Freedom. Something the race of humans on the planet of which Equestria stands upon along with many other mighty countries don't know. Humans use to be free and traveled far and wide but their ambitions drove them to their own descrution. They challenged the other intelligent race and they lost major wars against their magic. They than became slaves to the creatures they wish to over through. But that was over a millennium ago. Only a handfull of humans are left and they all belong to Celestia. She uses them for experiments. Some don't live... others do to only die afterwards. They want to be free once again to be rid of themselves from the hatred of the goddess. The story revolves around a group who call them themselves the big three. They want freedom at any cost.
A word that most of the people on the planet know, but only a few experience such joy. Is it fair for others to suffer for their ancestor's past mistakes? A lot would argue about that... which is why Celestia keeps it at a hush hush. Deep down into the dungeons where only Celestia travels is where only fifteen or so creatures that are known as humans dwell. Bipedal intelligent creature that think too highly of themselves despite their situation.
"Well hello your highassness! It's been so long." A red head calls out as she strides through the entry way into the cruel place where the humans call home.
She smiles and nods her head towards the red head. She's just so used to the brash ones comments by now. His name is Caleb or Hot head like the ones before used to call him. It's funny how easy human nicknames take on. Once she knew a man by the name of Flubber. They called him that because of the way his mouth would go on and on about plots and schemes. Oh how she misses Flubber some days. Though she could never replace the three boys before her.
Caleb the red headed cream skin colored boy that doesn't know the difference between keeping his mouth closed and yapping till he's blue in the face. The other, a browned skin one with the knowledge to uphold himself despite his situation, tries to keep him in check to no avail. The re head's hair is always a mess while the brown one's hair is always bushy and well kept. She calls them Caleb and Markus.
"It sure has. But I'm not complaining. So what you been up to since the last time we saw you?" The brown one asks looking up from the book he's currently reading. A book he's gathered from her.
"Yea for a while we thought you were dead, but you are some what immortal after all." The lighter brown boy says.
He, unlike Markus and Caleb, has his hair curved right in the front.
Celestia has always liked these boys. For multiple reason. They are the only ones that have survived her testing. There were others, but she tended to keep them deeper in. She made sure to give these boys some more leisure as a reward for living for so long and not snapping.
"No no... things have been... busy." She says walking over to a table, "So how has things been for you three?"
The red head speaks first, "Meh. Other than listening to Indie and Markus talk, pretty dull. But let me guess, your here to make things exciting again."
She only chuckles and says, "Yes, I have. I want to test out your power and how well you have adapted to them since my absence."
"I can tell you one thing." Markus speaks out, "He's stopped torching my books."
Caleb only smiles and says, "Or at least what you notice."
Markus only stares at him menacingly as Caleb walks around whistling. Markus looks over to his many bookshelves at the back left corner of his side of the square like glass cage they live in. Air comes in from the open top almost like if they were in a tank.
Indie's corner is at the top right and has different history books all arranged so he can easily remember what historical fact came first. Despite it's lack of human knowledge. Much to Celestia's happiness. She hopes to make them forget their heritage and some how integrate them into the world as a supreme power. She hasn't figured out how yet, but she's sure if she just pass them off to her student everything will work itself out.
"Alright than! I guess the testing can begin! Now Markus was the last one that went so who's going first this time?" Celestia says reading over her last notes.
Indie and Caleb exchange looks. They both nod their heads. Caleb takes a step folder.
"Alrighty than Caleb. Its your lucky day!" She presses one of the many buttons on the table in front of her with a hoof and the front part of the glass cage opens and lets Caleb step out, "Now no funny business from you right?"
"Yep. No funny business. From me." Caleb says suppressing a smile on his face.
She's about to press a button to close the door when she feels her body tense.
"Wha... What?" She says watching as her hoof trembles and Caleb begins laughing heartily.
"But I can't say the same from the other guys!" He says with a giant smirk walking to the side of Celestia.
He motions for the others to come out. Markus drops his book and grabs Indie who has his eyes closed and seems as stiff as a board
"What are you doing!?" Celestia asks out in anger.
"Getting our freedom! If anything else we are not going to die caged up!" Caleb says making his way with the others to the entry way.
"How are you doing this! None of you have shown this ability before!"
"Yes, but we have learned to do a lot of things in your absence and we've some what perfected them."
"But don't worry. It'll where off as soon as we're out. At least it gives us a head start." Markus says making sure to keep Indie straight.
"Well. See ya!" Caleb says running up the stairs with Markus in front.
True to their words, as soon as they go up the stairs the tenseness feeling wears off and she feels dehydrated as well as free. She wants to yell out and tell the guards to capture them alive, but the feeling was to strong.
Damn those kids...
Indie gasps for air coughing up blood as Caleb kicks open the door helps him sit down in a nearby chair.
"You good?" Markus asks him.
He nods his head wiping the blood off his mouth. The back off his throat was dry and he's completely dehydrated. He wants to vomit and lay down and die, but he knows more important things are about to happen.
"So we've made it this far. Lets see if we can get farther!" Caleb yells out running to where a button rest on the wall.
He presses it and the wall in front of him slides out of place to everyone's astonishment. Markus helps Indie to his feet and they all walk out of the room into another one. They hear something sliding to their right and move out of the way as a giant chair, bigger and more stylish than any chair they've ever seen, slides towards them to where the entrance is to the dark dungeon. They quickly move out of the way. They look around the room to see it is very different than anything they've ever read or heard from any of the others they've managed to talk to.
"Damn! This place is huge! Even the doors are bigger and there are two of them together!" Caleb yells out spinning around while Markus and Indie follow behind him taking in the sights much slower.
"Yea..." Markus says out, "I would've never thought things look so much better like this outside."
"Come on guys! Let's go see what's on the actual outside!" Indie says feeling better than he was before.
He's always been able to make quick recoveries. The three rush to the two door way and push them open to meet a giant hallway filled with ponies moving about that stop at the yelling of the three. So many ponies in one place, they hadn't planned fully on that. But on the bright side, the ponies were more scared of them.
"Oh my god! What are they!"
Screams erupt and the ponies scatter as they yell for them to get the guards and find the princesses.
"There's more than one!?" Markus yells looking at Indie and Caleb scared.
"Oh shit! We need to get the fuck out of here! Now!" Caleb yells taking off running down the hallway.
The other two follow suit ignoring the ponies screams of fear and of help. They come into a great room and than out the door way into the morning light. Naturally they shield their eyes, but they keep moving fast.
"Okay! We're outside now! We just need to-" An explosion cuts Indie off as they reach the bottom of the steps and turn back to see a black alicorn flying above darkness swirling around it and anger in its eyes.
"No no no no no!" Markus cries out as the goddess flies towards them.
Indies looks around and sees a fountain. He moves the water and shifts it in front of them in a dome like shape and freezes it. The black goddess slames into the ice shattering it, but being dazed none the least.
"Nice thinking!" Markus says as he backs up from the dazed Alicorn.
She slowly starts to recover which gives them time to start their speed run again.
"Alright! So far so good!" Markus cries out in happiness.
"Yea, but we're fucked if she catches us!" Caleb says
"Think more positive!" Indie says as they cut around a corner onto the streets.
"I'm trying to not think about how violent our murder is going to be! I'm imagining them killing us with stuffed teddy bears instead."
"Probably stuffed with bricks..." Indies mumbles under his breath.
"What was that mister sunshine and rainbows?"
Markus stops and forces a wall of energy up in front of them to stop their run.
"Guys! Cut it out! Now think about survival so we can argue later about who's gayer or not, but for now! I want to live!" Markus shouts frustrated.
"Well if you want to." They turn around to see a very annoyed white alicorn with a black one standing beside her, "You better come back. Now."
The three gulp and nod their heads at each other. Though they know their magic have limits, they can at least try to escape. Celestia shakes her head, "And I've been so good to you boys."
"Don't get me started..." Markus says glaring at Celestia.
They were not going to give up at this point. They've gotten further and lived longer than most of their race as they know.
"So guys... if we die."
"When we die."
Markus shakes his head.
"If we die." Caleb says, "I just want you guys to know at least we made it this far and lets continue to be friends in the after life."
They all nod.
"Have you decided?"
Markus nods as he runs forward and lights his body on fire. Luna quickly reacts shooting a beam launching the boy back. Water rips around lashing the two in the side sending them away from them.
"Come on! I hear there is a forest we can make it too for us to be home free!" Markus says helping Caleb up.
"Right." Indie says pulling the water back and making it float around him.
They run through the streets dodging lasers and Indie throwing and freezing water to aid in their escape, Caleb setting things on fire, and Markus using physic powers to make invisible things and create illusions. The first to start to feel the weakness of his power is Markus. He falls to his right knee and starts to cough up blood. He just got done making several more copies of their group Those two had taken the bait several times, but they always managed to get back to the right ones. The two others stop wielding their magic waiting for Markus to recover.
The two goddesses fire their beams and Indie holds them back while Caleb lobs fireballs at them catching buildings on fire while at it.
"Luna we've got to fight lower down or we might burn the entire Canterlot!"
The two fly lower down and strafe the fireballs while getting in shots.
"You good Markus?" Indie asks.
"Ye....Yea.." He says getting back to his feet.
"Alright smoke screen!"
Caleb laughs as he shoots fire backwards and Indie turns the ice shield to water casting a giant steam around everywhere. Copies and the original goes everywhere. The originals run until they come across train tracks. They run down the side of the mountain following the train tracks being careful as to not slip down. They make it to the hill where they see the forest off in the far distance. They turn back and see Canterlot without the sisters being behind them. They smile and cheer for their good luck.
"I'm so glad that worked!" Caleb yells putting his arms around both Indie's and Markus' neck, "We're alive and free! No longer slaves!"
"Yea, but we are wanted criminals now." Markus add in as a side note, "But hey! We're criminals together."
They walks together talking about the future that they see fit while sisters talk about the future they want to end.
"Celestia! What were they!"
Celestia keeps quiet. She watches as ponies put out the fires that Caleb had started. She had ordered the guards to see out warnings to everywhere about those three and to report in to her if anything came up. She even sent a letter to her prized pupil to make sure she and the rest of the elements of harmony are ready for anything.
"Sister!"
"Humans... They are bipedal dangerous creatures that have strong ambitions and will stop at nothing to achieve them. Sometimes even if it meant their own life to achieve it. But the humans you saw today are different because of my experimenting. I really thought it was harmless until I saw what effects they brought on. But than what happened made me want to do it even more. Those three were part one of my plan, but now that they are gone... I'm not sure what is going to happen now."
"Sister... are there more?"
"Only a few... but now that I've seen that.. If they do survive, they will become too strong... So soon... There will be only three." Celestia says walking away from the balcony leaving her sister sitting there stunned in silence.
Markus sits down looking at the at the place he once called home.
"So... we are finally free... What about the others?"
"I'm sure they'll figure something out... maybe one day we can go back for them..." Indie says with a bit of hope in his voice.
"Ye...yea..." Markus says not so hopeful.
"So we still haven't reached the goddamn forest and we are already thinking about a rescue plan!?" Caleb asks looking over the hill behind them for an in coming train from Canterlot or anywhere else.
"Yea who knows what she'll do to them since we escaped! Besides we at least owe our ancestors' future family be free as well." Indie says stretching out his body, "So you see anything coming?"
"Nope... crystal clear for me."
The three move out across the track further down the way following them to their unknown location which they hoped was closer to the Everfree forest. To their surprise they rarely see a train come by. So far they've only seen three.
"Are we there yet?"
"Don't you start Indie!" Caleb says annoyed already of walking so long.
"Hell, and here I thought Celestia used to torture us! Really if she wanted to make sure we didn't escape she could just make us walk this long!" Markus yells having a harder time due to his more bulkier build than the other two.
Truly he just considers him naturally fat, but they say its because he's only been training his mind. He would argue but...
"Remember any good songs?" Caleb asks as they move away from the train tracks after about a four hour walk under the sun blazing sun that seems to be watching their every moves.
They sit down out of sight of the rail way to take another quick breather.
"Yea. A few... Got any requests?
"You remember that one about ummm something about a thousand feet?"
"Oh! Ummm."
If I could just see it all
Just like a fly on the wall
Would I be able to accept what I can't control
And would I share what I saw?
or just sit back and ignore
Like nothing never happened
I haven't seen you before?
Markus continues to sing to the group one of the songs he'd hear the people sing when they would come up. They sung about freedom, change, and the past. Indie has always been fascinated about the past, but their past was something out of a horror. The wars and pointless blood shed because of human ambition.
"So Indie... What do you think should be the first thing we do when we reach Everfree forest?"
"Well, first we need to set up a place where we can actually rest up and hopefully train a bit more. Also I heard that somewhere there might be one of the last civilization of our kind somewhere and our old allies should be out there somewhere still." Indie replies tapping his foot to the rhythm of the song.
"Damn... I really thought things were going to be so much simpler."
"Yea. I really thought so too."
As the song ends the two applaud Markus and his voice.
"I don't see why you guys make me sing all the time..."
"Its because we can't. Now lets get moving. We need to give your fat ass a lot of exercise."
Markus shrugs and they all stand once again and walk following the train tracks.
Thirty minutes later
"Well fuck..." Caleb says looking down upon a town that the tracks lead into, "Well this is unfortunate."
"Well. We can also use this as an advantage. Late at night we could pillage food." Markus says tapping his head.
"Yea, but that means we would be as good as our ancestors... After the whole fighting and everything."
"Well... as long as we don't get caught, than we don't have to worry about anything. Plus its not like it'll be missed. Just food and something to drink and things should be alright."
"Yea. Seems a good enough plan." Caleb says looking the town over.
The town seems pretty big. Even right now as the sun begins to set, a lot of ponies seem to be pretty busy with their daily lives. The town itself looks so bright with all the different colors. Truly the three didn't even know so many colors existed. Though they did know that ponies did come in many different sizes. Seeing all these colors is something they need to get adjusted to after being enslaved for so long.
"Well. Time waits for no one!" Indie says making his way around the town.
"Right." The other two say in union.
Late that evening
"Everfree forest!" Indie says looking at the forest in front of them.
"Pretty creepy looking don't ya think?" Markus asks backing away from the place.
"Eh. You aren't scared are you?" Caleb asks mockingly, "Where is all that big talk before about how you could take on anything?"
Markus keeps quiet and looks the opposite direction mumbling something about bravery and stupidity. Caleb laughs and continues mocking him while Indie looks around the inside of the forest he can make out.
"Well guys... doesn't seem like there's much of any danger in there as far as I can see. So... Caleb first right?"
"Nah. I insist the ladies go first." Caleb says walking to Markus and motioning for him to go ahead.
"Age before beauty!" Markus retorts back.
"But I insist!"
"I insist this foot up your ass if you don't go."
Indie and Caleb laughs at Markus' seriousness. He rolls his eyes before starting straight into the darkness of the forest..
"Fine!"
Markus walks first into the forest with Indie and Caleb snickering behind him as they venture into the Everfree forest.
"So. Markus you know more about living on the land from all those books you've read. So what is the best place where we should stay?"
"Well... in the books I've read, they say that you need food and water to be close by at all times. So somewhere close to the entrance of the woods and near a river that flows for clean water." Markus says doing his best to remember his readings.
"Ah okay. Seems easy enough." Caleb says a giant smirk spreading across his face.
"Yea, but you got to put in the fact that we don't' have an actual shelter..." Markus reminds them.
"We'll just have to steal or build one than!" Caleb suggest.
"Be more practical to steal one..." Indie says, "But I guess the question is that if they actually have something like that for us."
"Well. Tents, as they are called, are usual sold where sports are sold or at least that's what I've read... but based on what has all happened in the past. Who knows really." Markus says walking into a clearing.
"Well. This doesn't seem ominous at all." Indie says looking around the clearing for something to be out of the ordinary
"Hey! Maybe the gods are smiling upon us for once!"
Growling can be heard from behind them. The three turn around slowly.
"Or they've decided to fuck us up the ass..." Markus says saddened.
Canterlot
Celestia continues to walk to the throne room with Luna on her heels with an all too serious and concerned look written all over her face.
"Sister are you sure about this? Is killing an entire race really the best solution?"
"I don't want another blunder like this to happen... It might not be the only solution, but for now it's the only one I can think of. Those three have caused a lot of destruction and I don't want any more of them to survive the treatments. Unless... no... it still wouldn't work unless..." Celestia stops in front of the throne, "Luna... if you don't want an entire race to die, than you can help me with this... it'll need both of us to make this, hopefully, work."
Luna follows behind Celestia as she shows the secret of hers. They dive deep into the catacombs of Celestia's secret work shop. They walk past where the three were kept and into the main lobby of the slaves she keep.
"Sister... what is all this..." Looking at all the frightened humans as they cower behind their metal barred cages in the corners farthest away from the two.
"These are my slaves...or my test subjects as I put it."
"Sister... Why would you..."
"Well Luna... If given the chance, they would also do the same to you and me. But its alright... I've been working on changing that.... I've had man failed attempts, I'm sad to say, but that's because I never wanted to get you involved. You have never been able to deal with the failed attempts."
"What happens with the failed attempts.
Celestia keeps quiet. She still remembers the mangled bodies and the slowly dying souls asking to be killed and have the burden of the pain taken away. Even those three begged for death when it was their turns. Though they didn't change into... the mess. They were the youngest she experimented on. To think it went so well too.
"Don't worry about it Luna... I'm sure this will work..."
Celestia opens a cage and orders one of them to come out. A man walks out that looks around his mid twenties wearing nothing but a loin cloth. He approaches slowly while eyeing the exit.
"Don't even think about. I am in no mood for any more attempts of escaping. If you try to escape, I will kill you all." she says in the most threatening voice she can manage in her irritated voice.
The whimpering quits as they all stand there in mortal fear. The elders huddle their children even closer to each other wondering if this will be the last day of their lives. They would rejoice at something like that, but having it like this... It means that they want to hold on to their lives longer.The man follows behind Celestia and Luna. They walk into the room where Luna immediately scream and backs out.
"Oh dear me... I keep forgetting to clean up messes.
Blood is all over the walls and floors. Different shredded organs along with some full ones are splattered and somewhat grouped in corners. Luna vomits upon the ground upon the sight of the hideous room.
Why! Why would Celestia have such a room! Why would there ever be such a repulsive places like this at all!
"I'm sorry you had to see that Lulu... there is another room. A cleaner room where we can do this or we can wait for you to recover."
Luna wanted to say something. She wanted to yell and search for help and try to understand her sister, but... no matter what she thought... nothing could explain this horror.
The group turns around to see creatures made of wood advancing on them. Caleb sets him arms on fire.
"Easy kills!" Caleb sneers back.
The wolves back away scared of the flames on his arms.
"That's right you cowards! Back away!" Caleb yells thumping his chest with a fist.
The creatures lets out a howl and the sound of heavy running fill the air. Markus and Indie turn around to see the same type of creature falling down upon them and running in from the side. Markus spreads out his arms and forces the air to harden around them in a dome. A black dome appears around them knocking the attackers back.
"What the hell are these things?" Caleb asks.
Markus coughs up a bit of blood but manages to say, "I believe these are the timber wolves that I've read about."
"Shit Markus! Take down the dome or you're going to die!" Indie yells going to his friends side and grabbing him.
Markus drops the dome and slumps on his friend's shoulder spewing more blood from his mouth. Caleb turns around and throws his right arm outward flames jetting out and catching one of the wolves on fire. The creature howls in pain before falling and turning into ash almost instantaneously. The creatures in the back jump toward Indie's back. Markus pushes Indie aside and focuses energy into his right hand and throws out a ball of darkness in between the wolves jumping space. He wills it to explode sending the wolves to their doom making splinters fall everywhere.
"Markus!" Indie cries out as his friend falls on his knees from over work.
"That's why I said you need to train more than that mind." Caleb growls.
"D...Don't worry... I'm good. Just keep fighting and don't turn your back to them. I've still got a good amount of blood left. Plus it'll be easy for us to kill them."
Markus stands and forms a circle with each of them facing a way. Indie pulls water from the leaves of the tree around them and makes it flow in front of him in a offensive and defensive stance. Markus forces orbs to form around him full of dark magic. Caleb holds his arms up in a fighting position with his arms a flame.
The wolves pace around them looking for an opening. They decide to attack front on. They pounce at Caleb, but he throws out his arms and burn the two wolves in the air to ashes. A running wolf tries to swipe at his gut, but he reaches around and grabs the arm setting the entire being on fire instantly.
Indie whips out water and cuts the wolves into pieces. A wolf jumps to the right of them and lashes out. The water flows into a column beside him and blocks the attacker. It sinks into the wood and explodes with ice shards where the wolf once stood. It's buddies back up away, but not without getting some wood knocked off by loose shards of ice.
Markus pants and fires off orbs around him near wolves which blow up and shatter them completely. After a fourth one he falls on his knees coughing up a lot of blood. A wolf takes advantage and tries to pounce on top of him. Markus grits his teeth and rolls forward under the wolf. His hand shoots up and presses against the wolf's belly hand glowing black. The wolf freezes above him and a beam shoots through it splitting the beast in two.
With many of the wolves dead, hey back out figuring that the prey is not worth the risks. Caleb and Indie cheer out turning to each other with high fives.
"Man I thought that was going to be worse than what it turned out to be!"
"Same here! I'm glad we made it out ali... oh my god..." Indie stops and stares at the lying body of Markus.
He lies there blood flowing out his mouth.
"He over used! Shit what do we do!" Caleb screams out running to his friend.
"Shit! We got to go back to the town! We've got to get some supplies!"
"No! We can't let them know we're out here!"
"But if we don't go and get supplies he's going to die!"
"Shit! Look around maybe there's something we can use around here!"
Indie rushes of in search of something to help his dying friend. He pushes through the thicket and comes across a little home near a river away from the main town.
This should do!
He takes note of all the creatures around him and to ask Markus about them when he gets back with medical supplies.
"Ponies are like humans. So they have to have medical supplies somewhere!"
Come on think clearer Celestia gave Markus what? What did he give him to make the bleeding stop... I got it!
He begins looking around the house and tearing through things looking for the items. The animals inside of the house quickly run out afraid of the creature within. A rabbit comes up and starts hopping around him madly. The bunny get in his way but he just simply kicks it aside. Nothing is going to stop him from finding the item. He runs upstairs and finds the bathroom. After halfway tearing it up he finds what looks to be what Celestia give Markus. He quickly runs out of the house and towards where he left his friends.
Caleb has flipped Markus on his back and is talking to him as he slowly gives off ragged pants.
"Come on you asshole sit up." Indie says quickly pulling his friend to an up right position.
He open the cap and takes out two pills. It's always been two pills. No one less or more. He shoves the pills down his throat. Markus swallows hard as he lays against his friend.
"Heh... I guess that's all the adventuring for today huh?" Indie asks Caleb.
"Ye...Yea. To think that this would happen so fast is beyond me."
The three boys sit together as the sun falls below them. The three seemed so calm and happy but still feelings shift and waver under the same skies.
Celestia sighs as she stops letting down the sun and starts rising the moon. It's been a while when she had to do both. But since her sister was such a queasy girl she couldn't expect less. It was stupid of her to forget which room is which.
"Celestia! I've received word from Twilight. She says that she's informed the entire town to stay on high alert. She also asks how dangerous are they and where they come from. What should I send her?"
"Don't worry about that I'll send her the letter." Celestia says lifting the moon high into the sky.
Twilight was always curious about everything. But somethings she doesn't really need to know about. Especially humans. Also if the humans where close to them than they would be very dangerous to the elements of harmony's well being. She makes her way to her room when she feels an uneasy presence she knows too well near her.
"Yes Discord?"
"Well good evening Celestia! I see that you've had an interesting day."
"What are you doing here. I would suspect that you would be in your own place of stay not in the royal district of the castle."
"I've just come to see the ruler of Equestria and see what she has to think about the events that have unfolded. Everything seems a bit chaotic don't they?"
Celestia turns and has anger in her eyes and voice.
"Discord if you had any help with their escape!"
"Calm down Celestia. That temper of yours will probably get you in trouble one day. Or worse."
Celestia sighs, "I have no time for this Discord leave me be."
Celestia walks into her room leaving a smiling Discord in the middle of the hallway.
"Aw and I thought she would want to know what her little subject have been up to. As well as her little ponies."
Discord pulls a unread scroll from his mane and drops it into his mouth and starts eating it.
"Oh well."
And with that he folds in on himself and disappears with a puff of smoke.
Even though she was still weak, Luna walks into the personal Library of theirs.
There has to be something other than the fairy tails about humans!
The consistent nagging in her head makes her want to know more and more about the so call species of human. She wasn't to sure, but they had to have more purpose than to... She takes in a deep breath as the thought of that room appears in her mind for a second time this day. She flies up to the third section row of where Celestia usually reads her books and gets most of them. Luna had never had a real reason to come up this far to read, but things always change. Always.
"It has to be here somewhere."
"Looking for something Princess?" A familiar voice calls out.
Luna jumps and turns to see the library's assistant.
"Oh! Um... yes but you have to keep it quiet from Celestia..." Acting less nervous than she actually was.
"Of course Princess. What type of book is it?"
"A historical book of humans."
The librarian thinks for a moment if trying to decide from right and wrong.
"This way..." She says even more softly from before.
Her duty as a librarian to the princesses where to follow the orders of theirs. But she has always been the librarian for Luna so that would make Celestia's commands obsolete. Right? She takes Luna to the far corner of Celestia's personal library. She grabs a lamp on the table and pulls it to the side using her magic and reveals a section behind two bookshelves of old dusty tomes. Luna takes one of the tomes off the shelf to read the title. "The great Race of Mankind".
"Thank you." Luna says as she lays down and begins her reading.
"You're welcome." The librarian says walking away to finish up some last minute checking of book's stats.
"Lets just head back Rainbowdash. Just because Celestia said they were headed this way doesn't mean they would go out into the Everfree forest." A orange pony says with a country accent donning a cowboy hat on her head and apples marking her flank.
She walks in a group with five others of her kind. Two of which are unicorns, one purple and one white; two more that are pegasi, one blue with rainbow colored mane and tail and the other yellow with pink mane; and another earth mare that is pink. They walk towards the Everfree forest due to Twilight's, Rainbowdash's, and Pinkie's curiosity. She had to be honest with herself. Even her curiosity has picked up about the recent news. But these are creatures that even Celestia won't go after alone! That means they're something not to mess with.
"Don't worry Applejack! That's why we brought the elements of harmony with us!" The purple one says stopping to touch her head piece.
The others stop and touch the necklaces around their necks. They resume their walk towards the Everfree forest.
The elements should protect us... Right?
Caleb sits up yawning as the sun begins its early track up high in the sky. He was always an early riser. He looks at his friends that are scattered around him. Markus is sleeping soundly up against a tree while Indie is laying on his left side holding a rock close to him.
Welp time to wake the sleeping beauties!
Caleb snaps his fingers and the sound of an explosion shoots the two to their feet looking around for the source. Caleb stands there trying hard not to laugh at his panicking friends. The two looking at the smiling Caleb and throw him some dead glares.
"You know I have half the mind to beat your ass right now." Markus says stretching out his body.
"Oh don't be mean to me like that! It was all fun and games besides." He lucks up towards the skies, "A fresh morning a fresh start. Now what are the different stuff we can eat out here?"
"Well... it didn't say where to find them but if we find any fruit than I'll tell you if its edible or not." Markus says
"Alright me and you are going out to find food Indie you try to find a river and we'll meet back here. And just in case we forget."
Caleb sets the ground on fire in a pillar as a way of light to find back. Caleb and Markus walks off towards the north and Indie heads out to the east.
Indie
Man... How long have I've been walking?
Indie sits down on a log to take a quick breather. He takes the water from the leave and drinks some. He knows its not the best for his health but its better than nothing. A branch snaps in the distant. He stands up and readies for an attack by those wooden wolves again. Instead something even more terrifying walks into sight. Six ponies of multicolored shades and of different races.
"Oh no... you ain't taking me back!" Indie yells backing away from the group, "If you value your lives you might as well just leave me and my brothers alone or I'll kill you where you stand!"
The six mares look at each other questionably.
"Wha... what do you mean take you back?" The purple unicorn asks.
They're messing with me I know it!
"Don't play dumb! Just leave here and never come back!"
"Well you heard it lets go back home." The yellow pegasus says walking away before getting tugged back by the orange earth pony.
"We ain't goin nowhere!" The orange one says defiantly.
"Yea! Now you tell us whats going on or else!" The blue oddly colored pegasus says.
Indie can only laugh at their idiotic threat, "You really have no idea what you are messing with do you!?"
To see these multicolored beings making threats along with there who odd they act and look can tell anyone how clueless they are.
"Look. Leave me be and don't come this way again." Indie says not wanting to resort to violence too fast.
"We ain't going nowhere!" The blue one yells going to the front of the group.
" Alrighty than..." Indie makes water from the leave and float around the group, "Seems like you've forced my hand!"
The water flies down at the group for a kill but a purple shield goes up making the water bounce off harmlessly. The shield goes down and a bolt of purple flies from the middle unicorn sending him into a tree head first.
Caleb and Markus
"How about this one?" Caleb asks pointing at the red bushes in front of them.
"Hmmm they could be strawberries I've heard about from all the elders... They sure do fit the description."
"So they are safe to eat?"
"Yea! So we should remember this way to get more."
After searching for so long they've only encountered this one bush of food. All the others they have no idea of what type they are and some were poisonous which was made obvious by the dead animals around the bushes and trees.
"Yea its great to know that we're at least staring to get down the basics of this. Imagine if we could rebuild the entire civilization our people once had but better!" Caleb boast as they walk forward.
"It would be an amazing thing... but... we would have to free the others tho... I really don't want to see Celestia again..." Markus says walking over to a tree and using his power to strip bark off it in the direction of the bush.
"But hey I bet Indie is having a better time than us." Caleb says as if its a matter of fact.
Indie
Indie groans as his senses come back to him. He tries to move but finds that his body is tied down. He starts to struggle and reach out for a source of water but doesn't find any close enough.
"Hey what gives!" Indie yells out, "Guys if you are pulling a prank on me quit it!"
"Oh thank goodness your okay!" A soft voice says.
Indie looks to the right to see a yellow pony looking at him with a look of worry.
I bet she just wants to make sure I'm unharmed for Princess Celestia!
"I can't get out of these you know! I will make you pay if you don't let me out of here!" Indie says struggling against the ropes and the chair he realizes he's tied to.
"If so than do it!" A boastful voice bellows.
The blue pony flies above him looking pretty miffed at him.
"Unless yer lyin to us." The orange one says also looking as miffed as the blue one.
The purple unicorn comes into view her horn glowing. Indie stops his resisting not wanting to be shot twice by that magic.
"You ill tell us everything that is going on! Or else!"
Celestia
"Its done..."
Celestia gives of a small laugh.
"It's finally done! I finally gotten this down!" Celestia yells out looking at the human staring at the floor, "Now tell me who is your master!"
"Celestia."
"Who is your creator?"
"Celestia."
"Are you willing to help you master out?"
"I will do anything to please Celestia."
"Perfect."
Humans are so interesting. They are filled with both love and hate. They can be corrupted to one or the other but still have both things inside of them. They are the equalizer of Equestria. So why would they do something so stupid as to break the harmony?
Luna walks from the library and down the halls thoughts roaming through her head of the thins she's red. She couldn't believe how much information her sister kept int he dark. Even the fact that the way the government works is based off the human's ideas.
"So why would she treat them like this?" She asks herself stopping at the balcony watching as the sun lowers for another night.
Luna moves the moon and listens to the sounds of the night remembering what she saw.
What is it that she wanted to gain? If she knows that they are a equalizer in our society why did she have them killed off and enslaved instead of trying to reason with them. The books said they are reasonable creatures indeed but something about the story doesn't seem right.
"Another glorious moon as always." A voice too well heard to forget say.
Luna turns to see Discord lounging in a flying hammock rocking side to side.
"Whats got you so lost in thought my dead?"
"Its none of your business Discord. Why aren't you in Ponyville?"
"Oh don't worry about me little Tia. I'm just relaxing for a while in luxury. After all with all the history."
The way he says it... does he know that...
"But I might as well get going and get some sleep in. Who knows what tomorrow can bring really. Good night Tia and oh yea a word of advice. Be careful with your actions and the way you speak. The words in lies speak an even greater truth."
And with a puff of pink he was gone. Luna stares at the spot for awhile mauling over Discord's haunting words. He was probably just up to his old antiques again when he...
"No... the past is the past..." She says looking up at the moon.
Indie sighs and figures he's not getting out of this unless something spectacular happens. He sits in silence and nothing happens.
Sigh. Better get this over with.
He begins to explain about the hardship that him and his two friends went through. He explains the loses and what has been gained.
"But I'll never forget Celestia's face when we left." He puts on a giant grin, "The way she looked defeated was a great change."
Twilight who had been grinding her teeth finally outburst, "I don't believe you! Celestia would never do such a thing! She is a kind hearted pony! She would have no need to do such things!"
Indie shakes his head.
"He was right. Ponies and Humans are the same. Both blind to the truth."
Twilight's horn glows a bright purple.
"Take. It. Back."
Applejack walks in front of Twilight and shakes her head.
"Twilight. I'm the element of honesty and I don't sense a shred of a lie in his words. I don't want to believe them but..."
"Are you telling me you're buying into that! What the hay Applejack!" The blue pegasus yells flying down and going into her face.
"He's obviously lying! He just knows how to shift his words to sound like the truth!"
"We don't know what Celestia does! Twilight. If you were given the chance to experiment on a spell that no pony knows what it does and you're afraid to try it out on some pony. Would you use it on something vulnerable and expendable."
"Well... yes, but this is different! These are sentient creatures we're talking about! Not some object!"
"Celestia didn't see a differences." Indie says scoffing, "We were many and now we are few. I remember someone saying we're going on strike against Celestia by not giving her new humans. Pretty much to end our hardship we we're going to let ourselves go extinct. Extinct. I remember when Markus told me that word too. Man did I ever feel bad for us. We have been brought so low to commit this. I guess now that we're free we could start everything over and go free those left at the dungeon."
"Where are the others than? The one's who came with you?" A new addition to the group Indie didn't notice.
This one was a earth pony and very pink. Yet she had a very saddened look on her face.
"Off in the forest probably wondering where I am. If they think I'm captured... Heh... Caleb probably going to burn this entire place down." He says matter of factly.
"Oh dear." The white unicorn and yellow pegasus says together.
"Well, no way we're letting that happen!" Twilight says, "We're not letting you go. I'm sending a letter to Princess Celestia right now about this!"
Indie tenses up.
"Don't you dare! It took me so long to get what I did down! I nearly died trying to get us out! There is no way I'm going back!"
Indie starts struggling at his bindings.
"Twilight... I really don't think we should tell Celestia." Applejack says taking a step towards her.
"Applejack! Are you serious! This creature probably wants to kill Celestia! And you are thinking of not telling her! I bet you want to set him free too don't you!" Rainbowdash yells at her.
"Now listen here! This creature has done nothing wrong! Plus he's endured a lot to get here! And now we've taken him away from his kind! If that ain't cruel I don't know what is!" Applejack yells back.
"Applejack. We're are talking about the princess. The princess! What you are talking about is going against the princess and I won't have that. You need to think better than what you are." Twilight says in a low cold tone.
"I am." Applejack goes behind Indie and bites down on the end of the rope and yanks freeing his hands of the binding.
Feeling the loosness Indie shoots up and runs.
"Stop right oof!"
Applejack has tackled Rainbowdash to the ground. Rainbowdash and Applejack wrestle on the ground. Twilight points her horn towards Indie as he runs for the stairs. The yellow pegasus flies in front of Twilight.
"I can't let you!" The pegasus says, "Its a creature not of our own. I can't let you hurt him."
"Fluttershy..." Twilight lowers her head, "Don't do this."
Fluttershy holds her ground both scared and confident about her actions. Indie has run up the stairs and immediately sees the door to the outside. He rushes through it to see the town of Ponyville and all of it's inhabitants staring at him. He looks around and sees the everfree forest not too far away. Or at least what he assumes is the Everfree. He breaks off into a run for it as an explosion comes from the tree house.
Discord sits on a cloud and watches the action. Though bound by his promise, it doesn't mean that he can use other means of spreading chaos. Nobody can keep things a secret forever from Discord. Discord chuckles as he watches Applejack and Rainbowdash roll out of the hole Twilight created with her blast.
"I smell chaos in the air."
He looks over at Indie.
"And I know how to make more."
With a devilish grin, he disappears in a pink poof with the words puff lingering where he was.
Markus and Caleb sits down in front of the roaring flame. That had traveled so far today. Its finally night and they don't have to worry about a thing. Until they realized someone was missing.
"Wonder what's keeping Indie so long." Markus wonders aloud.
"Probably had to go pee." Caleb says shrugging his shoulders.
"Or prehaps he's in trouble." A new voice says.
Markus and Caleb stand and face towards their visitor. Discord walks out from the shadows holding a glass of chocolate milk. He drinks the glass away and throws the milk away which causes an unseen explosion.
"Who the hell are you!?" Caleb asks pulling flames from the fire nearby.
"The name is Discord. And we've both have something in common here. We want to take back what has been stolen from us."
"What the hell are you?" Markus asks fascinated by the way Discord looks.
"I am a Draconequus something that has long been come down to only me. There used to be many of us, but that is a tale for another day. For now, you should know that your friend is in quite the pickle." He says forming a pickle from nowhere before taking a bite of it.
"What about him?"
"He seems to have gotten himself tied up and now he's running for his life."
"Take us to him!" Markus demands.
"With pleasure. I have things to discuss with all three of you as it so happens to be."
Lyra walks out of the store, her saddlebags filled with goodies. When she went in, the town was all talk. But now that she's out, its like someone has taken everyone's voice. Its almost like the entire town was holding their breath. She looks to her right to see something she never thought to see. A human running down the road in her direction. Her breath, just like all the others in Ponyville, were caught in their throat. She sees the smoke coming from the library. The human runs by, but its almost as if in slow motion.
As the human runs by she runs home. She wanted to desperately run after the human that she's read about in all the books Derpy had delivered to her home. but she wants to grab those books and bring them to the human. Some of the passages were written in their language and she wants to know how to read them. Lyra bursts into her home and rips a panel down off the wall and throws her saddle bag off. She runs upstairs unconcerned if her roommate Bon bon hears her. She puts on her traveling saddlebag and runs back into the living room area where she begins scooping the books into her saddle bag. She runs outside and after the human towards the Everfree forest.
Luna couldn't sleep. Something about Discord's words were haunting. She lies there in her bed wondering why those words are bothering her so much. She thought about going to Celestia to talk about this with her, but than she decided against it. She shivers and realizes that she is starting to not trust he sister with words.
"Mother... Father... Please guide me to what must be done..." She whispers out to the night.
Celestia smiles at the humans that kneel at her feet. The ones who said they would never are doing as she wills. Its taken eons, but she's finally done. Humans can no longer be the destructive creatures they are. All that remained was those three. She snorts at the memory of them escaping not even a day ago.
"So... do you humans know where those three might be headed."
They all shake there head.
"Have you given them any information about the outside world you knew?"
They all nod their heads.
"Alright... Lets start there." She says sitting down in a chair and levitating paper, quill, and ink to her.
Twilight jumps out of hole in the tree and starts running through the town towards the forest. She hated using her powers on her friends, but come drastic times comes drastic measures. Twilight can still see the human running down the road and all the ponies gawking at him. At least there weren't many ponies out because the stores were closing anyway. As late as it was, she couldn't believe ponies are still out on the street. But she figures that's Ponyville. The country town that never sleeps.
Twilight shoves ponies out of her way using magic and hooves. She could hear flapping of wings and turn her head to see Rainbowdash with a Applejack on her back flying towards her. Rainbowdash does a spiral trying to get the pony off her. An elbow comes down on Rainbowdash's head sending her down into the dirt road and Applejack rolling across the road. Applejack shakes herself and looks towards Twilight.
"Applejack... Don't do this..."
Applejack snorts and holds her spot.
Twilight sighs as her horn glows. She fires a bolt of magic from it, but Applejack easily dodges it and rushes forward. She pulls back and throws a punch into Twilight face knocking her side ways. Twilight teleports to her feet her right eye closed tight. She is starting to see starts just from that one punch. Applejack runs forward charging with all her might. Twilight forces herself to teleport again behind her. Twilight falls on a knee feeling the repercussion of her actions. Everyone has forgotten the human and are now watching the fight of the ages go down before them. The element of harmony fighting amongst themselves.
Applejack snorts again staring down Twilight, "I love the princess! I truly do! But this just aint right! Look at us! We're fightin amongst ourselves! Twilight... if something happens because of them than... than I'll admit I was wrong.... but Twilight please. Fluttershy and Rainbowdash are seriously hurt and now you! At this rate the whole entire town could be turned upside down because of us!"
Twilight mumbles something under her breathes. And tries to stand up but finds the thudding pain in her head harder to ignore than what she thought. Getting hit by Applejack truly was like getting hit by tree. Maybe even harder.
"So, Twilight, lets get you back to the library where you can rest okay?"
Twilight reluctantly nods her head and accepts the support of Applejack's body. Twilight looks at the forest where the human is running as well as a teal unicorn that goes by the name of Lyra.
Lyra follows quickly and tries to remain hidden dodging behind the trees and trying her best to keep in pace with the human.
"Guys! Where are you!" The creature calls out.
Are there others?
To answer her question, Discord comes out with two others. One of a brown color and another of a cream like color.
So, like ponies they come in different colors too.
Lyra gets as close as she thinks is safe and begins to listen to the conversation.
"Oh my god! I was so worried about you!" The black one yell throwing his appendages around the one that ran from Ponyville.
"I'm so glad to see you guys! I got kidnapped! I got taken to the town and they starting questioning me! But I managed to get out because of them too! They started arguing and they attacked each other! My god that town is dangerous! There are like over a million of those ponies there!"
"Look. Calm down. Okay?" The creamy one says, "Now. Did you see Celestia?"
"No. They we're talking about sending her a letter of me being here though..."
"Shit! Okay look we need to get moving from here, but first tell us what you wanted us to hear um Discord right?" The brown one says leaning against a tree.
Discord nods his head.
"Yes. Well to inform your friend who seemed more stunned than what you guys were. I'm Discord. The race of Draconequus. A race that has come down to me. Now to put more information on that, I am also the ruler of disharmony and the grateful lord of chaos. That is what makes me special. I like to cause mischief between good friends and topple kingdoms on their sides by tickling them. You see, my race, like yours, used to be prisoners to the other races at a point. But before and after that, all of my race used to be the wise people of the lands helping out the others with their needs. We provided food and technology, which was later lost I might add, and were seen as good people... than... I was born. There was something the doctors couldn't point out about me, but they knew I was different.
You see ever since I was young, I've always had the habit to cause." Discord smiles as he says, "Problems. Not just I tripped him up, but more along the lines of my leg is flying above my head problems. I was born with a rare power inside of me. Which probably might explain why the other races got iffy about us. When word got out that a creature could bend the world around them at snap of a finger, they begin to feel threatened. The other draconequuses started testing me and helping me hone in on my power. Than came the words of a traveling human.
He said that I was granted a power by the gods to act out a will that will show me my true path. And a path I found while watching my land burn to those that feared us as well as betrayed us. I stood there remembering all the things I had done. The pain, the destruction, everything I touched seemed to turn into something I couldn't explain, but the more I did it... The greater I felt. But I learned the word for it soon after. The path of Chaos. That is what these powers were given to me for.
But I felt I had to do more than make chaos. I had to avenge my people. I've lived over thousands of years and I've done a lot of things. I tried to get revenge but... Celestia and Luna, the two almighty Alicorns, born of the pure bloods came and they aged and trained to where they defeated me and locked me away into a stone imprisonment... but not before I touched a few and Luna herself with the madness that comes with encountering me."
"Madness?" The white one asks backing up, "Like crazy?"
"No... not crazy. More of like a voice that gives you.... suggestions. That would be the simplest way to put it. I can corrupt and change the things around me at will, but I learned my powers aren't truly at my control. They control me more than I control them. They will allow me to do things beyond belief as long as they are used for mischief. If not than it simply won't work s well as I want them to. But that isn't important. What is, is that you guys need me as much as I need you.
I've made a pack to not cause mischief or to hurt anyone or else back to stone I go. But if others were to make chaos for me and cause a bit of mischief for me, I can get it to where I can do it for myself again! Also... I can possibly get revenge on those two Sisters for my false imprisonment."
The three humans stand around contemplating over what they were just told. Lyra stands there watching them with a giant lump in her throat. She doesn't know what these three humans are capable of. But if her books are right, than this is very bad. She hops they won't do it. If they tried to answer yes than she just had to try to stop that answer and try to get away from Discord.
"Well Discord... we do have something we all have in common. Allies of dying races. I would love to see where this partnership goes." The black one says getting off the ground where he had sat during half the story.
"Yea. We sure do seem to need each other actually." The cream skinned one says stopping his pacing, "This ability of yours really would come in handy for helping the rest of our kind escape."
"Yea! Plus to have something of a god as a trump card would be great!" The white one says pumping both his upper appendages at his side.
"So. Do we have something of an agreement?" Discord asks a mischievous smile appears on his face.
"We'll see. For now, I'd like to think of this as an Idea in progress." The cream one says stretching out his body and giving a yawn, "I'd like to sleep on it if you don't mind."
Discord nods his head and forms a stack of papers that most likely had all the words that he had spoken on them.
"Your bed awaits sire."
That brings a smile on the three other humans faces that give off chuckles before heading off deeper into the forest. Lyra's body doesn't move. She just can't believe this. She had to fight against herself to continue following. She didn't know what to do. Discord with humans that were capable of extraordinaire events was bad news. She just had to go back to Ponyville and tell Twilight to send a letter. Discord wouldn't be able to do anything and maybe he'll get locked away again.
"Yea... that will work..." Lyra says turning around and running back in town scared of the events that might take hold.
Celestia groans as she walks out of the chamber. She had spent almost all night trying to get information and testing more on the spell. The spell had its limit on how much of the control of their willpower she could extort. She almost had given up, but she knew that in the long run everything would finally come down to it. Luckily, she had a pretty good idea of where to go but she didn't want to now. Now was time for rest.
Twilight can't feeling anything but the uneasiness as she looks out the window of the dark area. The sun should have been up by now. Maybe she was wrong? After all, Celestia would never be late with something like the sun. She bites her bottom lip nervously. Maybe it was still early? A knock comes at her door. She goes down and answer it to find Rainbowdash standing there.
"Twilight! A lot of ponies are saying that they saw Lyra return from the Everfree forest and she wants to talk to you! She said something about humans and Discord."
Twilight whitens a little. She looks to the skies again hoping to see the sun rising a bit. She doesn't. It couldn't be could it? There is no way they made a big trip like that to Canterlot... Could they? Perhaps with the help of Discord...?
"Also, do you know why the sun isn't up?"
Twilight shakes her head slowly her mind half lost in reality and half in her thoughts. She is really counting on nothing bad happening today. But something really throwing her off today. She can't put a hoof on it, but something about it doesn't feel right. She ignores the feeling and goes with Rainbowdash to Lyra's house. Lyra is pacing outside and when she sees Twilight she beams and runs over to her franticly. She levitates a book out of her saddle bag and quickly shoves it in front of her. The language on the front looks very foreign. Almost ancient.
"Twilight! This is a book about humans! I saw the one from before talking to two others and Discord in the forest about taking revenge against Celestia! I was thinking of giving them this book in order to get them to decipher the stuff I don't know, but after I saw what they did I really don't think I should... So I figured I should give it to you instead since you're a braniac when it comes to stuff like this!"
It was somewhat true. Twilight has studied many common languages. But that's the fact about it. Common language and this was the most uncommon language she has ever seen. Maybe she could write Celestia about it.
"I'll see what I can do. Also, I'm going to have to speak to Fluttershy about Discord...." Twilight says taking the book and starting her trek back to her home.
"Twilight. I really doubt that Fluttershy will tell you anything if she knows something if it means that we'll hurt them. Plus after what happened yesterday... I don't think she'll be up for any conversation at all." Rainbowdash says huffing, "Plus if Applejack catches wind, than we know she'll but in and try to defend Fluttershy."
"Well. You're her friend still right?"
"Yea?"
"Well see what you can do. We need information. Try to play it off as you trying to take up a report for me for Celestia or something along that line. Meanwhile... I'll see what I can do about this book."
Twilight walks into her home and lays the book on the reading stand in the middle of the room where she begins scouring the pages of the book.
Caleb was the first to wake up this morning. He knew this was definitely odd. He never did wake up early unless. Dread filled his entire body. He knew only one reason why he got up early. He looked over at Indie who was just now getting up drunkenly. He never liked this day. Nobody did except for-
"Mornin guys!" Markus says more awake than everybody else.
Caleb and Indie just groan at how happy he is about this day. Nobody was suppose to be happy on this day... or at least that's what they've always been told. But Markus has always been different than everybody else. The only thing they were happy about was not waking up to find themselves inside of a cage again. Caleb yawns and looks up to see a creature floating above them with a wide grin on his face.
"Whaaa." He stutters out before remembering last nights events.
"Oh that's right... Discord right?" Caleb asks standing up and stretching.
Indie didn't even bother with getting up and started stretching his upper body while sitting. Markus just got up and stood there with a giant smile on his face. Curse his enthusiasm.
"That's right! You do need to cheer up. Today is a fresh start after all!" Discord says chuckling as the other twos dismay, "But here's a pick me up! You'll have an inside man now to learn how to defeat Celestia and your eyes and ears for danger!"
"And what can you do against Celestia?" Caleb asks scratching his head.
"Like her, I am also immortal. As the holder of the element of chaos, I can do a lot of things that Celestia can't. For example."
He snaps his fingers and an apple appears in his hands.
"Okay an apple? What about it?"
Discord throws the apple up into the air for it to explode wit confetti and fireworks. All three boys were surprised by the spectacular event.
"That's is not possible!" Markus says still starring at the sky.
"Yes, but I can make the impossible possible! That's what chaos is my boy." Discord says proud of himself.
The three boys exchange glances. They all nod their heads and looks at Discord.
"Welcome to the team!" They say together.
Luna just felt off. She couldn't quite place it, but something was off about today. Usually after making way for the sun Celestia would already be up raising the sun. She had ordered some guards to go check on her while she told her own branch of guards to go check on her side of the castle to make sure everything is in order.
The guards looked tense when she gave them the order and they seemed to want to ask her something, but they just followed the order. Luna didn't want to admit it... but she really didn't want to trust her own sister anymore. Something about how the humans escaped just flicked something in her mind. As if they awakened something that's been dormant.
"Good morning Lulu." Celestia says walking up behind her.
Luna jumps a bit and turns around hastily stuttering with her words.
"M-M-Morning sister!"
"Is everything alright?"
"Yea... I just got caught up in my thoughts..." Luna says looking towards the ground.
"Ah... well do you think you can help me with the sun this morning? I stayed up late last night tending to some things.
Usually she would just tell me what she was doing...
"Sure Tia. But if you don't mind me asking, what were you up to?"
"Don't worry about it Lulu. You'll find out soon enough." Tia says with a wide grin.
Luna nods her head and touches her horn with her dear sister. They channel their magic and the sun begins to rise. As well as the distrust.
Twilight couldn't stop. She just kept reading and trying her best to decipher the words. The equestrian language seemed to be based off the human language but she can't quite seem to understand it well enough. Ever since Lyra brought certain news to her attention, she has been non stop reading the book. She just recently sent Lyra upstairs to fetch spike to tell him what to write. Things were getting even more tense than yesterday between her friends already.
This morning she shared bitter words with Rarity. She didn't want to be mean to her friends, but she didn't know how to deal with a situation like this.
Come on Twilight! Try harder!
She stops and takes a giant glug of her water. She can see the sun rising now and she had promised herself sleep when the sun came up, but now matters have changed. Despite how much she thinks about sleep she just can't let the matters go as they are.
"Spike and Lyra! Are you done?"
Lyra comes down with Spike nodding his head.
"Just sent it off Twilight. Have you been down here studying the entire time?"
Twilight flattens her ears.
"Yes! But its an emergency! I promise nothing like last time will happen..."
"I know Twilight... but you need your rest. You know how you get without your sleep." Spike says putting a claw around Twilight's shoulders, "Now go up to bed. Me and Lyra will take it from here right?"
"Right!" Lyra says with determination, "I really don't want them to get hurt, but I don't want Discord to take over either so I'm willing to do what is needed."
Lyra seemed to get a bit depressed after saying these words. A unicorn of her stature who has been nothing but obsessed with all different types of ancient creatures hates to see something of such history get damaged. But she also realizes that things happen for a reason. She just can't figure out this reason.
Twilight was still determined to help, but a stern Spike finally convinced her to go to bed.
Twilight heads up to bed and sleeps. Spike sighs also tired but determined to help Twilight out. He'll just fight against this fatigue to help her. But he does feel a bit off. He looks over at the calendar and groans in annoyance. He just found out his reason for his extreme fatigue.
"I hate Mondays..." Spike says as they begin to scan the books piled around.
"I have everything planned he said. We'll be fine he said. You don't have to worry he said." Caleb complains climbing up a cliff.
Indie and Markus look over the cliff watching him climb up angrily.
"Okay... So I wasn't quite sure." Markus says with a chuckle.
"Quite sure my ass! If you can't use the map than don't steal one!" Caleb yells angrily.
"Well I mean... at least you didn't die. Hehe..."
Caleb glares up at them and they shrink away from the cliff. Reaching the top, he turns around and looks off towards the horizon. Though there are a dozen trees, a broken down spiral tower can be seen. Its presence stills seems to loom eerily above everything. It just gives off an aura of mystery and great darkness.
"Well... at least we're close..." Indie says sighing.
So far, they've been traveling a great deal after their meeting with Discord. After the whole meeting with Discord, it left them curious about the rest of the forest and what other freaky creatures may lurk within the darkness. They had went into Ponyville under the cloak of night and stole a map as well as a backpack for each one of them. They found a giant apple farm and stocked up on a lot of apples.
Like. A lot of apples.
"So Markus. Where are we on this map?" Indie asks looking over his friends shoulder.
Markus points towards a indication on the map that seems like a mountain type of thing. It's mostly a triangle thought with smaller triangle coming off of it.
"Apparently Wolf Peak. If we head back go right and around, than it should just be a straight forward path really."
"Are you sure? I don't feel like falling off another damn cliff."
"I'm sure..." He says walking away but whispers under his breath, "Probably..."
Celestia shakes her head as she stands at the edge of the Everfree forest. She wasn't quite sure how well this was going to work, but it's a plan and it's better than nothing. She looks the female over hoping that their male instincts will draw them to her and into their clutches. Its practically been an entire day of planning with Twilight and some of her friends that would help with the plan.
She wanted to have all six of them on the case, but she knew that everyone would have their different opinions after what Twilight has told her. She showed Twilight, Rainbowdash, Fluttershy, and Rarity the human she mastered fully control over. One of the humans that have had their complete will taken from them. She follows any order given to her from her master.
It had taken so much magic and trial and error till she could get this type of spell done, but now she is happy with the results. She wants to make sure all this hard work doesn't go to waste.
"Princess!" She hears from the familiar voice of her student.
"Twilight." She says with a smile on her face turning towards her.
To Twilight's right stands Rainbowdash and on her left Fluttershy stands.
"I'm guessing you couldn't convince the others."
"I'm sorry Princess Celestia... I tried, but they wouldn't come..."
"Its okay Twilight. I have full faith in the four of you and I'm sure you can bring those three in." Celestia says nodding her head.
"Thanks Princess! You can count on us!" Twilight says all to eagerly.
"I hope so my little ponies." And with that Celestia, takes to the skies heading back to Canterlot.
Luna rummages through Celestia's belongings. She didn't want to distrust her sister. In fact she didn't want to be here doing this, but every living fiber of her body was wanting her to do this.
"You know." The sudden voice startles Luna into spinning around to see Discord standing in the doorway to Celestia's quarters, "If I had a brother. I'm sure we would do something a long the lines of this. Except I'm sure we would be pranking each other instead of finding secrets."
"Get out of here Discord!" Luna yells, "You have no reason to be in here!"
"And neither do you. Yet, here we are." Discord says motioning with his arms.
Luna looks away towards the open drawer. She couldn't find anything about what she really wants to do or why she has such great fascination with the humans. Another futile attempt.
"The truth lies in front of you. It always has Luna. You just need to open up your eyes to see it. Once you realize the truth, you'll realize what you need to do. Also, we should get out of here. Celestia should be making her way back by now."
Luna nods here head and follows behind Discord closing the drawers behind her as well as the door.
"So... How are we going to find them?" Fluttershy asks.
"Well, apparently they stole backpacks and a map. They might explore the Everfree. They seemed to go straight forward through the forest so they might be going towards the ruins of the old kingdom."
"Alright! I'll go fly ahead to see if I can see them!" Rainbowdash suggests.
"Good idea, but try to keep in the clouds so they don't notice you."
"Right!" She says flying off."
Twilight looks at the human.
"You know your mission right?"
"Lure the humans to me for their capturing." She says simply and monotone like.
"Good. Now remember you will follow any other order given to you by me, Rainbowdash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy." She says pointing towards her and Fluttershy and not Rainbowdash whoa has already taken off.
The human nods her head. With that, Twilight and her entourage walk into the forest.
"Well damn!" Caleb yells out looking over the interior of the inside of the temple.
Dark statues lie everywhere either standing proud holding swords, spears, and bow and arrows, or just crumpled up on the floor. The windows are taller than anything the three have ever seen. The temple is truly bigger on the inside. It seems to go underground and upward nearly into the sky as well.
"I have to say... The books didn't tell me it was so... big..." Markus says.
"Well! Lets get to exploring! I'm sure that we'll find something in here!"
Markus walks forward talking to the group.
"Alright! Now lets all stay together and not split up just in case one of us gets trapped or." He turns around and finds the two gone already.
He turns back around to see Indie going up the stairs and Caleb going down them. Markus sighs.
"Oh well..."
Caleb kicks the rusted doors off their hinges and walks into the room. He immediately takes notice to all the different columns leading down the hallways to another door.
"Lets see what you got hiding in there."
Caleb jogs forward ready to reveal the many things this place has to offer. He feels something sink under his foot. He looks down to see a piece of stone sinking into the floor. He scratches his head and just lifts up his foot. Something slams behind him followed by a thing of armor falling down holding a gigantic sword in front of him.
"Oh hell yea! A challenger has appeared!" He yells throwing up his arms as they envelop into fire.
He runs forward towards the gigantic suit of armor. He jumps up and thrust out his arms making a column of fire cover over it. The armor doesn't seem to be affected and just thrust its' sword through the flame. Caleb barely turns in the air to miss getting skewered. He grabs the arm of the armor and launches himself up towards the head opening of the armor. He holds a fireball in his left hand and throws it just as a hand reaches up to grab him. The fire ball goes inside but a scream doesn't follow.
He clearly sees inside to see that it is, in fact, a empty shell.
"What! How can it be mov... Magic... right..." He says as the armor grabs him out of the air.
The armor throws him across the room and runs towards him sword sliding against the floor cutting through the stone of the ground. Caleb rolls across the floor till he hits the resealed doors. Caleb rolls right as the sword slides up missing cutting him in half.
"Close!" Caleb says getting to his feet and jumping around the side of the empty armor.
The armor swings again with a full circle momentum. Caleb jumps up using a fire boost, flips, and ignites his foot on fire ready to slam his foot down on the head piece of the armor. His foot comes down against the metal but it doesn't dent. He falls down and is kicked into the wall. He stares at the armor's empty head and says, "I'm going to burn you!"
The armor thrusts its sword that Caleb easily dodges after prying himself out of the wall. Caleb takes the wrist of the metal beast and ignites his hand. He presses hard against the the metal that gives way. The creature stumbles back it's other hand still on the sword embedded into the wall, but he other hand melted a bit down. If the armor had a face, than it would looked pissed.
"Come on you hunk of junk I don't have all day!" Caleb says motioning for the armor to make the next move.
The armor does so by punching at him. He jumps up and lands on the armor's hand. It yanks back only doing the thing that he wants him to do. With the speed Caleb jumps and grabs onto the armor's head and starts melting it by crushing his two hands together on part of it's giant head. The armor falls on its knees and reaches up to stop him.
"Good bye!" He says jumping to the right as the armor crushes its own head before falling to the ground with a loud clang.
"And good riddance!"
Indie felt bad for doing this to his friend. He listens to him mostly all the time, but this time he wanted to do it more on his own. A chance to explore something like this was a chance in a life time. He decided to go to the top area and hopefully find different types of map of the area. He reaches the top to find two giant owl statues standing on each side of the double door.
He studies the bronze owls. They seem so well done and not worn down like a lot of the other stuff in the building. He walks to the double doors and wings shoot out blocking the entry way.
"Wha?"
"Entry must be verified." The owls speak in union.
"Oh... Well, how do I get verified?"
"Must be verified."
Indie just shrugs and decides to go up further. To the right of the right owl are stairs leading up even further. He starts up the stairs listening to his echoing footsteps. This place fills him with peace. Unlike being in the forest, it feels as if he truly belongs here. Not just him, but his friends as well. It almost feels like home.
Walking up the stairs leads to a circular room with a giant telescope in it in the middle of it.
"Wow. I wonder how Markus would feel about seeing this?" Indie says walking around the telescope.
It is a rusted bronze and seems so fragile, yet seems it could with stand some wear and tear. He looks the way the telescope is pointed and notice the gigantic hole in the wall pointed at Canterlot. Curious, he looks into the telescope to see that its pointed right at the castle.
"Huh... spying on the enemy..."
Perhaps this belongs to humans!
With that in mind, he feels as if it is his duty to look in every room to find out if his hunch is true. Oh how great it would be to find out if his hunch was true. Perhaps this place will aid in their fight against the princesses.
Feeling ignored, Markus begins to look around the main area. Pedestals hold pearls upon them along with torches all around the room. They are all unlit, of course, but that wasn't the biggest concern of him since it was still light out. Other than going up or down, there seems to be a way around to the back of the temple. Walking around the stairs he walks into an open area. A floured garden that seems to be untouched by time and hold a variety of all types of exotic plants.
"Beautiful." He breathes out taken back from the astonishing find, "I wonder what's kept them like this?"
He walks out into the garden and studies the ground as well as certain plants. He finds nothing out of the ordinary, but it does seem to always be moist.
"Maybe this area gets lots of rain..." He says looking into the sky.
He shrugs it off and continues to look around. To the right of the garden is a fountain with a woman holding a heart in her hands and kneeling. He walks over to it and reads the plaque on the front of it.
"The final resting place for Mrs. Gardina and the peace between unicorns and humans. This garden will stay flourished under the watch of Gardina forever."
He turns around and looks over the garden again.
"A garden taken care of by a spirit... I must say, that is truly something..." He says turning back to the statue.
He can't help but wonder what's the point of the heart in her hands. Perhaps that has something to do with the garden as well. He can't quite put it together, do to the lack of knowledge he has, but he's sure it's probably tied into something about this place. He walks to the other side where there seems to be a giant stone sword. A plaque rests on the wall surrounding it as well.
"May god's holy light protect us in our hour of need. May he guide our swords to strike true against our foes and never against each other."
He sighs and looks away up into the skies.
"Seems like god has failed us huh..."
He stands there silently lost in his thoughts as he tends to do. Till the sound of hooves catches his ears...
"I'm telling you! This is where the marks are leading to!" Twilight says.
"Alright Twilight... If they're not here, I'm going back to their campsite and waiting for them to return."
"Alright alright. If they're not here than we can do that."
Fluttershy keeps quiet the entire time. She hasn't said much of anything since they've left Ponyville. She's kept herself to her own thoughts the entire time.
"Alright. I'm going upstairs. Rainbowdash, go down stairs and Fluttershy... can you wait here?"
Fluttershy shakes herself out of her thoughts at the voice of Twilight.
"S-Sure Twilight."
"Alright. If you see them yell out for us okay? Same to you Rainbowdash."
"Right! But I'm sure I could beat them up ten-"
"Yes yes yes Rainbowdash. We know you can beat them up easily." Twilight says rolling her eyes at her friend's boasting.
With a humph Rainbowdash flies downstairs quick as wit. Twilight goes up the stairs her horn lighting up with magic. As the girls hooves get further and further away, Fluttershy starts getting lost in her thoughts once again unaware of the eyes looking her way.
Luna stands in front of the throne. She knows what is behind them, but she doesn't know whether she wants to go back down there or not. She had just finished talking with the returned Celestia and Luna had asked her if she could go back down. She said she was starting to get worried for her sister and wanted to help anyway she could. She wasn't going to reveal what she really wanted to see.
"Its good to see you want to help with the cause Lulu."
Luna turns and gives a small smile to her sister.
"Well anything to help you out Tia."
"Are you sure you are ready for this?"
"I've... I've steeled myself this time." She says remembering what happened last time.
With the ignition of Celestia's horn she says, "Than come with me."
Caleb would be reveling in his victory more if only the prize proved worth the effort. Inside the room was a note. And on that note it said good job on defeating the test dummy. You are now moved on to class 1-D. He couldn't believe his luck. He goes to find something interesting and finds absolutely nothing worth while. He lingers in the room looking for some type of treasure hoping that the note was misleading, but to no avail. He walks out into the hall to see a pegasus with a rainbow colored mane looking at the wreckage of his damage.
Caleb sets his entire right arm on fire and throws it outward at her. A column of flame shoots at the pony, but not in time for her not to look away from the wreckage. She shoots up into the air the flames go under her. She looks into Caleb's eyes who has pure hatred and disgust in them. The rainbow maned pegasus was now his target and he was bent on killed her.
"You're the human! Where are the others!"
Caleb holds out his right hand to the side as he controls the fire to a center point. He thrust his arms in front of him sending a beat of flames at her. Quicker than anything he's seen, she flies around the flames and slams her head into his. He falls backward as the rainbowed pony flies up into the sky again.
"Nice magic trick! But it can't hurt me as long as you can't hit me!"
Caleb mumbles hateful words to himself and gets back up.
"Want some more huh! Bring it!"
Caleb rolls his eyes turning around to face the mare. He runs forward ready to go punch the flying mare, but she flies down fast hitting him in the face with a hoof. He stumbles back, but grabs the mare's back leg and yanks her down and promptly slams the mare on her back.
"Don't under estimate me!"
The rainbow pony kicks with her other leg into Caleb's chest. Caleb holds onto the leg with a strong grip and yanks her towards him setting his arms on fire. He punches the pegasus in the face letting go of her flaming leg to only set her face on fire as well. The pegasus' screams fill the hall as she starts trying to shake the fire off of her. Caleb watches as the mare starts to burn alive as a sense of happiness washes over him. He just loves watching his flames wash over something. He doesn't let Markus know, but sometimes he would take some of the non interesting books and set them on fire and watch them burn. It fills him with such calmness to watch something burn. He can't quite explain it, but he enjoys the filling when it occurs. He even loved the noise the woman made as well.
It's sad when he realizes it won't last long. Or so he thought. The mare was rubbing most the flames off her face and her leg. but she is now crawling forward with most of her feathers burned off as well as a lot of fur on her face and leg and bit under her belly. She seemed to be leaving a blood trail behind her as a sign. Caleb walks forward leaving his right hand on fire. Though it would've been better to let her suffer a slow death like this he, hated to watch people whether, pony or human, suffer.
"Hey. Time to be judged."
The pegasus stops and looks back horror on her mostly burnt face. He vision is blurry from the pain, but she can make out the light in the man's right hand. She knows what is about to happen. She doesn't want to and tries to lash out. Caleb watches the pony's fruitless attempt to fight back against fate. He kicks the pony in the exposed part of her gut and sending her across the floor crying in pain. Her tears burn her already burnt flesh. Caleb walks over to the panting pained mare and kneels.
"You have been found guilty. Punishment... is death by fire."
With that, he places a hand on her sending his fire out all over the rainbowed pegasus. He leaves his hand there and listens to the screams as well as the crackling of the fire. He feels slightly bad about the situation and good at the same time. He feels good because he killed one of their enemies. The bad part is that his friends won't get to see a real rainbow now.
Indie walks around the room letting a warm feeling flow through him. He examines the telescope even further rubbing a bit of the rust off the old machine. He can't believe such a wonder actually still exists. Though if the ruins are still standing, than anything is possible. That only brings upon the question of what else is still standing around here. He looks through the piece again enjoying the view very much. He doesn't like seeing the castle as his once slave home. He likes the beauty it also had on the outside of it.
The sound of hooves catches his ears. He looks away and towards the stairs as a purple unicorn stands at the top step staring at him. He stands tall and waits for what the unicorn is going to do. But all she does is simple stares.
"So... You're the one going after us? Well... This time I'm not going to be taken lightly!"
The unicorn nods her head. She wasn't quite sure why these humans are dangerous, but if Celestia was afraid of them being out and about than it's probably a good enough reason for her to be cautious. Twilight starts thinking of a paralysis spell to use when a torrent of water comes splashing her across her face sending her backwards. Into the harsh black stone that the wall is made of.
She grunts and shakes her head. The blast really shook her up as well as the giant slam against the wall. Indie pulls back the water to have it float around him as a shield.
"Leave us alone and you might leave with your life."
Now Twilight understands very well why she wants these creatures taken care of. Twilight smiles at how Celestia would praise her and her friends for capturing the humans and returning them. But first, she has to figure out how to deal with this situation. Without causing too much harm to the human's body.
Indie watches for what she might do next. What happens next doesn't surprise him. The purple pony teleports with a flash. He turns around expecting her to be there, but only sees a wall. The water moves on its own to block a blast on his right side. He looks to see her preparing another spell.
He punches the water making it form into a fist headed right towards her. She disappears again and he begins looking around. The purple pony lands on top of him pinning him to the ground quickly. She brings up a quick fire paralysis spell before Indie can do anything.
The spell connects, but not before Indie throws the purple pony off of him and into the telescope. The unicorn watches as Indie doesn't move for a second. She claps her hooves together pleased to see how the proceedings have gone so well. She walks up to the the human and is about to levitate him out when a hand grabs around her throat.
Her eyes go wide as the human gets up still clutching her by the throat. He looks her right in her eyes and says nothing. He proceeds to throw the mare into a nearby wall and forms water in multiple circles firing them away as they form. The water turns into lines that pin Twilight to the wall and quickly freeze in the process.
Now Twilight is the one who can't think straight. She can taste blood and feel the coldness of the ice in her. She tries to move her head but that only makes her body scream out in more pain and protest. The feeling and how things look like now, is almost dream like. Even when she can glace at the spikes jutting out from her arms and chest, she just can't fathom a reason why this would be like... this.
She watches as Indie, some what heavily walks out of the room having a bit of a problem. As he leaves the room, Twilight hangs her head down finally loosing the tense sensation of her body. Her thoughts came back as well as a voice in her head blaming her for what has happened here and especially to her. Telling her that she has indeed failed the Princess. The thought fills her with so much regret and hate that it overrides the pain she's suppose to feel. It's all soon replaced by a coldness. Not by the ice that struck her mortal body, but a coldness deep within her she can't explain.
Fluttershy sits there in silence lost in her own thoughts. She wonders how she's going to pull this off. She knows Applejack puts a lot of trust in her, but she still isn't quite sure if she can do it. She looks behind her at the standing woman. The human hasn't said anything and only has followed orders. She wonders why they trust her so much to watch this human when she was the one who fought against her friends the first time a human was with them.
She only stares at the human now, thoughts still floating around in her head.
"Hey you!" A man's, or stallion's voice to Fluttershy, yells out.
She turns around to see a human unlike the two she has seen so far. At one point, she wondered if all the male humans looked the same. But now she knows better. She creeps back whimpering from the imposing man before her. She really hoped the man was only here to say hi.
The man stands there looking down upon her when something catches his eyes. A woman runs up and pushes him back. He looks shocked at the woman and seems taken back. Fluttershy watches as the woman stands in front of her as a protector.
"Wha... What are you doing? You're protecting the enemy?"
The woman says nothing and only stares at the male in front of her. The male backs up confusion on its face. The woman lowers her guard a bit and the male utters, "Emily?"
"Hey Markus!" A voice yells out from somewhere.
The boy, who she considered Markus at the moment, turns around and sees a boy with orange hair and weird clothes on walk up from where Rainbowdash went. He also seemed covered in some blood which makes Fluttershy visibly pale, but she still stays there because of the fear in her imagination paralyzing her.
"So, I found some horse down there who tried to fight me! She had Rainbows coming out of her and stuff! You should've seen it! It was the best thing ev... Who's this?" The orange haired boy asks taking notice of the woman standing in front of Markus.
Fluttershy shutters at the realization of where the blood may of come from and now the imagination is fact.
"It's... It's Emily but... it's also not Emily."
"Emily?" The orange haired man looks her up and down.
Emily does nothing but stare forward arms out to protect.
"Do you think..."
"If she has than... do we have to?"
Markus and the other male go quiet and shake their heads before looking at the pony next to the human with fear. They are about to say something when a thud is heard behind them. They turn around to see a shaking indie with blood coming out his mouth. The two quickly rush over to him and help him sit up.
"What happened!" Markus asks frantically looking over his body.
Fluttershy starts to move closer seeing how concerned the two seem to be. The female human follows behind the pony still acting as a silent guardian. Fluttershy can now see the face of a familiar human. The same human she tried to protect from before. She rushes forward feeling saddened by the display the man is giving.
"Oh my gosh! Who did this to you!?" She asked frantically when she remembers who else could have done something like this other than Rainbowdash, "Twilight! Where is she!"
It was than that Fluttershy realized that there was a faint glow on his body. The glow of a after cast of a lingering spell. It's weak, but still present.
"She cast a spell on you didn't she! Ohhhhh when I get my hooves on her!"
Markus places a hand on her shoulders and shakes his head, "Calm down there ummm our uhhh friend just needs to stay still a bit. I can tell that he can't move or talk and that the blood is from him using his powers to hard to move his body down here. I think he might be petrified of some sort..."
Markus studies over his body more gliding fingers across the other human's skin as if this was something natural. Like this is his second nature to figure things out like this.
"If it is a spell. Well, we'll just have to wait for it to wear off." Markus than motions to his friend, "In the mean time, as long as you don't come looking. We won't come finding."
The orange haired male picks up Indie and both the males make a way towards the exit. Fluttershy at first watches, but than yells, "Wait! Wha... What happened to my friends?"
"Most likely dead." Markus says stopping but staring forward.
The word sends a ripple through Fluttershy. A nauseating wave, but at the same time she feels something else. Relief? She can't quite tell what it is. It's almost like a nagging feeling at the back of her skull telling her that this, her friends death, was... fine. She didn't even realize the words coming out of her mouth than.
"Oh... at least you guys are okay."
She didn't know where those words came from. It was almost as if she didn't care for her friends. But than, she would have to ask herself... were they her friends after all?
"I... I want to help you guys out!" She says next walking towards the three.
Markus turns around and raises a eye brow, "So you can do what? So you can spy on us?"
Fluttershy stops and shakes her head, "I... I don't like seeing ponies or ummm animals being hunted down and or hurt."
The orange haired one is about to say something when Markus cuts him off, "Look. I understand, but we can't make risks... if we did. Well, than... who knows what... else... can happen."
"But... I can help navigate the forest! I know where some of the really dangerous areas are like the back of my hoof! I even know where some uncharted ruins are in the forest!"
Fluttershy just lets her mouth fly in hopes of something good to come from this. Markus looks towards his companions and than Fluttershy. He nods his head saying, "It's only cause you have one of our own and we wish to see if what Celestia may have done is... true..."
Fluttershy understands there's a darker meaning to that, but she doesn't care. She's more glad to be able to help out the humans than anything else. Even the faint cries of a dying pony doesn't deter her from leaving out with those three with the human, Emily, behind her.
Fluttershy stays to the back with the human Emily. Ever since they started their journey, Fluttershy has been giving the three boys directions to the princess' last castle that is the now present Everfree forest. The boys have been idly chatting sense they left the tower of Eden, as she remembered it being called, but she seem to not be able to recall what the purpose of the boys being bit down when talking. Especially Markus. He keeps looking into the sky as if expecting something. A sign? Or pehaps Princess Celestia or her sister to strike from the skies.
"So Fluttershy?" Caleb starts.
Fluttershy jumps with an eep escaping from her mouth. She had gotten so lost in thought that she was just absent mindly following them.
"Ye-ye-yes?"
"What's that?" Caleb asks pointing forward.
She hadn't even realized that the three boys had stopped walking and, as it is, are now standing in front of what could be their destination. If it was a movable creature that is. She backs up a bit blushing at her own faultiness and looks forward to see a brown creature with a red fleshy appendage dangling down off its wide beak that shakes with every step it takes.
"Oh! That's Mister Turkey. I didn't know he came this far out into the Everfree... Though that would explain why I don't see him much."
"Turkey huh... Is it edible?" Caleb asks setting a hand on fire.
Markus punches Caleb in the arm as Fluttershy looks at him with pure horror on her face.
"What? I'm starting to get hungry... plus when's the last time we actually had meat?"
Fluttershy knew about carnivores and such, but never really thought about these three or even the human that her and her frie... the girls had to lead. She had been watching them eat fruit and vegetables asking her if the food was safe. She complied with them and they truly seemed like a nice bunch. But now seeing as they are carnivores, it just really comes as a shock.
"Well, ummm, yea... but, ummm, do you really have to eat him?" Fluttershy asks trying to hide behind her hair.
Markus and Indie scratch the back of their heads while Caleb answers.
"Yea! I mean, we've gone for way to long with out meat! If it bothers you just look away." Caleb says starting to walk towards the turkey smiling heinously.
"Wait! but but but weeeee usually only eat Turkey on Givings day!" Fluttershy says quickly coming up with something to save the turkey.
"And? What does that have to do with us?" Caleb says extinguishing the flame knowing better than leaving it up for so long.
"Welll... well... don't you ummm have a day like ummm that?" She says meekly realizing her out burst.
"Do we?" Caleb asks looking at Indie and Markus.
Markus nods his head, "Yea, I heard one of the elders talking about it one day. They said its a day where we all give thanks to all the things we care about and are thankful. We're suppose to feast and be with family and friends on that day really."
Caleb sighs and says, "Fine! I won't eat the stupid Murkey!"
"Turkey..." Fluttershy says in a whisper.
Indie hands Caleb some berries from his bag to eat. With a sigh they continue on ignoring the Turkey as they pass. Caleb eyeing the morsel with hunger but a quick punch in the shoulder from Markus fixes that.
The ice quickly melts and drops Twilight on the ground. She can barely breath from how cold she feels. She was fading in and out of consciousness and wanted help desperately. Now with this freedom, she wishes she was still in the darkness. At least it was somewhat warm.
"Well well well. Look what we have here. The most powerful element of harmony on her knees begging for life. Where is your so called princess? Shouldn't she be here saving you right now?" Discord says in a mocking tone, "Maybe she truly is too busy trying to be a real goddess to realize her own faults of her actions or even look over her little ponies. Especially one with such talent as you."
Twilight, some what conscious, starts grinding her teeth together. She curses the Draconequus for being so cold at a moment like this. Discord was meant to help them and she wanted him to do so right now.
"What's wrong Twilight? Can't your Elements of Harmony save you? Or is there something breaking that friendship bond?" Discord says making the shadow of three boys in Twilight's blurry eye sight.
"Shut up and save me!" Twilight manage to yell with all her might that she could muster.
She hated pleading with such a chaotic creature, but at this point she has no other choice. It was either that or dying. And she doesn't want to die. She did not want to disappoint her teacher by dying without completing her mission.
"Oh, don't worry my dear Twilight. I promise you. I will. You and you're friend. Oh, what was it... Rainbow Burned?"
Twilight knows he knows her name, but can't figure out why he would say something like that. She's also worried about Fluttershy. Did she run off? If she did, than she really did do the right thing... but hopefully she left the human female there to be taken by the boys so Celestia can find them. Everything was darkening fast, but she can make out Discord crossing his armies saying something along how pitiful she was.
Luna stood beside Celestia looking at the elders of the race known as Humans. They cowere and shake within both their presences. She doesn't like their stares. They burrow into her brain making her feel as if they are expecting her to blow them up completely. The stares reminded her of when she came back after her banishment. Oh how the ponies looked at her with pure horror expecting her to blow up everything around them.
"Here they are. These few still resist my control greatly, but I predict with our powers combined we can easily bend them to our will. They will answer to the both of us and we can finally release them back out in the world as our allies. They will work for us and never advance as they had before." Celestia says levitating things around a nearby bench where blood and green goop rest.
Luna had to admit, the humans were turning into a hostile group. But from what she could see, it was the ponies; gryphons; and even the arachnids south of the Everfree Forest threatening their way of survival and life. Luna completely understood what it felt to be threatened and afraid. One of the reasons why she turned into... that monster. Even the name of her past still sends shivers down her spine. She was afraid she would turn back to what she once was before she was saved.
"I don't want you doing it right away, so we'll be practicing for a while on the spell. So we can get it in perfect sync. Okay, my dear sister?"
Luna nods still staring at the elderly. She's looking at them kindly, but the their eyes and body movements emit fear and hatred, two things Luna did not want to have towards her. Again. That's why she's so familiar with the presence around her.
She looks away and goes to her sister to study the spell. She just has to keep reminding herself that all this was just to see what Celestia was truly up to. To see how to help them. They didn't deserve to be enslaved. Slaves haven't been used in so long and even then, there was so much inner war and outer war.
Luna could only wonder what made Celestia want to bring all that back. She truly fears for her sister and wants to do anything to help her... even if it means fighting her again in the end.
"You know Lulu. Its great to be together like this. If only mom and dad were still here, we could truly be treating this like a givings day."
Luna had completely lost track with the days. It was, in fact, the day for family. But even though she should feel happy, Luna can only question her family today. She didn't want to, but the constant nagging makes her.
"Yes, it truly is Tia. I've missed spending time with you very much." Luna says placing a hoof around her sister in a hug.
Celestia does the same back enjoying her sister's company. Though Luna feels uncomfortable with the interaction, she does her best not to show it.
Caleb watches as Indie and Markus wade their feet in the river in front of them. Fluttershy is laying on her belly flipping her front hooves in the water while Emily stands under the tree that Caleb is up in.
"I can't believe this crap." Caleb says sighing leaning against his right hand.
His arm is propped against his leg. The sun has just risen into the sky. Caleb, as always, is never a morning person. They had spent most of the night travelling via Fluttershy. Caleb didn't really like this idea but it was a better plan than what they did have.
"So this princess place... Do you think there might be any survivors there?" Markus says pulling out his feet from the river and standing up.
"Who knows really..." Indie says yawning, "Probably not... Why do you ask?"
Markus thinks back to the garden he saw. He shakes his head and answers with, "Just... Just a hunch."
"Well I guess that would be great. Beats having only the three of us." Caleb yells down.
"Hey! There are five of us now technically!" Indie says laying on his back hoping to relax just a little bit more for his aching feet.
"Well, I say technically there are only three of us! This damned pony and this former human means nothing to us..." Caleb says looking between Fluttershy and Emily, "If she was truly a human she would've snapped this tiny pony's neck by now."
"And why haven't you than?" Markus asks.
"Because she's the only thing leading us to some sort of lead we can follow on. If it wasn't for that... I would burn her alive like that Rainbow character." Caleb says scoffing.
Markus and Indie dismisses what he says, but Fluttershy doesn't. Her eyes go wide and her heartbeat increases. She looks frantically between the three talking about killing as if it was second nature! She can feel her heart trying to break free out of her chest and her breath was coming in quick gasps. She doesn't know what to do now!
If I bring them to where they want to go, will they kill me? Did he really kill Rainbowdash? What's going to happen to me? I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Maybe if I lead them close and fly off! Yea, that'll work! Wait, what if one of them catches me! Than what will I say!? How would I respond!?
Her mind is racing so fast she doesn't even recognize Markus staring at her. Markus watches as she starts to have a panic attack.
"Fluttershy? Are you alright?"
Indie looks over to see her just staring into space trying hard to get air. Indie holds up his hand and water pools out of his skin into a small ball. He nonchalantly throws it and it splash over Fluttershy's head soaking her mane and effectivly shaking her out of her little panic attack. She quickly notices everyone is staring at her and tries to hide behind her mane.
"You okay?" Markus and Indie asks at the same time.
"Ye-Ye-Yea." She says trying to look as small as possible.
"Alright?" Markus says putting on his shoes and doing some stretches, "Who's ready for some more walking!"
Caleb and Indie groan in their displeasure when causes Fluttershy to smile a little.
They seem nice. Maybe I just misheard. Yea... Misheard.
Fluttershy stands up and hops over the brook leading the four humans onward. She doesn't feel so good. Something in the back of her head keeps nagging and trying to get her attention, but she ignored it. It seems... dark some how. So she figured it wouldn't hurt her. Right?
Luna's stomach was already doing back flips. She doesn't know how much more she can take of this. Her mind is slowly staring to slip into dark places as the spell continues. The screaming is driving her slowly mad! She wonders to herself if this is the source of all of Celestia's craziness. The elder below both her and her sister is holding his head in his hands screaming as both the night's and sun's aura flows around him. Blood was beginning to drop from his face from his insistent clawing at his face.
Luna can only imagine what the elder is going through. She doesn't want to know what the spell is doing to him, but she had a small guess. She wouldn't ever think back to the day of old to when things like this was a common practice of breaking. It was a horrible thing to see, hear about, and do. That's why it was abolished and promised to never be used again. Or at least so she thought.
Celestia sighs motioning a hoof for her sister to stop the spell. Luna drops the spell and watches as the man breathes heavily in front of her glaring at the ground. He twitches every so often, but he doesn't show any signs of running away or hate towards the two sisters.
"Stand." Celestia says.
That order alone, with how cold and toneless it was, sends a shiver up Luna's spine. She hasn't heard that tone sense... She shivers again thinking back to the days of the war of Dark and Light. Even the day of Discord. Something Luna hated thinking about more than her sister. Luna watches as the man shakes for a while more before Celestia gives the command again more forcefully.
What has happened to you Tia? Luna thinks listening to her sister's forceful voice as well as looking at her scowl.
The command, this time, goes answered as the man rises from his knees and stands before them.
"You monsters!"
"Dad!"
"Damn you all to Hell!"
"Fuck you!"
"Granpa?"
"I hope you all die!"
"I'll never bend to your will!"
All those things erupt from the various cages around the room. All directed at Luna and Celestia. Luna, at first, stumbles back shaken a bit from the sound of everybody in the room. It's... unsettling to say non-the-least, but Celestia stands there with a giant smile plastered on her face. She had finally succeeded in doing what she has been trying to achieve for a long while by herself.
"We did it Lulu!" Celestia yells above all the voice in her Canterlot voice, "We finally can make these barbarians yield to us! Maybe we could even make those three yield to us too! This is great!"
Luna cant believe how happy Celestia is. She's prancing around like a little filly without a care in the world. She completely ignores the now hushed voices, screams, and crying. It was just like back in the war except... no... it is the same.
"Quick Lulu1 Bring out one of the younger males!"
She truly doesn't want to. She wants no more as to slap her sister to knock her out of her giddiness to show her why all this is wrong. But she knew she couldn't... not yet at least. She had to learn all about this spell as she possibly can. Maybe there is a reverse spell a counter spell... something. She looks into one of the nearest cage where a bunch of males and females stand tall but not as brittle looking as the elder still standing in front of her.
She gulps and walks over to the cage making the door appear and opening it.
"Try anything and I'm not responsible for what happens." Celestia says watching Luna.
It was... unnerving to say the least to have somebody watch over your shoulder like this. It was almost like Celestia was trying to see something Luna couldn't. As if she was expecting Luna to mess up. It even feels like those words are directed at... With another gulp, Luna raises her voice.
"Come forward or I will take one by force!"
Luna can't believe how unshaken her voice is. No matter what, she is still shaking on the inside and her thoughts have all been repressed by the screaming and crying. None of the males respond as the females come forward to pull them back away from Luna. They want to protect them as much as the males want to protect the females.
"I'm giving you one warning. Forward or force!" Luna says stomping her hoof forcefully.
She doesn't want Celestia to get any ideas. She has to act like this in order to learn more. They would understand eventually.... right?
A male comes forward slipping from the grasp of one of the females. He walks up to Luna. The male only a few inches shorter than her. The male and Luna locks eyes. The human in that of somewhere between brown and black skinned. He has a very muscualar body. It looks like he could break anything like it was a twig. He also had a certain appeal to himself, but she would never let her sister know that.
"Good." Luna says walking out of the way of the male.
With that, the man walks out of the cage which Celestia reseals. The man looks at the elder who's eyes look to be colorless and his sight seems to far away. Its saddening for Luna, but maddening for the man. The man walks to the elder and whispers something into his ear. The elder seems unfazed by whatever the man said before the man turns to face Celestia.
"You know... The old man was right... we say the craziest things when we face death... But let me tell you something..." He says visibly shaking but keeping his voice straight, "If you keep playing god! Than that will only lead to your downfall! And when you die! I'll make sure the devil leaves a special place for you in hell."
Hushed murmurs fill the room. The man's words sent shivers all around as if a changing wind is blowing through. Luna looks at Celestia that wears her neutral expression as always. After what seems like a long second, Celestia's face breaks a smile and she starts laughing.
"Hahahahahaha! Do you hear him!? Do you think I'm playing god!? Do you really think we play!? I have no time for playing!" Celestia says laughing all the while getting closer and closer to the human, "And you think I'm going to Hell? Your pitiful place of a Tartarus! I think not! Basically, we are gods! Me and Luna have rebound these lands and have been here for millenniums and we'll be here for millenniums more! So don't talk to me about playing God! Cause I am God!"
Celestia starts laughing shoving the man hard to the ground with a hoof. She slams her hoof onto his chest and her horn glows.
"Let us prove to you how much like gods we are!"
Luna swallows. She hates seeing her sister like this but... what could she do now? She wants to save her sister but, it seems she's already so far gone. With the ignition on her horn the spell commenced.
Discord sighs watching as the sun expands for just a second.
Her powers are altering...
He flicks his hand making a fancy glass of red wine appear. He sips it lightly before spitting it out all over his guest.
"Blagh tamato juice!"
He tosses it out the window of the house he currently occupied in Canterlot. So far he's just been free roaming and seeing to things unseen by Celestia and Luna. It was for the best after all. He just saved the princesses prized student and one of her friends... mostly. He found amusement in watching the humans work. It reminded him of himself once upon a time ago but things have changed as they always do for millenniums on end.
"You want some Twilight?" He asks his guest who's been sleeping on the floor under the light of one of the few windows the house holds.
She stirs in her sleep at the sound of her name. She lifts her head groggily as she looks left and right.
"Wha... What...?"
"Ah! glad to see you've joined us in the living world and the some what living as well! How was your nap huh? I bet it was as refreshing as having your skin pulled off bit by bit don't you think? Sleeping while renegades walk about causing destruction wherever they go. I would say that would be the perfect time to sleep to me, but unlike you. I have things to do."
Twilight groans at the voice of Discord. If she had a list of the people to least likely to wake up to, Discord would be high on that list. She grunts as she unsuccessfully stands.
"Oh come on! What's a bit of ice through the body!? It practically like getting tickled by a feather duster!" Just to prove his point a bunch of feather dusters appear around twilight except instead of feathers, ice replace them as they start tickling Twilight.,
Twilight tenses remembering the same sensation of the sharp cold ice. A feeling she doesn't want to feel again. Her voice and breath are caught in her throat as everything around her centers and clears. All that mattered was getting away from the ice.
"Ooooh. Seems we have a bit of a fear catching on." Discord smiles sweetly, "You know the best way to fight a fear is to face it."
As those words leave his mouth the dusters start pressing against Twilight's skin threatening to peirce her. He breath comes back but to only pant. He whole world is shaking! No, it was her! Twilight is shaking out of pure unadulterated fear!
"I....I." She can talk.
She wants to ask Discord to stop this craziness of his. To stop the maddening teasing of ice against her skin. To stop driving her to want to impel herself so she could just get it over with. She can't stand it! Its sicking and maddening to her to be so close in death's grasp. And Discord knows it. He is going to use it well unto his advantage.
Before they could actually pierce her or she pierced herself, the duster disappears making ice drop to the ground and shatter like a mirror. The fragments of ice only graze against Twilight fun and skin, yet never cutting or hurting her. She drops to her knees gasping for air and still shaking. It truly fills Discord with pleasure to see Twilight in this weakened state. Now maybe it was Celesta...
"Why!?" Twilight yells steadying her breathing.
She hated to be on the weaker side against Discord. He was too clever for her as well as Celestia. He is a creature bred for mischievous acts and he lives up to it too.
"Why what my dear? Why is such a blunt question. Why tomato over wine, why ice over feathers, why night over sun, why does the sun move, why does the moon move, there are so many why questions. You're going to have to be more clear." Discord says making a long list appear out of nowhere.
"Why did you save me?" Twilight asks slowly standing up against her shivering and buckling legs.
She didn't want to continue looking weak and Discord understood that. She truly is Celestia's student. Its annoying, yet entertaining at the same time. Maybe he would get a show out of this or maybe a second movie to Twilight's block buster hit.
"Well, that's simple. I need entertainment and it brings me great joy to see you two get hurt so."
"Us two?" She remember that Rainbowdash and Fluttershy were there with her, "Which one is with me and what happened to the other!?" She demands.
"The one with you, ummmm Rainbow Crash, I believe it resting... sort of. But you can see for yourself and as for the other one." He chuckles, "You'll see soon enough."
With that, Discord flips into a ball and disappears. Behind her, she hears a wall sliding. She turns around to see a floating body of flesh bathed in light of the once Rainbowdash. She screams out in horror and shock at what she sees as Discord laughs enjoying this game more and more. Hide and seek was always fun when you messed with the rules.
He looks to the Everfree forest so far out to the horizon.
"Over the hills and through the labs, trampling over broken lands, blood and lies will be spilt, as the power of war begins to tilt, can the three bring them to their knees, or shall they all fall to she." Discord says reciting a song he's been working on.
He knew the fun days were coming. Might as well get ready for them.
"Well... there it is." Caleb says staring at the ancient ruins of the once proud castle that Celestia and Luna held before the Everfree took over, "Not really sure what we'll find."
It was true. Though the whole look together there were parts broken off, smothered, and or reduced to rubble. It was hard to believe that what stood was standing itself. Caleb takes the lead with Markus leading up the rear. Fluttershy was hugging close to Elza while Indie looked around the scenery almost side by side to Caleb. The two were whispering something but they fell deaf to the other's ears.
"So what we're hoping to achieve is something of the sisters to help us." Caleb says igniting a hand to illumanate the creeping darkness.
Unlike the last ruins this one had a more dark eerie look to it. A flag of stars and moon hung up a dual stairway. All around them where broken bits of column what seemed to be burnt marks long ago forgotten. The history of this place must have been grand. Which is all the more reason for Indie to get started.
"I can't belive it! Imagine the stories this place could tell! I wonder if any humans were in here! I wonder if the bookmark is still untouched! Do you guys know what that would mean!"
"You get to read even more dusty old books." Caleb says making him and Markus chuckle.
"No! This means that if this was the original place of Celestia maybe they'll be something of her past we can use!"
"Ah okay. Well you better start looking." Caleb says walking up the stairs, "Also while we're at it look up information of the other Alicorn what was her name now Wuna? Shoona?"
"Luna..." Fluttershy croaks out, "Her name is Luna."
"Ah okay! Look up stuff about her as well. Also Markus stick with our hmmmm what should we consider her? A free will slave perhaps? Doesn't matter go with her and make sure she doesn't leave."
"Meh. Even if she did would it really matter? By the time Celestia would get here we would've been left right?"
Caleb shrugs his shoulders.
"Probably not Indie really. Speaking of that son of a man where is he?"
"Heck should I know. I'm neither his father nor his mother." Markus says walking towards one of the exit hallways.
"Yea you could definitely not be his father. You don't have the privates."
"Yea yea we all know you're the female of this group." Markus says motioning for Fluttershy to follow which she does happily.
With a chuckle Caleb shouts out behind them, "Love you too!"
Indie
Indie walked away a long time ago sense he already knew what Caleb's snide remarks would be. They would make remarks like that to each other but they never fazed any of them. He didn't feel up to the usual banter at the thought of all the history he could be learning. It filled him up way past the point of excitement.
"Alright Castle! Show me your history!" He yells opening a door to his right to stumble upon a three giant spiders dressed up like pirates with swords at their sides.
They were looting around it what seemed like a kitchen. Not knowing whether friendly or enemy he waves and says, "Sorry to disturb but."
Before he finishes he's cut off by the roar of the biggest one, probably the leader, who than points at him and the two beside him laugh and run at him. He back up seeps water from his body quickly forming two long water projectiles. He fires them to go through the skull of the spiders but they're quick than he thought. The water shots miss and they quickly turn around and shoot their web. He manages to duck and form water in his hands. As the two right themselves and go for a swift strike of the sword Indie jumps forward water lagging behind him that quickly wrap around the waist of the spiders. Indie yanks the water forward slicing through both the spiderlings spilling their green blood over the burn floor.
"Well, that didn't go as plan but sense I have your attention..."
Before he continues he sees that the giant spider is gone. Fleen from battle at the fall of his comrades.
"Pfft. Coward." Indie says walking further down the corridor.
Caleb
Caleb couldn't help but smile. He felt great whether he wanted to or not. Now they were really trekking in enemy territory for the greater good. He just couldn't wait to find what forgotten secret he could find inside of the forgotten palace. He really couldn't belive that there luck was changing so much. He couldn't help feel that it was a matter of time till.
He stops in his tracks.
"What the..."
A giant spider web stood in front of him. In it held many things wrapped up. By the look of it different creatures were wrapped up hanging int he web. He wondered to himself what type of beast could make something so big as well who now lives in the castle. He simply sighs and sets the web on fire as well as its occupants and continues on his way not wanting to be stalled for any longer.
"Well what the hell! Who the fuck do you think you are!" A raspy voice, well, voices says.
Caleb turns around, hands in pockets, to face the voices. A giant spider with giant skull covering its torso and several spears held in its upper hands, as well as eye batch across is right eye comes down from where the web used to be. The creature stares at Caleb with a fury.
"Who the FUCK do you think you are! Just burning down a web of food as if it was nothing!" The spider yells poising all of the spears he held, "Well to make up for it! You're first on the dinner list!"
The spears come ripping through the air towards him. Caleb brings out his hand and lights his arms on fire while jumping forward getting scratched and cut by spears but completely ignoring them as he sets out on the creature that dares threatens to eat him. He jumps up catching the Spider creature off guard shooting a flame out of his out reached right arm. The flames jet out aiming straight for the monsters face but they miss as it leans back. The creature screams and falls on his back unable to right himself up.
"Argh! Help me up!"
Caleb wants to act serious but in a situation like this there is only one protocol. He busts out laughing at the monster predicament. He couldn't contain himself even if he wanted to. He just let his laughter echo through the some what empty halls awakening something deeper within the chamber.
Walking through the halls weren't so bad. Well it wouldn't be if Fluttershy didn't jump at literately everything along with a zombiefied human walking behind them that can do who knows what isn't the great adventure set.
"Have you ever been in here?" Markus asks looking over his shoulder as they continue to walk by a long line of tapestry on their right and window looking on the outside to their left.
The forest didn't seem so bad from the way they were looking at it. The foliage seemed to be stopping before reaching the castle as if it was afraid to get close but than again plants don't have minds. Right?
"N-N-No... Maybe as a filly b-b-but I don't th-think I ha-have..." Fluttershy gives in response.
Markus lets his head falters while giving a sigh. He doesn't like his situation one bet. He was certainly hoping that the others where having a better time than he was. They round a corner to see skeletons that dawn the walkway. Skeletons of ponies speared to the ground or laying there with arrows in between their bones lay across the floor. The marks of swords scarping against the wall and floor are very evident which comes to the conclusion of a fight here a long time ago. Fluttershy lets out an eep and looks away from the sight disturbed by the bones.
"Man... Wonder what happened here."
He looks over the skeleton noting that some of them had different frame work. A couple slimmer than ones they were closer to.
"We-Well this must have been where the two armies fought once." Fluttershy says.
"Hm? The two armies? Of ponies?" Markus asks turning around wanting to hear more of this.
"Well yea the Celestian army now known as the Solar Order and the Lunar army known now as the Night Watchers. They work together now but back before Luna and Celestia waged war against each other... Most ponies say it was because of jealousy but Twilight had told us it was a different reason..."
"And what reason was that?" Markus now sitting down taking mental notes of every word Fluttershy says.
Fluttershy shuffles her hooves for a second and says, "I don't remember in detail but she said that Luna was concerned about the subjects especially the children. Luna looked into their dreams and saw nothing but nightmare because of how bad everything was. Gryphons were still attacking settlements and our only allies where the zebras at the moment. Luna said she wanted to take the children off somewhere else to form a different colony a happy colony of dreams but Celestia didn't want that. She would't have her subject spread apart. Well tensions grew and slander rose about Luna and how she wasn't doing anything. Trust in Luna fell lower and lower and a report came in about children coming up missing in the night. And well..." Fluttershy goes quite as if remembering something horrible.
Her face seems to darken and she looks out one of the nearby windows at the rising moon. It seems to draw her attention before she shakes her head and says, "That's all I can remember..."
Markus takes in note of her behavior and her some what attraction to the moon just than. Something didn't seem to be adding up but he decides not to press at the moment. At the moment they needed to leave and continue to search the castle.
"Thanks for telling me that Fluttershy." Markus says getting up and returning his sight to the skeletons, "But we better get moving if the moon is coming out."
"Right..." Fluttershy says in a softer tone than usual. One could have mistaken her tone even for the wind.
With that the three continue walking past the skeletons Fluttershy paying them no mind. Unlike before. She would sometimes stray her sight on particular skeletons but wouldn't stop. If Markus had super hearing he would often hear Fluttershy mutter about the children of the night.
The night's air is nice. As it should be. But what made it so much better was the freshness of it all. The smell of death, sickness, and pungent things she doesn't even want to consider down in the chambers below. She shakes her mane and lets loose her wings. She flies up into the sky as the moon rises with her ascent. She loves to go on her night flights.
She hasn't recently do to the circumstances. So far nearly half of them has had the spell put on them making them obedient slaves. And every minute of doing that spell left Luna feeling worse and worse. She doesn't want somepony to live a life like that. A mindless slave only allowed to do as their master say. It was a life for nopony. Even for a human.
She feels something wrong with the aura of the city though. A disturbance not a big one but quite noticeable. With Celestia asleep Luna bet her sister can't feel it. Luna alters her course towards the disturbance to a cut off section of Canterlot where Discord's house resides. She can only think of the jokes or tricks Discord could be thinking up of when a certain glow catches her eye. A glow of mixed green and purple.
Do to her attachment to the element of magic she feels the flow of the power. She can feel the desperateness of it the feelings being put fully into the spell in a(n) attempt to make it work. She can even idenify the spell. Which causes her to speed up.
She blasts a hole into the wall as the spell completes to see Twilight smiling above somepony. Or at least it looks like somepony. The spell has worked. To her dismay but for the lavender pony in front of her she couldn't be any more happy. She has successfully saved her friend giving her a life force to match her own. Something that nopony should ever do.
"Twilight what have you done! Do you know what spell you just used!"
Twilight only giggles and laughs like a maniac ignoring the princess's words. She was in her own world. A world where everypony can be saved and where her mission shall succeed no matter what the cost. There was nothing to be done now. Luna knows it. It's the very same reason why this magic was banned so long ago. How she ever got the spell. She only has one guess.
And that guess was floating above her reclining in a movie chair watching events play out. Oh how she loathed Discord sometimes. But now... She couldn't hate him more.
Markus, Fluttershy, and Elza all walk through the halls leaving the skeletons behind. The air of uncomfort still lingers around them. The once present silence has been replaced by the whipping of the wind outside. Night hangs high and all and all it truly wasn't a bad night so far. Till Fluttershy catches the sound of scurrying on her ears.
"Uhhh Mar-Markus? Wha-What was that?" Fluttershy asks scooting closer to the human.
"Hm? I didn't hear a thing. It might just be your imagination Fluttershy." Markus says scratching the back of his head.
"If...If you say so..." She says.
The venture more and more till they come to a set of double doors on their right and left. Right seemed to lead back into the castle while the left seem to lead somewhere outside. The windows that would allow them to see outside has stopped preventing access to what's inside.
"Want to split up?"
"I'd rather not really..." Fluttershy says looking around frantically shaking like a leaf.
Markus nods his head and goes to the left side doors and kicks them open.
Behind the doors shows a garden but without flowers. What probably was once a beautiful flourishing garden is now nothing but a nest of green gooey eggs with giant spiders walking around placing them and such.
"What the..." Markus says walking into the room creeper out by the sight.
"Well hello there.~" A feminine voice says very sensual like.
Markus and Fluttershy look up to see a woman with the lower half of a spider laying there on her back legs open and completely naked. Despite the situation Markus can't help but to look at her exposed gigantic breast. To him it's better than looking at her grotesque spider like face that really didn't fit the voice.
"Welllcome to my hummble abode!" She says not moving from her exposed position, "I truly hope you like what I've done with the place though I haven't quite fully renovated it..."
Markus scratches the back of his head and stares at the ground his cheeks red from feeling flabbergasted right now. After all he is a male. Fluttershy speaks for the both of them though.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh well we decided that the old cave system wasn't really befitting of us so we decided to move more north. We stumbled across this place and wellll." She takes a moment to look around before motioning above her for someone to come down, "We just love it here."
Markus and Fluttershy look up to see a male spider creature coming down his phallus sticking from his torso ready to breed. The queen, as they both guess, moves the cover over her area and allows entrance of the well endowed man spider.
"And exactly why you decide to settle on this place? Archnids only ever move in great threat... Did someone drive you out of your home?" Fluttershy asks Makrus looking at the scene unfolding not really quite sure what to make of it.
After all he's never seen anything like this before but Fluttershy seems okay with it as if it was a(n) common occurrence.
"Well... Yes and no... We are in fact no longer in danger from what we feared but we have made cautionary measures to make sure. Plus with this human here the rumors have been made true."
Markus perks up at that, "What rumors?"
"Huehuehue wouldn't you like to know my dear~ In the mean time why don't you climb up my web for a little R and R~"
Markus cocks his head and asks, "What in the world is that?"
"Sex my dear human.~" She says
Fluttershy looks at Markus with a questioning look as he says, "Annnnnnnnd what is this sex?"
The spiders around began to laugh grabbing at their guts and sides. Even the Queen was giving a hardy laugh while Fluttershy can only stare at Markus dumbfound. Markus looks around quite offended.
"Hey what's so funny!?"
"You little human! You don't even know what sex is! A virgin! How humorous!"
Markus sighs tapping his foot becoming more and more irritated. Fluttershy seems to scoot away almost filling something being pulled from her.
"That's enough!" Markus yells making the wind rock the arachnids around the room, "All of you shut up and quit your laughing!"
Everyone including Fluttershy seems a bit fearful of the human. Elza has taken a more aggressive stance now seemingly muttering something quietly to herself. The queen looks at her subjects and the blown off male leaking white a little bit scared.
"Well human you are quite something... What is your name?"
"Markus..."
"Well than Markus I can assure you that you won't be a virgin for long. Guards take them away!"
More arachnids come from the top of the garden area. Markus looks up and lets out a low whistle knowing the odds don't look all to good.
"Well I would love to stay and chat but we have places to be, people to meet, princesses to kill sooooo yeaaaaaa." Markus says slowly trying to back out of the room.
"Huehuehue you're not going anywhere!~"
Markus preps his body for using his energy but something happens that makes him feel all the more happier. Arrows whiz by them implanting themselves in the upper torso of some of the guards on the ground advancing. They only have a few seconds to realize what happened before falling to their sides dead.
"Wha?" Markus manages to get out before seeing furry creatures on two legs rush into the room holding blades of different kinds.
They come in in different hues. Red, brown, gray, teal, blue, etc. It's almost like watching a rainbow fly past them. In a word it was beautiful. Markus watches as the furry creatures cut through the confused arachnids with ease. Queen screams before flipping over and scurrying away with what remains of the guards and possibly workers. Furry creatures carrying something that reminds Markus of a bow comes in and fires miniature steel rods into them making them fall to the ground till the rest of them are out of sight.
The furry creatures scream out in victory as they crack open the gooey sacks around them. Markus is able to take a better look at the furry creature to realize that they have whiskers, tail, and pointy ears. Even though they walk around like humans they mew to one another as they clean their weapons off on the bodies of dead guards and workers.
"Hail human!" A male calls out behind him.
Markus turns around to see Fluttershy on the shoulders of a very masculine one of the creatures and Elza lying knocked out on the ground.
"Uh... you guys aren't like them are you?"
"No! Of course not!" A gray creature says walking forward from between two archers if he remembers correctly of what the books he's red said, "We are Nekoplytes and we are happy to see one of your kind roaming around again! Tell me where do the human harbor now?"
Markus shakes his head and says, "A dungeon in Canterlot..."
The cat seems taken back keeping silent for a second before, "Well that proves to be horrible... Is it only you just roaming around?"
"No, There is me and two others. We managed to escape and are looking for a way to free our people and kill the princess."
"Haha! You truly are a human noble and strong!" The leader, he assumes, walk over and puts a(n) arm around his shoulder and starts walking making Markus come too, "We will of course help you with this just like the old days if you remember them."
"Sorry to break it to you but only the elders remember such things and they are hush hush about it just in case the princess try to pry us for information of things they might have missed."
"Ah! Good thinking indeed! Well let us round up the other two so we may discuss things of importance."
"Wait. How did you find me?"
"Well a old friend of ours, Discord, told us where to go looking."
Markus smiles happy about that their Draconequus is keeping up to the deal of helping them out.
"Thank god for him... Well I guess we better go get the others than."
Luna
Luna lands outside of the castle and walks through the front doors. She begins to walk down the empty halls and let her thought run through her. She had just witnessed something so foul... Something since herself did. She wanted to do something wanted to kill Rainbowdash and punish Twilight for what she did but... She just couldn't bring herself to do it.
She knew how Twilight felt. The feeling of pain, suffering, and loss. They can drive the sanest of ponies nuts. As princess of the night and keeper of dreams she has seen such dreams of bringing the dead back and dreams of death of oneself and others. She could feel their pain and shared the same feelings with them. After all being immortal isn't what it's all cracked up to be.
Twilight holds the now unconscious Rainbowdash to her chest smiling with glee. She had just managed to save her friend who was on the brink of death. She just had done something that no pony should have done. All she had to do was sacrifice part of her soul so Rainbowdash's soul can start repairing itself and her body. It was all worth it.
If I can truly save ponies like this then I can keep everypony alive... we don't have to fear death... I don't have to fear death... we can always be with our loved one! We'll always be a part of each other through the test of times! This will be great! I have to tell...
Twilight
Twilight thinks for a moment of why such a spell exists and no pony ever knows of it. If such magic can keep ponies alive why not share it? She then realizes that's why Celestia and Luna are still alive. They've probably performed this spell so many times that it doesn't even matter to them and that they don't want anypony else living as long as them. But now it just raises the question of why...
Rainbowdash lets out a low groan and tries to move. Twilight places a hoof on her lips shushing her, "Don't worry Rainbow you'll be fine... I'm here for you now..."
Twilight decides to keep her friends alive and not tell the princesses till later. After all they always tell her that her friends are more important than them. What's the worse that can happen?
Caleb
Caleb continues to walk laughing every so often to himself remembering the big lug laying on the ground. He shakes his head and walks into a(n) open door. Inside seems to be a bed room.
Jackpot!
He begins searching around to find that it isn't the right room for either one of the princesses. He sighs as he pick up a box curious of what's inside. He opens it to find a song playing. He freezes up as he listens to the song a need to listen forming in him. A white fire spreads on his shoulder moving and molding itself as the song plays. Almost like a natural instinct.
He listens to the song all the way to the end feeling saddened but also happy at the same time. He didn't find something about the princess but he did find something even more interesting. He slowly starts to wonder what other type of music he can find in here.
"Are you the one called Caleb?"
Caleb looks towards the open door way to see two furry creatures standing there. One gray with a wicked looking sword at his side and another female and teal with some sort of wooden cross with a string in her right hand. Caleb sets one of his hands on fire, "Yea. What of it?"
Both of the furry creatures stare at his hand and the male says, "Ha He was right..."
The female shakes her head and says, "We need you to come with us Markus is waiting for you as well as our leader."
Caleb lets the fire die out before smirking tossing the box up and down in his hand.
"Great! I didn't want to look around for his sorry butt anyway. But just remember if you try to do anything won't hesitate to turn you both to ashes."
Both the creatures nod their heads before turning and leading Caleb to the Markus and their leader.
Indie
Indie felt like crying a lot. He's on his knees staring at the burnt up library of the old castle.
"Life... life just isn't fair is it..."
He stays that till her starts to hear voices. He gets up and pulls water from himself and yells, "If its any more of you half spider freaks I am not in the mood!"
"Oh calm yourself!" A familiar voice says back.
Indie lets the water soak back into his body as Markus opens the door to the no longer library followed behind by four furry creatures.
"Um what are they?"
"Neko somethings is what their species is called but we can call them nekos for short."
"Well okay than... but right now I'm not in the mood for meeting new creatures..." Indie says turning back to the destroyed library.
"Oh... Well than... We'll uh be in the room to the right of here than... don't take to long on mourning we've got things to discuss." Markus says patting Indie on the shoulder.
"Why is he so distressed?" The leader asks as they walk away.
"Me and Indie love books thought I believe Indie loves them a bit too much and with a library being destroyed... yeaaaaa... He'll be fine I assure you he just needs to mourn his loss."
The leader nods his head not really understanding as they walk into a room with a large round table. Indie barely pays them attention as he picks up ashes and watch them carried off into the wind.
Markus sits in one of the darkened chairs closer to the door while the leader takes the seat at the head of the table. It only befits a leader of his own people. The two guards that came along with them take the sides the of the door waiting patiently in case anything happens, which Markus hopes doesn't. They have to wait for a while before Indie and Caleb joins them. Caleb takes the seat in front of Markus while Indie sits to his left.
"So mister leader." Caleb starts off.
"You can call me Franklin."
"Right. So Franklin what exactly do you want from us? I'm guessing there has to be a reason in the sense that you went to come find us." Caleb says placing the box on the table.
Markus and Indie give it some interest before returning their attention to the current matter.
"Well yes, there is. You see Celestia would rather have races killed than to have them rebel against her. Both Celestia and Luna have driven many races into near extinction and in the process have lost many many lives as well as drive upon themselves curses that no one knows about in the Everfree forest."
"She considers herself a god. Even if it's just a minor god she considers it without questioning." Markus says sighing and looking around the smudged room, "I'm honestly starting to question whether she is or not."
"Don't buy in to that." Franklin says wrapping his hands together and looking down the table, "In the days of old she grew and aged just like every other pony, but than came something that she appreciates and hates. The cure of near immortality... She'll continue to age along with her sister yet never die from it. We had powerful magicians that could do unbelievable things. There was one who held more power over them all and we relied on him for magical tactic warfare. He was great at what he did and a great leader to boot. We thought perhaps he could defeat Celestia and Luna in a magic duel. He almost did but ponies have never played nice.
He was stabbing in the back by Luna's horn ripping into his spine. With his last dying breath and cast a spell of near immortality on every alicorn in the world to forever live in great shame. He figured we could win the war and we could torture them for all eternity. Too bad we lost huh..."
"Man, I never would have thought that's what lead to all this... I thought they were just naturally born with in." Indie says rubbing a hand through his hair.
"No, It's the curse of the alicorn in which we call it." Franklin says shaking his head, "He cast it upon all the alicorns of the world new and old."
"Well than... where do we come into play?" Caleb asks fidgeting.
"You see, we need to bring together the people of our world again. We've lost many of the races and others have flied this continent but there is still enough of us to rise up an army again. From all the years in the past the ponies have grown weak and gentle. Now is the perfect time to fight."
"Than why don't you guys? It seems you have the capability." Markus comments.
"It's not that simple... My people are great at stealthily killing. We are great archers and wonderful one handed warriors but when it comes to brute force. We'll need others for it. We'll need you humans to help convince other races to join in the efforts again to take down Celestia and Luna and regain much that we all have lost to the ponies."
"That really is something... So much of the land that the ponies have now was all conquered?" Indie asks making a checklist in his brain.
"Yes, Canterlot used to be a great forge mountain for the minotaurs. Where ponyville rests used to be where all the mages used to congregate and go to school at. Believe it or not all the races used to live in harmony. Than uneasy tension."
"Than war." Caleb says completing it, "Our elders have told us the same thing. They've left out details of the war really, but it's the same thing that we have heard and read in a sense."
"That's good. You need that knowledge if we are to ever convince." Franklin says placing his hands down with a giant smile on his face.
"Alright!" Markus says, "So what are we going to do for a base and who should we recruit first?"
"We have a base not too far away from here still in the Everfree forest. As to who to recruit first... We'll probably need scavengers so we'll have to look in the swamps to find the race I'm thinking of. Perhaps they have already died out who knows. They are prideful people and what has happened to them is something they would rather kill themselves of than to live without that pride. Perhaps you can use that to your advantage if they are still there."
"Perhaps." Markus replies standing up, "So I guess first order of business is head to your base to say hello to the locals."
"Quick question. Do you guys serve meat?" Caleb asks looking around to make sure Fluttershy wasn't anywhere around.
"Yes we do actually. All sorts really. Let me guess the pony has you on a strict vegetation diet." Franklin says chuckling.
"You know it! Now let's get out of here and get ourselves some real food!" Caleb roars standing up ready to leave immediately.
That makes everyone in the room laugh. It really lightens up the dire mood.
Luna, laying in her bed, considers telling Celestia again of what she saw. She thinks of the pros and the cons before deciding again not to tell her. After all Twilight is her student. She shakes her head and wonders why she can't sleep than disregards the thought instead wondering why she would even want to sleep. Just the thought of sleeping seems to bring up the ideas that bad memories will dread her dream.
"I'm only being silly." She mutters to herself.
She considers it for a moment before deciding it wasn't silliness, but paranoia. Paranoia that keeps you awake no matter how tired you are. The type of paranoia that makes you check every noon and cranny around you to make sure no one is listening or watch for you next move. At least that is what she thinks. It truly drives away at her. Nags, pulls, and nudges her more in crazy thoughts of paranoia.
The thoughts are broken by a knock on the door. She opens it with her magic and allows the unicorn of the library to walk in.
"Sorry if I am awaking you Highness."
"No, I find it hard to sleep anyway. I find it funny how even as I was younger you would always know when I was restless."
The unicorn mare chuckles and nods her head reminiscing in the past. A past of non paranoia and tension.
"But I'm sure your not here to walk down memory lane are you?" Luna asks raising her head.
"Yes, I... I have to ask why did you want to look more into mankind. Only Celestia seemed interested."
Luna sighs and shakes her head her unruly mane becoming unrulier, "It is my burden to bare. I wish you not to know of it for your sanity and your own good. The less people that know of this the less dangerous it seems."
The mare sits beside Luna's bed looking her over, "You're tired. Perhaps a story will help you rest."
Luna smiles remembering her old foal days and the days after which she came back. It was truly something.
"Alright." Luna says laying her head on the pillow, "I could use one after all this time."
"I figured. After all I can feel it in my brain." The mare says chuckling from the old times of Luna getting sayings wrong.
That earns a giggle out of Luna lightning her mood and the stress upon her. The librarian levitates a book off the shelf, opens it, and reads to once upon a time foal.
Twilight
Sitting some what alone in the dark for so long probably would have driven most ponies mad. Always thinking you're seeing something flicker in the darkness, always thinking you can see something beckoning to you, than you start hearing voices. But the voices she were hearing where that of the darkness but of her consciousness keeping her awake to make sure her friend is alright. For Twilight that darkness is like a cover. A cover to shield her away from the eyes of Celestia so she may not see her deed.
She decided she'll just stay here for a while to Rainbowdash recovers to her old self or something like her old self. After all that's what the spell was meant to do right. Heal and help. It was healing her and helping her. Helping Twilight as well.
A thought enters her mind. Just a brief second a word pops up and disappears. Just for a brief second Twilight considered it true. Maybe, just maybe it was the right thing to call her. But she would never admit it. Not to any one. In fact she would go so far to deny the claim, but I guess that'll only make it seem truer.
The walk to the Nekos' base is long, boring, and hot. Their journey first leads them into a open area in the Everfree. Something that three of them was thought never thought of.
"Finally! Something more than trees!" Caleb yells out as he's the first to walk into it.
"I thought you were starting to like nature." Markus says with a snicker.
"Yea. I was. Until we passed the five billionths pine tree..." Caleb growls his arms igniting on their own in irritation.
"Calm down there hot head." Indie says shaking his head, "Don't need you burning down the plains. The only thing that doesn't have a billion trees."
"Indeed." The Franklin says his tail swishing in amusement.
"Hm... Something doesn't seem right." Fluttershy says looking around the area as she stands at the edge of the forest and the plains, "I don't remember this being here..."
"I'm sure it's nothing." Markus says patting the horse on her head, "If something happens, we'll be sure to hop into action."
Fluttershy smiles up at him. She has really gotten to know these three over the time that they've been traveling together. With all the joking and the trading of tales, she feels just like one of them. A fugitive on the run from heretic, but at the same time a person looking to make a change.
"Hey Fluttershy!" Somebody calls out.
She looks up to see the group still walking through the plains. She was really starting to get lost in her happy thoughts for a moment. She giggles to herself before walking out into the plains. The sun beats down on them, yet something feels off. Unnatural really. Fluttershy spreads her wings and is about to fly up, when two thing are realized. One, she can't remember how to fly. Two, she can't remember where she was going.
She stops dead in her tracks and watches as the other in front of her slow down their travels as well. They start looking around as if looking for something. Something lost perhaps?
"What the hell..." Markus says scratching the back of his head, "Something is... messing with my head..."
"What the hell are you on about?" Caleb asks walking up to him.
"I can't seem... to remember which way we were going. Hey Franklin? Do you know?"
"Yes. But first. How are you faring against the Everfree?" Franklin says sitting down in the grass.
The other Nekos do the same thing. They seem so calm about all of this. As if used to it. Though some seem slightly confused on why they are doing as their leader does. Than something seems to hit them and they take back on a passive face.
"What?" Caleb says speaking up first.
"Have you not noticed things happening?" Franklin says smiling, "I wouldn't be surprised. But I'm sure your pony friend should know what I mean."
Fluttershy gives him a confused look. She can't really remember much at this point. All she knows for sure is that she's happy. And peaceful. She just wants to be lazy and be taken care of by the sun and the grass underneath her. The sun feels super nice on her back and outstretched wings.
"Though, she seems a bit preoccupied." Franklin says noticing how she's currently checking out her wings, which she had just rediscovered; "But I'll tell you this. Everything in this forest isn't what you see."
"Oh really now? Next you're going to tell me that this field is actually some kind of trap." Caleb says rolling his eyes.
"Well. You're actually right. This is a trap." The man says clapping his hands, "I'm surprised you're taking this so well. Your buddies seem to be a having a harder time."
"Well. Unlike them, I don't really keep track of things. I act on instincts." Caleb says confidently while pounding his chest.
"I can see. That's why we are unaffected as well. Now, there are a lot of things in this forest that are harmless as well as deadly. Here's lesson number one. Our homes is very close, but we are surrounded by many traps that we can easily get through. You'll have to learn where to spot traps that naturally lay based on our training. We'll teach you many things that you'll hopefully remember." Franklin says rising up, "Alright. Let's get our friends out of here before they become lost."
They all nod and start to help Indie, Who had forgotten even who Celestia was, and the rest out. Caleb didn't really need help seeing as his instincts have kept him from forgetting.
Markus shakes his head glad to be free from the Everfree's spell.
"Next time. Just give us a heads up on a lesson.." Markus says shaking a bit.
"Hehe. At least you did better than those three." Franklin says still leading them on till they reach a manmade dirt path, "And now. We are here."
The people gather beside the leader and look down where many houses sit surrounded by foliage on all sides. Most of the homes seem to be carved into giant trees. They're not flashy, unlike pony homes, and are very down to earth. Literally. People still walk about and the Nekos beside the travelers start going down to the village with happy smiles and warm greetings.
"Welcome home." Franklin says looking at the three boys, "As long as you want to call this home."
Markus smiles happily with Indie and Caleb on either side of him. The amount of happiness they're feeling right now is... beyond what they can put into words.
"Thank you. For everything. We promise we won't let you down." Indie says facing Franklin, "We'll do everything we can for you and your people."
"It's nothing. We share a common goal. So our friendship shall flourish and make us strong." Franklin says nodding his head, "Just don't lose when we face her. That's all I ask in return."
Caleb gives a maniac's grin, "You go it! That'll be the easiest thing for us!"
Markus shakes his head with a smile on his own, "Just a bit of training and learning about everything... We'll be unstoppable."
The sun shines on a brand new world. A world were hopes and dreams may come true.
Twilight lays on her stomach quietly. She wants to sleep because it threatens to overtake her. Yet she can't. Not yet. Not till she gets a sign. Any sign.
She looks to her right to see her friend still "sleeping" on the able beside her. Her left fore hoof is still laying off the side of the table as if she's dead. But Twilight knows better to assume somepony is dead just because they're sleeping for so long.
"Any day Rainbowdash." Twilight says looking up at her, "I would like to sleep."
Twilight takes her sight away from table to the area around her. This is where she has been living for the most part. Nopony seems to ever come in her and by the voices, nopony seem to walk near here either. It's just been her and Rainbowdash for the past couple of... days? Twilight has a hard time in figuring out time when she doesn't play close attention in it. Plus time means nothing. As long as she has friendship and power, it doesn't matter how long it takes. The job will be done.
"I wonder how the girls are doing." Twilight muses to herself, "Perhaps we'll return there first to gather them up. Than we'll look for Fluttershy, if she's not there of course, and hunt down the humans. I'll probably have to come up with a spell. Maybe tell Celestia I'll personally hunt them down and get the spell she was probably going to use to get them herself. What do you think Rainbowdash?"
No answer.
"Maybe. Though I highly doubt that with the speed and velocity you'll be going that you'll simply pick them up and fly them back here before they realize what's going on. You would probably kill them. And no. That is not an option."
"I don't care how bad her burnt you Rainbow! We have to return them Alive! It's Celestia's orders... So unless she says otherwise."
He ears twitch at the sounds of the outside world. Somepony is walking by again. Probably on another dare or looking to have some fun with their special somepony. She keeps quiet and listens for the sound to pass. After awhile is finally does.
"I keep quiet cause I don't want them knowing that we're in here."
...
"I know. But she hasn't appeared, so she doesn't know yet."
...
Twilight stands up and looks Rainbowdash annoyed, "Stop arguing. If you weren't injured, I have the right mind hit you upside the head..."
Twilight has a small blush coming across her face, "Shut up! I am not!"
She fumes and looks away embarrassed. She hated talking to Rainbowdash sometimes. But at the same times, she can't help but to. She has always been the more interesting of the group besides Pinkie. Plus Rainbowdash is more... sane. Despite her ego, she's actually a very good friend. So even despite being stuck here, she's glad she's stuck here with her.
"Alright. You can rest up a little bit more... Just make sure you're ready by tomorrow."
Silence reigns once again as the sun still hangs high over head.
The sun slowly rises above the horizon on another glorious day. The light paints the sky pink and the clouds red. Markus sits awake on his bed made of moss and wood while his comrades, Indie and Caleb, rest about on beds made the same way. It's not comfortable and it's not stiff. It just takes some getting used to is all. But that is not the reason Markus is awake.
"I see you are awake." A voice calls from the doorway to the left of him.
Markus nods his head, "Though I wish I wasn't."
" Oh? And why is that?" The cat warrior asks as the light shines upon his brown and orange body.
He wears a tunic long enough to cover him from shoulder to knee. He seems completely comfy and his tail shows that he's pretty happy about everything this morning. Unless it just does that always. Markus figures he'll ask about it later. Right now, he has a question to answer.
"Because I don't look forward to training something other than my mind." He says with a low and nervous chuckle.
The cat chuckles back and shakes his head, "Caleb told us you might not take well to physical training. That's why I have come to you so we may take a walk."
Markus lifts up an eyebrow, "A walk with a stranger? Sounds good enough."
"Heh. Excuse my manners. I am Fireheart. I am a priest as well as a warrior." He says turning his back to Markus, "Now come. We have much to do."
Markus gets up and quickly follows behind Fireheart. He can already tell he's going to like this trip at first to only hate it in the end. He can only hope that the other two's training fairs well. Though he figures they'll probably teach them about patience or something... Markus starts wondering if he'll come back to a burned down village. ~
"So where are we heading?" Markus asks following along the slippery path behind Firheart.
"You'll see. It's the same place I go to train myself." He says simply without breaking his stride.
Markus can't say for sure how long they've been walking, but the sun is now well into the sky compared to this morning. The only breakfast he has had is the few berries he ate before starting his trek up here. The sweat dripping down his face and arms is really starting to get to him. Mostly due to the forest's rising humidity and the fatigue he's starting to feel on is body. He really hopes that all of this will be worth it in the end. He can already tell that the Neko is working on his endurance... probably.
"I bet it's a place that radiates power." Markus says pumped despite his fatigue.
"Yes. In fact, it roars it."
"Great! I've ben lacking power ever since the beginning. I rely on Caleb and Indie too much..."
"And what's wrong with relying on your allies?" He asks looking back slightly.
"Nothing... It's just... they should be able to rely on me back."
"You think they can't rely on you?" Fireheart asks stopping.
"I know they can't. I'm the weakest of the group and every time I use my power too much, I always end up coming close to dying..."
Fireheart makes a sound close to hmph and a purr. He continues walking forward and Markus follows. They're are both completely quiet on their long journey till a noise catches Markus' ears.
"What is that?"
"It's the sound of power." Fireheart says with a giant smile.
The two walk to a bush and part it so they can stare at a giant waterfall that crashes down into a giant river. Trees are hardly close to the river and different sorts of animals pass along it without a care in the world. A brown deer stoops it's head down and drinks from the rushing water. It's coat changes from brown to black before going back into the forest.
"Wha-What is this?"
"It's is our training ground Markus." Fireheart says walking towards the river and out of the tree line, "This is where we shall meditate and increase your strength."
"H-How will this river do that? I just watched it turn a deer black?! That's not natural!"
"You will not be drinking the water young one. You'll simply be sitting in it for now. Now disrobe."
"... Excuse me?"
"You heard me." Fireheart begins to shed the little protection of clothing he has on at the moment.
"Whoa! Hey! I don't think things are supposed to be like this!" Markus says backing up sheepishly.
Markus remembers the few lesson on skinman ship that Celestia brought to them. They're no strangers to the nude body of their species and, unfortunately, the Ponies as well.
Fireheart stands their in a cloth wrappings around his crotch. He walks to the river and sits in the raging current like it's nothing. He seems calm and at peace with the nature around him. Markus rubs his arms and looks around to make sure no one is watch or trying to play a joke on him.
"Man... I bet Indie and Caleb are behind this... Either that or Franklin is trying to teach me another lesson..." Markus says as he starts taking off his shirt followed by his pants.
He walks cautiously towards the river and looks at Fireheart who is still calmly letting the water ride across his lower section. Markus looks at the water and shrugs his shoulders. He figures that if Fireheart can just simply sit down in it, it won't be so hard.
Markus sets his right foot into the water and is immediately set of balance by the push of the water. His other foot slips on the grass and he finds himself taking off down the river chocking on water and rolling across the rough earth the river has created.
As Markus washes away, Fireheart chuckles to himself.
"This is going to be fun."
Caleb awakens at the same time Indie does. The two rise from their beds groggily the sun already well into the sky. They look around at their surrounding before sitting up in bed. Last night, they spent their time getting to know the locals a little bit. This place is really starting to catch their attention. From what they can tell, the place is built upon the idea that nature is true strength. The more that one is with nature, the more power they shall have. These Nekos have learned to be like the majestic and fierce tiger of the woods and yet sturdy as the ox. Or something like that. The two can't remember well what Franklin had told them last night after their... tenth drink?
"God... my head hurts..." Caleb says rubbing his face.
"Mine too..." Indie says laying back down, "What time is it?"
"How should I know?"
"So, how are you two doing?" A voice ask as two black furred people walk in each caring a weapon on their back.
The right one has a sword and the other one a bow. They both wear happy smiles on their face, but their eyes speak mischief. Caleb raises his hand into the air.
"What's going on?"
"Training of course! Don't you remember? Though with how much you guys celebrated... I wouldn't doubt that you have forgotten." The right one says leaning against the wall closest to the door.
"You got that right! It's like you guys were made for the stuff!" The left says sounding more enthusiastic and girlish than the right.
"Training? What about the recruitment?" Indie asks as he sits up in bed and swing his legs out from under the covers.
"In do time! If we wish to really get them on board, you'll probably have to show off your strength!" The left one says, "So that brings us to where we are now!"
"Well... aren't you a happy one..." Caleb says getting annoyed by his mood.
"Well someone has to be sour puss." The left says pouting.
Indie chuckles as he stands up, "I like this one. Anyone who annoys Caleb is fine with me."
"Watch your words Indie." Caleb says getting out of bed as well, "I might not feel good, but I feel well enough to fight you."
"Any time hot head." Indie replies water rippling along his skin.
"They remind me of us!" The left warrior says looking at the right.
"Got that right. Small world huh?" The right warrior says pushing himself off the wall, "But since you guys wanna fight so bad... How about we make it a two on two match. You two versus us."
"You're on!" Caleb says immediately and soon rushes out the door in nothing but his boxers.
The three wait there a moment before Caleb walks back in, "I uh... forgot my clothes..."
Markus stands up at the bank of the river. He looks around while trying to squeeze the water in his clothes out. It seems that he's further down stream than he originally thought. Now, he's completely lost. He turns around and looks into the dark woods that seem to have no end in sight. The darkness just keeps stretching on and on. He takes a big gulp, mostly the river water, before turning back to the giant river. He looks up stream to where he came from. Though he can't really see the spot, he knows that somewhere far up there the Neko is probably waiting for him. Thought here's a huge Cliffside blocking what would've been an easy walk back.
"God..." He says knowing that he has only two options.
Walk along the river side and climb up a bunch of cliffs, or transverse through the forest to hopefully find his way home. The deadly forest or the deadly river. It's a really hard choice seeing as this is suppose to be his training. A pretty cruel training he'd say if anyone asked him for a comment.
He walks over to the cliff and looks up. It's a sheer drop from the top if his hand slip. Probably some serious injury if he doesn't land right. He rubs his hand along the smooth face of the cliff feeling how wet and smooth the rock is. Of course it would be way to smooth to climb up. Because that's just his luck.
He shakes his head and musters up his power into two short spikes. He hits the rock as hard as he can to only have himself pushed back by sheer magical force. He rolls across the ground as the spikes disappear. He gets up panting and staring angrily at the Cliffside.
"Forest it is..." He says as he limps away from the river bed into the forest.
Upon entering, he already feels as if he's being watched. He keeps his eyes and ears open as he transverse the forest. He heads to his right in hopes to eventually reach wear Fireheart should be, if he is, waiting. He can only hope this is part of his training. Never judge anything based on what a person does? Something along that. He figured that out while rolling across the river bed floor
Something snaps behind him and he spins around and raises up his fists. He keeps them close to his body as he feels a presence all around him. He looks up in the sky as something flies over his head.
"What the-" His statement is cut short as something tackles him to the ground.
He reacts and pushes it up as he flips his body head first. He manages to push it off with a loud thud before it skitters off with a lot of noise. He immediately gets off his hands and knees and starts looking around frantically for another attack. It comes in the form of a sneak attack as something sinks into his back and slides across is faster than he can spin around. Something sticks into his chest making his stumble back a bit. He looks down to see two big round oval shaped balloons with a needle coming out of them.
He grabs them and yank them out to watch liquid drip from the tip. That's when everything goes colorful.
Caleb ducks under a high swipe to only have his legs taken from under him by the other one. The two warriors are going as hard as they can on Caleb and Indie. Indie lays on his back holding a hand to wounds along his chest. Caleb is trying to push through the pain as he tries to fight them on his own. Which proves fruitless as a kick to his gut sends him rolling across the ground and splayed out.
"That was so much fun!" The happy go lucky Neko says jumping up and down in happiness.
"You go that right. There is hardly anyone that can keep up with our teamwork." The calmer one says rubbing the back of his neck, "You two will need some work that's for sure."
Caleb gets up on a knee finding it hard to breathe. He looks at the two with both a look of wonder and anger. He hates losing. A lot. He would rather die than to keep losing.
"But first. You'll need rest. You've both fought hard. I'll take you guys to the healing house." The calm one says, "Meanwhile, Let us introduce ourselves."
"I'm Snowball!" The happy one says pointing a thumb at himself, "And this right here is my partner Strider!"
Caleb nods his head at the both of them, "I... I can't wait to learn from you two. I can tell there's much I can learn... from you two..."
Snowball nods his head excitedly before walking over to Indie and helping him up, "But like Stridey said. You guys need rest. But don't worry! Mrs. Motiff is a really nice woman!"
Strider helps Caleb up. Caleb leans his body against Strider for support. Caleb has been fighting pretty hard up to this point. He would try to walk on his own, but Snowball really took out his legs on that last leg sweep. He wonders how well the ponies would hold up to these two and smiles inwardly. The beginning of the end of their race is almost upon them.
"Hey... do you know where Markus is?"
Strider shrugs, "We've only been assigned to you two. So they probably gave Markus a different tutor."
Caleb nods his head sleepily as he limps along side Strider. Indie is having a hard time as well as Snowball half carries half drags him to the healer's house. When they reach there, Indie is basically knocked out. Snowball and Strider switched who they were helping seeing as Strider has more upper body strength than Snowball.
"Your friend, Indie. He's really heavy." Snowball says watching as Strider lays Indie on the moss bed that's propped up slightly.
"Yea well... You kind of get used to it after a while." Caleb says sitting down while staring at the floor, "You guys sure gave us a beating. Even when fighting against the others, I've never lost like that before. And I hardly lose."
"Welllll~ Let this be your first lesson! Humiliation!" Snowball says sitting down beside him, "Everyone needs to lose once and a while to remind you on how easy it is to be defeated and how easy it is to win"
"But I hate losing! I can't afford to lose! I want to be the stronger!" He says as his flames start rising on his back with his anger.
"You will become stronger. A lot of great warriors are only strong because of how many times they have lost. When you fight someone who is stronger than you, you want to get better. Right?"
Caleb nods his head.
"My point! Now. Rest up strong warrior. You'll need all your strength for when training begins." He says getting up.
Caleb chuckles finding how nice this one is. He's never met a nicer person in his life really. At least not one he felt comfortable near. He lays on his back and lets his eyes shut with the image of Snowball's smile still in his head. It sends a warm comfy feeling all over his body. It's a truly nice feeling.
In a dark cave somewhere deep inside of the forest, Markus wakes groggily his vision in shades of green and white. He goes to wipe his eyes to only find that he can't do so due to restraints holding him back. Fear and paranoia starts settling in about the different possibilities of what could have done this to him. The biggest threat is that somebody has caught him and has sold him back to Celestia and that other princess.
He tries to find his voice and yell out, but it only comes out as a whimper of sorts. His throats is parched and his voice hoarse from lack of use. He isn't too sure how long he's been like this, but the pain settling into to his bones tell him for a while. Sounds of something chittering can be heard from far off. It almost sounds like a cross between a squirrel and a bird. It's so unnatural as it is intriguing to him.
He would call out if he could. For now, he struggles with his binding hoping to find that he can get out of these ropes. In the back of his mind, he starts to wonder if this is how Indie felt when he told them the tale of how he was captured. Tied up while being stiff and very much in pain. Except for one thing he may have left out. Markus doesn't remember him ever telling him that he was blind when they were with him.
He knows his eyes are open, but for some reason he can't see. The green and red have all but faded away into the blackness. He knows he'll have to go through this blind. Literally.
The chittering stops as Markus manages to rock his chair too much and fall to the side causing further injury to his right arm. He lets out an unpleasant sounds as he crushes his hand underneath his weight. He can hear their steps. They sound much just like the clopping of hooves, yet their voices sound so different from ponies. He can't figure out what would ever cause this.
He recalls Franklin telling them once about how the forest has a bunch of traps. Maybe one of the traps changed these ponies? He can only guess and grasp at the hope that these ponies are too ashamed of themselves to return home. Unless they use him as a barging item to keep there dignity. The thought is less than pleasant.
They chitter between each other in their strange language. It sounds even more alien like now that it's even closer. They seems kind of... sad. It's almost like he can feel the sadness radiating out of their strange twitting and chirping language. The sound of something starting up is heard and soon the feeling of something dancing along his skin can be felt. He immediately recognizes it as magic . He's used to that sensation due to a mad tyrant always casting spells on him and his friends. He feels the pressure of the ground disappear and he knows he's been set right up now.
"Now stay still." The voice says in a cross between a harsh whisper and a hoarse shout.
Markus replies with sitting still waiting on what they'll do to him. He would ask what's going on, but he's afraid that when he speaks his throat will tear apart. It's that thought and the soreness of his throat that keeps him quiet for the remainder of his wait.
He spends the next couple of minutes, or hours as it feels to him, sitting in fear waiting for their return Soon loud chittering is heard followed by the sound of hooves. Theses hooves sound louder and more authority like. The sound of magic is heard followed by his sight returning to him. His sight is replaced from blackness to bright lights in a instant. He squeezes his eyes shut and slowly reopen them to let his eye get readjusted to the world of light.
When his sight comes back, he's shocked and scared. Before him an Alicorn stands. But she's not... normal. Or normal to the sense of him. She stands there completely black but not with fur. No. From the looks of it, she seems to have the body of that of a bugs. It looks all leathery and natural despite how unnatural it is. Her mane is an unkempt blue and stops at different point suddenly. He wings are those of insects, but they have holes all in them. Upon closer inspection he realizes that she has holes all over her body! He can practically see through her body.
The fear inside of his throat turns into a giant lump ready to leap out at any moment. Even his body feels as if it could rip through the bindings that hold him there. The Alicorn looks unimpressed at the human before her as if it's just another creatures of the woods that she's so used to seeing.
She moves forward and lays her horn on his forehead. Well, attempts would be a better word. She leans her head down and Markus immediately releases his powers in fear. The shadows burn through the rope and chair before immediately lashing out at the Alicorn in front of him who is clearly shocked by this.
He stands and backs away from everything his breath coming labored. The shadows pull back but stay close to the Alicorn and the two changelings entering in the room. The room is almost being turned into a void by the darkness. They've already snuffed out two torches and are going for the last two. The Alicorn, who only assumed that this was going to be another routine stealing of memories and consumption, is made very excited by this change of pace. This creatures fear is almost as tasty as love. And he radiates it a lot.
"Don't just stand there! Back out of the room!" The Alicorn says addressing her subjects that are staring into the void as if it's taking their souls.
The two snap out of it and look at each other scared before following orders. The insect like Alicorn lights up her horn as the last of the light in the room is extinguished. He horn is the only light and it shines just enough to allow her to see Markus sitting on the floor holding his knees to his chest. Tears seem to be streaming down his cheeks as he lose control of everything. The Alicorn can feel something crawling along her body and trying to chock her, but she dispels it with timely magic bursts as it keeps coming back.
It's almost as if the darkness is alive. Or something is alive in the darkness besides her and this human before her.
She manages to get close before something lashes out and tackles her to the ground. It wraps around her horn and cuts off her magic. It's almost like a void is trying to swallow her whole. She radiates magic off her body to get it off and even puts her strength against it. It takes a minute, but she tosses it off and moves towards the man a spell charging. She fires it as something jumps onto her back and quickly pin her down. The spell makes contact though and all the darkness is sucked back into him. His eyes go wide and than he slumps to his right and his legs become uncurled.
The insect Alicorn can only smile with all the things she can do with this at her disposal. She rises before falling to her knees again. It's than that she realizes that she's bleeding out her back and legs. There's scar along her neck and the holes along her body have also been cut into.
She chitters and soon her followers that look like her, except no wings for some and no horn for some others, and drags Markus away. She can only chuckle darkly to herself wanting to know much much more.
Celestia rereads the letter before her once more. She puts it down and gives a heavy sigh. She levitates a bell to her side and rings it. Soon a guard enters dressed in white armor.
"Yes Princess?"
"Bring me Olde." She says not feeling like she needs to be sober for the rest of the night. Or morning either. Perhaps the entire week from how she is feeling at this current moment.
"P-Princess." The guard starts.
"Please.... Just, bring it to me." She says without saying anymore as she curls up the letter and places it with the others labeled friendship reports. Even though she thinks it belongs in its own stack.
"Yes Princess." The guard says shaken by the princess' choice.
Celestia just sits there letting her mind stir everything. She had a plan. She had a plan. But now it's all falling apart. She never expected things to fall into the dark so fast. Guess that's why everything eventually runs out. She looks to her right to see the journal she and her sister used to write in. It sits collecting dust. She levitates it to herself.
"Perhaps... it's time I start again." She says to herself as a servant brings in a giant bottle with Olde XX written on it.
Indie sits at the top of the hill somewhere south of the village where Snowball and Strider told them to meet. Caleb said he'd get up when he actually sees the sun. Indie is only out because of how excited he feels to be finally getting closer to their dream. Their dream that they've been working hard on since they first escaped. Though that dreams has encountered some... well... add-ons, but it still doesn't knock him off course as he gets ready.
"Training, learning, gathering the races... It's all coming together faster than I would have ever imagined." Indie says to himself as he looks towards the rising sun.
The ball of fire rises slowly this morning. He can only chuckle because he imagines Celestia is having a hard time explaining what happened as well as trying to figure out what to do about them three. He chuckles gleefully as he stands up and flicks the sun off. Her time is coming and he can't wait to see her fall right before her as well as the rest of his dear friends. Well, more like family these days.
He sits back down and stare at his hands as they collect the cool water around him. He can't believe at how far he's come to finally complete their first original goal. Just a while longer with the training and other plan, and they'll be standing at the door steps of Celestia with an army. He can't help but smile at the sight of Celestia and that black Alicorn standing there with their mouths dropping towards the floor.
He hops a bit up and down as he form a water figurine of Celestia. He lets it fly up and watches it as it flies about in the sky.
"Thinking your so safe flying high above us. Just you wait..." Indie says forming a small miniature spear of water and throwing it through Celestia's wings, "I'll bring you back down to our level. Where it won't be safe."
Indie begins to hum to himself as he lets the water move about. He's always liked free reign water. It's such a peaceful and inspiring thing to him. If water can keep moving, than he should too. Besides, there's no reason to stop now.
"Well good morning!" A certain perky voice greets to him.
Indie looks behind him to see snowball crouched on the ground behind him.
"Having fun?"
Indie gets up and turns towards one of the two training him, "Not till I get Celestia's throat around my neck."
"That's the spirit!" Snowball says springing up off the ground, "So what ya doing out here so early?"
"Just doing a bit of thinking. Reflecting on my freedom and everything. Being trapped inside of a cage for so long watching and hearing your people die below you, it kind of grinds ones sanity. Of course we kind of kept calm with the reading and the various stuff we got from that woman." Indie says running a hand through his hair thinking back to all of it.
"Hmm. Well, I can't say I know what ya mean. But yea, being caged doesn't sound like a good thing. I have a question."
"Ask away. I'm not going to hold back any information after you've guys helped us out so much."
"Good! Cause this will help with your next training!" He says with a smile as he walks closer to Indie, "If your power holds water, than can you move as fast as it?"
"Huh? Well... I guess I never really tried. But what does that ha-" Snowball's fist connects with Indie face making him stumble back almost to his back.
He looks towards Snowball who's jumping lightly on his feet. He still wears that same smile on his face and he know wield fist. In retrospect, Indie probably should of saw that coming when he had asked how fast he can move. Well, looks like it's time to test out that theory.
Indie gets ready as he rightens himself. As fast as water...
He takes a deep breath.
"Alright come at-"
Snowball is directly in his face with his fist in Indie's gut. He's lifted off the ground a bit and soon he's flying backwards with a hurting fist and Snowball with an outstretched arm.
"You need to be faster if you want to use all of that strength of yours. You got to remember, there are a lot of faster creatures in the world that want to eat you and fight you as well. You just can't train for Celestia. Even when you defeat Celestia, they'll be creature there to fight you for revenge and to take over." Snowball says rolling his shoulders.
Indie gets up holding his chest. He knows he's right, but does that really mean that the method of training have to be beating the crap out of him in hopes he'll get faster. He wipes a bit of blood off his lip and lets the water run across the skin from nearby dew.
"Raging river... raging river... fast rapids..." He doesn't let his eye sight leave Snowball's body.
Yet, he can't keep sight of him. His fist comes and he's able to duck under it barely, but soon a knee makes sure that his training is merely beginning.
Caleb can't help but think that there is something completely wrong with his situation. He's pretty sure he was just laying in bed not even a couple of minutes ago.
An apple connects with his head and a orange and banana with his chest. He grunts as bruises start showing up on his body. This has to be the fifth round of fruit or something hitting him. At least he can say he's getting slightly better.
In a sense that he's no longer being pelted.
"React faster." A invisible Strider yells out from around him, "Remember, everything around you is slow and only you are fast!"
Oh yes. The constant reminder of what they're training for.
Caleb got flipped out of his bed and than dragged out being told that they were going to increase his speed to the best it can be. Of course Caleb responded with violence and cursing. But it was soon subdued by having his butt handed to him. So with a few upset grumbles, he groggily accepted the task at hand. I say groggily because he's basically still half asleep.
"I know I know..." Caleb says looking around him.
He really wishes he knew where that Neko bastard was hiding. He'd like to light a fire on his feet and see how much fast her can make him. A rock comes sailing out and nearly pelts Caleb in the head. He moves out of the way at the last second and dives down under another apple. Soon his back is pelted with an assortment of different hard and soft objects.
"I know you're having fun with this is what I mean!" Caleb yells angrily as he gets back up with a sore back.
"Than stop making it so easy." Strider says as he appears for a moment, "Plus, this is a blessing from me. I could've just gone with Snowball's plan, but I decided to give you a break.
"And what's that suppose to mean huh?" Caleb asks hitting his own chest, "Don't think I'm tough enough."
"No. I figured you would like it if you stopped getting beat up all the time. But if you're really that jealous... we could switch things up."
"NO! Er. No... I'm good. Let's uh... keep up the fruit challenge." Caleb says rubbing a few bruises he knows are still there from last time.
"Figured as such. Now. Put your guard up and remember."