lucky.

“Mm,” I swallowed. “This is where flying could come in handy. I mean, I got wings, yeah; but that don’t mean flying comes with a few flaps. I wonder if flying is like driving a car...” I trailed off, stepping over a fallen tre-

I pouted. “This wasn’t the way I took to get here....”

Peck. Peck. Peck.

“Leave me alone, Alty. I don’t want to talk about it,” I responded bitterly. Out of everything shitty that has happened today, I didn’t expect my last endeavor to be getting hopelessly lost in the fucking woods. Sighing bitterly, I leaned back into the oak I decided to rest on; scooting my buttocks up against its base.

Peck. Peck.

“Yes, Altaria; I know I’m lost. You don’t have to be so peckish about it,” I stated sorely, burying my face in my claws. Altaria cawed comfortingly, nuzzling my neck with her hard beak a couple of times as if it would help. “This is so messed up. All I wanted to do was eat some fucking soup, and now that’s not even an option.”

Altaria cooed next to my ear, giving it a reassuring pat with her wing. I couldn’t help but smile at her antics. I lifted my head so that she’d stop messing with it, opting to pet her on the head as recompense for her loyalty. There was a moment where she flew off, leading me to believe that she had moved on to better things.

Looking up into the canopy above, I could just make out the stars the night sky. I smiled and thought about the flowing mane of the moon princess I had met in my dreams. She was quite gorgeous, that Princess Luna; with the way her blue eyes sparkled with an eternity’s worth of bravado and steadfastness. The way her soft face rippled with a mask of interest in stoicism only added to her mysterious beauty. I could’ve lost myself inside that pretty little face of hers forever; if she’d let me.

“And when she turned around? I’m a Scale-Furry to be sure, but damn! I think her parents knew what they were doing when they made her the princess of the moon!” I smiled like an idiot, dreaming of plump-

Floomph.

I frowned and looked down, thinking I’d see Altaria messing with my belt. You could only imagine my face when two other “heads” stared back at me. Freezing up, I scrounged my face up in fear at being caught in a position like this.

“Noooo! Why now!? Why now!? As much stimulation I was giving that area back in Heinz’s shack, you’d think they’d come out! All I did was think about Luna’s flanks one time and now I have two smoked logs just laying across the fireplace! And to hell with the notion of ‘stoking the flame’!” Snapping out of my frightened daze, I did what any male in my situation would.

Sucking in a heavy amount of air while avoiding channeling my flame into it; I proceeded to scream my fucking lungs out. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“I’m done for. It’s been thirty minutes since that scream happened. Someone should’ve found me by now!” I shivered against my tree, glaring daggers at my penises while trying to make them shrink back into my scales. My pants were on the left side of me, and my claws were wrapping my body up in a massive hug. Even the cold air was ineffective at quelling the rigidity of my two ‘towers’.

“This is bullshit. Not only am I lost, but it seems like there’s no one for miles. Who knows how long I’ve been in-”

“Silas.”

Widening my eyes, I hurriedly looked to my left only to watch as Sunset Shimmer came through some green shrubs. Her horn was glowing in a soft light-blue light, which only served to affirm that unicorns must be the master race on this planet if other races exist. “Magic is too OP for them not to rule over everything! It would be in my best interest to find out more about these ponies, even if I said their habits and lives didn’t matter. Luckily for me, I have a pretty good idea on who to ask-”

I gave a grunt of surprise as Sunset’s horn poked me on the forehead. Rubbing the offended spot with a glare pointed at her, I grabbed my pants an slid them on. For some odd reason, my supercharged libido disappeared the moment Sunset showed up, leaving me completely bare at the crotch. “At least I know they’re there for future reference.”

“Thanks for taking the time to find me, Sunset. Gauging from that luxurious yellow night-robe; am I safe in assuming you were just getting ready for bed?” I tightened my belt with a sigh, patting the sides of my hips to adjust the comfort levels. “And for that matter; would you mind telling me the time and date?”

“Yeah, I can!” snapped Sunset. “Some ponies enjoy sleeping the night away without interruption from alien screams. It’s midnight, marking the start of November eighteenth; you’ve been lost in my backyard for two hours.” She sassed, tossing me an annoyed glance as we walked back towards her cottage... if that’s where we were going.

“Are we headed back to your place; or are you taking me to mine,” I asked, walking through the shrubs milliseconds after Sunset did. We were back in the “forest”, but I growled to myself in irritation as my eyes fell upon something too ironic to be funny.

“That’s her cabin. I wandered around in a large-ass circle for no reason!?” Gritting my teeth in irritation, we came up to the front door within a minute and proceeded inside. The living room was illuminated in her glow, making my eyes blink as they tried to discern the dimly-lit place of rest.

“Take the couch; I’m going back to bed.” Sunset peeled off to the right and proceeded down the hallway. I had to catch her now, or else my back would pay dearly for it in the morning.

“Wait,” I called, causing the mare to sigh deeply and turn around. “The couch; it was built for a pony,” I explained, making Sunset frown as she adjusted the rollers in her mane.

“Well if you look at the only quadrupedal being that owns this house; yes, it was made for a pony!” She glared at me, causing my face to drop with severe amounts of irritation on it from being treated like an idiot.

Taking my index finger, I pointed it at my face and remained silent, making sure a frown was there all the while.

Sunset continued to glare at me. “What? You’re not tired or something?”

I didn’t move.

“The couch is comfortable to me, if that’s what you were fishing for-” she paused, her mouth locked into an ‘O’-shape as she slowly nodded in understanding. “Right; the couch is too small. How I didn’t see that coming, I’ll never know.” She turned back around and trotted down the hallway. “Come on, then. You’re bunking with me tonight.”

“I regret everything,” Sunset stated in a lustless voice, making me snicker as I continued to spoon her. “Why must you be so Celestia-damned big, you oaf? All I want is to sleep...” Her lustless tone turned into a low whine as she snuggled down into her pillow, trying her best to move the rest of her body away from my own.

My head was resting on hers; my muzzle basically breaking every roller in her mane as I snickered lowly, the deep vibrations causing Sunset to sigh in exasperation. “You like me, little pony; just admit it already,” I sassed with a smile, prodding her in the back with a finger. She inhaled, before bucking me in the shin with a back hoof.

I yipped in pain, a function I had never expected to be possible in coming from a dragon’s mouth. “That hurt, you yellow menace! It’s not like I had control over how large my body would grow, y’know!”

Her response was to buck me in the shin again, causing me to jerk the same leg back in pain. “Good. Maybe now you’ll back up some, hmm? Or would you like another kick for your troubles?” Her question was light-hearted in tone, but I could see the frown on her face from my vantage point down my muzzle.

“Back up where, you insipid eyesore? I have this amount of room left; that’s all! If my proximity is bothering you; then why didn’t you sleep out on the couch? It is big enough for a pony after all,” I pointed out with a glare towards her peeking eyes.

She looked away, using her magic to completely pull the tan comforter off my body and wrap herself up in a cocoon of tinted brown. “Don’t ask questions! I offered you the bed, and I don’t find that couch to be comfortable anyway; so there! Good luck going to sleep completely exposed to the draft, idiot!”

“Why is she suddenly so mad!? What did I do!? I just can’t wrap my mind around this mare for my life!” I placed a claw on the covers and pulled sharply, sending Sunset into a seemingly endless tumble of brown, yellow and red. After five seconds of rapid spinning, I was finally rewarded with the covers I grew to covet.

Sunset landed with a dull plop sound, grunting as her stomach made contact first. Her horn went straight through her pillow, and I watched with a scared intake of breath as her eyes opened into a ferocious glare. The sound of grinding teeth filled the air, making the scales on the back of my neck tingle in anxiety as I rolled over, exposing my back to the surely angry mare of fiery destruction.

“Get out.” Sunset’s voice was cold; colder than the draft I was feeling earlier. Scientists have long struggled to obtain Absolute Zero, but the secret to it rested well inside the voice of a tiny pony with the ability to utilize magic.

Like lifting me up, for example.

“Let’s not do any rash, Sunset! It was just a joke, right?” I stated into the eyes of Satan herself; they were actually on fire. Light-blue flames kicked from the recesses of her eyes, hanging outside the corners and floating like they were caught in a breeze. Her whole body was shaking in righteous fury, causing me to swallow the mountain blocking my airway.

“Just... Go sleep... ON THE DAMN COUCH!” Her voice morphed into something demonic at the last part of her exclamation, and I was promptly sent through the door to her bedroom at blinding speeds. I had to close my eyes, fearing that the wind pressure alone would bne enough to cut the sensitive organs.

It wasn’t even a full second before my body made friends with the counter in the living room. My spine, ever the gracious neighbor, went to the counter and offered it a bowl full of my disks as I keeled over. Moaning in pain, I slowly reached out a claw and clutched at the tan carpet, using it as leverage to slowly pick myself up.

*Unsatissssfieed... sustenanceeee...*

Propping myself on the counter, my eyes locked onto the only appliance in eyeshot that could possibly satisfy the ravenous micromachines inside my body. I definitely didn’t want them to devour my body from the inside out; not if I could help it, anyway.

“Right. So I’m probably going to get the snot beaten out of me for doing this, but I rather have a sore ass than a burned one; that’s for sure.” Sighing deeply, I made my way over to the refrigerator and opened it from the left. The cool air washed over my body, reminding me of the produce aisle in a grocery store.

As I peered inside, my face gradually began to sour in repulsion at how much... well... pony food there was! “A white tin marked with ‘Hayfries’ on top? Hay waffles? Hay pancakes!? Ponies might be herbivores, but I don’t think a single drop of animal meat goes inside these foods normally!”

True to their names, the foodstuffs proved to be made- if not then stuffed -with hay. I eventually disregarded the four body shelves representing the top part of the fridge, bending down at the knees to have better access to the bottom drawer. Pulling it out quietly, my eyes quickly scanned what I had thought to be the designated place for vegetables if Equis’s fridges were set up like Earth’s.

I snorted. “Why... in the Blue Hell... is there hay in the fucking bacon!? Haybacon Strips!? Really!? God, these ponies are so annoying... no wonder I don’t care much in learning about them!” My frown couldn’t be any deeper as I moved the white package out of my way, searching for anything edible. “Or you could go to fucking sleep and stop trying to raid her fridge. Maybe she’ll reward you with a good breakfast?”

My brain was making far too much sense for me to really acknowledge right now. Hungry nanites were preparing to feast on everything inside my scales for all I know! It clearly doesn’t care in the slightest, apparently. “Or you could stop being stupid for once and stop acting like we’re different, asshat.”

I paused for a moment, allowing that thought to be concentrated on for a couple of seconds. Curving my eyes up to look at nothing in particular, I entertained the motion of going to sleep while ravenous alien symbiotes devoured my pancreas and ejected it from my anus because I wouldn’t feed them.

Needless to say, the image was enough to make me continue rummaging through her fridge. On the norm’; I don’t really think about things as much as I should, which is probably why a lot of stuff happens to me- “Hey, a pear! I’ll take that and.... these grapes! Perfect!”

Taking a firm hold of the teardrop-shaped fruit in my left claw, I tossed it into the air a couple of times just to get a feel for it. Now, I don’t know what tossing fruit in the air does, but the dull slap that happens when it collides with your claw again is so damn satisfying. The pear was small, and with a shrug of my shoulders, I tossed it into my mouth and began chewing it down.

“Mmm,” I hummed in satisfaction as the fruit made contact with my stomach. Seeking more nourishment, I walked over to the sink after shutting the fridge door, turning the water on by the bar-shaped nozzle. Cold water ran through the grapes and out the holes in the bag, draining into the metal sink. The sound of water going down pipes echoed throughout the kitchen, making me freeze up and perk my ears.

If Sunset heard that, then my time as a resident on Equis would be gone before first light, even if I tried telling her that sapient symbiotic nanites were demanding sustenance at the cost of my body if I refused.

Thankfully, however, the draining water did not wake Sleeping Satan in her hellhole. Jostling the bag softly to remove any excess water, I made my way over to the loveseat and started eating the grapes by clawfuls. It took me five minutes to finish the entire bag of grapes; at least seven branches worth of the succulent ovoid fruits.

I tilted my head back with a sigh, kicking my feet up onto the table as I undressed myself. Now that I think about it, Sunset’s probably gonna kill me for getting dirt from the outside onto her loveseat.

My jacket came off easy enough, but I struggled with my pants for a minute or so. When the articles of clothing were removed, I reached for the light-brown lever on the side of he loveseat recliner. My feet were used at the same time to push the table away slowly, allowing room for the hidden leg compartment to swing out.

Sunset must keep it well-oiled, because it made no noise at it stretched out. I saw fit to place my legs down then; snuggling into the soft material of the recliner with a deep sigh of satisfaction. The only thing to do now was go to sleep...

....

“...” I opened my eyes with a frown. “... Annnnnd sleep’s not on the schedule for tonight; that’s just great,” I thought with distaste, placing both of my claws behind my head. “This is just great. Who knew my insomnia would transfer over with my soul? I know I didn’t.”

Boredom was now setting in quickly, causing my frown to deepen. Sucking my teeth in irritation, I used my legs to compact the leg rest back into the recliner and stand up, grabbing my jacket before heading outside.

The moon was high in the sky, glittering down on the wildflowers beside the path up to Sunset’s cabin. “... Princess of the Night, huh? Hmph; she does a good job.” Looking down again, I made my way over to the middle of the path and prepared myself for the thing I was wont to do when sleep eluded me.

Once I reached my destination, I gave a mighty sigh and got into the proper position for some push-ups. But before I got down to business, a sudden thought gave me pause. “Siri; you’re still here, right?”

“... Yeah? What do you want?”

“You said that the Sirios Unit is good for exporting, importing, and storing information, right? Well if that’s the case, could you try playing some music from my memory? Keep it low, though. I don’t want to wake up the red and yellow anti-christ in the cabin.” I waited in the up position, hearing a couple of whirring noise from within my cranium.

“Alright, so you don’t suck too much. You’ve definitely earned points with me for liking rock and heavy metal.” Siri’s voice was filled with acknowledgement, as if she was finally paying attention to me. Which I wouldn’t put past the hologram, considering she’s basically been ignoring me this whole time.

“If that’s the case, you should be looking at what my IPod albums are like. Be a beauty and play the one named “Sound of Madness”, please.” I waited until the sound of a war-like cadence filled my head, slowly giving way to a faded guitar riff. This began a crescendo of sound until the scratchy voice I had come to love came in like a crashing wave upon my consciousness.

“Take it and take it and take it and take it and take it all~” Sung the scratchy voice of Shinedown’s lead, causing me to begin my push-up routine.

My arms were screaming at me from their positions on both sides of my body. I stared up at the moon; my eyes beginning to grow heavy from all the fucking push-ups I had done. The whole album repeated, and that’s a full-hour of music. “Five-hundred... haah... and sixty-two push-ups... I did.” I breathed in and out as the music finally cut off with the opening drum fill of the first song starting up again.

“This sucks. My eyes are heavy, but it’s not from being sleepy. I thought working myself out was going to do the trick, but apparently; Sigma Draconians work a little differently than humans.” I closed my eyes and sucked in the floral scent of all the wildflowers. “At least I’m weary enough to initiate fake slumber.”

I settled down against my jacket, shifting my wings a little bit as I fluttered my eyes. “... I’m such an idiot. Sunset has a good amount of patience to her, seeing as how doing a quarter of the shit I’ve done to a human girl would get my dick put through a cheese grater and lightly salted with a hint of lemon juice.”

Grimacing at the brutal image, I allowed myself a few more awkward thoughts before severing connection with the outside world.

“... And we’re back in the Station.” I tucked my claws into the bottom pockets of my jacket, sucking my teeth at the familiar scenery.

“Why yes,” A smooth male voice cooed to my left, causing me to turn around sharply. I frowned at the Draconian, dressed in a pinstriped tux with white undershirt and sky-blue tie. A black low tophat sat on his head, with a sky-blue stripe going around it as well. “And you’re not without good company again, it seems,” he enthused.

Raising my eyebrow, I cracked my neck from left to right as I inspected his grey feet and scales. A sky-blue mane sat tucked into the back of his tux, while two bold strands fell down to the bottom of his pecks. Everything about this guy resembled me to a tee.

“Mind explaining who you are, mister? I sure as hell don’t know.” Taking my claws out of my pockets, I opted to cross my arms and tap my foot.

“Heh,” he laughed. “Aren’t you a little too self-entitled? Nevertheless, I go by many names. Some call me the Other Side: Dark Shame, The Mirrored Entity,” he paused, lowering his head and the brim of his tophat to cover his face completely. “Master of the Flaming Soul... Silas Tre’Rexum Epista, at your service!”

‘Silas’ took a deep bow at the waist, removing his top hat and throwing it into the darkness with a flick of his wrist. “So yeah, that’s the gist of it,” he stood back up, smiling all the while as he patted his chest twice; causing the fabric to transform into what I had on. but with the colors inverted-

“Oh,” I stated with a head bob, finally piecing together this puzzle. “You’re supposed to be representing my dark half, right?” I tilted my head to the side as I stared at him, watching that same smile creep outwards even more.

“Oh I assure you, Justin Richards; I’m so much more than black or white. My soul, however, was trapped here by that bastard planeswalking dragon. I was recording the Ark’s first flight as its passenger when he beat me in a game of chess inside my mind, forcing me to cooperate with his machinations.” Silas walked over to my fountain and felt it up with a smile.

“Lucky for you, I’m not in the mood to fight right now, human. You should feel honored that I haven’t attacked you yet. The planet you’re on now would have been reduced to ashes in a matter of minutes if I had my way with my body.” Silas touched the fountain with single finger, making it explode into a million meteoric pieces of sky-blue and black armageddon.

All the pieces touched my Station, lighting it up in sky-blue flames. It was a pillar of fire that licked at me from my close position to the wall. Silas turned around with a sly grin; as if what he did was enough to break my concentration.

“You have no idea what lies within your Will, Mr. Richards. You’re playing dressup in the body of a king, who contested the Goddess-Queen easily. I daresay I was feared by her, because my power was the only one strong enough to take her and those useless Denizens for a trip.” Silas explained as he unzipped his jacket, showcasing his own pair of sky-blue underbelly scales.

“There’s a world out there, Mr. Richards. A world I had left in constant unrest, seeding the crop of destruction until the fools sought to cull the wheat.” His smile expanded greatly. “I don’t know why Nicol Bolas wanted you to have my body, but I want you to know that it was a mistake. You are not as wicked as I am; you don’t have the drive to be a king or top dog of any province.... you sicken me.”

I tilted my head to the side. “...Soooo?”

Silas just stood there, glaring at me now. “I killed so many of my people: so many Alphas, so many Omegas... so many Sigmas. My name has become synonymous with genocide, human; you’re life doesn’t even begin to compare; no one’s does.” My eyes widened a little bit when the flames surrounding my Station turned navy-blue, roaring at me like a hunting party of hellhounds yearning for my soul.

Silas’s feet left the ground as wisps of navy-blue flames came out of his heels, propelling him some three feet into the air and holding him there. “There is no equal to my power, boy. I have been given the sword capable of slaying the Gods themselves. It was only natural for me to want the throne of my people, and for all worlds at that! I am the Master of the Flaming Soul, the Genocidal Anti-Matter. My power is the Hearth’s Fire!” He shot all four limbs out, giving a harsh roar of triumph as navy-blue flames shot out in a star shape.

The noise of their ejection could be likened to a fleet of naval ships opening fire at the same time.

I lowered my ears to block the painful call of Hell itself; the air becoming unbearably hot as he floated back down the ground, leaving me speechless at his display of power.

“This is not a power for protection, Mr. Richards. This power claims lives; whether you’re aware of it or not, and it’s not possible to protect both your own and someone elses...” Instead of the creepy smile I was getting used to, Silas casted his head to the side and tightened his fists. “... I tried. Love is turned to ash: Happiness becomes coal, and Content melts away into sedimentary waste. You become a volcano, tilting on the edge of either erupting magma, or pulling a Vesuvius; killing those you hold dear for no reason other than to stop them in place, so that you have something to remember them by...”

“Coward.” I spat.

Silas made a sound like he choked on something, looking back up at me with a face of incredulousness. “...What did you call me?”

I shrugged my shoulders again. “It’s either ‘coward’ or ‘quitter’, but I know they both go hand in hand. So yeah, let me fix my face,” I crossed my arms again and glared at him. “You’re a coward and a quitter.”

It was enough of a taunt to get Silas to tear his jacket to smithereens with a mighty roar, shaking the entire realm of my dream and dispersing his flame wall. “You have NO right to judge me, HUMAN! You dare accuse me of COWARDICE!?”

“Yes,” I responded simply, my will unwavering against this SigmAsshole. “Just because it’s hard playing the role of a Hero doesn’t mean you take the Axe of the Dragon, Silas! Have some sort of empathy, asshole! You can’t honestly be that apathetic towards every-” I stopped myself, my eyes widening in realization of something crucial.

“So you’ve finally figured it out, hmm? That’s good,” Silas bit, cracking his neck with his claws. “You’re more like me than you know, boy. It’s easy playing the blackbird on the fence, but what happens when you have to chose either to steal the feed or find a worm? Guess you never went that far in, right,” Silas goaded, making me grit my teeth in anger.

“Shut up.”

“Oh? A soft spot, maybe? What gives you the right to judge me, Justin? You’re just as bad.”

“Shut up!”

“Your form of genocide is different from mine, but just as self-destructive. Killing off your want to care? At least I have a leg-up on you in regards to staying true to my feelings; fucking coward.”

That was the last straw for me.

“FUCK YOU!” I charged him without hesitation, going straight for the kill by bringing my claws to bear.

Silas angled his neck to the left, staring at me like a disappointed father does his son. “It’s not your fault, of course,” he continued, dodging each of my frenzied swipes with minimal effort. “The Cycle of Fault is a vicious one, isn’t it? It begins with a reclusive adolescence like yourself, who faults his parent’s actions for making him the way he is. Then the parents blame the government. And from there, in order...” He dodged my next couple of attacks as he went down the list.

“Next comes society: race, history, and then your species’ nature!” My attacks were rewarded with a savage uppercut to my chin as I came in again. I reeled back from the force behind the blow, which felt like someone socked me with the back end of a cannon.

“When will you accept responsibility for your actions, brat!? When will you take off the bib of apathy, and replace that shit with a tie of empathy!? How long do I have to sit through your insecurities in my own damn body,” Silas roared, pressing the attack this time.

I was hardpressed in dodging his attacks. His fists were iron gables, beating down upon my defenses like a soldier does a P.O.W. In time, his hits were enough to back me up onto the edge of my Station. My body leaned back of its own accord, acquiescing to the idea of a quick plummet to death.

“This ends it.” Silas threw a lightning-fast straight towards the space between my eyes, which I closed on instinct.

...

I cracked an eye open.

Silas was there, his fist mere inches from my face as he looked at me with a dropped jaw of horror. A couple of wet splashes were heard seconds later, causing me to look down.

There was blood. Red blood. My blood is blue.

Silas lowered his head, looking at half my arm; the other half was out through his back somewhere. In my fear of being killed, I had ended up punching straight through the guy. Silas stared for a moment or so longer, still trying to comprehend that there was a bulky arm invading his bowels and protruding from his back.

Slowly, he grabbed ahold of my arm and backed off, giving little grunts of pain as he finally popped off.

“... You used it. You used my Hearth’s Fire... but that’s impossible...” breathed Silas. “Somehow... you coated your arm INTO-” His voice crescendoed up in volume as he coughed up a lot of blood while continuing to back off. Silas’s claw erupted into navy-blue flames, which he then used to sear the wounds close. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH,” he roared in agony as the flames did what they were summoned to do.

“... Yooooo...” I drawled out in disbelief, bring my arm up as Silas’s blood fizzled out like water on a hot stove eye. “I... I just punched right through you, man,” I exclaimed in horror, using my other claw to pull at my mane in misunderstanding. “That shit shouldn’t have been possible! Aren’t dragons nearly impervious or something like that!? What the fuck is going on here!?”

“...Maybe Bolas wasn’t wrong...” Silas stated angrily, a large patch of white showcasing where I had ran him through with my arm. “Even so, what you did was a fluke; a spur of the moment. I have complete control over you and the powers you wield!” Silas ignited his claws, taking up a fighting pose which left a claw near his chin, while the other was opened with the palm facing me. “You’re two-thousand years too inexperienced to beat me, human. Just give up.”

I paused and weighed my options carefully. “If I give up now, he could take my body. Bolas said they were getting ready to pull the plug on me back on Earth, and that was quite a while ago. If I die here, there’s no telling what’s going to happen with my soul! Losing to him is not an option!” Steeling myself appropriately, I clenched my fists and snarled.

“You’re not getting this body, Silas Epista. You’ve had your fun. And I just figured out what you represent, too.” I pointed a thumb at the Gem of Becoming in my chest, giving a confident smirk as my only means of defense at protecting my lie.

Silas raised his eyebrow, looking at me as if I had grown heads from the tips of my ears. “Are you an idiot? Clearly, one of my punches from earlier did a good job of jarring you senseless, human. Why would I- who couldn’t really care about this stupid Station of yours -represent anything other than my severe distaste of sharing my body with a coward!” Silas laughed at me shortly afterwards, making my confidence wane a little.

“Shit. Uhhh... think, Justin, think! Mmmm, ah!” I cleared my throat in victory, giving my creepiest smirk just for Silas to drink in as he stopped laughing. “How could you possibly think of playing the fool, SigmAsshole? The sobby-as-fuck backstory you just told me was meant to discourage me from chasing the Hearth’s Fire; with the added bonus of showing off its destructive capabilities firsthand, right?” I tapped the side of my head with an index finger.

“There’s a brain in here, dumbass.”

Silas shook with rage, making my smile turn into full on laughter. “So I was right!? Holy hell; talk about your shots in the dark, right!?” I continued to laugh, right up until a navy-blue fireball barely missed the right side of my face.

That’s when I shut myself up and readied myself for battle.

Silas was ‘standing’ in such a way, that one would mistake him as being weary from desert heat. His right leg was bent inwards as he sagged his arms, giving half-laughs as his mane covered his face.

I hunkered down, knowing some freaky shit was on its way. And my guess was correct, because Silas snapped his head to the right and sunk his teeth into the arm. It cracked at the place of impact, spraying his blood everywhere as he tore it off.

“GRAHHHHHHHHHHH,” Silas roared in absolute fury, going straight for the other with the same scream. I had to hold back my liquid disgust as it came apart with the sound of someone removing an old piece of bark from a pocket of tree sap... and just as slowly.

His blood was pouring out now, draining itself onto my Station and spreading out. “Haah... haah... haah,” Silas weezed out. His mane was still obstructing my view of his eyes, but every once in a while, I could make out flames flickering where his arms should be.

“What the FUCK was that shit!? He tore off his own ARMS for Christ’s sake!” My thought process was moving in and out of lightspeed and hyperspace, trying to figure out his motive for maiming himself. Nothing was coming to mind, however, and that had me tensed up more.

“... Hearth’s Fire: Requip.” My vision was nearly singed from existence as Silas’s navy-blue Hearth’s Fire exploded out from his arms as he roared. The torrent of flames slowly formed clawed gauntlets that stretched all the way up to his shoulders. They were made out of nothing but Hearth’s Fire, which roared its power just as loud as Silas was right now. The whole Station shook once more, rumbling about as I snarled in caution of this place’s integrity.

“Will this hold,” I asked myself, stomping on the stained-glass for good measure. It didn’t crack, which was good. “Alright, I’m still good...” I looked up at Silas. “...For now, it seems. I need to come up with a plan to eighty-six this guy... and quick!” I watched as Silas fixed his stance, but kept his top half bent back.

“Can you do it? Can you defeat your Fear, Justin? Can you stop what causes your skin...” His body snapped forward, his eyes completely alight with black fire as was his mouth. Every time he talked, some of his red blood would spill out from his eyes and mouth. “The Hearth’s Fire is meant TO KILL EVERYTHING; GODS INCLUDED! WHAT CHANCE DO YOU HAVE, HUMAN!?”

Silas stomped a foot, and I widened my eyes as the force was enough to launch me into the air. “GRIT YOUR TEETH, BOY!” Looking down filled me with fear as Silas launched himself at me with his fist reared back for a demonic punch. I had no way to defend myself up here!

I nearly puked up all my organs as his fist slammed home into my stomach. The hit was hard enough to wind me as I also felt the organ I use to digest food explode and cover everything with its acid, setting my insides on fire as I ejected blood and acid from my mouth.

My consciousness was already wavering after that hit, but Silas wasn’t done. “THERE ARE ARE NO BREAKS, FILTHY HUMAN!” I was swung around and sent towards the Station again, the force great enough to form a cone around my body. My back impacted the stained-glass, shattering my spine and ribcage as if they were some sort of cheap, knock-off figurines. The shards of rib pierced my lungs, deflating them like punctured airbags.

I couldn’t even scream as Silas flapped back down to the Station, landing next to my head with narrowed eyes.

“You will never escape your fear. You will never defeat me! And you will never use. The. Hearth’s Fire!” A navy-blue fist was cocked back as I coughed up some blood. Because of my recent spine injury, moving out of the way was impossible.

But... I don’t want to die here. I couldn’t die here! If I did, well; I’d be proving Silas Epista right; that I only think about myself and use my apathy as a means to escape responsibility in hurting others! I’m NOT going to be another Silas Epista! I’m going to be BETTER!

“You were never worthy of my power, Mr. Richards! NO ONE IS BUT ME!”

The fist came down like an avalanche of fire. And for some strange reason; a reason I could have no hope in comprehending by myself without help; Sunset’s face appeared before me.

“Don’t ask questions! You... you think I’m a friend? I think that oughta teach you who has the biggest horn, hmm? Don’t move your tongue, idi- AH!”

Silas Tre’Rexum Epista; the long hated Head of the Sigmanian Royal House on Planet Asla, couldn’t figure out what just happened. He was sure his fist was on a collision course with Justin Richard’s head; and he even foresaw it popping like a zit. But now; as his Hearth’s Fire is being held at bay by this... this... fakers mouth...

To say he was perplexed was beyond shallow in detail. In fact, a familiar feeling of gut-wrenching unease wormed its way into his heart and stomach as Justin slowly leaned forward, his whole body shaking even after the fact that Silas broke his back. He was sure of it!

“No... no YOU DON’T!” The King of Sigmas was not going to accept this poppycock as reality. Not if his other fist had something to say about it! The second strike made contact, jerking Justin’s head to the left as the right hook landed. A small shockwave pulsated throughout the Station from it, and Silas was sure he had crack his jawbone...

So why?

“WHY ISN’T HE LETTING GO!?”

“That’s right... I have a friend now. Not an acquaintance at school... but someone I actually enjoy being around. Would it be wrong then; for me to call her a friend even though I treated her so bad; even though I showed my whole ass to her and had the audacity to ask for a kiss on it?” My whole body was warm, heating up with something I couldn’t explain. It was as if someone was holding a million warm towels to my injuries, while placing my body in a sauna as well.

“I can’t lose to his clown! I need to know! I need to hear it from her mouth; that I actually have a friendship worth protecting now! I can’t die until I get my fucking answer, and I’ll go through gods and devils to make sure I DO!” I opened my eyes, just in time to have my head jerk to the left from an otherworldly amount of force slamming into it from the right.

“No! I’m not letting him go! He’s had his fun, beating me up like he did! I’m gonna have to return the favor, and then get my answer from Sunset! She’ll be happy I asked; I just know it!” I gave a guttural roar of pain as my spine snapped back into place, while the pieces of my ribcage were gathered up and seared together by something inside my body.

I kicked Silas in the stomach, sending him away a few feet as I sloppily got back on my own. Whatever was inside of me, searing all my wounds closed and melding my organs; I’m grateful for it; eternally grateful.

“How are you doing this!?” Silas charged me again, delivering a series of realm-shattering hooks to my face in rapid succession. “Why don’t you just stay down!? Why subject yourself to this much pain!? Do you not care for yourself; are you suicidal!? ANSWER ME!” That last one was an uppercut that broke my jaw again, making me stagger backwards... but with a grin.

“... Because it’s my win...” Now let me be clear. I had tried to take that moment in an attempt at sounding cool. Instead of the perfectly structured lead-off you might’ve read; in all actuality, it sound like I had said “...Breecwause ish mein ween...”. Which is not cool, in case you didn’t know.

That same warmth went back to work in fixing my jaw again. The bones and cartilage were regrown and seared to avoid any chance at coming undone. “... I have nothing to fear anymore, Silas. You’ve lost the game.”

“DON’T BE STUPID! You have death, and higher powers, and-”

“The list goes on and on, doesn’t it? I don’t care about higher powers, or death. If I can live out my life with an actual friend; I’m willing to die for anything. DON’T YOU QUESTION MY RESOLVE, SILAS EPISTA!” I charged him again, jumping into the air while cocking back a fist for a punch of my own.

“You’ve left yourself open, fool!” Silas ducked down then jumped up, sending his right fist out. My own right fist felt strangely warm, but I hadn’t the time to look at it as Silas and I clashed above my Station.

“There will always be a shred of fear in your heart! There will always be a- grrk!” Somehow, I had broken through his arm and slugged him in the face. His body slammed into the Station as he screamed bloody murder at having his back broken.

I landed on the ground, tucked myself in and rolled a couple inches, before standing back up over top of him. “Now you’ve lost for sure, Silas Epista. I don’t fear your, nor will I ever. Now go to sleep, asswipe.” I put everything I had into my final punch, aiming right for his stomach.

His eyes betrayed nothing as my fist made contact, folding him up like a lawn chair so that the top of his head touched his toes over my arm. The Station cracked and crumbled away from underneath me right as Silas let out his last breath.

And so I fell down into the abyss, the light above me slowly fading away as I closed my eyes.

“Silas! Silas! SILAS!”

Sunset and Silas: Part 3 [Rewritten]

View Online

What do you mean, 'do you know how to use a sword'!? It's a fucking sword! Stab, stab! Poke, poke! It's not that hard, dude.

“SILAS,” The voice screamed, making me flail my arms as a moderate amount of force was applied to my face. I snapped up instantly, headbutting whatever just slapped me into next week as it grunted in pain. “Oh for BUCKS sake!”

My eyes snapped open, hungrily drinking in Sunset’s four-poster bed with lavender-colored, transparent draw curtains hanging down around us. She was halfway poking me in the face with her horn as she glowered at me with a hoof on her nose.

“Damn it all, Silas! I think I’m bleeding...” She trailed off, angling her head up to try and cause the blood to slink back into her throat instead of dripping everywhere. “Ugh, today is shaping up to be a good one,” Sunset stated grumpily, sitting down on my legs as she continued to hold her head up. “First I find your body outside, then I find out you ate all my fruit; and then you start writhing around in pain while bleeding from the mouth! If it’s not one thing with you, it’s another!”

I coughed into a claw, looking off to the side as I laughed the awkwardness away. There was still something I had to ask her, and it was imperative that I know for sure. It couldn’t wait. “Uhhh, Sunset; how do you view m-”

“Yeah one sec’,” Sunset teleported in a light-blue bubble burst, staying gone long enough for me to pout.

“Hah! Talk about a cockblock, right!?” Siri’s voice cackled within my head, making me snarl in anger at her childish antics. I gripped the sheets tightly, ripping through the fabric as my face heated up in embarrassment.

“Shut your mouth, you tiny fluorescent bulb! The term ‘cockblock’ wouldn’t even be appropriate here, since no one else was in the vicinity to do it! And cockblock what, exactly!?” I narrowed my eyes for added pressure behind my words. Don’t ask me why I did it; it just felt natural.

“Zounds! I beseech thee, Romeo; please remove thine brutal dagger of angst from mine wee heart! Have thee nary a shred of chivalry... or a brain,” Siri goaded further, every other word concealing a half-chortle. “Gag me. This is like a really bad soap opera... being played in reverse. I don’t know any girls who would take a guy that was being an asshole to them; lift him off the ground in front of her house, lug his big ass back inside, and then stay awake all night to see if he was alright after he started tossing and turning.”

I fixed my face at her last sentence, scrounging it up in disbelief. “Did... did she really do all that?”

I heard Siri smack her face within my head. “You’re laying IN HER BED, right!? While you were busy being tossed out of her room, I stayed behind and watched her from the corner of her room. She tossed and turned all night, grunting and saying ‘This is why you have no friends now’ or ‘And you wonder why you live in a cabin outside of Stonehaven’! How much sleep do you think she got,” Siri asked, her voice laced with hidden anger.

I stayed quiet, turning my head to the side with a sigh.

“Correct, jackass; none. She was even crying, you dick. Sunset thinks this shit is her fault, when in truth; it’s your-”

I got up, sliding the curtain to the side as I ordered, “Shut up. I’m going to fix this.”

Siri blew a short raspberry of mockery. “Puh-lease, asshole! How are you gonna do that? Last time I checked; you often dig cemeteries, not graves! Not to mention your about as sharp as a bowl of mashed potatoes! You’ve got no chance! In fact...” Siri trailed off, making me blow black smoke out of my nose in irritation. “I bet one humiliating act that you’ll fuck this situation over!”

I stopped in the middle of the hallway, which I had entered in my anger. The sound of sniffling to my right snapped me out of it, however; and I tentatively put my ear up to the door. Muffled sniffles and quiet sobbing caused me to grow sad a little bit.

“... Say something, dickweed.”

I sucked my teeth.

“Hello!?” Sunset’s voice sounded like she was in full panic mode now. I groaned quietly to myself, cursing Siri with a molten death before placing a claw on the door.

“Sunset? Are you alright in there?” I tried making my voice as soft as possible. It didn’t work too well given my natural voice and dragon-like anatomy, though. The pony stayed quiet, all sniffling and sobbing halting in their tracks. Eerie silence filled me with a gut-wrenching sense of dread.

“... Go away,” Sunset moaned, the sound of head meeting hooves echoing through the door. “I’ve failed you as a compatriot. I should’ve been more patient with you! Because I wasn’t, some stupid animal got to you out there and beat the hell out of you! What kind of selfish, prideful, arrogant, loathsome mare would do such a thing to someone from outer-”

“You shut your damn mouth and listen to me,” I hollered instantly. “This is not your fault, it’s mine!”

“But yo-”

“NO,” I cut her off again. “Let me talk! I’m not angry at you; I’m pissed at myself! I did nothing; NOTHING, but come here and grate on your nerves for hours! I poked fun at you; made crude humor in situations you found inappropriate, spat on the customs of your people for a good time, and ate all your food! I’M NOT MAD AT YOU!” I was breathing hard now.

“Then why are you yelling,” Sunset asked quietly.

“Because...because...” I shut my eyes and fixed my jaw, actually struggling to get the words out. It was like someone placed the positive charge on the words I wanted to speak, and made my esophagus the negative. The polar force bounded around in my neck, causing me to tear up from the feeling of choking. “... I’m an asshole...”

“... What.”

“I was an asshole to you since minute one, Sunset. I cared only for myself, and couldn’t really give two damns about what happened to you; so long as I got information out of you by the time you served a pre-determined purpose. You were nothing to me...” I trailed off, sniffling a little myself as Sunset stayed quiet.

“...WHAT,” She suddenly roared from within the bathroom, blowing the door off its hinges and into my face. I gave a cry of surprise, being sent back into the wall behind me. For a split second the whole house tilted my way, causing a bout of screaming to come out of my mouth as it eventually tipped back into place. “I endured all that BULLSHIT just to serve a purpose!? DO I LOOK LIKE A SUNDAY PAPER!?”

Sunset popped into existence right in front of me as I moved the door. Her eyes were reservoirs of hurt and sorrow. Even though most of her color scheme was red; the pink in her eyes as tears matted the hair around them did nothing to incorporate the new color.

I gritted my teeth as she swatted me across the face with a hoof. “Answer me! Was I just some stupid piece of information all this time!?”

The will to move my head back to face her was non-existent. Obviously, I was still conflicted within myself. One one hand; my apathetic nature was screaming at me to just get up and walk away from Sunset, leaving her enraptured with her sorrows forevermore. On the other; I wanted to scream at her; not in anger, but in happiness of making a true friend. A person I could count on to never hurt me, and to have my back-

My head was jerked to the other side as Sunset struck me again. “Don’t be quiet now,” she hollered, striking me again. “Was it all for nothing; the time we spent talking to each other and goofing off! How could you say something so vile to me, Silas!?”
I heard her hoof whistle through the air. I grabbed it and pulled her in close, hugging the hell out of her as I sobbed. “... Stop it... please! You don’t have to be angry at me, Sunset! I fucked up; I know I did! That’s how I used to feel about you! Now I feel,” I paused, feeling Sunset’s erratic heartbeat against my chest as she sobbed.

“...You feel what, S-Silas,” she hissed. “I swear to C-Celestia, you s-stupid dragon,” she half-yelled, half-sobbed.

This was it. No other situation could be more perfect than now. My apathy was going to take a backseat! “... Like I’ve made a good friend...” I hugged her tighter, crying into her shoulder. If someone were to come by, it would look like I was taking a bite out of her shoulder to them. “Not just some one time acquaintance, but someone that’d stick with me through thick and thin. You’re so much more dear to me than those sixteen years of fake friends I endured.”

I don’t know what happened after that; such was my shame as I practically bathed Sunset in my tears. The faces of my facades and transparent friends clawed at my soul, with my apathy strong beside it. The Station of Awakening shined brightly for but a second, the left half marking Sunset’s standing body against an orange backdrop as she stared up at the moon with from the opposite side.

I snapped my head up, ramming it into the wall after that. The image popped like a bubble after I hit my head, making me shake my head to clear the black haze inside my head; which also began to throb like hell.

Looking down at Sunset while using a claw to rub my head, the sound of her sniffling quieted down some. Her face was still buried in my chest, giving me pause; but I overcame it by lifting her head to stare into her eyes. “Stop crying, Sunset. You look weird when you do.” I smiled at her and rubbed my own.

“... How the hell did you do that? I honestly expected you to just get up and walk off, or let her self-destruct. But you did neither? I just don’t get you, Silas.” Siri sounded disinterested with a response, so I didn't give her one. If she wanted to be the annoying pessimist in my head; I say let her!

“And you’re a barbaric neanderthal,” Sunset shot back as she forced her way back onto my chest; almost crushing my claw in the process. “But you’re my first best friend! I haven’t cried on anyone before; not even with the friends I have now.” Sunset snuggled in further as I stroked her head comfortingly. “Before I came to Bullivia, making friends was next to impossible due to my passion for the unexplained and space. Others claimed I was boring, or a nerd. It hurt so bad; not being able to make friends.”

“Good,” I thought with a smile. “She’s opening up to me; a true sign of friendship if I’ve ever heard it!”

“Most of my problems came from the ‘do as I say’ attitude my parents had. When they saw how much of a prodigy I was at magic some sixteen years ago, they wasted no time in whoring me out to any self-proclaimed archaic scholar. My repertoire of spells grew unreasonably quick, and this prompted my family to try out for Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Sunset paused, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“Amidst my studies after passing the entrance exam, I would sneak in some stargazing and charting as my study periods ended. Overtime, my performance began to wane, and because of this, my father became irate and violent towards me. Every day brought about another laceration; some magical while others were physical. I began to wonder if father’s hits were the reason the colts at my school avoided me like the plague...” Sunset trailed off softly.

“I graduated at the top of my class, and was immediately taken under the wing of Princess Celestia herself. Of course, my parents got what they wanted from this; even more status among the nobility to the point where they were having their hooves kissed in public. Ponies worshipped them, and my mother and father ate it up while I was subjected to mundane lessons in friendship of all things,” Sunset suddenly exploded, making me widen my eyes a little as she got up quickly.

“Friendship, HA!” Sunset turned her head and made the sound of spitting. “It’s as if Princess Celestia herself was having fun at my expense! That bitch knew making friends was a delicate case for me, and even went so far as to drop me into social situations and have me be the star! I didn’t make friends that way; I WAS WORSHIPPED!” A stomp of authority made my claw flinch a little bit. “Ponies sucked up to me in order to have a good standing with Princess Celestia; even the so-called friends she summoned from time to time weren’t really interested in me!”

“Uhh... Sunset,” I tried in askance, hoping to quell the inferno of Sunset’s armageddon-like rage.

“NO, let me finish,” Sunset mocked, making me purse my lips to the side at having my own words thrown back at me. “I tried telling Princess Celestia that her lessons weren’t helping, but she didn’t listen! It was always, ‘You are young, and so, do not know what you truly need in life. I’m helping you, Sunset; you just don’t see it yet’! She encouraged me to follow my desires, yes; but she claimed friendship to be more important than what makes me happy! NO ONE GETS ME,” she roared, her head angled up towards the ceiling while facing away from me.

I rose my eyebrow as a response to that as she started heaving.

“Haah... Haah... Haah...” she panted, before turning to me with a wide smile on her face. Bits of her mane were sticking out at random intervals, reminding me of toenail clippings in some areas. Of course, this comparison caused me to chuckle a little.

“Finally got it off your chest, girl,” I asked smugly, getting up for the first time since this little spiel of ours began. Sunset chuckled, letting me know that she did. “That’s good. It’s not well to keep all that pain inside, so I’m glad you shouted it away. It’ll make dealing with you bearable from now on~” I teased with a smile, getting a playful frown out of the mare.

“Oh really,” she asked with a smooth voice. “You make it sound like I’m the only one with problems, Justin the Human~!” Sunset walked up and stepped on my foot playfully. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself a little bit more?”

“She certainly seems radiant now! Everything about her seems so... reflective about myself....” I shook my head and smiled, sliding my massive foot out from under hers as I strode into the living room and sat down on the couch; spreading my arms along its back like before, because the feeling of soft faux-leather was euphoric even against clothed appendages.

Sunset bobbed her head to some unknown song, but the word ‘smile’ was sung about three times before she hopped up onto the loveseat and looked at me expectantly.

I tilted my head up to face the brown ceiling, a smile on my face all the while. I knew it was ephemeral. “Let’s see... Well my full name is Justin Richards. My human age was sixteen, but this body is well over eight-hundred. I guess it’s fair that I start out at my childhood like you did!” My exclamation felt flat to myself as I kept up a fake smile, but Sunset was eating my optimism up.

“Well, ever since I could walk and talk, my parents would fight with one another. Humans didn’t worry about social class like ponies do here; but that’s mainly because our nation wasn’t a nation, but a company for bigwig corporations to have their way with. And there we were, the Richards Family; living in the small town of Chester. When I was ten, my parents got a divorce and went their separate ways.” My smile slowly started to vanish as I pictured both of the homesteads I used to frequent.

A red barn with matching farm house on some five acres. A shoddy blue townhouse with slightly cracked windows and moss growing from its fissures. The former belonged to my father, Samuel “Adonis” Richards; while the latter belonged to my mother, Candice Monique Richards, who was a busy cubicle rat that barely had time to play with my younger sister Natasha and myself.

“I lived with my mom and sister, mostly. Many folks around our little ghetto called us the ‘Oreo Family’, because even though we were dark of skin, our mannerisms reflected those of the ideal caucasian household and upbringing; which is normally viewed as luxurious in comparison to other minorities.” A grunt alerted me to how she feels about stereotypes and racism, but it also served as a means to tell me to continue on.

“I was, essentially, torn between the laid back farmer and the overbearing businesswoman. On rare occasions, my pops would make visits to our home while mother was at work. Those were fun, because he always brought his homegrown candy apples with him; they were coated with just enough caramel as not to stick on your teeth as you bit into it.” I wiped some of the drool that leaked out from the side of my mouth. “It’s because of his candy apples that apples in general became my favorite food, but I digress.”

“Didn’t your mother have qualms about her ex-husband visiting while she was out? You do make it sound like it wasn’t allowed, if I may,” Sunset interjected quickly, making me smile at how attentive she was being.

“Naturally,” I responded with a chuckle. “Which stands to reason that on one day when she came home early, and caught our father playing with us; it wasn’t pretty. I’ve never seen a woman so angry in my life; and the way she swung the kitchen knife at him even when he was next to Natasha and I...” Using one of my claws, I snatched up a throw-pillow and held it up in front of my face.

“Imagine this being a textbook.”

“Okay.”

“Now picture my face as it protected my life from the knife my mother threw.”

I lowered the pillow and looked at Sunset Shimmer, whose mouth was doing the job of a vacuum cleaners better than the machine. “... But... but that’s horrible!”

“No.” I waved my index finger side to side. “Telling your in-shock spouse to ‘stop dicking around and stab him already’ is horrible. I didn’t, as you can imagine; but that was the day I started to see things a little differently than most kids.” I frowned and moved my arm back to its proper position, blowing a stray piece of my mane away from my right eye.

“My mom was charged with aggravated assault and attempted murder, which also served to get her fired from her job as well as incarcerated. Natasha didn’t like physical labor; she preferred the ‘come home and study’ boon of living with mother. And you didn’t have to be sharp of mind to know she preferred mother over father, given that mother was the more outspoken and take action type.” I sighed and used a claw to pinch the bridge of my nose.

“She caused a lot of problems for Ol’ Sam and I; mostly because she was next to useless when it came to lifting this or pulling weeds. Growing up with mother had made her soft in muscle, and since she didn’t get enough ‘clean air’ as father calls it; her body wasn’t used to the strain associated with farming. Our daily chores consisted of plowing fields, watering the garden, feeding the animals, and cooking... and it was mostly me doing it, heh.” I gave a short laugh and sunk into the couch some more, eyeing down the tan ceiling fan above as it spun around lazily.

“Natasha held a strong dislike for Ol’ Sam. She claimed the chores he gave her were too much for someone of her build, and that he was giving me special attention because I didn’t like mother... which is bullshit; that my father knew.” My new object of interest continued to spin lazily, making me smile at how lackadaisy its life is.

“But,” Sunset said quickly. “She wasn’t happy living with her family, even after what her- I mean -your mother tried to pull? It seems a little farfetched to me.”

“Ha!” I wasn’t prepared for that one, and promptly guffawed like an idiot. I coughed into my claw in embarrassment. “Then I know now that ponies might not be as bad as humans! The human race acts as if it’s never satisfied with what it has; there’s always something more that they desire at all times, even if that thing is next to impossible to grasp... or wasn’t made for them to have. That’s just the way they- and in some ways, me-are.”

“... I see. Sorry for interrupting, Silas.” Sunset sounded rather downcast at my explanation, causing me to sit up and chuckle to brighten her mood a little bit. She did smile at my chuckle, which is a nice sign that it worked.

“Think nothing of it! Let’s me know you’re listening, after all,” I exclaimed, dipping my head at her with closed eyes. Once I opened them, Sunset was staring at me with a curious face. I tilted my head to the side as I am wont to do when perplexed. “Is something amiss?”

She smiled. “You have pretty eyes. I just noticed them because things have been so hectic lately.”

Raising my eyebrow in response, I responded with the ever-appropriate, “Bu-wuh?”

Sunset laughed as her horn ignited in that light-blue aura of hers, grabbing a tiny mirror from the corner of the living room and floating it over into my face. I looked into the reflective surface and smiled when my eyes made themselves apparent.

“Wow,” I stated happily, turning my head to the left so my left eye was showing. “The ‘whites’ of my eyes are actually black! And the pupil itself looks like a diamond in this one, but a blade of grass or shined emerald in the other! What’s that eye condition called when the pupils are two different colors?”

“Heterochromia?” tried Sunset with a hoof on her chin.

I snapped my fingers with a short grin. “Yup! That’s it!” Turning my head, the drop of fierce green regarded me with a bright countenance. “I bet they’d catch a good price on the black market, er,” I paused and looked at Sunset, whose face sunk into one of apall. “Which is to say... uh... huh,” I sighed. “Yeah, I got nothing for that. Thanks for the mirror though; I can’t believe I never paid attention to what my eyes looked like before now!”

“Right...” Sunset trailed off uneasily as she floated the mirror away from my face and back to its appropriate corner. “Well if we’re done with weird statements like that, would you please finish up your story? I’ve been wanting to introduce you to my friends.”

“Friends, she says? I wonder if there are any other ponies around here... or minotaurs. The only one I seem to remember was that little runt named Joseph... or something. Meh, it’s not that important.” I shrugged my shoulders, preparing to give a ‘Too Long;Didn’t Read’ version of my past.

Clearing my throat, I leaned back into the couch with a sigh. “To make a long story short, Natasha basically became my mother. She hated Ol’ Sam to the core, and despised me because I was pretty indifferent towards the strife in our family and such. Natasha’s the type of girl to hold grudges, no matter how trivial the transgression was; which means it only stands to reason that she’d tried to get me twisted once or twice.”

“Twisted?”

“Off’d. Killed. Pick your poison.” I shrugged my shoulders indifferently, but refused to make eye contact. “And it wasn’t just me. Ol’ Sam got caught in scandal she’d set up. It’s funny what a major in the Arts and a box of markers can spawn in the way of bruises or other lacerations. Natasha was small, so a lot of people believed her over Ol’ Sam; completely disregarding his streak of flawless-although-brutal honesty.” I got up after that and stepped over the table, headed for the front door.

“Wait! Silas, where are you going!?” Shuffling hooves filled the air as I opened the door and stepped outside, Sunset by my side the entire time as she finally caught up. “You can’t just get up and walk out during a talk about your past! Isn’t this supposed to be some crucial development in your character!?” Sunset was practically shoving herself into my legs in an attempt to halt my advance.

She miscalculated the distance between the front door and the steps, unfortunately, when she tried to block me off. “Wait! You shou- Wah!” Her outburst was followed by two simultaneous thumps before the sound of gravel path being invaded with horse body made me chuckle.

“Guess this means I can keep walking?” I squatted down on the top step and looked down at her. Sunset was on her back with her face peering up at mine.

“Don’t start,” Sunset warned and made the motion of slicing someone’s neck with her hoof. I laughed at this and sat down, waiting for her to get up and reacquire her bearings. She did so with gusto, using a hoof to dust herself off. Turning around, she gave a short harrumph and walked down the dirt path. “Come along, now.”

I watched her for a minute, walking with a slight pep in her step that wasn’t there before. This normally unnoticeable change caused me to chuckle as I followed after her. The pace of a pony compared to mine was in my favor by miles, meaning that catching up to her wasn’t a problem.

And it was like this that we made our way down the path and into the forest, where we took an abrupt right onto another path.

“... And that’s how I rescued the baby duckling from a wild dog.” At the end of my story, Sunset prodded my arm with her head; specifically, where I was bitten.

“But weren’t you scared? We ponies have wings and magic, with an uncanny amount of stamina for those that don’t; but humans? I guess your ingenuity and will is a trait most ponies will never have, but I find myself wondering if your kind knows the difference between willpower and stupidity,” Sunset teased, poking me in the same arm with her horn as we came close to a patch of bright light at the end of this path.

“Sadly, I don’t. If I want something, because of the way Ol’ Sam taught me; I’m more than prone to chase it down until it’s mine. Most of the time, the object I desire is intangible... or fleeting; but eh, what are you gonna do, right?” I placed both my claws behind my head and began whistling a tune similar to a song I like.

It was light-hearted, and reminded me of the times I would just lay on top of the barn roof and gaze up at the night sky. I could feel the cool winds of autumn playing on my skin like little leaflets, while the moon orchestrated the hints and shades of precious night; treating each and every star like its newborn as it cradled them under her watchful gaze.

“... I’ve never heard a song like that...” Sunset breathed. “What is it? It sounds magnificent... if not a little plain, or missing something.”

“Moonlight Sonata,” I answered in earnest. “Oh, that’s right; you guys don’t have Beethoven! Awww man, you Equisians are missing out! I just wish there was a piano around here so I could play it the way it was meant to be played!”

Sunset merely chuckled at my enthusiasm towards great pieces of music as we cleared the forest, coming to stand in front of a large array of grassland and some rolling hills. In the distance were these cobblestone houses with hay roofing... which required me to use my Draconic Sight to see in detail. The houses themselves were about twenty-feet in height.

But the house that was closer to us was not; in fact, it was larger.

About three stories high, and about twenty feet long... if that. And a tiny garden flanked by white gates opened up towards us; a dirt path made of soft brown earth leading right up to a lime-green screen door.

“So is this the house of that one minotaur boy you were playing with,” I asked as we strode up to the door. Sunset hummed her affirmation. “And we’re getting ready to meet... Jack! That was his name! Yes! We’re getting ready to meet Jack’s parents, right?”

Another hum.

“Always wanted to meet a minotaur! This is going to be so interesting!” I knocked on the screen door, and smiled when a southern-but-motherly ‘Coming!’ came as a response.

Meeting the Maples [Rewritten]

View Online

I dig cemetaries, not graves.

The living room of this farmhouse was rather dapper and well-kept. It reminded me of Ol’ Sam’s farmhouse living room, too. It was basically a square room, with a long table in between two couches, which also served to flank a cozy fireplace. Because it was autumn here, their fireplace was crackling happily.

And when I say their, I mean-

“Martha, it’s good to see you again,” Sunset exclaimed happily as she sat next to me on the couch opposite to the three minotaurs. White plates containing pieces of fresh apple pie with cool whip topping sat below us all on the table. Sunset had taken a dainty bite out of hers, before pushing her slice over to me with a smile; and the gesture was welcomed with great amounts of satisfaction on The Fester’s behalf as I practically shoveled the sweet morsel down.

“Oh, stop it, Shimmer,” Martha, the dark-brown sow with a braided black ponytail tied off with a red ribbon around the knot, sat next to her husband, holding a white mug against her tan full-body evening blouse. Her blue-green eyes radiated a southern comfort that reminded me too much of Ol’ Sam, but if he was a female. “I’ve been told you to call me Mable, sugah! And who’s your friend?” Martha was now looking at me with a smile... which seemed a little... hungry.

“Why hungry, you jackass!? That makes it sound like she’s plotting to eat you up... in a cougar/MILF sense! Being the gentleman that you are, such thoughts are utterly against the Code of Sophistication!” I took one of my left arm off the back of the couch and rested my chin on it, hoping to conceal that line of disrespectful thinking with a laid back attitude.

“It’s nice to meet you, Maple family. I’m Silas Epista, an alien from another world.” I tilted my head towards them; a notion only Lumber seemed interested in returning. Martha just smiled sweetly and sipped her tea, while Jack continued playing with a- I swear to God -rubix cube. “I can’t really tell you too much about myself, seeing as how I woke up with amnesia. I’ve remembered snippets and whatnot; trivial things and the like, you see.”

Lumber scratched his neck with a monstrous hand. The bull was built like a ussuri bear, which meant that every muscle bulged with obscene amounts of power as he did even the most mundane of actions... like talking, for example. “So Jack wasn’t tellin’ fibs?” Lumber shrugged his shoulders as he said this while lifting a cup of tea to his mouth, making me feel sorry for the teacup pinched between his large thumb and index finger.

“You’re taller than that bloke, and possibly just as strong,” I thought with a little glance his way, going unnoticed by the others. “If push comes to shove, I could probably make quick work of him with my claws and teeth. Wait...” I frowned and downed the rest of my tea, giving nary a care at how hot is was; especially when the steaming mixture drew the attention of Sunset, who gave a hiss at the sound of hot tea splashing at the back of my throat. “Why am I thinking about fighting the Maples? Calm yourself, Richards.”

“No, he wasn’t,” Martha added with a pat on Lumber’s massive boulder of a shoulder. “You should have more faith in our son’s words! Jack hasn’t fibbed to us since he popped out; you know that!” The sow narrowed her eyes at Lumber, who coughed into his hand and turned away from her gaze. “Ugh, bulls...” Martha stated with a roll of her eyes, turning her attention back to me as Lumber got up and hurried towards the door on our left.

“I bet it must be scary; coming to a new planet, that is. I just wanna be the first to welcome you into Bullivia, or more accurately, Stonehaven! It’s a quiet place, but you seem pretty accustomed to quiet life!” Setting down her tea cup, Martha picked up her plate and ate a piece of her pie.

I leaned back in response, placing the arm I had removed back onto the couch. “You could say that, Mrs. Maple. I’ve actually tasted both the quiet serenity of farm towns like Stonehaven, and the bustling scene of more metropolitan areas.” I sighed at my empty teacup, wishing there was a little more of that refreshing beverage inside its confines.

“So what do you plan on doing,” Martha inquired, causing me to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I have a public reveal to attend. I should have mentioned this sooner to my best friend, but Princess Luna has acquiesced to showcasing my harmlessness to the denizens of Equis.”

“PFFFFFTTTT!”

I nearly jumped as my head turned of its own volition to look at Sunset, who was trying to apologize profusely to a soggy Jack Maple. “Oh my gosh; Jack, are you alright? Here, let me get you a napkin!”

“I didn’t know it was possible to have that much tea in your mouth at one time, but this is a world filled with creatures from mythos, so I guess it’s to be expected.” Over the course of my thought, I had begun smiling somewhat. That same smile faltered when Jack stood up abruptly and stormed off in the direction where Lumber had went; in other words, the kitchen.

“I got it,” Jack stated with an annoyed tone as he disappeared around the corner. Sunset held out a hoof, but slowly dropped and sat back with a disheartened expression.

“... So you’re headed for Canterlot, then? It’s a pretty far journey from Bullivia to Equestria,” Martha pointed her finger at me knowingly. “Even with your alien things, the journey could take you around a week; and that’s only non-stop flying to boot! You’d do well in stocking up on supplies before leaving.” She ate another piece of her pie.

“You talked with Princess Luna!?” I winced at Sunset's loud question, turning my head to look at her with a stoic face.

“Yes-”

“When!?” Sunset practically tackled me with her front hooves, slamming them down onto my stomach as she shoved her face into mine. “It’s impossible for you to have met Princess Luna! As Martha said, she lives in Canterlot, my hometown; on the mainland,” Sunset spelled out sorely, probably mad that I hid this snippet of information from her. She further showcased how angry she was by pulling on my jacket collar.

“It was during a dream, Sunset,” I replied dryly, getting a firm shake as a response. I was about to show her that treating me this way is ill-advised, but when her horn glowed to bring the golden poker for the fireplace to bear; I found my confidence waning on that notion, even if she was in the wrong.

My response, however, did well in alleviating the death grip around my neck. “In a dream, you say? And that’s when you negotiated a public reveal?”

“Yeah. I would’ve never thought the Princess of the Night was responsible for dreams, but eh,” I shrugged my shoulders and placed my finger on the tip of her horn. “She’s not only responsible for making sure her ponies sleep tight, but also preventing dangerous villains from having a chance to manifest within Equis, apparently.”

“... Wat,” stated Sunset with a blank stare.

“Because I am an alien, she saw fit to invade my dream. A brief... interrogation took place before she discerned me as being harmless and agreeing to publicly reveal me.” I pushed Sunset back with a smile, setting her back onto her haunches while hefting myself up into a proper sitting position. “Does that answer your question, Sunset?”

She stared at me for a little bit more, and the way her face was scrunched up in thought made me chuckle at her blatant attempt to find a hint of trickery in my words. “I... guess so...” The pony said unsurely, rubbing her hoof back and forth across her chin.

Rolling my eyes, I placed the knuckles of a claw against the side of my face and smiled at Martha. “So tell me about yourself, Ms. Maple. I’ll be honest and say I’m interested in a little bit of your race’s lore.”

Martha held her fingertips up to the front of her mouth as she giggled. “Now there you go; talking all formal and what not! It does sound more smooth coming from you, I must admit.” At the end of that sentence, Martha saw fit to bat a victorious wink at Sunset, whose response was to blow a stray piece of her mane from her eyes.

“As for us Taurs; there’s not really much to say. Most of our history lies within the soil you treaded in getting here, Silas. We’ve always governed ourselves, not really seeing a need to instate a ‘Head’ for our people, since we generally got along well. Farming was- and still is -an integral part of our society, as is combat... even though it has fallen widely out of practice amongst our people,” Martha explained, closing her eyes and nodding at the brief synopsis of her kind.

“Combat? I thought minotaurs didn’t fight each other,” I stated quickly, moving the knuckles on my cheek down to my chin. Martha looked at me for a while, before laughing and setting her plate down. Somehow, she had been able to down the rest of her pie without me noticing.

“I said, ‘we generally got along’! Duels were a good way of solving some common problems amongst our people. Problems like...” She trailed off, scratching the side of her head. Martha then pounded a fist into her open palm. “Land, Sows or Bulls, and Dominance! Maybe your neighbor was encroaching too far, but he or she claimed she wasn’t, for example,” Martha explained further.

“I get it.” I nodded my head in understanding. “A non-lethal duel does sound like a good way to settle disputes; especially if its something sensitive like a love interest or somesuch. The Dominance part, I’m having trouble wrapping around...”

“Oh, come on,” Martha enthused as she made her eyebrows dance at me rather suggestively. “Who gets to to be ‘Lead Steer’ or ‘Big Sow’? You’re a dragon; the hierarchy in a harem should be easy to understand!”

Just for the record, I wasn’t expecting that. Also, dry spit-takes hurt pretty damn bad if your tongue undulates against dragon fangs.

“C-C-C-Come again,” I freaked, wiping my mouth of any spit.

“Martha, he’s an alien dragon! You can’t say things of that nature around a male that’s never heard of polygamy!” Sunset was freaking out just like I was, but I have a feeling she’s not in danger of Ms. MILF on the couch!

“Knowing about polygamy is not a big deal, Sunset,” Martha tutted while giving me a big grin. “He seems to be handling it pretty well, considering he’s calmed down and whatnot.” I swear there was a wink that went unnoticed by Sunset right there!

“Dragon no likey cougar sow! Think of anything; anything, to change the topic!” I shakily readjusted a tie that wasn’t around my neck and coughed into a claw, using that same claw to swipe back my mane.

“You... uh.. you surprised me with that, is all. I thought talking about one’s marital ideals was taboo amongst you lot, heheh; but nevermind all that. How long has Bullivia been kicking?” On the inside, I was sweating Smith & Wesson factories. Even so, I feel as though that danger zone was dodged pretty well, considering I hadn’t a guitar or airplane to go through it.

“Well, when I was a little calf; my great-grandmother used to spin me tales about the founding of Bullivia. One of my favorite tales was about a Hero named Marble.” Martha’s eyes traveled upwards in remembrance as a smile broke out across her face.

“Great-Granny Honeydew was about as sharp as a bowl of mashed potatoes, but the tales she spun were wonderful! I believe the legend was passed down for a while, but eventually grew worn out by the time it got to my generation. Not too many Taurs hear this tale recited, so I guess you two are lucky!” Martha smiled at Sunset, but chose to wink at me quickly again.

“We’re definitely leaving after this... no exceptions.”

“Marble was born some years back before Tirek’s Fall, I believe. Back then, us Taurs lived on the mainland like the Alicorns and Dragons did. My Great-Granny told me that at the age of ten, Marble was already crowned as ‘The Greatest Taur to Ever Wield a Hammer’. There was a story where Marble took down a nasty dragon by the name of Sjach all by himself, and the dragon was a Black Scale Elder, no less!” At the end of Martha’s exclamation, Sunset gasped loudly.

“But Black Scales have impervious hides! Well, nigh-impervious hides! How did he do it!?”

“With magic and ingenuity, of course. Not only was Marble strong enough to move three boulders with a single rope; but he was also the smartest Taur at that point in time! It was hard orchestrating a fight against an Elder Dragon, though; especially one of the largest that ever existed... like Sjach. It wasn’t chronicled how he did it, but Sjach’s head was brought back on the backs of twenty Taurs.”

“Regardless of that, the founding of Bullivia was one not made by Marble’s will. He was, in a way, forced to do so. It was during the Great War against Tirek and his minions that Marble found out quickly; things were not as they seemed. He sensed impending danger for his people, who had helped the Alicorns and dragons push back the hellish creatures of Tirek, and ordered them to retreat; much to the chagrin of the footsoldiers, if I might add.”

“To add insult to injury, many wounded came from the battle as well. As kind as Marble was heralded to be, he knew it would take too long to get all of those injured Taurs off the mainland before his premonition came true. This marked a very dark time in our history; one that is revered every October 31st. We call this time ‘The Release’ because Marble had to let go of the sick and injured, just to save those who would survive the voyage. Twenty-thousand good Taurs were lost in that explosion of corruption...” Martha flattened her ears and looked down as she said that.

“I’m sorry,” offered Sunset, who was promptly snickered at by Martha.

“Don’t be, Sunny. They died knowing their sacrifice would be for the greater good of their people.” Martha lifted her head and smiled with her eyes closed. “The rest you can surmise, I guess. They sailed until they found land, etcetra etcetra.” Martha tilted her head one way and then the other, before standing up and stretching.

“Well, I have some cleaning to do. You two lovebirds are welcomed to stay if you like,” Martha enthused, making me do another spit-take and hurt myself again.

“We’re not lovebirds,” Sunset yelled at Martha, who tilted her head to the side, giving the appearance of being lost.

“You’re not? I assumed you were, seeing as how he responded so negatively to any ideas of polygamy; that made me think you two were in a monogamistic relationship with each other. Is that not the case?” Martha placed both her hands on her hips, keeping her head tilted.

“More importantly,” I interrupted, placing a claw over Sunset’s blushing face to keep her from interjecting my interjection. “Is everything you said credible? You never answered the question about this country’s age.”

“Well, Great-Granny Honeydew often said she was alive when this happened...” Martha trailed off.

“Yes,” I asked her hopefully.

“But if I recall correctly, she also stated her previous life was within the body of a squirrel, so I’m not too sure.”

“...”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I frowned and stood up, giving a stretch of my own as I sucked in a mighty amount of air to exhale back out. “This has been fun and enlightening, Martha, but I’m gonna have to get going.”

“Oh, did you not like my story?” Martha put on a face of hurt that made me halfway reconsider as Sunset trotted out the room. The sow watched her go like a hawk before her eyes snapped back onto mine with a cold efficiency. “That was the... censored version, if you catch my drift.”

I quickly followed after Sunset, not wanting to turn back and face that again.... whatever that was! “Oh yeah, I knew I wasn’t trippin’, man! That chick wants to do every forbidden thing possible with this body of mine, and she probably doesn’t give a damn who’s watching! I hope my stay here isn’t going to always end up like this!” Because I was so engrossed with my thoughts, I barely noticed as I barreled into Sunset Shimmer’s backside with my legs.

“Ouch! Hey,” Sunset shot, making me go wide-eyed and look down at her. “Watch where you’re going, doofus! Gah, why do I even bother...” She trailed off into a chain of indecipherable mumbles as we left through the back door.

Once a comfortable distance was achieved, I allowed myself to look back at the screen door. This was a horrible thing to do, and I was shown why it was in spades.

Martha was there, her fingers through the mesh while her face was plastered against the material too. Her eyes were locked onto my rear, and I nearly shat myself when her mouth moved to silently say, “Dat ass...”

“Sunset,” I asked quietly, placing both claws onto my rear to obstruct the perverted sow’s hungering eyes. “Can we never come back here, please? I’m s-scared!”

Sunset did the opposite of what I had asked her to do, and stopped. “Scared,” she asked, “What are you scared of!? There’s nothing but minotaurs and vegetables for miles!”

I hurriedly walked around her with a whiny “Exactly!” as the forest loomed before us. Sunset couldn’t drag me back here if she wanted to!

Birthday [Rewritten]

View Online

“What!?” I slapped a claw against my face as Sunset continued her lazing on the couch, face engrossed in this shoddy piece of literature called ‘The Heart of a Mare’ as floated a chip into her mouth every so often. “What do you mean, I don’t want to do anything!? It’s your birthday!”

“Meh,” Sunset groused, sinking further into the couch while pushing her face further into the book. I frowned from my vantage point betwixt her cabinets and stove, staring at the mare like I just watched her kill a bag of puppies with a rusted spatula. “It’s just a day on a calendar, nothing more, nothing less. Drop it, please.”

I sucked my teeth and leaned back, relieving my neck of the accursed heat radiating from the skillet that was currently cooking haybacon strips. The weird part was that this pseudo-bacon shit actually smelled like real bacon, even though it was made of useless pieces of inedible... plants.

Still, it is her birthday, and I promised that cooking for her all day will be her present from me. It’s not like I have money or something to go out and buy her a real present with. This is pretty much the only thing I can think of at the moment.

“Four days in and I’m cooking for a beautiful woman inside her home. Heheh, Ol’ Sam must be turning in his grave for thinking I was going to die alone. He’s good peoples, just a little too honest for his own good, my Old Man. Hope you’re resting easy, Ol’ Sam.” I sighed to myself and removed the haybacon from the skillet with a spatula, sliding them onto a white plate and down the counter so I could continue cooking without obstruction.

I cracked two eggs and let them plop into the skillet with a hiss, making me frown at the implications this just revealed to me. “I guess this means ponies eat meat here? I’m not going to question it; next time I see a deer or something, that thing’s going to turn into jerky before sunset!... heheh, before Sunset...”

“What’s so funny, Silas?” I nearly jumped out of my scales as I snapped my head to face Sunset Shimmer, who had somehow gotten right next to me during my inner monologue. “You were chuckling up a storm over here,” Sunset stated, leering up at me with analytical eyes as I avoided contact with her’s. “Stop that. Look me in the eye when I address you, please.”

“You have to tell her; as a man of your word, that you are contractually obligated by yourself to uphold every shred of truth! We do not sugarcoat shit, Justin Richards! Open your mouth and say something!” My mind was yelling at me something awful, and I knew there was no hope in defiance. I was going to say something whether I wanted to or not. “Say something!”

“You’re beautiful!” My voice and body was filled with so much confidence that I didn’t notice what I had said until five seconds later. If my eyes widened any further, they would’ve taken on the ridiculous size of Sunset’s.

We just stood there, looking at each other like slack-jawed scarecrows. “Ahhhhh! What the fuck, brain! Shit! She wasn’t supposed to hear that! SHE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HEAR THAT!” I continued to look at the flabbergasted face of Sunset Shimmer, whose mouth was doing a better job at mopping the floor than a Swiffer Wetjet. Of course, she wasn’t actually cleaning the floor; her mouth was just hanging open very low.

She continued to stare at me, and in a flash; motion returned to her face. “... Where did THAT come from, you idiot!?” I was zapped in the leg by a blue bolt of magical lightning, making me yipe and pull that leg up. Someone could make the connection that I was doing some sort of idiotic dance as Sunset kept zapping me, alternating the strikes between my legs.

“Ow! OW! Stop it, Sunset! Damn!” I continued my onslaught of profanity, and tried my damndest to watch her breakfast most of all. I didn’t want my hard work to be soiled by a mare’s tantrum. “I have your- OW- eggs in this skillet, Sunset! Stop shooting me already! Damn it all!”

“Shut up! You don’t just say stupid stuff like that out of nowhere, idiot! I hope you fry pretty good!” She zapped me a couple more times before I rolled my eyes and grabbed her horn with my claw. Her face paled and seemed to magnify itself a hundred fold when my appendage made contact with her’s, and she began looking at me with wide eyes that pleaded for me to let go.

“Oh no... please let go! Don’t move; just let go...” Sunset closed her eyes and started to breathe really hard. I was beginning to worry about her, based on the near guttural breaths she was taking to steady herself. “Just... release... the sensitive horn...”

I raised my eyebrow at that. “Sensitive? How can an appendage made entirely of what feels like bone be sensitive? You just want to zap me again, right,” I asked with a smug tone to my voice, figuring out her deception long before I had a chance to fall for it. “Well think again, Shimms’!”

“S-Shimms!? Who said you c-could give me such a nickname, you idio- SHIT! I said don’t move your claw!” Sunset started to shake very bad, almost to the point of looking like she was going to collapse at any minute. Her teeth kept gnashing in what looked like-

I retracted my claw quicker than the crack of a whip, my own eyes widening as the realization of hurting her dawned on me. “Oh... Oh shit. Sunset, I’m sorry!”

Our eyes locked again; hers holding an eerie mix between cold anger and disappointment, while mine were in shock at what I had just discovered. Smiling apprehensively, I scratched the side of my face in nervousness.

“You’re an asshole...”

“Hey!” I poked her on the forehead. “At least I apologized!”

And I never saw the blast of magic that knocked me out...

“I say we gut him and be done with it, boys.”

“You’re gonna have to get past me to do that, idiot.”

“WHAT WAS THAT!?”

“Cut the chatter, ladies; he’s coming through.”

I fluttered my eyes open and stared into the abyss of darkness that was the ceiling of my Station. Groaning while massaging the pain in my head away with a claw, I slowly sat up with a hiss and took a look around.

“If that mare truly robbed you of your consciousness, then maybe that flame in your Gem is a mistake. You shouldn’t have beaten Silas.” That voice was stuffy as hell, reminding me of some cheap noble NPC from an RPG. Since it didn’t sound like Silas, I turned to face it.

Once again, it was another me, but with dark-blue mane and green scales. He had on the same shit, but all of it was black. Everything. “How long are you going to sit down for, plebeian? Stand in the presence of royalty!”

“Now what the hell are you supposed to represent? I swear, if this is about that one time I stumbled across the MxM section on U18chan, I’m going to be fucking hosed.” Frowning deeply after that stray line of thinking, I stood up and dusted myself off.

“I don’t think royalty would be wearing such attire; and watch how you fucking talk to me, Lord Dickbritches. I treat you with respect, you treat me with respect.” A snooty snarl caught my attention as I looked back at him. He was grinding his teeth together in fury, his dark-blue eyes alight with a passion for bloodshed as he lowered his hand down towards the pistols in his holsters.

“Sylvan, that’s enough,” The voice of Silas boomed, causing the green Draconian’s claw to flinch right above the grip. Turning my head to the far left, Silas strode up with his claws in his pockets; a sly smile on his face. “Our past lives hold no meaning here, brat. You’d do well to remember that seniority, however, still does. Am I clear?”

“You’re only delaying the inevitable! We both know that Justin is ill-fated to hold his Emotions off for much longer! Why prolong it!?” Sylvan jabbed a finger into Silas’s chest, giving a cocky grin of his own. “Maybe you’re scared of him, but I’m not! I’m not scared of anything; my background as a warrior demands it be that way!”

Silas pursed his lips together and nodded like he got the picture. He turned his gaze upon me and nodded again, which I returned with a shrug of my shoulders. Apparently, that was Draconian for, “Tear off his neck and arm.”

Because that’s what happened... quickly. Like, so quick, my eyes had a better chance of spontaneously combusting than following Silas’s attack pattern. It was over in milliseconds; the bleeding-out body of Sylvan resting on the ground as Silas spit out a piece of the Draconian’s trachea.

“You’re lucky our souls were converted into Emotions, fucker. Or maybe not, since I’m thinking about killing you this way a thousand more times so you’ll learn your place.” Silas kicked the already-down Sylvan in the stomach, causing new wave of blood to surge from the bleeding orifice in Sylvan’s neck. His dark-blue eyes rolled up, he frothed at the mouth, and then went silent.

Silas sucked his teeth and spat on his corpse, before turning his attention back to me. “To think you repelled a pack of wolves without getting violent speaks volumes about your character, Justin Richards. There was a time I held the same ideals you did, not wanting to resort to violence unless proven absolutely necessary,” Silas suddenly yelled, kicking Sylvan’s body off the Station proper.

I heard it whistle all the way down due to the hole in his neck.

“So, you passed out again, huh? You’re really hurting my win-loss record, buddy,” Silas said happily as he pressed a claw onto my shoulder. “I’ll choke you with your trachea if it keeps happening, alright?” He tilted his head to the side and kept smiling.

I shrugged and removed his claw. “Noted. Now would you mind telling me what all that was about?” Silas opened his eyes and followed my finger as I pointed it at where Sylvan just went sailing.

“Ah,” he comprehended. “You’re a smart cookie. Now that you know the Four Dragons represent the emotions you kept under lock and key, guessing the identity of them shouldn’t be that hard. You really can’t figure out what Sylvan is-”

“Pride,” I interrupted sharply. “I hate that emotion with a passion. Having a little bit of it is swell, but when it gets to that extent,” I emphasized, jabbing in the direction of Sylvan’s flight trajectory. “That’s when people need to reevaluate themselves.”

Silas shrugged his shoulders and turned around, walking towards a female Draconian with a crimson mane and eyes that looked like me. She just had, you know, knockers and lashes. “Well, then I guess Ravenblood here should have identified something by the way she was yelling earlier, but maybe you missed it? Nah, you couldn’t have. She’s a screamer too, by the way.”

“Jesus...” I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed deeply, trying to eradicate the vision of Ravenblood screaming her ass off... because she fucking looks like me. “Can everything stop being so fucking perverted, please? First it’s comment about larger objects going into mouths, now this? God, if this is how things are going to play out from now on, you might as well kill me here...”

“Kill!?” Ravenblood was suddenly at my neck with a red kris dagger, smiling at me like a nazi would a jewish district. “I’d be happy to take your life! Why didn’t you just say so!?”

“Raven, cut the shit,” Silas snapped, grabbing her by the red jacket she had on and yoking her feral-ass backwards. “Looks like you’re going to need another good pounding before you make contact with him again...” Silas sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as Ravenblood whimpered like a dog. He tossed her over his shoulder like she was nothing.

“What the fuck is going on... and she better not represent my Wrath.” I sighed my damn self and crossed my arms.

“That’s the same face I made when Bolas assigned her as Wrath. I don’t even have to ask you if you figured it out, huh?”

I shook my head with a sad chuckle.

“Right, so when are you gonna wake up?” Silas tilted his head with a frown, tapping his foot all the while. “You’ve been asleep for damn near three hours.”

I felt woozy. Stumbling to the left, I barely had enough time to outstretch my claws to catch myself from face-planting. “What... what’s going on...”

“Ah, you’re waking up finally. Damn, and here I thought you could learn about the-” Silas’s voice scratched off into gibberish as a fierce ringing began in my ears. “Keep... Silas... me... Z...”

“...What,” I droned woozily, the mural of my Station becoming a blended haze of colors. “I don’t... I don’t... underst-” I dropped like a fuckton of skyscrapers. My face never felt so comfortable against glass before.

“Hearth’s Fire... ah, fuck it.” Silas gave up trying to speak with me as I finally passed out.

“Ugh... my fucking heaaaadddd...” I whined, sitting up on the couch. “Ow! It hurts to think! Ugh...” Grumbling to myself, I gently got off the sofa and made my way into the kitchen. Reaching the fridge, I opened the top compartment and pulled out an ice pack, laying it on my sore left temple with a hiss to accompany it. “Damn it... she didn’t have to blast me like that...”

“Actually, I did.”

“WAAAH!” I turned around and fixed Sunset with a steely glare as she sipped from her levitating coffee mug. Of course, I was intimidated more than I was scared. “Why do you always sneak up on me, woman!? It wasn’t enough that you nearly took my entire he- OW... ow... ow...” My rant trailed off into other words expressing pain as Sunset finished whatever was in her mug with a contented sigh.

“Crude actions like the one you made earlier deserve punishment, Silas. I was merely doing my duty as a mare.” She turned her nose up and walked the mug over to the sink and began washing it. ‘And while you may have apologized, I wouldn’t put it past you to do that again. Right?”

“She’s pretty good; figuring me out like that. However; two can play at this game!” Frowning, I put a claw onto my chest and feigned a swoon.

“Oh no! I have been found out! The always confident and self-respected Sunset Shimmer has finally cracked the complex algorithm that is Silas Epista; that. is. Meee~!” I fell back onto the counter, making sure to cause a large amount of noise to disrupt her.

“Ah!” She turned quickly, fixing me with a steely glare of her own. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”

“Let’s not talk about the things you like, ‘kay Shimmy’?” I pulled off the Fonz, pointing both my index fingers at her like they were barrels to a gun.

She jerked her head back. “I- wha-.... No,” Sunset declared with an exasperated shake of her head. “I’m not falling for this, Silas. And for that matter,” She declared with more force, bringing her irritated eyes upon mine. “Weren’t you the one that wanted my birthday to be fun and stress-free? You’re doing a wonderful job, by the way; douche.” Rolling her eyes again, Sunset Shimmer went back to washing the dishes.

I frowned when my bait tactic blew up in my face. “Ugh, does she have to be so smart? Well, I still have plan B... hehehe...” I kept my chuckles silent like my steps as I advanced on Sunset. Once I was close enough, I wrapped her up in a huge hug and swept her off the ground.

“AHHH! What in Equestria’s name are you doing, you idiot!? Put me down NOW!”

I kept spinning in a rapid circle, ignoring her cries for release while laughing. “Aw, come on! Isn’t this fun, Sunset!? You’re having fun now!”

“NOOOO I’MMMMMMM NOOOOOTT,” Sunset yelled, making laugh harder and spin faster. “PUT ME DOOOOWWWNNN! I’m gonna... I’m...”

I stopped spinning as I felt something warm hit me on the feet and pants. Sunset groaned once and hung her head as her green bile showcased itself for all to see. I can’t handle vomit; it’s disgusting and absolutely painful to eject from one’s system. So naturally, I promptly turned and ran to the bathroom with one arm around Sunset’s midsection and a claw over my now puffed out cheeks.

With my giant size, it didn’t take long to enter the bathroom and shut the door behind us. I dropped Sunset Shimmer on the bathroom rug and ran to the toilet, nearly ripping the damn thing off its bolts as I slammed both lids open and deposited my greens at the bank.

If you ever find yourself in a dragon body.... never. Fucking. Throw up! It is the single most painful, most unbearable thing for a dragon to do. Everything was hotter; like someone was dragging heated metal along the inside of my esophagus. I cried a little too from the stinging sensation, but the tears were knocked off into the toilet water by the lids slamming back down on top of my head.

I frowned as I panted. “Honestly? It wasn’t enough to just have a pony barf on me? Screw you, universe.” Even though I was angry now, the seat covers were cold against my head an offered me comfort.

“You’re so dead...”

I froze up, not wanting to turn around.

“I’m going to pull you inside out, douse you with lemon juice, and turn you rightside in...” Sunset’s voice carried no ounce of playfulness. I felt myself tear up again, but this time, it wasn’t from gaking all over her toilet. “Now hold still; I need to make sure you’re alive for this.”

“Wait!” I turned around quickly, and nearly shot my eyes out as projectiles as my mouth slammed onto Sunset’s. “I’m... I’m going to die... She’s going to find my penis, cut it off, and play fetch with a wild bear.”

We stared at each other, our lips still locked. Sunset’s eyes were narrowed down into little slits that made my scales crawl. Even so; our lips did not separate. “Ehhhhhhh~!? If she’s that mad at me, why isn’t she murdering me right now!? What’s going on here!? I’m ready, Sunset; kill me! DO IT, FILLY... why the fuck did I just say that? AND WHY THE FUCK AM I STILL KISSING HER!?”

I didn’t have the will to disconnect my eyes from hers. There was nothing for it, then. I was going to die by her horn while looking at he-... “Oh gods.... what is my tongue brushing against right no-.... NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!” I felt nauseous as my tongue prodded against a recently-upchucked piece of haybacon strip on the side of her mouth. It was like putting your tongue on a warm piece of sticky cotton.

My first reaction?

You guessed right. I fucking turned around and got rid of my pelvis. As I emptied my food tanks, Sunset had no trouble in making herself known next to my ear.

“SO YOU THINK KISSING ME WARRANTS ANOTHER THROW-UP SESSION!?”

I thanked whatever deity was watching over me at that point in time as I finished upchucking and turned to face Sunset. “Wait; hold on! Uh... let’s be friends,” I tried, mentally stumbling over myself as Sunset’s glare worsened more. “Eh!? Ah, uh.... I ... you see... my tongue brushed... or should I say slid?... uh... well you see; my- uh - tongue slid up against some of your bile, you see... and!” I held my finger up like I was going to finish my thought, but gave up and hung my head while slapping both my claws on it.

“Just... just forget about it. Do your worst, then. I feel like an asshole...” I slowly swung my head back and forth. “I mean, look at you! This is your birthday, for Christ’s sake! Not only are you the first friend that I’ve made, but I’ve singlehandedly stressed you out more on this day than any birthday you might’ve had; and it’s still daytime! You don’t deserve a rotten guy like me, Sunset... Gah, I’m such a fuck-up!” I turned around, shut her toilet seat lids, and slammed my head face first on them; surrendering my vision to the darkness behind my eyelids.

I gave a heavy sigh, really meaning everything I said to her. “Here she is, in this small-ass bathroom with me after that whole puking episode. Who the hell pukes on their birthday when alcohol’s not involved!? I’m right... she doesn’t deserve someone like me hanging around her. I should just leave.”

I made to get up, but I felt something on my shoulder. Turning my head to inspect it, the gold hoof seemed to beg for me to stay where I was... so I did.

“Oh~ no,” Sunset stated sorely, “you’re not getting off that easy, Silas! There’s a punishment in order for embarrassing me like this; and I think one just came to mind...” I tensed up as she whispered-slash-hissed that last part into my ear. “You’re going to say I’m sorry, and then you’re going to wash me of this filth with your bare claws.”

I swallowed the woolly mammoth convention in my throat. This mare could intimidate Gordon Ramsay if she wanted to. “You haven’t said those words since... ever! In fact, the only time Justin should use the words “I’m” and “sorry” in a sentence, is if the words “never says he’s” is in between them! Can I do this? AND WASHING HER!? What the hell is up with this sadistical... hold on... I can use that.”

“Well? I’m waiting, Silas.”

I smiled. “I’m... I’m sorry! There, I said it!”

Sunset tussled my mane with her hoof, laughing all the while. “See? That wasn’t so bad, right? Now for part two, my little dragon.” I gritted my teeth at that demeaning sludge she just called me. I am not little, and I am not a dragon. I am a draconian!

The curtain to the shower was swept back with her magic as I stood up, and she stepped in quickly with a proud smile on her face. “You should feel honored I’m even giving you a chance to touch me, Silas; after that stunt you pulled and all! I might just let you clean up with me if you do a good job...” My fists clenched at her playful words. “Although, you probably wouldn’t be able to control yourself, being such a boorish moron. I guess the second part of that suggestion will have to be redacted until further notice, hmm~?”

“Soak it up while you can, Cartman’s Outfit! You’re gonna be singing a different toon soon...” I smiled at her sweetly as she turned to look at me. Her aura surrounded a bottle of shampoo and levitated it towards me as she turned on the water with her horn also. I was amazed by her prowess in magic, seeing as how she was now alternating the knobs to adjust the temperature, pouring the shampoo into my claws, and grabbing a yellow scrubbie from the showerhead.

“How the fuck are you doing that? It’s like Santa’s Workshop, but with suds and bubbles,” I breathed to myself, and was relieved when my washable warden didn’t hear it. “Fucking incredible... so awesome... why are you so cool?” Her eyes snapped open at my last sentence as she looked at me with a blush on her face.

“ARE YOU DONE!? Don’t say such embarrassing things when I’m trying to concentrate, moron!” I was blasted in the face with her scrubbie, making me frown on one side of my mouth as it bounced back into the tub with a wet splat.

“Yes, I’m done,” I snarked playfully. “Should I begin scrubbing the Royal Ass, now?” My smartass comment was rewarded by way of a sharp smack of the tail from the mare who owned it.

“Silence yourself, you brute, and get washing. I’d like to enjoy my birthday outside this shower too, you know.”

Grumbling, I dug my fingers into her coat and massaged her hair. It was soft; obviously kept well groomed by the same mare who owned it. The texture reminded me of silk, and left the nerves on the insides of my claws hungering for more. I scrubbed her, though; quite roughly, if I may add.

“Not so hard, Silas! Massage me softer!” Another smack to my face had me snarling at her. She flinched a little bit at my sudden aggression, but kept her confident look plastered on that face of hers as she tilted her head up under the spray of water. “Need I remind you what I can do with my horn?”

“Need I remind you of what I can do to i-,” I frowned with a snort. “Nevermind. Turn around so I can wash your other side. I’m done with this one.”

“Was that a command?”

I growled at her, making sure to put most of my chest into it. I wasn’t going to stand for much more of this.

Sunset cracked an eye open as a response, using it to peer at me with quiet amusement. I could tell there was mirth in those eyes. “You needn’t be so forceful about it, dragon-man. You kill enemies better with kindness than anger.” I snorted again as she turned around in the shower, her head passing by mine as her left side was brought to bear. “You’re caresses are warming, though; have you had masseuse training?”

“How about I put you to sleep my way? Would you like that?” I snorted again, keeping silent as I pushed my claws into her fur again and scrubbed away. She hummed her assent to keep going, which I did slowly-but-quickly. In five minutes, her left side was completely washed.
“Now this isn’t so bad, right? You’re almost done! All you’ve got to do now is rinse me off... and wash my mane. That won’t be asking too much from you, would it?” Sunset cracked an eye open again to fix me with its mirthful light-blue pupil. I stared at it like a vulture would do to a pack of hyenas that moved it from its carrion dinner.

“Turn around...” Sunset tilted her head to the side, as if she didn’t hear me. I snarled again, my claws even cracking the side of tub with how hard I was clamping down on it. “... pleasssse,” I spat.

“Aw, you’re actually learning!”

“THAT’S IT! YOU’VE FUCKED WITH THE WRONG ONE!” Quicker than lightning, my claw found itself attached swatting her flank powerfully, making her go wide-eyed instantly. Her head snapped to glare a look of absolute distaste and scorn at me.

“What do you think you’re doing!? Did you really just- HAH,” Sunset yelled as her back legs gave out on her, my claw grabbing good amounts of her flank. Her eyes were shut tight in concentration as her breathing became forceful exhales that sent spittle flying over the side of tub. Her chin and front legs hung over the edge of the tub as she became putty in my claws.

“You’re not so high and might now, are you!? I’m actually a nice guy; your flanks were the only things I didn’t wash, but I think that’s about to change, hmm?” I narrowed my eyes at her and brought my muzzle to her left ear. “You’re going to enjoy this part a lot, actually. I can tell from that blush on your face that this is what you secretly hoped for.”

“You’re wrong! Let me go right- HAH! AH! Stop!” The cause for her two interruptions there was the slow elevation and descent pattern of my claw, which I had just picked up for her to enjoy. I made sure to move as slow as possible, in order for her to feel each scale rub against her golden backside. “PLEASE! I’LL STOP! I’ll- EEEEEE! UGH! Just stop already!”

I let go. Her eyes widened as he stared at me. “Evil... you’re evil...”

I raised my eyebrow. “I think I’m getting kind of hungry. Of course, I could help you finish up before cooking us both something to eat as an apology dinner on both our halfs. We’ve both been jerks to each other, after all.” I made to get up, but a golden hoof caught the side my face and forced me to stay still.... even though its end was flat and should’ve had no way to grab me by the collar.

Sunset stared at me for a long time, looked away, then kept repeating the cycle. After a long time, she sighed and prodded my claw with her butt, whining the whole time. Apparently, she didn’t want to say how bad she wanted it. I was done being a dick, however, and gripped her flanks a little more firmly than last time.

Keeping my eyebrow raised, I applied a little bit more shampoo to my claws and rubbed her butt for a little while more. There were times where her silent whimpering would turn into a low moan that made me question if what I was really doing myself a favor just as much as I was doing her a favor. Eventually, as I neared the back of her flanks, her whimpering ceased and transformed into complete, shameless moans that made me shiver all over. I don’t think I need to say it, but I jumped somewhat when I touched the middle of her sun tattoo...

“HAHHHHHH!” Her body gave out, falling onto the tub floor with a wet thud. “Just... just like that! Don’t stop!”

“Why am I rubbing off a pony off right now? No, I shouldn’t think like that. Sunset’s an amazing woman, who knows what she wants and how she wants it. She walks with her head held high, and confidence everlasting. Sunset is smart and attractive, and I should feel pretty damn honored that I’m able to touch her like this!”

“My flanks! HAH! YES!” I sighed at how much she wanted her inevitable release. Her tongue was cleaning the edge of the tub as I bent forwards and ravaged her sun tattoo with my fingers, kneading into the soft flesh as a blush came over my face. “CELESTIA-DAMNIT, SILAS! Ooooo, you’re good at THIS! Make MOMMA PROUD!”

“That dirty talk.... Uh oh. I need to hurry up! This shit isn’t good for my own libido man; I’m a sucker for pillow talk! I’m starting to feel this too!” I stopped my ministrations with a clenching of my teeth. My penises were bumping against my crotch scales, pushing on the sensitive coverings furiously.

Sunset zapped me in the face with a blue beam of magic, making me reel back and fall onto my buttocks. I shook my head and blinked rapidly, dispelling the cloudiness that had sprung up within me.

“She may be beautiful, but I’m not going to get her off because she wants me to. We’re not even in a relationship with one another, yet she wants me to help her finish!? I have standards.... now, at least; and this will not stand!”

I shook my head sadly and pushed her face away. “I can’t soil you, Sunset. We haven’t become anything yet, and it’s still too soon for me. I know this may sound weird coming from a guy, but let’s save these explicit activities for when true affection blossoms between us.” Sunset frowned, let out a whine of frustration shortly afterwards, pouted, gnashed her teeth, then gave a growl of disappointment as she nodded.

“Just a head’s up, Silas; I’m not going to be happy with you for a while, okay? I… haven’t done anything like that in a while and was really pent up. Get out of the bathroom, please.” Sunset’s horn glowed as her aura briefly surrounded the curtains, but she slipped, slamming her head onto the back wall by accident. “Owwww....”

I sighed and moved the curtains out of the way. “I can still help you wash up, at least. Would you like that?”

“Go make me something soothing for dinner, you oaf. I’m fine.”

I frowned at that, angry at myself for putting her in such a state. The way she described this arousal of hers, it’s not gonna be through a party and a tango before she starts feeling better.

“Way to go, Champ! Just when I thought you’d finally be able to clear the cobwebs off your dicks; you go and get cold feet! Simply fantastic!” I kept a snarl inside my head as I got up and made my way out of the bathroom, heading for the kitchen to start making Sunset’s ‘soothing’ meal.

“Cooking this took more time than I thought it would, but at least it still came out good. These potatoes took a long time to boil, and the Chamomile was surprisingly unforgiving in the way of its potency when drafting the tea. If this doesn’t put her at ease, nothing will.” I placed the plate containing the cheese and broccoli stuffed potato on my left claw and carried her mug of chamomile tea to the table, placing the arrangement down on her side of the table.

“And time moved way too fast for my liking! How the hell did we go from that fiasco at breakfast, to the bathroom, and now here to dinner? Actually, it’s supper time.” I frowned my face up in confusion as I went back over to the stove and grabbed my own potato.

As I went back to the table, the sound of Sunset’s walking filled the air. “What is that delightful aroma? Ow...” She whined and trailed off. “It hurts to do everything...”

I hit myself in the head at that; it was obvious she was in a lot of pain because of my jelly-like confidence to follow through in the bathroom. I knew simply making her a dinner made to put her asleep wasn’t going to fit the bill. Something else had to be done, and I was going to do it; I was going to help her finish.

“If she did what I did to her, I would be pretty fucking steamed. Ol’ Sam was a fond believer of the Golden Rule; treat others the same way you would treat yourself. I don’t do this because I am the son of Sam, but because it’s the right thing to do... and she’s a nine-out-of-ten on an attraction chart. She has everything I’d look for in a woman... except the abusive streak.... but I do piss her off a lot. Have my chances already been shot down?”

Sunset jumped up onto her chair and picked up her fork with a hoof. “What? How the hell did she do that? Once again, this land of minotaurs and technicolor ponies will take a long time in getting used to.” Some of her stuffed potato was shoveled into her mouth, and as she chewed twice, her eyes widened in enjoyment.

Still, she winced when the pain of her arousal and her head set back in; her mood souring in all but an instant. The potato was eaten after the cycle of bite, smile, and wince, carried on around twenty times. Her tea was downed surprisingly quick, making me sigh as she got up and maneuvered herself to the couch.

“Sunset...” I gulped as I trailed off, not really feeling the surefire courage I normally have. “Do... do you... do you want me to... help you with that?”

There was a groan as a response. “What? You want to help with my Blue Walls? And don’t say it doesn’t exist.. because it does...” It didn’t sound like a no, so I forgot about my dinner and made my way into the living room and next to her. “I thought I said to go away, Silas...”

“But you’re in pain... I don’t like the fact you’re in pain...”

“... Meh... it hurts to argue... it hurts to anything right no- HOoooooo,” Sunset suddenly moaned in relief as I used two of my fingers to rub her flanks. “Fingers are sooooo gooooddd....” I smiled a little bit at her enjoyment, continuing to stroke her bottom with a little more assertiveness now that a good rhythm had been picked up.

“This feels amazing... I’m gonna s-splash soon....” Her voice became airy, as if she were trying to speak into a cloud softly. Her head trembled, and I could hear her teeth grinding together. Her little butt climbed into the air steadily as she shoved her horn outwards! “Dear GODS, I’M GONNA SPLASH! rrrrrrRRRRGGGGHH! SHIT!”

I pinned my ears back at how loud she was screaming. My legs were soaked from her climax, the pants becoming somewhat flooded with her juices around the crotch area. This meant that the most unenjoyable of breezes was now plaguing me down there. “OOOOOoooooohhhh.... That was f-fucking amazing....”

Her hooves curled up as her erratic breaths turned into soft ones. “...Mmmm, Silas? Thank you for that; I was pretty backed up, buddy!” Her back end and tail were practically drenched in her essence; a sight that made me blush profusely and turn my head away from her.

I chuckled a bit and rubbed her back, massaging the tense muscles as she sighed into my ministrations. “You’re a screamer? I never would’ve figured... NOT that there’s anything wrong with that!” I didn’t want to end such a tender moment by offending her, and I feared for the safety of my health as she slowly stirred on the couch; sliding closer to me while flipping herself onto her side. Her eyes met mine.

“I didn’t know myself, y’know. Now get up here and lay next to me.” She blushed and averted her eyes. “Uh, and that’s strictly because.... well... a unicorn becomes, uh... defenseless! Yeah, defenseless! A mare needs a reliable... friend... to stay next to them, or else her magical reserves can’t replenish... because she’d be too scared.”

I stared at her, fully aware she just told the biggest crock of shit. “Aww, I think she likes me. Dear Lord... I might be feeling the same a little bit...”

“Anything for the birthday girl...” I smiled at her and stepped over her relaxing form, placing myself behind her. My arm soon found its way tentatively around her chest, which she sighed at, and scooted back against me. “Comfortable?”

“Verily. Thanks again, buddy.” She went quiet after that, and I found my own eyes growing heavy as the thought of sleep made me-

“Oh, you’re back.”

DAMN IT!

Games Gods Play [Rewritten]

View Online

"Sola is a kirin. All magic she should have inherited from her mother has been transferred into brute strength instead. She's also inherited MY strength as well! You might want to avoid her; she's at that age where she wonders why things scream when she hits them."

I was perplexed greatly. This was the first time since being on Equis that I had to look up at someone in order to see their face. And I was not surprised to see this certain someone was another Draconian like myself. Those things seem rather abundant in my Station of Awakening.

“Why can’t I just fall asleep and not dream about anything,” I whined, turning my back on the huge and naked draconian who had his massive arms crossed. “This is starting to get rather ridiculous! I know the Four Dragons represent the emotions I used my apathy to keep un wraps, but what the hell is with you draconians in showing up out of nowhere!?”

“Still your worry, Sir Richards; I am no draconian. But I am here for a talk, and I can’t exactly make my pride dissipate enough to converse with your backside.” His voice was deep and smug, reminding me of a well-played Disney villain.... “Scar! Yes, that’s the one!”

I sighed and turned around, working my displeasure at being here again out of my system. “Alrighty then, Mr. Not-A-Draconian; mind telling me how you came to be inside my Station? So far, only one human and a Night Princess has been able to do what you’re doing. My emotions are understandable, you; not so much.”

This draconian easily stood at a height well-over ten feet, with a massive musculature to boot. His body was increasingly painful to look at, mostly because his pure gold scales glinted from the light of my mural. Burning copper eyeballs sat on top of a cesspool of darkness around them. His white mane dropped down to his ass, and fanned outwards like a wildfire of white. Everything about him screamed, ‘Stronger and Wiser’.

I raised my eyebrow at him. “Is there something you want from me?”

He chuckled; a deep rumble breaking out from his baritone voice-chords. “Indeed, Sir Richards; I am looking to...” He twirled his claw in an amused manner, a smile breaking out over his face as I felt my irritation rumbling somewhat. “... Cut a deal, I suppose. It’s a rather simplistic machination, you see; and it requires the cooperation of us both for it to see success.”

“Hmmm, I’m not sure there’s much I can do in the way of helping this huge thing. He seems otherworldly too; like... MORE alien than the aliens I’ve encountered in here. I don’t even know this guy’s name, but he must be stressed for time if he’s visiting me within the Station. It wouldn’t hurt to hear him out, I guess.” I nodded my head at the giant draconian to proceed in his explanation.

He walked about my Station in a careless manner, his claws interlocked while pressed up against the small of his back. His head was raised into the air, almost as if he was turning his nose up like a snooty noble. “It has come under my attention that my name and my people have equally become forgotten in the sands of time. I wish to rectify this at the same time... and I want you,” He turned quickly and pointed a finger at me; his resemblance to that one poster of Uncle Sam remarkably uncanny. “... To help me.”

“And how do you propose I should go about that, Mister....”

“Io. Io Ninefold.” He cracked his neck after the explanation. giving a sigh of pleasure as I flinched at the unholy chorus of popping joints. “As you may have guessed... I am a God.”

I snorted in amusement. “Certainly explains your radiance, Io.” This snarky comment earned me a glare, which was hard enough to make me sweat a little bit. I gave an alarmed laugh, hoping to let him know that the glare he had posted on his face did wonders in unnerving me.

“If the cocky attitude has been contained, then I shall continue the explanation of my deal, Sir Richards. I trust this shouldn’t be an issue?” There was no hint of leniency in that tone he used, and I wasn’t about to press my luck against an actual GOD.

I nodded quickly.

“Good! I’ll give you the ‘Too Long;Didn’t Read’ synopsis, then. I want you to reinstate my name amongst dragonkind, Justin Richards. They have devolved from their old ways; where they would actually make sacrifices to me in the beautiful land of T’Rell-Vadriz; or ‘The Land of Glittering Scales’, in your tongue.”

My eyebrow climbed back to its ‘weirded-out’ height. “I haven’t heard of you, that’s for sure. I come from Earth, by the way. So call me crazy, but I’m not seeing any hardcore proof of your existence right now; other than the fact that you’re talking to me right now, of course.”

Io sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with a claw as he pointed at me. “That body you use should be proof, Richards. I smell the magics from one of my stronger children, Nicol Bolas, on you. He has been tainted by the thought of power, and during something called-”

I made a loud grunt, interrupting his explanation. “Yes, the Mending of the Multiverse! I already know about Nicol Bolas in his entirety, Io; please don’t bore me with an explanation of events I know about.”

“... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you I like, Richards! You’re so unburdened by us Absolute Powers, that you even go so far as to talk down on us! I can see why Nicol Bolas stuck you in the body of Silas Epista! I needed that laugh, Mr. Richards, thank you,” Io chuckled, making me turn my head to the side in unsurety regarding his sanity.

“.... Thank... you?” I kept my head turned to the side, utterly lost.

“You’re welcome! Now where was I... ah, yes...” Io brushed a strand of white from his eyes with a large claw. “You must understand that the Equisian Dragons have forsaken the old ways, which contained culture and knowledge. Instead, they live in greed and self-importance; quite the predicament in upholding the respect that normally comes when the name ‘dragon’ is talked about. They are viewed as monsters; devils that prey on everything and everyone; beasts that enslave and torment others! It has escalated to the point of sacrilege against me; which, for them, means invoking my wrath.” I felt a chill run down my spine from the glare he was sending at me.

“I am close now; close to completely wiping them from this plane of existence, and replacing them with worthy followers. I do not do this, simply because I love my children as a father should. Each and every one of them is precious to me, Mr. Richards, and I wish to save them! With your help!” He strode over to me, making me give a cry of pain as he clasped my shoulders with his burly claws.

“I want you to help me save them. They must know of the old ways again; they must know of me. And I want you to reinstate this fact; the fact that I love them and want nothing but the best for them. As the way things are progressing, it won’t be long until the other nations get together and purge my children as if they were plague. In return for helping me, I shall grant you a boon and make you my Piece in the Chess Game.”

I shimmied out of his grasp after two minutes of struggling. “I think you have the wrong guy for this, Io. I’m no hero; I’m me. I want to see this world in its entirety, and by the way you’re talking; you want me to drop everything I have in store and help these dragons that will definitely eat me because they have devolved. Getting eaten is not a welcomed notion of mine, I’m afraid.”

I winced for in anticipation of the oncoming pain of having my shoulders squeezed again as Io lowered his claws towards me. To my relief, his claws dropped to his sides.

“It is rather rude of me to assume that you haven’t any goals of your own, isn’t it? Unlike most deities; who truly believe all worlds revolve around them; I am quite understanding towards the desires of mortals. I haven’t any qualms with you exploring this world a little; it is a rather interesting hunk of rock in the vastness of the Multiverse. But I still must know your answer to my proposition; one boon and the chance to become my Piece, if you agree to usher the dragons of this world back into the old ways.” Io crossed his arms and looked at me with a pleading face.

“I haven’t anyone else to turn to in this matter. I could always pluck another human from Earth, but I believe you to be the most cohesive in terms of accepting a draconic heritage as your own. To be a dragon is to bring order to others and yourself; it is to live in harmony with one another, and to extend that harmonious existence to others. I see great turmoil in your future, Justin Richards; but,” Io paused, lifting a solitary finger and placing it on my Gem of Becoming. “It shall make you all the more stronger; all the more worthy to bear this weight. I, Io, the Ninefold Dragon, place my faith in your abilities to persevere and adapt.”

My mouth dropped after that. “He’s a fucking GOD! Why would he place his faith in someone like me!? This has to be addressed!”

“No. Why me? Why would you choose me over the next Average Joe? What do I have that someone else doesn’t in spades?” I backed away from his touch, not wanting to stick around much longer. This guy was so committed to making me his peace, I was afraid that he was going to pull a Nicol Bolas and do it against my will.

Io crossed his arms and extended his... four pairs of...“There is always another, Mr. Richards. But there is not another one of you. The one I had in mind was already taken; quite clumsily, by another Player... or group of Players. I can’t say more on the topic, but let’s just say he’s pretty split up about it!” Io chuckled at his inside joke, before choking the gesture off completely. His four pairs of wings glinted as bright as his golden scales, but were in different colors.

The top ones were the same gold as his scales. Going down from here, the wing colors were as follows: red, blue, and dark-purple. “Why do you need four pairs of wings? Isn’t that a restriction,” I pointed out, positively perplexed.

“They cramp in a small form like this, but are otherwise irrelevant to the question in point. Do you accept my proposition, or am I wasting my time?” Io glared at me, sending a couple more shivers down my spine.

I actually had no problems with his offer. I get a ‘boon’, apparently; and still get to see the world like I want. Knowing my answer, i tightened my fist and looked the Absolute Power in his face. “I accept your terms, Io Ninefold; it is your Piece that addresses you now.”

Io gave a happy guffaw, yet again taking a solitary finger and holding it on my chest; a short distance up from the Gem. I smiled right with him, ready to receive what could possible be a power greater than the Hearth’s Fire! I was so excited, that.... that... “... huh...”

“I have given you the boon of supreme comprehension. Make light of this magnificent power, and you shall see your destruction early. It shall be easy for you to detect deception easier, and understanding the native tongues of others shall become a cakewalk in terms of difficulty.” He leaned into my ear. “Maybe it shall help your personality as well...” Io trailed off happily, patting me on the shoulder twice, before turning around and walking away.

“Are you sure it’s me you want, Io Ninefold?”

“Do you love Sunset Shimmer?”

I went slack-jawed again, stuttering over myself like a complete idiot. “I... I don’t... NO! Where do you get off making jokes like that anyway, Pretty Boy!? Where’s your love interest at!?” I glared at the back of Io’s head as he laughed into the air, keeping his back turned towards me.

“All in due time, Richards. You’ve made an old drake very happy tonight. I hope to talk to you soon; it has been eons since I last had company this alive. Most of the deities are so boring...” Io groused, lifting a claw and snapping his fingers. His whole body shattered like glass, then disappeared in a wisp of golden fire that turned into little dots of gold magic.

“.... Oooookay. That was a little flamboyant. Now, how do I get out of here?”

“You could always try meditating, Richards.”

I sighed and turned to the left, placing a claw on my hip as Silas Epista came out from the wall of darkness. He was naked, too. “And I would take note of that.... why?”

“How annoying. It seems Io has begun sticking his old snout into things that don’t concern him. And you let the old fucker do it, too. For shame, Mr. Richards.” Silas placed a single finger onto his forehead with a sad sigh. “If only you would have submitted to me in the first place; none of this would have had to happen.”

“Meh, I do what I want. Your cryptic messages don’t mean shit for dick to me.” I shrugged my shoulders at him, turning my back a couple seconds later. “You no longer have any power, which explains your bare appearance. I’ve conquered my fear, you see. Making sense of these things has gotten easier...” I grinned easily and held my claw out in front of me.

“You still understand nothing, Richards. Although your earlier claim is accurate, I am not obsolete. Many trials shall come to escalate your fear, and I’ll absorb every last drop of it until I can safely take my body back. Unless you completely kill me off here; I shall continue to lust for my body. You will grow cocky...” He took a step towards me; I only knew of this by the sound of his bare feet coming closer a single pace. “You will slip up...” Another step. “And you shall be devoured by the same emotions you’ve ran from all your life.”

I ignited my Hearth’s Fire, watching the beautiful sky-blue flame crackle upon my opened claw. “This power is mine. My emotions are mine. Everything you see in this Station is mine. Which now includes the Hearth’s Fire. I shall continue to fight against the emotions that threaten to overtake me, Silas Epista,” I explained simplistically, not mad at him in the slightest for his earlier death threat. I turned around, letting him see my creation. “And you, Silas Epista. Your name, your body, your hopes and your dreams. You... in your entirety.” I snuffed the flame by making it into a fist.

“The Hearth’s Fire responds to those who have nothing to lose, but everything to gain. I don’t want everything in this world; only what my heart deems wantable. I can’t lose to Fear, Wrath, Pride...” My eyes wandered over to the cowering form of another draconian at the edge my Station. “... Or whatever the hell he’s supposed to represent. Now get lost, Silas Epista.”

Silas snarled at me, raising his claw to slash at me, but shook his head sadly after realizing that the attack would be pointless without the Hearth’s Fire. He opted to spit at my feet. “It’s the cool ones that fall the fastest, asshole.” Silas flipped me off and walked back into the darkness.

I sighed, letting the tension in my chest dissipate after avoiding a potential scene of combat.

“I’m so sorry.... I’m so sorry, Natasha...”

I widened my eyes and snapped my head to look at the hunched over figure. “How does he know of-” I stopped my thought and shook my head. “Of course he knows about my baby sister. He was tricked into becoming a breathing representation of one of my emotions; although maybe he no longer-”

“I’M SORRY, JOLEE!” The draconian in an all-black jacket like mine yelled suddenly, his pale-yellow mane showcasing many loose strands and holes within its body. “Just one last look.... for Papa....” Weeping; I have never heard such a remorseful grievance in my life.

“What the actual fuck is wrong with him!? Gah; I’ll find out soon. As for now, I have a nap with Shimms to get back to! .... Shimms’, huh? Not a bad nickname for her!” I grinned and outstretched my claws, summoning my Hearth’s Fire once more into their palms.

“Relying on an outside source for waking up is going to get troublesome. I need to figure out how to move myself from here. Now, the only way to do this, is to practice. Maybe I can use the Hearth’s Fire to burn the restrictions of my mind away? .... That actually sounds like a terrible idea...” I frowned and sat down, crossing my legs and snuffing out my flame.

“Meditation will be important in figuring this out, it seems. I’ve done it plenty of times back on Earth. All I’ve got to do is open my mind, and-”

“Sir Richards; what are you doing?”

I opened a single eye and looked up at Io, who had decided to grace me with his presence again. “I’m trying to figure out how to leave this place by myself. So far, my returns were caused by outerworld forces, and I wish to rectify this as soon as possible.”

“... Just get up and leave...”

I tilted my head at him, honestly expecting a second head to grow from his neck; because that would’ve made more sense than what he just told me to do. “... The hell did you just say?”

Io outstretched the middle-most right wing and dropped a stem of grapes onto his claw, which he then started to eat one by one. “Yeah, just walk out, brah. I should also mention that you’ll be racked by supreme headaches. Don’t even THINK about moving around when they happen. Eventually, they will corrode away.” He pointed at the wall of darkness behind me.

“Now go back to your lover, fool.”

I frowned and stood up. “She’s not my-”

Before I could respond, Io kicked me in the stomach, sending me flying backwards. “Shut the fuck up.”

I hit the wall and instantly phased inside it, my vision quickly fading into the nothingness around me. There was no way to tell how long I’ve been drifting about now. A bright light, though, made itself apparent to me instantly by shining down on my back.

Looking up, my face became the very definition of rage as Io floated next to it. “Are you gonna leave or not, Richards? The sooner you get back; the sooner you’re spooning that nice flank of hers!”

I growled at him and flew to where he was. I wasn’t using my wings or anything, just floating upwards. As I drifted, an image of Sunset and I making out floated past. Shaking my head, it disappeared. “Stupid dragon god.... placing irrelevant images in the darkness of my heart and shit.”

“You better tell me how to fucking leave this place on my own.” I stopped my ascent just before entering the white light. Io threw his head back and roared with laughter, then placed a claw on my cheek.

“You need only walk through the dark to find the light, Richards. Remember that, will ya?” Fatherly pats to my cheek quickly annoyed me. “Now go be honest with your feelings, jackass.”

I raised a finger to interject, but was promptly bitchslapped into the hole before anything could leave my mouth.

I blinked at the ocean of red and yellow in front of me. Sunset, from this close up, smelled like a nice summer evening something terrible. Her natural musk eased my tensed mind from being so disrespected earlier by Io. The anger that had welled up within my person was now dissipating at an exponential rate, making me slowly smile as a feeling of serenity blew through my mind.

“I feel so at ease around her. Why is that? I’ll have to ask when she gets up. In the mean time...” I inhaled deeply, compacting all the remaining irritation into my chest cavity where it would meet a sulfuric end at the expansion of my flame glans. “Siri, are you there?”

“Ooo, your voice got a little smoother. Now you sound like that one desired teacher all the high-school girls fawn over! Does this mean you’re not going to be a massive male-fag now?” Siri was, like always, generally uninterested in anything I had to offer. But this was a matter of great importance, and I didn’t want to see it spoiled by her sexism.

“Hmm? There are some complications that have happened, Siri. As it stands, I am unable to fall asleep. I was wondering if there was a chance my music library could be accessed right now. Are you willing to help me out?”

“... Wow,” Siri remarked in blatant disbelief. “Are you serious right now, Champ? Did you honestly ask me for something instead of just ordering it? Being courteous to others with a voice like that is gonna get you a one-shot ticket to Equisian Heartthrob!” snarked Siri. “Be careful with that alluring voice of yours now; else you find yourself surrounded by women wearing nothing but a bath towel.” The hologram manifested herself and an accurate pink IPod Touch.

“With manners like those; who can honestly look you in the eye and say no? I’m scrolling through your playlists now.... hold on... gotcha. Do you want me to play the one labeled ‘Feels’... whatever the hell that means,” Siri asked, her voice actually seeming to be interested in what I have to say now. This caused me to tilt my head, wondering why she would even bother giving me the time of day all of a sudden.

“Yes, Siri; that’d be marvelous. Thank you for your cooperation.” Settling back down, the sound of soothing or depressing pianos, guitars, and other instruments drifting through my skull. Once completely submersed, I found my irritation peaking at drastic levels from the lack of sleep that still plagued me. “This is starting to become insufferable and wearisome. Since sleep eludes me for now; the next best thing is to ponder my course.”

I sighed and played with Sunset’s mane. The locks were everything like I saw them to be: remarkably well-kept, soft, and had a lot of bounce to them. All in all, her mane was more well-kept than mine, but even mine kept its sheen and figure.... mostly. “I wonder if my mane will start losing its sheen and luster over time? I’ll have to enlist her help in keeping it well-kept, as I do not know the intricacies in keeping a mane like she does. Magic should be next as well; it seems rather abundant in this world.”

The strand of her mane was dropped as I idly switched to scratching he behind the ears. Her unconscious body responded to that happily, snuggling into my form harder as she sighed with a smile on her face. “A zone that causes increasing serenity? Noted. I’ll add this to the list of massageable places in case my services are needed again. Now back to the main threat; magic.”

I placed my head on top of hers, feeling pretty comfortable at the sensations being dished out from her horn. “Still splashing? Such a lewd body, Sunset Shimmer. I wonder how magic works here, anyway. There’s a couple of theories I have on it, but no actual drive to practice it. Will magic even be necessary while I have the Hearth’s Fire? No, I don’t think so. From the way Silas Epista was using it in combat against me, the Hearth’s Fire seems to be malleable in terms of shape and usefulness.”

“Still; Sunset could be a valuable travelling partner when I set off to see the world. Learning about the intricacies of magic and some low-level spells will only serve to increase my chances of survival; and to help dragons, if Io’s contract is still well and going. Plus, I actually.... enjoy having her around. That’s definitely a first for me; most people I’ve hung around have only been there to use me for things.” I frowned when the realization of that sunk in, making me slightly irritable. It was a bittersweet truth I had used an unholy amount of apathy to cope with, but now it’s been brought to light and dropped.

“The Hearth’s Fire; it’s truly an amazing power. I’m going to practice with the Hearth’s Fire when Sunset Shimmer wakes up. It’d be a good way to further our relationship as friends, and to master this new power of mine. When I used it in the Station of Awakening against Silas Epista, I felt the drive to win. I wanted to conquer everything that was trying to hold me back; to immolate my restrictions, even.... I hate being poetic on accident.” I sighed loudly, my thoughts getting the best of me once more. This action, however, was enough to cause Sunset Shimmer to stir.

“And so, the sleeping beauty awakes. Lovely little thing, she is.” I smiled as she yawned and stretched, a sigh of satisfaction escaping her mouth as her hooves came pretty close to hitting me in the neck and face. Those same hooves draped themselves around my neck and pulled me into hers. There was no other choice but to raise my eyebrow at the bold action.

“Hey, Silas,” Sunset droned in a happy but weary tone. “You’re pretty good with those claws of yours, y’know! And I’m glad you decided to acquiesce my idea of an after-splash nap...” She droned off, leaning her head back onto my Gem. “Who knew scales could be so comfortable; I’m going to stay here for a little bit longer, okay?”

I sighed and rubbed her head. “You’re still the birthday girl until midnight, and it’s looking pretty late, too. I’ll stay here, if only because you asked so nicely... and you’re pretty cute when you don’t know what you’re saying~.” I massaged her left shoulder softly, feeling her relax more into my body with a hiss of pleasure.

“Whuh-” Her eyes widened suddenly, and her body bolted up a little bit; but it wasn’t enough to separate us. “Oh, Sweet Mother Faust... I didn’t just say all of that, did I?” Her voice was one of severe disappointment.

I chuckled and eased her back down into her comfy spot. “You’re fine, Sunset; I’m not offended... a little intrigued at why you’re so relaxed around me, but not offended. Stay if you want, Shimms’.”

“Don’t call me that, Silas.”

I raised my eyebrow again. “This seems to be a recurring event; my stepping on emotional landmines, that is. Why are you against a nickname from me?” Sunset tensed up on my chest.

“It’s more or less the act of receiving a nickname that I don’t agree with. I’ve had some bad experiences with them, and don’t really want to bring it back up.”

“Awww, but I’m curious~...”

Sunset sighed. “.... I really shouldn’t...”

I poked her side with a strong index finger, making Sunset give a yelp of surprise. “Come on, Sunny; I just want to know more about you. My best friend should open up to me, just like how I should open up to you, yes?”

Sunset gave an exhale of resignation, scooting into my body more to absorb the natural heat I effuse. “Alright, but this story will put me in a mood, Silas; I don’t want to be upset with you after I’m done.”

“I’m all ears, Sunny.”

Her snort was not a happy one. “Stop calling me.... you know what; I’m not even going to argue with you about it. Call me that nickname again, and I’m going to pull you inside out.”

I sucked my teeth quietly and rested my head on hers. “Must you be so critical, Sunset?” I nuzzled her a little bit. “I only wish to know more about you, and to further our relationship as friends. There’s no ulterior motive going on, besides; we’d have to be more than just ‘acquaintances’ after what transpired earlier, no? Of course, I don’t know how sexual taboos in accordance to relationship standing works on this planet, but a tugjob from my planet is pretty taboo to engage in without knowing the person associated with it.”

Sunset grunted, not liking the way I had just talked her into a corner. “Fine, geez....” She got quiet. “...we can be friends. But DON’T think me to be an airhead, Silas Epista! You’re up to something, and- mmmm, why do you do that?”

I kept massaging her shoulders. “Because you’re being grumpy. Are you normally so grumpy after waking up?”

“I’m normally snorkeling in a bowl of porridge when I wake up,” she laughed. “You really know what you’re doing with those claws of yours.... mmm. If you were anybody else, I would have tied your femurs together and held a three-legged race with you, so you better be grateful that- Oh, a little to the left! Yesss.... that’s the sore spot from when I lugged all that firewood...”

I quirked my eyebrow at that. “Don’t you use magic? How does your body get sore from using a telekinesis spell that effuses from your horn?” My claws sunk deeper into her pliant body, and she began to nuzzle my head in affirmation.

“All according to plan.”

“The weight of the object must be balanced out on equal parts magical reserves, and muscle taxation. This is the reason most unicorns, whose special talent isn’t magic, are often left very taxed after lifting something. Their magical reserves aren’t great enough to withhold the weight of the object, so most of its weight falls on the entire body.” Her breathing was stalled for a second when I started on her neck. “Now that feels heavenly...”

Her muscles were extremely tense. I lived on a farm where backbreaking labor was the norm, and not even Ol’ Sam was this wound-up! “Sunset,” I asked, “when’s the last time you relaxed and released the tension from your muscles? You feel very close to tearing something.”

“... Six years ago...”

I rolled my eyes, wonder why I had expected anything different. “Well, I think I know what your final birthday gift is going to be. One of Silas Epista’s Premium Full-Body Massage Specials,” I stated happily, wrapping my arms around her and standing up. “Complete with scented oils. Act now, while supplies last!”

From the living room, I made my way to her bedroom and stepped inside. Closing the door behind me, my strides were long and fast as I reached her bed and laid her softly upon it. “I’ll return with the oils later, Sunset.”

She sighed, “Don’t take too long, okay?”

“Where do you keep them, again?” I followed the raised hoof that was the answer to my question; it’s end pointing to the obsidian-black boudoir on the left side of her room. Shrugging my shoulders while eyeing the plethora of drawers, I stealthily made my way over to the bedroom furniture and began opening draws in search of the oil.

“Second drawer, left side!” called Sunset quickly. “Don’t go searching through the other ones, or I’ll kill you!”

My face was already red. I was already scarred from what my eyes had fell upon. Only one drawer in, and I felt my sanity begin to wade off into dangerous waters. “So many.... phallic-shaped.... devices......” I shivered at the thought, opening the drawer she told me to go into instantly and grabbing a clawful of the oils.

I was at her bedside in milliseconds. “Safe!” Taking a deep breath to settle my nerves, I took each of the oils betwixt my fingers and thought about how to heat them. “The regular dragon’s fire would melt through this, her roof, and most of the forest, so that’s a definite no. The Hearth’s Fire.... I’m not so sure.... and I’m not going to practice this right now, either.” My eyes shifted from the oil bottle to Sunset’s impatient glare.

I nodded at her. She rolled her eyes with an annoyed huff. “We’re going to do this the old-fashioned way, then.”

Placing the oils next to her side, I began picking them up one by one and rubbing them quickly between my palms. My superhuman body heat made the warming process astronomically faster; to the point where I was laying bottles down after two seconds of continual rubbing. Eight bottles, two seconds being the max I spent on warming them, meant that everything was done in eighteen seconds.

Opening the first bottle, I squeezed out the oil onto my claw and placed the bottle back down. The smell of daffodils invaded the air, and I’m chalking my knowing of this smell up to Io Ninefold’s boon of comprehension. Without further ado, my claws found their way onto her left back hoof.

“Mmmm, you warmed that pretty well...”

I shushed her and went to work. Ol’ Sam had often said I should forget about music and pursue a career in being a proper masseuse or chiropractor. Because I was so good at giving him a massage after a long day of work, he often took me into town and set up a stall in the middle of Billun Street; one of the most bustling streets for business, and have me work there... shirtless. I have never been leered at by so many older women in my life.

Shivering from the uneasy feeling, I traveled up the length of her hoof, making sure to spend extra attention on her tensed up areas. Sunset became putty after two minutes in, groaning her assent to everything I did. But I knew this was just the massage talking, and not so much herself.

I reached and planted my claws onto her other hoof, beginning the slow process all over again. She grimaced happily when my caress got a little rough to work out a kink or two, but she quickly devolved back into content sighs afterwards. “You’re really good at this...”

Her right thigh was the tensest area on her leg section. But against skilled claws like mine, its defenses were quickly destroyed. I blushed as I eyed what my next target was supposed to be. Shaking my head at the globular thing, I moved on to her waist instead.

There has never been a time when I wished for my draconic hearing ability to malfunction. But when Sunset breathed out a “Fucking hell” when my claws ignored her ass cheeks, I silently wished for two arrows to take my ears completely off. “You’re enjoying a little too much, Sunset.... it’s starting to get uncomfortable...”

Seeing her dismay, I applied a little more oil to my claws; this one smelling of tulips, and started kneading her lower back, right above her tail. Multiple cracks rung out, and she gave a quiet moan at the release of the stored up tension. “I’m not going anywhere near that ass. The last time I did that for a woman, I suddenly found myself in my skivvies and backed up against a brick wall. I’ve never seen such hunger in a woman’s eyes before, and it scared me!.... she was pretty hot, though.”

I moved up, kneading her tense back as I went. Many more cracks and pops were had before I deemed myself done with the entire area in terms of kneading. Switching over to a soft press, my claws retraced their steps expertly, making Sunset squirm a little bit underneath me at how thorough I was being.

“Wow... I’m never visiting a spa again...”

“Yeah... I have that effect on people,” I laughed, finishing up her back. Her shoulders were next, and from there, her front hooves. The sound of moving air caused me to look back at her bum, and I noticed how her tail was wagging happily.

“Tulips, huh? Never knew you were so bold, Silas.”

I paused and stared at her head in askance. “Come again?”

“The Language of Flowers? You don’t know what they mean; the Tulip and the Daffodil?” Her ears splayed themselves to the side. I knew from Ol’ Sam that when a equine splays its ears to the side, it’s relaxed, so there’s no reason to worry right now.

“Why would she be telling me this? What purpose would knowing about The Language of Flowers serve? Besides, everyone knows the Tulip and the Daffodil are flowers of strong love! Just what kind of game is she trying to pu-”

“Wait... wat.”

“.... What,” I asked no one in particular. I don’t know why my brain decided to suddenly infuse me with the knowledge of this language, but I now want it burned from my memory at the greatest speed available. Unfortunately, my brain decided that this information was enough, and completely took what I wanted it to do for the reverse meaning.

“The Daffodil is a strong representative of unrequited love, while the tulip represents an unconquerable -or Perfect- love.”

“I’ve been with you longer! Where are my tulips and daffodils, jackass!?”

I grimaced from Siri’s loud remark inside my head. It happened right after the information was brought in, leaving me a little sore near the top of my head. “When used separate from each other, they can be used as a way to express your true feelings for a significant other in terms of liking them. When used together, they are a strong indication of undying love and affection, and are often used as a way to propose. Females can often treat this as being bold, and it is highly advised to not use this combination unless she feels the same way.”

My face exploded into a ferocious blush. I don’t know if my navy-blue scales could show red, so I’m guessing it would look more like a deep-purple. Shaking my head quickly, I began opening other bottles and smelling them; searching for one that didn’t mean a “strong love” for Sunset.

“Granted, I should have seen the signs. No one would stay for an after-splash cuddle up with another unicorn, otherwise... and I think I may like you a little....”

“Oh for goodness sake! No! Don’t like me! I need a bottle.... aha!” I corked off the cap and inhaled deeply. “The White Lotus is a beautiful flower normally associated with fertility and a strong sexual desire. In other cultures, it is representative of the female reproductive system, and new birth.”

“Ah, no! Not that one! Not that one!”

“Hey, Silas; do you really like me that much? You even went so far as to pick out my lotus bottle...”

“I’m halfway down the bed! How in the Blue Hell did she smell it!?” I was now freaking out, if my split internal monologue wasn’t a good enough indicator.

“Sunset, I swear; this is an accident! I don’t know when it happened-”

Sunset shifted, turned around way too fast, and shoved a hoof into my mouth. “I... know. I don’t know when I started to feel like this either...”

“GRAB ANOTHER FUCKING BOTTLE!” My claws fumbled with the bottles and uncorked one by accident, allowing its contents to mix in the air as well. “The Lily is a flower that is normally offered as a tribute to a culture’s fertility goddess. It also represents chasity, and when used with another romantic flower, can often symbolize the want to give up your first time to someone else.”

“.... You want me to be your first....”

“NOPE! NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE....” I locked scared eyes with Sunset, whose own eyes were shimmering with a fierce desire. I backed up and fell down onto the bed, feeling my heart thump in my chest as she climbed on top of me.

“You could have just asked instead of being romantic..... idiot....”

“Sunset... you’re too close! Your mouth is right on top of mine! Please stop!”

“... Stupid!” She started to laugh her ass off and fall off to my side. I frowned and stared up at the ceiling, the desire to rip out my own brain making me grimace a little. Sunset just denied me a chance to prove myself at the act of making lo-

“What the fuck am I thinking right now!? I don’t want to plow Sunset! Get your head together, Justin Richards! She may be fucking sexy as shit, but that doesn’t mean-.... Damn it!” I slapped a claw onto my face, groaning through it as Sunset continued to laugh.

“You should’ve saw your face, Silas! Oh, I’ve never see anyone put-off so much! I was completely joking.... mostly... but OH was that funny! With all that you’ve done to me, this joke was perfectly justified!” I growled at her, picked up the oils that weren’t used, and dumped their contents all over her head.

She sputtered as some of it got in her mouth, “Hey!” More sputtering. “Stop it, idiot! Bleh, it got in my mouth~....” whined Sunset as she used her hooves to scrape the foul-tasting oil off her tongue.

It was my turn to laugh at her displeasure as I settled into her bed. It was surprisingly comfy, especially with the floral aroma in the air. My nerves were certainly being stroked a little bit, in a lovely manner, lulling me off to sleep’s embrace.

“You’re NOT sleeping in my bed after that! Get up, and go get on the couch!”

“So, you would’ve let me sleep here if I didn’t douse you in oil?” My voice was smug, and I could practically hear Sunset’s blush explode.

“You... I... That’s beside the point! I need to take a shower; should you still be here when I return, I’m going to glue your scaley butt to the couch myself!” With a huff, the golden mare rolled off the bed and onto her hooves, practically stomping her way out.

I watched in mild amusement and a little apprehension as she slammed the door on her way out. Even so, I dismissed her threat as just that and closed my eyes, resigning myself to the soft tug of unconsciousness.

I don’t know how long it was before her bedroom door creaked open and she walked in. Her presence was enough to warrant a cracked-open eye in her direction.

“I was right!” Her whisper might as well have been a shout thanks to my hearing.

“Right about what?”

Sunset pointed a hoof at me with a smile on her face. “You were looking forward to something with that joke! You poured oils on me because you were disappointed! Hah, that’s hilarious!”

I frowned and started to strip.

“Hey! What are you doing!?”

I stopped the claws that were fiddling with my belt. “Getting naked. I sleep in the buff, remember?” The pants came off easily enough after the belt was removed.

“I- NO, stop that!” She stomped a hoof but didn’t avert her eyes. Her face was consumed with a blush again. “Why must you undress in front of me!? At least go in the closet!”

I held my pants over the bedside and made eye contact with her. “I keep forgetting that the ponies of this world view what we humans call their ‘softcore’ as actual pornography. I bet you’re feeling pretty hot and bothered right now, eh?” I patted the bed. “You should come to bed. I’m not going to do anything if you won’t.”

“Bu... You... I... GRAH!” Her head was angled upwards for that scream of frustration. “How do you always turn the tables like that!? You can be so infuriating sometimes!” I rolled my eyes at her tantrum and stopped midway through when a sudden stroke of genius came over me.

Without her consent, I bent over the side of the bed and shoved my arm underneath it. I felt around for a couple of minutes before smiling; something soft and silky making contact with my claw. I pulled it out sharply. revealing two pairs of bundled up dark-purple socks with red stripes. I gave a wolf whistle towards my new treasure.

Sunset gasped and ran over to the bed, jumping on top of me while flailing her hooves in a beatdown attempt. “GIVE THOSE BACK! DON’T TOUCH THEM!”

I held her head back with a claw and sniffed one mightily. Smiling slowly, I moved my left eye to look at her dangerously. “Mangos and strawberries? I think I understand what this means now.”

I have never seen a nuclear meltdown before, but I’m sure Sunset’s face could be the picture of the aftermath. “S-s-s-stop it! This has g-gone on for too long!” Her hooves came down in rapid flurries, and her voice was crazed and panic-stricken like someone from a nutward was talking. I didn’t feel any of her hits, however, and was too busy smiling like an idiot.

“This is your scent, isn’t it? Your scent of arousal, that is. In other words... ponies use socks to masturbate, don’t they?” At the end of my question, she stopped hitting me and plopped down onto my chest. Her horn glowed and enveloped a white pillow, pulling off its sheet to wave it back and forth in the air.

“I give up...” whined Sunset, who resigned to sighing into my chest as I gave a deep chuckle.

I rubbed her head softly, putting her socks off to the side and getting comfortable. “I’m pretty tired, Shimms’; how about you?”

“Stupid Silas. Why do you have to get to me like this?” Sunset’s voice vibrated on my chest as I chuckled at her dismay. She didn’t sound as mad as that sentence was supposed to be. I guess she was finally warming up to having me around.

I yawned mightily, blowing a plume of black smoke out into the air. “Yep, definitely tired. G’night, Sunny.”

“I dislike you so much it hurts.... Si’....” She went quiet after that; little snores being the only sign that she was still on top of me.

“Just another day, I guess. Sunset’s not so bad now that I’ve seen her in this light. She might be a little.... promiscuous... but that’s nothing. We all have our kinks, after all. This new power of comprehension is a curse as much as it is a boon. It should have far more uses in the future, though... whatever that entails.” I closed my eyes and found my consciousness fading quicker than normal.

“If I end up in that fucking Station again; there’s going to be a LOT of blood spilled.”

End of Apathy [Rewritten]

View Online

And this is part where you start running.... because when I sing, death comes in ferocious furry fury. You took too long, by the way; he kind of has your friends' heads between his paw, and he's drooling on your neck.

The call of a giant bird to my left made me flinch somewhat, but that was about all the reaction Altaria got out of me. I rubbed my head wearily, a little put off from the sudden call of my amorous avian amigo. Her desire to draw my attention was great enough to actually warrant it; so I decided a narrowed eyeball is what she’d get for her troubles.

As I peered at Altaria, her beak curved upwards into a smile.

“Oddly sinister... I’m not going to like what comes next; I just know it.” Almost as if I had signaled it, Altaria swooped down onto the ground and started to waddle towards me.

“You know; I would have thought that your mind would have returned to normal by now, Silas babe.” My eyes slowly widened at Altaria’s familiar line of speech. There’s only one woman I know that addressed me like that, and she was supposed to be back on Asla!

‘Altaria’ slowly turned the same light-silver of my Fester, and then started to grow until she was around six feet in height. By the time this happened, the last vestiges of Ouroboros had returned to their proper places, and Goddess-Queen Atharva stood next to my side of the bed with a gloved claw on her round belly.

I stared at the round belly for a moment in shock. “It’s been four days... FOUR DAYS. She looks ready to pop at any minute. How fucking fast do draconian’s mature, anyway!?” Atharva noticed my shocked eyes with her confused ones. She then proceeded to jut her stomach out towards me with a loving-slash-motherly smile on her face.

“Zuvais Epista Amaranth,” Atharva sighed happily, “‘Tis a nice name, yes? I spent the first day coming up with witty names.” She chuckled. I still looked at her like she was crazy, which didn’t go unnoticed by her as she blinked in response. “It seems my presence here has momentarily ceased your brain’s ability to function. Allow me to alleviate the confusion that’s surely tugging away at your sanity.”

I eyed her stomach again, wondering what kind of monster was going to come out of that thing. No, seriously; her stomach was the size of a fucking beach ball. “.... wat.”

Atharva chuckled and rubbed a gloved claw across my lower jaw, sighing all the while. “I’m not really here, Silas babe. The only time you met me in person was on the Ark; the Stalkers need a central hub to originate from, which means I had to be there. I sent a strong charge of Magi-Tech signals to the Fester in your left eye from Asla, which made them go out and consume a living organism that had the most chance of becoming something like a pet to you.”

She sat down on my lap, leaning into my chest while nuzzling the underside of my neck. “It just so happened that ‘Altaria’ was around. From that point on, the Fester in Altaria grew enough to allow full-body replication, or transformation. The bird herself is still alive; she keeps herself well-fed, you see.” My mind was still trying to process the fact that she basically took control of a living thing in order to feel me up like she was now.

“Uh.... Siri?”

“Yo.”

“... Can she really bend the laws of.... everything, like she’s doing now? How far is Asla from here in the first place?”

“Dude, it’s Aslanian Magi-Tech; it made me, you jackass. In case you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a fucking hologram-slash-computer-slash-artificial intelligence... motherfucker-thingymabob... with feelings. Oh, and Asla is approximately nine-trillion light years away from here... give or take. I rounded down, by the way.”

I have never questioned why anything works in my life. Even though I often engaged in philosophical discussions with a lot of people about why they think the way they do, I have never been more sure that this was slowly breaking my sanity. And I had to watch all the Thomas the Engine movies with my younger sister!

Sending directives to symbiotic nanites from across the fucking universe? These draconians are operating on some dangerous levels of technological savviness! “... How advanced are our people, Atharva?” It was a logical question; one that will give me a ballpark estimate to what this body had to go through before getting here.

“Aslanians? We’re pretty advanced, Silas. We own our own little System, after all; it only stands to reason that we would be pretty well-off in terms of military might and technological know-how. You might also want to take into consideration that Magi-Tech is one of the most perfect means of Science in existence; it’s basically turned all the planets under our influence into resourceful Edens, and we make sure to never outgrow our resources.”

I jerked back in response to that, which caused her to squeak in surprise from how fast I did it. “Outgrow? You kill off other Draconians; to make sure the numbers of your people don’t reach higher than what you can provide? Atharva... that sounds pretty cruel...”

Atharva sighed and leaned back onto me, picking up my claw in hers and laying it upon her round belly. “It is not cruel. The Draconians, if you may remember, have a strong sense of equality. We believe that what is taken, should be given back equally. Regardless if you’re an Alpha, Sigma, or Omega; we all make sure to keep to ourselves. War doesn’t exist anymore in our System; we’ve become pacifists whose hobby is combat. The universe is a selfish place; we offer a safe haven for any creature willing to come and accept our way of life.” She smiled at me. booping my nose with an index finger.

“‘Tis why it’s called the Haven System, Silas babe.” Her reasoning didn’t seem all that bad. If her people truly believe this to be the best possible option-

“Also,” Atharva interrupted my thought. “We have a strong sense of isolationism. There is no reason for our people to expand onto other planets outside of the Haven System. Expansion leads to interaction with other worlds, which could be a boon; although it can most certainly be a restriction as well. We prefer to keep to ourselves, Silas; simple as that.” I could feel her heartbeat through her back, and it seemed to have a desire to match my own.

I blinked at the ceiling that I had resigned myself to looking at. “And what of our... son. Zoo-Vye-Us sounds like a pretty good name, but what’s his future going to be?” The moment the question left the sanctuary of my mouth, my eyes widened in shock. There was absolutely no reason why I should have claimed that child as my own! I certainly had no thoughts to do so earlier when she announced his name, so why this is a problem now.... I couldn’t really say.

I didn’t feel put-off about it. There was no resentment for the child itself, just the mother that forced me to take a part in making it. “Zuvais....”

I shifted my position on Sunset’s bed a little bit, and then froze when another revelation made itself known to me. “Why isn’t Sunset in here!? She fell asleep on top of me, if I remember correctly! How did something as large as Altaria not go noticed by her!?”

“Your heartbeat’s picking up, Silas...” Atharva trailed off, looking up at me with pleading eyes. “Just a little bit longer, okay; this is going to be my last time seeing you for a while.... and I want to make it good.”

“What happened to the mare on my chest?” I wasn’t angry with her as much as I was a little miffed at her unwillingness to answer the question. Io’s Comprehension was running a mile a minute, scanning every smidget of Atharva’s body for any sign of treachery or trickery. If there was a meaning hidden in her words, my godly boon should have discerned it a while ago.

Atharva sighed, clearly annoyed that she’s being ignored. “She went off to go take a shower. By the way she smelled, you were having a little bit of fun last night. I’m not bothered by it as much as my body leads you to assume otherwise...”

“That is a lie! We did nothing of the sort, you crazy rapist Queen!” I plucked her on the forehead, right underneath that little shattered tiara made from her Fester Armor. Atharva hastily rubbed the spot with a frown on her face, giving me a short hiss all-the-while. “And why are you so hung up on me in the first place? I can’t do anything for you and you know it; a draconian with no memories cannot help you in any way.”

She glared at me for a little bit, before averting her eyes with a sad grimace. “You comfort me... even though you act so cold. There is a heart on the inside of you just like anyone else, and I feel a connection with the old Silas through you... because you act like he did as you are now... and I loved him...” Her face was quickly buried into my neck as she sobbed. “I just want to hear his voice one more time...”

“I’m not using his voice? Odd; I could have sworn my voice sounded a little too high for my liking. My human voice was deeper than this, I have no doubt about that. Wait... I’m starting to understand something...” I smiled in victory as my Comprehension ability came through for me again, causing me to clear my throat.

Atharva blinked at me in response, to which I smiled harder. “... I love you, Atty...” Silas’ voice rolled off my tongue easily, which caused Atharva to look at me with misty eyes before taking my mouth with hers. She sobbed into the kiss, but I could tell with Comprehension that they were sobs of happiness. Our kiss continued for a solid minute or so, before she slowly separated herself with a smile.

“Thank you.... so much....” Quicker than a whip’s snap, her body transformed back into the Bullivian Gigantecles I had come to call my own. Altaria squawked at me joyously, flapping into my face in order to nuzzle me. Of course, this mean her feathers found their way into my mouth against my will.

Sputtering, I called out to Altaria, “Alright! Alright! I get it!” In response to this, she flew onto my shoulder and stayed there. Her talons didn’t break through my scales, and mostly felt like someone was poking me with a marble. Shaking my head at how weird this day is already starting to be, I got off the bed and made my way over to the door; hoping to get into the kitchen and cook something for Sunset and myself.

When I opened the door, I felt my Adam’s Apple drop into my coccyx as Sunset fell against me with the side of her head. Her body was kept perfectly balanced on my toned legs, but she looked like an fall waiting to happen. I allowed her to pick herself back up, ignoring how funny it would be to watch her fall.

Her face immediately contorted into a harsh glare. “And who the hell was that!? Why was she in my room, and in my house!?” Her horn ignited into a swirling blue-green fire that made me a little miffed. She had every intention of blasting me unless I told her something.

I decided to tell her the truth.

“A rapist,” I answered with a shrug of my shoulders, leaning against the door frame while crossing my arms underneath my pecs. “Apparently, she wanted to let me know how fast her child was growing, and that I should know his name... she never answered what was to become of him though, which has me slightly worried.”

Sunset’s left eye twitched in confusion as her horn snuffed itself, leaving behind a solid wisp of smoke. “.... A rapist... in my house...”

“Uh...” I droned sarcastically. “Yeah, there was totally a rapist in your house. I mean it, too. She already raped me once; I’m actually kind of glad you came when you did. That woman is a bit feisty when she’s in the mood for, you know... ‘forcey fun time’, so to speak.” I awaited some type of response from the evening-colored mare. She simply looked at me, blinking at random intervals.

“I want to know everything about the first encounter right now, and whoever it is she loves. I know she wasn’t talking about you, because when your voice changed, she broke down into tears! And if I find out you’re telling lies...” Sunset’s horn flared again as she rammed me with it, pushing me into the room while slamming the door behind us.

“Fine... I have no reason to keep such trivial things hidden from you. Atharva is actually a Queen for this body’s people; the Draconians. They reside on their homeworld, Asla, in a system called the Haven System some nine-trillion light years away. She used my body after knocking me unconscious on the Ark to get a child that would cause a revolutionary war to stop.” I walked back over to her bed and sat down, resting my arms on my knees. I don’t even know if she followed me over here.

“This body belonged to a being by the name of Silas Tre’Rexum Epista, who was the leader of the Sigma Draconians; a mix between the only other two breeds of them, Alpha and Omega. These hybrids are strong in both the technological field, and the arcane. Silas was a great person until he the war started, where he wasted no time in showing what a true monster he was. Families were decimated, lovers torn asunder; whole lands destroyed within a matter of days.” I shook my head and sighed.

“And now... he’s inside me. Silas Epista from Asla acts as an embodiment to my Fear, one of the emotions I kept under wraps with my apathy. When I lay down to dream, I fall into a place called the Station of Awakening, which depicts fated occurrences by way of colorful sun-catcher-styled murals of stained glass. There are a total of Four Dragons I must overcome; each of them bearing an emotion I had locked away. Wrath, Fear, Doubt, and Pride.” I counted the four off on my claws for added effect, and to show how serious I was if she was paying attention.

“This would have normally gone unnoticed by me, but during one of my visits to the Station, I ran into another ‘draconian’. I use that term loosely, for it was actually a Dragon God named Io Ninefold. In exchange for me helping the dragons of this world get set back on the path of culture and peace, he imparted me with the gift of Comprehension; this in turn, allows me to understand foreign languages and whatnot easily, even body language. I used this newfound ability to determine what my Four Dragons were during this conversation with you, actually.” A feeling of laziness came over me, and I let it drag me down into the bed with a big plop.

“The Emotions I Resent the Most; it’s a good title for them besides The Four Dragons. I never realized how much entertaining bullshit has happened so far,” I turned my head and peered off at Sunset, who was sitting on the floor looking at me from the foot of her bed. “Least I got a good friend out of it, eh? You even took the time to sit there and listen to me gab your ears off. You’re really something, y’know that?” I cracked a satisfied smile at her, feeling a weight being lifted from my chest.

Sunset still looked pretty unsure about everything I just told her. Her face held a permanent grimace, as if some doctor was approaching her hoof with a needle and kept telling her “Here it comes.”

Her unnerved appearance did not go unnoticed by my keen eye. “Just to let you know, half of that was a complete surprise to me. Everything feels so new and foreign..... weird even. Guess this is what I get for wishing on a star that something interesting would finally happen to me.” Raising my claws into the air, I willed myself to manifest the Hearth’s Fire.

My claws, even when balled into fists, ignited the sky-blue flame for me. “This is the Hearth’s Fire, Sunset. As Silas has told me, it’s a power I should never want to use, especially around the ones I care for. It’s meant for destruction, and can even challenge the Absolute Powers of existence themselves; the Gods. I don’t see how a measly flame like this can cause so much humdrum.” I lowered the output so that I was bouncing a small fireball back and forth between my index fingers.

“I want to know more about it, and I think it’s going to be my ticket in restoring the dragons back to their old selves.... and fighting The Emotions I Resent the Most. They all seemed so strong, Sunset; so confident in their ability to crush me under foot... I don’t know if I’ll be able to face them in mortal combat. I’m pretty sure my soul will be put in that dreadful place for all eternity too, and it... it... it scares me. I-I don’t w-want to die!” I have no idea why it was suddenly becoming hard to breathe. This could be one of those panic attacks I saw Natasha suffer from back on Earth.

There was silence for a painful amount of time, and I could practically hear the cogs turning in Sunset’s head before she spoke up. “... Then don’t. You don’t die. You get in there, and you kick their ass.” I sat up and looked at her like she was crazy.

“These beings come from a planet that outranks my own in terms of magic and physical aptitude! I can’t fight them; they’ll fucking destroy me!” I jammed a finger onto my temple in rising irritation. “Use the grey matter in your head, Sunset! I’m not going to fight them at all! I’m going to avoid my Station like the dickens! That’d be the smart thing to do!”

“They’re going to kill me one day! I know that it’s true! There’s nothing you can do to help me with this problem of mine! Your words only go so far, Sunset!” I was now breathing heavily as Sunset glared at me. It hurt to look into those eyes, almost as if my brain was siding with her in this argument, and sent my lungs as mobsters to fuck up my chest a little bit; such was the pain emanating from that area.

“Well excuse the absolute FUCK out of me for trying to help you, Silas! You seemed pretty fucking sure of yourself three days ago! What happened to that confident asshole, huh!? Has he suddenly dropped his dick and balls somewhere!?” I reeled back from her venomous strike, hardly believing my own ears that she had just said all that.

Even so, I wasn’t done trying to make her see reason. “Listen to me, you daft mustard bottle! I can’t fight them! It’s impossible! You don’t know what it’s like at all! How could you possibly understand living with guilt like I do!? Ho-”

My rant was silenced by way of charging pony head. This makeshift battering ram found solace in my sore chest, sending me onto my back and winding me at the same time. Sunset locked me down around the wrists, neck, and ankles with some type of restriction spell. Her face came down into mine, her mane spilling around us both to form a red and yellow curtain.

“STOP BEING SUCH A PUSSY!” Her shriek caused me to choke up more than her hold around my neck did. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT GUILT IS!? GUILT IS FUCKING OVER A GOOD LIFE IN ONE THE GREATEST CITIES ON THIS FUCKING PLANET BECAUSE YOU WERE ANGRY AT YOUR PARENTS! GUILT IS SPITTING ON THE ONE PERSON WHO HONESTLY GAVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU BECAUSE SHE WOULDN’T MAKE YOU A PRINCESS! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT GUILT, MOTHERFUCKER!?”

If there was a condition to explain why a face makes those little motions when you start to cry, I would like to know the name of it posthaste. Indeed, my eyes became misty as I realized just how big of a fucking landmine I stepped on right there. Sunset’s face was hindenburg remade; the soft shade of red underneath her yellow fur giving a stark contrast to the river of tears flowing down her face and her running mascara.

“How could you!? How could you make me feel this way!? I thought these things were going to be shut away forever... and you tear them up with a few loose words!? HOW!? YOU’RE A FUCKING DOUCHE!” I was slapped across the face. The blow didn’t register any real pain on the physical level, but it impaled me on the emotional level.

I felt like shit wrapped up in a vomit tortilla. My erratic breathing returned full force, and I felt like throwing-up. The fact that I’ve caused this mare nothing but problems, even going so far as to insult her while doing so.... it’s inexcusable. I have sunken down to a new low with this apathy of mine, and I no longer want it. So that’s what I did.

I got rid of it right then and there.

The feeling was glorious! It wasn’t enough to bring me out of my tizzy with Sunset, but I definitely felt better. She was still glaring at me, though; her hot tears dripping onto my face as she did so. It was time for me to right this wrong.

“Sunset... I’m sorry,” I sighed with averted eyes.

“No... no, not again! Stay angry at me! Please!”

I gritted my teeth as her magic dropped enough for me to pull her into my chest. From there, I decided to hug her tight. “No... I can’t stay angry at you. How can I? The fact that you want me to win so bad against them; that you honestly expect me to just waltz in there and kick ass.... you’re more than just something, Sunset.”

“Please, no. Don’t say it...” She sobbed.

“You’re my best friend.” And the dam broke. She hugged me tighter and wailed into my chest instantly. “I care about what you have to say, Sunset. Your opinions and thoughts drive me to do better. I couldn’t ask for a better friend, Sunny.... I just couldn’t....” I was quick to join her, although I didn’t wail like she did. It was just a lot of sniffling as tears streaked down my face and onto her head.

On the outside, I looked pretty beaten down. But the inside was a whole different ballgame. I felt awake and alive; everything seemed brighter. And most of all... I felt encouraged; like I could take on what was laid out before me! This was a great day indeed, and it’s only just begun. “Alright then; let’s see how far I can take this new view on things! If I am to fight The Emotions I Resent the Most, then I shall do so with gusto... and for Sunset.”

I leaned down and kissed her on top of the head. She deserved it, after all.

There was no longer a fear of my Station; of being trapped in there for eternity should I lose. I couldn’t lose; not to them; not to the Emotions I kept under wraps for so long! There’s too much for me here in order to give up now. As cliche as all this sounds, I actually felt this way!

“I’m no fool. There’s gonna have to be some serious training for me in the future, possibly later today. I need to learn how to fly, and how to use the Hearth’s Fire like Silas did; as a weapon. Just because I have it around my fists, doesn’t necessarily mean I have combat capabilities with it. I’m gonna have to find what works best for me and the weapons I have at my disposal, should the time come where I fight against them.” At the end of my thought, Sunset made herself known by shuffling a little bit.

“... You’re an idiot...” Was all she said before falling silent again.

“Yeah, well I’m your idiot. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

“Shut up.”

I chuckled at that and rubbed the back of her head. Today was just beginning, and it seemed like a lot was going to be in store for it.

Average Day [Rewritten]

View Online

Dragon kick your ass into the milky way~!

I stopped the flow from the shower-head and pulled back the curtain, hearing its rings chink along the metal at my eye level loudly to announce a clean draconian. As much as I love vegetating, getting shit done takes precedence over that.

I had entered the shower two hours after we had breakfast, Sunset and I. We then spent a little bit of that time conversing about our pasts a little bit more. Sunset had explained to me once more that her teacher was Princess Celestia, but she also revealed a bigger piece of information. She also told me that while it is Luna’s duty to raise and lower the fucking moon, it was Celestia’s job to raise and lower the fucking sun. I was more amazed by the fact that someone who raises a celestial body would take the time out of her sure-to-be-busy life, in order to teach a foal about magic.... and friendship apparently.

“It’s a madhouse, I tell ya’; a madhouse. Still, that is pretty badass for a couple of princesses. Guess they’re not the namby-pamby type of Disney Princess after all; not that I’m surprised by this news. Princess Luna made it abundantly clear with her appearance in my Station that this planet is fucked up in its own way as well. Guess two strong sisters would be needed to live through it... although she seemed a little more straightforward than how Sunset described Celestia to be. Siblings are never the same, anyways; I should know that my damn self.... Jesus, I’m cussing a lot today.” I grabbed my towel with a sigh and dried off inside the shower.

It didn’t take me long to dry off and redress, which brought me to the mirror shortly afterwards. Clearing the steam off it’s reflective face with a hand-towel, I stared at my face as it was bent in different directions. “Hmmm, I don’t know why I’m doing this.... actually,” I stopped and frowned at myself for being distracted so easily, “it’s pretty dumb. It’s time to go train!”

Turning on my heels, I opened the door and walked out, leaving the door open so that her mirror couldn’t remain fogged up. Three steps to the right and I was at the entrance to Sunset’s living room, where she was happily enjoying a cup of coffee while reading what appeared to be an old tome of some sort.

The book itself was massive, and had a lot of funky symbols an overly-religious person would claim to be from the Devil. “What are you reading,” I asked with a little apprehension as the symbols themselves began shifting. I nodded my head when they turned into Common... or English. “Tome of Arcane Inscriptions and Formulas, Arch-Master Level Ten? What does it say down low at the bottom there...” I frowned playfully. “... By Sunset Shimmer.”

“Something light. What are you doing?” She peeked over her book at me by lowering it with her aura. I puckered my lips when I thought of her as a monster, because my abnormal ability to comprehend things made me discern that even high-level unicorns could only dream of being where Sunset is now.

“I’m going outside to train. Gotta get ready for my next visit to the Station.” Sunset stared at me for a second.

“If it’s in your dreams, does it actually matter how much training you do?” Sunset, before I could answer, raised her book back up with a roll of her eyes. “It’s not like you’re actually going to stop training because of that, right?”

I laughed and opened the front door. “You’re goddamn right I will! I’ll be back in time for supper. Sunny. Make sure you make yourself ‘something light’ for lunch.” As I went through the door, I heard an amused sigh leave her lips as I closed it behind me. The walk into the clearing from when I first met Sunset took little time away from the day itself, and I felt quite relaxed upon reaching it.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The autumn wind brushed against my face as I reached out with my claws, holding them into the air with a cleared consciousness. “First order of today... flying. I’m going to learn how to fly quickly!” Spreading my wings, I gave them a couple of flaps and felt the muscles in my back cry out in relief at finally being used.

“Right, so extension comes easily enough. I feel as though actually flying is going to be a pain in the ass, but I’ll have it down in no time. Let’s just hope there isn’t too much crash and burn involved...” Sighing deeply, I gave a couple of test flaps and dispersed my weight throughout my body. Feeling lighter, I allowed myself a couple of hard flaps, and nearly yelled in surprise when I left the ground a little bit.

Calming myself, I took a deep breath and started again. My feet came off the ground, and I was having no trouble with hovering in place. “Why does something tell me that the moment I start trying to fly forwards, shtit’s going to get interesting?” Frowning while hovering, I closed my eyes and tried thinking of some key things that could get me to fly forwards without crashing and burning.

“Birds seem to launch themselves forwards diagonally before flying straight. That probably applies to most avian animals as well. Well, here goes nothing...” I used my wings to fly up a little bit, before a sudden gale of wind sent me... you guessed it... crashing and burning.

“Ow, motherfucker! Where the hell did that come from!?” I opened my eyes and found myself peering up at the snickering face of Altaria. I sighed in annoyance, rolling my eyes as the Bullivian Gigantacles started to reform itself into the form of Atharva again. She peered down at me with that same cocksure and amused smile.

“That wasn’t too bad for your first attempt since regaining your memories, Silas. I added that gale to garner your attention.” She snickered a little bit before adding, “The fact that you fell was pretty hilarious considering the gale wasn’t that strong! I’ve decided to train you in the art of flight, though. I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it quickly if I teach you!”

I sighed and dusted myself off, standing up while giving a few flaps of my wings to expel dirt off of them as well. “I don’t really see a problem with you teaching me if you want. If it’ll learn me faster, I’m willing to go through some pranks; as I’m sure you’re plotting to apply in my training regiment.”

Atharva stuck her tongue out with a smile.

“... Figures.” I shook my head in a little bit of annoyance, rising into the air again with my wings. The dull flaps made me sound like a total badass, but those semantics aren’t really important for my lessons. “Now what, Atty?”

She blinked at the use of my nickname from earlier, then smiled happily. “Keep flapping like that. You need to become familiar with the basics before you move. Stay aloft for half an hour.... I’m going to nap under this tree.” I frowned as the Goddess-Queen sat underneath the branches of an evergreen and smiled at me a little wider. “This is prank one, by the way; we still have ten more to go before training ends...”

I crossed my arms but obeyed, feeling the muscles in my back tire out little by little as the clock wound down. “I know what she’s doing. It’s a means of endurance training to keep me properly conditioned for flight in long intervals of time. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.... but why would I need to fly for long periods of time?”

“Your Fester betrays your thoughts, Silas. The wing muscles in your back have grown soft while in hyper-stasis... and relying on Judgement to do all your travelling will eventually leave you helpless should you become stranded. Proper flight technique and endurance will be a key factor to your survival, Silas babe; don’t take them for granted and let them spoil away.” She tipped her head at me and went back to sleep.

Rolling my eyes and then closing them, my thoughts became blurs as I thought of other factors that should be incorporated into my flying regiment when actual movement can be achieved. “Thermals should be explored. I know that in warmer winds, flying becomes easier but more dangerous, for the currents are accelerated and capable of tossing you off course. Cold climates require more flaps to stay aloft, therefore more exertion on my part.”

My mind continued to ponder such things for what felt like hours. Shaking my head after realizing how long I’ve been out of it, I looked down and nearly lost my shit. “How did I get so high up!? What the hell is this!?” My freakout session lasted for just a few moments longer, but I was eventually able to reel myself back in.

“Never fly while thinking... it’s a bad idea... check,” I mentally noted, turning around in the air in order to see a beautiful sight. I was dispersed among the clouds, giving me a heavenly vantage point of blue sky and ocean some miles away. Luscious green forests and plains stretched out towards the coastline, and the water glistened as if a disco was going on underneath the ocean’s tides.

My mouth curved up into a smile at the awesome scenery. “Now that’s a little epic...” Sighing, I increased the length of the intervals between my wing flaps, slowly descending towards the ground. It took around two minutes to touchdown, where Atharva was tapping her foot with a raised eyebrow in my direction.

“You certainly like to become enraptured within yourself, Silas. You’ve actually been flapping for over half an hour. How do you feel?” Atharva’s question was laced with a little bit of annoyance, but I swallowed my nervousness from making her a little upset and settled down on the ground.

“It’s starting to feel natural, Atharva. Another day or so of practice, and I should be able to fly with little problems.” I grinned and hugged her, feeling pretty good about myself. She sighed into the affectionate caress, her heart beating a little faster as she purred.

“Good. We’re going to practice movement tomorrow, and will continue to go on from there everyday. It will get to the point where after the first week, you should be where you were before losing your memories; in terms of flying, that is.” Atharva morphed back into Altaria and squawked loudly, flying onto my shoulder without so much as a blink.

Sighing, I folded my wings up and walked back to Sunset’s cabin. Today’s training was slow, but I have a pretty good feeling about the days to come in regards to it!

“Annnnd, I’m back,” I announced as I stepped through the door. Sunset was in the middle of enjoying a sandwich with no meat.... just flower petals, cheese, and lettuce. “I haven’t had meat in a long time. I should probably go hunt a little bit.” I turned around, but stopped myself when Sunset’s choking noises reached my ears.

“Meat!? Why would you…” Her voice filled with concern. “Right, you are a dragon aren’t you? You don’t eat ponies… right?” She continued to eye me warily as I scrutinized her, giving the illusion that I was interested in eating ponies; because she left herself open to this gag and I’m going to run to the hills with it!

“Hmm...” I hummed and scratched at my neck. “I have a headcanon that leprechauns bleed Lucky Charms; so what would ponies bleed.... rainbows?” At my suggestion, Sunset narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth a little. I chuckled and waved her off. “I’m kidding, Sunny. The ponies of this world are obviously sapient, so why would I eat them? I’ll acquire some wild stag or somesuch, then. As an herbivore, I won’t be rude and eat or cook my game in front of you.” I turned and opened the door.

“I should probably get hunting now. I’ll be back before dinner, Sunny.” I waved over my shoulder and shut the door behind me. Finding a rabbit or a deer was going to be pretty hard, considering I don’t know the lay of the land. “Pretty sure I can manage though; it’s not like there’s anything dangerous in these woods.... although it’s still too early to tell.... God, I want some deer jerky.”

Licking my lips at the thought of salted dry meat, I began my trek into the woods. Along the way, I slashed the trees on my left with a claw, so on the return trip, I just had to follow the trees with slashes on them. “Hmmm, this is a little exciting and boring at the same time. Some music will probably lighten things up! Hey, Siri; could you po-”

“Song? I’ve actually been scrolling through your library the entire time.... you have some odd tastes, man. I mean, you get points for liking the heavy stuff, but by Tiamat’s unsoiled twat; half of this stuff is pretty lame!”

I sighed and shook my head, slashing another tree. “I’ve been told that before, Siri; thanks for reminding me. Some good trekking music would be good; something upbeat and catchy....” I widened my eyes and smiled. “Play ‘Float On’, by Modest Mouse, Siri. It may not be as heavy as you like it, but I’m trying to relax before I find some game.”

Siri sighed. “You got it, Champ.”

[

As the music poured into my head, I found myself moving at a slower pace while snapping my claws with each step. It was the exact opposite of sneaking around, I know, but this was Modest Mouse and it was hard to not shake your groove thang when this song came on! It’s not my fault!

“We’ll alll float on al-right~!” And now I was singing along to the chorus softly, moving to a tree on my left and slashing it again. The trek through the woods was pretty well off by the end of the song, which made me a little happy that I had made enough progress to actually get my bearings.

“Thanks again, Siri. Now, how to hunt as a dragon...” Smiling, I angled my head into the air and gave a couple test sniffs. For a moment, the air was filled with nothing but the scent of pine and wildberries. Then, like a laser beam, the smell of recently-killed fish entered my nostrils at an impossible speed. “I smell blood with it, too. So something that eats fish is to the West.... what about the East?”

Sniffing about again, my nose eventually picked up on the smell of sweat and... blood. Where there was sweat, there was something alive. And where there was something alive, more often than not, there was game. Smiling wider, I headed East, still carving my path of ruined trees all the while.

About ten minutes in, and the scent got stronger. I slowed my steps down to the crawl of a snail, ebbing my way over dried twigs and crunchy leaves; theses things being the bane of any hunter careless enough to step on them, and should be avoided at all cost when tracking. “The scent of flesh is overpowering everything else, now. Something’s around this tree, and it’s about to get acquainted with with my claws and teeth!”

Peeking around the tree, I felt my smile transform into a world-eating one that displayed all my teeth. A doe and a buck were eating berries from a bush, their tiny tails swishing back and forth as they enjoyed their find. “And I’m about to enjoy mine~!”

I got down low to the ground, spreading my legs while digging my claws into the earth below. Patience was key in hunting, and you must never run out of it unless you want your game to get away. Should anyone be watching me right now, they would think I was some small dragon wearing clothes with a really odd way of standing.... not that there’s anything wrong if someone like that exists.

I sat there, tenderly flicking the air with my tongue. I could smell the overwhelming, intoxicating aroma of their skittish nature. The buck would occasionally look up from the bush and snap his head left and right, before going back to eating with his mate. “The doe is off limits; her stomach’s round. One life must replace another.” I crept forward slowly, the dirt cold and malleable under my strength.

The buck’s head came up again, making me tense up and stop. My reactions were quick enough to dissuade the buck from acting on the noise he heard. When he went back in for another bite, I was already sinking my claws into his neck and carving a smile into it from ear to ear. The doe was already running away, as were many other stag that happened to be around.

Peeling myself off the dead buck on the ground, I gave a guffaw of victory as it ejected the last of its life through a jerking leg motion. As the final sigh left its mouth, I bent down and chomped into its neck, searing the bleeding wound close with a plume of fire. The blood helps to keep the muscles succulent and moist, and carries with it the most flavor. It would be unwise to bleed the carcass... especially when I plan to make jerky out of it.

“Now to make a fire pit...”

I chewed on a piece of jerky with a smile as I trekked back to the cabin. I had stuck everything I could get out of the deer into a journeyman’s sack and stick made of a strong branch and woven oak leaves. I had about three sacks tied to the end; a good harvest that will last me a while before I need to hunt again.

“Mmmm, how I’ve missed you, meat~!” I swallowed my deer jerky and dipped into the bag I was holding with gusto, nestling the stick carrying the rest between my bent-over head and neck. “Siri, I’m coming by with what I’ve caught. Please make sure there’s some appropriate spacing available.”

“Champ; Judgement is damn near empty. Just bring it on by and head back to Sunset’s place. You have to finish cooking, remember?”

“I didn’t forget, Siri; thank you. I’ll be there shortly.”

After I dropped the food off and made my way back to Sunset’s cabin, I stepped inside to hear the familiar sound of a running shower. I yawned and didn’t bother to announce that my trip was over, making my way over to the kitchen in order to cook her some sauteed kale.

The meal was easy enough to cook, and I even got it done before she got out of the shower! I ate a little bit of it myself, just to balance out the heavy meat snack I had earlier. Once my plate was done, I reached into her fridge and grabbed an apple. “Damn, it’s not a Pink Lady! Guess I’ll settle for Ol’ Red, then...” I bit into the apple without rinsing it off, because why the fuck not?

I walked over to the couch and laid down on it, kicking my feet up while staring at the ceiling. “So this is gonna be it for a couple of days, eh? Train, hunt, and cook? That’s pretty easygoing, if I do say so myself!”

The sound of hooves on linoleum caused me to bat my eyes to the left. Sunset was now staring at me with a huge blush on her face, which was partially covered by a white towel as she dried off.

“Yo.” I waved hello at her.

“You didn’t announce... anything...”

“Nope. Dinner is on the table though, Sunny. Please don’t let the kale get cold.” I popped the rest of the apple into my mouth, chewed it, and then swallowed. “As much as I enjoy cooking for you, it’s not gonna matter too much if you can’t eat it, right?”

Sunset huffed, giving up instantly as I closed my eyes for a nap. “Yeah, I hear you. Just make sure you come to bed and don’t sleep out here. I was rather comfortable last night.” Sunset winked at me before making her way into the kitchen, causing my cheeks to heat up somewhat.

“What is wrong with that mare!? She can’t do gestures like that while wet and in a towel! Has she lost her damn mind!?” I took many breaths to steady myself, before resigning myself to sinking further into the couch’s folds.

“You know you want that, Champ~! Your heart beat spiked to dangerous levels, lover boy,” Siri goaded, making me roll my eyes and turn over on the couch.

“Screw this; I’m going to sleep.”

Miasma [Rewritten]

View Online

Bound me up in chains if you like; you're just giving me one more way to kill you later.

“Pulling my own weight?” I pointed at my chest with an index finger, my face the very definition of lost as I blinked at Sunset. She simply nodded, sipping a cup of coffee that I made. “Are you implying that I don’t already? I do way more than you! I do the laundry; I cook, gather firewood, clean the chimney, dust the furniture, mop the kitchen, and sanitize the bathroom! What more do I need to do?” I wasn’t angry, just proving a point.

Sunset chuckled. “Indeed, you do a lot more than me. But alas, you have nothing to show for it. You need to acquire some money if you’re going to see the world, right?” Sunset fluttered her eyes at me with a cocky smile to boot, making me sigh as I placed a small plate with a blueberry muffin down in front of her.

“Money would be important...” I groused, returning to the oven to get my own. I slid it out easily enough with my bare claw, because dragons- according to Sunset -are fire and burnproof.

In two steps, I was back at the table, sitting down with my muffin in front of me. I picked up a fork and played with its top a little, watching the steam rise off of it. “So what do you think I should do about my financial difficulties then, hmm? I’ve been in town a couple of times, and most Taurs are pretty skittish around me. Manual labor is out of the question, since all the Taurs I’ve seen so far look like they benchpress their own houses every tuesday.”

The top of the muffin soon found itself sliding down my throat. Of course- like anything I make -it was delicious. There was just enough cinnamon in it to leave the mouth wanting more, and the blueberries only helped this reaction further. Sunset was practically wolfing hers down as fast as a refined woman could.

Swallowing a particularly large bite, she fixed me with a smile. “Excluding your aptitude in the culinary, I ask you this: do you have any other notable strengths?” Her glass of milk levitated to her mouth, and she drank mightily.

“Well...” I trailed off, remembering my two musical passions. I love stroking the ivory, or shredding a guitar. Singing was no big deal for me, but the songs that I like are often hard to cover, and therefore fall short of stellar. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but not overly so; which means covering a song half-assed is taboo for me. Even so, it was my pseudo-ace, and damnit, I was gonna play it!

“I can play the guitar and piano equally well, and belting a few chords from my throat happens to be a pastime of mine,” I explained with a nervous scratch to the side of my face. “It’s not so much a pastime as it is a passion, heh,” I laughed tentatively, watching as Sunset’s face took on one of radiant intrigue.

“Then I think there’s something for you yet, Si’,” Sunset enthused, using the nickname she’d given me two days ago during another trip to the Maples’ house. Once she finished her muffin off and downed the rest of her milk, Sunset levitated those things into the sink while keeping her eyes on me. She even went so far as to prop her ‘elbows’ onto the table and rest her head on her hooves. “The Tipsy Clover in town is having Open Mic Night! As for instruments; they definitely have a guitar and a piano! Do good enough, and Haggis might make you a regular!”

I shrugged my shoulders and tossed the rest of my muffin- which had been getting pecked at while Sunset was talking -into my mouth and chewed it up quickly, swallowing the tasty morsel in its chewed-up entirety. “Then I guess I know what’s on the agenda for today then! You seem pretty ecstatic about it, Shimms’. Thinking about joining me for a duet?” I carried my dishes to the sink as the question hung in the air for a moment, which was then responded to by a sharp gasp.

“Oh good heavens, no,” Sunset stated quickly. “I’m not one for crowds, Si’! You know that already! I’ll get stage fright something awful,” Sunset whispered near the end, making me snicker to myself quietly as I started washing the dishes. “Singing is no issue for me, but not in front of a crowd, Silas; I just won’t be able to handle all those staring eyes.”

I lathered my claws up till they were nice and sudsy. “Hey, Sunny; come here real quick.”

Even though seeing her from my position is impossible, I could feel her eyebrow climb higher. “Oh,” Sunset hummed, a tinge of playfulness clutching at her vocal chords. “And why would I need to bring myself closer to you, Si’? I’m sure washing the dishes doesn’t require an extra set of hooves.”

“You forgot to kiss the cook.”

“Really? Oh, then I shou- WHAT!?” I barely kept my laughter in as the sound of Sunset taking a sudden tumble reached my ears. A short shot of air was blown from her nose as she got up, and I was trying really hard now to not give away my enjoyment at her plight. “Don’t you patronize me, Silas! Stop making jokes like that!”

“Who says I’m playing?” I pursed my lips and turned around, crossing my legs while using my claws to support myself against the counter’s edge. Making sure the appropriate amount of mirth was in my eyes, my claw slowly drifted to my pursed lips as I nodded at Sunset.

“I’m serious, Sunset...” “But if you don’t want to, that’s totally fine! Why did I have to fall for her so bad!?”

Her face exploded in red. Small sounds of creaking doors left her mouth as it hung open. Her eyes were glued to mine as she tried to process if I was playing or not. As cheesy as this may sound, I noticed how her pupils slowly moved from side to side, giving the appearance of shimmering like a polished gem.

“But...but...” She looked away finally, her mouth trembling as her back legs fidgeted together. “I can’t...”

I frowned up a little bit at having my wish denied. “She’s really bad at taking hints, huh? Still, I shouldn’t tease her like this, especially when some of those feelings she has towards me could be mutual...” I coughed into my own claw as my chest tightened.

“You don’t have to do it if you really don’t want to, Sunny; go on and get ready for us to hit the Clover, alright? You’re gonna need to dress up a little bit if this place is as ritzy as you claim it to be.” I did, however, wink at the pony happily as she made to leave with a smile on her face. “I’m just going to go as is, because I don’t have anything to change into. Can’t wait to see you in the dress, Shimms’!”

“Y-Yeah,” Sunset answered with a little more confidence as her soft steps died out on the carpet. They picked back up a second later as she reached the linoleum of the hallway, making me smile as I finished up washing the dishes and walked over to the couch.

“Siri,” I thought as I sat down, “Did I leave any dress clothes on Judgement before my spell of amnesia?”

“Processing...”

I raised my eyebrow at that, wondering just where that robotic tone came from. Normally, Siri would be assaulting me with insults right now. It scared me a little bit; not hearing her talk to me the way she normally does.

“You just got the ship three weeks ago, dicknugget!”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s good to hear from you as well, Siri. Has there been any disturbances since I checked in three days ago?”

A snort from the inside of my head alerted me to her answer long before she said it. “Huh, let me check.... no, everything’s still boring, Champ! How about you check back in when some serious shit actually goes down, hmm? And I’m only mad because we don’t hang out like we used to! Now it’s just ‘play this song, Siri’ or something of the like. "

I couldn’t stifle my laughter anymore. Siri’s voice did not match her word choice whatsoever, and it was damn funny to listen to. “Alright, Siri; I’ll check back in when something interesting happens, okay? I’m sorry for ignoring you so bad. ”

“I’m not gonna hold my breath on you actually coming through with that promise, Champ. It’s nice that you’re making promises to me, though, cause it let’s me know that you care. Thanks, Silas.”

Her voice went dark with a booping sound as I leaned my head back, enjoying the cold of the faux-leather against my neck as I closed my eyes and waited for Sunset to finish beautifying herself up. “I wonder why women take so long in getting ready...”

Sunset Shimmer wanted to hide. She wanted to absolutely barricade herself in a makeshift fort of pillows and blankets as her magic sifted through the clothes in her closet. The hangers clamored loudly as she bit her lip with a massive blush on her face.

“... Kiss the cook...”

As if having a mind of their own, her back-legs began a tango of desire with each other as the thought rung out through her consciousness. Everything from her waist down was burning up, and she was finding it increasingly difficult to stand up. Her body quivered at the slightest breeze, and her mouth dropped open to pant a couple of times.

“Why do I go through this at the beginning of each month!? Grrr, it’s even more unbearable now that... I...” More pressure was added to her lip as the burning intensified suddenly, nearly causing her to yipe and collapse. Her mind was hazy as the word she was going to think eluded her; hiding in the overbearing inferno that was her loins. They threatened to consume her, and she had half a mind to let it.

“Hmmm! Damn it! Just hold on, Sunset. You’ll confess to him at the Tipsy Clover, and then he’ll help you with these sensations! But I’m going to need a dress to seal the deal!” Sunset’s pained grimace transformed into one nearly overflowing with confidence as she slid the last hanger into her field of view.

“Oh yes; you’ll do nicely, my sweet~!”

“Huh... should I confess at the Tipsy Clover tonight? I took my last rejection rather well, so I’m used to the awkward feeling; but I don’t want to be rejected a second time! That’s going to suck major bad if I am denied! I just want to be with her, man... why is love so difficult...” I sighed in exasperation while tugging on my mane a little. This whole situation was stressing me out, and it’s been a while since I felt anything close to stress.

I looked over to the hallway, feeling my heart bump against my chest. It was like hearing her hoofsteps coming would destroy any sense of apathy I had left, and that emotion didn’t like that fact at all. My heart was doing combat with it, leaving me to be the innocent victim amidst their war for control.

“You need to say the right things to her, or she’ll walk away. It’d be best to tell the entire truth during a song; a complete synopsis of why I love her and the way she makes me feel!” My chest tightened up, letting me realize that all this thinking about confessing was slowly starting to hammer away at my motivation to go through with it.

“She’s beautiful, confident, intelligent and determined! She’s also careful and kind to others, especially to me; who basically treated her like shit on a dick for the first time I was here! She carries herself so well, and her mannerisms are all stellar! It would be near impossible for me to find a woman like her on Earth; I’ve tried! I enjoy every single minute around her has been utter bliss! From the way she walks with regality and poise, to the way she’s basically a zombie in the morning! Her fur is so well-kept and her house is so clean; she even has the type of eyes cheesy romance writers like to describe; the kind the protagonist gets lost in! The way she prefers her coffee black, to the times where she asks for a little bit of creme when ill; how she takes her baths in lukewarm water when it’s snowing, and hot when it’s not! The fact that we both like daffodils; her appreciation for the night and the sky; the fact that she enjoys reading exactly like I do! I love how her honesty towards herself is spot on! I like-”

“You’ve got it, you’ve got it bad~! When you’re on the phone; you hang up and you call right back~!

I frowned as Siri made light of my panicking with a song. “Very funny, Siri.” She laughed a little bit inside my head, before going dark with the sound of a television being switched off.

The thought of being rejected by such a strong crush again wounded me better than any weapon crafted since the beginning of time. “I haven’t loved a woman this much since my crush with Cassandra... but I think this one is worse! It’s gotten to the point where she’s pretty much all I think about! I even train with the Hearth’s Fire to beat the Four Dragons for her!”

Another sigh blasted through my mouth as I sunk further into her couch, resigning myself to a quick nap in order to sleep the anxiousness.

Sunset added the last bit of dark-gold eyeshadow, stepping back to look at herself in all she was. The beautiful black dress that faded to a nighttime-purple around the edges of the sleeves and midsection was speckled with little sequins, giving the appearance of a clear night sky. Her cutie mark comprised of a red and yellow sun sat deadcenter on her chest.

She was almost complete... but why? “Why do I hesitate like this!? Come on, Sunset; you’re better than pre-date jitters! Pull yourself together, girl!” Sunset, for the first time in her life, slapped her face softly to set herself back on the path of confidence.

“Right! Time to finish the ensemble!” She nodded her head in the mirror, determined not to be disheartened again. Her magic reached out and snatched a small pearl necklace on her boudoir, which was then levitated onto her neck quickly. Turning her head this way and that, Sunset inspected and adjusted it until she was satisfied the white pearls would keep Silas’s attention on her neck and above.

Her back legs trembled, letting her know that no matter how strong her conviction was, her body wasn’t in concordance to remain pure. Shaking her head while biting her lip hard, the burning subsided enough for her to recharge the Soothing Spell she had casted earlier. Sunset even went so far as to add another layer of magic to it, making sure her... urges were kept severely under wraps.

“You’ve got this, Shimmer! He’ll be putty in your hooves.... Oh, I hope we feel the same way about one another!” Sunset bit her lip and turned away from her boudoir, heading for the hallway in order to get this night on the road.... literally.

The clopping of hooves made me sit up on the couch faster than a rabbit running from a wolf pack. My jaw dropped when she stepped into the living room, her ensemble completely breathtaking. I honestly felt like Evening itself walked into the room; the actual time of day!

“Buh... uh.....” I trailed off, my face heating up as Sunset scratched her front hoof bashfully, turning her head away with a small smile. I was still babbling like an idiot, my face heating up and turning what I could only assume to be purple, because that’s what red and blue make when they collide. “You... uh... y-you look...... ethereal.” I shied away from her gorgeous form as my heart beat a little faster.

“Whatever you do, Richards: Don’t. Play. It. Cool! The cool guy is always the worse off! Just be yourself, and there’ll be no problems!” I swallowed some spit and turned back around, standing up from the couch but kept my head down as I walked towards her. The less eye contact I made, the more confident I felt. I know it sounds cowardly, but nothing else seemed to alleviate the fierce pounding in my chest better!

“Are you r-ready?” Sunset turned her head up to look at me as her back legs fidgeted a little. I instantly noticed her pearl necklace and dark-gold eyeshadow, which made my heart skip a beat as my blush intensified.

“Y-yeah...” I opened the door and walked outside, grateful that it was still winter, because the cold air did help a little bit in alleviating the horrid blush on my face. Everything was covered with a thin layer of snow, and the evening sun glinted off of the forest and wildflowers beautifully. I waited for Sunset to join me at the side, before we started to walk towards Stonehaven.

The city of Stonehaven happened to be broken up into small streets that ran in circles. From the outside in, the circles contained less and less houses. The Tipsy Clover sat in the first circle, with only three other buildings next to it. Minotaurs lined up at the doorway in a straight line, waiting to earn their chance for patronage. In fact, there were so many minotaurs, that most of them had set up tables in which they’d play checkers or chess.

Their chairs were giant barrels, and so was the support for the checkerboard. Many of the barrels had nozzles, which were frequented with mugs as Taurs filled them with ale while playing. Some of them had instruments like the flute or an accordion, playing and singing what sounded like hymns and folk songs. These songs portrayed merriment and lovely seasons; they picturized the turning of seasons, and the many festivals held within them. Overall, this outside was a jubilant place, and did well to alleviate my nervousness, at least to some extent.

“That’s a pretty big line, Sunset. How are we supposed to get inside?” I kept my gaze ahead, lest I be attracted to the instruments and board games being played. Sunset sighed and led me by her magic up to the front door, all the of the other Taurs giving us little glares of annoyance as we strode up to the bouncer.

“Hello, Steel Ingot. I trust my V.I.P pass is still in effect?” I quirked my eyebrow up as the massive minotaur nodded and pulled aside the red rope, giving a short exhale of agreeance all the while. Sunset smiled and dipped her head at him before proceeding inside, tugging me along with her magic by the collar.

“How do you have V.I.P passes to the fanciest place in Stonehaven -nay- Bullivia!?” Sunset smiled back at my question, enjoying my confusion. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I was lead not into a pub like I had imagined, but a nightclub. Apparently, the minotaurs had no form of distinction between the two.

From the outside, the Tipsy Clover looks pretty small. I entertained the notion that this bar is ran by Doctor Who for a moment, before chuckling the absurdity of that away. If there was a Timelord here, he or she would have visited me a long time ago! Even so, this place was on fire tonight.

The Clover was separated into three large areas. Immediately to your left when walking in was the restaurant area, and it housed around one-hundred tables. All of them were filled with minotaurs as waitresses in checkered outfits used roller skates to deliver meals and zoom back into the kitchen. The bar was a large square that could seat approximately eighty minotaurs as well. Neon-blue lighting came down from its metal ceiling, washing the glass countertop in an awesome radiance that reminded me of crystalline waters.

The dancefloor held the largest congregation of minotaurs; possibly more than the other places combined! A DJ, who happened to be a dull light-blue with a spiky-black mane and ovoid, black-tinted aviators was bobbing his head as he blasted dubstep through some large speakers, making the crowd pulse along to the heavy drops and deadly wubs.

I shook my head at the tasteless noise. It was good for getting a crowd pumped, yes; but it shouldn’t be mainlined like it is. “I can’t stand dubstep, man! There’s no words, no story, no emotion, no nothing! Music is an artform; a bridge to one’s feelings and emotions! It is not a gimmick to get rich quick off of! And that’s why I couldn’t stand modern-day radio; namely, ‘hip-hop’.”

Sunset led me into the crowd; having us weave back and forth between swaying minotaurs as we neared a closed-off table near the stage, separated by two burly minotaurs in black suits and a red rope. Once we neared them enough, the minotaurs lowered their shades and eyed Sunset and I down.

“Ms. Shimmer? What a surprise. Who’s your friend?” The minotaur on the left with cold blue eyes stared at me, alongside his cohort with cold red ones. I stared at them stoically, knowing I could take them should this become an issue.

“He’s a very close friend of mine, Ignis and Aquilla; he doesn’t deserve those looks you’re giving him either. Open the rope, please, before I become cross at the rude behavior you two are giving.” Sunset looked up and narrowed her own eyes at the minotaurs, who gulped audibly and moved the ropes aside. Sunset slid into the booth without another word, and I stuck my tongue out at the two jerks as she pulled me in with her.

There were two other minotaurs there, both of them dresses well for the ritzy club. The sow was white with black spots, like a dairy cow, and boasted a voluptuous figure! Her eyes were a deep-orange that held no traces of mirth at the moment, and they were shielded behind square-framed glasses. Her hair was done in curly strips, the all-black and festive curtain stopping right at her shoulders. Her shoulderless dress revealed a lot of her cleavage, and that’s all I could see before she affixed a curious eye and smug smile.

Her partner was a tan fellow with orange facial hair; a ginger cow. He had no hair on his head, but had a long and orange goatee that parted twice at the bottom. His green eyes were serious as they settled on me, but jovial as they rested on Sunset. “It’s so nice to see you again, Sunset Shimmer! What brings you back to the Tipsy Clover tonight!” His accent was pure scottish, and I found myself barely able to contain a chuckle over how much he sounded like Soap Mactavish from Call of Duty.

“Hello to you as well, Haggis. I’ve brought with me a close friend of mine,” Sunset spoke happily, pointing a hoof at me. “This is Silas Epista, and he’s here to perform a song or two for the crowd.”

Haggis raised his orange and well-kept eyebrow, crossing his arms as he looked at me analytically. “Oh? We get many singers and the such in here, Mr. Epista. Most of them are pretty talented. What makes you so different, eh?” Haggis sips from a wine glass, keeping his eyebrow raised.

“I may not look like it; as I’m sure you must hear a lot from the ‘talent’, but I could be just what this club needs. There’s also something I would like to....” I choked up and tugged at my jacket collar. “... Get off my chest, per se.... hehehe,” I laughed nervously, twirling some of my mane with an index finger.

“... I don’t see why not.” Haggis shrugs his shoulders, leaning back into the seat. “This’ll be a good time for me to see what you bring to the table. Get the crowd pumping like Neon Lights is right now, and I’ll even throw in an upfront pay.” Haggis held out a burly hand, which I took in joy and shook.

“Deal! You won’t regret it, Mr. Haggis!” I smiled at him and his compatriot just as the music stopped. I felt my heart skip a beat when I realized my time was coming quickly, and I had yet to pick a song that would impress the crowd or get them moving.

“I’m Neon Lights and that was my newest mix! Hope you all enjoyed it, Stonehaven!” The unicorn lifted his hooves into the air, getting a loud bout of applause, before stepping away from the DJ booth and making his way over to the V.I.P section. As he neared, his tracks were stalled up as his eyes fell on my form. Neon Lights looked over at Haggis for confirmation, who nodded in return. The unicorn gulped but made his way over to Haggis’ left side, sitting down at the table without further facial expression.

“Neon Lights, meet Silas Epista; our next performer, who is also a dragon.” said the sow. “And in case you were wondering, Mr. Epista; I am Dominika Lehigh, but my friends call me Donna. I am the bookkeeper and secretary for the Tipsy Clover.” Dominika dipped her head at me, and sipped some wine. I smiled back, and then pieced two and two together when she leaned forward enough to glorify her massive mammaries.

I sighed internally. “Damn it all, she wants me. Ain’t this ‘bout a bitch? I’ve looked at myself in a mirror enough to know I’m not God’s gift to the planet, so why the fuck do women like throwing themselves at me!? I love Sunset Shimmer, dammit!” With these thoughts in mind, I nodded back at Dominika and turned my head to face Neon Lights.

“So what genre do you usually perform, Mr. Epista?” Neon Lights slid down his shades enough to pierce my gaze with eyes that matched his hair color, which radiated something like an aura of challenge with some smidget of indifference to them. “This is a rather high-end establishment, after all. Not just anything can be sung or played up there.”

I shifted to the right a little, his gaze making me a little irritated. There was a war going on inside my chest; a war on whether I should use Neon Light’s head as a hackysack. “Oh please,” I waved him off, “As if I would ever play something that could offend others. I assure you that my music choice isn’t something you should be fearing. I might not get the crowd jumping like you do, but I’m sure that, in my own way, they will be just as ecstatic.” I stood up and extended my claw out to Neon, hoping to squash whatever means of rivalry he was probably hoping to start.

Neon Lights slid his aviators back up and sighed. He didn’t take my handshake offer, as well. “This is a venue that’s been pretty faithful to me, Mr. Epista. I’m just saying that this place holds a good spot in my heart, and I’d hate to see its mood sullied by some rubbish.” Neon sat back and nodded at me, which I took as a sign that he didn’t feel like talking anymore.

I dropped my claw with a sigh and turned to face Sunset. “.... I hope you enjoy my performance, Sunny.” Blushing a little bit, I hurriedly made my way to the stage. Climbing up the three steps quickly, my mind was racing on what I should play for my opening song.

“Sunset’s Song is what I’m playing afterwards, so I need something now. Hmmm.... that last section Neon played has got everyone pretty riled up. They’re looking for something with a lot of energy.... so that’s what I’m going to give them!” I strode onto the stage with bubbling confidence, smiling at all the faces that turned towards me instantly.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I am your next performer, Silas Epista. How are you all tonight!?” There was a small cheer, some minotaurs even raising frothing mugs as they hollered. Smiling wider, I took the microphone in my claw and removed it from the stand. “So, how did you guys like the last set?”

Another brief cheer.

“Good, good! Well, I think it’s about that time where I introduce myself and such... other than give my name, of course. As you can see, I’m not your typical, ‘Burn your Village and Plunder your Gold’ dragon. Growing up was a little rough, but I ended up finding something that helped me through it, ladies and gentlemen. Do you know what that was?” I tilted my head to the side as the minotaurs mumbled amongst themselves, before a skinny arm shot up. I followed the lithe appendage to the face of a brown sow with blonde hair, straightened to fall just past her shoulders.

“... Music,” She tried tentatively.

I winked at her. “Bingo.” She smiled and sipped her wine, a blush on her face as the minotaurs around her applauded a little. “Yes, ladies and gentlemen... music. And it’s not just any music, either. I am talking music... with emotion. I love hearing and feeling the lyrics of a nice song; to... digest the story, if I may be a little poetic.” Nodding at them briefly and turning on my feet, I walked over to the black grand piano that had somehow been wheeled in without my knowing or hearing of it.

The black bench called my name, and I answered by sitting down while giving a flap of my jacket. I ran my fingers over the keys, playing some scales before sighing. “Siri, can you help me out here? I need you to play every instrument other than the piano in the song, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen.

“Queen? Let me see…. Oh, I like this one! I’ll play this for you all day, Chief. Start ‘er up! Just give an even better performance for your chica when the time comes.” I cleared my throat and began the the tedious process of matching my voice to that of Freddie Mercury. I sung the scale from ‘do’ to ‘do’, and once I was satisfied with my new voice, I signaled Siri with a mental jolt.

The notes from the piano started, and I immediately lost myself in the having a good time! My fingers glided across the instrument as I sang out; Siri was doing a marvelous job with projecting the rest of the track into the room. The notes from the piano were deafening, yes, but I could hear the whooping and excited yells of dancing minotaurs as they paraded about the dancefloor.

The song wasn’t known to be a long one, and as I belted out the last ‘la’s, I knew the crowd loved my performance based on the way they were clapping and whistling. I stood up and faced them, taking a bow. Out the corner of my eye, I noticed a pair of minotaur stagehands with red caps and light-blue denim overalls moving the piano back behind the red curtain. I grabbed their attention with a couple shakes of my claw, only bringing one of them over with my motion.

“Yeah?”

“I have one more song that I’d like to perform tonight...” I rubbed the back of my head and blushed a little. “... It’s for a friend -no- interest of mine, and it requires an acoustic guitar. Is there a chance you could bring me that and a stool?” The stagehand nodded quickly and disappeared behind the curtain. A couple seconds later, and he was bringing out what I had asked for.

“Here you go, Champ! Hope you win her over!” I was given an abrupt slap on the back, which made me choke a little bit and blush some more. He gave me a thumbs-up and disappeared behind the curtain again.

Sighing to alleviate the nervousness that had welled up in me, I moseyed my way onto the stool and picked up the strapless acoustic guitar. The microphone stand was adjusted to a good height, making sure my mouth was directly in front of it, but backed up far enough so the crowd couldn’t hear me breathe between verses. Taking a few practice strums while playing some chords and scales, I confirmed that this guitar was adequate enough to assist me in winning the heart of Sunset....

“Egads, you’ve got it something awful, Justin Richards! Winning the heart!? Ugh.... Siri?” There were a couple clicks and whirring sounds in my head.

“Heyo.”

“It’s about that time.... I need you to play ‘She is the Sunlight’ by Trading Yesterday when I give the signal, okay?”

“Gotcha, Silas.”

I smiled a little bit and tapped the microphone, gathering everyone’s attention. “Hey, it’s me again. I just want to perform one last song before I leave you all tonight. Is that alright with you all?” They clapped their assent to my question, making me nod and smile a little harder.

“Now, I know things have been pretty fast-paced in here, but I’m starting to see you guys unwind a little bit. I think this is a perfect opportunity to dance with the one you care about. If you have that person with you tonight, come out to the floor for a nice and easy slow dance. And if you don’t, just grab someone’s hand and lead them. I know it may sound creepy, but I think everyone just needs to be shown a little bit of affection; just a little bit to keep them pushing through some lonely days. What do you all say?”

The applause was louder from when I ended my first song, making me jump back a little bit before chuckling. “Good! Yeah, I’m liking the energy guys! So yeah; just come on out with someone you know, love, care for, or just think needs a little dance to brighten up!” I strummed a G chord, loving the reverb it fed into the instrument as I waited patiently for every to get situated.

A surprisingly large number of minotaurs came out onto the floor, some of them with lovers, and other with shy strangers that averted their gazes. I smiled at them all, feeling pretty good about how well I set the positive air in here. “Look at you all! Go on; clap it up for yourselves!” A short applause broke the air, but died out as quick as it came. I sighed, knowing I had to say something about why I was here in the first place, getting ready to sing one of my favorite love songs.

“You guys are awesome! Y’know, I’m actually up here because.... well... there’s a face out in the crowd; a little beam of sunshine that always knew what to say and how to say things to me. There was a time when I didn’t value our friendship, and pretty much saw her as a thesaurus or some other trove of information; but it’s funny what... uh... love can do to a person. Overtime, I found myself hopelessly craving to be with her more and more; to the point where I was basically living with her! I just don’t want these days to end, and I can’t just sit here with these emotions bottled up inside me without hearing if she feels the same way anymore!”

I picked up a claw and scratched at my face awkwardly, knowing my blush was tinting my cheeks a shade of purple. “So... yeah... that’s why I’m really up here tonight...” I cleared my throat, adjusting it to that of David Hodges.

The cheers were deafening and instant! I smiled sheepishly at warm reception, and saddled up to play a song that would forever stay with me. The opening chords drifted about the room, the progression sounding like the beating of a heart.... my heart. I looked out among the crowd as the notes rang out, watching start a slow dance just as the intro chords stopped.

And if all the flowers.... have fade~d away. And if all the storm clouds, decided to stay~.
Then you would find me~, each hou~r the same. cause She is tomorrow~, and I am today~.

‘Cause if right is leaving~.... I’d rather be~ wrong.
‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight.... and the sun~ is gone.

That marked the end of the first verse, which also ended with a downwards strum. Wanting to be on time for the pickup, I inhaled and continued to watch the slow-dancing minotaurs wave sluggishly.

If loving her is~, a hearta~che for me.
And if holding her me~ans, that I ha~ve to ble~ed.
Then I am the martyr~, Love is~ to blame.
‘Cause She is the heal~ing, and I am~ the pain~.
She li~ves in a daydream... where I don’t be~long!
‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight... and the sun~ is gone~.

I progressed onto the bridge, switching up the notes as Siri’s projected cellos, violins, and piano filled the air.

And it will ta~~~ke this li~fe of regret~, for my hear~~~t to learn~~ to forget!
Tommorrow will be~~~ as it al~ways has been~!
And I will fall~~~... for her~ again!
For I know~, I’ve come~ too~ close~!

‘Cause if~ right is leaving.... I’d rather be~ wro~~ng.
‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight... and the Sun~ is gone.

The end of the real lyrics came after that last verse, and I broke out into many ‘la’s’ as the song started to unwind itself. Right before the piano came in to seal the deal alongside the other orchestral instruments, I made sure to catch the last part of my vocals.

‘Cause She is~ the Sunlight.... and the sun~~ is gone....

After that, it was an instrumental fade out on Siri’s part that lasted for a good minute and some change. I took a really big sigh and stood up, awaiting the minotaurs to realize that the song was over. When they did, I was almost blown back by the teared-up eyes of them all as they cheered their hearts out. Clapping, hollering, and whistling came from every direction!

I smiled sheepishly and bowed at the waist, placing the guitar down next to the stool. Making my way off stage after lifting myself up, I was stopped at the steps by Sunset Shimmer, who was looking up at me with misty eyes. I offered her a smile; it’s the only thing I could think of.

Words couldn’t describe just how fast she flew into my chest and cried her eyes out. Instead of falling backwards, I braced the impact and hugged her, crying into her mane as well. We stayed like this for who knows how long, but I didn’t really care! Her answer was clear the moment she slammed into me; that she felt the same way I did.

After a couple more minutes, she finally took her face out from my chest and looked up at me. Her face was the definition of joy, and I’m sure mine was as well. “Hey...” I started, before she placed a hoof onto my lips and silenced me with a smile.

“... Just kiss me, you idiot...”

Our heads slowly came together, and everything else was tuned out! This was it! “Screw that glass that just broke.... huh... I feel funny...” My eyes fluttered shut as I fell backwards; a strange and pungent scent filtering throughout the air as more and more sounds of bodies hitting the ground fill my ears.

The last thing I remember seeing was yellow smoke and a dog’s face.

Granite Podium Arc: Part 1 [Rewritten]

View Online

I think someone needs their wig pushed back a little.

I felt like an excavated body from an old morgue as I fluttered my eyes open, moaning out as a headache ripped through my being. Everything felt weighted down by elephants juggling blue whales, and my extremities were killing me the most. Wearily, I turned my head only to find something that caused me to wake up instantly.

I was hanging on a wall, my ankles and wrists shackled down with crude, rusted chains that did their damndest to cut into me. There was a reason I’m a dragon, and that reason came through in terms of not allowing the chipped metal to slice into me because of the scales. I growled and tugged my left arm forward, feeling the wall-shackle give in unanimously.

These things were not enough to hold me back. And as the clapping of hands rang out, I knew someone else figured that out as well. “It is not often one of my patrols brings back a dragon! This must truly be a blessed day!”

My head snapped ‘round to face the dog-man in a lavish tuxedo with red bowtie. A small tophat sat on his head, blocking out any chance to see his ears. This dog-man was using a solid diamond cane as a walking ornament, twirling it on his index finger as he propped himself up against the dank cave wall with an elbow; a smile two miles wide gracing his german shepherd-like features, showcasing two rows of sharp teeth.

I spat in his direction. “You think this shit’s funny? How bout I turn you into a fucking candy cane by shoving that walking stick of yours up your hamster hole?” If there was one type of person I absolutely detested in video games, it was the cocky villain. And this dog-man had all the features of one!

He watched my spit land just short of his foot, which he frowned at. “... How boorish. Anyways, I came down here to check up on my most recent addition to my mining operation. You definitely look like the type to start trouble, so putting you to work like the rest of the slaves may prove to be problematic. I think you’ll do just fine here, in your little cave, and pleasure the female guards in here. Yes... they’ve been complaining something awful about their... needs, shall we say?” His eyes were filled with evil mirth, but I could see something familiar inside them...

... Something familiar.

I nodded to myself in understanding. There was no mistaking that cloudy haze around the edges. You’d have to look for it, experience it, to even notice its existence. “Those are the eyes of someone who’s killed in cold blood. I recognize them well.... the sick bastard probably does it for shits and giggles too! Look at that goddamn smug smile of his!”

“You’re starting to piss me off. I’m just going to go ahead and assume that you have my girlfriend down here too. Now, I’m a nice guy; left behind a pretty rough life in my hometown, came here to participate in some wonky-ass game against my will. Knowing this, and my streak of leniency, you have two options. One,” I shoved my arms forward and broke the shackles, causing the dog-man to raise his eyebrow. “You let me and my girl walk out of here, and I don’t paint this whole operation of your with your blood, using your spine as a paintbrush. Or two,” The leg shackles came off next, allowing me to drop onto the floor. “You fucking follow option one.”

The dog-man tilted his head back and laughed. He laughed at me for a good while, before snapping his head back into place with a stoic face. “Very funny, Mr. Drake. You’d do well to note that I know very well the identity of your ‘girlfriend’, and will not hesitate to... complicate her stay here.” He got off the wall and walked towards the entrance of the cave.

Tapping his cane twice, I had to put everything I had into stopping myself from lunging at his back when Sunset came around corner, bound and gagged with a silver ring on her horn. She had been crying, if the running eyeshadow was a goddamn indicator, and the two other dog-men armored guards with overly-muscular arms held crude and shoddy looking spears against her neck.

I roared in absolute fury, getting another laugh out of the dog-man. He knew that as long as I couldn’t have a guarantee for Sunset’s safety, my jimmies would be rustled. It didn’t stop me from turning around punching a massive hole into the wall on my right. That shut him up real quick; seeing my destructive capabilities like that. I didn’t even hit that wall with all my strength.

“So that’s the way we’re going to play this? You’re really going to be that much of a fucking coward; to use the one thing I value most as a means to keep me bound? Who the fuck raises a sick child like that and think it to be okay!?” I heard a bunch of snarling as I did the only thing I could in my predicament; surrendered.

“Fine... have it your way... for now.” I got on my knees, where the armored dog-men instantly came over and bound me to the floor with another pair of shackles. They looked just as shoddy as the ones before, and even felt as weak against my neck, wrist and ankles. A few hammers of their spears later, and my ‘restraints’ were on. “Bound me up in chains if you like; you’re just giving me one more way to kill you later... and if you touch one strand of her mane, I’m going to make sure to pull those same chains through your urethra, mutt.” I exhaled, allowing the rest of my anger to ebb out at long last.

“You would do well to mind that serpentine tongue of yours, my pet. Even if I won’t harm you; your ‘girlfriend’ is still within my grip,” The dog-man snarled, tightening his large paw into a fist. “The name’s Dreggen, Mr. Dragon; one of the Alphas leading the grand-warren, Granite Podium! Don’t make me use the power my title holds, and you -along with Ms. Unicorn- shall have a pretty easy time. There are, however, consequences for rude behavior; punishments that will leave even the most hardened of hearts and wills crushed under my feet.”

Dreggen lifted his cane’s head to nudge Sunset under chin, cooing softly to her, “Your mate shall do well in serving the desires of our female guards, little one! You’re going to my Brother’s level of the warren to mine gems!” He patted the side of her head, laughing like the ass that he was. Sunset narrowed her eyes and struggled with her bindings, but ceased her movements when Dreggen shoved the narrow bottom of the cane into her neck. “There’s a blade hidden inside the bottom of this cane, pony. I’ll tell you like I told your mate! Behave, and you won’t have to worry about staying alive down here.”

Sunset growled at Dreggen and then affixed me with longing eyes that pierced my soul; leaving me feeling less than dirt itself as my chains held me down in a bowing position on the cave floor. I opened my mouth to say something... but I couldn’t bring myself to. And I watched the armored guards as they took Sunset and moved her past my cave.

Dreggen tipped his hat at me, before disappearing around the corner his damn self. His footsteps echoed off what’s sure to be a hallway outside my cave. It suddenly dawned on me that now, I was alone. Exhaling from my nose hard enough to push a copious amount of cave dust off the floor, I glared at the entrance way from my kneeling position on the ground.

“So what!? Now I’m a fucking slave!? All I fucking wanted was to embrace my new girlfriend, and yet, here I am; lost amongst worms, dogs, and dirt!” Growling again, I kept my gaze level with the entrance. Something told me I was being monitored from there, and I started making a clamor just to see if my hunch was correct.

Sure enough, two iron helmets peeked around the corner and snarled at me. “Dragon, quiet! We beat you good if not!” The one on the right shook his crude spear at me. Growling to myself, I watched in huge amounts of annoyance as the guards spat in my direction, before going back to their posts.

“They have me on lockdown, then. Great.” Heaving a sigh of agitation and worry, I resigned myself to idly waiting for some sort of sign in this bleak situation. I knew that we were somewhere inside a rock face, mountain, or cliff side. The heights on the caves and that hallway outside are too irregular for an actual dungeon setting. Uneven ground is a good way for an inmate to use as a means of escape. If the rock was out enough, one could break it off and use it to smash his or her shackles.

This was no jail. then. This.... this was a slave mine.... ran by dog-men. “It seems this world does have some modicum of strife within it. Slavery isn’t even a problem on Earth anymore... but I still prefer Equis over Earth... with or without these chains.” I continued grumbling to myself with similar thoughts, wondering how I was going to pass the time.

“Beta? What Beta doing here?” The same voice from earlier made me look up again, and I noticed, now, the shadows on the wall. The two guards were huge blobs of black mass, and a single skinny one normal arms stood amongst them.

“Boss Dreggen believes you two to be inadequate in keeping the latest addition to his level of the mine in check. I am here to relieve you of your posts; make you way over to Boss Otto’s level and help guard the Alpha Vault.” The voice of the skinny one was gravely but clear, making him sound like a war veteran or something along those male-y lines.

“Boss Dreggen picked us for here; why he change mind?”

“You will not ask me questions when I have given you an order. Boss Dreggen ordered me to come here and relieve your posts! Should I have to go back and get him?” I watched in amusement as the two burly shadows shook their massive heads and then saluted, before walking off down the left side of the hallway. The skinny shadow took the place of the right guard.

I shifted a little bit in my chains, lowering my head. This position I was in did nothing for the spine, and I was beginning to get tired of letting them shackle me up. “Dreggen saw me break the last ones; he must be trying to make me act up in order to harm Sunny. Motherfucker’s gonna feel every inch of my claws and teeth, since he took my clothes and weapons.”

“.... Yo, Dragon.”

I looked up just to see the skinny dog-man that owned the shadow. He looked fit, body wise, and resembled a greyhound. He stood on digitigrade dog paws, and he was covered from head to toe in ash-grey hair. A red vest covered most of his midsection, and a black belt with two sheaths for what looked like crude daggers sat on his waist. I saw then, on his neck, a gold coin hanging off a red dog collar with silver studs.

“What do you want?” My question reflected my mood... which was sore. The dog-man snickered and raised his eyebrow afterwards.

“... You must realize by now that Dreggen has you by your nuts, right? Of course you do; that’s probably the only reason you’re down there.” I growled at him for jeering me, which caused him to hold of a passive paw as a means of telling me he meant no offense. “We’re both in the same boat here, buddy. Dreggen took someone precious to me away, and he took someone that’s precious to you.”

I kept my guard up; there’s no telling what this guy is up to. “And? What are trying to hint at, Mr. Dog-Man?” At the end of my question, the dog-man smiled and made his way further into the cave. He stopped right in front of me.

“Then maybe we can help each other get those special people back, no?” He grinned, flashing me a smile with a lot of sharp-looking white teeth. “I feel as though you could play a large role in helping me stage a revolution.”

Narrowing my eyes, I made sure he felt every modicrum of my suspicious gaze. “Revolution? And what do you mean, ‘I could play a large role’? Who are you?” I watched as he crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“Wergal Everwinter.... the Wolf of Hell; the Marked Beast. I am a monster; something of a devil from any mythos imaginable. I carry the Unholy Scriptures upon my spine, and roil in the dark. And what about you, Mr. Dragon?” His blood-red eyes stared into mine, and curiously enough, they contained venomous pupils like mine.

“I’m not a dragon, just as I’m sure you’re not a dog-man. My name is Silas Epista, and I am a Sigma Draconian from another world.” Cracking my neck on both sides, I lifted my arms and broke the shackles binding me to the floor. I don’t know if it was a good idea to do so, but that position was draining the blood from my legs, and I hate that feeling so much.

I made quick work of the other shackles and stood up, unfurling my wings to stretch them out as well. My body no longer felt heavy, which I was thankful for. My routine done, I affixed my eyes on Wergal again. “You’re saying that if I help you, Sunset and I will be free?”

Wergal nodded his head. “Yeah, you will. The slaves will be free, Granite Podium crushed, and I’ll be reunited with my mate. Of course, this also means that you’ll be reunited with yours as well.”

Pursing my lips to the side, I tapped my foot and held a claw on my chin. “In the worst case scenario, we die. It only goes up from there, though, and he doesn’t seem incompetent in the slightest. No.... he’s a planner, and he’s strong. I can smell it on him.... he won’t leave me hanging if I agree. Plus... he has those Killer eyes.” I stared at the cloudy area at the bottom of his pupil, searching for any sign of treachery.

“I just need some more information on this plan. I don’t see a problem with it as it stands right now; I’m just a little critical at being lead on blindly.” Dropping the claw on my chin, I asked, “So what will this little plan of yours entail, Wergal?”

He placed his paws behind his back and paced around in front of me. “I will be seeding words of revolt discreetly amongst the slaves on my rounds. They will be rumors meant to boost their confidence; of a dragon that has been captured, but is planning to kill the Alphas and set himself and everyone else free. This type of talk will be hush-hush until the day comes to act... and it’ll have to be some type of sign from either me or you.”

“During these times, I will be taking the shackle keys from other Betas. I am the Head Beta, so they will not ask questions. They’ll be dispersed to the slaves, and on the day of revolt, which I predict to be a good six days from now, they’ll unlock their bindings and start a rio. This will attract the attention of all the guards and the Alpha Brothers: Dreggen, Otto, and Rex, who will be trying to get them back in line, only to find out that it is far too late. We’ll flank them from behind, and take them out without any trouble. From there... it’s any man’s guess.” Wergal stopped pacing and outstretched a paw in my direction. “Agreed?”

I stared at his paw for a moment, then smiled and took it in my claw. “When do we start?”

Granite Podium Arc: Part 2 [Rewritten]

View Online

Life has a funny way of bending people over and going in dry.

I had fallen asleep in my cave, my back against the wall as I hung my head. An undetermined amount of time had gone by since then, and now that I was awake and stretching, I was beginning to feel a little adventurous. “Wergal, you there?” My question rung out as I stood up.

“I can’t fall asleep, for weariness is a foreign concept to this body of mine...” Wergal trailed off. “What is it that you need?” His head poked around the corner in askance, his eyes blinking as he stared at me stoically.

I flexed my wings and then folded them back up. “Feel like taking me out for a night on the cobblestone,” I jokingly asked, watching as Wergal blinked twice and then slapped his face with a paw.

“That was excruciatingly painful to hear, Silas. Please, for the love of everything holy; no more jokes.” Removing the paw so he could see again, Wergal shook his head. “And no, I cannot allow you to leave here. Should I give Dreggen any means to suspect my actions, he’ll find out that you and I are running the revolution. That in mind, I’ve already spread the rumor in Otto’s section,” he pointed up, “above us.”

I nodded. “How much time has passed by since I fell asleep, and do you know where my clothes are?”

Wergal sighed, apparently annoyed by my constant questions. “It is night time yet again, meaning a full day has passed in your terms. As for your belongings, Boss Dreggen has given them to me for safe keeping. Out of everyone he trusts in this warren, I have the most; not even his brothers come close to the amount of trust he places within me...” Wergal grinned and patted his belt as he walked around the corner into my cave. “It is the perfect dagger to thrust into his heart, no?”

I winced at how carefree he sounded about killing Dreggen. “That kind of killer mentality is dangerous... makes him a little more suspicious. If push comes to shove, he might not think twice about sacrificing me to get at Dreggen’s jugular...” Fixing my face, I stretched out my arms and did some squats to work out any remaining kinks in the joints.

“So it’s possible that you’ll be giving them back to me, then,” I asked, watching with curious eyes as Wergal nodded his head.

“Dreggen will not mind giving your clothes back, but your weapons have to stay. So your belt and those things on its sides, your pants, and your jacket will be returned to you momentarily; that is, if I feel like leaving my post to get them.” I rolled my eyes as he waggled his eyebrows at me. Sighing, I pressed myself against the back wall and slid down onto my ass.

“You know what? I would really like those clothes.” I grinned mentally as a dastardly thought finally entered my mind. Wergal didn’t know that the two things in the holsters were weapons. He’s going to be giving me back the pistols, and I know how to shoot!

Wergal shrugged his shoulders and left the cave, raising his index finger to tell me, “Hold on.” I did as was asked of me by the finger Wergal held up, whistling a merry tune to myself.

“Another red light on a cold november day~...” I continued imagining the song as I whistled along to it, thinking of Sunset being sad somewhere in the cave. Pictures of myself breaking through big lines of armored guards and embracing her ran through my head, making me sigh and smile. And it was here, in this small-ass cave, that I waited for what felt like half an hour, before Wergal returned with my things.

Nigh instantly, my eyes fell upon the pistols on my belt. I quickly hid that gaze of extreme want and stood up, ready to receive my clothes. Wergal tossed them at me underhandedly, and I caught them as they fell out of the sky from their brief flight. The belt made them jingle, and I did feel a mite better when their warmth latched onto me.

“What are those things on your hips, anyway?” Wergal quirked his head to the side, which made me laugh.

“They’re...” I brought my voice down to a whisper just in case the walls have ears. “...weapons...” Wergal jerked back and widened his eyes, but instead of growing cross like I thought he was going to do, he simply nodded and made his way back to his post. “Sorry for not telling you straight-up, my friend!”

“Save it. It’s not like you lied or anything. Telling half-truths aren’t as bad as lies, so I forgive you. Just make sure you don’t show them off to the Alphas when or if they come back to visit you.... actually... there’s a visit coming later on tonight.” Wergal poked his head around the corner as I frowned at that news. “You’re going to be visited by all three Alphas in the span of three days. They are mostly doing this to scout you out; it’s more or less a screening test to see what you’ll be the greatest at during your time here.” Wergal winces and then continues.

“Pray to whatever deity you believe in that you don’t end up in Dreggen’s Section. It is a cesspool of lust, and he heads it as Master of Ceremonies.” Wergal gained a distant look in his eye as he shivered. “That is a dark place indeed.”

I nodded my head in affirmation, even though I was pretty sure Dreggen was going to take me to his section anyway. He seemed to express a vivid desire to subjugate me by using Sunset as a means to keep me under wraps. “Maybe he’s getting a thrill out of being able to tell a dragon what to do? That seems to be the case; most dragons from Earth’s mythos are shown to be horrible beasts with overwhelmingly strong power, height, and flame breath. And by the way Io talked about them, I’m sure that’s the case for this planet as well... maybe.”

“Why does Dreggen want me to submit to him so bad, Wergal?” At my question, Wergal grimaced. It was a good question, apparently.

“Dragons are widely known for enslaving the Diamond Dogs, making them mine gems to feed their lazy asses when they should be out hunting. That’s mainly why Dreggen and his brothers joined their warrens together and migrated away from the mainland; too many dragons to ensure one of them just wouldn’t come around and enslave their grand-warren. So, two years later, Granite Podium was built on the inside of Titan Mountain some twenty miles north of Stonehaven,” Wergal explained, making me nod in understanding.

“So the dragons enslave the slavers? That shit needs to stop if I’m gonna have a shot at pleasing Io...” Staring out stoically, I slid my wings through the slits in my jacket, feeling them be freed from the compacting against my back. “So who’s coming tonight?”

“Rex.”

“Can you give me more information than that?” I tilted my head to the side with a frown; a little mad that he thought an answer like that would be satisfactory. Wergal tucked his paws into his vest’s lower pockets and sighed.

“He runs the bottom level of Granite Podium, and he’s the one that produces the most numbers in terms of collecting gems. His part of the warren is mainly physical labor, with little to no breaks for its workers, although they do work in shifts as compared to Otto’s top layer, who seldom get breaks at all.... which, should stand to reason, that Otto’s Level has the highest death rate.” Wergal stopped peeking his head around the corner, making me sigh.

“So Otto and Dreggen are the worst places to go, and Rex might not be all that bad. Thanks for the information, Wergal; but if it’s all the same, I want to stay in this cave.” I sat back against the wall and drew a flintlock-looking pistol out and studied it. The brown handle and black-everything-else made me smile. If the gun could be compared to something, I would have to say it’s barrel is about as long as a .44 magnum.... or a Deagle. The gun’s heavy too!

Oddly enough, there was no safety mechanism, and there were three barrels forming some type of triangle! “Is this thing a pistol or a sawed-off!?” Each exit hole looked big enough to fit a silver dollar inside... this thing must pack a punch! Turning the gun on its side, my eyes instantly locked on to a name etched into the top barrel.

“.... Blowback....” I said slowly, then nearly jumped out of my scales when the sky-blue cursive lettering glowed and sent little lines of energy all throughout the gun. It was like having a western-style space-pistol in my claw!

Gazing at the device in wonder, I slowly lifted it and aimed for the wall. A sky-blue holographic box came up from where the hammer was supposed to be, and showcased the number ‘88’ in white coloring. “Eighty-eight bullets inside.... or does that mean eighty-eight shots available? It could also mean its travelling speed, or how long it takes to chamber another round. There’s too many options, and not enough facts. I think a test is in order.”

I was fully aware that this gun had no trigger, so it took me a minute to think of ways on how to operate it. From what I’ve gathered so far, its name serves as the safety mechanism, as it appears to be on right now. As for how to fire the damn thing... “Once again, we’re back at square one... how the fuck do I fire it? I don’t have any bullets to feed this thing, nor am I technologically savvy; this is a job for someone who is... but no one on this planet would be able to solve this. It’s up to me.”

“Fire.” I narrowed my eyes and braced for the recoil, but none came... nor did a blast or bullet. Growling a little in frustration, I tried thinking of many options that would help me figure this out. “RIght, so we can scratch vocal commands off the list. I don’t know any magic, so we can’t test that.”

“Don’t mind me; just inside your head and watching you fail. It’s not like I’m a sapient A.I Core or anything, so just go back to being a failure at working such a simplistic device, Champ.” Siri the Smart-Aleck used so much sarcasm in that voice of hers, that I thought she was actually being sincere.

“Hello to you as well, Siri. Care to shed some light on my dilemma?”

“Use the Hearth’s Fire.”

I snapped my head up and frowned deeper. “... How does that even... ohhhhh. This... this brings me back to a day I entered the Station... the day where I fought someone pretty scary.”

I opened my eyes quickly, sitting up in the quiet atmosphere of my Station with a hiss of annoyance. Lately, I’ve been having more dreams the longer I stayed in the presence of Sunset, and it’s been a long time since I dreamt up anything besides this place.

“One week in, and I’m already being harassed by this place again. What the hell is with this place, anyway!?” Standing to my feet, I flexed my recently-trained wings out to alleviate the soreness in them. “It’s a good thing Atharva came through with her promise and trained me for that whole week.”

“You have a lot of nerve showing yourself here, Justin Richards! Why if it were up to me, you would be a black mark on this mural right now!” I groaned and turned to face the proud face and voice of Sylvan Awrenos, who was sitting across from Silas as they played chess on a black and white checkerboard. “Still, you do have an opponent tonight.”

I crossed my arms as Sylvan and Silas didn’t turn their heads. “An opponent? To whom might you be referring, Sylvan? As far as I can see, it’s just you and Silas in here.” Tossing my gaze around the Station, I grumbled to myself as my own eyes disproved my earlier statement.

That one draconian from earlier; the one that couldn’t stop crying and sobbing was curled up in the fetal position, still weeping for some reason. His remorseful cries were not loud and irritating, but filled me with a sense of dread.

“You would think him to be your Remorse, wouldn’t you?” Sylvan said, moving his white knight in a strong position against Silas. “Check.”

“From the way he’s moaning like a ghost, yeah, “ I answered.

“What a surprise; you’re wrong again.” Silas took Sylvan’s knight with a bishop, which moved him into a good position to say, “Check.” He chuckled as Sylvan groused, making me a little irritated that I was being ignored over a game of chess that can be paused and resumed.

Sylvan chewed his bottom lip and moved a rook into Silas’s base. “Indeed he is, Silas Epista. You may confront him, but be warned, Richards; he is an enemy that even Silas and I have come to fear.” Sylvan’s rook was taken by Silas’ queen with a laugh, for now his king was boxed in on the other side of the board. “DAMN IT ALL!”

“Checkmate, buddy.” Silas snapped his fingers in a ‘Z’ shape, making me chuckle a little bit myself as I made my way over to the sobbing excuse for my Remorse... or maybe he isn’t. Sylvan was pretty good at being confusing, even though I’m sure that wasn’t his intention.

“Yo, buddy; you good?” In response to my questioning, he curled up further. I sighed and squatted down, watching his form for any means of attack. “Come on, now; sulking like that never got anything done. As my Old Man would say, ‘The only time where curling up is acceptable in life is when you’re next to your woman, and when you’re dead.’”

“.... Go away...”

I quirked my head to the side at his serpentine voice. It was eerie, and carried with it the sound of a creaking coffin. “Woah... what the hell is up with this dingbat? When he finally addressed me, all traces of sorrow vanished instantly. This guy is more than he appears to be... and I plan on shoving the hornet’s nest.”

“Come on, already; you’ve moped enough. What good are you to anyone down there on the floor? You’d make others happy by having more confidence in yourself! Stop doubting your-”

My face was rocked by something fast and hard, sending me flying back into the table Silas and Sylvan were using for chess. As the pieces for the game rained down on me, I heard Sylvan open his mouth again. “DAMN IT ALL AGAIN!”

“Told you this was where Veritas was going to knock him back to! I guess your five years of servitude will start today, Sylvan!” Silas broke out into laughter as Sylvan growled and I stood up. Shaking my body free of any remaining debris, I watched with wide eyes as the sobbing form of myself got up with a demonic chuckle.

The lifeless black mane, reminding me of black flames, fluttered about like it belonged on a sacrificial altar. And as I continued to watch as he turned around to face me, his scales began dissolving, leaving behind nothing but bones and a black trench coat that was made of black, withering fire and reached down to the ground. The rest of his body was just bones, and eyes made of purple light stared at me as he smiled demonically.

“You rang, Richardssss?” A short, rattley, bonish cackle came out, making the scales on the back of my neck vibrate as he rested a bony claw against his chin. “Why do you hesitate to respond, Richardssss? I’m not that intimidating, am I?”

I took a step back, my chest squeezing tight as he took a step forward. My breaths were shallow as I stared into those eyes. They had the marking; the cloudy area completely taking over the entirety of his eyes. “W-what... what the fuck....”

He cackled strong and proud, all his bones jostling in his jubilee. “All it takes is one glance, Richardssss!? Where’s that spirit I desire to crush!? You disturbed me...” His jubilant spree ended, and he affixed me with cold stare that made me grit my teeth and shake my knees. “... You pay the price. And my price will always be death.”

“Who the hell are you!?” I swung my arm in front of me for emphasis, my eyes widened in fear as a black, cloudy substance began effusing from his mouth, becoming a cracked cocoon of horizontally stretched wisps of smoke.

“Lucius Veritas the Rafflesia. I hold within my body the power of a Great Equalizer, much like your ‘Hearth’s Fire’,” he mocked by making quotation marks with his fingers. “It’s a cute gimmick, that! It pales in comparison to my Equalizer, though. Nothing can withstand the curse of time; even the immortality Gods claim to have is pointless at the end of all things!” He snickered, his mouth coming undone multiple times as he did so. Bringing a bony claw up, he appropriately snapped his broken jaw back into place.

“... You’re mocking the Hearth’s Fire? What the hell’s a Great Equalizer? Why are you so goddamn creepy!?” I stood my ground at the edge of the Station, looking the lich-like abomination in his eye as the initial creep factor wore off. “The other time I tried talking to you, all you did was scream some random name into the heavens! What’s with the violence all of a sudde-”

“You called me, fool; you called me by my emotion. I am the representation of your Regret and Doubt, Richardssss. When you called my emotion, I am duty-bound to reveal myself to what you call.” Lucius’ voice dropped to a whisper that sounded like it was everywhere at once. “Under normal circumstances, I am your Regret... but you wanted Doubt this time. I live with some past terrors of yours.... and I think it’s time to give them back~”

His eyes flashed bright enough to blind me, and I responded by throwing my arm over my eyes. As the bright flash of sick purple ended, I blinked a couple of times to get the circles out of my eyes. They locked onto Veritas, who was now sitting on a barstool with his arms holding his head up.

“What did you do to me?”

Veritas smiled, cracking the corners of his mouth audibly. “I gave them back, Richardssss. All those little things you locked away for a looooong time~; I gave them back. To. You.” Veritas snapped his fingers, and instantly, my mind felt like someone was doing last-minute construction inside of it, blinding me with enough pain to scream and drop to my knees clutching my head.

“Yesssss.... feel the things you’ve locked away... with your skeleton key~” Amidst my screaming, I looked up at Veritas’s cackling form; watching in horror as he, and everything around me, started dissipating away. Fire consumed my insides, making me bile on myself as my brain continued vibrating seismically, filling my body to the brim with unholy amounts of nausea and pain.

The sound of falling sand in a hourglass rocked me to the core as the world around me dissolved, making me black out as the final modicrum of pain tolerance was shattered.

I shot up from Sunset’s couch with a scream. The living room reminded me of her’s perfectly. I couldn’t really understand why I was back here after looking at Lucius’s ugly mug earlier on, but I felt relatively good.

Shaking the fuzzies from my eyes, I looked down to see Sunset curled up in my lap, sleeping like a little kitten. Rolling my eyes at the rather odd situation I was put in, I looked around the room for any sign that this was some sort of cruel joke. “Right; this is officially the freakiest thing that’s ever happened to me.” Scratching my head while looking down, my eyes fell upon the white cup filled with tea.

“Did she leave this? Ugh... she knows I don’t like it when my food goes to waste.” I picked up the cut and rubbed her head softly, bringing it up to my snout for a quick sniff. The air the tea gave off was warm, and it smelled faintly of chamomile. “This is pretty strong. She must have drank this to fall asleep on me faster.” I looked down at Sunset, whose body was slowly rising and falling amidst her soft snores.

Smiling a bit, I brought the cup to my lips and started sipping from it. The brew was lovely, going down my neck like some sort of relief agent for tension, which is basically what chamomile is made for; soothing the muscles and nerves. As the green liquid lowered in the cup from my constant sipping, something wet but solid bumped up against my lip.

Jerking my head back from confusion, I slowly lowered the cup away from my mouth and raised my eyebrow as I peered into it. The green liquid held itself true, showing no obstacle in it. Frowning, I tilted it towards me a little bit more, and went wide eyed at what breached the surface of my beverage.

The round and blue pupil stared back at me; a little tadpole-like tail of red flesh trailing behind a white globe filled with red cracks. The eyeball sat there, staring at me, and all I could do was stare back. I felt hollow and sickened; a part of it was now inside me! “.... No... no, please! You can’t be...!”

The world around me dissolved as shrill screaming broke in from every side; my surroundings quickly becoming those of a dimly-lit warehouse. The eyeball in the cup became suspended on a silver spoon, and slid around of its own accord. My whole body was shaking uncontrollably now, and as I looked down, the shakes only got worse as my eyes fell upon three things I had long thought to be gone from my mind.

Quickly, I saw the faces of that dissected, eyeless little girl; her parents, one of which was pregnant, while the other was still knocked out from watching me torture- “Milly. That was her name! Milly Jolee Sevenson...” My head started pounding as I fell back onto my ass.

My breaths were shallow and painful; the chest area unrealistically tight as I watched Milly’s lifeless hands swing lethargically. I could still see the redness of her throat, which was a strong indicator to all the screams she was shrieking out as I dissected her body with the very spoon in my claw right now.

There was no hope for the jerky I had ate earlier once more as I expelled it from my stomach, the thought of enduring this hellish nightmare any further scaring me shitless. “I... I might actually end up shitting myself if I don’t get out of here!”

I stood up shakily, vaulting over the examining table in a heartbeat and continuing a dead run towards the huge metal doors. I ran and ran, ramming large metallic shelves aside like they were made of pillows; the things contained on their shelves spilling over noisily as I clamored on. Fishing hooks reached for my head like the Scythe of the Shepherd for the Damned, but I swatted them aside as well, hearing them break apart like fragile glass in a hailstorm.

Amidst all this clamor, my breaths stood out the most. To someone hearing it, they would think the gates of hell were opened, and a contingent of devils were marching on the plane of humans. The doors were right there, dammit! “I can’t stop... I need to leave!” My thoughts spurred me on, so I lowered my shoulder and drove through the dense metal, knocking the entire door off its industrial-strength hinges, hurling the monstrous metal into the water some four feet ahead of freed position against the pier.

I collapsed onto my chest from my running, almost smacking my face upon the cement. All I could do was pant like a dog and leak already-eaten jerky from my throat into the water. I felt sickened with what I saw... sickened with myself! “How could I do that to them!? How could I do that to myself!? What kind of life was I living!?” Thankfully, my spree of upchucking finally stopped.

I breathed heavily as I got back to my feet shakily. I needed a plan to escape this dreamscape, but everything felt so real, that my mind was screaming at me that this was reality. The feel of the concrete: the soft spray of the ocean crashing against the pier, the chilling air of autumn, and the clapping claws of Veritas were so goddamn clear that-

I was on my feet in milliseconds, angrily leering at him. “What the hell is this, motherfucker!? I’ll fucking rip your head off and juggle it with a can of liquid nitrogen if you don’t put me back in the real world right now!” I growled and balled my fists up.

“With what power, peon!? I have control over everything you’re not proud of; everything you could ever hold regrets for; I’m it!” Veritas flapped his long trench coat at the waist, making the bottom come up and expel black fire into the air, a hellish roar emanating from it. “And since all you mortals are beneath me, It is my duty to put you in your place! Witness now; the power that puts the Hearth’s Fire to SHAME!” On his last outburst, Veritas’s claws were consumed in a black fog that made me raise my eyebrow.

“Smoke!? That’s all you got!?” I flicked my wrists, hoping to snap the Hearth’s Fire into existence. My eyes went wide when the fire I desired did not sparkle to life, but left me hanging in the cold autumn air. I brought my claws up and glared at them angrily. “Fucking work and stop playing! I need this now more than ever!”

“The power you desire will not come to you, Richardssss. It will forever forsake someone like you, fool. However; the curse of time itself will never neglect those that are willing to feel its caress.” The smoke around his body whirled about faster, and then sunk into his face to form a black balaclava that left only his bony left eye exposed. The rest of the balaclava was painted with white pentagrams, and he chuckled when I took a step back.

“I gave pause to even the mighty Silas Epista, such is my power. You will never overcome me, Richardsss; you are just a sniveling bipedal monkey child!” Veritas cracked his neck with a bony claw, walking towards me with a glint in his eyes. All I could was back up, knowing there was no chance in hell to beat him without the Hearth’s Fire.

Turning on my heels sharply, I took off towards the warehouse I had left. The sound of cracking bones made me wince and look back, and my eyes widened as Veritas’ back sprouted spires of spider leg-like bone; about eight of them, pure white and sharpened at the end lifted him up a good three feet into the air. His body was swinging slowly but surely, and his eyes glowed with killer instinct as those same legs scuttled after me frantically; a cackle emanating from his mouth as he did so.

I turned back around and crashed through the other door, blowing it off its frames as well and sending it a couple of feet forward into some more fishing hooks. With a loud crash, the door landed and skidded on top of some detached fishing hooks, creating sparks against the cement as I barreled past it.

I could still hear the scuttling of those bony legs hounding me, and this only served to increase my panic and run all the more faster. I vaulted back over the table, rolling back onto my feet and continuing my dead run away from the lich-like abomination following me closely. I could smell him like a cloud of death, making my eyes roll back into my head a little from just how damn bad he smelled!

“Come on, Richardsss~! Let’s have a little bit of fun!” Veritas made a sudden move, and I heard the wind whistle near the left side of my head! Ducking quickly, I watched from my rolled-back eyes as one of his spider-like legs whizzed across where my head used to be located!

“Quick right! QUICK RIGHT!” I jumped to my right, knocking over another shelf as I heard Veritas skid on his legs. The floor was soaked with water, and this low-traction area did wonders in slipping the creepy motherfucker up! A lot of metallic bangs rung out, letting me know he was going to be tangled for a good while.

Turning around so that my eyes were on his struggling form, I yelled at my claws and concentrated as hard as I could. “Damn it all! Where the hell is my Hearth’s Fire at!? Why could I use it against Silas, but not against Veritas!? Was he right? Am I truly not worthy enough to wield it!?” I kept flicking my wrists; this being my ‘launching’ motion for igniting something I didn’t even have mastered.

“These cords are not good enough, Richardssss~..... I’m going to skullfuck you seven ways from sunday!” Veritas continued to thrash about the fish hooks and their metallic ropes like a caged animal, hissing at me while effusing that same dark cloud of some unknown substance that stunk to all hell. “You’ll be another carrion wasted away by the Reaper’s Hand!” That same black substance began to... dissolve the metal. The fishing hooks and wires rusted before my eyes, and then broke apart into nothingness as it was consumed into oblivion.

“You don’t need to tell me twice! I’m out of here!” I doubled back, vaulting back over the table and sprinted for the exit. There was a hellish scream behind me, the groaning of metal, and then the shattering and breaking of bones as Veritas -to the best of my knowledge- succeeded in freeing himself!

Once outside, I snapped open my wings and took off, not looking behind me for a simple second. I knew simple flight was not going to be enough for escaping someone like him, so I flew faster. Whipping my wing backwards and then down, I applied the Afterburner method that Atharva taught me to help gain speed at a quick rate. Needless to say, the technique worked flawlessly as I sped away subconsciously, my body realizing that to slow down here would probably mean imminent and instant skullfucking by Veritas.

Lightning and thunder cracked all around me, and it was deafening enough to cause my wings to falter. I cursed my luck at that, and gave a cry of pain as Veritas stuck two legs through the membrane of my wings, tucking me against his chest as we started a nosedive! “This crazy motherfuck is going to crash us both into the ocean or the ground!”

“Let me go, dammit! Why are you so obsessed with killing me, you fuck!” I sent earth-shattering elbow after elbow into his midsection, hearing all the bones break as he laughed at me.

“Thanks for rubbing those kinks out, Richardssss!” We broke the cloudline, and I could see the small rural town of Chester wink into existence below us. Every elbow I threw back was only serving to make him chuckle harder as a cone formed around us! “I can smell the beautiful scent of decay in the air, human! You get to watch what happened and all that jazz!” His sentence evolved into a harsh, mocking laughter that made me whine.

“This is it, then! I’m fucked!” I shook my head and then lowered it. I felt like a coward, but I knew it was over. “I never stood a chance against them! How could I ever entertain the notion of victory against them?” Shutting my eyes, I waited silently for the inevitable impact to come just as we started heating up from our speedy descent! “... This is it.... I’m going to die...”

I shut my eyes all the tighter, not liking the sinking feeling that was welling up inside me as Veritas cackled his ass off. There was no way in hell I was getting out of this one, and it really felt like this would be the end of me.... but... I no longer feared him.

My eyes snapped open as it became clear. “Wait a minute... is the Hearth’s Fire... controlled by confidence!? If so, the! I could always use it; I just needed to believe that I could! That’s what Veritas was doing to me this entire time; instilling enough doubt to keep my confidence lowered enough to make summoning the Hearth’s Fire ineffectual!” Growling, I slowly calmed myself down and breathed heavily through my snout.

The ground was fast approaching, and I felt something hot stirring in my gut. It screamed at me to beat the shit out of Veritas... and that’s what I’m going to do!

“You’re fucked, ugly,” I snarled, reached and arm up and wrapping it around his head. Hiking my feet up, I pressed the soles against his knees and pushed off mightily, flipping Veritas over my shoulder as I ignited my Hearth’s Fire. It roared through the sky like an angry dragon, our fast-paced hurtling to the the ground only making the frightening sound that much higher!

Veritas screamed as if everything was on fire... which it probably was. We kept spinning like his, gaining enough momentum that I doubt even an army of big-armed soldiers could stop us from impacting and causing serious damage! And as the final rotations came in, I heard the screaming of many people.

... But who cares about them. I wanted Veritas dead now.

It was instant; no one could have prepared for our two forms smacking into a skyscraper right dab in the middle. I heard the sound of breaking glass, and when I opened my eyes to survey the damage....

The Station of Awakening stared back at me.

“Oh.... my... Io...” Looking down in disappointment, I realized that yes; Lucius Veritas was beneath me and still on fire.... and yes; I was truly back in my Station if the mural of myself was anything to go by. Veritas moaned and groaned underneath me, his balaclava melting away into nothingness itself as I jumped back.

“... He actually beat him.... huh,” Silas droned out in actual surprise, making blow air through my snout in bemusement and turn to face him. Of course, him and Sylvan were engaged in a friendly game of shuffleboard....

I was panting heavily, utterly exhausted from that whole ordeal. “Fuck off. I’m... I’m leaving now.....” Flipping the duo off for good measure, I headed for the wall of darkness and pressed on through, using my wings to fly myself up to the light above. “Then the key... to the Hearth’s Fire.... is confidence; willpower.”

My eyes grew tired when I reached the light, and I passed out right before passing through the gate.

“... Why didn’t I think of that?”

Sighing in annoyance, I lifted the gun again and aimed at the wall. Heat swelled in my chest, and slowly drifted from there into my shoulder, and then down the length of my right arm into my claw. The small, sky-blue lines grew brighter, and a hushed whirring sound came from the barrels. “It’s going to go off this time! I believe it will!”

“Now... fire...”

My arm was blasted back into my chest as a triple-spread of sky-blue pellets blasted that wall to bits and pieces! Widening my eyes, I stood up and ran over to survey the damage. “Holy shit... that was AWESOME!” The hole was about three feet in, and six feet wide. If this was used against a regular body, it’d be blown straight to hell.

“What is going on in here!?” Wergal came around the corner at a frantic pace, his face scrounged up in annoyance as he stared at the hole in the wall. “Any mutt for two miles inside this blasted mountain could have heard that, you idiot! Put the weapon away before you’re found out!” He was growling at me now, and I slid Blowback into its holster with a sigh because of that.

“So in order to use my guns, I have to feed them the Hearth’s Fire... interesting. Blowback seems to be a mix between a pistol’s frame, and the power of a sawed-off shotgun... and I’m pretty sure that hologram dropped from eighty-eight to eighty-seven after that shot.” I walked back towards the wall I was shackled to yesterday and sat down, resting my forearms over my knees as I stared at Wergal with a stoic expression.

“Calm down, Wergal. I’m not hurting nothin’, anyways. You should chill out a little more...” I trailed off with a playful grin, nodding towards the diamond dog. “We have guests, after all.” Wergal jerked his head back and quickly turned it to see a large shadow approaching the cave by way of torchlight, making him growl a little before skulking his way over to the entrance.

I chuckled a little bit and relaxed against the wall. “I’m sure this Rex guy is going to be a little big; his name foretells him as a meaty dog! Well... maybe he is, maybe he’s not. It’s not nice to judge people, or to lump them in. I really should practice what I preach!” Shaking my head of these stray thoughts, I watched as a diamond dog wearing the same ensemble as Dreggen walked in alongside Wergal.

He was big, like I thought; more so, actually, with a barrel chest that stretches the fabric of his shirt ridiculously. The tension in his shirt was unbelievable, and he wore no matching pants like Dreggen. The dark-brown fur gave way to white paws and a circle around his right eye, where hazel-coloring ruled in the pupil. His arms and legs were ridiculously muscular, and he reminded me of a boxer dog.

“Wergal.... he’s clothed.” Rex’s voice was surprisingly deep, but sophisticated. I was honestly expecting him to talk like the guards from earlier. “I was very specific in my wanting to keep him bare, Beta. Is there a reason for his appearance as of now?” He turned his head slightly, looking at Wergal with a set of green eyes.

“Boss Dreggen has given me permission to distribute his belongings, so long as they’re not weapons. I’ve searched those articles of clothing thoroughly for any sign of knife, sword, staff, shield.... you name it. Excepting his diamond-looking sword, there’s pretty much nothing on this guy right now.” Wergal pointed at me while looking at Rex, the bigger diamond dog nodding in understanding at his Beta. After that, Rex turned his attention back to me.

“You would be a magnificent addition to my Level of Granite Podium, dragon. The slaves would look at you and think, ‘Boss Rex has even broken the back of a mighty dragon! What chance do we have!?’” He faked a swoon and chuckled, making me narrow my eyes at the large mutt. As he straightened himself out, Rex placed the same paw he swooned with on his chin and analyzed me. “You appear to be a bit stubborn at first glance, but all slaves are when they’re first captured. Wills are strong, but they can be broken. I’ll be betting a high bit for you, little dragon.”

He laughed and turned around, heading out of my cave. Wergal watched him leave, and then turned back to me. “I honestly thought you were going to rip his head off. Needless to say, I’m very glad and disappointed that you didn’t.” He chuckled, which brought about a bemused glance from me.

“Yeah, well we all can’t be apathetic killers.... anymore.” I averted my eyes and sighed, before realigning my gaze with his. “Don’t you have job to be doing, Wergal? The rumor won’t spread with you lollygagging like this.”

Wergal pursed his lips and flipped me off, but nevertheless, he made his way out of the cave as well. As silence descended upon my “cell”, I began wondering about my new girlfriend and how well she was taking this new change of pace...

Granite Podium Arc: Part 3 [Rewritten]

View Online

Sunset Shimmer was ascending into dangerous Defcons of hatred and anger. The guards feared her not even within twenty minutes of her newly found occupation as a slave. Many anti-magic rings laid broken and obsolete from each other on the ground, her face scrounged up in a demonic glare at the shivering guards in front of her.

With each step she took toward them, the chained shackles around her legs jingled like some anonymous reaper of the damned. Her light-blue eyes were only highlighted evilly by the dim light of the mining cave. Shivering spears attached to shivering bodies and claws were the only indication of other life in this small outcropping from the main tunnel.

Sunset grinded her teeth together, obviously pissed off as she narrowed her eyes more. Dangerous, magic-filled slits of light-blue, pierced the souls of the five guards whining and whimpering in front of her. “Would you five mind explaining.... exactly why you feel it necessary... to stop my progress!?” A stomp from her hoof rattled the fragile jaws of her guards.

“P-p-pony listen...” One guard pleaded, stepping forward a little with jingling plate armor over his entire body. “O-O-Otto Boss has... m-m-message!” His spear was incinerated by a beam of sharp blue-green pyre, making him yelp and fly back into his pack of cowards.

“Spit it out....” Sunset hissed, the smell of marked territory emanating from the frightened bunch of metal. Her voice was so serpentine, that one of the guards fainted after two more seconds of rapid shivering.

“He.... he says... dragon die if you... act up... in mine.” The guard who spoke sounded like he was going to scream at any given moment, which made Sunset roll her eyes with a bovine-like snort from her nose.

“So you’re going to use my coltfriend to make me listen? No doubt you’ve put him in the same situation as well...” Sunset shook her head and sighed, turning around and heading back to the main tunnel. “Tell Otto that I have no problems doing his grub work... but if my flank is ever slapped by a dog again....” She turned on her hooves sharply, igniting her horn. “There will be many vasectomies....”

Three more dogs passed out as Sunset smiled sweetly and went back to the main tunnel. The moment she stepped out, however, her eyes picked up on two figures leaning against the right and left side of the tunnel’s entrance. “That’s what, the third squad you intimidated like that? You’re frightening.”

Sunset smiled and looked to her left, eyeing Dominika Lehigh with a face of permanent confidence. “I try my best at keeping my pride as a woman intact, dear! You didn’t have to beat that last squadron to a bloody pulp, though!”

Dominika tittered. “They ripped my dress! What would you have done, Ms. Shimmer?” She sighed and pulled up her ripped black dress, which had been cut so the top of her pink nipples were barely contained. “This dress cost me an arm and a leg! One hundred bits for fabric is a rip off, but the dress was so well-made!” Dominika looked down at her white cleavage, which was basically out for everyone with a pair of functioning eyes to behold.

With another huff, a round of chuckling came through from the other side of Sunset Shimmer. “I’m still wondering how your lizard boyfriend is still breathing with all the shit you pull, Sunset. And nice rack, Milk.” The rude nickname given by Diamond the Diamond Dog caused the mare to snicker and Dominika to glare.

“Do not call me Milk, Diamond! I’ve told you that nickname is rude! If you can’t even say my full name, then at least use the nickname I had all my life!” Dominika walked over and poked the sky-blue furred husky diamond dog in her chest. “The name’s Donna, Diamond; remember it!”

Diamond raised her eyebrow, chuckling at Donna as her paw came up and moved the offending finger off her flat chest. “Don’t touch me, Donna. I don’t care what your nickname was before coming here, but I do know that-”

And Sunset tuned the rest of their argument out with a small smile as they walked the familiar path back to the main group. Sunset Shimmer was able to make some pretty swell allies the moment she was thrown into Boss Otto’s Level of Granite Podium, the very top of a large mountain. Once her position was established as a slave in one of the nine sections, divided by nine main tunnels, she warmed up quickly to a minotaur sow she met earlier; Dominika Lehigh.

She was pretty shaken up from being made a slave so easily and quickly, but Sunset’s stalwart confidence acted as a beacon to the older woman, who jumped at the chance to join the unicorn that was able to break her Anti-Magic Restrictor Ring in no more than three minutes. To Dominika, the feat of magic was said to be remarkable; but to Sunset, it was only three minutes taking a break.

Even so, as her first day winded down into the monotonous hammering of pickaxe on stone, Sunset Shimmer only served to quickly become the bane of all the guards in Otto’s section of Granite Podium. Groups of strong-willed D-Dogs came back to the outposts covered in their own urine, some of them shaking like leaves in the wind. Because she was so new, the guards were instructed by Otto - who would never admit to the fear of the mare himself, the little pug-looking shit - to pair the mare off with their most seasoned slave, so she could warm up to her new role nicely.

As it turns out, the most seasoned slave in this section was another D-Dog. Sunset’s surprise at this was minimal at best, but she quickly warmed up to the grizzled, serious, veteran personality that was Diamond Everwinter. Sunset learned that Diamond was the head of another warren of D-Dog called the Everwinters, which had stationed themselves to the southeast of the Crystal Kingdom. As Sunset heard, when the Alpha Brothers combined their warrens and started their pilgrimage to Bullivia, it just so happens that her warren was in the way... so they made good use of her people. Slaves, whores, cumdumps; the whole nine yards. Some of them were even auctioned off as slaves to other warrens and wealthy beneficiaries.

But the most horrifying thing Sunset heard was the story of what happened to Diamond’s mate and their children. The Alpha Brothers helped themselves to a nice feast with Diamond’s pups, and they auctioned her mate - Wergal - off to Skaven Cultists. There were tales about what happened to slaves in the Black Marsh, and most of them would send the average pony in Equestria off the deep end.

Diamond confirmed that all of this transpired three years ago, and that she was only recently reunited with Wergal early this year. Ever since then, Wergal has been planting seeds of distrust among the Brothers and spreading rumors of revolution throughout all of Granite Podium, but he could never find the right person to take the head for it. If he were to do it, they would have no problem killing Diamond while dealing with him...

“So let me get this straight, Ms. Diamond,” Sunset said as she turned her head slightly to the left, looking up into Diamond’s green eyes. “Your husband wishes for Silas and myself to spearhead this little revolution? All of this based on the fact that we have a better chance of surviving the initial surge of guards, as compared to Wergal and yourself?”

Diamond nodded sagely, a faint smile upon her face. “Absolutely, Ms. Shimmer. Your magic would be essential to the success of this plot, should you agree. I have no doubts whatsoever that you’d be able to bring Otto’s level of the warren to its knees with the help of many good slaves that have brewed and festered within their hatred for many years!” Diamond tittered for a second, before continuing with a stoic face.

“Of course, I would also be at your side during the revolution. I may be skinny, but I was born with a... unique body, as compared to my log-armed kin. As you can see,” Diamond stated with a leveled voice as she motioned for her two friends to stop and gaze upon her form. “My arms and legs are fair. Muscles barely make themselves known to the world when I flex. I was the runt of my litter.” True to her claim, the white arms and legs of Diamond were practically human in size. The overbearing musculature one would expect to be on a normal D-Dog’s arms was absent.

Donna merely shrugged at the new information. “So Fido got the short end of the stick. What’s that got to do with us?”

Diamond snarled at the minotaur, before whipping around quickly and delivering a roundhouse kick to the tunnel wall next to them. A hole the size of a large boulder appeared in a deafening explosion of sediments and dust. Diamond kept her foot craned in the air as she pivoted on the one keeping her up, looking at Donna with a raised eyebrow.

“You were saying, Milk?”

As the group - after about a ten minute walk back to the main cavern - came to rest and relieve with the other slaves, the sound of jingling armor made the group of three friends sigh at the same time.

A short, foal-sized, bland-baby-blue colored, pug-looking D-Dog in the same attire as Dreggen and Rex waddled his way up to the three females. He actually looked pretty cute all dressed up like that!

“Ahhh, the Amazon Three! Causing trouble again, I see!?” His voice was annoying, just like an ankle biter’s would be; high in pitch and rapid in speech. “Boss Otto is becoming very sore with your disrespectful antics, you wenches! Need I remind you that I have two of your lover’s under my proverbial thumb?!” That was another thing the Amazon Three did not like about Otto; he spoke in the third person, only to make himself feel better than all the others.

Sunset rolled her eyes hard enough for some of her eyelashes to scrape against it, making her hiss in annoyance. She was grateful that none of those infernal hairs decided to vacation on her eyeball, less Boss Otto would have seen himself splattered across all nine sections of his Level. “You keep threatening me with Silas’s well being, Otto; it’s starting to become annoying. I am tempted to put his life on the line just to see you smeared into a fine paste, actually.” Sunset leaned forward so her nose was inches away from Otto’s, who was trying his best to not shake in fear.

The blue pug just stared at Sunset with wide eyes, scanning over her smug features frantically. Otto has seen the state some of his guards return in, and he didn’t want to be another example. Even so, the small dog held his ground.

Placing his small black cane against Sunset’s mouth, Otto pushed her head back with a smile. “Oh, my dear; this is simply too rich! You really, truly, honestly think that you’re just going to do whatever you want up here without any form of punishment? How naive you are, my little pony~” Otto laughed, snapping his small fingers.

The Amazon Three watched with raised eyebrows as twenty slaves were laid down in front of them, their heads facing the women’s feet and hooves. Otto took this time to start whistling and twirling his walking stick merrily, walking right in front of all the slaves’ heads.

“You see, girls; you’re all living underground in a world of thunder with us Diamond Dogs. We don’t really care ‘bout the pain you’re under, Otto’s afraid.” A griffon slave next to Otto’s small paws quickly found its eye gouged out on his walking stick, making the bird scream in pain as it remained pinned in place by armored guards.

“What the hell are you doing, Otto!?” Diamond’s voice cut above the clamor of the griffon, who was now crying tears and blood onto the stone floor. “These are precious slaves to your-”

Diamond’s mouth was suddenly filled with griffon eyeball, a taste she immediately retched at and spat out as Otto laughed. “Oh, shut your mouth, whore! This is the Amazon Three’s comeuppance!” Twirling his staff again, he slammed its white end down onto the stone floor with a soft tap, making his guards draw crude looking maces and swords.

Sunset made to ignite her horn, with the intention of knocking the D-Dogs unconscious to save the slaves before her, but the thought of Diamond’s mate and her boyfriend being put in harm’s way made her confidence falter drastically. “I have to use my head here! If I act without sound reasoning, that could be it for Wergal and Silas!!”

"Each slave on the ground right now represents how many of my dogs you three intimidated! Theii deaths,” Otto snapped, signaling to the dogs an order to kill; which they did. Some heads rolled after being severed, others could get a couple more groans in as the dogs beat down on them with their maces. ”are on you.”

By the end of the whole ordeal, Donna and Sunset had emptied their stomachs onto the floor. “As you can see, if you would have attacked Otto, this would have happened anyways. But now, let this serve as a lesson to you three whores that Otto’s not fucking around here.” He kicked the head of a blue mare across the cave. It landed next to a foal, who screamed before hugging his mother and crying.

Sunset shivered, trying to eject the gruesome images from her head. The way their heads caved in like rotten melon, even having the gall to make sounds; it was quickly bringing her to the point of regurgitation again. She was able to wipe her mouth clean of puke and face Otto after two more seconds of heavy breathing. “You... you bastard! I can’t even come up with enough words to tell you how absolutely VILE you are, Otto!”

Otto threw his small head back and laughed for all he was worth at that. It took him about three seconds to calm down. “Listen, baby~!” His cane found itself on Sunset’s jaw again, making the mare give a low growl of agitation. “Your little streak of disobedience is over. Otto’s about had it with the Amazon Three causing trouble in Otto’s Lair! You always scare Otto’s guards; you always make those stupid side tunnels in the side of Otto’s main one to take unapproved breaks, and you always try to intimidate Otto in Otto’s OWN LAIR!” The tiny dog was breathing heavily now, his little chest expanding and falling quickly.

Sunset couldn’t bring herself to look at the remaining slaves. She had caused the deaths of twenty people, all because she didn’t want to deal with what was sure to be temporary subjugation to a midget.

She staggered away, shuddering all the while. It was all she could do, staring at the severed heads, and it only seemed to frighten her more. Her pampered life in Canterlot and herbivore lifestyle did not ready her for the twenty lives taken, right in front of her eyes, brain matter strewn about the ground. Gore and blood only served to heighten her repulsion as her mane disheveled and sprang apart into little curls.

Otto, taking notice of Sunset’s faltering, decided to roll up his sleeves and get to work in driving his point home. “So guess what, ladies!? You all just earned yourselves a day in The Rough! Have a good time tugging to stay alive!” Otto built himself up into a maniacal laughter as the women were gripped up and dragged away, only two of them kicking and squirming, but proving their efforts to be utterly useless against the mass of grey armor and burly dog arms.

Sunset’s horn was gripped roughly, causing the mare to scream in obscene amounts of pain as her bone bent a little under the grip of a Diamond Dog. Other than her screams, she was practically a noodle with no feeling, completely despondent. Dominika was being pulled by her hair, and Diamond by her legs. Dust and dirt completely caked the women after a couple minutes of dragging, and they had lost the will to fight against their captors. Donna and Diamond resolved themselves to just crossing their arms and pouting.

“Why the hell did this have to happen? I was living a good, promising life as the Tipsy Clover’s secretary! I had nowhere else to go but up from there!” Dominika kept her baby face up, nestling into her crossed arms. Diamond rolled her eyes, and then winced when her chin made contact with a big rock. “Cry me a river, Milk. At least your kids weren’t eaten.” Having said her piece on the matter, Diamond decided to count the stones passing by her head to alleviate her boredom.

“Stop calling me MILK, dammit! I’m not some useless dairy cow, you skank! Ow,” Donna called out shortly from the guard yanking on her hair too roughly. “... I just want to go home....” Diamond rolled her eyes, giving a sigh of annoyance at the way a grown woman was acting in this situation.

“I’ll never understand how some women are too prissy for situations like these. It’s obvious, now, that the minotaurs live sheltered lives like the Equestrians. Guess these prissy pinheaded pucker-ups are my only means of camaraderie around here, seeing as how the rest of these spineless flea sacks are about as useful as glue on tree sap.” Diamond took that time to huff, still being dragged by the ankles. “And now, we’re going to The Rough. Perfect! The last female group taken there came out to be cock-worshippers. They were addicted to the scent of mating. I need to think of something that will keep me immune!”

Just as her frantic thinking came to an end, the women were being dragged down a ramp and towards a ten foot tall box of granite. It took possibly five minutes for them to reach the bottom, and half another minute for their escorts to dig through the hard stone and toss them in carelessly.

They all landed with a plopping sound, which turned into soft squelches as the soaked dirt clung to their womanly frames. The escorts they had knew why the ground was so wet, and promptly fell into a fit of chroused snickering as they resealed the wall. Having done half their jobs, the guards went around the small perimeter, poking holes through the hard stone with more snickers.

“My hair! My dress! They’re ruined!” Donna Lehigh was having a mini panic attack as she stood up and tried shaking herself of the the darkened mud slush. It came off easily enough, but the mud had already done its worse to her outfit and hair. Unless she took a bath or something of the like, that mud was staying as brown streaks.

“Quiet,” a guard yelled. “Women prepare for service; pick hole!” Said holes were then being filled with crude spears that poked at them viciously. Seeing as how the women just watched the lifeless, headless bodies of twenty individuals come to pass tonight, they were in no mood to deny the spears or the will of the guards wielding them.

Diamond knew. The woman knew what The Rough was used for, and why the ground was so wet. She knew of all the atrocities performed here, and how many good, reputable females that became nothing more than loyal slaves of desire. Diamond saw one of her best friends, Lera, beg on her knees before a guard, happily whining on all fours and shaking her rump in the air. Nothing was present in her eyes, just the desire to breed.

For the first time in a long time, Diamond Everwinter went over to a hole... and cried.

Granite Podium Arc: Part 4 [Rewritten]

View Online

A quick sound, something like the crack of a whip, signalled to me that my quickdraw ended. I grinned at the outstretched piece of black metal that was currently off, which then turned into a smile as I repeated the action again and again. My speed was increasing, and so was my accuracy in where I wanted its end to point at. By doing this, I was also getting used to Blowback’s weight and tri-barrel design.

“Tonight marks the third day in this place. I spent all of yesterday doing this, so the gun’s weight is no problem. My accuracy with the quickdraw is increasing slowly but surely, which is good. Now, the only thing left for me to do is synchronize the draw times between Blowback and Precision.” I rolled my neck, getting a satisfying crack from it as I paced about in my cave.

Wergal kept his eyes on me, arms crossed with one foot against the wall so his legs resembled a ‘4’. “Welp, the rumor’s being spread as quick and quiet as it can, Silas. I don’t see the point in you pacing about like that.”

I kicked a large rock, thinking “Fuck you in particular” as I stopped my pacing. Looking at Wergal, I couldn’t help but note the sour face he had. It was almost as if he was constantly remembering the smelliest fart that ever graced his nose, and then about how long it had to have festered in someone’s digestive tract for such a pungent aroma to come about.

“I do this when I’m bored, Wergal,” I explained with a chuckle. “I end up making things worse when I think while pacing; if that even makes any sense to you, that is.” Yawning greatly, I took my seat near the back of the cave again, resting my arms over my knees. “So, anything of interest to report other than that?” I twirled some of my mane with an index finger.

Wergal chuckled briefly, then fixed me with a cocksure gaze. “Who the hell do you think I am? Everything runs like clockwork in here because of me and no one else.” His pride was damn near suffocating. Placing a thumb on his chest, Wergal continued to talk. “You’re becoming quite popular down here, my friend. There’s not a mouth in Rex’s or Dreggen’s Levels that hasn’t said your name once.”

Walking into my cave with the confidence of a cheating poker player, he leaned up against the wall to the right of mine. “Four more days, man. Tension’ll boil somethin’ awful, and then Granite Podium’s getting flipped onto its keister. We’ll be united with our mates, and we’ll bust out of this mountain faster than a convict that found a hole in the prison walls.” Winking at me with a click of his teeth, Wergal did a damn-good job of getting his confidence across with that gesture.

“Yeah, well; I’m no hero, that’s for damn sure. I’ll try to get as many as I can out, but I’m not going to go out of my way. Sunset takes top priority, we garrison the slaves, and then we gut the bosses.” I crunched my claw into a tight fist after saying that, peering at it with a frown. My mind was torn between hunting them down now and stealing their lives, or waiting for the revolution to come so I can do it there. These choices bit into my brain like a mad dog, whose infectious saliva injected itself upon my nervous system and danced a whirlwind of a jig upon each receptor.

In response to this, my left leg began an insufferable rapid tapping of adrenaline-made alertness. My body felt honed, sharpened; everything was closing in and focusing into high definition. Every crackle of torch, every sniff from wandering guards outside my cave, and every falling piece of sediment from the ceiling registered itself within my aural canals; I felt my eyes shift in and out of Draconic Sightline Mode, scanning Wergal and the walls for magical threats.

My brain was thinking of any possible situations that could be hazardous to the well-being of Wergal and I. The most asinine of occurrences stormed my thoughts like a blizzard, freezing over coherency towards the world outside my consciousness every now and then. I shifted on the bed of knives known as the floor, a particularly sharp stone digging into my buttocks as I gruffed and slapped it away after rising a bit.

That stone was good for knocking me out of my stupor of adrenaline, however, and I let out a sigh as my body unwounded. “Right... anyone I should be wary of in the Slaver Guard, Wergal?” I stood back up, dusting my backside off, the ruffling letting me know I was doing a good job at that.

Wergal’s grunt fell in between the constraints of shallow amusement and sarcasm. “Please. Most of the mutts in this hole of a warren think, ‘Spear sharp, stabby stabby.’” He mocked the broken accent of the Slaver Guards with a little bit of spittle, giving himself a dumb accent that growled more words than it should have.

Of course, this butchering of a sentence in such perfect mockery gave me a reason to laugh my ass off. The action was grand enough for me to hunch over a bit, but was ultimately short-lived as I righted my stance again. “That.... that was comedy!” Wiping a tear from my eye, I sighed with a big smile and leaned against my wall again.

Wergal nodded with a wide smile of his own, although his held that same smug characteristic that he seemed to showcase at all times. The air around that guy just screamed ‘Everything is mine for the taking’; or something along those lines. Either way, those were the eyes of a self-entitled person; I knew them based on my life as a mafioso underneath my section’s Don, Jackie Spades.

I rested the back of my head against the wall of rock, feeling my soft mane press up against my skull to provide a nice pillow. “Black hair, gelled forwards with a sideswipe. White suit with black undershirt; giant fancy spade suit symbol on the back with falling bullet shells underneath it. He was rather lanky, too.... such an asshole.” Sighing deeply, getting a good look at the jagged pink scar on Jackie’s face before the image disappeared completely, I looked back at Wergal who was standing with his arms crossed.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Wergal had his eyebrow raised now, somewhat dubious of my actions, no doubt. He walked to stand next to me, resting his head on the wall, coming up to just under my pecs. “Something troubling you? I’m rather interested in what could possibly be bothering a mighty dragon.”

“So he’s not worried about me, but just what’s bothering me? Glad to know this alliance is fragile, at least. I’ll be careful in how much trust I put into him, now.”

“Equis to Silas.” Wergal snapped in front of my face, making me shake my head rapidly and come out of my funk. “Four more days until the big event. Don’t tell me you’re going insane before then.” I was jabbed on the shoulder, but remained solid in my position.

Frowning at Wergal playfully, I holstered Blowback and socked him in the shoulder myself. I blinked at just how hard that punch must’ve been, because Wergal’s jaw found a new home against the stone wall to our right. I was over there in less than a second due to my height, and was pulling him out of the wall with a wince.

“Shit. Wergal, you good man?” The only response my question got was a groan from the half of Wergal’s face that was still embedded in stone walling. Pursing my lips to the side in half parts worry and frustration at the stuck mutt-man, I gave a yank using a little more oomph. I smiled faintly as he popped out of the wall audibly, shaking his head clean of dust and debris quickly like a dog after being thoroughly soaked.

Instantly, I was on the wrong end of a glare. “The hell was that for? All I did was sock you in the arm playfully, you shit.” Wergal yanked his arm free of my hold, growling to himself a bit as he rubbed the arm that was slugged by me in retort to his own punch.

I kept my lips pursed for a bit, then sighed while placing my claws on my hips, starting a short walk around my cave and looking at the Wergal-shaped indent in the cave wall. “I’m sorry, Wergal, truly I am. But I must stress that I hit you ‘that hard’ by accident; I didn’t know the outlet of my own strength, apparently.” I kicked that rock from before with a chuckle as it properly shattered into fragments.

Running a claw through my mane, I looked back at Wergal, who was still glaring at me. “Going by that logic, you should be happy that a hurt arm and face is all you ended up with.” This earned me a short snarl as Wergal reached for the handle to one of his kris daggers.

“Wanna try repeating that with a missing tongue, snake-man,” Wergal retorted nonchalantly, despite his aggravated actions earlier. I frowned a bit at his threat, and continued my casual walk with a roll of the eyes.

“Why would I fight my only means of escape or of seeing my girlfriend,” I asked Wergal with a look of bemusement on my face. “That’s completely unproductive.”

The diamond dog beta merely shrugged and walked off. “Just as long as you know never to flaunt yourself like that again. Until you have your freedom, you do what I say.” This brought a growl from my throat, and a crossing of my arms. Didn’t take long for me to find my original positioning against the back wall, and start playing with Blowback again.

Frowning at being called a braggart, I slid down the wall in preparation to sleep again.

Granite Podium Arc: Part 5 [Rewritten]

View Online

Sunset Shimmer was a mess.

A mane of ruby and topaz, perfectly maintained, has now become a bog of split-ends and mud. Her hooves fared no better, and her entire coat was bespeckled with mud and dust as well. Her bloodshot eyes were a strong indicator of a loss of sleep, and her ears twitched every now and then from their flattened positions against her head.

Her horn was currently alight with magic; a perfect counter to her seemingly lifeless eyes. Her horn was currently holding a spongy cup-like cylinder, and it’s completely covered in white marks in the shape of splotches; something like one would find from careless writers that use ink and quill, or drops of paint from the rookie artist.

But this... this wasn’t art. This was torture.

Sunset turned her attention to the other women sharing their sentence with her in The Rough; an erected box of disgusting pleasure for the many guards who have trouble finding a willing bitch to lay. Her light-blue eyes settled on the fetal positioned Donna Lehigh, her face absolutely caked with mud from laying down on the constructed pillow made from the same material.

Donna’s bloodshot eyes quivered with the gentleness of an earthquake, and the serenity of a thunderstorm. Her black hair was clumped together by mud, and her face - where mud didn’t conceal it - was obviously tear streaked. The beautiful dress she wore on the night she met Silas and Sunset was now nothing more than a ragged, wore-down curtain.

Sunset took a couple of breaths to steady her jumpy nerves and turned her head, hoping to see the remaining member of the Amazon Three faring better than the minotaur. Her hopes were dashed as her eyes settled upon Diamond, the gruff Diamond Dog female that was currently frowning deeply. Her fur was matted in places that gave her a feral appearance, and her mouth was worked into a permanent snarl. Her green eyes, constantly shifting, eyed every hole The Rough had cut into it.

The mare swallowed the tumbleweed forest in her throat, then licked her lips a bit. Standing up, she trotted over to Diamond with a heavy sigh. “... We shouldn’t have resisted.” This one phrase caused the bipedal woman to roll her eyes.

“Yeah, well I’d rather we go through this than get raped by Otto’s men. You know they wanted our asses that one day, and that’s why you formed the Amazon Three.” Diamond crossed her arms following the retort, batting an eye to look at Sunset, who was now seated beside her. “In any case, we don’t have much longer in here. This is the last shift of guards before we’re released back into Otto’s Level.”

Sunset nodded... then raised her eyebrow while looking up at Diamond. “Are we not in Otto’s territory right now?”

Diamond sighed and leaned against the granite wall behind her. “No, we’re in Dreggen’s.We were taken down into the Middle Level; Dreggen’s Level. It’s a sick, twisted, expanse of lustful tunnels where his lecherous guard is notorious for sticking it in any hole they see.” She gestures at The Rough in general. “Take this shit, for example.”

Sunset grimaced. She didn’t like the fact that such a randy, unlawful place could exist. “And I assume, seeing as how there’s holes all around this thing, that we’re in the heart of Dreggen’s Level?” She peeks through one next to her with a frown. “I see entryways leading into main tunnels from here alone.”

Diamond scratched at her ear a bit, frowning at how many dirt flakes were being flung off from this action. “Yes. The Rough is at the heart of Dreggen’s Level. This block happens to be the...” The diamond dog cut herself off, her mouth still open. Sunset quirked her eyebrow; she could practically hear the cogs turning in Diamond’s head.

“A bit for your thoughts, Diamond?”

The diamond dog moved her mouth a bit, then closed it into a wide, ear-to-ear grin. “I believe I have a cunning plan when Wergal decides to launch his plan.” Rubbing her paws together while snickering in mischievous joy, Diamond looked at the ceiling of The Rough with plotting eyes.

Sunset raised her eyebrow, but did nothing more as she goes over to her corner. There she stayed, resting on her rump in the mud as she started to think about everything that’s happened so far.

“I think it’s safe to assume that I’ll spare not a single slaver in this hellhole. How these dogs come up with these sick means of torture is beyond me, and I certainly don’t care for them!” Her eyes settle upon one of the many holes in the box. “Gloryholes are disgusting... it’s a good thing I made those cups of soft mud, and placed a penetrable filter inside so the guards can’t see the mud on their penises when finished, because it’d be caught by the filter.”

Rubbing her chin a bit, she looks at the ceiling of The Rough. Her frown is still present. “... Why would Diamond be so happy at a time like this, especially about The Rough? She mentioned Wergal’s plan again, which only leads me to believe that she somehow sees a benefit to his machination with this place.” She tapped her chin with a hum, then blinked after about a minute of brain scouring. “... It’s a support beam! This thing of granite probably holds the mountain together, seeing as how they made most of it out of cobblestone and slate.”

For the first time since Sunset’s been in The Rough, she cracked a ghost of a smile. Some would call her gesture even more devious, showcasing a side to the well-learned mare that no one has seen before.

“I think I have plans for this little place...” She grinned quite evilly there, her body shivering in joy as she thought of so many chaotic ideas on the spot. Her horn fizzled, her hair stood on end, her eyes shifted... it was like watching a natural disaster of nerves. She wanted to do the things she was thinking of so bad, but her logic kept bringing her down to the clear fact of bringing harm unto her friends and her boyfriend.

“When this is all over, I’m going to enjoy walking on a diamond dog alpha pelt!” Her moment of intense plotting and reverie was cut short by the banging of a spear against the granite walls surrounding them. The annoying clang of metal on stone made Sunset and Diamond grimace, and Donna curl up tighter.

The voice on the outside was gruff. It was a voice that the Amazon Three knew all too well. Their warden was here, one Fetcher. “Wake, get ready. Last shift come now.”

“Sunset, you can do this. It’s gross - very much so - but manageable. You can’t say you’ve been through worse, but you can say there’s something motivating you to press on.” Sighing deeply, Sunset walked to the middle of the enclosed space and sat in front of two cups made of soft mud, and covered with white splotches here and there; these shared a similar appearance to the one in her grasp, still.

Diamond approached her then and there, looking somewhat sheepish while doing so. “Do you want me to man a hole this time, or are you going to do it?” She placed her paws on her hips, looking at Sunset with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll do it alone again. It’s fine.” At Sunset’s retort, Diamond sighed heavily. This sigh blasted Sunset in the face a bit, making her mane blow just a tiny amount.

“You don’t look so hot, Sunset; not as hot as you did when starting out. Please let me do this if it’ll help keep your head on. We’ve lost one to grovelling, and I’ll not stand for such an intellectual like yourself becoming next.” Diamond started reaching for a cup, just to frown in annoyance as Sunset moved it away from the paw with her shimmering light-blue aura.

“I’ll do it alone, Diamond. I’m fine.” Sunset nodded at her, getting Diamond to roll her eyes and sit down in her respective corner. The diamond dog frowned further when something pink floated into the hole next to her, but kept her growl down as to not incite the rage of their captors.

Sunset nodded her thanks at this, and went to work. The mare had to hold back a retch as the mud-cup slopped onto the tip of the intruder, getting a growl of pleasure from the dog outside. She made sure to stick to just that one area, using the cup as a piston against the pink flesh. It took about three minutes, but the cup was rewarded with its spoils of victory. More white splotches showed up on the outside of the cup, and the air inside The Rough became rank and rusty with the smell of sweaty, dirty dog once more. Hardcore panting on the other side alluded to a pleased guard, and the magic filter on that hole stopped any loose mud from following the penis out.

“... This is outrageous!” Gnashing her teeth in supreme fury, Sunset continued to work these gloryholes expertly. Every guard that stuck it in was jerked off at the tip until he sowed his wild oats into the cups. It eventually got to the point where Sunset had to apply more magic in keeping the cups in proper form, so that they didn’t break as they became soggy halfway through. “We just so happen to get the largest fucking shift of guards during our last hours in this dump!? Unbelievable! And do they really think I’ll just sit here and not want retribution for this later on!? Oh, there will be more than hell to pay...”

Sucking and slurping sounds - all coming at different times - filled the air with the added stench of spilled seed, and Sunset’s face was contorting more and more into her anger. In a flash, all three cups started working the guards off as soon as they stuck themselves inside. Sunset eventually sat panting in the middle of The Rough, allowing the sogged cups to deform and drop into the rest of the muck. Her face was still contorted in anger.

“Sentence up. Get out. Escort to Boss Otto Level.” A guard in black plating instead of the dreary silver opened the door, glaring at all three of them. Donna - for the first time since seeing the horrors of this place - moved quickly. She nearly barreled through the guard in the black platemail.

The minotaur sow shrunk sizably from the glare being tossed her way by the elite guard. “Too close, cow.” Every word was said with a strong bite to it, almost like he was trying to gnash her face apart. This, of course, caused the jumpy-nerved Donna Lehigh to take a couple of steps back while shaking her head quickly. Through this whole ordeal. her glasses remained spotless.

Diamond, seeing the woman backpedal next to her, slid a comforting claw onto Donna’s shoulder; the latte shivering with a quiet yelp of fear, before realizing it was just her friend. Sunset came up to the left of Donna, and then stood in front of her friends, creating a triangle.

“At your go, guard.” Her face was permanently scowling, her eyes completely narrowed into the furthest reaches of anger and the desire for revenge. She wanted a bath, she wanted her man, and she wanted to make these sons of literal bitches pay for ever doing this and thinking it to be okay.

The guard dressed in black nodded, stomped his foot, and two more silver guards with spears started a flanking position on both sides of the women. They walked, Diamond and Donna hoping to return to Otto’s Level and not anywhere worse than The Rough.

Sunset, however, kept her teeth gritted as she walked. She did not understand these feelings swamping her; all she could sense was a growing flame in her body that threatened to spill into her bloodstream and wreak havoc on her nerves and actions. She winced, swearing her teeth were chipping under the harsh grinding she was making them deal with.

Snapping her head up suddenly - her face the very definition of intense anger or hatred - she could see something in the corner of her eye. Every time she turned her head to see it clearer, it would extinguish. Mentally resigning to seeing it fully, she continued looking from her peripheral at it; the black, bubbling flame that rested inside a brighter, light-blue outline. Curiously enough, this flame seemed to not only crackle, but bubble as well. These two noises in unison made her see something instantly; something that caused her eyes to narrow further.

She saw the disappointment in a certain mare’s face. She saw the face that haunted her all the way till this point. Sunset saw the face of a disappointed maternal figure, and of a teacher. Her eyes captured, if only just for a moment in that backdrop of blue/black flame, that signature raised eyebrow that mare was prone on giving things that displeased her somewhat. And that eyebrow, much to the neverending, growing anger of Sunset, was directed at her.

Like the crack of a whip, something snapped in her mind. She saw what she could do; what she could really do in this situation, and about the overall situation. And this recent rush of pride and exhilarating, diabolical plotting, brought a sick smile to Sunset’s face for the first time in their twenty minutes of walking. She could see the flame, the face and eyebrow; but now... she could hear something...

... The crack of lightning. The promise of sweet revenge; titillating comeuppance for the wretched mongrel mutts that made her suffer so. It belonged to her, was hers for the taking; all she need do was act on what this feeling was! She could taste the honey on her tongue, smell the suffering in the air!

And as they finally reached the start of Otto’s Level, Sunset’s smile broke out into a low giggle as her horn sparked some of that blue/black magical fire. Her final thought would forever register this as the day...

... Where Sunset Shimmer coped with the notion of killing sapients.

“... They’ll all burn for this...”

Granite Podium Arc: Part 6 [Rewritten]

View Online

Wergal stood at the edge of the cave, arms crossed while looking completely serious. His eyes were on me, a silent knowing emanating from them. I could feel that our last day was drawing near; our freedom was close, and right now, there was something that needed to be done to push the bar ever higher.

“You ready, Silas? This will be the song that will stir their hearts. It better be a good one.”

I nodded. It was all I could do to get rid of the shaky nerves that vibrated throughout my being. My breaths helped ease myself, and in a few seconds, I stood up from my position against the back wall.

Walking out to the middle of the room, I brushed my ass clear of dirt and looked around my recently-changed ‘cell’. Small holes suitable for rats tunneled through the slate walls, no doubt leading into the many slave tunnels that Wergal described.

My eyes rested upon Wergal’s frame once more “You sure this will reach every tunnel in this shithole? I really don’t want to do this more than twice.” At the end of my question, the diamond dog scratched at his neck a bit, then nodded.

“If you project yourself accordingly, there’s no doubt in my mind that your song will reach the ears of everyone in the tunnels right now. As for those in the holding cells near the bottom of Rex’s Level...” He sighed heavily, slowly shaking his head.

“They better get with the program when it all starts. Once this boulder gets rolling, there’s nothing that’s gonna stop it.” Finished with saying his piece, Wergal stood by the cave’s entrance with crossed arms as he looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “It all begins - and so shall end - with you, Silas Epista. Don’t fuck it up.”

I frowned at him while taking a shaky exhale. “Thanks for the boost in confidence, asshole.”

He shrugged nonchalantly, as if saying “No skin off my bones.”

Sighing deeply, I turned my back to him and gave one last thoughtful look on my surroundings. I could hear wind coming out of the holes, whispering the anticipation each slave was no doubt feeling. This was a rumor that had been fermenting in their hearts since I arrived, and they so desperately wanted to hear the song of their freedom.

Taking a couple more breaths, I snapped open my wings and peered over my shoulder at Wergal. “... It happens tonight, Wergal.”

Wergal, for the most part, took what that meant in the chest with a loud grunt and widened eyes. “... No... you don’t mean...” He trailed off, shaking his head a bit. “They won’t be ready, Silas. You’ll be putting some slaves down!” His face contorted into anger, but the most that got out of me was a raised eyebrow.

“If they won’t be ready, then the guards around them won’t be either. Even if you’ve been keeping the origins of these rumors of freedom under wraps, that doesn’t mean the other guards have not heard them. There’s no doubt in my mind that they’ve told Dreggen and the other Brothers by now, Wergal.” My response got a grunt out of the diamond dog, who I heard and saw back out of the cave a bit.

After frowning, Wergal decided to respond. “Fine. Sing your song, make your speech, and get this party started. I’ll be making my Persona Non Grata-ass to Otto’s Level for our mates. If she remembers our part of the plan, we’ll be in touch soon.”

He snarled for a second. “As a man, let me be the first to say that I don’t like the way you do things, cause I damn sure won’t be the last. You have a presence that intimidates others just by being in the same room, Silas.” Taking a deep breath, Wergal gave me his harshest glare, which made me shiver a bit at the pure distaste in his eyes. “You may act like a hero, but it won’t take a genius to see you for who you truly are under that facade.”

I stared at him for a good while, before letting a low growl escape my throat and rattle the cave. “... You don’t know anything.” Turning my head back around, I looked up at the numerous holes in the ceiling. My ears twitched at the sucking of Wergal’s teeth, and then the soft but gruff steps of the man as he left the cave. “... I must save what I cherish... it’s all that matters.”

“Wergal is definitely heading off to Otto’s Level... it’s time to get this ball rolling again.” Taking a deep breath to steady my still-shaking nerves, I moved my jaw around a bit before sighing.

“To everyone that can hear this voice...” I yelled, my voice booming like a megaphone. “I am the one known as Silas Epista; the one who has - indeed - been the talk of the warren! This is the sound of your impending freedom, and your leader!” I slammed a fist overtop of my chest, placing the face of it against my ‘heart’. “I know you were expecting this in two days, but this farce, I shall not allow to continue!”

Taking a half-second brake, I exhaled sharply. “Now, don’t you go expecting some extravagant speech. You all know what you must do! But, you will take this song into your hearts, and strike down those that have shamed you! Mobilize and arm thyselves, and prepare to break the back of the mutts holding you like this!”

My eyes widened from the shock wave that shook my cave. Everything rumbled, and the pebbles on the ground entered the air for a brief second, before falling down and trembling. These vibrations thundered in my innards for a long while, stirring what I could only described as an inner warmth in my belly. This warmth incinerated the butterflies that had taken a steady roost, and filled my body with electricity on the highest levels.

I could feel my senses sharpening, the nails in my claws extending out further. I could taste the war in the air, dripping onto my taste buds like sweet honey as I licked my lips. My vision was not my own as it sharpened and returned to normalcy at its leisure. Every muscle in my body I could feel, each finger that twitched reminded me of the power this body carried.

And then, I tasted it; the sweet aroma and nectar of their blood; the blood of the slaver dogs who have interrupted my life with Sunset Shimmer, and the sweat from the brows of all the slaves that would soon be releasing that blood. This revelation came crashing down on me like a rockslide, suffocating me underneath the call to arms.

Claws tightening into fists, I sucked in air mightily, and roared out...

“KILL THEM ALL!”

All was quiet for but a few scarce seconds... but then I felt and heard the thunder to my lightning cry. Cries of war, of revenge, pain, hurt, loss... all of it smelted into the tumultuous chorus of battle. From these small holes, I could hear the beginning of the end; the genesis of the apocalypse...

Taking one more deep breath, I began the song of war as I ran from the cave, drawing Blowback and speaking its name to activate it. Hearing the lovely whir of my activated shotgun-pistol, I turned the corner to the entrance of the cave...

...Just to be stabbed with about three spears in the stomach.

Granite Podium Arc: Part 7 [Rewritten]

View Online

My eyes could widen no further as I stared at the three spears. Surprisingly, the crude steel end did very little to my chest and abdomen. The arrow-headed blades on the steel rods did push my abs in somewhat, and the force nearly had me winded, but there was no real damage to report. I’ve taken harder hits than that in my sleep from my brother, actually, and the dogs in front of me looked just as gobsmacked.

The three guards also had their mouths wide open comically, making me blink. We continued to at each other like all four of our moms were just slapped by recently-caught trout, and we were there in the dark alley where it happened.

For these five seconds, my mind was on pause. And then, like reflex almost, my arm came up and the first shot of the revolution exploded from the three barrels like a roar of a dragon choir. Where those three guards once stood gobsmacked with me, now stood three charred tree stumps of six legs.

It took me a moment to register what happened, but when the action caught up, I knew I had just succeeded in blowing the top halves of the guards - armor and all - completely into oblivion. At that point in time, I lifted Blowback up to my eye horizontally in pure shock. The wave of condensed sky-blue Hearth’s Fire that roared out left the entire tunnel ablaze in some areas, and seriously scorched in others.

I was brought out of my appreciation of the damage by the loud sizzling the bodies were emitting, then bore witness to what was going to be the most awesome thing ever... they fell back slowly. No, I do not know how it was possible, but these stumps disregarded physics for a couple of seconds and Bullet Time’d their way down.

Shaking my head clear of the purely awesome feat, I vaulted the bodies and ran down the corridor. The sound of madness, so crisp, echoed through every tunnel. I heard battles raging, and the sound of steel against iron and steel. It was a chorus of battle, and it only fueled my adrenaline.

The path I was taking at the moment led me down a long hallway, with torches on either side. Surprisingly enough, this area was clear of guards. Still, I kept Blowback at the ready, and had a twitchy claw around my other pistol. While touching my weapons, my head began to swim with one thought, and that was of my girlfriend.

“We just got together, and some fucked up shit like this happens. It’s almost like I’m a trouble magnet or som-” By pure instinct alone, I ducked suddenly. As it would stand, my ears were blasted with concussive sound by a loud explosion directly above me. Rolling forward, I heard the tell-tale sign of a cave-in beginning, and it frightened me into holstering my weapon and making a dead run for the the opening at the other end of the hall.

This was the fastest sprint of my life, and the deep rumble and yells of deadly plummets alluded to the fact that people were falling down from a floor above, and then being crushed by the debris. They were fighting so hard for their freedom, that they were killing themselves in the process.

I tried blocking out the screams of perishing life, and succeeded in doing so when I finally reached the end of the hall. I was not prepared for the sight of a large spiral staircase carved out of the wall. Going both up and down, I scanned both ways, watching as slaves and guards duked it out. Some of the guards were knocked off the steps, falling who knows how far down into the warren’s deepest recesses.

My job, however, did not involve going down. Instead, I booked it for the upper levels, snapping open my wings and flapping quickly into a rapid ascent. The sound of my massive wings beating made a couple of diamond dogs and slaves stop fighting to stare as I zoomed past many levels. The wind whipped my face hotly, letting me know that I was still inside a mountain, but I eventually reached the peak of the tunnels and landed with a claw and knee on the ground.

Flicking my head up, I surveyed the area with analytical eyes. In front of me, in the tunnel some way down, I could make out the clashes of steel and the sparking of swords on pickaxes. But first, I folded up my wings before tearing down the tunnel.

As I ran again, I saw a large green minotaur battling about three diamond dogs, getting hacked across the abdomen with crude swords and maces. This made me snarl a bit and change my direction to charge the guards from behind. Leaping onto the wall and digging my claws into the surface, I kicked off of it and spun into a devastating roundhouse kick on the helmet of the leftmost guard.

A sickening crunch of his shoddy grey helmet made me snicker through a hiss of pain as I felt my leg bruise up and sting, but the attack was great enough to send the massive dog into his two other partners. Apparently, these dogs never heard of surrounding an opponent in a circle.

All three of them soon found themselves against the wall, just to be on the receiving end of a devastating shoulder charge from the white-horned massive bull. All of them crunched like tin cans before giving a final choked-off yelp, crumpling to the ground as bent mutts. I winced at the brutal death they were given.

I walked up to the massive minotaur and quickly discovered that he had some massive bleeding gashes going for him all across his chest, and worse of all, he was missing his left eye. Frowning, I placed a claw on his shoulder, getting him to look over his shoulder while huffing deeply and dropping his pickaxes.

“ A dragon?.... Silas Epista?” His voice was deep enough to make my arm vibrate. I gave a nod to the large bull and shook his massive hand. He was about two feet taller than myself. “It’s good to meet the Granite Savior in person....” He huffed a bit here, wincing once or twice and making me wish I had some way to help him. “... Name’s Dennis... Dennis Manchester Lehigh... I was the local blacksmith in Stonehaven... been in the shackles for damn near 10 years.”

“Now I know why he’s so fucking huge. This guy could lift mountains for sport.” I gave a nod at Dennis and pointed down the hallway. “Does this tunnel lead to Otto’s Level,” I asked with a couple huffs of my own, those two runs and rapid ascents finally doing a number on my stamina.

Dennis nodded once, then smiled at me. “... Yeah, I heard you’re lookin’ fer a pony gal’. Good luck... I got a sister that needs findin’, too.”

“A sister?”

“Aye,” he replied with a scratch of his rugged black stubble and shaggy hair. “Dominika Lehigh... you might know ‘er as Donna? Sweet gal, my sis’.” His eye seemed to become distant, obviously reminiscing some fond memory he had of his sister.

It took me a couple seconds, but I eventually realized that I knew the woman he was talking about, and at my realization, my eyes widened. “... I know here. Dominika Lehigh, the secretary of The Tipsy Clover, right?”

Dennis blinked, then nodded furiously. “Uh huh! That’s good ol’ Donna, alright! I came up here lookin’ for her!”

“Then you’re in luck, Dennis,” I responded, making my way down the tunnel with a stiff walk to keep me on pace with the massive bull. “I happen to be comin’ up here for a loved one as well.”

Dennis nodded out the corner of my eye. “Great, that means we got’s mutts to kill together. Time these sons of bitches found out why you don’t fuck with a purebread Bullivian Bull, or his family.”

“... I’m not even the enemy, but I’m scared of Dennis.... what an intimidating example of male....” Shaking my head of the stupid thought, I followed Dennis through a set of tunnels, and eventually found myself at a weirdly-shaped... well... podium. “... The fuck is this?”

Dennis stopped and observed the fighting in here, making sure we were safe, before addressing me. “This is The Podium - a tortue device I’ve seen way too many times.” After saying this, Dennis pointed at his left eye, and I winced as burn marks numbering ten went vertically down the socket. He then pointed to a giant diamond being held in the air some ways above the structure of cobblestone.

... I pieced two and two together when I say the controllable skylight above the diamond. “... It’s a giant magnifying glass that they use to burn flesh, right?”

“... I’m surprised you figured it out so fast.”

I looked at Dennis with a snarl. “For every gash on your eye, a dog’s head is gonna roll.”

Dennis snickered at that point in time, flashing me a cheeky grin. “That’ll make twenty, because I already got what’s mine.” He pointed at the necklace made of slate, housing a canine for every dog he killed until the debt was repaid... ten canines. “And I plan on adding more after I leave here... they took something permanent...”

“I understand completely, my friend.” We broke out into a run, the surrounding onslaught of slave versus guard enveloping us in its bedlam. I heard Dennis give a roar of triumph, then saw him grip a diamond dog by his head, snap its neck, and begin using the dead body as a mace against other foes.

... I blinked at that. “... Well shit.” After gawking at the sheer strength of that one bull, and the surge of courage that horrendous act of violence, I shook my head with a small chuckle of disgust and drew my left pistol.

Speaking its name, Precision hummed to life and the numbers appeared along its hammer. Grinning like a maniac, I spun around and shoved the barrel into the maw of an approaching diamond dog, letting his spear bruise my abdomen. “You’re goin’ out like Hitler.” I slammed the grip down, opening the dog’s mouth further before firing up.

When the roar of my weapon subsided, the diamond dog was left looking like a Looney Tunes gag reel with the exploding cigar. He fell back slowly, making me give a short snarl as the bedlam stopped to stare at me. Apparently, the slaves and mutts found the use of my weapon interesting enough to stop the fight for their lives.

.... About 5,000 eyes were on me.

Blinks a couple of times, I turned around in a slow circle and frowned at them. “Alright, stopping and staring is rude. Go back to fighting for your lives.” At first, my instructions held no weight to them, the congregation continuing to stare at my smoking barrel and the exploded head of the guard that was currently leaking charred grey matter.

But then, almost as if thanking me for earlier, Dennis barreled through a thick portion of guards while giving a roar and swing of his impromptu weapon. Somewhere around the margin of four guards were knocked flat, and then trampled underneath his boulder-like legs. They exploded like pent-up tubes of toothpaste, making me grimace at the violent scene as Dennis’s legs became enveloped in the gore of his recent kills.

That was all it took for hell to break loose again.

Two more shots rung true from Precision, before I winged it into the air and flapped to the top of The Podium, looking down at everyone fighting for their lives. Dennis, although maimed quite well, was laying an unholy amount of smackdown on all of the mutts that felt brave enough to fight him. They jumped him in numbers, and fell back dead the same.

I blinked as he left a trail of carnage leading up to me, his amount of gashes doubled as hot-red blood leaked down his body. His face was torn up in a permanent growl, and his black pupils had turned red as the blood that leaked... he was raging.

“Keep comin’ this way, Dennis!” I layed down covering fire carefully, picking my targets with the help of Draconic Sightline. Heads exploded, limbs flew, and bodies were flung by the minotaur as a tango of death and chaos. Every kill he gained gave Dennis a surge of adrenaline, or so it seemed, cause the massive bull showed no signs of fatigue.

Still, the battle to reach the base of The Podium was taking its toll in blood, and I knew cauterization would be the only way to save him from blood los-

My eyes widened as I stumbled a bit, watching as Dennis used his powerful legs to spring onto The Podium and drive his log-like fingers through the stone, cracking the adjacent areas.

“Come on, Dennis! Get up here!” My encouraging words stirred yet another fire under the bull man as he began a mechanical climb up to where I was, and I took note of about three swords sticking out of his back. Wincing at that, I leaned over the edge and extended my claw, hoping to ease the pain and suffering of climbing.

Dennis’s red eyes subsided then and there as he grabbed my claw, making me wince at the inhuman strength that nearly ripped my arm out of place. He pulled himself up with a terrifying roar, and then flopped onto his stomach, utterly exhausted. It was then that I took note of the massive golden ring in his nose, with a dragon head opened in a roar at the bottom of it.

It only served to amplify how much of a terrifying sight he was. “... Holy hell, Dennis... what the...”

The bull man grunted and proceeded to jab a thumb back at the swords in his back.

Nodding quickly, I went to work pulling each one out with a wince as Dennis gave a short yell for each. “I’ve never seen anything take so much abuse and live to tell the tale.... I’m honestly speechless right now.”

“.... Fire... cauterize... bleeding out...”

Grimacing, I knew the horrid act had to be done for my newly-found friend. Kneeling quickly, I hovered over a wound, sucked in some air, and then breathed a healthy plume of dark-blue flame on the wound.

Dennis responded by blasting in the face with a mighty backfist. Falling back onto my butt, I felt everything become jelly and saw my vision cloud up drastically. My mouth hung open as I struggled to stay conscious, and I had to crack it back into place. If that backfist was aimed just a smidgen lower, Dennis would have snapped my neck.

“.... Warn me next time...” His voice was a constant hiss of pain as my vision cleared up, and I instantly retched at his scabbed wound. There were two more to go, and I prayed that Dennis could keep his reactions under wraps enough to avoid a traumatizing - or worse yet - fatal blow.

Groaning a bit as I shook the clouds from my head, I went back over to his side with a sigh. “Nice backfist, Dennis... you’re pretty strong...”

“Silas, now’s not the time... please heal me...”

Nodding in determination, the rest of his wounds were soon cauterized, and Dennis took a moment before getting up on a knee. I widened my eyes at how well he was shrugging off pain like that, but then I remembered that he was a blacksmith, and probably burnt himself everyday.

“... Thanks...” Rising to his hooves, Dennis rolled his neck and took note of the area surrounding us. “... This place quickly dropped to hell...” He pointed at a ramp in the distance that circled around into some steps that led to the ledges above us. “We need to reach that ramp to go to the highest levels. Otto has a thang for cuties, so he’s probably got your girl and my sister in the Canopy.

“He better not of touched my girlfriend.” Growling under my breath, I began a purposeful walk to the edge of The Podium, just to see something truly impressive. The slaves that were fighting below us were pushing the armed guards back with their numbers, backing the slavers into another tunnel. I then saw two griffons wing in with dynamite and drop it off at the edges of the cave.

I waited for the slaves to back off enough, letting a couple of the diamond dogs run out into grabbing hands that quickly ripped them to shreds, armor and all, before I yelled, “GET AWAY FROM THE TUNNEL!”

The effect was instant as the slaves made a dead run for cover, and I fired a slug-sized round from the barrel of Precision. It roared through the air, before hitting a red barrel of dynamite. The effect was instant, loud, and huge. Quite frankly, I thought a pillar of sky-blue and black hellfire erupted in that one section of The Podium, and I knew it had traveled into the tunnel and did away with whatever was inside.

Rubble came down like hail, blocking the tunnel off, and the slaves gave a triumphant roar of victory as they turned to me. We had succeeded in driving off the guards, and I didn’t even have to direct them to do anything.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” I gave a grin, then a gasp of pain as Dennis patted my back. I rubbed the sore area and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, making the homey minotaur cock a smile at me.

“You’re a dragon, stop acting so fragile.”

“... Do you not see the size difference between us?”

“Yah, I do. Still, you got scales and I got skin. Worst I can do is bruise you.”

I gave a nervous chuckle and nod of my head, secretly thinking, “You nearly killed me earlier...”

Dennis kept his warm smile on and sat down on the edge of The Podium, scratching at one of the many cauterized gashes on his chest. There were some tears and bleeding on his beefy fingers, but he didn’t want me to heal those. “... So, we’re moving on, Granite Savior?”

“It’s just Silas, Dennis. I don’t really care for titles.” I sat next to him with a chuckle, surveying the relaxing slaves as they dressed their wounds with dirty cloth or healing salves from the belts of dead Beta Dogs. “And no, because you need to rest. I don’t care how you’re feeling right now; I won’t have you falling dead while watching my back.”

“... Watching your back,” Dennis asked smugly, giving a short guffaw of mirth. “Hell, Silas, you were watching mine pretty well. No need ta’ fix what ain’t broke.” He sighed and stretched, looking up at the diamond above us... the truly massive diamond. “Bet that’s worth a pretty bit.”

Looking at Dennis with pursed lips and a small chuckle, I shook my head and began to lazily spin Precision. “Are you thinking about taking this place’s pride an’ joy? That’d be funny, but how the hell are we going to get it out of...” I twirled my free claw a bit, searching for the word as I gestured all around us. “... this.”

“Don’t worry about that none, Silas. The others and I will see to it.” Against my earlier wishes, Dennis climbed to his intimidating 8’10’’ height. Surprisingly, he really showcased being fine and rested up, because he gave no wince or show of even minute pain or displeasure while doing so.

I followed suit, standing up myself and dusting my lower half off. “I guess we can start moving out, now. The others have seized The Podium, so this should be a safe zone for us to regroup at if things become hairy further up.” We begun a brisk walk down the steps leading up to The Podium’s surface.

“If those Alpha Brothers are anywhere right now, it’s The Vault. Surprisingly, it’s at the tippy top of the warren.” Dennis’s steps were loud and thunderous, even when he was stepping normally. Many of the slaves looked at us in silent awe as we came down, whispering among themselves.

“If that’s the case, then Sunset’s probably making her way down here to look for me. There’ll be two diamond dogs by the names of Diamond and Wergal Everwinter with her, probably. Should that be the case, don’t attack them; they’re on our side.” When we finally reached the bottom, some of the slaves offered quick thanks and praises to us both with happy smiles. I returned them in kind, and from the way Dennis chuckled, I knew he returned some as well.

“Turncoats, eh,” He asked with another small chuckle. “Gotta say, I didn’t think dogs would turn on each other... loyalty and all that.”

“You’d be surprised on how quick the best of friends and comrades turn on you to save their own hides. Everyone is selfish, and it’s within your best interest to keep that in mind when dealing with others.” I sighed. “Sorry, that was rather out of the blue and very... disheartening. I’ve had my fair share of betrayals, and I just feel as though no one should go through that pain or cause it.”

Dennis grunted then and there, and it was the type of grunt that symbolized agreeance. “I hear ya’, pal. Getting stabbed in the back sucks... and I should know.” He gave a short guffaw, making me snicker as I remembered his wounds from earlier.

“... Idiot,” I responded, holding my face with a claw as I laughed some.

“You forgot attractive, funny, and bloody almighty.”

“It’s a good thing I left out modest, too.”

We continued to throw verbal jabs at each other as we neared the ramp. I knew we had a tough time ahead of us, and I couldn’t help but wonder once or twice about the whereabouts of my girl. The very idea of losing her down here caused me to walk a little faster.

“Where’s the fire, Silas?” Dennis asked as he walked a little faster to keep pace.

At that point in time, a sudden blaze of black and light-blue fire exploded forth from a tunnel above us on a ledge. That made my eyes widen, because I knew that certain light-blue coloring anywhere!

“It’s up there, Dennis!” I took off, hearing Dennis give close chase after me as we ascended up, trying to reach where the explosion came from as quickly as we could. Along the way, I found myself praying for my girlfriend’s safety, and for that explosion to not be a distress flare of some sort.

Granite Podium Arc: Part 8 [Rewritten]

View Online

Sunset Shimmer was not an amused mare in the slightest. Her eyes stayed narrow in horrible amounts of anger as she blasted guard after guard with her concussive rays and devastating light-blue fire spells. Many dogs fell, still burning, filling the tunnels that she and her ‘girlfriends’ were running down.

It was Donna that brought up the back of the pack, running behind Wergal and Diamond with a beyond-scared face. Her every move borderlined paranoia, for she always kept a vigilant eye over her shoulder fearing a surprise attack. Unlike her blood kin, Dennis, Donna was completely useless in head-to-head engagements, and has proven such by staying at the back and letting the others fight.

“... She’s cracking.” Wergal’s voice caused Diamond to look at him with a raised eyebrow, the male carrying Zaelstrom in his left paw as he ran a little ways behind his mate. “Sunset Shimmer is not herself... you know it’s the truth. I can smell it to confirm it, as well.” He snarled as he witnessed a mare get separated from her foal amidst the chaos, then watched the mare get pounced on by about three guards. She was outmuscled and torn apart without remorse.

Peeling off from the group, Wergal gave a howl of challenge before spinning out like a drill screwing a nail in, diving towards the three guards. Coming out of the tuck and roll he entered from his landing, he spun on his knee and swung his sword arm with all his strength. It sung through the air, Zaelstrom, almost as if it was never in contact with anything.... but the blood came in waves, spritzing Wergal down as the guards fell backwards with their bodies separated in half.

The damage, however, was already done to the foal. It - while trembling heavily - walked up to its mother’s corpse and nuzzled the cream-colored mare’s head gently. These same trembling legs gave out after about two seconds, sending the foal - unconscious from his faint - onto the mother’s head, her eyes wide open and afraid as the color slowly drained from them.

Donna was not taking that sight well. It took everything in her power to not empty her stomach at the brutality that was just performed in front of a child. A hand to her mouth, she hugged the wall of the tunnel as she looked at the foal. “... You... you poor dear.... why?... why’s it always death?”

The sound of skidding hooves made everyone look forward, watching as Sunset stopped on a dime and turned around swiftly. A quick trot up to foal, and then a jingle of her horn, was all that was needed for the foal to be lifted up and put on her back. “WE DON’T STOP MOVING,” She yelled. her left eye twitching furiously as she quickly turned herself back and kicked up the same pace as earlier.

Donna, however, could run no longer, and promptly fell over. “Wait... Sunset... s-s-stop... please.” Giving a hard gasp, the sow started to breathe erratically. She then gave a startled eep when her body was lifted up in a light-blue-black aura and hovered over to be in front of Sunset, who glared absolute irritation at her.

“Rest up and stay quiet, Donna.” An eep and a fetal position was earned for the mare at her cold tone.

Sunset looked over her shoulder after that, eyeing down Diamond and Wergal. “If my boyfriend has as big a brain as I think, he’s thinking about coming up here or meeting us halfway. Wergal,” she called, the diamond dog in question raising his eyebrow at being spoken to, “you lead the way down.”

Standing up from his crouched position and flicking the sword clean, he nodded and sheathed the otherworldly weapon. “... Do you know your magic has two colors blended together?” His question was laced with sass and hidden venom as he walked in front of her. “I’ve been subjected to enough corruption to know that something’s sharing that body of yours. What it may be is the mystery, I’m afraid.” Sighing deeply, the dog kicked into another sprint that eventually had them out of the tunnel and away from confrontation.

Grunting in annoyance, Sunset opted to keep her mouth shut and the notion of skinning Wergal alive on the down low. “Thanks for bringing us out of the- GET DOWN!” Donna was flung onto the ground as Wergal and Diamond hit the deck beside the mare. Her eyes were currently trained on a stick of lit dynamite that had been knocked from a dead slave’s talon.

Time slowed down as the mare ran forward, her horn flaring brightly as she blasted a plume of solar fire tinted light-blue and black towards the direction where the stick of dynamite was soaring from. A shield of similarly-colored magic came up next, and then a loud and large explosion that sent a huge jet of the light-blue and black flame out of the tunnel’s entrance. Since there was nothing but dogs there, Sunset saw no harm in using the move of mass destruction.

The deafening boom of the magical blast sounded like many galleons opening fire simultaneously, making even the mare who casted the spell wince from the volume, before she fell down with a huff. Many rocks dislodged themselves and fell down around the gang, one or two hitting Wergal in the head, making the dog yelp in pain and accidentally throw the sword out of the tunnel.

Sunset’s ear was clipped by the sword, slicing a nice chunk of it clean off. She gave a pained holler from this, then grimaced as something began to happen that scared the rest of her entourage, Donna especially. The mare continued grimacing as her ear seemed to regrow itself in a bubble of light-blue and black energy. When all was said and done, Sunset flopped onto her stomach, heavily panting.

Diamond came up after that collapse of fatigue, picking up the unconscious filly and cradling it. “You’re using too much magic, Sunset. If you’re not careful, your body’s going to burn out. I’ve been down here long enough to see it happen when a unicorn or two tried running.”

Sunset gave a hoarse chuckle at that, standing up shakily. “This.... t-this is nothing, Diamond.” Finding her balance after what seemed like an eternity of struggling, the mare turned her head to look at the diamond dog. “We need to get moving. Silas is close.... I can feel him for some reason.”

Wasting not another word, Sunset continued on shakily, eager to embrace her boyfriend. While she trotted, she began to notice the space around her darken out into a void of abyss, the only light coming from a brightly burning wisp of flame colored black and light-blue. Raising her eyebrow at the wisp and sitting on her rear-end, Sunset awaited for this momentary spell of weirdness to blow over.

“Hello, Sunset Shimmer... it’s me... your hidden potential.”

Frowning hard, Sunset bared her teeth. “I don’t have time for you. Go away and leave me be; there a pressing matters I need to tend to.” At her retort, the flame turned itself into a massive inferno wall with a roar of a dragon. This caused Sunset’s eyes to widen and for her to stumble backwards, not expecting that in the slightest.

“You’ve ignored me for far too long, Sunset Shimmer. I’ve been dormant inside you ever since you opened that book! You are to no longer ignore my existence, and accept me as a part of yourself! Together, we can escape this hell hole, and reunite with our better half; our surrogate other! It will be bliss!” Sunset grimaced in this plane of darkness, looking directly at the flame. The voice was so calm, so alluring... so right.

Shaking her head profusely, Sunset Shimmer sighed and looked at the inferno wall with strong distaste. “Why now? Why decide to show yourself after being ignored for so long?”

The wall of pyre hummed, almost as if deep in thought. “I was awoken by a stronger flame... romanced by the embers of this... Hearth’s Fire. It cried out to me, you see.” Sunset’s mind flickered, almost as if it was plucked in rebuttal by an older sibling. She winced from the weird sensation of slight pain.

“It called out to you?”

“I felt it... a calling. And so, here I am. Are you scared of me?”

The mare frowned deeply. “Fear is important to avoid error; however, I do not fear you, since you are me...” She brushed her mane with a hoof, cleaning some dirt out of it. “... For the most part. As I understand, you’re more or less my hidden potential; another stepping stone in the granduous idol that is Sunset Shimmer.” Smiling proudly, Sunset placed that very same hoof on her chest while turning her nose up. “I don’t blame you for being mad; I’m sorry if you ever thought I was ignoring myself, me~!”

A groan of extreme exasperation left the towering pyre’s form. “Look you narcissistic, egotistical mare; you have a special someone waiting for you, yearning to see if you’re alright. Stop flattering yourself and get your head out of your ass!” At the end of its rant, the inferno surrounded Sunset on all sides with another roar of flame. “Will you accept a small portion of my help?”

“Yes,” Sunset said with such conviction, that it caused the wall of fire to grunt in surprise. “Well, hurry up! Don’t chew me out for stalling then do the same thing!” Immediately, the flames grew closer and hotter, making Sunset erect a barrier out of instinct. “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”

“Calm yourself, me. I’m just imparting a portion of our might.”

“You’re going to burn me.” Sunset’s face was now a permanent frown as her horn ignited in blue-green fire. “I won’t accept that kind of impartation!” Steeling herself resolutely, Sunset glared angrily at the pyre.

“Of course it’s going to burn, you twit. This is an untapped reservoir of your true potential. It’s been sealed up since you were a kid... by that Sun Bitch, no less.” At hearing those words echo out, Sunset grunted and widened her eyes. “That’s right; Celestia kept you from becoming what you were always meant to be...”

“..... A princess...”

“Screw alicorns and their stupid wings. It’s all a big, glorious facade to hide their faults and blemishes. True power lies in the hearts of those willing to do anything to grasp it... hearts like ours.” Sunset watched as a tendril of that two-toned flame snaked its way through the air towards her, gulping in minute horror. “For so long, you have long nestled the thought of becoming a princess, only to have the Sun Bitch deny you it at every waking moment. And then, she even had the nerve to seal a third of your power away... in an antique no less.”

Sunset blinked at that, dropping her barrier and stopping her horn’s glowing. She was completely taken aback by that information. “... An antique? She took a third of my power!? Why haven’t I been told this yet!?” Stomping both her front hooves in agitation, she gave a loud yell of severe anger. “You could have opened your mouth sooner and said something!”

“Don’t blame me for your own shortsightedness! I am merely a portion of who you are, that was originally trapped in an antique, but the restriction spell has been waning for this past decade; this is why I’m able to talk to you as I am now!” Five more tendrils shot out and swirled together, popping out a mare that looked exactly like Sunset Shimmer, but with blue-green eyes and red hair that looked like scales in some places.

“In fact, you have no right to claim me an associate in your own ignorance. We may be one in the same, but I certainly know when to accept responsibility for my own shortcomings!” Walking forward briskly, and with a face of severe distaste, the second Sunset eventually came to rest in front of the first, sitting on her haunches. “Now, tell me; are you ready for the impartation?”

Sunset simply glared at her other self for a quiet moment, staring into the eyes that she swore were mocking her... just like everyone else’s did... just like Celestia’s. Snarling, Sunset flared her horn up. “And why should I accept your help now!? I was go-” Her eyes went wide as she felt all the air leave her lungs, her face being brutally slammed down onto the ‘floor’ below the duo with a mighty thud.

“Silence yourself, me. By this show alone, you should be well aware of how much strength is locked behind that antique of Celestia’s.” Lowering her head, Sunset Two touched the tip of her horn to Sunset’s, making the mare on the ground scream in pain as the horns began to sink into each other. “It will only hurt for a second longer, my dear. Bear with the discomfort for a bit, me.”

Offering the real Sunset a sinister smile, Sunset Two kept sliding her horn into the mare under her, the latter’s becoming quickly engorged and bulbous; it sparked and arced blue-green lightning, with a couple wisps of blue-green flame blasting out every now and then. These two forces of nature roared and crackled at each other, but their commotion was drowned out by Sunset’s pained screams.

Her hooves flailed, trying to knock the far-sturdier unicorn mare holding her down off. She felt as if her lungs were being compressed, the image of them folding in like an accordion playing through her mind. Her breaths became short and forced, spittle flying out between her teeth as she grimaced harshly. Eyes clenched tighter than a vice, the mare squirmed and shot out every appendage in hopes to release herself of this painful hold.

“Cease your squirming. If you truly wanted me gone, I would have vanished. You want me to do this, to join us together and become what we were always meant to be.” Sunset Two closed her eyes at that moment, which caused Sunset to pass out. Everything went quiet in this plane, but on the outside...

Wergal was now slapping the absolute bullshit out of Sunset Shimmer, whose eyes have rolled back into her head. Her pupils were completely white, the mouth of the mare wide open to display her teeth and oral cavity. Even her breathing had stopped, the only sign of life being her horn, which sparked with blue-green electricity or flame from time to time.

“Damn you, pony,” Wergal yelled in frustration, picking up the knocked-out mare and turning back to face the rest of the group. “... We have to keep going. Sunset was vital for keeping enemy archers at bay, but without her, we’ll be sitting ducks in wide-open spaces.”

Diamond huffed at that point in time, walking past Wergal and finally out of the tunnel. Looking left and right, above and below, she saw no evidence of enemy archers around them. But, she did see two figures running to meet them; she gave a grin at the sight of scales. “... It’s not archers we’ll be seein’, hon. Take a look-see.”

Wergal rounded the corner, standing next to Diamond as he slung Sunset over his shoulder. It was at that point in time that his eyes made contact with the tall forms of two creatures; one a minotaur bull that was very intimidating height and muscle-wise, while the other was the familiar form of Silas Epista. “You finally made it. I was beginning to think one of those dumb mutts got the best of you.”

Silas frowned, closing the rest of the distance alongside his friend. “You insult me, good sir.” His claw was resting over his abdominals, no doubt covering the bruises he sustained earlier. “Where’s my girlfriend?”

The male diamond dog jerked his head at his shoulder, where Sunset Shimmer was taking a quick nap. “Sleeping like a pup. She wore herself out using too much magic, and this happened. The girl’s still breathing though, which is a plus.” Silas’s frown deepened, but he nodded and allowed the pony to remain resting on Wergal’s shoulder.

“Alrighty.” His eyes locked onto Diamond, who raised her eyebrow at the weird-looking dragon-man. Silas offered a smile, though, his face shifting into a warm one. “You must be Diamond, yes? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Extending his claw, the alien awaited some sort of shake... it never came, though.

“Sorry, Mister Epista; I’m skeptical with new people, is all.” Diamond bowed, though, still greeting him. “And yes, I am Diamond Everwinter. Sorry about the voice; been screaming a lot lately.” Indeed, the woman’s voice was becoming fairly hoarse, even more so than usual.

Silas took that moment to sigh, just to be rushed by a familiar cow. “Woah! Donna,” he asked, his eyes widening as a big hug wrapped around him. “Is everything alright, big girl?” The drake decided to return the gesture, giving her a hug as well.

“It will be if you get us out of here...”

Dennis, the giant bull, decided to make himself known with a husky cough. “Heya, Donna. How are you?” At the sight of her beaten-up sibling, Donna gave an extremely shrill gasp before detaching herself from Silas and practically diving into his arms.

“DENNISSSSS!” She broke down instantly, crying her eyes out as she was scooped up like a baby into a mother’s arms; only that this mother was a hulking mass of bull that seemed to devour his sibling with his arms alone. “I.... I thought you w-were dead!”

The bull offered his sister a chuckle, petting her head lovingly. “... It’s gonna take a lot more than a couple a’ mutts to get me six feet under.” Dennis looked at Silas during that embrace with his sister, smiling. “... Thanks for reunitin’ us, Si’.”

Silas, smiling brightly, pressed past the congregation at that time. “There’s no more time to waste, you guys. We reach the top of the mountain, wait for my ship to come by and pick us up, then we leave.” Placing his claws inside his pockets, Silas continued to walk forwards. “Let’s not dilly-dally down here any longer than we need to do.”

Everyone else in the gang gave their own few words to each other, before following behind the confident drake. It was Dennis who came up beside him, placing a massive hand on Silas’s shoulder. “I can’t thank you enough for this, bud. When we get out of here, I migh-”

Both men widened their eyes as an unholy amount of force slammed into them from the side, sending them off the edge of ramp. Time slowed as both Silas and Dennis looked at their would-be attacker; a giant version of a Boxer dog, wearing a flawless tuxedo. Both the bull and the drake remembered this huge dog, and gave their own versions of a snarl as the plummet continued.

“.... Rex.....” Silas spat, knowing the ground was going to meet them soon.

Granite Podium Arc: Finale [Rewritten]

View Online

“Rex,” I spat, my eyes narrowing as the sound of rushing air filled my ears like a mighty whistle. The humongous diamond dog alpha wasted no time in shoving Dennis away from himself and I, the minotaur giving a grunt of minor pain from the punch Rex used as the deterrent.

This, however, gave me enough leeway to send a strong knee right into the diamond dog’s groin, getting a yelp when the hard body part connected with a dull whumping sound. One headbutt later, and I was free of Rex’s grip of death. Snapping my wings open to stop the plummet, I quickly circled back around and dove for Dennis.

But, I knew what was going to happen, and so did the minotaur. Judging by our velocities, I would succeed in catching up to him - sure - but not before he went kersplat. Smiling sadly at me, Dennis gave me a thumbs up, before closing his eyes.

Widening my own in shock and terror, I had a decision to make. “Just keep going! You can catch him!” That was my positive side, the side that always wanted me to think about the glass being half full. “He’s accepted his fate, and wants to spare you; the key, the one who’s going to get his baby sister out of this hellhole. Don’t disappoint him!”

The voices were ravaging my thought process like a defenseless woman at night in an alley. Pain shot through my core being as I opened my eyes again, letting a couple hot tears out, before snapping my wings open and halting my descent. A minor wince accompanied the action, but that pain paled palpably in comparison to the creaking in my heart as I watched the minotaur continue his plummet of certain demise.

“DENISSSSSSSSSS~!!!”

I closed my eyes as simultaneous, mind-offending, loud thuds echoed out after Donna’s scream of ultimate agony. Tightening my claws into fists that shook with pent-up anger, I snarled to myself, knowing full well that I was showcasing my teeth. Choked sobs, flapping wings, and spite-filled inhales were the only sounds that came from my person. I dared not open my eyes and gaze upon the sight of what my failure wrought... my mind and heart wouldn’t allow it.

“I fucked up... I fucked up soooo bad.... FUCK,” I yelled, throwing my arms down. I had lifted them up slowly when I started speaking, but that didn’t last very long at all. Opening my eyes, my ears swiveled in two directions at once: one was up top, where Donna’s wailing sobs were piercing the air, while the other one was focusing in on the murmurs of the slaves down below. Shaking my head profusely, I saw fit to flap myself back up to my congregation, and sit on the edge of the ramp, curling my fingers under it to keep my balance.

The heaviest sigh of depression left my mouth at that time, my eyes locked on the immobile forms of the two hulking males that just went kersplat. Many slaves gathered around the craters, making me shake my head slowly. “I... really failed him. Just when he had his sister so lovingly held.... what if it happens to someone else!?” Widening my eyes and gripping my head, the surging pain of a severe headache wormed its way into existence. This throbbing made my skull feel like a bell tower, and if it didn’t stop, my head was going to crack faster than a falling egg.

“What if someone else dies!? What if... what if it’s Sunset next...?” I clenched my eyes, hoping that this added pressure would subside the present amount. Shaking enveloped my form, and my breath became heavy and burdened; the pressure moved down from my head into my chest, crushing the lungs just below the surface of scales. “This tightness.... a vice... what is this feeling!?”

“That’s obvious,” a familiar voice replied, “it’s fear.”

Snapping my eyes open, I saw nothing but an empty expanse of black before my vision; a wall of deep and writhing abyss that seemed to hiss lowly, somehow threatening me. Instantly, I was on my feet with a sharp inhale, utterly surprised by this - although familiar - change in scenery. “My Station of Awakening...?”

Spinning on my heels quickly made me register who was speaking earlier, and this draconian matched my appearance to a tee. It was definitely Silas Epista; that smug look could give him away anywhere, even among a hundred clones.

Silas kept that smug look on, his claws in his pockets as he angled his head up at me. It wasn’t a greeting, but rather, a way of promoting a sense of being looked down upon. He was trying to indicate without words that I was lower than him in some fashion. “You are uncertain of your ability to keep those worthless lives outside this Station safe. This uncertainty happened to be all I needed to drag your consciousness back here.”

I narrowed my eyes in severe displeasure. “Asshole! I don’t know if you noticed, but everyone’s in fucking danger out there! If you don’t stop this shit now, we might end up like-” I stopped myself short, casting my gaze away. The feeling from before returned in full force, making me wince. “It even hurts to say his name... the poor bastard...”

“Your conviction runs as shallow as this facade of care you put on, Richards.” Silas raised a claw up to his eyes for inspection, using a sharp nail on a finger to clean what I could only assume to be dirt from underneath it. Still, his remark earned him an angered snarl. “Think about it; this pain you’re feeling is the result of ridding yourself of your apathy, of wanting to feel again.”

“I know that, jackass.” Stomping my foot with massive amounts of authority. “The pain hurts, which is a given, but it’s a needed pain; it lets me know if I’m living for real or not! Stop trying to persuade me to take up the path of emotionlessness again! It won’t work!”

“You’re certain of that?” His eyebrow rose, the draconian’s interest piqued. “Then explain to me why you’re here again, if that’s the case.” Both his claws came out of his pockets, resting on his hips as he grinned wider, a sadistic sparkle in his eyes. “Surely you have an answer to sate my curiosity, Justin Richards... or... are you simply clinging to this new sense of emotion simply for a love interest?”

Two pistols were aimed at Silas in no time flat, my eyes narrowing greatly. “... You have no more than three seconds to stop fucking around. I don’t know what you did to the darkness around my Station, but something tells me passing through there won’t be safe for my mental stability.”

Silas, however, tilted his head back and barked out a laugh. “Come now, Richards! Do you honestly think I buy this courageous act you’re trying to advocate? Spare me this tasteless bravado, and surrender. You’ve no idea on the prowess of the Master of the Hearth.”

“Blowback, Precision,” I barked with a snarl, hearing my guns hum to life. “Those gauntlets from earlier aren’t going to do shit once there’s a slug round nestled between those smug eyes of yours!”

He sighed then, sweeping his mane back with a claw. “You bore me, Richards. I told you already; the Hearth’s Fire is a versatile, unpredictable weapon of ultimate destruction... it’s meant to destroy everything, regardless of relation to the owner.” Both his arms slowly stretched out, his smile increasing to near-manic proportions. “There are four types of the Hearth’s Fire, Richards: mine deals with the many manifestations and applications of courage and willpower; to be as boundless as the sky the birds occupy.”

My body tensed up then, the focus in my eyes amplifying and dulling one after the other. “Explain yourself, Silas. I’m not attacking until I know what you’re blathering about.”

At that, the larger draconian sat down and crossed his legs. “Pure Sky, Crimson Atonement, Rotting Heart, and Thunderstruck; these are the four forms of the godly boon known as the Hearth’s Fire, passed down from the draconic god, Garyx, completely by accident.” A claw came up to spin some of his mane into a curl. “Do. You. Un-der-stand~?”

“Don’t patronize me, Silas Epista! Explain your variation, and then undo what you did to the abyss!”

Silas yawned then, laying down in a completely relaxed manner. “Pure Sky represents a free canvas; an expanse of perpetual potential on par with the amount of ingenuity the user has at manifesting and molding the Hearth’s Fire. It is the most basic form, and the easiest to handle.” He lifted a finger in the air, manifesting a sizeable dark-blue flame just above the tip. “Are you following so far?”

I gave a grunt as my response.

“Its power is not grand, but it retains its anti-magic capabilities.” That flame turned into a blazing dagger, which he began to balance on the tip of his finger. “The Pure Sky Variant is the first step on mastering this power, and you were given a lucky enough hand when placed in my body to utilize it.”

Staring at the dagger intently for a bit, my pistols slowly started to come down. Against my better judgement, the atmosphere of my Station was way too calming to remain on edge. “I thought controlling the Hearth’s Fire would be impossible for me?”

“You’re a disgusting, waste-of-life human. Your entire race thrives on violence and holding power over others; subjugation is your form of currency, not some monetary method.” Silas gave a chuckle afterwards, flicking his dagger into the air where it vanished in a dark-blue fizzle. “A barbaric instinct such as that will have a great deal of trouble learning the easygoing power that is the Pure Sky Variant. You must become as water, not headstrong like a mountain.”

“It’s a good thing this braggart loves running his mouth. I’m getting a shit ton of information out of him.” Nodding my head deftly, I holstered my guns and then scratched the side of my face in annoyance. “Playing around with this guy is bad news bears... other members of the Four Dragons might be hiding around here.”

“The human brain is quite the delicate thing; so fragile in nature, yet your kind never considers their words before uttering them. With such erratic mental stability, one would think your race to be of a pacifistic disposition, but that’s irony for you.” Doing a backspring onto his feet with a grunt, Silas stood back up to his full height and started a stretching routine. “I digress, however; no use in carving a kicked dead horse. Are you planning to monopolize on the information I gave you?”

“I’m thinking a slug to the head would do well in ridding me of an annoyance.” Sighing deeply, I knew going through with my threat would be very difficult. “Just let me out of here. The only ones needing to die today are slaver guards and alpha brothers.”

“True, true.” Silas placed his claws on his hips, tilting his head up again. “Richards, we really must congregate and converse over a spot of tea one of these days. Is there any chance you’ll be free this Saturday?”

“Just.... just fix the abyss already.” Releasing a heavy sigh, I placed a claw over my face and shook my head slowly in annoyance. “Am I asking too much of The Great and Powerful Silas?” I made sure that sarcasm oozed from every syllable of that moniker.

“It has to stabilize, Richards. I didn’t do anything to the abyss, but it’s no doubt been acting hostile towards the denizens in this Pantheon-forsaken space of subconsciousness you call a Station,” he sassed. “Still, it does promote quite the potent air of comfort. But there’s a question that’s been bugging me to ask.”

Sighing deeply, I gave him a look that spoke of my oversaturating annoyance. “Hurry it up with the questions.”

Nodding his assent, Silas pulled a deck of cards from his pocket, idly flicking them into the darkness around the Station of Awakening. “Why darkness? Why abyss? As you’ve deducted by now, everything in this plane of subconsciousness exemplifies a later event down the road; even a face or foe you will most likely meet, or a role you will play.”

“What do you mean by “Why darkness or abyss”, mate? It’s just the way the Stations of Awakening are set up. We’ve all got our-” I stopped myself, my eyes widening in realization. “... We’ve all got our inner darkness....” My head turned away of its own volition, my mind moving a mile a minute. “Then that means; that means the Four Dragons aren’t my darkness.”

“Correct. We are merely here as representations of the four emotions you just so happen to not accept.” Giving a chuckle, Silas manifested a throne of his Hearth’s Fire, sitting down and crossing his legs in a sophisticated manner. His head was then leaned onto a fist in a bored demeanor, those smug eyes of his staring me down. “In the meantime - on a more related note - you are pretty much stuck here with me. I have no intention of fighting you, for it will not yield any fruit that favors us.”

“Us?”

Silas shifted his body a bit. “Yes, Richards... us. Is there anything else you need of me, outside of helping you escape this place, that is?”

“No...” I sighed out, turning my back to him and sitting down. “Just... give me some silence. I’ll be heading out soon, anyway.”

Wergal, at that point in time, decided to give up on the notion of helping Silas snap out of whatever funk he entered. The drake was now laying down on the ramp next to Sunset, who subconsciously started to hug the alien. “What are they, connected by the grey matter?” The diamond dog beta crossed his arms, staring down at the couple with a dismissive snort.

Diamond took that moment to grasp Wergal’s paw. “Do you think they’re about to kick the bucket together? We’ve seen some unicorns kill themselves this way... just... using telekinetic energy to destroy their brains.” A long silence lasted between the group as they looked at the two motionless bodies beneath them.

“You don’t have time to worry about those two, I’m afraid.” Wergal and Diamond both spun around just before Donna screamed, the former glaring and gnashing his teeth at the forms of both Dreggen and Otto. “This cow and this foal looks to be of greater import than two comatose wastes of life,” Otto concluded, snickering at the headlock his brother had Donna in.

Wergal dropped Diamond’s paw, growling at the both of them. “I don’t know where the bedrock-laiden fuck you two came from, but if you don’t let Donna and the kid go, I’m sending you back in pieces.” Diamond snarled after her mate stopped threatening the brothers.

Dreggen shrugged. “Fine, we’ll let her go.” A quick shove to Donna’s back had the cow-woman give a squeak. She then flew towards Wergal, who caught her in a hugging embrace. “... Of course, this is all for a price.”

Diamond released a horrified cry as Dreggen promptly tossed the foal off the ramp’s edge with a flick of his wrist. “I don’t quite appreciate how you’ve all turned my lovely slaving operation into a fine mess, and I’ll be sure to take the comeuppance you’re deserving of by force.” Brushing his paws clean of the filth accumulated from holding the foal, he sent a death glare at Diamond. “... Fucking scum. The whole lot of you don’t even deserve to lick the bottom of my feet... honestly...”

Wergal stepped forward, drawing his daggers with a crescendoing growl. “You sick motherfucker! This has been a long time coming...” Spinning the kris daggers expertly, he continued his walk towards Dreggen.

“Do you honestly expect this to go in your favor, Everwinter?” Crossing his arms, Dreggen raised his eyebrow with a yawn. “But you are more than welcome to try and kill me, Wergal. Another example never hurt anyone.”

Sunset Shimmer was back in that plane of darkness, staring at a simple blue and black flame pony in front of her. Its features were spot on with her own, and it was sitting on its haunches like she was. “... Let’s get down to business, then.”

Walking towards her flame clone, Sunset closed her eyes and allowed the inferno pony to seep into her being.

I wasn’t feeling this anymore. Opening my eyes from the nap I was having to pass the time, it was quickly deduced that now would be the perfect time to survey the area. Doing so, my eyes quickly allowed me to come to the conclusion that I was finally alone in the Station of Awakening.

Sighing deeply in relief, I stood up and dusted myself off. “How do I get the fuck out of here?” Looking at the abyss in front of me, my eyes narrowed themselves in suspicion of the roiling black wall. “... Silas said it seemed more violent, and it most certainly does. It’s not exactly emanating the best feeling, either.”

Walking forwards, I reached out a claw and hesitantly... oh so hesitantly slowly, placed it on the roiling black wall of shadow. The first thing I noticed was a surprisingly welcoming breeze and the absence of heat itself. It felt like I was touching a curtain made from a spring breeze; too welcoming to b-

“FUCK!” Clenching my eyes shut, I gave a shocked and severely pained scream as what felt like millions of daggers sucked my arm into the wall. They then stabbed into it, and my legs quivered with a slight buckle thrown in when it felt as though something was being sucked out of me. It hurt me in ways far beyond words and expressions; it felt as if my very soul and being were getting shredded apart.

I don’t know how long I was screaming, but I know it went on for a while. At the end of the experience, my eyes were cloudy, and I was having trouble breathing. I felt abnormally weak, and each round of breathing felt like there was a flaming mountain in my neck. Collapsing was the only possible option left.

“What.... what the fuck just happened?” Groaning in massive amounts of pain, I realized then that my arm was slowly being pulled in further, making my face start to sink into the muck as well. I was too worn out - too far spent - to even think about offering resistance at the moment. Everything was a fiery pit of pain; every action - mundane or not - was intense agony. “... Am I... Am I dying?”

Wergal and Diamond were on their last legs. Contrary to what they had believed, the tag-team duo of Dreggen and Otto was too good for them. Diamond could never land a kick against the small diamond dog, and Wergal just couldn’t seem to hit Dreggen for some strange reason. Donna, however, was too busy dragging both Sunset and Silas down the ramp and towards the other slaves down below.

Diamond was panting heavily by now, her breaths heavy with exhaustion as she put her back up against Wergal’s. “... Can we honestly win against them like this?” Her left eye was shut, blood pouring from it as she hissed in pain. “... The little bastard took my eye out. He had a hidden slingshot in his hat.”

Wergal grunted, baring his teeth at his opponent in front of him. “... Dreggen’s dodging everything like it’s nothing. I set him up for so many feints, but he just dodges them all! How do you fight someone like that?”

Otto sighed, his head angled down so the top of his top-hat would be leveled at Diamond’s forehead. “You don’t, Otto’s afraid. You see, the Alpha Brothers work well in group synergy, covering each others faults to a tee. Simply fighting us two on two was a deathwish from the beginning.”

Wergal blinked at those words, and the next thing he knew, Dreggen was hitting him in the chest with a seismic palm, likely breaking a rib or two and sending him careening into Diamond’s back. She on her part, let out a surprised yelp, partly from Wergal’s new proximity and partly on finding a large amount of iron in her arm, courtesy of Otto’s hidden hat slingshot.

From their new position on the ground, Diamond and Wergal both found the time to string a plethora of curses from their mouths; to the delight of both Dreggen and Otto.

“Otto told you, yes~,” The smaller alpha asked in sadistic joy, walking up to Diamond’s form with a smug grin on his face. “Otto told you that your fates were sealed. Otto’s cunning mixed with brother Dreggen’s speed will always lead to our respective victory.” Dirt was kicked into Diamond’s face, who tried snapping at the tater-tot of a diamond dog in front of her in anger.

Dreggen strode forward with his claws in his pockets, looking down at the two diamond dogs on the ground. “It’s a pity you worthless Everwinter scum have seen it better to side with some would-be revolutionaries. This operation was built on the greatest mind the diamond dogs have ever seen, and the most ruthless sadist to ever wear a tux,” Dreggen said, straightening his tie. “That being said, you should have known from the beginning that a large number of you would perish in this foolhardy attempt at freedom.”

Wergal grunted. He wasn’t done fighting, not by a longshot; however, his body was teetering on the edge of something. He didn’t know what it was, but every single hair; every single fiber of his being wanted him to tear Dreggen apart. “This bloodlust... it isn’t normal.... it’s not just Dreggen I want to see ripped apart. I want... I want everyone dead...”

The beta could see it; a mountain range of corpses lined up just for him, with two bleeding skulls in his paws that were soon crushed into dust. He could smell the cadavers, taste the suffering they had right before they perished... and for some reason that sickened him to no end... he loved it. He was smiling down at the bodies under his feet, regardless of what race they were.

It was then that Wergal felt a fierce stinging sensation on his back, jolting him out of the gruesome images that he was enjoying so much. Widening his eyes, he looked up at Dreggen with a happy face, one that was on severe levels of creepy.

“... What are you so jovial about, mutt?” Dreggen frowned down at Wergal, kicking him square in the muzzle. The alpha relished the sound of cracking teeth and bone from the connection, earning himself a whimper from the beta that was on the wrong end of that foot... a foot that was soon placed on top of his head and grinding into it with the heel. “You’re about to die, so I guess being happy is allowed; a whole life’s worth of pain and the pain in the future you won’t be able to experience suddenly disappearing? Hell, I’d be overjoyed as well under the right circumstances.”

Wergal took that moment to let out a pained cackle, before shooting up and grabbing a hold of Dreggen’s legs. The move caused Dreggen to lose his balance and fall back, letting Wergal jump into the air while still holding his legs. By doing this, Dreggen’s head and neck were now on a ferocious collision course with a jagged part of the ramp, the alpha dog’s eyes wide in surprise.

“... I bided my time, Dreggen....” Wergal laughed as the jagged spike of hard rock impaled the diamond dog through the head, leaving the body twitching and the rock formation covered in bits of the dog’s brain. It didn’t stay that way for long, because Wergal was all too eagerly tearing into the rock with his mouth, devouring it hungrily as gore dripped from his mouth. His venomous red eyes sharpened, clouding over even more as he started tearing the clothes off Dreggen’s dead body, aching to get at the flesh beneath.

When at last he settled upon it, Wergal wasted no time in all but diving into Dreggen’s chest cavity; tearing flesh from bone, cartilage from muscle, his face becoming a sick painting of intense hunger and a desire for consumption with every bite he took. Every swing of his paw brought more of the flesh into his mouth, made his eyes cloudier; a sort of high look going for his facial features as he continued his feasting.

Otto was - in a word or less - vomiting. His eyes were hastily torn away from the graphic scene of watching his brother be devoured, the gore splattering everywhere as Wergal flung gore this way and that without a care in the world. Wet splats filled the air, the grey wall to their left becoming increasingly red. “... What the.... w-w-w-what just happened!?” The smaller dog fell into a fit of coughing, before catching sight of Wergal snapping his head up after the cry he made seemed to register.

Trembling greatly, Otto began backing up, just as Diamond started to rise from her position on the ground. Looking at her with wide eyes, he could see the killer intent in them as well.

“When you destroyed my clan and assimilated its members into the ranks of your slaves, you left my mate to fend for himself against bastard Skaven cultists. Since then...” Her uninjured arm raised itself, the paw attached to it pointing at Wergal as his head snapped back down to continue his ravenous consumption of Dreggen. “... He’s hungered for the flesh of his own kind the most, and the flesh of other sapient beings.” Walking forward while the smaller diamond dog scooted backwards using his stubby arms, Diamond closed the distance quickly.

“Get back! Stay away from Otto!”

Her foot stomped down on his chest, pinning him in place while cracking the stone underneath his small body. The tiny pug coughed up copious amounts of blood with a whimper, his eyes squinting shut as he started to cry and wail.

Diamond looked down on him, her face devoid of emotion. “For the past five years, I was forced to service your disease-ridden beasts of guards. I’ve been thrown in The Rough simply because I was desirable.” Her foot began to twist in turn, the tiny dog’s bones creaking under the supernatural force. “I was whored out; passed around and ultimately used to everyone’s desire. There were days when sitting down was out of the question, days where I nearly slipped in puddles of my own blood.”

Otto was furiously scratching and hitting the foot sinking further and further into his chest, trying to hastily remove it with all his strength.

“This runs deeper than any well, and thicker than dough.” Showing the first glimpse of emotion Diamond snarled in anger, her foot teetering on the edge of breaking into Otto’s chest cavity. “I was broken, battered, abused, used, raped, tortured... for what? For gems? For your satisfaction? For this kingdom of dirt?”

Otto looked up at her... then smirked as his tiny body began to shut down on him. “... W-w-w-why not... a-all of it?”

Diamond narrowed her eyes. Keeping her foot down, she launched the other towards Otto’s chin. On connecting, the tiny dog’s head was punted clean off its shoulders and catapulted into the wall all the way across the chamber where it splattered like rotten watermelon dropped from an adequate-enough height.

Spitting a mixture of hatred and saliva onto the headless body, Diamond shoved it over the edge with a sneer. “Disgusting filth... that was for my kids.”

Sunset Shimmer groused, blowing a snort from her mouth as her eyes fluttered open. “Gahhh... my aching everything...” Struggling to grab some semblance of stable footing, the unicorn slowly climbed to her hooves and shook her head of some lingering cobwebs from her seemingly-long nap.

Giving a much needed survey of her surroundings, she was surprised to find herself on the bottom level of the chamber, and far away from the last place she was. Her eyes flickered up to the tunnel, making out two distinct figures currently having their way with the alpha brothers. A sigh left her nostrils as she registered Diamond’s way of beheading the small alpha, her face completely stoic.

“... By Faust, I need a shower.” Shaking her head slowly, Sunset looked away from the ramp and around her current vicinity. She saw her boyfriend currently passed out, which she raised her eyebrow at. “... Did some dog get the best of him?”

Donna cleared her throat at that point in time, drawing the inquisitive eyes of Sunset to her own. “Um, he kinda just passed out. One moment he was sitting on the ramp’s edge and the next was... well... he just fell back, seemingly unconscious.”

Sunset took this news with pursed lips, looking more annoyed than worried. “So he was knocked unconscious by himself? That’s rather disappointing... yet another thing I’ll have to fix.” Sighing, her eyes turned back to look at Silas with a brief titter. “We’re in danger, and he’s taking a nap. He is definitely a hero.” Sarcasm practically dripped out of each syllable.

The minotaur cow behind the unicorn walked off at that point in time, her lip quivering as she neared the two places of impact. “At least you have someone...”

A golden rocket launched from the ground, impacting on Silas’s chin in a deafening explosion. “Get up, lazy bones,” Sunset barked, her eyes only narrowing when her boyfriend didn’t react to the slap. However, her hoof hurt enough to warrant a couple of shakes from it. “... Is your face made of boulders? Bah.”

Sunset saw it then; a grimace that signaled the awakening of her boyfriend. Not only was it a grimace, but the body of her love started to grow bit by bit. The muscles expanded before her very eyes, entering a new threshold on how strong she previously thought Silas to be. His frame creaked and moaned, stretching out in order to welcome inches and about two feet to his already impressive height.

“... What in Faust’s good name?” She backed up, not really knowing how to digest these changes happening to her boyfriend’s body. “Silas, what in the world is going on with you? Are you well?” A hoof was lifted up to cover her mouth, her eyes lowering themselves into a suspicious stare.

Eyes fluttering, Silas finally left his realm of unconsciousness and sat up with a groan. Rubbing his head, the draconian locked pained eyes with Sunset. “... Did you catch the plate number of that semi that hit me?”

“... I won’t even dignify that rubbish with a response.”

“Yup, still here.” Stretching, Silas stood up and looked around. “Is everyone alright, or are there still some mutts that need to be put down?” His eyes widened as he stumbled forwards, nearly falling on his face. “... What!? When did I get so big!?”

Sunset raised her eyebrow, a smile working its way across her features. “I was under the assumption that you were always needlessly big. Was this not the status quo?”

A playful frown was what she received for her quip. “If you got time to make jokes, you got time to brief me on what’s happened so far.” Cracking his back, Silas started a round of snickering. “Or are you going to insist on me remaining somewhat useless to this whole revolution?”

Sighing powerfully, Sunset started a walk towards the ramp. “Come with me and see for yourself, deary.”

Silas blinked, his face heating up to be a deep purple of excitement as the tips of his ears started to work on becoming the same color. “No, it couldn’t have been... did... did she jiggle it?” Rubbing the back of his head, the draconian followed after his girlfriend with a very quiet chuckle. “Guess she wants me to do something with that flank afterwards... not against that in the slightest.”

“My head is up more, Silas dear.”

Stumbling a bit in embarrassment, Silas coughed into his claw, and walked behind in her in silence. It stayed this way for about two seconds, before his eyes locked onto something of intrigue in the distance. “Hey Sunny, one sec?” Before she could even turn around to answer, Silas was to her left a good distance away.

Blinking in surprise, Sunset spent her boyfriend’s time away thinking about how the hell he moved that far in such a short time.

As I neared my sword’s handle, I began to wonder about how it came to be here. Many thoughts passed by in my mind, before I settled on the most logical conclusion. “Wergal must have had it. He’s the only one who knew where my shit was located.”

Reaching the handle among the slaves, I pulled on it, just to hear a squelching sound. Raising my eyebrow, I frowned and pulled harder. It was coming along slowly, but at the rate this was going, my dick was going to shrivel up and fall off before I removed Zaelstrom.

Giving a very loud grunt, I placed both claws on the white handle and yanked hard. So hard, as a matter of fact, that I surprised myself with how much strength I used. Not only did Zaelstrom pop free, completely coated in a type of liquid silver, but a nicely-sized chunk of earth followed it as well. As I tried to digest this new sight, the silver substance began to elongate and elongate; reshaping the dirt into the same silvery substance, and then into some sort of long-ass stick with an ax-

My eyes widened as the last of the silver finally molded itself, and then turned white. In my claw was now a hulking, large, wide-bladed war axe. The whole thing was white, and gleamed very brightly, almost making me wince at it. “Why the hell... my sword just turned into an axe!”

Waving my arm around a bit to test its weight, my jaw nearly hit the floor when I discovered it’s very lightweight attribute. Smiling widely as a few test swings were taken, I realized that most of the weight was up towards the top; said top’s blades being symmetrical and in the shape of a dragon’s spiked head with the blades cut into jagged wing patterns.

“Now this... this is a weapon....” Placing its end on the ground, I quickly figured out that it was damn-near the same height I was. “... A weapon that’s big as shit, too. There’s gotta be a way to make this smaller than what it i-”

A sound that reminded me of a canister being sucked up the air vac at a bank drive thru sounded out, my axe losing its bladed top and shortening itself into a short baton; not a baton a correctional officer would use, but more like one a track star would pass off to the next runner. Blinking rapidly at this strange transition, I slipped the baton under my belt... just to discover that my pistols were gone.

“What the fuck? Where did they go?” Doing a quick turn to survey the area, my eyes didn’t settle upon anything remotely close to a pistol once. I did, however, notice an incredibly thick silver substance drip off my face. Frowning at that, a claw went up to investigate the strange drippage.

The thickest of it was actually dripping down the left side, closer to the left back-end of my left eye. “... The Fester? Okay, what the hell is happening?” No answer came as I continued to drip, and it wasn’t like I was dying from it... at least, it didn’t feel that way. Dismissing it as nothing, I continued on my way after dropping my holsters to the ground. “It’s not like my pistols can be used by anyone else. That’s advanced technology that only seemed to work with my Hearth’s Fire.”

In no time at all, I was next to Sunset. Now, I towered over the beautiful unicorn pony. “She’s still sexy as hell, even though she’s practically caked with dirt and grime. She probably wants a shower so bad.” Giving a quiet snicker at that, followed by blushing at a naughty image of me and her involved in said shower together, I cleared my throat behind a fist.

“Ready to go, baby?”

“Indeed I am. You have a habit of taking your sweet time.”

“Well,” I chuckled, “slow and steady wins the race, but the early bird gets the worm. It’ll be better for us to take action now.”

“Follow me then, Silas.” Sunset gave me yet another concealed jiggle of her flanks before heading up the ramp, making my blush increase more. Sighing heavily, I followed after her slowly, still being able to keep up with her as I placed my claws in my pant pockets. “.... What do you dream about, darling?”

I blinked at that, putting on a stoic face as she turned her head around and up to look at me questioningly. With her face skewed in such a manner, I thought I did something bad and was looking into the eyes of a sour detective. “My dreams are troubled, sometimes. To simply call them nightmares would not be enough credit.”

“So I’m guessing having to relive such traumatizing night terrors is not on your to do list?”

“Not particularly, no.”

“Then we shall drop this topic for now. Besides,” Sunset said, stopping behind Diamond and Wergal; the latter wiping his mouth and giving a large belch as he stood up from his meal. When Sunset took notice of what his meal was, her face was less than approving, and actively showed her repulsion. “... It seems we’ve arrived.”

Sighing in similar repulsion, I looked down at the mess before my eyes. “... Well shit, Wergal; you got what you want, it seems.”

“That and so much more, Silas.” Wergal pulled a large golden key out of his right pocket, grinning at everyone he could. “This is the key to the Alpha Vault. I say we clean it out.” Twirling said key with the circular hole in its bottom, Wergal proceeded to leave us in favor of walking down the tunnel I was tackled out of earlier.

Blinking at his chipper attitude despite him being covered from head to toe in gore, Diamond, Sunset and myself all looked at each other strangely. I gave a shrug first, then motioned for them follow along as my steps soon had me at Wergal’s back despite him having a lead on us. “I must have grew pretty damn big. Strangely enough, these caves aren’t too bad height-wise here. Guess Otto kept majority of the minotaurs.”

We walked for what seemed like forever, until Wergal brought us into a sizeable room that seemed to spiral upwards with nicely-crafted marble steps. Raising an eyebrow at the sudden change of building material, I continued to follow Wergal up the staircase with a slow pace that still kept me in front of everyone else behind me. There was practically no space in this staircase for me, causing a slight feeling of claustrophobia.

As my shoulders grated along the walls, it took us about a minute of stair climbing to finally come face to face with another room. This one had a set of painted red, double wooden doors with a big-ass padlock on it. My eyes locked onto the keyhole instantly as Wergal made his way forward, shoved the key inside, and twisted until the lock popped open.

“Welcome to the Alpha Vault. Anything shining will be here for your finding.” Snickering at his own rhyme, he pushed open the doors. My eyes instantly widened as piles and piles of gems, gold, and other such expensive things were stacked high. Everything and anything with some type of shimmer or gleam was in here, and all it took was about twenty candelabras to keep his place nicely lit.

There was no choice. I had to let out an impressed whistle as I entered the room. “Look at all this damn loot! We could really be set for life off of all these gems!” Rubbing my claws together with a snicker, I neared the closest pile and inspected myself in a reflective gold coin. “How much would all this fetch, guys?”

Diamond scoffed, crossing her arms and looking at me. I could tell she was doing this because of another reflection in a coin close to the one that my face was occupying. “All of this is going to the slaves that survived the revolution. It will be a good pick-me-up because most of these people have been missing for three years or more. Getting back to their families doesn’t come cheap, Silas Epista.”

“We’re gonna have to divvy all this out, ain’t we,” I asked while sighing.

“That’s the plan, yes. Do you have a problem with it?” A tapping foot let me know that Diamond was ready to possible cave my skull in with something if I answered wrong.

“A small one, but it’s too small to mention.” Turning my head to look at her, I gave a brief nod. Standing back up, my claws came down to fluff the pants of dirt. “So how are we going to do this?”

“Wergal’s gonna go get the slaves and bring them up here. We’re gonna bag some loot up for them; bigger bags for families with children, or for people that need to go overseas. Smaller bags for those native to this country, or for those that wish to just stay here.” Diamond began pacing after saying that, making me raise my eyebrow. “Don’t get me wrong, we will be taking a nice amount of the riches in here for our own.”

“Huh, alright then. Guess I can roll with that line of thinking.” I looked at Sunset, who raised her eyebrow at me in askance. The shrug I gave her made the unicorn roll her eyes and go back to idly looking at all the loot. Snickering at the response she gave, I went back to admiring the loot piles myself. “What are we gonna use to bag the loot?”

“Hmmm,” Diamond hummed in thought. “Well, if the slaves come with clothes on their backs, they’re gonna have to make one more sacrifice. For the slaves that don’t have shirts or pants or whatever else, they’ll have to mold something out of some mud, or find a chest in here.”

I blinked. “... Surprisingly well thought out, Diamond. A natural leader, you are.”

I frowned at that. “Hey now, watch it. Are you forgetting that I’m your ride out of here?” Tapping my foot, my eyebrow was slowly raised in annoyance. “Of course, you can keep patronizing me if you wish; it’s not like that’ll give me cause to leave your furry-ass here, right?”

Diamond offered a snicker while rolling her eyes, heading for the doors herself. “Yeah, right. We’ll be back with the slaves. In the meantime, keep watch and don’t take anything.” And with that, she went through the doors after snorting a bit.

I gave a huff at her, not really in amusement, but more along the lines of even more annoyance. “Well, I guess she’s earned the right to be so chipper. Poor girl’s finally free of her shackles...” There wasn’t a way to stop myself from wincing at a particular thought. “... However, where one pair of shackles is broken, another pair is forged. I gotta talk to Donna after all this.”

“Silas? Can you hear me? Silas Epista!”

I gave a nice cry of surprise and pain as Sunset slammed her hoof down on my pinky toe. Glaring down at her, a grunt worked its way out of my throat as she returned the gesture with similar facial features. “What is it, Sunny?”

“I was calling you for the past minute or so! Get your head out of the clouds!”

Sighing deeply, I nodded and sat down, crossing my legs as I looked my girlfriend in her eyes. My action was rewarded by a roiling feeling around my stomach, but I dismissed it as not eating today. “Sorry, sorry.”

Sitting back on her haunches, Sunset’s glare softened until her features became normal again. “I wanted to ask you a question that’s been bugging me for a while. I expect you to listen to the best of your capabilities, because I won’t be letting it out again.”

“Hmm? This is rather new for her... she’s also become a bit more arrogant and bossy. Not that I’m complain-” I blinked as her glare returned, offering a sheepish smile. I could feel my eyes twitching, knowing that there’s a fuck-up with my name on it here. “... Uh... I didn’t do it again, right?”

“.... We will converse later, Silas. Count on that,” she hissed, making me wince a bit as her body was then raised and turned in order to walk off.

Scratching the back of my head while looking down at the ground in disappointment of myself, I decided to wait in silence until Wergal and Diamond came back with the slaves so we could hurry up and get this stuff divvied out appropriately.

“There’s no way possible it’s daytime, still. We’ve been in here forever!” Whining to myself mentally, I watched as the last ten slaves came forward. To be honest, I’ve never seen such a huge number of people gathered in one place before. “Well, at least they’re on their way to becoming normal citizens again...”

My head turned from the new position I took up against a wall. I currently had my arms crossed, and a foot resting flat on the wall while the other remained on the ground. This new vantage point let it dawn on me on just how much the slaves took from the Alpha Vault.

“... Guys... there’s like nothing for us here,” I spoke out into the almost-empty Vault, watching as Diamond turned her head to look at me with a frown; one that I happily returned. “It was a good thing to do and all, but judging by how they all took the gold rather than the gems, I’m starting to think we’re gonna leave out of her holding the shitty end of the short stick.”

“Silas, shut up,” Diamond responded curtly. “There’s still plenty of gems here.” She picked up a rectangularly-cut emerald and tossed it at me, making me raise an eyebrow as I caught it from below as it fell in the air at the end of its arch. “Something tells me you become a bit of a grouch when you’re hungry. Munch on that.”

My eyebrow did not go down. “I’m not putting a rock in my mouth. What kind of idiot do you take me for?”

“Dragons eat gems? Hello? Equis to dragon?” Diamond looked at me then like I had grown a separate head.

A short growl left my mouth in response. “This bitch is getting on my nerves. However... if what she said actually holds some amount of merit...” I didn’t move my eyes off hers as the gem was lifted up to my mouth. Opening my maw a little, the smallest bite ever thought possible was taken out of the emerald’s corner. It didn’t take long for my eyes to widen in large surprise. “... Apples? Are you fucking kidding me?”

I blinked at Diamond.

“What?”

“It tastes like apples?”

“Yeah? It’s an emerald. It tastes like that for most gem eaters.”

“...It’s a rock.”

“... Did you hit your head too hard while you passed out, Silas?”

My eye twitched of its own volition as my brain struggled to keep up with this new development. “... I don’t know whether to be severely perturbed that this a thing, or to be more shocked at how I’m eating a precious stone like it’s a Now or Later.” I popped said emerald into my maw without a second thought, chewing it down into an apple-tasting mash that was absolutely delicious even with all my bellyaching from before.

Diamond raised her eyebrow. “... A Now and Later? The hell are you on about this time, Si-” She stopped herself, placing a paw on her face in exasperation. “Y’know what? Nevermind. We have a modest pile of gems and gold here; enough to last us for a long time as we.... wait...” Diamond looked at me with a face of askance at that moment. “... What’s our plan now?”

“Well, Sunset and I were gonna get out of here and head for Canterlot. I have big business to discuss with one of the princesses there.” Crossing my arms, I gave her what felt like my twentieth raised eyebrow. “Of course, Wergal and yourself are welcomed to do whatever you wish.”

“And what about Milk,” Diamond asked, lifting an index finger very minutely to point at the minotaur woman currently brooding in a corner of the Alpha Vault. Her tattered dress hangs low enough for me not to get blasted with the sight of her ass. “She’s torn up about Dennis... of course she would be. It wasn’t even three hours ago when it happened.” Sighing deeply, I decided to press off the wall and make my way over to her.

On my route to her position, I turned my head to a quiet “Psst!” that rung out to my left. Sunset was there, smiling softly at me. Stopping, my eyebrow climbed up in askance to what she wanted exactly. For my troubles, she rewarded me with a shoo-shoo motion of her hoof.

Rolling my eyes, I continued to take nice and even steps till I was just a couple steps shy of being right behind her. “... Hey... I know I’m probably the las-”

“Get the fuck away from me.”

I blinked a bit. “... She hates me. I could have saved her brother from death, but I was too scared of dying myself. Donna has every right to hate me now... her brother won’t be coming back to her, and I’m the reason for it.” Shaking my head with a sigh, I strode back to my position against the wall. Sunset and I had silent warfare with our facial expressions and body parts as she tried to persuade me to go back over. Of course, I denied her with each time she tried to get me to do it.

By the time we got done trying to rip each other a new one silently, Wergal and Diamond had succeeded in bringing a large black chest into the room. They started packing it full of gems and gold, before the male of the duo cleared his throat. “If we’re all done here, I’d like to discuss what we plan on doing.”

“Sunset and I are getting on our ship and leaving for Canterlot, that’s what,” I spoke up sharply. “If you wanna come with, you can. If you don’t, then that’s your business. Just make sure tha-”

“Wait.”

That voice caused me to turn my head with a raised eyebrow. Donna was now standing up at her full height, looking at me with fierce eyes. “... I want to tag along with you two, Silas. Don’t ask me why, either... just know it’s what I want to do.”

“What’s up with that? God above, this is gonna be hectic...” All I could do was nod my assent to the clearly peeved minotaur woman. “Alright, Donna, you can come with us. It’s not like we don’t have a room for you.”

Wergal began to shovel gems and gold out of the large-sized chest, until half was gone. “You guys can take the chest; Diamond and I’ll find someplace else to store our riches.”

Nodding once, I looked up at the ceiling. “How far up do we need to go in order to finally leave this place?”

Diamond’s voice filled the air first. “This mountain is small. I think it’s 43 meters at most. The peak is right above us, so flying out of here shouldn’t be too hard.” Wergal’s voice came next as he pointed at the doors.

“Just follow the steps up to the top. You’ll be on the peak in about two minutes.”

Nodding once, I looked at Sunset, who nodded back at me while levitating and shutting the chest. “Thanks for all your help, guys. Seriously... this has been just one giant nightmare, and I can’t wait to take a deep breath of fresh air.”

“I just want to take a Faust-damned shower. Can we hurry this up,” Sunset asked sharply, her tone dripping with annoyance. It was enough to cause me mild discomfort, and to get my gears turning as my body moved towards the door.

“Don’t walk too fast, you two.” Donna’s cloven hooves filled the air with their dull walking as she followed after. “I might possibly be the slowest of you both... and make sure we get back to Stonehaven; I want to spend some time in my hometown before we set off on some grand adventure.”

“How long we talkin’, Donna?” I looked over my shoulder, raising my eyebrow.

“Two weeks, tops.”

“I don’t hear a problem with it, Silas. That’s not a long time at all.”

Nodding my head at Sunset, I gave a shrug afterwards and started to move up the steps at a slightly faster pace. A small breeze was beginning to caress my face, letting me know that the peak was just up ahead. “Siri? You still there, gorgeous?”

“I’ll stay here, by the way; y’know, just in case you want to forget I exist again?”

Rolling my eyes, I gave a dismissive snort as I came to a stop in front of a set of black doors. “Why didn’t you contact me earlier?”

“Dude, I can’t locate your exact coordinates inside a freaking mountain. The last conversation we had, it wa s a fluke. I managed to connect us from a hotspot you found.”

Opening the doors with an annoyed grunt, I came out onto a plateau made of black stone and a breathtaking view of the large forest surrounding us. The sun was shining brightly, causing me to raise a claw in order to shade myself a bit. “Is that right? Huh, talk about a lucky coincedence. And what about now; can you get a beat on my location?”

Siri giggled. “Did you forget who you’re talking to? Judgement’s already en route to your location.”

“Thanks, Siri... don’t know where I’d be without you, to be honest.”

“Probably a lifeless cadaver floating among the stars forever more.”

“Dammit, Siri.” Shaking my head with another sigh, I resigned myself to enjoying the cool breeze and scenery before me.

A giggle caused me to flick a glance to my right. Sunset came up and sat down, taking a deep inhale of the fresh, piney air. “... How I’ve missed this. These next two weeks are going to be very special, Silas.”

I blinked at her. “Special? How?”

“The surprise will be... a mutual feeling.” A smug smile broke out over her face as she winked at me, making me give a cough of embarrassment. “I’m sure you’ll be positively thrilled, just like I will.”

“... Oh God... she means to...”

“Huh... never thought you had it in you, Champ.”

“Shut up, Siri. What happens between Sunset and I, stays between Sunset and I. I don’t want to hear another thing about our relationship come out of your mouth. Am I making myself perfectly clear?” At the end of my mental rant, there was complete silence. A thought passed in my head that I went too far at first, right before her voice came back to life again.

“Uh... um... eh....” A sigh came next. “... Sorry, Champ. Judgement’s coming up on your position now.... uh... yeah, sorry.”

Closing my eyes in a little bit of regret, I decided not to answer as the dull hum of Judgement started to fill the air. “This is gonna be so interesting... or bad. Please don’t let it be the latter, Io.... I also pray that the rest of my days - with Sunset - will be filled with happiness. I at least want that... if nothing else.”

If I was wearing a crucifix, I would have lifted it up and kissed it at that time. Still, I didn’t let the lack of that trinket prevent me from mimicking the motions. At the same time, Judgement was floating down and opening its doorway. The stairs shot out and jutted into the plateau.

The next thing that filled the air was Donna’s gasps of surprise and intrigue. Sunset and I gave a couple chuckles at that, before making our way up the steps with a practiced ease. Since I was the one tailing my girlfriend, I turned my head to look at Donna as she remained the deer in headlights from the sight of my ship.

“... The unexplained awaits, Dominika Lehigh.” I outstretched my claw with a warm smile. “And not just the unexplained: comfort, acceptance, and love... all is included inside Judgement’s doors. Will you follow me into these things?”

Donna blinked at me a couple of time, slowly raised a hand to her mouth, winced, and started to tear up as she took my claw with her other hand. “Y-y-yes....” Without further ado, she began to cry and follow me into Judgement’s command deck.

“... I can fix this... I can make her feel again. It’ll be simple; one step at a time, one inch every day. And... the result will be satisfying; not just to me, but for her.”