And So It Begins...

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I wake up to the sound of birds and a breeze through leaves. My brain is foggy and fuzzy, not wanting to work right it seems. For a moment I think it’s just normal morning drowsiness, but then I get it. Why was I outside? The last thing I remember...wasn’t much to be honest. I couldn’t even remember going to sleep. I force my eyes open and see a tree canopy blotting the sky above me. So I really was outside, and with no tent above me. The trees look pretty ancient and big too, so this was probably a thick, old woods. I doubt I went to sleep here, willing or otherwise.

“Shit.” I grumble, freezing as I hear my own voice. I lift a hand to rub at my throat, but have to stop as giant metal claws get in my way. When I look down, I see a black, hide covered hand holding the grip of an enormous claw weapon of the same color. “What the hell?!” Sitting up, I see and hear more armor clacking over my entire body.

The claws reach all the way to my elbows, held tight by several thick belts on the inside. On my shoulders were two round pauldrons with a spike jutting out diagonally from the top. Thick, yellow cords of metal bind it to my silver chestplate, which is made of several plates held by the same kind of cord. Around my waist, a crotch guard that fanned out along the sides of my thighs for greater mobility, and my feet were covered in enormous shin guards. They had the same color scheme as my chest piece, and had to end abruptly due to my quite frankly absurdly shoe size, if I could wear any that is. Each of the three talons I had were equal to my hand in length, and my soles were probably a foot thick in places.

With a little work I undid the clasps on one arm, and flexed my free clawed hand in the air as I looked it over. Then, reaching up to my face, I could feel a long muzzle with a helmet over my head and strands of hair sticking out the back behind the stylish horns on top. I tugged some out, grunting from the pain, and saw that the strands were as yellow as my armor highlights. Feeling something shift on my back confirmed there being some kind of bifurcated shield back there.

A familiar shield, on a familiar-but-not body. My body now apparently.

“What the hell is going on?” I growl in shock.

The armor was incredibly advanced despite resembling a knight's attire. Even as I stood and turned in every conceivable direction to look at myself it was never cumbersome. The front of the chest also had lines and plating laid in a way that was decidedly technological. I could even reach back without much discomfort while wearing my gauntlets, allowing me to retrieve the two pieces of shield settled onto my back. I felt a brief resistance, perhaps from some kind of magnet, and then I pulled both pieces around to my front and clicked them together. I stared at the blank shield face, emotions and mind awhirl, before tiling it enough to let it’s polished surface reflect my face.

A BlackWarGreymon, from Digimon Adventure 02, stared back.

While not able to recall anything about how I got here, or to my growing horror, myself, I still indeed knew about this form. In fact I had startling recall over everything involving Digimon, the franchise and the true monsters themselves. BlackWarGreymon (BWG) in the second season had become a powerful foe and anti-hero in direct opposition to the Digidestined. Born from the black spires left over from the time of the Digi-Emperor, his unnatural birth made him seek purpose and reason in life. He nearly in fact brought the Digital World crumbling down from his need for an answer, and only redeemed himself near the end of his life. Struck down by the true enemy of the season, he valiantly sacrificed himself in order to seal the gate between worlds, hoping it would stop the villain. Sadly it failed, and even came to hinder the Digdestined during the final battle when trying to stop the bad guy. He would remain a notable character from the series overall, mostly as being WarGreymon’s opposite and a powerful enemy.

“But what does this mean…?” I ask out loud. Why was I BWG? I know I was human just hours ago; my memory was riddled with holes but I still knew things. Facts and information that told me I was human. That I came from a life where Digimon was just a cartoon, a fantasy. But as I tried to think back, I found myself bombarded with more and more data. Facts, figures, dates; It all kept pouring in, not just about humanity but Digimon in general. “Argh!” It hurts! Why does it hurt?! I feel my legs give out as I try to cradle my head and keep it from exploding. Too much information, it was just...too much!

“STOP IT!” I roar. “GET OUT OF MY HEAD!”

I blank out...and when I recover, the clearing has changed. I’m laying on my side for one, with my pauldron digging uncomfortably into my shoulder. My head feels light, empty almost, but there’s still a feel of something flowing around inside of it. It’s the hardest thing to describe; like I’d been colorblind and now could see correctly. I try to think of just one thing, and suddenly information about it flows to the forefront of my mind. When I stop, it goes back into the strange undercurrent. Trying to think of a comparison draws of thoughts of computers, the internet, and saved files on a hard drive. So basically my brain is now like a living computer; how fitting for a Digimon.

As I push myself up I look around to see the more physical changes my blackout rent. There are deep gouges all across the ground and surrounding trees, some hanging on by the barest of threads. One old and sturdy oak even creaks and slowly falls away from me as I watch. But the most startling thing, is the burning, circular path of destruction that sweeps down well over a hundred yards of demolished woodlands. I can only assume I used an attack, perhaps using what was it? Terra Destroyer? Thinking about it brings up confirmation in my mind. The strain of my brain shifting to its more organized form must have made me into a beserker for a moment. Thank god it’s over; the forest could have been totally destroyed if I had cut loose for more than just one attack like that.

“Great power means great responsibility.” I paraphrase a timeless saying. “God...I might not know why I am, but I have to watch it while I’m in this body.”

I take an hour or so to get more acquainted with my new form, and to try and guess where I might be. My height puts me in the range of seven to eight feet tall, and all of my physical skills are far above a human's. I can easily lift and cut several of the felled trees around, as well as leap high into the air and land without it hurting thanks to the muscles in my feet. To say nothing of the odd technology seemingly ingrained into my shield and armor that lets me fly. The shield simply needs to be split in two, and on my back, and I can easily command it to lift me up via some form of telepathy. My armor is all removable thankfully and I take a moment to simply enjoy the warm sunny day as a ‘naked’ Greymon. I’d say I was handsome given my muscle tone and hair, but it’s definitely a little odd to see I have something like a smoother, smaller Agumon head under my helmet. The woods I’m in span all around me in every direction, but while in the air I did spy several mountains to the east and southwest. More lay in every direction but these were the closest landmarks to navigate by. Nothing to tell me whether this was the Digital World or human one however. Finding out the answer to that would go a long way to helping me decide what to do next.

“Better go on foot for now.” I declare. If this was the human world seeing a flying monster would get me shot at or have folks fleeing. I also had a convenient direction to go by; the carved path of my wild attack pointed toward one of the nearby mountains, so I would follow it and hope for civilization. Requipping my gear, I set off, mind heavy yet with my heart light. This was an amazing adventure, after all, and telling myself that kept other worries at bay.

The trek was slow and uneventful for most of the time. My size caused issues once the trees came back together with my head reaching the lower limbs. Leaves would block my sight and several branches struck me as I tried pushing them out of the way. My feet also kept stumbling over roots and bushes too, further aggravating some of the slipups I made. But I soldiered on; My decision against flight still stood for as long as I didn’t know the world I was in. Unfortunately I could feel the hours pass, and the longer I spent in the woods, the more I felt I’d picked the wrong direction.

That changed when I spotted smoke through the canopy ahead. It was still a fair distance off, but seeing it meant I had at last found civilization. Or perhaps a simple camper, but that might be better for me. Easier to handle introductions after all when you only have one person to worry about. I pushed on, but froze as the wind changed. I could smell something coming from ahead. It had been hidden until now but, now...that wasn’t good smoke. Ash, blood, decay; someone was under attack, maybe even a town! I strained my hearing forward and sure enough, there was screaming, and a terrifying roar.

“Shit!” Time to forgo caution and go full speed ahead. I power up the jets and shoot up into the air, dashing forward with a kick. I’ll contemplate how that worked later. Without the trees slowing me I reach an antiquated looking village in seconds, seeing fires covering the ground and consuming several buildings. Ruined walls and carts litter the streets, and figures are rushing through the shadows of alleys and under rubble. I see the problem behind all of this too; a shadow swoops over the village and lets loose a terrible roar that vibrates inside my helmet. I look up and see a dragon. “...the fuck?!”

The beast was easily more than twice the size of any building in the village, his wingspan matching his length if not more. Scales a deep purple, almost black, with a mane of charcoal black hair that rolled down his neck like a mohawk. His eyes were a sickly yellow, madness dancing in them, and his fire was a vibrant purple. He was doing fly-bys of the village at the moment, but it was obvious he’d done a lot of groundwork before from all the marks and pawprints in the earth below. Yet what unsettled me the most was that I was certain he wasn’t a Digimon. Dragons, real fire breathing lizards like him, didn’t exist right? Hell now I really don’t understand where I am.

But first thing’s first. With a sharp whistle I catch its attention. “Hey ugly! Over here!” It turns to look at me, hovering over a building he’d just set on fire. “Leave this village alone or else.”

Not the best threat, and his reply growl showed how little he was cowed. I’d still drawn his attention however and he flapped his wings to dive at me. With my size and greater maneuverability I easily dodge, and then turn to point one of my claws at him. “That was your one free shot bub. I might be new to this body, but it sure as hell isn’t lacking in skills. Turn and fly off or I’ll test them on you.”

It was technically true. While I couldn’t recall any personal experience with fighting, there were instincts and instructions flowing through my brain now that told me how to battle. All the strengths and weaknesses that came with being a BlackWarGreymon, as well as some primal instinct to fight no matter the foe. I guess fighting came naturally to Digimon, especially a Mega like I am. It’s what told me to drop to the ground when the dragon reared its head back, narrowly avoiding the fire it breathed at me.

My hands barely touched the ground before I push off, zooming up toward him like a cannonball. I take the open stance it has to deliver a powerful kick that dents its scales and belly, which makes it howl in surprise. It clearly didn’t expect me to be so strong. When it tries to swipe at me with a claw, I use one of mine to bat it away, and then kick out again to send it to the ground. Its impact wrecks another building and sends several teetering on the edge into rubble. But the dragon just gets up and roars, more pissed than ever.

“Rawr.” I taunt. “What’s wrong buddy - never fought a Digimon before? Have I got some surprises for you.”

It kindly replies with a section of wall it picks and tosses up. I dodge out of the way, and then avoid a second before flames consume me. I raise my arms to block my eyes and ride out the flamethrower. My armor through this warms up notably, but to my surprise, I hardly feel it beyond that. What should I thank; my Black Chrome Digizoid armor, my natural draconic traits, or Digimon durability? Either way, the purple flames burst apart when I sweep my arms out, and my foe’s expression is priceless. I smirk.

“You’re fucked.”

I laid a beatdown on the beast for several minutes after that. It’s tough scales and large size let it take quite a beating from me, but also left it open to almost all of my attacks. Nothing it did in return hit; I could see every claw swipe from miles away, and I’d already proven its flame ineffective. Didn’t stop it from trying twice more, but I ploughed through each time and kicked it in the jaw. Once, it managed to smack me with its tail, and I’ll admit he sent me flying. But it left no marks and my retaliation made me laugh. It’s not everyday you can replicate the Bowser fights from Super Mario 64. It wrecked more of the village however, which dampened my mood. I could only hope the villagers had all long fled from the area by now.

With a stomp I slammed down on its muzzle, forcing it to bite its own tongue and sending the head flopping down like a ragdoll. Bruises were visible all over its body and rivers of blood were seeping from all the orifices of its head. In human terms I’d say it was looking at several broken bones, a concussion, severe internal bleeding, and perhaps a life with dentures. The dragon however, again, simply pushed itself back up and roared at me while staggering like a drunk. I shake my head.

“What the hell is it going to take to keep you down?” I mutter angrily and cross my arms. “Even a mad dog would know better by this point than to keep fighting, so why…”

The dragon roars, and flares its wings, preparing to no doubt scorch the entire road in flames. I pull the shield off from my back and hold it up, wanting to see how good it was this time. The fire parts around me with ease, and the force isn’t hard enough to push me back. I look up at the dragon, a taunt on my lips again, but it dies when I look into its eyes. This close I could make them out better, and I saw something my far off first observations had missed. They were empty as well as mad; whatever intelligence should have been behind them was clearly missing. An uneasy feeling grew in the pit of my stomach.

When it stops blowing, it collapses and gulps for breath. Its wounds weren’t so easy to ignore anymore, even if he kept pushing on so much. I slowly replace my shield, and look around at the village. Only a few buildings remained from our fight and his earlier rampage. So much wanton destruction, but what did it mean after seeing his soul so clearly dead? “The eyes are the windows to the soul.” I talk to it, knowing it couldn’t understand me. “But your eyes are dead. Empty. Bereft of feelings save for some mad frenzy that lead you here.” I look back at him, solemn as I intone, “A frenzy I bet isn’t even yours.”

The dragon, true to form, simply howls and claws its way drunkenly toward me in a charge. Up until now I’d been hitting him mostly with kicks and backhands, not wanting to kill needlessly. This time however, I raised one of my claws and channel an inner power into them.

”Dramon Killer.”

I swing my arm down and three blades of energy cut through the air. They speed past his head, and neatly sever its left wing from his body. It howls in agony, stumbles, and comes crashing down a few feet from me. Blood begins to pool in the street as I look on. When it sees how close I am, it forgets about the pain and tries to snap its jaw around me. I let it, mostly, until when it tries to clench its jaw. Then I grab it and dislocate so hard that I see the scales pop and shred along its mouth. It lets out a noise more comparable to a mewling kitten and this time pushes away from me.

“Whether or not you’re a mad dog - or a mindless puppet - it all ends the same way.” I declare. “You attacked this village and killed who knows how many. You die here, today, by my hand.”

For a second I think I see something flicker back into its eyes. Maybe the injuries have finally broken through to the mind under all the fury and insanity. Maybe I was wrong about it being completely mindless; a suppressed mind could recover if given enough of a jolt I theorize. But that flicker fades, and it opens its flopping jaw wider and starts to gather more flames. It would probably kill itself just by doing so, since it could easily splash back over itself, but what did he care? It probably would bathe the entire area in fire too, completely destroying the village at last.

”Dramon Killer!”

The fire flickers and dies, the dragon's eyes glazing over as death takes it. Like a falling tree it slowly tumbles, and when it crashes to the ground the head rolls away from the rest of the body, coming to a stop in front of me. I fight back the powerful urge to vomit. Having Digimon instincts help with that.

Shaking my head, I close the eyelid closest to me so I don’t have to look at it anymore. “Find peace in the afterlife, brother.” I pray for my fallen kin. At the end of the day, we’re both dragons of a sort. That’s close enough to mourn his passing, especially if he’d not been in his right mind this entire time. Maybe I could keep it in mind that this was a mercy kill too, once I had time to really analyze my first day in the life of a Digimon.

With the battle over, it was time to find a villager and hopefully endear myself to them for saving what I could. Slaying the dragon attacking them would hopefully stop any fright from my form for a while too. I tune an ear, trying to listen over the crackle of fire for any sounds out of place, when suddenly I hear a gasp when rubble shifts to my side. I look over and freeze in shock.

Looking back, is a short, young male pony.

Barely two feet tall at the tip of its head, his coat is a deep forest green with a faded grey mane full of ash. He was clearly hurt all over; cuts and blood coated his fur and one leg seemed to be too sensitive for him to put down directly. There was no horn on his head or wings on his back, but as I looked over his form more I could just about see something marking the sides of his hips. That alone told me enough about what he could be, as unbidden more memories surfaced to the forefront of my mind. Further driving me mad in trying to figure out just what the fuck was going on with me.

“How the hell…?” I say, reaching forward toward the little pony. I stop when it, he, screams and runs away, shouting at the top of his lungs with words I don’t understand.

This is too much; I have to get away. First I have amnesia, then I’m a Digimon, I fight off a freaking dragon, and now there’s another type of fucking cartoon character fleeing from me?! I kick on my jets and blast off into the sky, heading back into the woods as my breathing quickens.

What the fuck was happening?!

While direct knowledge of who I was eluded me, there were enough clues and hints in all the knowledge within me to point at certain facts. I was human, a guy, into girls, enjoyed television shows, books too, went through all the levels of school and college, had a job, etc. The key was finding the clues that pointed to these kind of things. I compared my mind to a computer earlier, but in this regard it was more akin to a book. There were pages that had more wear and tear to them; a feeling of being well worn and used in comparison to some others. It was no more apparent than between Human and Digimon data. The former had the most memories with fingerprints covering their surface, while the latter was cold, hard, and pristine.

So it was from this that I knew I’d watched Digimon as a series when I was a kid, and even some time into my teenage years. Facts about BlackWarGreymon were dogeared pages, while say, Bearmon required hitting the index to find. I also had watched such shows as Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Dragonball Z by the same logic. Granted that wasn’t too accurate; It wasn’t as if I had a whole library of human history in my brain. But anything I had ever touched on during my life seemed to have all the facts filled in that were missing, and it was staggering to think over how much was skimmed by me and probably the rest of humanity. A few good fucking gigabytes I’d wager, with no jpegs or other media files involved.

Thus we get to the point of my little freakout and subsequent flight from the village. It was less worn than most of my memories so it probably was more recent. But I still could recognize a My Little Pony character when I see one, since apparently I was something my memories called a ‘brony’. Amusing name really for a fan of the show. All told then that meant that my situation worked thusly: I awoke in the woods with no memory of myself, in the body of an iconic Digimon, slayed a real live dragon, and saved a village full of ponies from the series My Little Pony. That’s like, three crossovers all at once. Thinking about it still made me lightheaded. Trying to contemplate why this was happening made my head hurt so bad I could see spots.

After setting down I’d found the nearest river and shed my armor to wash up. I hadn’t known it at the time but likely one reason the little stallion, colt more like, had fled was because I was drenched in blood. Cutting the dragon’s head off had sprayed the stuff all over the place and turned my black armor and skin into a gross, sticky mess. Since I didn’t think I’d need to find out my own twelve uses for the stuff I started scrubbing it off. My hands did most of the work alone, and some leaves worked decent enough as a towel to scrub the worst bits. Once I deemed myself clean enough, I stood there in the current and let it flow past around my waist. I was reviewing everything I knew about Digimon and My Little Pony personally, and looking to see if something jumped out as being the cause of my condition. Closest anything came to that was from season four, Digimon Frontier that is, with Koji’s brother, Koichi. But while I could hardly claim to know, I didn’t think I was some sort of near-death spirit, or that this form was borrowed from another being. The fact I was in the land of Equestria was the driving point behind that. Wouldn’t I be in the Digital World if I was like Koichi? What did My Little Pony have to do with all of this? As far as I knew, this world didn’t even have the levels of technology needed to form a digital counterpart.

The sun began to set while I stood there ruminating on this strange adventure of mine. I hadn’t known it was this late, but then again, I didn’t know when I first woke up either. The sun’s position had not been on my mind. Then again, if Celestia moved the thing, perhaps it was high noon all day until the end. Something to see later when I had free time. I look down and see a few fish have gotten used to my standing still and were nipping at my hide. A flash of my hands and I snag two, before tossing them onto shore and grabbing another pair before they could move far away enough. Gotta love inhuman reflexes. I move out of the water and don my armor again so as to be equipped and then set about building a fire. I would camp out here for the night and go back tomorrow morning to see how the village was fairing. Even if they feared me I’ll still try to help; moving the corpse wouldn’t be easy and there was plenty of rubble to sift through. I’d show them I mean no harm, and from there figure out if it was just a regional thing or if that little colt really had been shouting in a different language. I could only hope there wasn’t a language barrier, since that would just makes things tedious.

I wonder how fish cooked over an open fire tastes?

“Ugh, I guess I better gut them…”

In the morning, like planned, I slowly flew back toward the little village. The fish had been filling, if not a little more like sushi with how raw I’d left them. At least I knew that my digital composition would make any diseases moot just in case. There was no smoke rising into the air so that was good at least, but now there seemed to be patrols of flying pegasi. As I neared, I could see something glinting in the sunlight, but from afar it was hard to say what. Not wanting to scare them again, I set down a few yards out inside the woods and worked the rest of the way on foot. No doubt they heard my approach, but again nothing you can do when a giant lizard in thick trees.

When I break through the treeline however, I could tell things were about to get serious. The village was full of soldiers decked in gold and dark blue armor. The patrols up above were pegasi in the same guards as the ones below, and as I emerged they all started shouting things. Nothing was said in english to my dissapointment. The golden guards seemed to pull back, taking many of the villagers with them, to safety. The dark blue guards moved forward to intercept me, all of them carrying spears or lighting horns if a unicorn. As I held up my hands to show I meant no harm, I spotted one very familiar colt being tugged along by a mare. He was pointing at me and shouting something, which made the mare even more terrified and had the nearby guards tensing. Shit, what did that mean?

One guard in especially detailed armor stepped forward and pointed her horn at me. She barked a command, and again I couldn’t understand her. I think I got the gist however. “I mean you no harm.” I say, keeping my voice low and calm. “I’m the one who slayed the dragon yesterday. I saved this village.”

They all exchanged looks of confusion, snapping back to attention when their leader ordered them to. She started talking to me, and by the hostile tone and her glowing horn I could guess things were only going downhill. “I can’t understand what you’re saying you know.” She stomps a hoof and keeps talking. My eyebrows furrow as something in her words feels oddly familiar. It all connects when she beckons one officer forward, who has a saddlebag full of rope that he begins to wind out.

They were trying to arrest me!

“Hold on a minute!” I shout, stepping closer against the spears rising and horns priming. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing? I killed the fucking dragon - I can still see it from here even!” I point to the corpse, which indeed is still laying on the street it fell on. My words however seem to make the captain or whatever angry, as her expression darkens and she steps back.

A shout sees all the unicorns firing off spells at me. I panic, covering my head and bracing for something like stunners or disarming techniques. What I get instead is several, comical pings as the spells reflect off my armor and fly back at the casters or into the air. In the shocked silence after that, I lower my arms and look around. One or two unicorns are knocked out, but the rest of the guards are all looking at me in shock, some even horror. The mare captain looks poleaxed, but shakes it off before I can do something. Another command has the guards raising their spears and that’s when I decide to react.

”Black Tornado!” A rapid spin of my body calls up a dark tornado of energy, battering the guards away and destroying all of their spears. The captain herself goes flying the farthest, having moved in closer than the rest, and as I slow I see her slide to a halt. Some of the pegasi still in the air shout in worry over their companions. I know however that they’re all just either knocked out or stunned. I barely put anything into that attack for just that reason.

“Back off!” I order, glaring at the ponies still up. “I’m not some pushover - I’m not even here to fight you all dammit!” One brave fool decides to dive bomb me from behind, but I see his shadow and step aside at the last second as he crashes. I pick him up and make sure nothing’s broken, before tossing him onto another stallion nearby. “Fucking perfect…”

Of course, with things already spiralling out of control, you just know it’s only going to keep rolling along.

A powerful, bone rattling shout echoes over the village and sends many hooves over ears to block it out. For me it was just as bad; my hearing was likely stronger than theirs, and my helmet resonates with it enough to make my skull ache. I manage to keep from flinching or showing anything outward as I turn to find the source of the yell. Princess Luna, in all her glory, lands with a earth shaking boom about ten feet from me, decked in resplendent armor themed to the night. It wasn’t too unlike how Nightmare Moon’s armor looked; black instead of light blue, and the helmet was replaced with a sort of ‘battle’ tiara. She looks around at the fallen guards and shoots me a look of pure hatred.

“!!!” She barks words at me in The Royal Canterlot Voice, actually pushing some of the ponies near her back and making me really want to find some earplugs. It’s like standing next to a massive speaker at a concert with horribly feedback screeching through it. Of course just like everyone else there’s a failure to communicate, and it has nothing to do with her yelling.

“They started it.” I whine childishly, knowing there’s no point trying to argue. Luna’s face turns perplexed for a moment, before she snorts and paws the ground. “Oh, not you too…” I sigh.

Indeed she ignites her horn and fires off a spell at me. I lift an arm to block it, but to my shock it actually lands and sticks where it strikes. Ice begins to blossom and spread over the gauntlet, until I raise my other arm and smash it off. Luna says something else, and then proceeds to fire several of the same, hah, ice blue spells at me. Some of them land at my feet and ensnare them, while others strikes my arms again. I smash and flail to keep the worst of it all from affecting me, but her rapid spellwork soon has me stiff as a statue under at least three feet of crystal clear ice.

My eyes follow her as she turns away and begins looking at some of the unconscious guards. She obviously thinks I’m under lock and key now, but oh boy was she wrong. With a flex of my muscles, I brute force my way out of the ice in a shower of shards. I even roar to get her attention, which causes her to whirl and gape at my cold, but ice-free self. “That’s actually pretty good work.” I compliment her, casually brushing a pauldron off. “The fact the magic stuck to me must mean something too. I bet being an alicorn has perks when facing a Digimon.”

My casual nonchalance only irks her greater than before. She fires up a massive spell that sends sparks shooting off the tip of her horn, and then blasts it toward me. I reply by catching it...somehow...in my hands. With her staring slackjawed at my move, I hastily look at how the hell I’m even doing this. A thin shell of energy seems to be resting over my palm, containing the spell without setting it off. Not wanting to push my astounding luck further, I chuck it off to the side, where it safely detonates on a poor tree. Correction, a poor ice sculpture; I have the feeling it’s been frozen down to a layer that it can no longer be called a tree. She was going to blast me with something like that?!

“...You’re already pulling out the big guns, I can tell.” I deadpan. Facing her, I see another spell coming up on her horn and decide it’s time to get physical. I blast off with the help of my jets and soar up to her before her next incantation’s finished. She reels back, but I grab ahold of her horn and yank her head down into a rising knee. The impact shatters the tiara and I hear a few bones go crunch. Then, while still dazed from all of this, I toss her into a building, and she sails out the other end before impacting the far wall of another. “Have a taste of what I can dish out then!” I shout toward her.

With my eyesight I can see her getting up and casting a green aura over her face. The blood from her mouth and nose remain, but she no longer resembles a Picasso piece. The act of doing so makes her scream in rage, and she flies into the air and charges another big spell. This one is red, and violent with its discharge. Thinking fast I pull back a hand and charge up a ball of energy over the tip of my metal claws. “Terra Destroyer!” It’s much smaller and compact than the normal form of my attack, and it zips up at ten times the speed because of this. Her spell flies directly into its path and explodes harmlessly in mid-air, but then she comes flying out of the cloud with hooves forward. Instead of dodging I pull a risky maneuver by waiting until she’s within reach. When she’s only a foot or so away, I turn to the side, grab her hind legs, and spin until I can swing her overhead and into the ground. Her body leaves a crater from the velocity she was going and more bones snap loudly along her legs and chest. I got the feeling her armor was now more hazardous than helpful.

Princess Luna is wheezing weakly as I step back, giving her space to heal and regain her bearings. I might be willing to strike hard, but if I can still resolve this peacefully I’ll give it a chance. “Stand down, Princess Luna.” I order, voice stern. “I’m strong enough to face a dragon and wipe the floor with it. I’m certainly more than a match for you as well if this continues.”

She says something, but the wheeze it comes out in muddles the context. I’m not sure if she’s cursing me or saying something agreeable. She tries to stand as well, but one leg looks to be bent wrong and she can’t put much weight onto it. Make that two, as she cries out and nearly breaks her front legs again from the effort. After a little more struggle I decide to show pity and reach down to lift her up. She protests yet calms when she realizes I’m not sinking my claws into her. I take that as a good sign.

“See? I’m not the bad guy here Princess.” I say. “Let’s just take a deep breath and talk this out, alright?”

Too late do I notice that the aura around her horn has darkened. Or that she’s gone eerily still in my grip. As I start to set her back down, the earth under me rumbles and blasts up in a pillar of rock. It smashes into my chestplate and knocks the wind out of me, sending me up into the air like a ragdoll and releasing Luna from my grip. The world spins around me for several seconds before I try stop, but by then she’s thrown another spell my way in the form of numerous floating pieces of rubble. Each blasts me higher into the air, knocking me akimbo again. I only stop at what must be eighty feet in the air because one fragment of wall slamming into my back. I shake my head, trying to focus, and see that there are several more rocks circling me.

“Aw fu-!”

She slams them all into me, cocooning my body in stone before it is shot down at critical velocity from above. Then she forces it to go even faster, and like a meteor I impact the ground somewhere within the forest. Dazed, bruised and ears ringing I stumble out of my shell while swiping wildly at the air around me. “Dammit! That fucking hurt!” I shout angrily, answered immediately by a haughty laugh as Luna flies in overhead. “Fuck you too then bitch! I tried for being nice - now I’m going to pound your damn ass into the next millennium!”

Jets fired and I flew up to meet her. She was obviously healed now and raring to go another round with me. Well the jokes on her; This time I wasn’t going to let her heal. She’ll be black, blue and red all over once I get my claws on that skinny ass of hers! And to open up my next can of whoopass, I swipe the air and send three claws of energy at her. She dives out of the way, but my other hand comes up and swings out more. This catches her off-guard, and a blue magical shield comes up to block. My energy claws knock her back a little but the shield holds, until I come shoulder charging in and shatter it like sugar glass. Her hooves scramble and strike against my armor to no avail, before I headbutt her and backhand her down into the forest. She vanishes into the undergrowth but doesn’t remain there for long. Two enormous trees uproot in auras of blue magic before they swing at me like giant clubs. My claws slice them in half, but that gives her four instead of two to beat me up with. A Black Tornado turns them into sawdust when I recover.

As the fight progresses, I find myself admitting that she was a more apt opponent than the first few blows led me to believe. While I was clearly more powerful physically, she had magic that could affect me and let her fight from long range. I wasn’t lacking in ranged attacks either, but her defenses were solid in holding most back. She was also much more quick and nimble in the sky than I thought; bobbing and weaving through whatever I didn’t simply flood the area with. But as the minutes passed the gap between us began to widen. Luna began resorting to more spells and shields as her stamina dropped, while I still felt fresh enough despite my few wounds to keep going full tilt. I also could tell that she was pulling on more and more of her power to fight me off, while I simply kept to the same pace I always had. Secretly I was amazed at how powerful this must make me compared to others in this world. If Princess Luna couldn’t keep up with me at this level, then honestly who could?

But I’d also started to get a bad feeling about all of this; bad luck and poor first impressions could only explain so much about her actions while fighting me. A lot of the high end spells she was casting at me now were borderline cataclysmic in terms of might. The forest around us had been torn and shredded beyond recognition, as well as given the full elemental treatment of fire, water, ice, lightning and earth. The entire region was likely suffering from the backlash of our clach, and it honestly worried me how some of them had come close to striking the village still within viewing distance from us. It was like she didn’t care anymore about collateral damage, and I found myself actually having to take hits and deflect them with my shield to avoid the worst from reaching any possibly civilians.

Speaking of, her latest spell was looking particularly nasty. Black lightning arched over her form as she built up a white ball of energy that it all condensed into. If I didn’t know better I’d swear it was some kind of...dark magic. The thought tickled a memory in my mind, which in turn led to another being nudged. I didn’t have the time to think about it however; pulling my shield off my back I hunker down to block it. If I moved there was every chance she’d hit the village at this angle, and this one looked to be the kind of thing you wreck a mountain with. Luna releases her spell with a roar of hatred and it lances forward faster than I can blink. When it hits my shield, I get sent back, way back, as it pushes and tries to pierce me. But even if her magic could affect me, it still was no match for the Black Chrome Digizoid of my armor, which doesn’t even conduct the black lightning through to the rest of me. As the spell begins to fizzle out, I realize I’m back on top of the village. Not a pony in sight; the guard had obviously evacuated everyone once the battle between me and their princess began. So at least I didn’t have to worry about blocking anymore then, which I sigh in relief over. Just then, Princess Luna comes flying over, panting and flapping her wings somewhat erratically.

“That took a lot out of you, huh?” I ask, looking at the front of my shield. Not even a scorch mark, although it feels a bit hot to the touch. “All for nothing too it seems. You’re not going to win this one Princess Luna.”

As I say her name, the memory that had tickled at my brain earlier finally comes back up. My eyes narrow as I think over what it contains, and then I come up with a way to test my theory. Aside from being a Virus type, there was another notable feature to being the counterpart of WarGreymon. While we too could draw on the energy of the world around us for attacks, my powers allowed me to tap into a second energy source. I have felt it lingering in the back of my mind, whispering, calling to me even. It wanted to be used while so much of it was in the air around me, and for the first time I decide to call on the darker aspect of my new form. Lifting a hand up, I turn it upside down and cup my claws a little as I begin to draw in this new energy. From the air, land, and everything besides me come thin wisps of black miasma. With how slow and careful I am, you can almost hear whispers coming from each strand, saying dark and terribly things just beyond being legible. It pools into the area above my hand, forming a dark orb of power that grows as I begin to mix it with the more natural energy I’ve been using.

But I pay my charging attack little notice. My focus is instead on the Princess of Equestria ahead of me, and how my power is affecting her. Sure enough, after I begin to draw it in she squawks and drops, nearly falling out of the air. The thickest swaths of black miasma are pouring out of her toward me, and I can see distortions in the air as they pass parts of her body. Like a hazy mirage an image barely begins to overlap Luna’s where the darkness is thickest, the detail standing out enough for me to make them out. Black fur, light blue armor, pale starry mane, slit pupils.

“...Or should I say, Nightmare Moon?”

Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon hisses at me, an odd duality to her voice as the mirage of her inner self overlaps with the outer shell. So I wasn’t just in Equestra; I was about a thousand years too early to see the events of the show. Going by how the mare in front of me was acting, I’d say I’m close to the breaking point that leads to her being sealed away too. Just my luck to come across her and agitate the slumbering demon inside.

No matter, this would still end in my favor. “Funny thing about BlackWarGreymon.” I comment, still building up my attack my blending the two energies over my hand. “We’re the exact same as a normal WarGreymon in terms of base stats. The data says then we should be evenly matched, but that’s not true at all. Kind of like how you and Princess Celestia - sisters, co-rulers - aren’t so evenly matched at all. A shame she couldn’t be here because I bet then I’d have a real challenge on my hand.”

Luna, seemingly picking up on my taunt, tries to blast me with a beam of ice. I smack it aside with my free hand and continue my little lecture.

“You see, I’m a Virus type, and that’s given me access to something very powerful. Dangerous, but powerful. Like my counterpart I can draw on the ambient energy of the planet around me, but on top of that...I can draw out another source of potent energy. Every living thing experiences it at one point or another in their life, and unlike some emotions, these can often cling to places long afterwards. Sometimes forever if heavy enough.

“I’m talking, of course, of negative emotions. Fear, Anger, Hatred, Despair, Rage, Doubt, even Pride…” I chuckle, feeling that very emotion coming in hot and strong from her. “After all, if one is too prideful, they’ll often do terrible things as a result of it. For you though...ahh yes, I can sense the jealousy, the sadness emanating from your heart. So much anger and hatred for me too - not that I blame you completely. But you’ve let something very nasty spawn inside of you Luna, and while I’m not about to change the future if I can help it, I think defeating you will be okay. They’ll just have to wait a few more days at worst before your little temper tantrum kicks in for real.”

Lifting my arm up over my head, I let the ball of compact energy I’ve been preparing begin to expand. It doubles, triples, quadruples in size within seconds, until I’m holding a miniature sun flecked with black streaks bigger than I am. Luna’s eyes comically widen to immense proportions as she takes in the sheer scale of my attack, before she charges a new attack to counter mine. I just laugh.

“It won’t do you any good against this one. Terra Destroyer!” I announce, throwing it overhand at her.

My attack sails over to her faster than she can prepare. Just before she’s obscured I can see the aura on her horn changing to a pure white, and then she’s to the far left of where she was. My ball of caustic negative and ambient energy sails past and plows itself into the ground, digging out a deep trench as it moves without slowing for a second. I feel a deep sorrow in my heart at the sight of such fertile land being ruined by my own hand, but take comfort that Luna herself had already damaged it greatly. Then, just as it starts to pass beyond the horizon, it detonates.

The explosion that results from my attack obliterates everything within half a mile of the epicenter. The cloud of hot ash and lightning rises far above the lazy little clouds floating around, and the shockwave rocks even me when it finally gets back to our position. I hold my breath, stunned, and look over to Luna who is also looking as shocked as I am. I’d just done even more damage to the landscape than we had together over the whole course of the battle.

“...You know, I might be willing to reconsider the whole ‘being arrested’ thing after doing that.” I point toward the mushroom cloud, voice deadpan. Princess Luna simply stares at me agog.

Suddenly there’s a crackle of fire behi-

I blank out for an indeterminate amount of time and regain my senses while in a hole about twenty feet deep and three feet wide. There are licks of flames all around me, trying to burn my flesh, but my hide and armor aren’t affected. I still pat myself down and try to stand up, only for a wave of fire to shoot down from the opening and turn my surroundings into a kiln. It’s all I can do to hold my arms up and crouch under my shield in the limited space I have. When it abates I can see parts of my armor are red from the heat, and not wanting to risk another flame bath I fly out of the hole to find the attacker.

Oh, oh of course it’s her. Princess Celestia in all splendor is hovering right beside her little sister, looking down at me with the deepest look of anger and hatred she can muster. A glance at Luna tells me she’s managed to vanish the last traces of Nightmare Moon, and looks aptly weary and frightened while talking to Celestia in hurried whispers. It doesn’t take a computer brain like mine to know what’s going on; Little Lulu is lying through her teeth and painting me as the monster. Since I can’t even talk to them it means that there’s no getting out of this by talking to the more rational, demon-less, peaceful sister. Could I take on two alicorns at once? It would be a disadvantage in numbers, but aside from taking more hits I could probably...wait, what’s Celestia doing?

Oh shit…

From a saddle I hadn’t noticed, the elder sister begins to pull out six jewels, each of which begins to float in the air around her. Five of them are simply colored generic ones, similar to a Rupee from Legend of Zelda. The sixth however is a six pointed purple star, which takes its place overtop Celestia’s horn at the center of the formation. While fittingly freaking out and sweating bullets, I see her try to offer half of them over to Luna. Luna though flinches back, as if struck, and if it wasn’t for Celestia keeping her eyes firmly on me I’m sure she would have seen it too. The younger sister says something that seems to make Celestia, reluctantly, take them all herself, and she flies down to land daintily on the ground in front of me.

Her muzzle moves and I can tell that she’s passing sentence on me. Dozens of scenarios and plans pass through my brain as I try to think of a way out of this, but then one thought in particular hangs over me. I might not remember who I was exactly, but someone out there did. I had a family back home, friends too, and the longer I stayed here the more they might think I’m dead. Through my alien anatomy and digital build, I remain fully aware of the panic attack gripping me as my breathing increases and my vision narrows. But then comes to the surface something else; I had held it back for so long now but no more. All the negativity swirling around me, flowing through me, began to rise in force as my own thoughts dipped into that realm. I was gripped with freezing Terror, heart wrenching Despair, and so…so much Rage.

“I WILL NOT. BE. SEALED!” I roar, my power flooding out and whipping up the air around me. The ground trembles and cracks as I draw it in, an endless cycle that builds up rapidly until Celestia and Luna are being pushed back. “I HAVE DONE NO WRONG! I CAME HERE TO HELP, AND THIS IS THE REPAYMENT I RECEIVE? NO! I WOULD RATHER KILL YOU ALL THEN LOSE EVERYTHING!”

My mind is at war with itself, but my course is set in. I raise my arms and begin preparing the largest, most destructive Terra Destroyer I can muster. It quickly blossoms past the size of my body, and starts reaching building height before Princess Celestia begins her own counterattack. The Elements of Harmony begin to swirl and glow around her wings, and her horn charges up with immense blinding power. Much like an episodes of Dragonball Z, we are clearly about to clash attacks.

In seconds I’ve gathered all the negative energy I could and piled it into the ambient that makes up the core of my attack. Now as large as the dragon I slayed, it’s a boiling mass of orange and black that flares up along the surface like a miniature sun. “Embrace death in my dark star, Princess! Mega Destroyer!” I howl.

I throw it at the solar royal and it carves a trench as it dips down toward her. Just after it blocks her from my sight, I see a rainbow of lights shine from the other side, and my attack halts. Seconds pass in agonizing wait as they duel it out. Would my attack win over the Elements? Or could they purify it of half its power and plow through toward me? It would seem it was Option C, as my own attack begins to fly back until I’m holding it with my hands again. Growling, snarling and cursing madly I push back, energy coursing over my arms as I try to keep it stable enough to push back.

We seem evenly matched, with my death ball holding strong against the endless rainbow of the Elements. But I know I can win this; the Elements couldn’t keep going forever, or if not them than Celestia would surely faint from the strain. Then I could-

An icy blast strikes my head and nearly blows my helmet off. Dazed, I turn to look where it came from, and see Princess Luna. Her look is vicious and the thing of nightmares, only growing as my horrible realization likely shows on my face. In the split second I’d taken to look at her, combined with the stun of the blow, I’d let my focus on the clash fade. With a high pitched keen my attack detonates, and I’m sent flying back on a river of colors that wrackes my entire body in pain. Shockingly however I’m still alive, and moving, so even as it washes over me I slowly push myself up. Princess Luna looks understandably horrified now herself.

“I won’t...let you…!” I try to talk, but my tongue feels funny. I try to push myself up from where I’m kneeling, but my left foot isn’t responding. Looking down, I feel dread as my skin notable shifts from black to grey, the petrification taking hold at last after fighting my natural immunity to magic. “No! No no no no no! Nooooo!” Despite my screaming I know I can’t escape now. My armor isn’t activating my jets and over a quarter of me looks to be stone now. Again I’m taunted and mocked by Luna as she grins, and I send her the most hateful glare I can muster.

“You’ve ruined any chance...any chance I had of returning home!” I growl. “I swear, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, I will make you pay! Do you hear me! I will-”

The stone reaches my head, and it’s lights out.

The Amalgamated Monster

View Online

The Royal Gardens of Canterlot were far more than a field of flowers and trees. Numerous artistic displays and specialized habitats filled the area, with recreational fields for polo, tennis and other sports scattered between them. Animals from across the world had been moved into the area as well, and special animal caretakers and gardeners worked around the clock to ensure the health and well-being of their charges. While some of the places were closed to the public, or limited to special events, there remained numerous locales that were populated throughout the day by ponies. One especially popular landmark was the giant hedge maze that took up the center of the sprawling complex, and the statue garden tucked off to one side. Tours would pass through the maze via marked paths, revealing the hidden wonders inside to awed tourists. As for the statues; while having declined in visits over the years, schools would often come to see it for important history lessons about famous ponies. That and it was always an easy way to get little fillies and foals interested by turning a lesson into a field trip.

Today, the lucky group of children to visit had come from Ponyville, yet what was not so lucky was their impact in the hours to come. Three wild little fillies, their personalities diverse and clashing loudly before a certain statue, had unknowingly ignited a spark that had long been simmering for well over a millenia. Even as they left, guided by their exasperated teacher, the tiny hairline crack upon the face of the statue began to crinkle and stretch. Spreading, crackling like fireworks, it snaked its way down a likewise body until every inch of its surface was more akin to a jigsaw puzzle than a marble bust. What’s worse was that this comparison, on an already mismatched body, did indeed further excite the magic clawing its way out, until finally with a burst the mad creature inside was free.

To the trumpeting call of kazoos and slide whistles Discord broke free. The draconequus yawned and stretched, wiggling like a noodle as he worked out the strain of a thousand years. “Oooh, my back~” He groans. “I’ll certainly never laugh before I snap if this is what I get. Good grief…” Taking off his arm, he gave it a good shake with the other before repeating it with the first. With a casual curl of his tail he began to float above the pedestal, and nabbed both of his legs and inspected them for blemishes. “Hm, did I always have a cloven hoof? I swore I changed it out for a newer model.” He muses, getting a kick in the face from the offended limb. “Sorry, sorry, you’re beautiful just like any other hoof.” He hastily appeases.

After finishing his checkup, he then swirled up further into the air and posed dramatically. “And now…Chaos!” He cries, before pausing. Suddenly he’s bent over with his paw and claw scratching furiously at his face, a deep whimper escaping his lips. “Ooh, ooh, ooh! Oh by Me it’s so itchy! My nose is sooo itchy!”

Once that was finished, the now muzzle-less amalgamation sighs through his free floating lips in bliss. “Ahh, that’s the ticket. Now then...where was I really this time?” Slapping his lips back onto the nub of his face, he pulls on them and a new muzzle stretches out with an elastic groan. He snaps a talon, creating a massive scroll, and as he unrolls it the thing flows down the path and begins navigating the maze in its free time. “Break free, check. Inspect self for any lingering, ugh, ‘Harmony’, check. Scratch my itchy, itchy nose, trrriple check!” He trills. “Oh this is simply going perfect for me so far! What’s next...take over Equestria? Why, that sounds like a capital idea Discord my boy! But I’ll have to deal with those pesky Elements too before I do. Wouldn’t want Celestia and Luna being an even bigger party pooper...but what’s this?”

Tilting his head, the wavy blue horn on his head began to quiver and hum. “The Element’s aren’t with her anymore, how interesting.” He sniffs the air, peeling a bit of it off to lick on his tongue before the gap in reality seals itself. “Very interesting in fact. Did Celestia find some little ponies of her to actually use them in her stead? You’re slipping in your old age my dear. I’ll have to plan something especially fun for them then.”

Suddenly, his other horn began to vibrate as well, picking up a third interesting magical signature. “Whaaat? Oh you can’t be serious!” He chuckles. With a swirl of his body it shifts into a bearded, red and yellow eyed bloodhound, sniffing its way down the path. The scroll he’d unrolled earlier seemed to guide him along the way, up and under numerous statues of ancient ponies, all of whom began to animate or turn into colorful works of his likeness. It wasn’t until he reached the very end of the statue garden, well onto the edge of the entire complex, that he found the end of the scroll. It had wrapped itself several times around the base of another pedestal like his own. Turning back into his draconequus form, he hums and rubs a paw under his chin. “Well, and just who might you be my dear fellow?”

The pedestal itself was only two feet tall but thrice that around, sporting a giant statue that would tower over even Celestia if the figure was standing. It was kneeled as if before royalty, but the tilt of its head had it looking up, not down. Furthermore, while blurred by the quality of the stone, there was no mistaking the hateful countenance it bore to whatever it was viewing. It’s draconic build made it seem demonic, but what really derived that emotion, was the aura of negative emotions that lingered in the air here.

For Discord, that aura was not an illusion, but a very real thing. “So I’m not the only one you’ve been sicking the pigeons on, eh ‘tia? Nasty little winged rodents. I think the first thing I’ll do is turn them all into Dodo’s and make them extinct.” He growls, before lightening up again. The glowing amalgamation circled in the air around the statue. “But what to do about you? I certainly don’t want any competition, oh no, but then again it would be mean to leave a fellow stoner out here by your lonesome.” Discord taps and tugs at his beard, weighing the pros and cons. A clock begins to tick beside him, the little face depicting a tiny Discord with his arms moving backwards. Then, from a tiny door above the clock face, a dumpy little Celestia plushie springs out and begins to go ‘coocoo’! “Ahah! I could have a minion! How delightful - I could even saddle him with daily bouts of fear and terror once I establish my kingdom of Chaos here and go about toying with the rest of the world. I’m sure this fellow would be more than up for the task.”

Transforming the cuckoo clock into a hammer and chisel, Discord dons a painter outfit and begins humming a pleasant tune. Hovering closer to the statue, he slithers and curls around it, inspecting the surface for any flaw he can exploit. To his surprise, there appears to be plenty, and he tsk’s derisively. “Oh dear, dear, dear what terrible craftsmanship. Non non, this simply will not stand!” He snootily declares in a faux french accent. “Zut! It must be destroyed! Hon hon baguette!”

And with that terrible line, the hammer strikes down atop BlackWarGreymon’s head.

Being imprisoned in stone sucked. While I had no memory of my time stuck inside my own armor and skin, there had always been a part of me that could feel the passing. Days becoming weeks, months turning into years, decades rolling into centuries. I later compared it to having a computer in sleep mode; the system was ready to go from where it last left off, but was dormant until you pressed a key. It would have been maddening if again I had memories of this state. Instead, I went from raging at the royal sisters, to a very loud clink that rattled through my empty brain.

As my mind awoke from the jolt, I could feel my body becoming free as stone crumbled away around my form. There was a lot of it to get rid of though, and I could feel that something was wrong even before it really came to me why. It felt like something crucial had been taken from me; more than just the chance to return before it was too late, it felt like a chunk of me was gone. As the stone crumbled further, that feeling only grew, until finally with it all gone I was laying there half blind and too weak to even talk.

A towering shadow blotted out the sunlight and was speaking gibberish. The voice was familiar to me; a distant memory struggling to come back up through my addled mind. A too-big finger came down and poked my face, the voice growing snide as they kept up their prodding. Weakly, I growled and tried to bite at him, but my voice was far too high-pitched, and my mouth barely moved enough for even my vocal protest. Something was indeed wrong with me, and I had to figure out what.

Suddenly there was a snapping sound, and my brain felt like it’d been kicked. I physically reeled, and the giant figure-

“Can you hear me now?”

...wait, I do know that voice!

Like a switch, my brain and body finally began to stop dilly dallying and set to right all of my senses. My vision cleared, showing Discord floating before me, at a size far beyond what he should be. I was not a little Digimon; a BlackWarGreymon ranged between eight to nine feet in height, and I was certain I’m around the latter. Looking down however I couldn’t see anything of my body, just a black blob that I could feel was actually my jaw...and my stomach? The latter dropped out from under me as I linked this fact with data in my memories. Somehow, I had reverted back all the way to my lowest form, a Fresh level Digimon named Botamon. I was little more than a fist-sized head, with great big solid yellow eyes, and two wiggly tips that acted as my ears. I now understood what it was that I was missing; all of my power was gone, taking with it the body I had just started getting used to.

Looking back up, I saw that Discord was talking to me, but even if I could somehow understand him now, it had all flown over my head. “...not quite what I was expecting. A shame really - I rather liked the idea of an evil minion.” Wow, fuck you buddy. I think he just spent the past minute insulting my looks or something. “Still - Enjoy your newfound freedom little guy! I hope you like what I do with the place. Things are about to get…plaid.” From behind his back he dons a pair of sunglasses, and then revs the air while sitting as if on a bike. Sure enough, his tail emits a small cloud of grey smoke, and I hear an engine roar before he shoots off into the air toward the south.

“...” As a Botamon, my vocal chords were too simplistic for more than baby noises as communication. Still, I was speechless at my brief introduction to the mad quack. I get the feeling I just avoided something I wanted nothing to do with, but I’ll still thank him if I ever get the chance for freeing me. At least now I could move and plan...although what I should do next was a damn good question.

With Discord free the chaos he was going to cause would blanket my actions for at least a day or so. I could probably slip out of Canterlot and make my way through the wildness, although being so small and weak meant I’d be open to attack from ponies and critters. There was also my new vendetta against Celestia and Luna, but I wasn’t so sure if holding onto my hatred was wise. Thanks to the sudden shift in emotions, I was able to look back on my state during those final moments and better recognize my own slip-ups during that fight. Most important of all, I wasn’t too sure if all the anger and hatred that had engulfed me at the end was my own. One of the biggest dangers that came with my ability to harness negative energy was that, if fallen too far into them myself, I’d be consumed. It’s one reason why I hadn’t used them until near the end, first as an example, and then out of necessity to combat the Elements of Harmony. But there was a definite moment, right before my final attack and outburst, where I fell far enough for that to have happened. Looking around, a thousand years later, stripped of my highest Digivolution, I have to say it did indeed happen.

Not that the royal sisters were off the hook mind you. It was simply a matter of scale; in my earlier rage, the idea of razing Canterlot to the ground sounded like a capitol idea. Now I just wanted payback in some way, even if it was through smaller, spread out things to foil their plans and lives. The best revenge would certainly be reacquiring my power and rubbing it into their muzzles that I’m not a bad guy through actions over words. Maybe egg them on with backhanded compliments and open-ended motives. Since this was the time period of Season Two, perhaps I could slip down to Ponyville and mess with how things were going with Twilight Sparkle and her friends…

No, no that would be a terrible idea. The Mane Six weren’t involved in this and I certainly didn’t want to ruin Twilight’s chance to become a princess. I also doubt I’d come even close to doing the whole two-faced bit right. It’d make them doubt and suspect me even further, which is the opposite of my end goal.

So what to do then? Hopping over to the edge of the pedestal, I peer at the ground far below and ponder how I’m going to get down. Baby steps it would seem; I need to get off of this before I did anything about my future goals. Strangely there appeared to be a very long scroll wrapped up around the base, and the portion leading up to here seemed to be a little sloped. I jump over the side, a little squeak escaping me from the fall, and with a soft ‘pap!’ I hit the paper and slide to a rest a few feet away atop the scroll. Well that wasn’t so hard now was it? Now on the ground, I slowly start to bounce along, heading toward the castle that so clearly rises above the hedges. Even if it was the home of my enemy there wouldn’t be a better spot to figure out my next plan. Perhaps I’d find out if there was some way to recover my powers.

The trek to Canterlot Castle was long and boring. At my size, and forced to bounce if I wanted to move, what could’ve taken a minute or two stretched on until I was sure an hour had passed. Complicating this of course was the occasional pony coming down the path, or flying pegasi in the air above, which made me hide and wait them out. Discord’s handywork surprisingly didn’t show itself much, although when I got close to the castle the sun and moon did begin to chase one another across the sky. I think I even heard one bark and the other hiss like a cat. I wonder if he knows the saying, ‘raining cats and dogs’. Maybe he’s the one who invented it on this world.

At the edge of the maze I hide along the bottom of a hedge and watch the castle intently for an opportunity. Royal guards in gold armor were running to and fro; some barking orders, others watching over civilians being escorted out. It looked like the castle was being put on lockdown during the crisis. I didn’t like how my odds looked for getting inside unseen, but then I got an idea. Waiting until a pony passed close enough, I hopped over to her and began to bounce in time with her hooves. I had to be careful not to get too close, and certainly she was moving much faster than I was comfortable. But this maid was heading into the castle, and best of all, was letting me shadow in a way that blocked the guards from outright seeing me. Once we passed the doors I broke off and got behind the nearest object; a small pedestal holding a decorative vase atop of it, with plenty of room for someone my size to tuck behind. I waited until there was a lull in traffic again, and then began the tedious task of moving from object to object as fast as I could. I doubt I was close to being compared to someone like Solid Snake, but nobody seemed to notice me as I moved down the hall.

At the end of the hallway I found what appeared to be the main foyer into the castle proper. Or maybe just one of them; honestly the architecture outside suggested this place was a virtual maze and full of redundant locations. There were half a dozen guards manning the giant doors at the entrance alone, and castle staff was hustling up and down the large staircase, their quick words suggesting they were trying to secure important ponies in their rooms with as many comforts as possible. So this was the official response in times of crisis? I’m not sure it was exactly the best option; why leave them in the castle when something like a bunker is more secure? Then again, if most of them were nobles and other snobbish ponies like Blueblood…

My musing is cut off when the large doors begin to open. All of the guards and I tense up, until we see that it’s six familiar mares all running in with determined faces. For the royal guards, they relax and snap off salutes. For me, I remain tense, mind awhirl with possibilities. “Princess Celestia is waiting for you at the Vault ma’am.” One guard says, getting a nod from Twilight. “I see - thank you sir. Come on girls, let’s hurry!”

The girls all begin to rush down the hall; my hallway it seems led to this Vault place in the opposite direction. With me safely hidden behind a tapestry they wouldn’t see me, but I had to decide quickly if I should remain here. If I was right this would be the point where they were going to meet Celestia and retrieve the Elements. I didn’t see a reason to interfere with anything, but what did make me wonder was this so-called ‘Vault’ the guard spoke of. In the show the only thing inside of it you could see was the Elements, but was it used for just the Elements? Maybe I could find something valuable and magical within that could help me out. At worst, maybe there was something I could hock later for cash…

In the end it was curiosity that made me jump out as Pinkie Pie passed my hiding spot. Her odd bouncing gait left her at the back of the herd, which I used to sneak up to her tail and do something really bold. Waiting a few seconds for our bouncing to line up, I gave my last a good boost of energy and flew forward, right into the thick puffy mess of her tail. Like I’d hoped I quickly became nestled into the oddly sweet scented hair, and she never once paused in her stride to investigate the new weight. I endured the wobbling and bouncing as best I could until I could hear Twilight’s voice call out again.

“In here girls!”

That was my cue to leave, shaking until I fell free again behind Pinkie’s back legs. While everypony was looking forward, I hurried to the nearest hiding spot, which in this case were several immense pillars running down the sides of the room. Once behind one, I gave a big sigh of relief. So far so good.

“Thank you all for coming so quickly.” I hear Celestia say. At this numerous urges flare up inside; I feel bitter and resentful at the sound of her voice to say the least. She was the cause behind my imprisonment, and the loss of my Mega Digivolution. What makes it worse in my eye is that she caused it all without knowing even half of the true circumstances behind the fight. A part of me wanted to go out there and confront her right away. Needless to say, that side of me was beaten savagely down, as right now I’d be crushed under her hoof. I take several minutes to just try and ignore her voice whenever it picks up, during which I can vaguely make out several key sounds. The grinding of stone, the mocking voice of Discord, Twilight and her friends all shouting. My anger and stupidity both abate once I hear the stampede of hooves leaving the room, so I tentatively peek out to see what might be happening. The Mane Six are all gone, leaving just Celestia who was staring out one of the few non-stained glass windows toward where the hedge maze is. So that means the girls are already heading that way? Shame; I hated how Discord warped their personalities during that episode. But what about Celestia? What was her royal sunbutt gonna do?

Apparently she was just going to...stare. How anticlimactic; I didn’t have a good opinion of her actions during most of the crises in the show, but for her to literally just stand around and leave it to Twilight? Even the Royal Guards were showing more initiative in protecting Canterlot. Or were they just dealing with the nobles? Curious…

Looking away from her enormous rump, I see something surprising. The Vault, after having been opened, appeared to still be open. Why hadn’t she closed it yet? I didn’t question it for long; hopping as quietly as I could, I hurried over to it and dived through the opening to the pillar the Elements box had been on. I shuffle around behind it, well used to the practice thanks to today, and turn back to peer at the main room. Still just staring, no, wait. She’s walking away! She’s actually leaving the Vault open! What the fuck?

My mind boggles at the sight of Princess Celestia just walking away from her open, high-security vault. Slowly, after seeing her close the far door, I turn to better look at everything around me. Like I’d suspected there was much more than the pillar that the box had rested on, although it was all hidden quite well in the shadows of the door, and the pillar itself took up the middle of the small foyer so you had to squeeze past it. There were about a dozen shelves rising up in this small section, full of knick-knacks that were dusty or personal looking. Old pictures and statues, the occasional odd memorabilia of other countries going by their appearances, what I strongly suspect was an old childhood toy carefully preserved, etc. My guess was the front of this room was used more for Celestia’s personal stash of old items, while the main room past this entrance held the real artifacts. I give the main room, past the Vault doorway, another careful look but find nothing amiss. With the coast clear I hop away into the darkness and allow my eyes to adjust. Not quite night vision, but they certainly had less trouble seeing in the dim room via the backlighting from the door.

The true Vault itself was immediately notable in being much larger. Easily matching the width of the other room, its walls were rounded in a way that suggested it was built into a spire, with two staircases leading up and down. Tiny arrow slits allowed thin shafts of light to shine through, past the numerous stacked up pieces of furniture and other brik-a-brak. Everything on this level still seemed of the personal variety; the princess likely used this as a storeroom for her own things as much as for anything of extreme value. Heck, it could be a nice simple deterrent too from thieves. It would explain why she hadn’t appeared so concerned over keeping it open; nothing was in sight worth stealing. But there were more levels, and something was tickling my nose more than the dust in the air. Like the tingle of a wooly sock charged with static, pressed against your face. If I had hair it would’ve surely been sticking up.

Following the fuzzy feeling, I climb up the stairs to the second floor. Here the dust seems lighter and the room less cramped. While there were still large pieces of furniture, the majority were display cases holding items of decidedly magical origins. Glowing carved gems ringed with inscribed gold bands, whirling geometric trinkets that never seemed to stop, whistling statues of birds that fluttered in silver cages, a giant upside-down horseshoe mirror with a swirling mist locked within…

The latter caught my eye, standing proudly in the middle of everything else and slightly out. By my guess it was actually bigger than the opening provided by the stairs, so I had to wonder how it got in here. Teleportation? It probably hummed the most with what I was starting to assume was magic. A fuzzy memory tickled at the sight of it, but aside from looking familiar I had little luck in learning more about it. This was the first time my new, computerized memory had failed; aside from my lack of personal history which continued to be blank. Then again, an upside down horseshoe was hardly the most unique design in a place like Equestria. Knowing my luck I was just recalling it from some kind of fanart or background detail in an episode.

After giving it a few more looks, I decide that this room wouldn’t have anything immediately obvious I could use. The display cases also hummed with magic, so I don’t think I could open them without alerting someone to my presence. Taking the stairs up to the third and final floor, I see this place is much more akin to an attic in layout. Lots of boxes and covered furniture strewn about in a haphazard way, with some decidedly broken items scattered overtop of them. An encrusted sword lay shattered in seven pieces atop a low table close to me, looking to have been more for ceremony than battle with all the gems inlaid on its handle. I wonder what kind of history it might have; surely keeping broken things like what was up here meant they were important or held special meaning. I give up even faster on this floor than the first two, turning back and bouncing down to the main floor again after only a minute.

With no other options left, I turn toward the stairs leading down to a basement, and pause. I hadn’t noticed in my first pass, but there was some serious magic buzz coming from those stairs. And not just the steps; the very air was faintly humming with energy, like power lines on a hot summer day. I couldn’t tell if it was some form of trap, or if whatever lay below simply had that much power to it. What I did know was that there was an awfully familiar feeling somewhere in the fuzz and buzz and humming energy. Perhaps I hadn’t been just blindly groping in the dark after all. Perhaps something had lead me here, wanting to get back to me…

I shuffle as close as I dare to the steps and peer down. Darkness greets me, too black for my vision to pierce. The magic starts to become clear this close; the top stair is certainly trapped or alarmed, but the next one down isn’t. I bounce onto it, pause, and analyze the next few steps. It looks like Celestia went for some kind of staggered trap pattern, since there’s actually a few steps all left without magic soaking them. If I guess, the distance would make it next to impossible for a pony to climb down without hitting at least one of them. Unfortunately, for her that is, I could easily bounce my way down and back up as long as I took care. I hop to the bottom and slide a bit away from the final boobytrapped step, now totally embraced by the darkness around me. Not even the faint light from above reaches this low, leaving me helpless to navigate my way around. Or was I?

The feeling of a familiar energy is pointing in a very specific direction, so I knew where to look. By shuffling and sliding as slow as I can, I make my way carefully into the room while feeling for anything coming close to me. It takes minutes, long and painfully silent, for me to make my way toward the energy guiding me. Along the way I encounter the odd object or two: the shoe of a suit of armor, a box, something made of wood, etc. The familiar presence is above me now however, and pushing forward I feel that a wall must be in front of me. The room must be smaller than the upper floors, or maybe have a weight bearing wall in the middle. I gurgle in frustration, not knowing how to proceed. It’s so close yet so far! How was I going to get up there? If only I wasn’t so damn small…

Then something really weird happened.

The source of energy pulsed above me, the darkness around me visibly curling for a moment around the area. I look up and try to make out what was happening, but then it pulses again and I’m washed over by this overwhelming sense of Despair. Shivering, I try to calm myself and push away the obvious mental intrusion, but it’s like trying to swim in molasses. My mind starts to split; a part of me wants to curl up and cry over how hopeless my life has become, while the other is getting angry and worried over just what is causing the other half to freak out. A powerful headache wracks my poor brain and I close my eyes, trying hard to center myself. The object or whatever it is above me pulses for a third time, and then my brain just sort of fizzles. I feel something slot into place, kind of like a loose connection being put back together with the power still on. My brain crackles and feedbacks until whatever’s pushing its way inside stops, and then I suddenly understand.

My Shield was up there!

The close proximity had finally given it the chance to rejoin with my being and the pulses were its attempts to do so. The emotion drilled into me had simply been a side-effect inherent with regaining a part of my negative energy powers. Now, while not fully reconnected, I could sense it and had a weird, empathetic link that allowed me to ‘see’ the room around me. I guess it somehow had scanned the room while laying dormant here for...nine-hundred years? That’s strange; not only had it not been placed here immediately after my stoning, but apparently it was the only piece of armor stored within the tower vault. Celestia must have not felt safe keeping it all in one place.

Using the odd sonar-like map it had given me, I could ‘see’ that there was a pile of boxes to my left that reached high enough. The Shield itself was secured in a coat-of-arms display as the centerpiece, with two swords crossed under it and humming with magic. Further concentrating on what it was transmitting to me, told me that those swords weren’t just there for completing the look. Apparently Celestia had put them there to come to life and attack anyone who wasn’t her that removed the Shield. So the big pony wanted to play rough eh? I think I had a solution for this. With a few well-placed hops I climb over the boxes and scoot to the edge, the coat-of-arms only a foot away from me now. Then, opening my small little mouth slit, I begin to gurgle and worse, drool from my mouth. But this was for a good reason; every droplet that touched the box hissed with a potent acid, and over time the drool began to bubble up inside of my mouth enough to blow a few me-sized bubbles into the air. While meant to be more of a discourager than an attack, my Bubble Blow was still a lethal attack for conventional materials. Such as stone, metal and wall hooks meant to hold enchanted swords and shields in place. My bubbles lazily float over to just above my Shield and pop, hissing loudly in the silence of the basement level. Every pop causes more acid to splash and trickle down the wall, until the stone directly under the coat-of-arms begins to melt and slosh off. The magic of the swords, meant to be activated when someone removed the Shield physically, fail to trigger from the unnatural damage to the wall itself. In the end it wasn’t the wall that gave first, but rather the weaker wood of the wall mounts. My Shield and the swords clatter to the ground loudly, and in a wash of magic the weapons become inert lumps of steel.

I hop down to the floor and move to sit on my Shield. Once my body contacts the cold, black metal, the connection firmly re-establishes itself and power surges through me. Things slide and lock into a new configuration in my mind, with an important file of some sort opening itself from a corner of my mind that I hadn’t known even existed until just then. Maybe because it really hadn’t; my Shield seemed to have several megabytes of data alone inside of itself just ready and waiting for me to take it all back in. Of course, for a Digimon, taking in so much data could only mean one thing…

“Botamon, Digivolve to…!”

In a flash of light my body becomes pure data, floating and swirling in a tight orb of light that begins to expand and contort to a new configuration. My little body swells to nearly three times its former size, my mouth widening until I could open it as wide as the lid of a trunk. My small beady eyes swell to take up more of my head, becoming sharper and more defined, my emotions and expressions now much easier. My little nub ears begins to stretch up and out, flattening some but gaining far more strength in them to assist with lifting and carrying objects. As the last waves of this Digivolution ends, I know that I have regained at least a portion of my power and was now one step closer to becoming a Mega again. Things will be so much easier now as a-

“Koromon!”

The light of Digivolution fades from me, and with my enhanced eyesight I can just make out the barest silhouettes of the room around me. The swords still rest on the floor in front of me, but my Shield has vanished. I can feel it nestled somewhere inside of my body and data, supporting this form so I could remain as it indefinitely. What was strange about this was that I’m pretty sure I hadn’t needed my armor to stay as anything before. What had the Elements done to me? How did they do this to me? Miracle evil fixers or not, I doubt they understood the complex computer coding that made up most of my being. But to be fair, this was several things that I could tackled later, when not at risk of being discovered. At least I had part of my old life back now, and as a Koromon I could finally speak and defend myself properly from ponies and monsters alike.

“One down…” I mutter out loud, smiling as my voice, while still quite high, was a lot more tolerable than a squeak baby one. Moving back to the stairs, I carefully make my way up the un-trapped steps and carefully slip out of the Vault. Celestia is still nowhere to be seen, and neither are there any guards to be found. As I pass a window I take a gander at what’s been going on outside, and while the hedge maze seems to still be standing I doubt it will for much longer. Discord had worked his magic pretty quickly on all the girls save for Twilight, after all. No guards are in sight anyway outside either, so I take the chance to slip into the hall and out a side door to the garden.

Now outside, free, empowered if only slightly and able to talk again, I feel that my earlier plan of getting away is now plausible. I’ll still have to figure out where the rest of my armor is, since I’m certain it wasn’t destroyed by evidence of my Shield. But I’m also sure it must be in the castle too, which I could plan on infiltrating after getting either an ally or some better intel on its layout. Smiling, I hop down the path and take the first turn-

“Oof!”

...aaand run immediately into a pony. Oh great just my luck! Having been knocked onto my back, I shake the worst of it off and look up, ready to defend myself if it's a guard or someone a little too violent. My fervor dies off quickly though when I realize who it is I bumped into.

Rubbing her front leg and looking down at me in confusion, is none other than Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, third alicorn princess of Equestria.

Fuck.

A Chance Encounter

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Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Princess Cadance for short, was hardly a threatening pony. In a world of little ponies and a series meant for little girls, she was the epitome of a “Pretty Pink Pony Princess” among her kind. She was legitimately pink coated, with a long wavy tail and mane that cycled through a deeper pink, purple and yellow hues. Her name translated to “I Love Cadance” and suitably was the Princess of Love. Before her appearance there had been absolutely no mention of her in the show, same for her soon-to-be husband, despite having been Twilight’s foalsitter for years and the fiancee of said bookworm’s brother. When she did finally appear, she was little more than a damsel in distress, and in later episodes was hardly a contribution to the events happening around her. If she wasn’t the eventual ruler of the Crystal Empire, I honestly don’t think she would be worth mention or use for future episodes with all the lack of development that really went into her. She was like one of the older My Little Pony series characters; bland, one layered, air headed and unassuming.

So finally meeting her in real life, standing over me after having broken into Celestia’s Vault and bumping into her, was jarring.

To be clear, ponies look pretty much like what you see on the show. The colors and details are...deeper, I guess you could say, but they’re still very recognizable and cartoonish to some degree. It’s only in the finer details that things become more personalized and unique. Cadance was already notably taller than the average mare and it showed in her long, graceful legs and slim neck. What the show failed to detail however was the fact that her body actually had a respectable amount of muscle hidden under the model-like build. It wouldn’t really be obvious unless as close as I was right now however, and most of that muscle seemed focused around her wings and upper legs. Her horn is also very thick all along its length, and about as long as Princess Luna’s horn should be. Her mane is not as uniform with its color scheme as in the show; instead of solid bars of each hue, it was more like her hair was rosey pink with highlights scattered through it all. She was actually, for a pony, very beautiful so certainly she fit the bill for being the alicorn of Love. The only problem was she had the power to screw me over with one well-cast spell or shout for the guards.

“Who are you?” She asks, leaning down some to look at me. “What are you?” I remain silent, mind awhirl with frantic thoughts. If Celestia caught wind of me being free I’d be right back to the stone age. But I wasn’t the same Digimon I was before right? Then again it would hardly matter; I might appear different but it wouldn’t take her long to connect the dots. Either way I was a strange, alien creature and that left two possibilities. Either I was BlackWarGreymon, or something of Discord’s making. Neither option left me alive and free to be me.

Princess Cadance reaches out with her front hooves and picks me up, wary but too curious to leave me alone. Now aloft in the air, my cheeks are being mashed by her hooves as she turns me slightly from side to side to inspect my form. “You don’t really look all that scary. But then again nothing he’s been doing has made much sense. Maybe you’re not even his doing.” She smiles softly, probably taking my lack of aggression as a good sign I’m friendly. “What’s your name?”

With my computer brain getting a boost from absorbing my Shield, I could think and process data at a rate that turned seconds to minutes. It wasn’t as fast as one-thousand years ago, but it was helpful in letting me think over how to respond right now. But how do I reply? She’d given me a potential way out; I could play the ‘victim’ card or lead her to thinking I was just a poor displaced creature found on a day with everything out of whack. Talking verbally was immediately out however as I couldn’t trust myself to not say something I shouldn’t, now or later. But I couldn’t see myself playing dumb for long either. I wasn’t some pea-brained pet or creature that could only...say its...name…

Oh, that’s it! Thank you nineties cartoons!

“Koromon!” I chirp, smiling without teeth and waggling my ears in the air happily. “Koro koro!”

“Koromon?” She repeats. “Oh, so that’s your name. How cute!”

My smile widens a hair at how easily she falls for it. It was an easy plan really; a Digimon, pretending to act like a Pokemon. I’d just say my name in different ways over and over as ‘speech’ and could show that I’m just as smart as I wish her to know without worry. I’m sure there could be plenty of other magical creatures out there close or similar to me too, so that would give me another layer of protection. Now all I had to do was get away and find someplace to hide. Maybe I could see about using her friendliness to get into the castle from time to time too.

“Would you like to come inside with me?” Wait what? “It’s not really safe out here…” She trails off, looking to the side to stare at something. When I look over I see that there’s a marble hoof hopping along with flowers sprouting from the stump of its knee, giggling and followed by a flower pot chasing it on two spindly ceramic legs. “Well, more like really wierd. I just wanted to see what was happening, but if I stay too long the guards will get worried and I’d hate to make them waste time searching for me in all of this. No reason to stay - alone - in my room the whole time though.” She looks back at me and gives me that warm, soft smile again. “How about it, Koromon?”

Was this really happening? She was inviting me, a strange creature, right into the castle in the middle of a crisis. Should I accept though? I couldn’t look away without appearing suspicious, but I could make out a patrol flying past from the corner of my eye. Escape was best, yet the area was becoming quickly saturated in armored goons. In this situation, perhaps then the exact opposite plan was the key. Nodding as best I could in her grip, I chirp my name again and she brightens.

“Thank you Koromon - I promise we’ll have a good time. I’ve got a few games in my closet, and I’m sure there’s a few snacks somewhere…” She chatted excitedly, lifting me in her magic to place on her back. Her good mood was infectious as I felt myself beginning to smile as well. Perhaps I should look at this as a nice break from all the drama and negativity of my, relatively speaking, short time here in Equestria so far. I could play this role happily as the innocent little creature, and get to know the only princess so far I didn’t have history with. I just hope she didn’t drive me batty with too much girly stuff. By which I mean ‘pretty pink princess’ stuff; the show was all about friendship and appealing to young girls already. That stuff was perfectly fine, until you got to a point that involved dressing me up or tea parties, or both. That’s where I’d draw the line.

Showing some wisdom in her planning, Princess Cadance didn’t actually take me along any of the main thoroughfare routes in the castle. She took back halls and more servant orientated staircases, meant to hide their coming and going, rather than risk me being seen. It didn’t dampen her good cheer however; after telling me about the things we could do, she told me little anecdotes she had about the areas we passed through. Some of them even involved her earliest days at the castle, which to my surprise wasn’t from birth. Apparently, from what I could gather at least from her chatter, she’d been taken in by her ‘aunt’ Celestia shortly after getting her Cutie Mark. She used to get hopelessly lost in the corridors of the sprawling inner complex until befriending a few of the servants. I couldn’t help but wonder why she needed to be taken in, but then again, I bet she hadn’t been born with those wings. Or perhaps it was the horn that’s new? Either way it was a surprising thing to learn about her.

Another big surprise came when we finally reached her room. After a long and winding walk we at last arrived in a corridor full of what I assumed was guest quarters for various officials and visiting nobles. The doors all had little brass holders that you could slide a nameplate into and out, giving me the idea behind the halls purpose. But the first guest room was actually more personalized. In place of a nameplate was a big, ornate rendition of Cadance’s Cutie Mark. The doorframe was also laced with thin gold lines that resembled vines running up either side. It was all rather worn looking; the Cutie Mark had some polish to it still, but the door overall would have been more fitting in an old abandoned manor than a well maintained castle. Some paint had chipped around the edges where it rubbed against the lush carpet and door frame, and I could just about read some old faded drawings that a young Cadance must have put on to further personalize it. The maids must have disagreed, or perhaps Cadance had done it herself once older. Either way the door told me that perhaps dear Cadance was much older than she looked. That, or nobody cared enough to upkeep it…

My thought was interrupted as she opened the door and walked inside, closing it with the lock latching shut behind us. “Well here we are Koromon. Hope you don’t mind being cooped up in here with me for a few hours.” She says, setting me down and trotting over to the closet. “I’ll just unbury some games...gosh, when’s the last time I cleaned this thing? Ugh.”

My host’s distraction let me take a good look around. My first thought was...it’s not pink, huh. The second was that it was quite spacious with very few pieces of furniture. There was a big bed with curtains surrounding it, taking the most room, and then came a small vanity, a desk piled with books and scrolls, a little table holding a vase of flowers near the bed and a wardrobe which probably held her few pieces of clothing. The ceiling was quite high, unmarked by any painting and holding a single chandelier up there. Two large windows oversaw the city and castle grounds from behind the desk, each easily big enough for a pony even Cadance’s size to fit through. Finally there was three doors in the room; the entrance, the closet where Cadance was and what I could see through the open door was a bathroom. All in all, it was actually pretty spartan. I could tell that she’d lived here for many years but had not seen to clutter it up with lots of memorabilia. It more felt like a college dorm, especially when I looked over to the desk and saw one spine of a book read ‘Adv. Trigonometry Volume I’, than a bedroom for a Princess.

Hopping closer to the center of the room, I watch her backside wiggle a little as her horn glows and moves things around deeper in the closet. She kept muttering things under her breath, and occasionally a board game would float out and land close to me. I guess she’d taken the opportunity to clean up a mess she’d been letting build up in there. I took one of the offered games and look it over, seeing that it was basically their equivalent of Clue. Well it couldn’t hurt I suppose. Setting it up, she finally stops once I had it all laid out and turns to find me sitting there waiting and looking around still. I couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t really a ‘princess’ room.

“There we - oh! You already picked?” She asks. “You really are a clever thing aren’t you Koromon?” Sitting down across from me, she actually lowers herself on all fours so we could look each other in the eye better. As she picks up the cards and begins to lay and shuffle them out, she must have noted my looking around because she says, “Not much to look at is it? My room I mean. I prefer it this way actually, since it means I can focus when I’m studying. Besides, just because I’m a Princess doesn’t mean I should deck my bedroom out in silk and some sort of matching color scheme, tapestries, and a whole fireplace. I mean, Aunt Celestia’s bedroom is pretty cool because of that stuff, but I’d hate to make anypony have to renovate an entire room for me like that. Not to mention I’d have to move, and I’ve come to really love this little spot. The view is wonderful on a less chaotic day.”

“Ko.” I voice my understanding. I don’t believe that I was a rich human back when I was one, but if my feelings now were accurate to the me that was, I doubt I would’ve cared to deck a place out either. A fireplace sounded pretty cool though. Oh and maybe a fireman pole to get downstairs fast. On second thought scratch the firepole; give me a secret bookcase doorway, for something like a hidden game room. Now that’d be cool. “Ko Koromon.”

She giggles. “So how about I start?”

The time passed in peace and fun. I was a little worried that the ‘language barrier’ between us would sometimes hamper us. But Cadance actually seemed to have a good grasp of what I was saying, even if it technically was gibberish. We got through a round of Clue before deciding that it wasn’t as a fun without more folks joining in. So instead Cadance pulled out a deck of cards, and had chosen Cherry Hold’em with Monopoly money pulled out to use as our betting currency. Of course it was just Texas Hold’em with a new name, but apparently she really knew how to play. Her poker face was damn impressive, since I couldn’t tell a thing about how she was doing with every hand we played. Too bad for her luck seemed to be on my side.

Using my ear tentacles was good dexterity practice for them as I held my cards up in their grip and patted the pile of cash to my side. “Koro koro.” I call, sliding a few fake bits forward. I had a good chance at a full house with what we had on the flop. Cadance however was taking my challenge this time, humming for a moment before meeting my wager.

“Alright little guy, let’s see what Lady Luck says this time!” She cries. Flipping the final card, we both stare at one another, daring the other to make a bet or fold. After a tense pause, she taps her hoof to check, and I tap my ear as well. With a small smug grin she lays her hand down, showing that she had five red cards. “Red Flush, read ‘em and weep.”

It was a good hand I’ll admit. I had been working with just Two Pairs myself, and she seemed to sense that as she reached out to sweep my winnings over to her side. I slap it with my cards for dramatic tension, letting them flop to the ground besides the others, showing I now had a Full House thanks to the final drop. Her pout was amusing and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing at her.

“You win again - how do you keep doing that?” She mutters, flicking her coins at me in petty revenge. “Shiny never wins when I play with him and some of the guards, why not you?” I could think of a few reasons. “Ooh, unless...he better not be holding back, that sneaky devil! I swear I’ll-”

Whatever threat she was planning was interrupted by a knock on the door. The two of us freeze and look over at the door knob. It didn’t move but we still waited. “Is everything alright ma’am?” A stallion calls out from the other side.

My companion relaxes marginally. “Everything’s fine sir, just passing the time. How goes it with Discord and the rest of Canterlot?”

“Her Highness reports that everything is well in hand with the draconequus felon. The Element Bearers have already been summoned and should have him sealed within the hour. Captain Shining Armor has also mobilized personally to handle the issues down within the city. He has the situation well under control.” The likely guard replies.

“That’s my Shiny…” Cadance smiles and sighs happily through her nose.

“Is there anything you require ma’am?”

“I’m good, but if you need any help I’d be more than happy to lend a hoof.”

There was a moment's pause. “The Royal Guard has the situation under control ma’am. Please remain in your quarters - somepony will be around once the all-clear has been issued.” There was a few quick hoofsteps and then he was gone. Was it just me or did that sound off? I mean, I get that not risking royalty was the whole deal behind having royal guards. But something about how he said it was...then again, maybe he just feared what Shining Armor would say.

Of course not everything he said was right. Knowing how the show went, I was willing to bet we’d be here for more than just an hour. The girls had only just set off for the hedge maze before I got in touch with my Shield. That had taken at worst twenty minutes. Then Cadance spent about another ten taking me up to her room. About half an hour past that was used up playing games, bringing the total time to an hour since Discord first stole the Elements and sent Twilight on a wild goose chase. I doubt he pulled the mental switches right away with each of them, being a prankster of the most malicious kind. So perhaps an hour would be just about right, for him to win the bet that is. Then Twilight and her greyed out friends would have to go back to Ponyville, fail in using the Elements, have Discord taunt them some more, Princess Celestia would have to send those letters, Twilight would have to round up all her unhappy friends…

I wouldn’t say it’d take days, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was night by the time things were truly wrapped up. At least, once he stopped juggling the sun and moon it would be. Which means we were going to need something a little more stimulating than Texas Hold’em. Wagging an ear tentacle at Cadance, I catch her attention and point toward another box nearby.

“You want to play Chess?” She asks, and I nod. “Hm, okay then, why not? We’ve got about an hour to burn, and I know I’m a good chess player. You won’t get me this time!”

Smiling, I carefully push the cards into a pile and try to stack them while she sets up the board. Let’s see if my computer brain is any good at this as Deep Blue was.

Several hours later our friendly competition was still going strong. After tying in Chess we had moved on to Checkers, Mahjong, Life, Guess Who, Twister, Connect Four and several others. Not all of them had been bright ideas; Guess Who was hilarious since only one of us could ‘speak’ and I failed Twister every second turn. Now we were onto Risk, which true to form, had sucked up most of the time in a very long, drawn out battle for dominance of Equestria. I had taken the spawning spot where the Crystal Empire would one day stand, bottle-necking all of her approaches, while Cadance had claimed Canterlot and quickly spread herself thin over the entire region. It was a case of the shield and spear paradox; my forces were too strong to be defeated in just one round, but she had so many that she could keep spawning more and send them my way from just about anywhere on the map. The few times I tried to send some into the gap left from her defeats, she overwhelmed them. The one time RNG gave her a foothold, my forces easily swept her back and reinforced the single entrance. It surprised me that both of ours style were so different from what I expected. I’d settled into turtling until an opportunity arrived after my first spearhead failed, but Cadance had been all about growing and swarming the board.

Speaking of whom, Cadance had taken to reading a book and was now laying on her side. Neither of us was really paying the board much attention anymore; just rolling the dice and making our moves when we felt like it. I was even nestled between her front hooves and reading over one limb with her. She did most of the moving for me, although I always kept an eye out to call foul if she cheated. The book itself was a romance novel named The Alicorn Bride, and apparently it was very well read by Cadance. The cover was worn and some pages were looking close to falling out, but the joy in her face as she skimmed over the words told me it was a priceless thing. I had a feeling this was another familiar ‘ponied’ story from back on Earth too, given some of what I’d read so far. She had good tastes.

“I never understand why griffons like to grow beak hair.” Cadance commented idly. “I mean I’ve never seen a style that actually works. They all look...glued on most of the time, or worse like they let their nose hair grow out, ugh.” She was talking of course about the master swordfighter fighting the dread pirate the narration was following at the moment. A handsome griffon going by the description, except for the aforementioned beak hair she disliked. “That would explain the Ambassador’s look though…”

I snicker at the image before a knock comes from the door. In a blur of hooves and pink Cadance moves, lifting me up in the air with her magic and running over to the closet. Before I could protest she covers my mouth with a hoof, shushing me, and then sets me inside with most of the board games. As the door begins to swing shut, I see her sweeping the Risk map under her bed and making it appear as if she’d been in her room alone. When the door at last clicks shut, I hear another open and she greets someone.

“Hello?”

“Her Highness Princess Celestia has given the all-clear ma’am. Discord has been apprehended and is being transported back to the garden under escort as we speak. The last traces of his chaotic magic will vanish within the next hour we believe.”

“Oh thank goodness, I’m glad…” She trailed off, the pause growing almost uncomfortably long. “Wait, what time is it? Oh my gosh it’s been hours! I thought everything was going to be done soon after we- I mean when I got back to my room. What happened to Twilight and her friends? They weren’t hurt were they?”

The guard shuffled if the clatter of armor was any indication. “There were...unexpected complications that arose due to Discord’s magic. Her Highness however says not to worry - Twilight Sparkle and the other Element Bearers are all resting on the express train back to Canterlot even as we speak. They are not injured and in fact are scheduled for an award ceremony in honor of their deeds.”

“Oh.” Another pause. “Well, so long as nopony is hurt, I suppose that’s...good. Maybe I’ll go greet them and-”

“No need ma’am. Her Highness is already planning to meet them at the platform. Princess Luna is also overseeing the transport once Discord’s statue arrives at the station. You can continue on with your evening in peace.”

“Oh...I see, thank you sir. That will be all.” The door closed after another moment, the lock clicking back on audible in the quiet air of the bedroom. I stay inside the closet just listening for a bit, thinking over what I’d heard too.

That earlier nagging feeling about how the guard spoke now made more sense after this one. It wasn’t outright obvious, but there was some kind of clear bias in how those two handled addressing Cadance compared to Celestia. While both had been formal, the only times they’d used titles, like ‘Her Highness’, had been in regards to Celestia or once with Luna. Cadance was only called ‘ma’am’. There was also the fact that they’d simply wanted her to stay in the room. Again, to question my own suspicion this made sense for the guards to do. They were there to protect royalty and the nobles housed within the castle. But what about Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? Certainly they were doing something this whole time? Though last I saw of sunbutt was when she stared out the window, left her precious vault unattended while still open and sent some letters through Spike. Poor guy must have a terrible stomach ache now too. But that’s all I know about her work in this crisis. Luna perhaps took some more bold actions, given what I saw of her in the Nightmare Night episode. But I never heard or saw her around as well. I suppose then I didn’t have much evidence for my suspicion, but even in the face of nothing my gut was telling me I had something.

It was telling me that perhaps Princess Cadance wasn’t living the ‘Pretty Pink Pony Princess’ life like it seemed.

If anything, this just made my next decision easier. Gripping the inside door handle with an ear, I tug on it as I swing forward. The force opens it, and I plop down on the other side on the carpet. Cadance is still standing in front of the door, a deep frown on her face as she thinks over something. When I hop into her line of sight, she blinks and turns, smiling warmly and putting aside her troubles. “Sorry about that Koromon.” She apologizes. “I just wanted to make sure he didn’t see you. No need to risk getting us in trouble if somepony disagreed with you being here. I didn’t hurt you did I?”

“Ko.” I shake my head.

“Oh good. I’m afraid our game of Risk is over too.” Walking back to the center of the room, her horn lights up and pulls everything from under the bed. As it organizes and gets puts away she asks, “By the way - I guess since you’re still a cute little pink blob that you weren’t affected by Discord’s magic?”

“Koromon, ko koro momon.”

“You’re not dangerous are you?”

“Ko!”

“Didn’t think so. Bad little monsters don’t usually play fair during poker.” Cadance giggles, and I snort as well. Trust my character to be judged on how I play cards. Personally, I would have gone off of Risk. “Well, now I guess we need to figure out what to do next.”

Here’s my chance then. Siding up next to her, I lean into one leg and wrap a tentacle around it in a hug. She looks down and pets me with a hoof. It, admittedly, feels nice. “Koromon. Koro...koro koro!” I chirp up at her. She tilts her head a bit and I squeeze my ear. “Koromon!”

“Uh...oh!” Cadance smiles. “You want to stay with me? Don’t you have a home to go back to?”

Several thousand years and likely a few dimensions from here, yes. But that window passed in a blaze of rainbow long ago sweetheart. “Ko.”

“Well I could always use a new friend, and a pet. T-That is if you don’t mind me calling you that!”

“Koro.” Being her pet was just about what I’d hoped for really. I hadn’t intended to stick around when I first followed her up here. Hiding in plain sight, getting an inside view of the castle, and heck, having a good time was all I’d been looking for. I got to enjoy the main three and also learned more about Equestria’s lesser known princess. She lived like a college student; a well lived-in room but with few personal effects, not to mention the desk full of papers and textbooks. She didn’t have private quarters; she moved in years ago after arriving but never moved into more ‘princess-y’ accommodations, which I suspect wasn’t entirely her choice. The guards treated her strangely; words and titles had meaning when in high society, and being around them meant they had to be trained to address people properly. She wasn’t a pink pony princess, aside from coat coloration. She was a strong willed tomboy-like mare who enjoyed hanging with ‘the guys’ but still had a core of romantic interests that fit her title. Princess Cadance was a deeper pony than I thought...and so was the mystery I was sensing around her.

Tactically I should probably pull back and hide myself better. I wouldn’t be the average pet, much less one for a princess. Eyes would be on me around the castle for some time, so I couldn’t do anything suspicious even if I let myself be known as a particularly smart creature. If instead I snuck in, or just came to visit Cadance from to time, then I wouldn’t have to fear Celestia hovering over me. But doing so meant there was much more risk as well. I’d have to avoid guards, servants, nobles and princesses every time. There was no guarantee I’d make any headway if I couldn’t spend more than a few minutes here every time. Breaking back out too would double the chance of being caught, and once they realized I was searching for my armor, they’d lock those things down tight. Plus, it would keep Princess Cadance clear of any crimes I might commit, and I didn’t hold a beef with her to do such a thing. But the pros of living here with her outweighed everything I could think of otherwise.

Then came the mystery I was sensing. Princess Cadance lived a seemingly good, royal lifestyle, but looked to be just a college kid with a rich daddy. By which I mean it was a gilded cage; she lived happily so long as she didn’t try to move out. Princess Celestia might have brought Cadance in if only to protect a fellow alicorn, and then left orders with the guards to insure she didn’t get her hooves messy. But to play devil’s advocate, I wasn’t the best man to judge her right now. She’d stung me by imprisoning the wrong monster all those years ago and I wanted badly to get back at her. Finding a mystery involving another alicorn, a supposed family member, was appealing to my sense of revenge. I could easily see myself leading Cadance on to finding these facts out herself, and present myself as a trustworthy ally to align with. Once I reacquire my armor, an alicorn to fight by my side if needed would tip the scales decidedly, especially if she was one with a deep bond with Twilight Sparkle. Could she really fire the Elements of Harmony at someone who wasn’t corrupted and a dear, dear friend?

I might not be a true villain, but it paid to know the tricks of both sides of the coin.

“Well that’s great then!” Cadance interrupts my thoughts. “Don’t worry girl - I’ll take good care of you!”

“Koromon!” I chirp, equally excited for-

Wait.

Girl?!

After the sun had set and ponies went off to slumber, Princess Celestia walked the halls of her castle with a serene smile on her face. Twilight Sparkle and her friends had once again saved Equestria. Their friendship had been tested and stressed, yet in the end it was more powerful and stronger than it could have ever been otherwise. Discord was once more sealed away, and his magic had long faded over even the worst of the affected places. No lives had been lost in the chaos, and most importantly, her careful planning had gone off without a hitch. Even poor Spike, after her surge of letters, had a happy ending thanks to the small pile of gems she’d given him to soothe his little stomach. Now all that remained was to put back the Elements of Harmony into the Vault, and call it a day by retiring to her quarters.

Entering the aforementioned Vault’s antechamber, she gazed over the various stained glass reliefs and enjoyed the latest to join the growing history of her student. One day she hoped a very special one might be placed there, but as with all good things it would still take some time. However her happy mood died somewhat as she noticed something amiss. The Vault door was still open. Due to the spellwork she herself had placed on it, the reinforced door should have swung shut once she left this room. Not that she had much to worry about; the interior was heavily warded especially around the basement and upper floors. If anypony had tried to sneak in, one of numerous traps would have caught or punished them, and the doors would have sealed to keep them locked up. A small frown crossed her face, and with a glow of yellow magic she began to probe the door for anything amiss.

“Discord.” She states. “I should have known.” It would appear that when he first stole the Elements he had not done so without first tinkering all along her arrays. Several of the more automatic functions were gone, while the traps and alarms were re-arranged or disabled. With a quick retrieval spell she had the ornate box holding the Elements floating beside her. Setting them onto the pedestal, she secured them first before venturing deeper to relay and redo all of her spells. After several minutes of hard work, she had only the basement remaining and with a spark of light turned on the crystal sconces lining the walls. Most of the items down here were those deemed too dangerous to be on immediate display in her own private storage. Hidden behind magical walls and wards more than the physical, it was carefully disguised to be the most innocent appearing room with deadly traps for anypony who dared to touch anything at all. But Discord’s magic had frayed most of it all, and what’s worse was that she immediately noticed something very wrong.

Walking over to the middle support wall, she stands in front of two swords lying on the ground, inert and removed from the coat-of-arms above. She wracked her ancient brain to remember what had once been there, and felt a chill crawl down her spine once she knew. Acting quickly, she tried to trace or find anything leading to the perpetrator with spells, but nothing comes up. A strange energy had washed away any signs of who might have done it, and what’s worse, it was a familiar energy.

“No, it can’t be!” She exclaims.

Galloping full tilt out of the Vault, she teleports the minute she was past the wards and reappears out in the statute garden. Passing Discord’s frozen shell, she rushes down to the very end and halts before an empty pedestal. Sides burning for air, she stares down at the small plaque barely covered by a few vines and bits of rust. This section of the garden had been left almost entirely untouched by pony hooves for generations, out of fear of the negative aura that seemingly clung to it. An aura that was now missing along with the statue it had come from. Lifting a hoof, she brushes the worst of the creep away and stares at the words she’d put down herself long ago.

The Black Knight
Bringer of Nightmares

“He escaped then too…the Black Knight.” Celestia all but spat. “The monster who infected my sister with darkness. I won’t let him do it again!”

Almost Home Free

View Online

Black Knight Stalks the Night!
Princess Celestia Enacts Curfew for Safety

Setting the paper down, I huff out loud and grab a slice of watermelon to eat. “The countdown has started then. It’s only a matter of time before I’m revealed - whether or not as a pet or villain, who can say…”

Two weeks ago I broke out of my prison of stone, thanks in part to Discord, for whatever reason he might have had. Equestria has settled down by now, with only a few still commenting on the event to mark its impact anymore. Canterlot especially seemed to be running by routine; nobles were whining, people were living the high life, and Celestia was running things almost entirely by herself. Nothing ever cropped up indicating that she was on the hunt for me, or that my escape had even been found out. Taking caution over reckless actions I however have not made a move yet. I didn’t like the restrictions placed on me, but knowing the battleground was more important, as well as letting the royal sunbutt grow lax in her vigil.

Unfortunately, though perhaps luckily considering my choice, she had noticed from day one that I was gone. Up until yesterday, Celestia was actually searching for me in secret by herself. But since all of her investigations had been outside of the castle, if not beyond the city entirely, nothing had cropped up about my whereabouts. Probably didn’t help either that she still knew me as a towering draconic human, instead of a tiny pink blob with fangs. So after two weeks of failed results she’d decided to finally bring someone into the search: Shining Armor, the Captain of the Day Guard. She briefed him on the search and who I was, and he in turn was told to begin his own investigation using trusted individuals who could keep things on the down-low.

Now I knew most of this thanks to Princess Cadance telling me after the big outburst, but what clued the public into this whole mess was much more amusing. Apparently, the first soldier Shining had gone to was his counterpart in the Night Guard in order to pool their resources. Who in turn, went to Princess Luna for more details and instructions about who and what he could use for the search. Only nobody had told her about my escape; for two weeks she’d been kept in the dark, and learning that her sister had been hiding such a monumental thing from her…

I suspect even Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville could hear the Royal Canterlot Voice argument that broke out between the siblings.

Princess Celestia held a press conference last night and the press rolled out a front-page spread on the hunt for ‘The Black Knight’ in under twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, Princess Luna has taken to flying with a squadron of her most trusted soldiers to find me herself. Of special note in all of this was the backstory given about me by the princesses, repeated by the press to the entirety of Equestria. They didn’t speculate much on where I came from or why I did things. What they did was lambast me with countless crimes, only a few of which I could concede to by the word of law as it stood today. Several others were pure farces or utter bullshit; Of my greatest ‘crimes’ listed was apparently the corruption of Princess Luna into Nightmare Moon. If there was any reason to hate Princess Celestia still for the mistakes of a thousand years ago then I would have to say it’s her blaming me for her own failings. Failure to be a sister, a friend, even a ruler. I will allow that she did not know everything about our fight, and the timing couldn’t have been worse this is true. But Princess Luna could have told her the truth by now, instead is going along with this farce. Together they have made me their scapegoat, and I don’t doubt I will continue to be one for anything that goes wrong until I can clear my name.

Still, there were benefits to be found among the troubles opposing me. “At least they gave me a cool name. I’ll take ‘the Black Knight’ - I’ll even bite their ankles, heheheh.” I chuckle, spitting a few watermelon seeds out. They strike the newspaper, punching into the picture of Princess Celestia and ‘beheading’ her. “But now I have my own quest for the Holy Grail, and this time there’s at least four of them in a castle full of stuck-up frenchies.”

It was time to do some more research. Polishing off the rest of my snack bowl, I hop off the bed and make my way across the room to the desk. Living with Cadance so far has been pleasant. She never forgets about my high IQ compared to the average pet and often leaves me plenty to entertain myself with, and eat, during the day. We talk often when she’s in, through the loosest definition of ‘talk’ however. My disguise leaves my half of conversations very bland no matter how much emotion I put into things, but she oddly seems to get what I mean most of the time. She lets me sleep on the bed with her every night, though I do try to at least keeps things decent by taking a corner of it. I still end up awakening in her arms while being hugged close to her chest, but that’s not a complaint.

However the downside begins with my near-imprisonment within the room. Out of worry and fear of how other ponies might treat me, Cadance has kept me locked within her bedroom all this time. Not even Shining Armor, who visits often, has been able to see me yet as she feels he’d be the worst. Apparently he was a ‘sweet’ stallion but a stickler for the rules, which included reporting and expelling any unknown creatures from the castle unless otherwise ordered. Since Cadance knew my arrival time and appearance was not exactly the most innocent of things that was something I reluctantly agreed on her doing. The second problem was that my ability to sense out my armor appeared to be short-ranged, within perhaps a few meters given the distance I had in the tower. Confined to a single room I couldn’t sense much at all; my armor, if still within the castle, was not on this level or within a few rooms. I would have to explore around to find any trace of its unique digital signal, which in turn meant I had to leave the room. But at the rate Cadance was going so far it would be too long a wait. It would either be taken to far-off locations for better safe keeping, or locked behind some form of magic I doubt I’d be able to pass.

So to combat the cabin fever I was getting, I’d taken to researching my options.

Canterlot Castle was ancient, even more so than most people assumed. When the original settlers of Equestria came to this land, the mountain it was built on was where they congregated and had the big fight that led to the Hearth's Warming Eve tale. In honor of this victory and union of the three tribes, they constructed the city and castle over-top of the crystal caverns the Founders had been trapped in. Princess Platinum lived in the castle alongside her new friends for many years, until eventually Princess Celestia moved in due to the destruction of her old home. History is not too clear on the details of how and when the Everfree Castle was made, but it was made for the two alicorn sisters after they defeated Discord that much is certain. When Nightmare Moon attacked and wrecked the throne room, the solar alicorn retreated here and began living with Platinum’s descendants. She remained as a guest for some time, until about one-hundred years later when the time period descendant, Princess Sapphire, bequeathed the castle to her so she could rule more properly over Equestria. In return, Celestia adopted the family as her own, leading to Prince Blueblood being her ‘nephew’ in the current age. How the great Platinum line has fallen if he’s the kind of snob I recall from the show.

Much like the ownership, the layout and facilities within the castle have shifted with the times. As Equestria went through times of peace, and war, the inner workings were moved so as to better aide the needs of ponies of the time period. In more tense years rooms were commissioned and remodeled for warfare. Others had the more decadent accessories, like the garden and game fields, added on to serve the nobility. Entire hallways went from on-sight housing to tourist locales, and some floors were demolished to fit in more towers and open walkways. It was no wonder the place was so diverse in color and shape from the outside; Canterlot Castle has been changing and evolving ever since the first brick was laid. The book I was reading from in fact was just Volume One of a small series meant to catalogue all the history that lay in the castle. Since Celestia has been around for most, if not all of these changes, it’s possible she knows of various hiding spots that aren’t on conventional maps.

If only I had Hermione Granger to read Canterlot Castle: A History for me. That’s seriously the name of the book series.

Hopping onto the chair, I pull the book off the desktop and begin flipping through it to find my last bookmark. I’ve been reading about a period some six-hundred years ago when the Minotaur's started brawling with just about everyone on the planet. They’d taken to challenging numerous military's and claiming various rewards after their victories, up to and including several slaves if nothing appeased them otherwise. Due to their physical size and strength they had an advantage, so Celestia ordered a new addition to the castle to help tip the odds. Down on the first sub-level was placed a series of crafting rooms, including a blacksmith, enchanting suite and-

The doorknob on the front door begins to jiggle as magic surrounds it. Dropping my book, I hop and roll around the side of the desk as fast as my body can move. It was likely to be either a maid or Cadance, even if the former typically knocked first. Then whoever was entering did knock, but it was in a certain sequence, letting me relax. As I hop back out the door swings open, with Cadance trotting in carrying a few shopping bags in her aura. “I’m back Koromon.” She calls softly.

“Koro ko.” I reply warmly.

“Heyyy sweetie, did you miss me?” She coos once she sees me, beckoning me closer. I oblige and get a nice hoof rub on top of my head. When not wearing those metal horseshoes, I’ve found that pony hooves can be actually quite soft and malleable. “Sorry I took so long, but I had a wonderful time out with Lemony Gems and Diamond Rose. It was nice catching up again - I haven’t seen them in ages!”

I shake my head and chirp out a sound of comment. Though not strict with it, Cadance typically followed a pattern of one day of rest, one day of study. Even if a Princess her actual duties were quite small and limited; Celestia has long ruled Equestria alone, and nothing about that seems to have changed when a second, now third alicorn (re)appeared. Perhaps she would handle the occasional lovers feud, or go out to celebrate Heart and Hooves Day like in some of her tales. But otherwise she was free to do whatever she liked, which on days of rest was mainly hanging with friends. On days of study she would be the one at the desk; She was always reading up on various aspects of Equestria and the world's economics, history, politics and diplomacy.

Today she’d spent the afternoon with her two high school friends: Lemony Gems and Diamond Rose. They were arguably her best friends too, if not counting a few staff members here in the castle who simply knew her longer. Lemony Gems was apparently the blonde of the trio; she was very peppy and always looking for cheap, or expensive, thrills that she didn’t often think through to the end. She also had a bad penchant for spending too much money, so apparently her husband had put her on a budget whenever she went out, which was a constant whine from her. Candace however said he was actually a very nice stallion, and I could understand his policy despite my first thoughts of him being a control freak. Diamond Rose, on the other hand (hoof, tentacle) was the opposite to her friend. Calm, focused, maybe a bit too serious at times but still warm and friendly. She saved money more than spent it, and according to Cadance was too busy usually with her floral business to spend time with them for long. She also says that Diamond had been much more loose when in school, but while Lemony has grown more energetic, Diamond has matured quickly once she started her business. Together they sounded like a nice duo, and I hope to meet them in person one day instead of just through stories from my companion.

I withdraw from my recall to check on Cadance, who has taken the time to unpack most of her purchases and tuck them away. A few simple dresses and pieces of jewelry just like the last time she went out to shop. She mostly wore them on ‘not-dates’ with Shining Armor, which is what she actually calls them. It was pretty adorable to know she still acted so young about their relationship in some ways. “We visited some of the market stalls this time.” She says to me, noticing I’m finally watching her again. “So many visiting merchants today - very cheap too! Even Lemony could afford to splurge a bit, but don’t tell her I said that.” I chuckle and we both wink. “Poor Buck, I think he’s still trying to figure out what to do with that vase from last month.”

Peeking into the last bag, she smiles as her tail flicks in delight at something within. “Oh, right! I have something for you too Koromon. I’m sure you’ll just love it.” My left eyebrow lifts in curiosity. A gift?

“Koro?”

She nods, lifting out with her magic...a red bow. To be fair it was a fairly plain one, and matched my eyes with a tiny blue gem on the knot to compliment it. But all the same I sigh heavily and shake my head. “Ko ko…”

“It’s so pretty, don’t you think?” Cadance nearly squeals. “It matches your eyes so well - go ahead and try it on girl!”

Shaking my head again, I swat the offending accessory away when she levitates it closer. The last, and most upsetting aspect of living with Cadance, was my continued gender confusion. Ever since that first day she has taken to assuming I was a female blob, and has tried multiple times to dress me up accordingly. I could understand the confusion; my pink color and soft body naturally lent itself to such things I suppose. But while I was fine being addressed as such, playing dress-up or putting on girly jewelry was a line I would not cross. I have tried time and again to explain to her that I am, in fact, a guy. But somehow she never gets it, and until that changes I would have to endure both the ‘gifts’ she brings...as well as…that, once I inevitably rejected them.

Speaking of, there it was now. Lowering the bow but not discarding it, Cadance’s lower lip begins to quiver as she stares at me. I don’t simply mean giving me a sad look, or looking upset, no. Her eyes grow wider, water, doe-like and full of innocent, bottomless abyss sadness. “Y-You...don’t like it?” She says softly. Her voice could convince even the most innocent man that you’d killed her puppy, you heartless monster. “Y-You never...sniff...like anything I get you Koromon! I really, reeeally tried this time too! Won’t you put it on for me, pretty please?”

Sighing, I roll my eyes and shake my head. Instantly her eyes grow wider, wetter, with a tiny whimper escaping her pouty lips. She crouches down to be more eye-level with me and crawls a bit closer. “Pleeease?”

“Ko.” I deadpan. Turning away, I try to hop over to the bed, but her magic grabs hold of me. I'm forcibly lifted up and over to her awaiting hooves, where her giant, vision filling puppy eyes dominate my face. Shit, she was really intent on winning this time.

“Pleeease?”

“Ko!”

“Pretty please?”

“Ko.”

“Pretty please with sugar on top?”

“Ko ro.”

“You’ll make me happy~?”

“Ko rorom ko.”

“You’ll look so pretty!”

“Ko!”

“I’ll bring you some cake next time!”

“Koromon.”

“Oh please, please, please just try it on for one teeny-tiny second!”

“Mmm…” Cadance holds her breath. She really shouldn’t. “Ko.”

She finally gives up, blinking a few times and sighing heavily. Pressing in closer as she slumps to the floor boneless, she buries me into her chest fur and pins me under her muzzle. “Darn it, I was sure I’d win this time.” Her voice vibrates through her body. A small ‘pff’ tells me the bow’s back in the bag, and probably set to be returned like all the others have been. “How can you even say no to me like that? Shining always caves when I do that - hay, even Auntie has once or twice!”

I chuckle into my prison of fluff, thinking of a few reasons Shining might be so pliable. Sorry Cadance, but you can’t manipulate someone who already can control emotions as a second energy source like myself. That, and, you're adorable more than sad looking while doing that.

In retribution for my laugh she squeezes me in a tight hug. “Don’t you laugh - You’ll wear one yet Koromon! You can’t stay unphased forever young lady.”

“O mo ro kororo. Monmo ko rom mon ko korom o koroo.” I reply, lifting a tentacle to point where I know the door was. There’s a moment of silence, before her chest heaves in a deep sigh and she lets me hop free.

“I know you want to go out and explore, stretch your...um, body some. But it’s far too dangerous still for you to go! Especially now that the Black Knight is apparently out there…” I don’t react. “He supposedly has a really bad history with my aunts, and who knows what he might do to get revenge on them? I’m not even sure I feel safe going out like I did today, but I’d already promised Lemony and Diamond…”

That gets me to react. I don’t want Cadance to feel threatened by, well, myself if I could help it. I had no beef with her, and I wasn’t the kind of guy who would attack or target innocents in order to get back with Celestia or Luna. Manipulate perhaps, since I was thinking of just that with her, but not even to the extent most villains would try for. So I move in closer again, until my mouth is lined up with the side of her muzzle and give it a nice nuzzle of affection. That makes her smile, and she tilts her head in to bump it against mine. Her mane smells of strawberries and kiwi fruit; a not-so unpleasant aroma to be buried in for a moment.

“Thanks Koromon.” She whispers. We sit like this in silence for a time, with me just letting her take comfort in our contact. “You know, maybe instead of a bow we could try...I don’t know, a few ribbons? I think they’d look cute wrapped around your ears.”

I huff but smile. Seems she was feeling better if she was scheming her next attempt to beautify me.

The next day, as a study day, means we’re spending time together learning history. After ordering a breakfast platter and enjoying the bulk of it, Cadance took a seat at the desk with me in her lap. We were reading through the local history of farming and advances made for agriculture as a result. A rather bland subject choice, but one needs to know even the dullest of things when ruling a country. A kingdom could not flourish if their ruler knew nothing of the common folks struggles. Plus, knowing your history meant fewer mistakes by later generations who don’t know of the struggles others might have had over the same thing before. I could think of a few personal things that I’d certainly prefer not repeating.

Drifting away from my thoughts, I see Cadance flip the page to reveal a large glass motif picture on one side, with a wall of text on the other. Depicted on it are two ponies facing each other; judging by the small, elaborate details surrounding the pair these two must have been important to the crisis we were reading up on. A time a few hundred years back when most of Equestria unfortunately suffered a nasty drought. The left one held a bag of gold up on one hoof, offering it in exchange for the small bundle of wheat the other was giving in return. Of special note was that both of their cutie marks were also emblazoned beneath them; A familiar minty hard candy for the noble, and a stalk of wheat being watered for the farmer.

Cadance read aloud for us. “‘Seeing no other recourse due to the actions of her fellow nobles, Lady Peppermint willingly gave almost her entire fortune to the suffering east coast farmers to support their families, while also paying the more successful west coast farmers to send their crops and assist the city's dwindling supplies. Touched by this generous, selfless act, many farmers chose to follow the shipments and assist with managing the next growth. Among them was later infamous agrimancer Dust Bowl - that’s her on the right Koromon - who invented a spell that allowed for crops to survive even in the harshest of conditions. Due to this magical bolstering, the next crop survived and the city in turn was able to support itself until the National Weather Service was established later that month by Her Highness Princess Celestia.’”

The name of the pony told me enough about this situation to connect the similarities to a similar event on Earth. Instead of striking a large swath of the country, the infamous Dust Bowl caused by the drought period only targeted the city of Fillydelphia, which at the time had been a major hub for food trade. With the city slowly starving and money running dry due to the needs of its people, it was slowly affecting the rest of Equestria until this noble, Lady Peppermint, stepped in with her fortune. The nobles of Canterlot had taken on a policy of only enjoying ‘home grown’ foods from the lush Canterlot Valley, which was the future sight of Ponyville but still a farm-enriched zone even then. Angry that none of them were willing to help all the ponies coming to ask Princess Celestia for help, she did it herself, losing almost all of her money but gaining the adoration of the nation and the lifelong friendship of Dust Bowl and several other ponies.

From this also arose the National Weather Service, which we had read about a few days ago. Up until this drastic drought and its fallout weather had been mostly left to the local pegasi and unicorns to look out for. Then, when Fillydelphia entered a crisis period, Princess Celestia put forth a plan to control the weather nationally via a central agency. Cloudsdale was elected to be the central factory and ‘warehouse’ for all weather operations, but oddly the official home office of it was placed inside of Canterlot. What’s more, the current and past few head meteorologists have all been unicorns. Even if the old days were past, it seems some things are hard to let go of, such as unicorn superiority. Plus, Cadance had commented that the current head, Stormy Overcast, was a noble who left all of the duties to his underlings. Sad to see such a generous and kind act like Peppermint’s be marked with a sour note like that.

Cadance continues. “‘To thanks Lady Peppermint for her selfless act, Princess Celestia…’” Trailing off, she turns her head to the right and I look over as well. It isn’t until someone knocks again that I realize someone must be at the door. I prepare to dive out of sight. “Yes?”

“Her Majesty wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience ma’am.” A guard says through the wood.

“Oh, okay then. Did she say what it was about sir?”

“She did not ma’am.”

“Huh, well thank you sir. I’ll be along momentarily.” As the hoofsteps move away, she looks down and smiles at me. “I guess this is a good time for a break Koromon. You can eat the rest of breakfast if you want - knowing Auntie I bet she’s near the kitchens right now enjoying a quick snack before Day Court. I’ll snag something on my way back up.”

“Koro.” I chuckle. I hop off her lap and wave goodbye as she leaves. My smile slips a bit when I hear the telltale click of the lock, but shrug it off quickly and get back into the chair. Reaching up with a tentacle, I bookmark the page and close the book we were reading, a drawer opening with my other ear so I can pull out my research from yesterday. After being interrupted there had been no time to continue, but now was a good time as any to at least wrap up the chapter I was on before Cadance returns. Setting it down on the chair beside me I flip quickly to the last page I was on and skim to the place I left off at.

“Let’s see - minotaurs, attacks, new rooms - ahah!” I finish reading the paragraph and pause, a thought brewing as I catch sight of the last few words I’d missed yesterday. Not letting myself get ahead of the game, I turn the page and see a half-length picture of the room mentioned, its contents on clear display. I chuckle, not really surprised but pleased by this confirmation of a very obvious idea Celestia could have had. Following the next paragraph’s narration further cemented the proof, and I lean back in happiness. The clear blue sky occupies my attention through the large windows above me, and I chuckle again in victory.

“Bingo.” I smirk. One of the biggest rooms commissioned during that expansion period of the castle was a massive armory. Originally meant to house the numerous tools of war the guard might need, after the end of the conflict with the minotaur several of the spoils taken by them had instead been claimed by Equestria. Over time some of it was returned; many countries became indebted to the ponies for their aide, and some even let them keep the items as trophies and gifts. As such, and with time, it had become a massive storehouse of numerous countries weapons and armors of war. Theoretically, if there was anywhere in the castle you could best hide something, say a set of black armor, it would be there. Hidden in plain sight; Surrounded by so many different pieces of history, one might never be able to tell it apart from a very fancy set of Minotaur armor, or a very tall Diamond Dog’s. I could not tell if there was indeed a piece of my armor in there, if not all the remainders, but it was the perfect start to begin my hunt for real.

My smirk falls however as I think over my troubles of getting there to do so. At this time the only solid things I could do to get out would be very...unsubtle. Enough at least to make eyes turn to me as a hostile, especially since it would involve a lot of liberal use of acid on my part. I could try to wait it out still; Cadance would give in eventually and then I could have a personal escort to the places I needed to go. But I don’t want to give Celestia more time to hide away my prize. I must find a way out, now.

And then something thunked on the window.

Startled from my thoughts, I look down some to see a bird flapping its wings in dazed confusion. Its chirping makes me think it’s not very happy to have done that, and I can tell it must have been just as adrift in thought as me since there was actually a small crack in the glass from its beak. When it spies me, it caws out something in a very rude fashion. I think it was trying to blame me somehow.

“Not my fault you were watching that little lady flying the other way.” I joke at it, which makes it actually puff up defensively. “Hah, you totally were!”

Animals in Equestria are notably smarter than the ones on Earth. Maybe it was because of all the ambient magic in the air. So upon realizing it was caught the bird began flapping its wings against the window, making it rattle. The noise wasn’t too bothering to me, but I knew it could attract the attention of ponies outside if it kept up. So hopping up to the top of the desk, I grin at the little ball of feathers until it freezes up. Why? Because just one of my fangs was about as long as it was tall, and I have a very large number of them. The better to eat you with my dear.

“Don’t pick on someone higher in the food chain. Now shoo, please.” I say, words a bit more menacing sounding with my mouth curled open like this. It flees quickly in response to my words, and I lick my fangs a bit to feel their size some myself. My anatomy was definitely strange, even knowing it like a textbook as I did thanks to my databank memories. In some cases I was literally a pink ball of teeth and eyes, yet thanks to odd data compression my organs were all still in here like a human, or pony as the surroundings may be. I could even eat over twice my size in food, though doing so wasn’t needed unless I planned to fight. For a Digimon, eating was less a needed part of organic life, and more a fuel source for more energy and power in battle. It explains why the Digidestined had issues with it in early episodes of the series.

As I drift away from thoughts of fried chicken, I see something that makes me pause in surprise. Looking around, I see the clasp holding the window closed and carefully flip it with my ear. Then, knowing to be slow, I push it open and let the high winds outside blow in around me. Papers fly into the air, dotting the floor and bed behind me. A howl fills my ears from the noise created by the wind, and distant crowds of Canterlot far below. Leaning out I peer down at the ground far below, and then tilt my head down further at what I’d spied a second ago. A narrow yet long ledge was set against the side of the castle, running in both directions across the stone just below the windows of this level. It looked to be too small for a pony to traverse; barely a foot out from the wall, it couldn’t have been more than a few inches thick from top to bottom as well going by what I could see further on at a bend in the stonework. Such a purely decorative piece of the castle probably could never be considered by a pony to sneak around, but for me? With a bit of work, then…

I debate over the idea a moment longer, then act. Diving into my data I search for the portion holding the ‘slotted’ piece of my Armor I’ve collected so far. The Shield I’d obtained in the vault tower was emitting a large amount of power and data which flowed through my body to let me keep this form. By cutting it off, I would revert to my Botamon state, but I wonder if I could keep it inside of me even while like that. It’s the better option than having to hide a big shield somewhere, and then struggle to reach the armory in such a tiny, weak state. With the mental image of taking it out of its slot, I feel my body glow and revert back to its Baby form. Then, as the shield begins to materialize in the real world, I grab that data and instead compress it like a zip file, packaging it away in a small pocket right next to my core. To my surprise it works; perhaps my body knew it wasn’t supposed to be separate from my powers like I was now, and was willing to shift the way things worked to keep it inside.

With my body smaller and lighter, I feel confident I can hop down to the ledge and safely make my way down its length. This level was almost entirely guest quarters like the converted one Cadance lives in. If I can find a window that’s open, and an empty room, I could slip inside and maybe hide until nighttime to sneak around the castle unseen. Make my way down to the sublevel of the castle, into the armory and retrieve the next piece of the puzzle. I wanted the rest to all be there so I could grab it in one go, but if not maybe I could at least unlock my Rookie state. As Agumon my strength would surpass most ponies and give me better mobility. I could even leave Cadance...but no, I wouldn’t. Much of why I stay with her still applies, as well as the fact it would make her worry needlessly over my disappearance.

But enough thinking ahead; it was about time I finally got a move on. Cadance would be back soon and I need to be in a good hiding spot before she finds out. I drop onto the ledge and adjust to the tug of wind blowing at this height. I wasn’t worried about falling, but all the same I kept to the wall as best I could and shuffle instead of hop my way down to the next window. As I approach I hear someone singing inside, so I skip this one and go to the second room. Here there is nothing immediately wrong, so carefully I put my Shield back into place so I can reach the window and peer inside. The walls are covered in pictures and the bed is clearly unmade; a satchel sits on a chair and a small cart holds the leftovers of someone’s breakfast. I revert back to Botamon, noting that the process was faster this time absently as I check the third window down. Here I see a maid cleaning up, forcing me to duck as she turns toward the window.

Room after room I see something or someone that forces me to move on. The castle was coming alive the longer I took, which in turn meant more ponies were bustling about and cleaning/eating/resting/occupying all the rooms of this floor. Since this was the first guest floor I suppose I couldn’t get too frustrated, but I was worried once I came to the last room on this floor after all the strikeouts so far. This room was externally different right away; set into a corner of the castle, it jutted out as part of the lower-half of a spire filling the higher floors above. No balconies or ledging existed past the curve, but there was a window hanging just past where my little walkway ended. If I wanted to get in from here, I would have to jump. Why didn’t I simply turn back then? Because the window was unlocked; just within view I could see the little latch was turned, meaning that if I could grab ahold of it I could swing it open and slip inside. The surface was also dusty, which implied the maids have not been in there for quite some time. Doing so would however mean turning back to Koromon, and even with my extended reach I wasn’t sure I could tug on the window before jumping. I would have to calculate this maneuver carefully.

Gurgling a few words of frustration, I equip myself back to Koromon and reach out with my ear tentacles. They fall short, but the distance is barely more than an inch. My eyes almost lower to stare at the ground, but I stop. I can’t look at what failure would mean or else I would fail. I had strength and a computer mind on my side, so that alone gave me more of an edge than most daredevils. When I realize I’m psyching myself up pointlessly, I leap. A little cry of shock escapes my lips, but my ears grab the thin divider on the window and even pierce the glass some for better grip. Hoping nobody heard that smashing of glass, I swing my body to the far side and force the window to swing out and open. The hinges creak, my heartbeat skyrockets, and then I’m swinging back toward the wall with my back toward it. Twisting quickly I yank on my ears to lift my round body up and over the other side of the window. I nearly wedge myself against everything but it works and I come to a rest on the small windowsill, inside of the room.

“Oh thank god.” I mutter breathlessly. I let go of the window, wincing as I cut myself some on the jagged glass, then close it completely. The holes I’d made with my ears aren’t very notable from afar so I think I’m in the clear from being seen by flying patrols. In hindsight I think I’m lucky also that none had flown past or noticed me while I was out there too. When I turn to look at the room I’ve found myself in better, all I can see are the dusty light beams from the window shining onto a small bed and the floor beside it. I hop onto the bed, which kicks up a cloud of dust that sends me into a coughing fit. Seems I was right; the room was covered in dust and showed signs of having been abandoned. As my vision adjusts to the dark interior I can see a few bookshelves and other live-in pieces of furniture much like Cadance’s room has. Only this one was very notably different in one major way: Paper. Scrolls, book, wall-hangings and loose sheets were scattered everywhere on all surfaces with numerous scribbles and designs on their surface. I wasn’t magically learned but there was no mistaking some of the circles and words used. Whoever had lived here was obviously a powerful, or at least intelligent, unicorn of some significance.

It was enough to make me want to stop and study some of these things, since it could lead to me learning more about magic perhaps. But after another sneezing fit I decide I could do without a dry mouth and sore throat from all the dust clogging up the air. Besides my goal was in the opposite direction within the castle. I make my way to the door and press an ear against it to listen. The hustle of castle workers and other ponies is very dull even to my ears, so I reach up and carefully work the handle. While Cadance locked the door with magic this one had a simple button to push in for privacy. It pops out and the handle turns slowly in my grip before it parts just a hairsbreadth for me to look outside. No guards in view, and only a single door at an angle from mine across the hall. There would be a set of spiral stairs leading up to my left, but the stonework would alert me far ahead of time if anyone was coming down. I cautiously pull the door open further and start to slip outside-

The handle on the opposite door lights up with magic-

I rush to close the door, the loud thump it makes startling me and making someone outside whinny in surprise. “What?” I hear an accented male voice. “I could have sworn...bah, blast it!”

The pony mutters a few things, my ears picking up odd comments about the room I was in. Seems he didn’t like staying near it since there was always odd noises coming from it at all times of the night. It was curious, but he leaves after another few seconds spent locking his door. Letting my heartbeat still, I listen again for a clear window, but now I heard the clop of iron horseshoes and the chatter of ponies milling about. It would seem the narrow window I had was now completely gone. Perhaps it was better I hadn’t attempted it anyway.

“The sun’s up and the castle is alive with people right now.” I reason out loud to myself, under my breath. “Dammit, I guess I’ll have to stay here after a-”

A deep gust of air rattles the window, making me freeze. What could it be now? Staying in the shadows, I turn and try to look outside to see if there was someone investigating the broken glass. To my shock it’s Princess Cadance; her face was etched in panic and worry, a hoof to her mouth to perhaps stifle any cry she wants to shout. She looks side to side, even toward the window, and I try to remain as still and innocuous as I can. Then she zooms off, no words cried out but then against she couldn’t. I knew she was looking for me; she must have returned and seen the open window, and was now panicking that I not only got out, but perhaps was stuck or injured somewhere on the outside of the castle. Today was as much a race against time for her as it was for me now, since the longer I stayed outside her room the bigger the chance was that I’d be caught by an unsympathetic guard.

To calm my shaken heart I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Things had quickly piled up on me and it seems I was stuck once again in a room. Not much of a change from how I hoped it would be. If I left via the door someone would likely see me. If I left via the window, then it would be Cadance who does. She would lock me up in the safer fashion, but now that I’d discovered the window there would be no escape as she locks that down too. I would have to wait until it was dark to enter the castle proper and make my way down to the basement levels.

Sighing, I move toward a pile of papers and idly begin poking at them with a tentacle. Maybe I could learn something about magic while the long hours pass.

My first observation on the former occupant of the room was: they were obsessed with magic. I don’t mean spells or rituals either, but rather the innate magic found in all ponies. Earth, pegasus and unicorn body charts dotted the walls with lines flowing through them in ways not unlike nerves or blood veins. The really damning thing however was the makeshift chart above the desk that had various pieces of the first three charts taped together. The ‘alicorn’ had obvious flaws where numerous lines didn’t cross or connect, but there were notes all over it hinting toward rituals and magic that could put them together.

The second was that they must have been someone important to have all of this left untouched. Not only were such notes and research left lying around, but so was everything else in the dust covered room after what must have been years. This included articles of clothing that looked worthy of nobility and trinkets that were marked with gold and gems. While few in number their tastes had obviously been very high-brow, perhaps rewards or thank you’s from Princess Celestia for previous research they had done.

Finally, and the most...interesting, were the shattered picture frames. There were less than a handful of them on a side table near the bed. Each was summarily smashed inside the frame still, with the web of cracks so thick that I couldn’t make much of anything out about them. Trying to remove the pictures showed the backs had been bent out of shape too, and although curious I felt it better to leave as much as I could intact instead of wrecking things further. About all I could say was that Princess Celestia might have been featured in a number of them, along with a smaller pony, but that’s about as informative as saying the sun is bright and hot. The clear breaking of some form of bond was obvious however.

Further research proved fruitless in general. I could only interpret the most basic outline of what was scribbled on the pieces of paper around the room. Nothing about the furniture or trinkets denoted anything specific about the pony that I could see. Still it served a purpose; by the time I decided to simply rest and wait, the sun was setting and the castle staff outside were starting to vanish from my hearing. I’d seen Cadance twice more by the window outside flying around, but each time I hid out of sight and she never suspected I was here. When the sun finally did depart from the sky, I waited even more for midnight to roll around before I took my first step.

Cracking the door open a hair, I peer out into the hallway and spy nobody around. An ear twitches as I stretch my senses to listen, but the only noise is the faint wind outside. Smiling, I step out and begin hopping down the hall toward the stairs. The main staircase was no doubt patrolled by guards, but the servant stairway was much more narrow and echoing thanks to the harder stone steps it had. I don’t believe the guards would spend time watching them directly, not when they could simply listen from afar for anything suspect. After all, most of the inhabitants of this world have hooves or sharp talons to walk on. My squishy body never made a peep as I carefully make my way down the internal quick-drop to the bottom floor. I come out from the winding staircase near the kitchen, whose wide double doors are dark and still this late at night. I think about perhaps stealing a snack; my last meal for the day had been the delightful breakfast I shared with Cadance, but I wanted to get my mission over with. So long as I didn't get into a fight I would be okay. Looking left and right, I spy a section of the long hallway that turns to stone instead of marble or tile and make my way over to it. It seems to be a back hall of sorts, full of pantries and other storage closets, but I could tell I was getting close to my goal.

“The guards are very lax at night.” I murmur under my breath. “Not a soul in sight for me to worry about.” It wasn’t a complaint, but I certainly could see this being corrected if I was caught stealing the armor. Still, my worries don’t slow me down at all and after a few more turns I find a second set of narrow stairs. These only went down two levels and I got off at the first: the sub-level basement. Below me was the dungeons and other little use rooms branching off from that, which from my readings hadn’t been used in quite some time thanks to the peaceful era. But this level was clearly in use; large sconces were lit on the walls down either side of the hallway I was in, the fires crackling faintly. The floor down the middle was carpeted with a simple red strip of cloth, and several marked doors filled up the spaces between support pillars and the various lights.

In addition, this is the first sign of ponies I’d had. Though still their numbers were few; a guard was down the way by a corner in either direction but otherwise that was it. They haven’t noticed me, but they keep glancing down the hall toward one another. I stay still and even go so far as to devolve into Botamon so my body can better blend into the shadows. After a time I realize they were checking each other at regular intervals, so once I start tracking this I count down until I’m certain I can move between the shadows. When one guard looks away, I dive into a corner the other couldn’t see from their angle. When that guard turns, I move into one he might have seen me from, but of course it was the other guard who couldn’t now. Over and over, I make smooth progress until I’m almost directly across from one. Here I close my eyes to narrow slits and press myself flat. I could visualize in my head the image of a camera in lieu of the guard, who I absently note is a Day Guard and not a Night Guard. I don’t see why Luna’s personal troops weren’t handling this shift; this guard obviously was exhausted after a long shift going by the shadows under his eyes, which would only help me, but still. As his head pans left and right I carefully move around the corner until I can see down the next corridor. A third guard is there, but to my relief the passage I need to go to seems to be about halfway between these two. Repeating the same shadow hop trick, I slip around the final turn and sigh happily when there’s no guard in sight this time. Guess they must only care about guarding the entrances to the level.

I take a moment to gather my breath and return to being Koromon. Bouncing slowly down the hall, I look to my sides at the marked doors to see if any say ‘Armory’. An enchanting lab, an alchemy lab, a tinker’s workshop, a storage room...none of them say what I need. Spying a small open archway, I slide over to it and look in. Beyond is another workshop, but this time it’s much more open and curved around the corners of the roof toward a large grated vent. A few trowels along the wall hold what look like water and oil, and an anvil rests almost center of the room. Two large, open double doors show a room beyond with a giant furnace and numerous chains and pulleys to operate the machinery inside. This was clearly the prized forge I read about, and I suppose this small outer room was meant for smaller menial tasks not requiring the full attention and use of the main shop behind it. Since nobody is in view I risk hopping into the room, and spy around the table two more doors. One is clearly labeled as the office of the head blacksmith, with an...axe embedded in it? Well okay then.

The second makes my heart soar, as in very big letters it says ‘ARMORY’ clear as day. Moving to it, there is a large, old iron handle that I can barely work to turn with my smooth tentacles. Still it turns, albeit slowly, and swings open to reveal a small hallway completely dark save for what light pours in from the door. It widens near the end at a pair of massive, thick and solid wood doors with a giant piece of wood barring it. Obviously the actual armory, and as I approach I can feel a hum of magic over the entrance that makes me nervous. What kind of wards did they put over this, and can I somehow get around them?

“Actually, come to think of it…” I ponder for a moment. Could it really be as simple as I hope? To test it I reach up slowly with a tentacle toward the bar holding the doors closed. Just before I touch it, I feel the electric tingle of magic radiating off of it and stop, hovering two inches over the object. Pulling back, I reach for the door about a foot lower from the bar, until I touch it and rub over the smooth polished surface. No magic surges under or around me, and just to be sure I try the bar again only to halt at the same distance. So, they’ve only enchanted the bar to ward off intruders. Even for their size there’s only enough clearance above and below the thing for maybe a foal to slip past if they could somehow get around it, so that’s clever. And anything commonly known to this world is likely too loud or difficult to try and sneak past the guards to get it here. It’s economic, and not unexpected for a peaceful land to be lax over guarding something like this. Besides, most traps don’t cover an entire hall or object, just the location someone has to reach to break in.

Unfortunately for Celestia, I had a simple work-around for this. “Acid Bubble.” Gurgling a bit of my spit, I let it build up until the hissing acid is fully coating my tongue. Then with a hop forward I lick the gap between the two doors, and the wood begins to burn and dissolve rapidly into a hole big enough to let me through. After two minutes it finishes up and, with a smug little look I shuffle through to the other side. Not a subtle entrance, but they wouldn’t even begin to guess that the Black Knight did this.

On the other side, the vast cavern that was the armory was a pit of total darkness. Not even the flimsy light through the hole was enough for my night vision to see by. So I reach up with my tentacles and begin groping at the wall in hopes of a light switch. As much as these ponies kept ahold of medieval practices and architecture there was a very notable presence of modern technology dotting the castle. The best way I could put it is that they preferred hard work over ease of access. Unless a task was too demanding of their time and effort they would opt for the older ways to do things; torches were fine for halls frequented by many ponies on the staff, but in a room this large and rarely used besides storing old equipment? I had to assume it would use something modern to light it all.

Feeling a large protrusion, I push it up and get a satisfying click before the lights overhead begin to hum with electricity. In rows they all turn on, bathing one section at a time in a wondrous display of history as rack after rack of armor and weaponry appears. Since I was adjacent to one of the walkways I could even peer far down to the other side of the room, where the larger objects like catapults and hwachas rested. I stare, admiring their collection, before shaking off the wonder and move in to search for my armor.

With nearly a thousand years of history to peruse the search was not easy. Numerous pieces were black in coloration, or built for upright creatures. Others had claw-like adornments, or horns atop shoulders and helmets. Whatever organization method they used also confused me; in one corner there would be a collection of swords and spears while right beside it was a number of helmets and banners. In another corner there were siege weapons and boots. Some of the older displays showed some form of order, but as I approached the front of the room again it was obviously falling apart as the years passed and ponies cared less I guess. The hours passed fruitlessly, until around five in the morning I realized that the armor simply wasn't here. It annoyed me; all this time searching was for nothing, but what’s worse was that they would notice my break-in and no doubt up security at night. My efforts earlier today proved to be a waste of time and...and…

But at the same time, I could tell my armor had been here. It was why I kept searching for so long, since that telltale hint of power lingered in the air in the way any old house smelled. Notable and distinct, with memories coming to your mind anytime you experienced it again. To say victory was so close I could taste it was literal for me, but still the armor was missing. They must have moved it recently in hopes of eluding me, like I’d guessed they would all along. Maybe if I had come earlier it would have turned out differently, but although I would have to count this as a loss, it meant my theories were sound. I could use this and perhaps figure out where the other pieces, if split up, were.

However as I begin to leave I notice one thing off.

The armory was chock-full of armor, weapons and more with little end to the variety. Yet one thing of note about it was besides the walkways there had been no empty spots. Plenty of room left to store more, yes, but there were no empty stands or positions in any of the displays. So why was that display one row back bare? I turn back to look, squeezing past a few pieces and looking up at the stand where I spy a tiny piece of paper dangling from an arm. I hop and grab it in my mouth, spitting it out onto the floor to read it.

Item: Black Knight Armor
Age: Unknown
Species: Unknown (Possibly Dragon)
Armor requisitioned from storage by order of Her Highness Princess Celestia. Grand Master Tempered Blade granted temporary ownership for testing and experimentation.

They were experimenting with my armor?! Do they have any idea how stupid that is? That armor is full of powerful data and energy, which if breached somehow I fear could cause a disaster. Actually, could it even be tapped into by magic or non-data beings? Nothing in my memory banks pertained to this kind of scenario, so I just have to assume it would be Bad and possible. Whoever this Tempered Blade was didn’t know what he really had in his hooves, and I need to get it back from him. Thankfully the title was the same as the office plaque back in the other room, the one with an axe in the door. Perhaps he kept it locked away inside the office, or there were notes about it.

My time in the armory was done. Moving back into the walkway, I head toward the door, but pause. My hearing is picking up raised voices, at least two, and they were coming closer toward my position. A light begins to shine from the hole in the door, and with nowhere to go I revert to Botamon and dive behind a pair of black boots. Grunting and sliding wood fills the air.

“Look, just go alert one of the guards…” I hear Shining Armor say. Shit, what was he doing here?

“Ta Tartarus wi’ that boy!” Barks a hoarse, no pun, voice. The stallion must have been a bear of a pony going by how deep it is. “Ah’m not letting any o’ me armor get dingered up by some damn blasted fools! They’ll be answ’ring to me hammah before I let ‘em go!”

“I’ve got them trapped in here Tempered. There’s no other entrance and I can just keep a shield-”

“Bah!” There was a very loud grunt and suddenly the doors bang open. Eyes wide, I watch as Tempered Blade walks in. He’s a towering pony, probably close to Celestia’s shoulders or so in height, with a deep red coat and coal grey mane. His eyes are fit to burn anything they gaze on as he pans his head around, and Shining Armor comes up alongside of him looking rather small despite his own height. “If’n they’re daft enough ta stay ‘ere then mah HOOF will keep ‘em still! D’ya know what th’ history of this place is?!”

“I do, Tempered, and that’s why-”

“ANCIENT!” The blacksmith bellows suddenly, rattling a few displays. “This ‘ere room be ancient and full of history. War, conquest, honor and glory o’ battle! There even be a damn full set o’ DRAGON ARMOR ‘ere! Not even that piece of-” He spits. “That you an’ ‘er Majesty’s got me prodding and hammering. Useless piece of FILTHY-!”

“Thank You, Grand Master, but I think we don’t want to give the thief even more of an idea that we’re here.” Shining interrupts finally, magic clamping the earth pony’s mouth shut. He turns and glares down at the smaller stallion, but snorts and begins stomping off one direction without another word. The Day Captain stares after his companion for a second, before sighing and chasing after him. Completely forgetting that he was supposed to be standing guard.

I hold off leaping out from my spot until I can barely hear even the hot-headed blacksmith’s voice.

I don’t know why they were both down here so late at night, but if I had to guess it was for a secret meeting. Perhaps about my armor in fact, which makes me believe it really is in the office. Moving to the doors, I peer back into the armory for a second, before hopping down the hall back to the main workshop and evolving to Koromon. I had perhaps a few minutes before they got suspicious of not seeing anyone around and return. It was enough however, for me to get things done.

The office door was locked with a very big, thick, old iron padlock and lever. The kind of craftsmanship that was far from easy to bust apart or pick. My acid quickly sizzled and melted the parts down until the door swung open a few inches. Pushing inside, the room fluttered loudly with the gust of wind my entering caused due to all the papers spread out across the desk and small work table built into one of the walls. Literally every corner of the walls was filled with either tools or paper depicting various armor designs and weapons, as well as the occasional piece of furniture or metal-heavy machine. The desk was beaten, old and worn so bad it was like looking at a piece of roughly hewn rock than some old oaken thing, but it still held the piles of paperwork atop it, as well as more weapons embedded into its wood to hold some down. Finally, in the corner, surrounded by a very clean piece of floor, was an armor rack holding my prize.

My Chestplate sat untarnished and as clean as the day I first woke up in it. Too big to fit a pony, it actually touches the floor with its flaps around where my waist would be if in my Mega form. The pauldrons tied to it by thick yellow cords of flexible metal gleamed along the tips of their spikes as the light from the other room passed over it, and a faint glow of power emanated from the rigid, angled lines scored into the plating all over its surface. To my senses the air felt thick with its aura of data, hidden somehow from me until this very moment, perhaps by some kind of ward around the room. All the more reason to hurry then, since I had no idea if the wards included an alarm system.

“Good to have you back.” I say, before hopping over and putting my tentacles on the surface. A wave of light washes over the armor and I, and then it was gone, slotted inside and unlocking the next tier of my Digivolutions. “Koromon, Digivolve to…!”

Ears lowered and thickened into powerful arms. Legs sprouted and pushed my body up. My head thickened and elongated, while also detaching itself from the blob that began to harden with tight muscle as my torso and gut spread apart. Closing my eyes, I absorb the new data and flood of power, flexing until I shatter the thin barrier of evolutionary light around me. I look down, relishing my new height and freedom of movement, before noting something odd. My three-clawed hands lift up and clack against one-another as the thin strips of leather around them creak. These were a feature I recall from the fifth season and the Agumon of that run. Underneath however, my skin was as black as coal, not yellow like I’d anticipated. A word bubbles up my throat, unbidden and following the end of my Digivolution. I guess then this makes me a-

“BlackAgumon.” I growl, voice deeper and coarse. Still not the deep baritone thing I had as BlackWarGreymon, but I was on the way at last. I’m a little disappointed however that I am not a regular Agumon. To my knowledge a Koromon doesn’t normally evolve into this form, and if I’d continued up the normal line it could have done a great service toward denouncing the crimes placed against me by the crown. Public image helps a lot after all. Ah well; The armor was of a BWG, so it made sense it would put me on this path eventually. With two pieces down, I calculate again that only three remain. My ability to sense the power of my armor was now strong enough that I could feel a very notable echo of the remaining set pieces within the castle above. Nothing concrete as to where, but now I know Princess Celestia has kept them close at hand.

“Now...one last thing before I go.” Turning to the desk, I’m now tall enough that I can reach and pick up the papers strewn across it. I play with one of the daggers wedged in the wood with one claw as I read over what the blacksmith has been up to with my armor. So far it looks like he’s had no success at all in cracking my secrets. The Black Chrome Digizoid was alien to this world and had a resilience and strength greater than diamond. Even when he used such tipped tools he’d not even caused a scratch. When he finally resorted to magic, a very recent experiment, something did seem to react inside my gear. His words however were very erratic, almost...rambling, by this point. He described besting my armor as if he was fighting an enraged dragon, and then went around and said that it could make shadows come alive. Apparently some of the weapons strewn about were from manic moments of paranoia and suspicion, reined in only at the last moment. Notes began to grow short and bold, cursing ‘The Black Knight’ out for having such a tricky piece of armor. When I come to the last page, I see nothing but a sworn promise to cast my armor into the fires of Tartarus before he lets it ever see the light of day. Angry at my armor being treated that way, it was still concerning to know he felt that way after the passionate speech I saw in the armory. This man, pony, cared and loved the history of warfare. But my armor was where he drew the line, or rather, where he crossed it.

Shaking my head, I step back and look around the office. “No telling what might be worthwhile in here...sorry for this.” I snort and gather a bit of spit. “Spitfire!” My loogie flies onto the desk and sizzles for a second, then ignites when the chemicals in it finally mix. All evidence to my armor’s limits and abilities need to be eliminated, just in case, and I turn to spit on the rest of the paper too. It was that shift in stance that saved my skull, as out of the corner of my eye I saw a hammer’s head coming toward me at speed.

I hastily dodge to the side, the hammer missing by an inch and cracking the stone floor instead. “Bah, yer bigger than I expected beastie!” Tempered Blade growls, hefting the two-handed weapon back up and standing on his hind legs. “Nobody lay a hood on me treasure an’ gets s’way with it!”

“Baby Flame!” I rebute, blasting him in the face with a fireball. The attack catches him off guard and he falls back into the other room, but shows little in the way of burns. As I step forward to follow, he snorts and wipes his face down, glaring at me with his burning, angry eyes.

“I’ve ‘ad tha flames of me forge take a swipe a’ me better than ye have!” He taunts, swinging again to force me back into the office. By now the fire I set has taken to the entire desk, illuminating my back and leaving him in the shadow cast by me. “Yer not leaving alive!”

“Well you’re partially correct.” I growl, and he blinks. Did he not hear me speak before? “At least one of us isn’t getting out of this alive.”

I charge headlong, lowering my skull to give him a nasty hammering of my own. Instead of swinging his weapon or dodging though he tosses it aside and grabs ahold of my head. When we collide he slides back a few feet, but surprisingly he stands firm and throws me to the side where I bounce back to my feet. Looking around, I see it’s just the two of us for the moment, with no Shining in sight. Perhaps guessing my intention, Tempered snorts.

“Th’ Captain’s on his way with reinforcements, beastie. Yer not gettin away - I’ll have th’ honor o’ dragging yer ass with chains meself though!” He bellows, charging at me.

“Mach Jab!” I shout, anger coursing through me. My left claw shoots out as he nears, curled just enough to not claws his face off but still snapping it clear to the side. In a straight brawl, I had the superior strength no matter his own. A Digimon simply was stronger than organic life, even as a Rookie like me. His charge broken, I wind up my right to give a rising chop to his chin. Jawbone meets skull in a crack that echoes in the air, and when he lifts high enough to see it I blast him with a fireball dead-on to his chest. The triple staggering knocks the wind from his sails; his hooves stumble for stability, and I deliver the final blow with a full body tackle that sends him flying toward the anvil. His head cracks against the block of steel, and like that he was out like a light.

Tempered Blade has size, power and durability on his side. But all of that pales next to my own strength, and the experience of a hundred-thousand battles and more wedged inside of my mind. A Digimon was born for combat from the minute they hatched out of their egg, and even if I was running on instinct not originally my own, this human-in-digital-flesh was still the better fighter. With the office aflame and the blacksmith knocked out, I turn to leave, but then I have a thought.

The notes were destroyed, my armor recovered, but there was still one big threat still around that could ruin things. Tempered Blade knew; having spent countless hours on my Chestplate, he knew more about it than anyone else, even if his efforts had drawn so little out. His notes claimed I was weak to magic, and that was most likely to be true. I still remember how I was frozen and scorched by the more powerful attacks Luna and Celestia threw at me. All he would have to do was request another piece be brought to him for study, and he might succeed in cracking some real flaw in my power and forms. If Celestia discovers that and plans accordingly…

With slow steps I move back toward the blacksmith. “I said at least one of us isn’t getting out alive.” I murmur, coming to a halt above him. Lifting a claw, I inspect it, judging my next act. A dark glee fills me at the idea, and I raise it high to strike him down. Just a quick stab in the neck and he would bleed out, maybe choke on his own blood-

The next second I blink and stare at the claw I had almost drove through him. A dark haze retreats from my vision and mind, having somehow come and gone without my noticing. Did I really almost kill this stallion? What the hell was I thinking? Luckily for him, it wasn’t just my sanity coming back that had stopped the murder.

I double-check that I'm in control of myself. Then, stepping back calmly, I turn and stare non-plus at Shining Armor, whose purple domed shield was protecting the unconscious pony at my side. His hooves were set wide in a hostile stance, horn lowered and glowing with his spell, and his eyes were burning in an entirely different manner than how Tempered had been. His eyes spoke of justice and retribution.

“You’re done for, monster.” He spits. “My troops are on their way with more guards, and there’s no way I’m letting you harm Tempered or leave this room! You’ll be dragged in chains all the way to Tartarus for this, and that’s if you’re lucky.” A pause fills the air, the faint humming of magic taking the place of words for a moment. “You’re under arrest for breaking and entering, assault and attempted murder by the way. Just so you know the least of your crimes.”

Eyeing the captain, I feel anger bubbling up in me again, but this I squash before anything amiss comes with it. “...For the record, I wasn’t going to kill him.” I attempt.

A snort answers me.

“Figures...you know as it stands, I just have to defeat you before your troops arrive and I’ll likely escape.”

“I’d like to see you try.” One hoof scuffs the floor. “I’m Captain Shining Armor of the Day Guard. You messed with the wrong pony, monster.”

“It seems I have.” I couldn't hurt Shining, not really. He was just doing his job and injuring him would only hurt my relationship with Cadance more if things got out. I had already taken things a step too far with that attempted murder anyhow, and that brought up a kettle of fish I needed to ponder. “Unfortunately, you’ve messed with the wrong Digimon as well, Captain Armor.”

“Digimon?” There it was; Shining lifted his head, curiosity on his face at the strange word.

“That’s right...and we’re so, so much more capable than any Knight or Dragon can be. Baby Flame!” I fire my shot at the ground, just a foot shy of the stallion who hastily erects a barrier. Shooting twice more, I see him buckling down for an assault and change tactics. Time to get creative with my abilities. “Baby Backfire! Kaff!”

Twisting the fireball inside of me, I cause it misfire into a massive cloud of ash and smoke that billows out into the room. Safely tucked away in his shield, Shining doesn’t start coughing from the burning smog, but it blinds him and that’s all I need. I rush around him and hurry down the hall, my talons clacking and alerting him to my escape. I hear his cries of anger and surprise, but I just keep barrelling down the way.

Thanks to the call to arms the halls are actually empty, but I can hear hooves coming from all sides. Taking the servant stairs three at a time I climb up to the main floor, punch out a guard, vault over another, and fill the hall with the same smoke trick I’d discovered with Shining. “Halt!” A guard cries, but I don’t. Two more come flying out from around the next bend, and I leap up and force their heads together with a metal crunch. Thankfully they’re still alive as I land and hurry away, but seeing this magic starts flying behind me and the stampede behind me grows in number.

Coming out of an archway, I realize I’ve somehow come to the main foyer of the castle and that the giant main staircase is to my left and above. The coast being clear, I try to calculate my best chance of escaping, but the seconds are ticking too fast for anything decisive. Any minute now they’ll probably drag the barracks into this too, which means Day and Night Guards. Once that happens there’s no stopping the Princesses from getting involved, and then I’m screwed.

“Fuck!” I hiss, and then snap my head up. “That’s it!”

Ten seconds later the first guards burst out from the entrance and gather inside of the main foyer. Looking down all the connecting halls, some pegasi fly down from the stairs as well and they start bickering. “Which way did it go?” One asks. “I’m not sure - split up! We have to cover ground until we know its destination!” A second answers. “I’ll cover the corridor, make sure he doesn’t double back. Morning Star, Shining Glory - you two alert the barracks. Get the grounds covered immediately!”

“Yes sir!” The group splits up, one staying behind and moving back to sit in front of the archway leading to the lower levels. His head swivels side to side, intent on catching sight of me, but he’s already fallen for my trick. Up above on the large keystone of the arch, I sit as Botamon with my tiny blob body resting precariously on the ledge it gives. It was tricky to leap up and change fast enough to land, but with my tiny body I blended easily into the shadows just like earlier to avoid the guards.

When the sounds of his comrades are gone, I leap off and evolve back up to Agumon, landing on his back hard enough to drive him to the floor and without breath. My claw quickly finishes the deal, slamming into the back of his head to knock him unconscious. Then, I turn into Koromon, and begin hopping up the stairs as fast as I can. Even if they were hunting for a monster, and Botamon was stealthier, I needed the speed and potential innocence this form could give while I hurried up to Cadance’s room.

The night’s fun was finally winding down, but I had more worries on my mind than when I began this expedition. They still had pieces of my armor and were trying to figure out a weakness, something that Tempered had already hinted to with his notes. The guard now knew the Black Knight was near the castle, or if not they would once they found some of his armor missing and make the connection between the small black lizard and the towering one of legend. My sudden spike of malicious intent, after already having defeated Tempered Blade, was the biggest concern though. I might have lost myself to anger a thousand years ago, but this an entirely different matter. What had come over me? He was down and out, and even if he knows something the notes being lost would set him back. Plus, as much as he ‘knows’ I’m weak to magic, he couldn’t do anything to pierce my armor. So why had I tried to kill him? It felt so natural, so...simple, to take his life. Yet he was an innocent in all of this, and I'd sworn to not to lash out at them when I could. Was this another form of manipulation that my power’s had? If so I must steel myself; my weaker form might be leaving me more susceptible to the armor’s effects, and that could lead to dire consequences for myself and others.

For now though I have to take to being the pet again. Cadance would be mad, but she would hide me in plain sight and keep the danger of capture away. Besides, I felt terrible for making her worry and search for so long. I’ll probably have to accept a ribbon or two finally to make her happy again. But it’d be worth it.

“Koromon?!”

Probably worth it.

Home Away From Home

View Online

The next morning I was in better shape than I’d hoped, but still in trouble. As expected, Princess Cadance didn’t take kindly to me running away, especially not with her almost twelve hours of worry, concern and exhaustion. The potent mixture very nearly sent her on a verbal lashing to me until she realized just how bad things were at the moment in the castle. She took me back up to the room, but to show that my luck wasn’t entirely good, we of course had to encounter someone neither of us had wanted to see…

The sudden shout of my name almost caught me off-guard. As it was I still bounce a few more feet before coming to a halt, and turning I could hear hooves beating fast around a side-corridor I’d just passed. Knowing only one pony who had my ‘name’, I sigh and brace myself.

Princess Cadance, sans royal accessories and holding a lit candle aloft in her magic, turns the corner so hard she skids on the carpet and forces it to bundle up under her hooves. A quick flap of her wings stop it from turning into a crash, and I blink a bit at the dazed expression she’s giving me. She looks...not a wreck, but it was certainly comical seeing her right then. Her mane could afford a brushing and without the crown and shoes she appeared more exposed and, shall we say, normal? As the moment passed and she regains her bearings, that look shifts into a deep frown and angry countenance. Uh-oh.

“Koromon! There-” She stops, realizing she was shouting. Her voice lowers to a harsh whisper and a wing juts out to jab down by her side. “Get over here right now missy!”

I silently obey, looking up once directly in front of her.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was? You went missing and the window - my sixth floor window - was wide open! I thought you fell, or worse, was captured by a guard!”

“Kooo…” I wiggle my ears.

A faint blush crosses her cheeks as she realizes what she said. Thankfully it also seems to calm her down some. “Right, reverse what I just said. I was searching for hours, and do you know how many odd looks I got for galloping around like that? I was certain somepony would stop and ask me what I was doing. They didn’t, thankfully, but still.”

“Ko komoron moo roro koromon?” I ask.

Cadance tilts her head, trying to read me. I had only asked since, even with all of her insight to me it wasn’t like she could actually understand my gibberish. But then her eyes narrow, and I am greatly shocked as she says accusingly, “How did you know I was flying? I-” She pauses. “You...the glass...you broke into a room! With no window sill or anything under it! Do you know how dangerous and stupid that was?!”

Well, uh, I’m not sure what to say to that really. The fact she got what I was saying was stunning enough, but she accurately figured out where I had been hiding for most of the day, because of the broken glass I left behind even. Such a tiny detail had been observed and recalled by her all this time. I was honestly impressed; Cadance studied often but I had no idea she has such a strong mind or memory.

“That’s it, you’re grounded.” She declares. Grabbing me in her magic, I can’t even wiggle as she begins trotting purposefully toward the stairs to go back to her room. “Bad enough you left the room - you broke into another, recklessly endangered yourself, and now the entire castle is waking up thanks to the stink the guards are making. You better not be the cause of this because I swear…”

“K-Ko! Koromono! O moroo!” I stutter in denial.

“Good, because it’s going to be hard enough to keep you safe for the next day or two.” She sighs, before a jaw cracking yawn wracks her entire body. Her wings shiver and flap, while her tail flicks against the floor as the tingle travels down her spine. “Oof, I’m exhausted. I didn’t even take a bath like I wanted to…”

The castle did indeed get loud as, over the next two minutes, more guards began to expand the search. Cadance easily ignores all of it, eyes heavy with sleep and not marking it as important since it was in the opposite direction. A small grace for me, since there was less chance with every step that I would be caught. Even in this ‘safe’ form of Koromon I still wasn’t going to let myself grow lax, since any alien creature could become the culprit easily if the guards were paranoid enough. With Shining Armor on the task as well, I bet he would be more than happy to see me inspected and then chucked out at least.

We made it to the guest wing and her bedroom without fanfare. Cadance, tired from a long day of stress and already juggling two items, fumbled for a second with the doorknob. I think she didn’t want to let go of me in case I did a runner. “Now, I know it’s rather pointless to say, considering how long you’ve been in here already. But since you so rudely left with not so much as a note, you’re staying inside for at least another two weeks. I-”

“Cadance?”

We both freeze at the sudden voice to our side. Turning our heads, we both let out a groan of frustration, though mine grows into a small growl. Still wrapped in her regalia and holding a candle of her own, Princess Celestia looks in confusion at our presence in the hall. What was she doing here? Her quarters were nowhere near this section of the castle, and much higher up in one of the larger towers.

“Auntie? What are you doing here?” Cadance asks.

“I was visiting with my sister.” Comes the reply. Her eyes trail to the side until they stop on me. I stare back, unflinching with a small frown, and she reflects my look back. “I thought I heard your voice and...what is that you’re holding?”

“Nothing!” My vision blurs as Cadance whirls to face Celestia, wings extending some as she hides me behind her back. “Just uh...just, a slice of cake from the kitchen. I couldn’t sleep and went to get a snack. Don’t tell Angel Cake please?”

“Cadance…” Celestia’s chiding tone makes us both wince. It wasn’t a scolding so much as a demand that she tell the truth. “What is that thing?”

“It’s uh…” My companion fumbles for words, until I feel the magic around me loosen enough to finally move some. Very slowly I float out from around her back, until I’m staring at the solar alicorn again. “This is my pet, Koromon.” My ‘owner’ says.

“Your...pet.”

“Yeah - I found her a few weeks ago, and I’ve been taking care of her ever since.”

“I’ve never seen anything like her before.” Celestia’s frown deepens. “Just where exactly did you find it?”

“Just outside, on one of the garden paths. We bumped into each other actually.” Cadance goes on a tangent then, spouting the whole sordid tale rapidly to keep herself from stopping or letting Celestia speak up again. It works for a time; throughout the tale the older alicorn looks between her niece and myself, her frown set in stone. I saw the connections being drawn in her eyes and emotions before Cadance did, but since I was on thin ice knew I couldn’t speak up.

“Enough.” Celestia suddenly declares. Cadance’s mouth clicks shut with an audible snap, her next word strangled. “Cadance, this creature was in the garden during Discord’s escape? Did you not consider that it might something dangerous left by him?”

“I’m not stupid auntie.” My companion counters, offended. “I knew it was possible - a little cute blob, to go with cotton candy clouds and rude doorknobs? But she stayed even after Discord was sealed, and she’s been nothing but a polite, friendly companion this whole time.” She looks down at me then, adding, “Until tonight that is.”

“Ko.” I shrug as best I can in her aura.

“Is that why I hear the guards scrambling this late at night? Did it have something to do with that?”

“No, auntie, she just ran away! I’ve been...keeping her in my room this whole time. She finally got tired of waiting to go out that’s all.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” I growl at that remark, even if it’s technically true. That makes Celestia look at me again, and this time I know she’s done talking. “Give it here Cadance.”

“...What?” Cadance takes a few seconds to realize what her aunt said. Eyes growing wide, she stutters, “B-But Auntie, Koromon is-”

“A monster.” She interrupts, making my hackles metaphorically rise. “Even if it isn’t a spawn of Discord it still doesn’t belong here. Who knows what it might do if that…thing wanders the castle again? Will it hurt one of my little ponies, or damage some priceless article in the halls? I dread to even imagine what Day Court would be like if it came in and upset a noble.”

“She’s not a monster, Celestia.” Cadance argues. “Koromon is a complete sweeheart! She’s very intelligent and would never do something like that, right Koromon?” She looks to me.

“Koo.” I roll my eyes.

“If it is intelligent then it may simply be waiting.” This time more than my hackles are raised by that comment. “I won’t let something dangerous wander around my castle without my notice. You’ve already broken my trust by keeping it Cadance, so please, give it here and this won’t have to get worse.”

Like a mother scolding her child, Celestia began trotting closer and her horn began to glow a bit brighter. I could feel the magic around me thicken, tighten, as her own joined her niece’s. She obviously wasn’t waiting for permission, and that did it. Growling, I bared my fangs for the first time in Cadance’s presence, earning a startled gasp from her at their size. I wasn’t going to let Celestia just walk all over her like this! I definitely wasn’t going to let her get her way with me again. Even if I had to Digivolve and claw her pretty little face, I-!

A deep, hungry roar fills the air seconds before I lose all the steam I’d been building up. Like a puppet with its string cut I fall out of the sky, limp, as both alicorns released me at the sound and I couldn’t make the effort to move. Something was wrong with me; I felt as weak and helpless like a newborn baby. A second growl tells me it was from my stomach, and the answer became obvious. It had been an entire day since I last ate, and no matter how odd my anatomy, that was bad. My organic side was low on fuel, but my Digimon half was full on spent. Trying to ramp myself up had done the job of reminding it that it had nothing in the tank to fight with. As I look up weakly, a pitiful noise escaping my lips toward Cadance, I also see a shimmer of black from the corner of my eyes vanish. So, it wasn’t just anger then…

“Koromon!” Cadance cries, over her shock. She kneels down and nuzzles at me, concern filling her. “Oh gosh, it must have been hours since you last ate! I’m so sorry girl - wait a minute, that’s your fault! Oh but that stomach growl was...don’t worry, I’ll get you something and then this whole thing will-”

Celestia clears her throat. The interruption snaps Cadance out of her worry, but then I see her face twist into uncertainty. This close I don’t bother reading her emotions since like this she’s an open book. So I watch as she deals with some internal battle, and then moves.

My vision suddenly becomes filled with alicorn butt as Cadance stands, walks over me, and stands with wings spread to guard me from the older mare’s sight. “I won’t let you take her. I've taken care of Koromon this entire time and she's been so nice! Maybe she wanted to get out of my room often, but who wouldn't after being locked inside for weeks? I know it wasn't fair, and maybe I was a little forceful about trying to make her wear girly things despite clearly not wanting to..." Huh, well thank you for apologizing about that Cadance. "...but still, I've been good and so has she! She is not some monster Auntie, and I'm not going to just give her to you only to throw her out, or worse!"

The passionate speech leaves the hall in silence for a long moment. I can’t make out Celestia’s face from my position, but my senses allow me to tune in to how she’s feeling. Pride and frustration wage war at the forefront, but there’s tinges of anger that she just can’t seem to get rid of. She didn’t like being talked back to like that, even if a part of her understood where her niece was coming from. As her emotions swirl into a new pattern, a fourth party joins our group from up the stairs. Looking that way, I groan as a guard comes galloping up, saluting at the two princesses.

“Your Highness!” He barks, getting both mare’s attention. Instead of speaking aloud, his eyes dart toward Cadance, and then he moves at a more reserved trot to Celestia and whispers in her ear. Surprise, worry and then overwhelming anger fills her.

“I see.” Comes the cool reply. “Continue your duties - I shall inform Princess Luna of this event and then come to the Captain’s Office for an official report. Please pass this on to Captain Armor.”

“Yes, your highness.” He salutes and runs off.

“Cadance-” She pauses, her voice turning firm and harsh. “We will talk about this later.” There was a bright flash of light, and then we’re alone.

“That can’t be good.” Cadance murmurs. “I’ve never seen auntie teleport unless...Koromon, let’s go.” Lifting me up in her magic, we move into her room and she sets me down on the bed. “Stay here - I’ll be back with some food from the kitchen, and then we’re having a talk, is that understood? I’m not angry, but I think you and I have things to discuss.”

Somehow that didn’t fill me with confidence, but I nod.

We didn’t actually talk until an hour ago, because after both of us enjoyed a late-night snack, we passed out. My body needed time to digest and Cadance was still too spent from her day of searching for me. When we awoke, she took a long sniff at the two of us, and we shared a bath that left me feeling the raw kind of pink after her brushes stopped. I think she scrubbed me that hard in revenge, but didn’t protest it as I felt it was worth it to give her payback. Then, we sat down and talked over a bowl of fruit.

My ‘official’ punishment was to stay with her at all times for two weeks. Since the cat was out of the bag about my presence, she wanted to keep an eye on me and since I’d already been locked up in her room so long, not being able to wander was the best plan in her mind. Since this would include a small leash tied around one of my ears, just in case, she effectively had me chained to her hoof. I took the humiliation that was to come in stride, and told myself that laying low was the best option anyway. We both could see and hear the guards patrolling the castle even at this hour, and the fact that both alicorn sisters were involved in the hunt meant I had to shut up and hide. Harder to do now that Celestia had seen my face, but I wasn’t exactly a towering draconic human now was I?

Speaking of Celestia, she had just arrived looking very harrowed and unpleasant. She had been serious about talking this out with Cadance, and the two were squirreled away in a corner with some kind of silence bubble shimmering over them. Cadance was the one powering it, probably to keep me from hearing whatever Celestia was saying that made her so angry inside. Their faces were quite stoic to any outside observer.

I was using the time to reflect on last night, picking at one moment especially that stuck out like a splinter in my thumb. Acquiring my Chestplate had gone smoothly until the finale, when Tempered Blade caught me and I had to strike him down. With the office in flames and him knocked out, I should have made a quick exit, even if Shining Armor would have still blocked me for a time. Instead, I nearly took his life, ruining a great deal of my image and hopes of a peaceful resolution at the end of this long struggle for my Armor. Why? Because my Negative Energy control was apparently not enough at this level of the game.

I had not considered that the power would even still be active inside of my armor to use now. The same technique that let BlackWarGreymon’s hold the upper edge against their counterpart, freely usable for a Rookie? It was a double-edged sword, and last night I nicked myself horribly on the edge when I let it cloud my mind. When I fought the royal sisters I had lost the mental control needed to handle it even as a Mega, which led to my thousand year nap. Last night was worse however, as I didn’t even see it coming until Shining’s barrier snapped up to stop me. Even as I fell victim to my rage and anger I had still known intellectually that I was giving Negative Energy the reigns for a time. This however...if I didn’t watch myself as BlackAgumon, and likely beyond, I could become a true villain without warning. If I let that occur then I don’t know if I could keep hiding away as an ‘innocent’ victim.

Looking toward Princess Celestia, I also had to thank my alien physiology for keeping me down last night as well. The hunger sapping me stopped the Negative Energy from acting up again even as a Koromon, though thankfully it seems to have simply been the runoff and not something still active. Just in case however, I had the Chestplate pushed very far away from where the Shield was inside of me, trying to curtail any sort of resonance or reaction. I must be on my best behavior for a while now so the heat can die down, and so Cadance can show that her claims about my innocence and safety were true.

Minutes later, Princess Cadance and Celestia come out from under the barrier. The elder alicorn shoots me a very unfriendly look, but still approaches as Cadance moves over to pet me. I lean into the hoof and stare back unflinching. “Auntie, may I formally introduce you to Koromon. Koromon, this is Princess Celestia, my aunt.” Cadance introduces us, voice even.

I nod. “Kooro.”

Celestia doesn’t return the favor. “So, it can understand us? What is it saying?”

“She can, and she only seems able to reply back using her name in different ways.” She pets me again. “Way more stimulating than most nobles at least.”

That gets a brief smirk from Celestia, though it dies when she glances at me again. “I saw it’s teeth last night, and you seemed equally surprised. What does it eat? Is it carnivorous?”

“She seems to be okay with most pony cuisine. The only thing she really disliked was some hay fries.” I stick my tongue out some in remembrance. Oddly, it wasn’t the hay that had been so disgusting as it was all the grease in the things. Whoever made that
batch should be fired for trying to clog pony arteries like that. “Then again, since it was from Friar Freddie’s down on Puddinghead Street, can you blame her?”

The attempt at humor falls short of the mark. “That doesn’t answer my second question. Does it eat meat? For all you know it could be biding its time, enjoying snacks and fillers until it can bite you in your sleep!” She jabs a hoof toward me, and I let my, natural, anger take initiative. Teeth bared, I snap at the offending leg and she quickly retracts it with an affronted huff.

“You-!”

“Kor-!”

“No!” Cadance snaps, a book suddenly flying over and swatting both of our noses. “Auntie, I specifically recall asking you not to provoke Koromon like that. I was willing to let you keep calling her an ‘It’, but that crossed the line. And you, Koromon! Just because she is being rude doesn’t mean you have to reply in kind. Don’t let them win by proving them ‘right’ about yourself.”

I nod, grateful for her intervention. Celestia’s entire demeanor shows she is far from amused, almost angry, but she gathers herself up.

“Nevertheless - such teeth only exist to rip and shred. I won’t risk my little ponies on the off chance it gets hungry, or upset at one and decides to enjoy a sudden meal. It will have to come with me-”

“Speciest.” Cadance interrupts.

The room grows silent in shock. I let out a cross between a snort and cough at the bland, bored tone she said the word once I realize what she was saying. Celestia is so startled she actually whinnies and looks poleaxed, wings fluttering at her side. We look toward the pink princess, her own face bored and very disinterested in our mutual shocks. The silence drags on to the point of being awkward until she deigns to notice our shock. “What? You are Auntie.”

“M-Me? Spe- Cadance what in the name of Equestria?” Celestia sputters.

“What’s next, Celestia, you’re going to kick out every griffon?” Cadance starts off. “After all they eat meat too, and those beaks are incredibly sharp. Or how about dragons? They’re big, scaly, fanged and can even breathe fire! I’m sure Twilight wouldn’t mind having Spike be shipped off to learn more about his culture - shame she’ll have to go visit him instead of the other way around, or would you not let that happen? Better make sure we take care of all the carnivores and omnivores actually - let’s see there’s the wolves of Roamania, the jackals of Eaglypt - actually, make that almost every species of Eaglypt. Gosh, when you really think about it, there’s quite a few of our allies who enjoy a non-herbivore diet unlike yourself, huh?”

“Mi Amore Cadenza!” Celestia yells, getting a wince from us both at the volume. “What has gotten into you? I have never, in my entire life...to think my own niece would say such...such...vile and outlandish slander, and to my own face even! Have you lost your mind?!”

“I’m making a point, Princess Celestia.” She replies, not backing down. “If we went off just what first looks make of any species out there - of any pony or dragon or blob - then we would be far from the open-minded and prosperous kingdom that we are. In fact, I’d dare say we would be the most unliked, unloved and outright vilified species of them all! Koromon might have large fangs, but so do several other species, many of whom are actually omnivores and can subside on completely vegetarian diets. You and I both know all the nutrients and proteins can be found elsewhere, in fact in this very castle.” She looks down at me, adding, “But let’s make this simpler - Koromon, would you ever eat a pony?”

“Blech.” I fake-spit and stuck my tongue out in disgust. I wouldn’t even nibble a little on Celestia, or Princess Luna, to give them a scare. It’s just too close to imagining being a cannibal, especially since they were intelligent, thinking and speaking creatures, Digimon or human or not.

“...Very well.” Celestia says, and that irks me for some reason. Turning away from us, she walks over to the door and opens it some, speaking back into the room around her wide rump. “You may keep Koromon, but think before you take it out in the castle. Anything it does will be reflected back on you Cadance, especially any hostile actions or confrontations with anypony.” Shooting me one last look, she then walks out, closing the door behind her a bit more firmly than needed.

“...” Cadance stares at the door for several seconds afterwards, my own ears tuned to the outside as best I could. I hear maybe two or three hoofsteps before she fades out of range, and we both sigh a little now that she’s gone. “Well, that could have gone way better.” She says bitterly.

“Mon Mon.” I console, tentacles waving.

“Come on, let’s go have some…” She glances out the window. “...brunch. I’m thinking waffles and fruit are what we both need a little of right now.”

Nodding along, I hop onto her back and we set out for the informal dining room. Several guards, maids and even nobles all stop and stare at the two of us, but that far from spoils the mood. In fact, I find myself smiling easier as a result of their reactions, and Cadance looks back with one herself from time to time. It would seem this little act, thumbing our noses so to speak at Celestia, was going to work out well. I was now free of the bedroom and Cadance no longer had to hold in her biggest secret: Me. Maybe we would be harassed a bit by Celestia for a while, and I’m sure Shining Armor would have a few words he’d want to say. But for now we were pet and owner on a walk and sitting down for a meal. Things were set right in the world as far as anyone else was concerned.

But Celestia’s final words still irked me some. It hadn’t felt as if she was admitting defeat so much as changing the subject. She still didn’t trust me and now she was set against Cadance some too. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say: Celestia now had reason to openly protest against my friend. All this time, it has sounded and felt like the pink alicorn was not welcome or respected the same way the other princess was. Age, experience and duties could perhaps explain that all away, at least until Celestia all but treated her like a petulant child. It grated against her image as the kind and beloved mare that watched over Equestria, sort of like how a backward compliment could be nice but still aggravating.

And then of course was the new burden of keeping me safe in the public eye. I would help her all that I could in that regard, but it would burden her anew. The shadow, unknowingly, of BlackWarGreymon now hovered over her, and she was walking down a path that would likely give her great sorrow if both of us didn’t keep our guards up.

Above all else Koromon, I tell myself, you have to protect Cadance’s future. Finding your armor is important but I can’t let her suffer for her unwilling part in my schemes. It could throw everything out of whack for the timeline I know, plus she was my only friend. Friendship, even for a Digimon, was Magic. And friends don’t let friends suffer...

Today, before all the festivities and reveals, Cadance had planned to wander the castle and talk with ponies. She enjoyed socializing and trying to connect with even strangers, despite her status putting her high on the social ladder compared to most. With the guards all aflutter trying to track down a supposed intruder, there were very few ponies filling the corridors that didn’t have armor on, but she was undeterred. In fact, she also took time to introduce me to most of them. Their reactions were varied at the sight of me, and it got many laughs and smiles from the two of us. Only the nobles seemed to try and ruin our moods, huffing and calling me a ‘disgusting beast’ right to our faces. I replied, politely, with a massive tongue lick that drenched their faces. Cadance always scolded me, until they were out of sight and she gave a great belly laugh instead.

As the day grew long however I also began to hear whispers from ponies around us. Rumor and hearsay about me had filled the castle by this point, and I was certain some of it could have only come Celestia. I’d never once flashed my teeth, and yet several ponies talked as if I was a cannibal, and Discord was a popular ‘father’ for me among some of the maids. Celestia was smearing me; Unhappy with her defeat, she was obviously trying to chase me out by sheer weight of popular demand. Cadance taking me out against the solar diarchs’ ‘suggestion’ of isolation was countering most of it though.

It was as we at last retired to the bedroom to wind down and prepare for bed that the final player in today’s drama decided to make an appearance. As Cadance put me on the bed, and moved to the vanity to remove her regalia, there was a knock. It was loud, firm, and before it even finished really the doorknob was turning to open. Turning toward it, I saw a swath of pink magic before suddenly Shining Armor walked in. The Captain of the Day Guard looked worse for wear in his armor compared to my last view of him. Bags were under his eyes, and his mane looked a bit unkempt under the helmet he now had on. I could guess that he’s been up for over twenty-four hours thanks to my break-in of the Armory, perhaps only now coming off-duty enough to do a personal visit. However, instead of looking for Cadance, his eyes rove over to the bed, to me. Hostility and suspicion emanates from his entire demeanor, making me tense in preparation for a fight. He was here looking for me, not the princess. His horn began to glow…

“Shiny?” Cadance’s voice interrupts. The magic withers and the stallion turns to look at her. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

“I…” There’s a pause, perhaps the lack of sleep affecting him some. “I just wanted to check in on you. Her Majesty just told me to get some rest and let the Night Guard take over the search. It’s...been a long day.”

“I saw - there’s guards everywhere and everypony is talking about it. Something broke into the armory?” She asks.

“Not just something - we think it was the Black Knight.” I refrain from flinching. So, they figured it out after all. “He - it - attacked Tempered Blade and burned most of his office before escaping. We’ve been scouring the castle grounds and surrounding area for hours now. What’s worrying though is he didn’t look like he was supposed to.”

“What does that mean?” Shining Armor just shakes his head. “Shiny?”

“Sorry Cadance - strictly need to know until further orders from Princess Celestia and Luna. They’re both very adamant on capturing the monster before he can harm anypony else.”

“Well not knowing what to look out for will hardly make things happen quicker.” She rebukes. “How are we supposed to know it’s the Black Knight if it’s not what it looks like in the pictures?”

“The fact it changed at all makes Her Majesty think it could possibly be a shapeshifter. It probably has multiple disguises, so for right now we’re just on the lookout for...anything wrong or amiss.” His eyes wander over to me again. Ah, so that’s how it is.

Cadance sees where his eyes are wandering, and she connects the dots rather fast. “That’s Koromon, my pet. Don’t worry Shining she’s safe with me. I’ve actually had her for a few weeks now.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen it.”

“She, and yes I was keeping her out of sight for a while. Everything’s fine now.”

“That’s not what I heard.” Oh? “They’re saying a spawn of Discord is in the castle, wandering around with you Cadance. That’s what that thing is, isn’t it?”

“Koromon is not some evil monster Shining Armor.” Cadance firmly states, stepping closer and snorting. “Please don’t say such things in front of her, I already had enough of that from the nobles today.”

“It’s still an unknown, potentially dangerous creature Cadance!” Shining argues, voice rising. “And right now the entire castle is searching for things just like it not being where it’s supposed to be. For all we know it could be the Black Knight in fact, just hiding in plain sight!”

That was way too close to home for comfort. I can’t help but squirm a bit in my spot after that accusation, but thankfully neither pony is really paying me any attention. Maybe Cadance sees it, but passes it off as being uncomfortable at his words in general.

“She!” Cadance huffs. “Can somepony for once actually address Koromon properly besides me, please?”

...I’m not commenting on that.

“Fine, she. She is dangerous, and the last pony I want to see hurt by i- her, is you Cadance.” Shining Armor concludes. “What if it decides to try and eat you while you’re asleep? You-”

“Hold up.” Cadance interrupts, catching the words used in his latest argument. “Bite? You shouldn’t know about…” Her eyes narrow. “Auntie sent you up here, didn’t she?”

“No-”

“Don’t you lie to me mister! Koromon never once showed her teeth to anypony, and that was nearly word-for-word what Celestia said to me earlier when she tried to…” Trailing off, I watch as Cadance closes her eyes, take a deep breath, and breathes out while pushing a hoof away from her chest. A breathing trick for stress and anger? “Sorry, it’s just...been a long day. We had a lot of fun together, but Koromon and I dealt with a fair number of snobbish, uptight, rude, butt-kissing prudish sons of-”

“Cadance!” Shining sputters. I stare at my friend with eyebrow up in surprise. She has a mouth on her when wound up it seems.

“Sorry! Just...long day.”

“Yeah, I know.” He sighs, trotting closer. The two share a tender moment of nuzzling each other and in general relaxing in each others presence. It was very heartfelt and I felt happy to see them already putting the argument aside. “I’ve been up for over a day now, and dealing with...with some ponies has not been easy.”

“Auntie Luna?” The way Cadance says that makes me think it’s not a question, not really. Shining Armor nods in answer.

“Yup - ever since she came back and restarted the real Night Guard program, it's been one thing after another. The bat ponies aren't the problem even - she just keeps nagging and nagging about how things were in the old days and...ugh. If some of her ideas weren't so useful I don't know how I'd be able to handle it." He sighs, taking another nuzzle from his girlfriend for strength. “Now this whole thing with the Black Knight…”

“Sounds like we could both use a break.” She says. “How about a nice picnic tomorrow?”

“Honey, I-”

“A-buh-buh! I don’t want to hear any excuses mister. In fact, we can hold it right outside the barracks too, so you can stay close at hoof for any emergencies. How does that sound?”

Shining Armor blushes. "But Cadance, everypony would see us there!"

An eyebrow rises on my friend’s face. "So?"

"I-I'm the Captain honey, and the troops shouldn't be able to see me-"

"What, spend some time with your marefriend? Are you saying you don't want me there? What's wrong with me bringing you some lunch?" Uh-oh, and now the eyebrows dipped along with the other. It would seem Shining Armor is stepping into something if he doesn’t watch himself.

"I-I-I, ah..." He slumps. You have chosen, wisely, young stallion. "That sounds wonderful Cadance. Want me to bring some strawberries?"

“That would be wonderful sweetie.” I snicker as Cadance’s entire demeanor shifts back to happy. She played his poor heart like a fiddle, and the little pet on the head she gave him was just icing on the cake. Shining turns and glowers at me, though it holds none of the hostility as before. I think he’s warming up to me. “Now go and get some rest. I’ll take care of everything with the chefs for tomorrow - I’ll even bring some of that soda you like. Be sure to tell Bulwark that he’s in control until you return. I’m sure your second-in-command can handle both of my Auntie’s, even with Luna being such a sourpuss.”

“Yes dear, love you.”

“Love you too.” They share a kiss and one more nuzzle before he leaves. Looking at the door as it closes, I wonder if perhaps Cadance had done some of that to completely throw him off my trail. He barely paid me any attention even to pout, so caught up in the plans and embarrassing situation Cadance had outlined for the captain.

But as I look over to Cadance, I see a brief flash of sorrow before she turns back to the vanity and brushes her mane. Perhaps it was all for her own good too that they were going on that picnic. The blast of drama and dislike that today had brought was unpleasant. Celestia being hostile, nobles being nobles, and to wrap it all up Shining Armor even tried to accost me. Perhaps I will stay inside instead of going with them; the couple needed the time together to gather strength and reaffirm the love they have. I had studying anyway to do, even if nothing was likely to be done for at least a month or more.

Finally, the lights were doused and I could see Cadance climb into the bed in the pale moonlight. Shuffling under her covers, she sighs and rolls onto her side, gently patting the covers next to her. “Come here girl.” She whispers softly. I hop over, snuggling into her chest as her forelimb curls around and hugs me tight. We sit in silence for a moment, lost in thought. “I’m sorry everypony’s been so mean today. I didn’t want your first meeting with auntie or Shiny to be so…well, that.”

“Kor koro.” I wiggle my ears in a shrug.

“It’s not fine - Celestia was being completely unreasonable. And then all those rumors...when you’ve been nothing but an angel for me. Well, besides yesterday.” Kissing the top of my head, I can’t help the blush that creeps up and silently endure the giggles of my companion. “Even then you’ve made my days a little brighter, a little warmer. So thank you, Koromon.”

“Moro.” I’m touched that she feels that way. It gives me encouragement; perhaps my efforts to keep her happy and safe would turn out well after all. Perhaps, once I was fully restored and needing to flee, she might still see me as a friend despite it all.

“...Koromon?” I hear moments later. Turning slightly in her grip, I cannot see her face but her mouth is curved downward. She sounds pensive as she shuffles around under the covers. “You’re not...really a monster, are you?” I stiffen, forcing her to hasten to explain. “I-It’s not that I’m afraid, or think you’re bad! It’s just...oh hay, it’s such a dumb word. There’s plenty of ‘monsters’ that are nice, just not, you know, ponies. But I mean, they usually get called that because of…” She trails off, fumbling for words.

How do I answer this? Technically, I was a monster. Digimon means Digital Monster when spelled out fully after all. As a BlackWarGreymon I also had rather monstrous power and abilities. To draw upon the negative energy and emotions of creatures and the world as a whole was not something a normal creature of any kind should have access too. The side-effects I was beginning to discover as well were not good. But it’s not like I intend to be the villain for longer than I must. Even my desire for revenge against the royal sisters wasn’t the kind of thing to linger over beyond perhaps a strong prank or two. Already I have an idea in mind or two about future events…

But once it was all said and done I would be gone, far away and safe. Equestria would be okay, and that means I’m a good guy. Right?

Only a few seconds have passed with my thoughts, so I lean up before she can get worried over the silence and give her a lick. She giggles, and dips her head down to nuzzle her nose with mine. “Thank you Koromon, that means more than you know to me.” She cooes. “You’ll never be a monster in my eyes, and one day, we’ll show that to everypony else too.”

“Kor.” I mutter, feeling my stomach drop some after her words. As she drifts off to sleep at last, I turn and stare through the windows at the moon.

After all, it’s likely I’ll show everyone the monster long before I prove I’m not.

Explosive Evolution! Greymon

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“All right Koromon, let’s go over a few more things and we’re done. Lemonade?”

“Kokom.”

“Soda?”

“Kokom.”

“Good...Sandwiches?”

“Kokom, kokom, eh...kokom.”

“HLT, Daisy and Portabella. Good! Apples?”

“Koorom.” I drawl in a certain twang. Cadance giggles.

“Cookies?”

“”Kokom. Mon o koro oro?”

“No, you’ll ruin your appetite sweetie. We’ll be eating in less than an hour anyway.”

“Hmph.”

“Potato salad?”

“Kokom.” I eye the container with some distrust.

“Trust me, Waffle Fry makes excellent potato dishes. I kind of want some now…” She eyes the container as her stomach grumbles.

“Heheheh.”

“Oh hush. Now let’s see….blanket and basket?”

Rolling my eyes, I wiggle my ears over the blanket I’m sitting on, and the basket right next to me. Once she realizes that, she lowers the small checklist in front of her with a sheepish grin. “Okay, maybe I don’t need the checklist for everything. Twilight must be rubbing off on me...oh, uh, but don’t tell her I said that.” I stick my tongue out and together we laugh.

I win her over for an apple just before we depart, and I enjoy the crisp flavor of my snack as we walk the halls of the castle. The day was a bright and optimistic one for our picnic, with the castle much calmer after the clamour yesterday. There were still guards in every nook, but none of the madness or sudden inspections a security sweep caused. Stares and suspicion follow me as we descend to the first floor, yet that too was tamer than yesterday. Celestia’s hopes were dashed in sending me off by popularity now, as while Cadance stops to talk with the occasional pony, my own efforts seem to improve the mood of their days. After all, how could you hate the cute blob nibbling on an apple and smiling with his big, blue eyes?

To reach the Barracks quickly, we enter the back halls I recall from two nights ago. The training grounds could be accessed via a side door located by the kitchen and other utility rooms of the stone halls. This also kept me out of the public eye better as well; Cadance didn’t trust the masses yet to me, only the castle occupants. I was also technically leashed now too so going into a crowd wouldn’t have been good. As she had promised I had a small little loop of soft rope around one ear tentacle that she had tied off around her barrel. I could travel a few feet from her in any direction, but that was all. Retrieving the leash in fact was what made my attendance mandatory to the picnic despite my first plan of leaving the couple to have a nice day alone. She didn’t want me getting any bright ideas about the windows again. In all honestly I doubt I would ever use that trick again, since it was too hazardous to my health.

As I finish the last of my apple we reach the thick wooden door to the outside. My wandering thoughts somehow correlate this to the smooth ride I’ve enjoyed so far atop my companion. I’d never ridden horseback before, but I knew thanks to my databanks of knowledge that it was typically supposed to be a rough ride for beginners. Which I believe I was, given the ‘freshness’ of that knowledge. Though it was a small miracle I knew that about myself I suppose. I had not taken much time to really delve into my personal amnesia; with all of the knowledge I held I still had no idea who I was back before I was a Digimon. Tiny hints and clues to key me into hobbies and perhaps interests, but the core, the family and daily life, was too occluded. So far I had simply not had the time beyond my quest to retrieve my armor to think about it all. With my forced break time, perhaps now I could do so. Spend some days and nights pondering the few clues I had, and find at least a name, or occupation, that my former human self had.

Was it wrong to not feel enthusiastic about that as someone with amnesia should?

The crisp afternoon air of fall was a pleasant contrast to Cadance’s warmth as we walked along the path to the barracks. Over the far castle walls the hustle and bustle of Canterlot City could be heard, mingling with the wildlife and shouts coming from ahead. The guards were no doubt training and exercising as was their regime, perhaps spurred on more today by grumpy superiors after the break-in my alter ego had orchestrated. Even though Shining Armor was off it wouldn’t surprise me either that he might be out jogging or speaking to the troops. Indeed, as we approach one voice began to stand out over the others, the words muffled but clearly loud and barking. But that didn’t sound like Shining Armor, and there were no chorus of replies either. In fact, I think someone was arguing with someone else, perhaps inside the barracks. But who could possibly have such lung power like-

“Uh oh.” Cadance echoes my next thought. “I’d recognize that voice anywhere. Koromon, stay on my back okay? Don’t draw attention to yourself for a minute.”

“Koro.”

The barrack and training yard come into view, complete with several guards working all across it in various activities. There was a small firing range for unicorns to practice spell accuracy, a track for them to jog and PT in the center of, as well as a small outdoor communal food corner full of short lunch room tables and benches. While some guards were going about their business, the largest group of them by far were those standing outside the main barrack doorways. A collective bunch of stallions, mares, Day Guard, Night Guard, as well as unarmored and relatively young recruits for both. They were roughly grouped into their respective troops, standing on either side of the dirt path, and trading looks with one another between booming shouts that literally shook the walls and door. The words even this close were somewhat muffled, but clear cries of ‘insubordination’ and ‘disrespect’ were heard. Whoever was in there was getting a royal reaming, and clinical deafness.

“Just what in Equestria is going on here?” Cadance calls out, making the entire clutter, herd? The entire herd of ponies all jumped and turned toward her.

“Princess Cadance.” One armored stallion salutes. “Nothing ma’am, just a meeting between Captain Armor and Princess Luna.”

“You call tha’ a meeting?” A bat pony mare, notably without armor, drawls in a british accent. “More like th’ poor bugger’s gettin’ ‘imself a new pair of ears fitted s’what that is.”

“I’ll say. Princess Luna showed up here in a real fit. Looked like somepony stepped on her tail and walked off.” Snickers a second bat pony, the stallion garbed in armor sans helmet.

“That is no way to address royalty!” Snaps a Day Guard, several of his comrades bristling at the more laidback demeanor the bat ponies had shown.

“S’not like she ain’t our princess still luvs.” Says the same mare. “Tha’ don’t change ‘er being a right cunt to your Cap’ain.”

The, obviously more uptight, Solar Guards were starting to look hostile, which was when Cadance steps in closer and stomps a hoof down. “That’s enough! Calm down everypony, or would you all like to do PT with me for the next several hours?” The guards all exchange glances between themselves and her. Though I couldn’t see her face, I knew she was raising an eyebrow dangerously as they hesitated. “Well?”

“Sorry luv.” The bat mare apologizes.

“That’s better, thank you. Now, who can tell me what the trouble is that Aunt...I mean, Princess Luna, is so upset over?”

Another round of exchanged looks had an older mare, red mane slightly grey around the edges, walk up and salute. She has a slightly more bulky set of golden Day Guard armor, perhaps from when she first signed up and obviously well cared for. Also obvious was that she had more respect and yet less structure with her attitude toward royalty, given that she was looking Cadance in the eye with some warmth. “Princess.”

“Oh, Lieutenant Shepard. It’s been awhile, how have you been?” Cadance greets warmly. “How’s your son doing?”

“Doing well ma’am, thank you for asking, and same for Hammer Tong. He’s really improved - fixed up this old relic from the last scuffle I had.” She looks down at her chestplate fondly. “Colt’s doing his mom proud.”

“I’m so glad to hear. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Certainly. I didn’t see Princess Luna arrive myself, but I heard she made her way to the Captain’s office immediately upon arriving. When she found Lieutenant Bulwark at the desk instead of Captain Armor...she did not seem to take it well. She ordered that he be brought before her while kicking all of us out. We’ve been out here waiting ever since.”

“What? Was something wrong with Iron Bulwark? He wasn’t sick, was he?”

“No ma’am, not as far as I could tell. You can ask him yourself even - Iron’s on the track right now.” We both look over and I spy a stallion with grey fur and a brown mane running in slightly more ornate armor than the rest. Since Cadance follows his motions I can assume that’s Iron Bulwark, Shining’s second-in-command. “He’s been doing that ever since Princess Luna kicked him out.”

“But if Iron’s fine, then why did she drag Shiny - uh, Captain Shining Armor into the barracks? We’re supposed to be enjoying a picnic together on his day off.”

Shepard smirks. “Ah, young love. Well I don’t know how true it is Cadance, but if I had to guess? I don’t think Princess Luna cared for having to deal with ‘second best’ when she arrived. Her...viewpoints are a bit...odd.”

“That’s why she’s so upset?” Cadance shouts in shock.

“She’s used to an old system about how the guards work ma’am.” Calls out a bat pony from their sidelines. Unlike the others who’d spoken he had some air of duty about him and in his words. “Real traditional and way less structured than what we’re all used to. She ordered us all to revert to it once she took control of the Night Guard.”

“That…” Cadance shakes her head. “She’s not even in control of the Day Guard! Why is she getting so bent out of shape - because nopony else uses a thousand year old, out of date system? That’s completely ridiculous!”

It wasn’t until she stopped talking that I noticed something off about the air around us. It was too quiet; besides the clank of running armor and chirp of birds there was suddenly nothing filling the air. Such as the loud yelling and ranting of Princess Luna. Cadance, the guards and I all blink and look over to the barracks after realizing this, and a tense pause fills the air.

“...”

The doors slam open with enough force to actually blow a few ponies nearby back. Princess Luna storms out, eyes aglow, and plants her hooves squarely in the middle of the two guard packs and turns her glare on us all. “Who dares ridicule Our royal decision! Had We not warned thee of our wrath should you speaketh against Our Will?!” She barks, not quite the wall shaking boom of before but still we all cringe at its volume.

Despite the less than stellar circumstances, I couldn’t help but speed up my perception some and take in her appearance. Although there were small differences between ponies in the show and real life, most ponies still resemble their more fictional counterpart. Some colors were more natural than pastel, or manes blended color bands instead of segmenting each. Some ponies had bigger chub on their stomachs and limbs, or had greater muscle definition depending on their fitness. Little things that never changed my ability to tell who they were with sometimes a quick glance at their Cutie Marks. But when I finally got a chance to see her, at least since the thousand year nap she ‘gifted’ me, I honestly thought for a second that this was not Princess Luna.

The first thing was that she was very tall. Taller than Cadance, but not quite Celestia’s height, but also not far off from the latter. Most of it came from her long legs, which were toned with incredible muscle definition, far more than Celestia’s soft and supple curves. The second was her coat’s color, neither the light blue of her adolescent form or dark blue of the Luna I recall from Nightmare Night. Rather it was something so dark it looked almost purple. Her Cutie Mark was almost swallowed by it save for the crescent moon. Her mane and tail were not full of stars but more like the arm of the galaxy viewed on a crystal clear night sky. There were so many tiny points of light that I couldn’t begin to count them all during my sped up mental state, all clumped together so tightly it almost made her mane look white. It still waved in the ethereal wind like her sister, but the ‘border’ of it was almost non-existent so you could almost think it was blowing off as quickly as it generated. Her body was adorned with far more regalia than her solar sister too, more akin to bodyarmor as her neck harness expanded all across her chest and guarded the joints of her wings. Each hoof has a horseshoe on it, but they also were larger and stopped just below the knees with little layered plates covering the front. On top of her head, in front of a horn much longer and sharper than I recall, instead of a little tiara or crown she has a faceguard with the symbol of her moon atop it, the sides wrapping behind her ears and swinging down to border her lower jaw like two protruding tusks. Her eyes, once they stop glowing, settle into familiar eyes. Too familiar; they were as cat-like and wicked as I remember the Nightmare having, even if the color of them told me this was Luna instead.

I could swear up and down that this wasn’t Princess Luna; this wasn’t the sister I recall from the series and certainly not someone who had been blasted by the Elements of Harmony. But none of the guards found her looks strange, if a bit intimidating going by how they were all shuffling and stepping back. She was definitely not Nightmare Moon either, but then, why did she have such an alien look?

My brain slows down as her gaze sweeps over us. Her eyes almost dismiss us outright, before something makes her swivel back to stare at again. Her posture, having remained stiff and aggressive, seems to grow even more so before it relaxes. The silence of the yard grows heavy as the two royals stare at each other, one baffled and sheepish, the other almost unreadable. I’m tempted to reach out with my senses to understand why Luna is staring at my companion like that, before she shifts again and is now prim and proper.

“Ah, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, your presence is...surprising.” She says, voice normal. “Have thou come to reprimand the guard for their negligence?”

“I...what?” Cadance does not get what she means. I frown on her back, still just out of sight behind her mane and wings. “Um, no Auntie...I mean, no Princess Luna. I was actually on my way to have a lunch date with my coltfriend. We plan to have a picnic-”

“You are courting one of the soldiers?” Luna’s head lifts a bit higher, her nose clearly raised.

“Yes? Yes - Shining Armor actually.” Cadance tilts her head and then nods at the barrack behind her aunt. “He’s inside right?”

“Hm, so your standards are at least respectable for your station.” Is the first reply. Every mare, stallion, and pink blob in the vicinity bristles at the slight. I’m not even sure what I am more angry for; should I feel greater anger for her disrespect toward the guards, or Cadance? “You will have to wait while We address the gross negligence of duty he has performed in his duty to the Crown. Come back as the sun declines for Our moon and perchance We may be finished at that time.”

As Luna turns and begins walking back to the barrack doors, there was a shared glance between the guards as we all process this. Cadance voices her objection in a squawk that would have been amusing if not for the reason. “S-Sunset? W-What? H-How the hay - that will be hours from now! What in Equestria could Shiny have...possibly…”

As she trails off I cough gently to catch her attention. She looks back to me, eye wide in confusion. I nod at her, gesturing to the guards with an ear tentacle. The princess looks around as well, getting a few quick nods from the ponies around her, especially Lieutenant Shepard. Things begin to click in her head as her face turns disbelieving.

“Princess Luna?” The lunar diarch stops, head turning to look at her niece. “Are...are you serious?”

“We are not a court jester Mi Amore, and We do not care to waste further time with idle banter and wasteful chatter.” She tries to walk on again.

“You can’t just yell at my - at Captain Armor because he took a day off! He was running on fumes after being awake for more than twenty-four hours. Letting Lieutenant Bulkwark handle the Day Guard while he recovers is perfectly within his-”

“Tis the duty of the Royal Guard to follow Our orders to the letter until they are fulfilled. We commanded Captain Shining Armor to attend to the matter of the blacksmith's assault and burglary, not some underling of his." She cuts Cadance off, sniffing derisively . "Such insubordination would have resulted in more than a mere lashing of words from Us before our time away. He is lucky We are too busy to do otherwise - as it stands he is likely to quickly face demotion or dishonorable discharge from Our service."

The shocks could not stop coming it seems. This latest bombshell was enough for every guard to gasp, some raising their voices in protest to the implication. Cadance was speechless in her shock, while I was growling in mine. Just what in the world was wrong with her? Did she believe Equestria was some kind of military dictatorship to dish out such outrageous punishments for a sensible action? Had times changed so much from a thousand years ago, or was she a brutal task master to her subordinates. Judging by the looks several of the bat guards had, I got the feeling whatever system she had placed on them was indeed very harsh. Some look forlorn but resigned, others uncertain to what to say or do.

”Silence.” Princess Luna commands, voice shaking the ground. The yard grows as quiet as a graveyard. She doesn’t say anything else, but as her head turns to look at everyone gathered here, the message is clear: Say Nothing. After a long moment of silence Princess Luna turns and flicks her tail in clear dismissal. "If that is all then We shall-"

“No!" The dark alicorn turns back around and glares. Cadance moves closer to her aunt and stares up, no fear in her stance. A fire is now burning in her as she jabs a hoof up. “Princess Luna you are way out of line! Shining Armor did nothing wrong when he issued that order, in fact I’m sure he made sure everything involving it was by the book. There is not a single guard - Day or Night - who would ever say that he isn’t anything but the pinnacle of what everypony should strive to be in a Captain, a soldier, or a stallion of honor! In addition, the pony responsible for him even taking a day of is not him, but ME. In fact you could even say I ordered him to rest after I saw just how exhausted he was!”

Princess Luna, in reply, flared her wings out in aggression and stomped a hoof. "And what gave thee the right to overrule Our orders?" She demands angrily. "You forget thyself dear niece - We are the rulers of this land, not you! Your title-"

“That is enough!” Comes a surprising voice, cutting through the building argument like a hot knife. Lieutenant Shepard marches up to the two royals, stamps her hooves down, and shakes her head with a loud snort. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this, and certainly not from a supposed princess!”

“You-!” Luna glares, but is cut off by, of all things, a hoof. Shoved right into her mouth, the earth pony easily cuts off the diarchs words and instantly gains my eternal approval. The action leaves Luna speechless even after the hoof is removed.

“Are you done whining like the spoiled child you’re acting as?” Shepard’s biting words further slaps the princess in the face. “Because believe it or not, princess, but everything Captain Armor did is in fact perfectly within his rights and responsibilities. Both to himself and his troops - no leader should be so disabled by his own mind and body as to hinder more than help any duty. The last time I saw the Captain it was when I was dragging his well-sculpted butt into bed for some much needed rest.” She turns, winking at the blushing Cadance. “You’ve got a cute little stallion there hun.”

“I, ah, thank you?” I snicker, earning a nudge from a wing.

“You might have command over the Night Guard - and the Royal Guard as a whole during war times and other military maneuvers - but Captain Armor and his own troops are the primary force of Her Majesty Princess Celestia. While this may be a joint operation by both wings of the Guard, both are still controlled with their own system of command and subordinates. Therefore, while you maybe be ‘upset’ at his choice of actions, that does not mean you get to come down here and harass our Lieutenant and Captain. If there is anypony you should be talking to - and I say that term loosely considering I’m nearly deaf in one ear from your hollering - then it’s your own damn sister.”

There was a pause.

“Ma’am.” Lieutenant ‘Brass Balls’ Shepard salutes. Not a trace of sarcasm or sass is in the motion.

All eyes slowly turn toward the larger mare in this face-off. Anger, rage, hatred and more boil off of Princess Luna after that dressing down by the Lieutenant. The feel of magic is all but suffocating around her. Her face is screwed up in white-hot fury, her eyes close to glowing again and her horn seems to be sparking. Yet Shepard stares at the furious alicorn with all the calm and poise a veteran like her has surely gathered over her many years of service. Everyone is looking at her in awe, fear, and some worship. Cadance bites her lip in worry but she obviously agrees with everything said, even moving over some to stand besides Shepard to show her support. On her back, I brace myself to act in defense of both mares if I have to. A part of me even thinks Digivolving was perfectly fine to do in this instance, and certainly if it meant protecting them then screw my secrecy. Another part whispers that I would get incredible support from the guards by stepping up to defend Shepard and Cadance that way too, perhaps enough to wave the assault and theft charge...

Magic starts to build up in her horn...and then in a flash of light she is gone. A split second later there is a crack of displaced air to show just how powerful that teleport was, and some smoke wafts from a scorch mark on the ground. While grateful that the obviously darker moon alicorn was at least somewhat non-homicidal, her entire attitude and reactions were disturbing on countless levels. I could only hope that by the time Nightmare Night rolls around that most of this would be gone or at least put aside. Perhaps the Elements of Harmony had more like opened her mind instead of washed it all away. She obviously needed Twilight Sparkle’s friendship and lessons on how to get along with ponies in the modern era. I shudder to think what might happen if she did not go down to Ponyville.

“...Well, glad to know my armor’s not about to get scratched up again so soon.” Is the first thing out of Lieutenant Shepard’s mouth. “This old mare has seen just about enough action in this relic for a lifetime.”

“She’s still so...cold.” Cadance murmurs sadly.

“If you ask me she needs more than a bunch of magical artifacts and friendship. She has far too many problems in that head of hers.” Shepard shakes her head. “But who would ever say that Her Majesty’s sister is mental? Luna did seem fine for the first weeks or so. Then again she was a total recluse that whole time.”

“Thank you for standing up to her. I just don’t know how to deal with her sometimes.”

“Heh, if we’re being honest hun, then I don’t really know either.” She shifts her shoulders, sighing happily as a joint cracks. “I’m just an old mare looking to retire pretty soon. Maybe get on with being that sweet grandma who spoils her grandchildren rotten with sweets and gifts.”

“Seriously?” Cadance looks at her in surprise, before he face droops in sadness. “Oh...yes I-I suppose it has been a few years since…”

“Since a shy, scared little filly with a horn and wings was carried in?” Shepard gives Cadance a knowing look. “I’m really jealous of your good looks sweetie. I certainly wish I could look as you do at our age.”

“Shepard…”

“How many has it been anyway? Must be at least forty - I was about your age when you arrived to the castle.” The elder mare chuckles.

“It will be forty-two actually, n-next spring.”

“No kidding? Sheesh…definitely time to retire then.” Shepard looks up to the sky. “Maybe that’s why I gave her a piece of my mind. Not like she can do much to me after all if I’m already heading out the door. Hammer Tongs shouldn’t have his work scuffed up anyhow.” She looks back down to Cadance. “Shame you’re already attached - my colt’s always been a sucker for a mare with class and sass.”

“Shepard!”

“Haha...relax Princess, I only tease the alicorns I love and care for.” Wrapping one arm around my companion's neck, she drags her into a hug before looking around at me. “And who’s this cute little thing? Surely not the ‘nasty monster’ I’ve heard about around the castle? I thought you were supposed to have ‘big, gnashing teeth’ there cutie.”

“Kor.” Confident in her integrity, I playfully flash her a great big smile, which gets a wide-eyed look but a chuckle as well.

“Well heck, guess some of it was true after all. But you wouldn’t harm a little old lady like me now, would you?” I chuckle back at her. “You’re alright in my books squirt.”

“Koromon.”

“That your name?” I nod. “Cute. Now let’s say we get these two lovebirds moving huh?”

Nodding again, I smile as Lieutenant Shepard guides the slightly flustered Cadance over to the doors of the barrack. A few guards have already gone inside to check on Shining Armor, who I can now see sitting against one of the inside pillars. He is holding his head as if been struck, and shows little reaction to some ponies around him. Two unicorns are casting magic at him, specifically his ears, and another is laying on the ground talking softly as they run a medical examination. As Cadance steps up to her boyfriend, he lifts his head slowly and I can see that his eyes are slightly dilated.

“C-Cady?” He stutters, voice off and somewhat slurred. “W-Wut are you...oh gosh, t-t-the picnic, I…”

“He’s in pretty bad shape Lieutenant.” One of the medics comment. “Nothing a bit of magic can’t fix, but he’s gonna have a nasty headache for quite some time. I definitely say he needs some time off - ironic, considering everything.”

“Well gee, thank Celestia for that.” Shepard snarks. “Certainly not Princess Luna that’s for damn sure. Get him on his hooves at least gentlecolts - Cadance here can handle her stallion for the rest of the day and theresome.”

They nod, magic glowing brighter, and Shining’s face slowly relaxes. “Oh, wow, thank you guys. I - ow!” He winces.

“Careful sir, you’re not in any shape to rush things.” Another medic chides. “Take it slow - both with walking and any kind of loud noises. We put everything back but your balance is going to be shot for the rest of the day at least. And you definitely should not deal with anything loud or obnoxious - again.”

Several of us gathered here snort.

“Thank you.” Rolling his shoulders, Shining Armor stands and looks at Cadance. A warm smile covers his face. “Guess that picnic is just what the doc ordered. Sorry I don’t have anything to bring, I uh…”

“Don’t worry Shiny, I brought enough for both of us and Koromon.” Cadance says, finally lifting the basket just behind me to show it to him. Shining leans over some to stare at me on her back, but I just smile and wave. He smiles back to my surprise.

“Koromon too huh? Well okay then, but no funny business young lady.”

“Koro.” I roll my eyes. Shepard chuckles next to me.

“Well if that’s all, I’ll go retrieve Iron from the track and stick him behind the desk again. You two have a nice time together okay?” Saluting her officer, she gives Cadance one more hug before trotting off to the track and field. Shining walks over to Cadance, leaning a bit into her, and together they set off for a much quieter and isolated part of the castle grounds. Myself coming along as well, of course.

An hour passes in peace between the three of us, the turmoil back at the barracks slowly fading from our minds. Shining Armor did have the occasional throbbing headache, but Cadance was more than happy to assist with that. A light touch of magic and amazing massage skills for a pair of hooves took care of most of it. Getting a nice little treat like that from his girlfriend certainly helped too. The food was a delight as I’d sampled before, and by keeping our voices low we could soak in some of the natural beauty of the day during the pauses. I had taken a spot under one of the nearby trees after enjoying my lunch. My biggest thought mainly being whether to nap or to cloud gaze. The lovey-dovey couple were still on the blanket cuddled up to one another, and were talking in soft whispers I didn’t let myself listen in on. Occasionally Cadance would look over at me, to make sure I was staying put, and Shining might look as well. He and I seem to at least be amicable today with one another.

In fact, speaking of the captain, he was coming over to me now. Cadance had just left to use the little girls room, so for now it was just the two of us. “Hey uh...Koromon.” He says softly. “Look, I know I didn’t exactly meet you under the best circumstances. You actually seem pretty polite...for a uh...blob...monster?”

I huff in amusement. “Ko komoro O ro.”

“Right, yeah.” He rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “You seem to really care for Cady, and you must understand me if you can talk like that. Err, this would be a lot easier if you actually spoke Equish.”

“Ko?”

Looking around the small area we were in, Shining crouches down closer to me and starts to really whisper. “I know this is pretty silly to ask, but could you do me a favor? I was actually busy getting something special for Cadance when Princess Luna showed up. I remember putting it in the office to keep safe, before…” He rubs one ear in phantom pain from the event. “Well yeah, all of that. Do you think you could go get it for me?”

“Mo?” I gesture with an ear tentacle at myself. This was a surprising gesture of trust and goodwill for someone looking to lock me up last night. Cadance must have talked to him some while I was zoning out.

“Well I don’t want to head back to the Barrack myself. Cadance wouldn’t approve, and I’m pretty sure both of my Lieutenants will tan my hide if they see me again so soon. Seriously, you met Lieutenant Shepard right?” Shining shivers dramatically, and we both laugh. “So can you?”

“Koro, mor…” I look at the rope tied around the trunk of the tree I was by.

“No problem girl - I’ll think of something to assure Cadance.” His horn lights up with magic and undoes the knot holding me. As I shake the tentacle a bit, he says, “Just go to my office at the back of the barracks and bring me the small black box? Got it? A small black box, about as big as my hoof.”

I nod and hop off, making haste so as to avoid Cadance just in case she arrives back soon. No ponies are on the path as I make my way back over, and the sound of training soldiers fills the air again. We had actually taken some effort to move almost to the opposite end of the castle, but without having to move slow for Shining’s sake the time was cut down significantly. I also could stop holding back some on my skill; since absorbing the Chestplate I had noticed a boost in my overall strength even as Koromon. I could bounce higher, lift heavier objects, and my acid, although untested, was likely deadlier too. That meant I was clearing several feet in a single leap, each done quickly with little pause. It actually felt nice, so I was sad to tone it down again once the barrack was back in view. Iron Bulwark and Shepard were both outside by the track, along with all of the ponies who had been standing outside listening in. My guess was they were disciplining them for being a bunch of nosy eavesdroppers. I leave them to it and slip into the main room of the barracks, which I find deserted and quite spacious.

The inside of the barracks was mainly a series of bunk beds by the walls, with a few tables set between support pillars where I could see things like cards and armor polish. A few trunks and bags rested near the foot of the beds, labeled for which cadet or guard rested there. Overall quite bland, and continued to be as I moved down the line to the back. On the right was a large opening to the segmented showers, with left for stallions and right for mares. To the left, and looking a bit squeezed in, was the commanding officer's quarters. Or rather just his office; Shining Armor rested in the castle due to being an officer, about a floor up from Cadance’s level in fact. The door was simply adorned with a name plate and when I tried the handle, it turned easily in my grip. Like the main room it was fairly spartan; nothing but a desk, some cabinets and chairs were in here. I could see a picture angled just enough to show off an older stallion saluting a younger Shining Armor on the desk, right beside one of Cadance playing with a foal Twilight Sparkle. I smile at the pictures, then focus on finding that box.

Which was actually on the top of the desk in plain sight. With a little note under it.

Hopping up to it, I pull the note out and read it aloud. “Good luck Captain - Iron Bulwark. Knock her socks off stud - Shepard.” Well, if I’m not mistaken by the box itself, then it looks like this is indeed going to be a great day. To be sure, and being a little curious, I slowly pry it open, seeing the glimmering ring inside. It certainly looks like a nice choice, although not big enough to fit over a hoof. Maybe they use horn rings for wedding bands, at least if a unicorn. Still, good on you Shining Armor. I guess that means we’ll have the wedding sometime in the spring then next year. From what I recall of the first three seasons, that would probably put the Crystal Empire appearing sometime in the summer perhaps. This was going to be a very busy time soon for Twilight and her friends. Thank goodness I wouldn’t be involved with most, if any, of it. I don’t want to end up causing issues with her destiny, or heaven forbid, somehow prevent it. Maybe I could leave Equestria before that just to be sure. But, that would require I make some headway on finding my armor. Would I actually manage that? Celestia probably was starting to scramble, hiding them away in far off places. What if I never do find them all? Would I have to spend the rest of my life as a simple pet? What if I reveal myself too early and that leads me to being turned back to stone? I can’t just stick around; I have to move! But where? Dammit this is driving me nuts! I can’t just keep doubting...myself...

…

Wait a minute…something’s definitely not right…

Putting down the wedding ring, I focus on my thoughts and clamp down on my emotions. Something was tugging at my worries and doubts, amplifying it into pointless rapid dribble. The only times I’ve experienced emotions like this before was when I found my Shield, and my Chestplate. That should mean a piece of my armor was nearby. In the barracks? No, in this office if I had to guess. I pan around the room to try and see what I missed the first time around, but there doesn’t appear to be anything on the desk or cabinets, nor the floor or under me. Frowning, I focus on my internal radar for the pieces, look up above the doorway, then turn around to behind the captain’s chair. A set of empty eyes in a black, metal skull stare back at me.

“Interesting.” That was definitely my Helmet. What was a piece of my armor doing here, being used as a simple decorative ornament? Perhaps it was the trick of hiding in plain sight; the princess could have placed it here as a ‘reward’ perhaps for their efforts in trying to stop me a thousand years ago. Or whatever the original office for the guard captain was, transferred over the millennia from room to room. It made me wonder if I was the only one feeling the aura effects of my armor. Tempered Blade’s anger issues might perhaps be explained by it seeping into him over time. The Shield was in a location isolated from most, so it would not have affected anyone. This helmet however, with its doubts and worries, could have been manipulating Captain’s for years. What kind of outcomes had been orchestrated by its presence?

I would have to see about finding out later. For now I needed to retrieve it and stow it away. Given its spot the theft might actually be overlooked for a while. It was too high for most ponies to look at it casually, and Shining Armor was not going to be back in the office for a few days. Iron Bulwark seemed to prefer staying outside as well. To reach it however I would need to Digivolve, and then came the worry about actually contacting it. My last two retrievals had resulted in me Digivolving to the next level instantly, which would definitely not be inconspicuous in this small room. Perhaps I could just take it down and store it as data without integrating it first. I achieved the same with the other pieces after obtaining them; the Helmet could likely be installed but not ‘run’ upon finishing. Or perhaps I could leave it here? No, that would give Celestia time to retrieve it for her own reasons. I had to do it now.

“Digivolve.” I mutter, slotting the Chestplate in. In a flash of light I turn into BlackAgumon, and reach out with my long arms and new height to try and grab it. I still fall short unfortunately. “Tsk, alright then, I guess-”

“Halt!”

“Fuck.” Turning around, I see a single guard standing in the doorway. He must have come into the barracks and noticed the ajar door. Maybe the flash as well when I Digivolved; hopefully he did not see me turn from Koromon into this form. “Well, I suppose this was inevitable considering everything.”

“D-D-Don’t you mu-mu-move a muscle, m-monster!” He stutters. I raise an eyebrow at that. Perhaps he was new? “Yu-yu-you’re under arrest!”

“Right, well okay then. What’s your name kid?”

“Private Flash Sentry! Wait, why am I answering you?”

“At least you’re not stuttering this time.”

“Sh-Shut up! Get down from there and keep your c-claws where I can see them!”

“So much for that.” That name sounded familiar. Ignoring his orders I tap a claw to my chin and look him over. Rather basic armor, clearly well polished so definitely a new guy forced to keep himself spic and span. Private, which means he’s at the bottom of the ranks. That orange fur and blue mane sticking out however was the biggest tell, and I recall it for certain once I notice the wings he has as a pegasus. “Oh, it’s you. The teenage high school love interest.”

“What?” He looks baffled, and I take the moment to hop off the desk in front of him. The poor guy actually yelps and stumbles back, dropping the sword he’d been holding. We look down as it clatters against the stone floor, before staring at each other again once it finishes bouncing. “...Oh Celestia.”

“Look, I’ll keep it simple for you Flash. I’m here for the helmet up there…” I jerk a claw back toward it. “Not you or anyone else outside. If you keep quiet, turn and leave, then nothing has to happen. No attacking, no fighting, no getting your butt and several others handed to you. Because while I’m not looking to brawl, I will wipe the floor with you all. Understood?”

He gulps, eyes darting around frantically. His mouth slowly starts to open as a hoof lifts to step back. Seeing the reaction, my eyes narrow.

“The other option is you do something incredibly stupid - like call for help - and I knock you out. Hard. Then I will have no choice but to make this a bad day for everyone. Considering you had Princess Airhorn here earlier, I don’t think anyone wants a bad day. Do you?”

There is a pause as Flash Sentry weighs my words over whatever moral fiber he has. And probably the desire to keep hearing things as well. “...I can’t let you leave.”

“Well, I’m glad we could talk civilly for a moment then.” I nod, understanding.

He nods as well, and then shouts, “HELP!”

Faster than the eye can blink, I leap forward and slam a fist into his head, denting the armor and sending him flying back. As he crashes into a few bunk beds and lands unconscious, I can hear the guards outside scrambling to rush toward the barracks. Kicking the sword out of the doorway, I slam it shut and wedge the desk and cabinets over it to buy some time before I’m swarmed. The barrack doors slam open on the other side of my barricade, and within ten seconds something slams hard into the office door. My makeshift defense holds, but I hear more and more voices growing louder and nearer.

“I hate this pattern I seem to be developing.” I mutter angrily, turning and slamming into the far wall. The Helmet rattles a bit but doesn’t fall, so I wind up for another hit. “Find some armor, and get into a fight. This is just the second one but I can definitely tell…” I hit the wall again, cracking it. “That this will be far too…” A third slam sees the Helmet finally rattle itself off the hook it was on. I reach up and grab it before it hits me. “Common for me.”

Closing my eyes, I take in the data and let it wash over me. As my body begins to grow and elongate, my deepening voice bellows out the next stage of my evolution.

“BlackAgumon, Digivolve to…BlackGreymon!”

I do not remember the next few minutes of my life.

When I finally come to, I find myself at the tail end of a very large, and obviously one-sided, battle. Solar and Lunar Guards are scattered all across the area around me, numerous scorch marks and craters pocketing the land. I can feel the burning of a fireball in my mouth just before letting it loose on a final pocket of them, which detonates and send them all flying. The barrack is half ruined to my left, a noticeable hole around where the office would be where I burst out to freedom. The lunch tables are on fire as are some of the trees, while around my massive feet are several gouges and swaths of ruined land from where I’ve stomped and swept my tail around. My skin is an almost sickly dark blue with red stripes, the sign of my Champion level Virus branch. At approximately twenty feet tall or more, I was the biggest thing still standing on the battleground, with one very banged up Lieutenant Shepard being the only thing else still on its hooves.

I look down at her and see that she has some blood running down her face. Otherwise, she appears to be...fine. My eyes sweep over the littered bodies and I see them all moving with breath as well. Even when lost in whatever evolution haze I had this time it seems I managed to hold back. You couldn’t tell at first glance, especially since I had a pegasus in one hand with a claw close to stabbing an eye out.

“Hah...you...are one really tough dragon…” Shepard pants out.

I release the guard in my clutch, listening as he hits the ground with a grunt. I lift my head up to see if anyone else was coming to this fight; with the damage and proximity, surely Princess Celestia or Luna would be here soon. But oddly it seemed like not the case.

“What’s wrong? Had your fill of blood today? I’m not so easily - ah!” Shepard winces as something stabs into her side. I tilt my head slightly to see what’s wrong, and notice a piece of shrapnel coming out of a joint in her armor. She must have gained it either when I first burst out, or when I swept my tail through the debris one time.

“Ghk! Dammit, I’m definitely going to retire with this one.” She tries to touch the shrapnel, but the pain is too much for her and she falls to her front knees.

“You shouldn’t pull that out without medical help.” I rumble, voice deep and gravelly. She looks up at me in surprise for that, to which I shake my head. “Sorry about this, but you could say I...lost my head for a moment.”

“The hay you did!” She spits out some blood. “Over a hundred guards wiped out, and you try to say ‘sorry’ for it?! You ‘lost your head’ for a minute?! Since when the heck could you even talk?”

I just shrug, reaching down and grabbing her carefully. She struggles in my grasp, but I hold her tight enough that she can’t escape, or cause further injury to herself. “You’re obviously a damn good soldier, standing after all of that, and have a spirit of fire. You have my respect, Lieutenant.” With that I flick her on the head with my other hand, knocking her out. Setting her carefully onto a bed lying outside the barracks now, I turn toward the office and assess the damage. “Hmmm…”

As I look, a giant pink bubble begins to form around me, cutting me off from the outside world. Turning slowly in place, I finally see one of the expected ponies I had in mind making his way over to me. Shining Armor, face set in anger yet controlled, completes his barrier around me and stands tall among his fallen men. My tail sways some, knocking a portion of wall down. The action angers him further and I can’t help but sigh internally. This was definitely turning into a bad day for all of us.

“You’re not getting away this time.” Shining declares.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I try.

“Don’t try to deceive me beast, I’d recognize who you are no matter how much bigger and nastier you look! You’re the Black Knight - the same monster who attacked me down in the Armory two nights ago.”

“I don’t know about this supposed ‘Black Knight’, but congratulations. You’re too little, too late again.” I growl and let some flames flicker behind my fangs. “For the Captain of the Guard, you’re certainly lacking in doing your job.”

“You-!” Shining cuts off as we hear the beat of wings from above. We turn our heads, and together rear back in shock as Cadance lands just in front of him, horn lit and wings flared. “Cadance! What are you doing here, I told you to go back inside and-”

“I’m not just about to let you fight this thing on your own Shining Armor.” She interrupts, stomping and digging a hoof into the ground. “I’ve let everypony know, but we’re the only ponies with the strength to hold it back for now!”

“Oh? So you think you can stop me from getting away?” I ask, leaning down closer to her. The barriers hums a little at my proximity, but I don’t touch it. “You’ll have to try harder than this Princess.”

“I’m not Captain of the Day Guard for nothing. My shields are some of the best in all of Equestria.” Shining boasts, chest puffing out a bit even. I roll my eyes at that, but notice that Cadance also is rolling hers. She notices my stare when she focuses back on me.

“What?”

“I don’t suppose we’ve had the pleasure of meeting face-to-face like this, have we? It’s nice to see you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.” I bow a little as she frowns. “You’re actually my favorite alicorn.”

“...” She keeps giving me a funny look. I was being honest you know.

"Oh come now, it's not like I hold any grudge against you. The least you can do is be polite as long as I am."

"You call destroying the barracks and attacking over a hundred guards being polite?"

"In my defense they’re all simply knocked out, give or take a few more...serious injuries."

"You’re not helping your case at all, Black Knight. Don’t be surprised - I recognize enough of your looks from what Shining told me about his last encounter with you. You might be bigger, and uglier, but you’re not going to scare me."

I sigh loudly. "Ponies. Just because I am not like you, it's so easy to assume I'm some kind of monster isn't it? That I must be some evil savage out to kill and destroy everything. I actually gave the guard that discovered me first ample time to just let me leave. If he had simply listened…”

“Like I said, you’re not exactly helping your case.” Cadance sweeps a hoof toward the general area. Shining steps up to her, whispering something at her, but she shushes him. “Just what is the point in all of this? Why are you terrorizing Canterlot - to get revenge? To kill my aunts and take over Equestria?”

My lips curl up into a smile. "Ah, at last, somepony willing to ask questions. I knew I liked you my dear." Her muzzle scrunches up some in discomfort over my compliment. "Believe it or not, this entire thing has just been one great big misunderstanding." My voice dips a little lower in anger. "One that cost me a great deal of time, but a mistake nevertheless. I did not attack that village one-thousand years ago - not with dragon or by myself. I did step in to kill it, but left almost immediately afterwards. I returned to clean up the mess, and when I returned I was accosted by the uppity brat and her pack of loyal dogs."

"Who?"

"Princess Luna, of course."

"That's not very nice!" Cadance scolds. Shining and I both give her a Look, and she dips her head down some and adds, “Well...it isn’t…”

I chuckle. "I never said I was nice. Just not a monster, nor evil. To continue - since it was only recently that I had...arrived in your country, I had no grasp of the language nor why I was being blamed for something clearly not my fault. I would hardly set a dragon on a village only to swoop in and kill it, now would I?"

"Her Majesty told me that you must have lost control over your minion, so you killed it for disobeying and then left to leave everypony's guard down before you came back to attack." Shining answers, voice bitter and full of contempt. "Bet you weren't expecting Princess Luna to show up huh?"

"No, but then again I expected to return to a still damaged town that I could offer my help to." I correct him, matching his tone. "Having Princess Moonbutt there wouldn't have mattered, if it wasn't for the fact that she had a contingent of guards with her and that they immediately tried to arrest me. I didn't appreciate having them try to poke me with their spears either. I defended myself, and then got dragged into a fight with her that lasted up until she fell to the Nightmare's influence."

Shining scoffs. "And that's how I know you're lying! It was you who infected her with the Nightmare! You and your strange negative powers!"

"What?!" Cadance looks over at him in shock. She didn’t know? But it had been in the newspaper after my escape got out. Then again I never have seen her read it much.

"It's true - I heard it from Princess Celestia herself." Shining nods. "When she arrived, she saw the Black Knight fighting against her sister. But something was wrong, and Princess Luna was very angry and looked different from usual. She didn't think much about it at the time, since there was this scumbag to deal with-"

I growl menacingly. "Watch your tongue."

"But afterwards she didn't return to normal, and became even more distant than ever. Less than a week later, she declared Eternal Night would reign and finished turning into Nightmare Moon. She knew the minute it happened that he must have caused it." He finishes. Cadance looks between me and Shining Armor, her emotions and face in turmoil. I think I had been convincing her of the truth until Shining spoke up. I had to at least try to make her understand.

“Amazing how easy it is to blame someone else for your faults, isn’t it? Princess Celestia left her own sister in her shadow long before that day. The seeds of anger and jealousy might have been fed by me, but I assure you, the Nightmare was in there long before I ever stepped foot in Equestria. She didn’t fall because of me, I was just made into the scapegoat!”

"Liar!" Shining shouts.

"You want proof?! Then let me educate you on what my powers allow me to do." Flexing my limbs, I raise them up for dramatic purpose and allow the negative powers rush out from inside of me. A black miasma begins to seep out of my dark blue scales and swirl on the ground at my feet, and directing it I latch onto several of the guards lying around. They were more than full of anger and fear at me, even while unconscious, and I pull it all out until nothing is left and bring it back inside of me. The miasma grows thicker, and I feel my eyes pulse for a moment. From what I see in Cadance's reaction, they probably flashed red or something ominous like that.

"It's true that I can wield negative energy to grow stronger." I growl and snarl, keeping a tight leash on all the anger flowing into me. I needed to stay in control this time. "But I can only take what is already there to take. I cannot make you feel those emotions - I am less a generator and more a battery, storing it all inside of me to use to make my moves faster, stronger, more destructive. So yes, I was drawing on Princess Luna that day, and I must say..." Here I flash my mouth of razor sharp fangs and serrated teeth. "It was a real feast."

"...And you say you’re not a monster?"

I look at the speaker slowly, letting the negative energy I was drawing on slowly peter out. Dropping my arms down to the side, I smile ruefully at her and look over to where the guards I had drawn from were lying. All of them were clearly in even more pain than before, the extraction having no doubt been painful because of how forceful I had been. Come to think of it, I remember Luna staggering a lot during our battle as well. But I had thought that was just because I was stealing from the Nightmare; I guess it's universal when done straight from the source.

"How you can do that to somepony? Don't you see how much pain they're in?" Cadance asks, eyes locking onto my own. "And you were so happy to do it too. How can you be innocent of anything, if that's how you react to somepony's suffering!?"

I don't answer immediately, and the yard grows silent. Shining, taking the lull in our conversation, finally uses a new spell to try and contain me. I let it happen; the giant cage he forms out of the bubble around me is sturdy and likely strong enough to actually hold me. But it won't stop me when I run. I've already spotted my escape plan from this encounter. Once it's complete, I crouch so I can get closer to eye level with her. Through the thick bars, she sees me do so and approaches slowly, not listening to Shining Armor as he tells her to stay back.

"How indeed?" I finally say, musing out loud. I find myself unable to look away from her big, light purple eyes. She must feel the same way, because she's hardly blinked once. We are now so close that if not for the bars, I'm sure we could have touched hoof to muzzle. "I say I'm not nice, but innocent, and yet at the same time I show you just how cruel my powers are when used directly on your little ponies. I suppose I'm just full of contradictions, aren't I?" I chuckle in wry amusement.

Cadance frowns.

"But that's the thing Mi Amore..." I lean in until my horn sizzles against the magic. “Nothing is black and white - not for me, or you, or anything. It’s up to you to decide what’s true or not, just like it’s up to me to make my choices and decisions. I mean Equestria no harm, but I will fight, and steal, from your dear sunbutt aunt and her lunatic sister until I get my stuff back. She stole my armor, and stole my life from me. She blames me for crimes I never committed, and now look what that’s gotten us. If getting what I want requires me to act just like the Digimon I look like - to walk a dark path with darker energies - then so be it. That seems to be the curse of being BlackWarGreymon after all.”

"What do you mean? What’s a Digimon, or Black War Greymon?"

"...That, is a tale for another time.” I shake my head and stand back up. I’ve already spent too much time talking. Surely the reinforcements will arrive any moment now, and certainly I can hear something akin to a stampede coming down the path. “Which it would seem we’ve run out of for now. Until next we speak Princess Cadance.”

“Over here!” Shining Armor shouts, Cadance turning to watch. “I’ve got the monster trapped!”

“Do you? Mega Backfire!” Inhaling, I use the gathered negative energy to boost the effect of my impromptu attack. Just like the night in the armory, I abort a fireball halfway through and produce a massive cloud of soot to clog up the area. Boosted by the extra energy, it becomes a dense fog that’s taller than I am and filters to every corner of the castle grounds. Shining and Cadance begin coughing first, which leaves me to easily enact the second part of my escape plan.

After all, the cage might have been stronger, but it had lots and lots of holes in it. Holes big enough in fact for a little pink blob to slip through.

Un-equipping my armor, I bounce out of the shielded area and make my way over to the rubble of the office. I couldn’t see much myself but I had memorized its location in my head. Climbing up and over, I find a good spot to fake being trapped under, even snagging the black box on my way as I notice it. When the guards begin to finally dig out the barracks for anyone caught under the rubble, they will also find Cadance's pet and bring me to her. It will be easy to assume that, just as I was entering the office, the 'monster' arrived and knocked me aside. I would become the poor victim in this whole thing and nobody would be any wiser over my true identity. I was glad I thought of this or else who knows how tentative my disguise would be.

But it would take some time, leaving me alone to think about that conversation, and fight, that I just had...and it was a lot to think about I feel.

Hours later, late at night I was back in the room with Cadance. I had a little wrap of bandages around my head and she had fretted endlessly over me for a while. Obviously I wasn’t actually injured, but I let her worry and reassured her with hugs and obliging her tender care. We were sitting together now, listening to Shining Armor, as he told us most of the outcome from the battle. He was the only pony to actually inform us of anything despite Cadance trying for some time on her own. Like with Discord she’d been asked to go back to her room and remain inside, leaving her out of the loop over most of the happenings. Despite the fact that she had been there talking to me, that is the Black Knight, when reinforcements arrived. Thankfully Shining Armor didn’t see the same reason to not tell us, but he was obviously censoring most of his words and the details.

“...which basically leaves us with just about everypony accounted for and safe.” He concludes.

“Thank Celestia.” Cadance breathes a sigh of relief. “I was so worried. I mean, the Black Knight did say, but, it’s good to be sure.”

“It’s a miracle if you ask me. Some of the reports say it fought like a mad beast at first. I don’t know what made it so chatty suddenly at the end, but at least Shepard didn’t have to fight it alone either.”

“You didn’t mention Shepard. Is she alright? I thought I saw something...sticking out of her before I had to leave.” I close my eyes in regret over that.

“She’s...fine. The doctors have patched her up as best they could considering the circumstances.” Shining sounds nervous. I look at him and notice that his eyes are not looking directly at Cadance anymore.

“Shiny?”

“It’s nothing sweetheart.”

“What happened? You can’t lie to me about this! Shepard is…” Cadance bites her lip. “She’s an old friend.”

Shining Armor looks at her, then sighs and hangs his head. “She has partial loss of motor function in her front left leg. That armor she wears is an older model - it’s much thicker and capable of taking a real beating. We don’t use it anymore since the guard wants to have more speed and mobility, but it’s probably what saved her leg completely from getting torn off. Wedged it into place, and…”

“Why can’t the doctors fix it up completely? Isn’t there a surgery they could do?”

He shakes his head, lifting his head more but still not staring her in the eye. “All the guards are being ordered to start a new hunt for the Black Knight effective immediately. All of the injured personnel at the barracks are included, since they were mostly just knocked out, so we were told to get them on their hooves and get them out there by...somepony higher up. The surgery would take too long - Lieutenant Shepard is needed right alongside me and Iron Bulwark to help coordinate the Day Guard’s search.”

“But if they don’t fix it right away…” Cadance lifts a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, Shepard.”

“Koromon…” I say sadly too.

“She said herself that’s it okay. I think she’s going to use it as an excuse actually to retire soon - before the holidays at least.” Shining tries to reassure us. “She’s been talking about it a lot lately, but we all knew she wouldn’t until something gave out first ahead of her spirit. She’s always been loyal to the guard and the troops. Honestly, I’m surprised she wasn’t made Captain instead of me, she certainly has the skill and experience for it.”

Cadance gets up and walks over to Shining, getting a hug from him as I scoot back some from the bed’s edge. I don’t think Cadance caught on to what Shining Armor was implying, but I believe I can see the truth of the matter. Shepard’s surgery wasn’t just denied because of some need for time and action. With the Day and Night Guard scrambling, authority over both halves were now allowed to both Royal Sisters until the search ended. Considering everything that happened earlier today, it wouldn’t surprise me if Princess Luna, petty and angry at the old soldier, had ruined her chance of making a full recovery. The magic here in Equestria did seem more able to handle injuries of all kinds, but some still needed deeper and careful handling. By citing the need for soldiers and time as an excuse, she canceled the surgery, ruining Shepard’s leg, and basically forcing her into retirement. My hatred for the lunar princess continues to grow, with Celestia not getting out of this scot free too. After all, she was not doing anyone a favor by letting her sister get away with these kind of things.

When the time comes for our battle, and make no mistake, I’m sure there will be one now. But when that time comes, I will definitely save at least one punch for Lieutenant Shepard.

A squeal of delight cuts me out of my thoughts, and I look back to Cadance and Shining Armor to see an amusing sight. Cadance is jumping in place, hooves wiggling happily as she chants ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ repeatedly. Shining, sitting up with his black box open, has a goofy smile on his face as well at the positive reply she was giving. It looks like he has just proposed to her, and now this makes them officially engaged. The weddings bells would soon ring, and with it, a new world of discovery and magic for the pair. I’m glad that at least one good thing can be scavenged from this terrible day. Especially something as important as the Royal Canterlot Wedding.

It was good to see that for all of my interactions with this world, some things just never changed.

In a dark corner of the castle, Princess Celestia steps up to an ornate pair of doors and gives a nod to the two guards on duty. They salute, and without pause open their mistresses door for her to enter through. Inside the flickering warm light of a dozen candles dot the chandelier hanging high above, bathing the bedroom in sharp shadows that dance and curl into eerier shapes. It is helped by the almost gothic design of most of the furniture; all of it was painted black with motifs carved into them depicting numerous creatures of the night. As always, the solar alicorn feels oddly out of place in the sanctum of her sister, but can hardly question her tastes. She herself much preferred a simpler commoner style in her own room, while Luna took it upon herself to dress it up in a style more fitting the royalty she was. If a bit tacky.

"Luna? Do you have a moment?" Celestia asks the dark figure on the far side of the room.

Princess Luna, hunched over an ornate desk, turns at the sound of her sister's voice and glares. "We thought We had instructed not to be disturbed." She says, voice loud and pointedly aimed at the guards outside.

"Can you blame them for letting me come visit my sister?" Celestia rebukes gently, ignoring the quick scowl that flashes over the lunar alicorns face. "Come now Luna, I just wanted to see how you are doing before I head off to bed. It's been a very tiring day hasn't it?"

"Would it have not been save for the incompetence of thine guard sister. Captain Shining Armor has twice slightest Us with his actions, and We-"

"Shining Armor is not to be blamed for things outside of his control sister." Her sister interrupts firmly.

“And Lieutenant Shepard?”

"She might have been rude, but I have never once told the Solar Guard anything but to tell the truth, even if it's unpleasent. Honestly Luna - if Cadance hadn't told him to I would have myself. I don't need my best soldier running himself ragged with no sleep and chasing something as elusive as the Black Knight. I don't see why you were so against having Lieutenant Bulwark in charge for few hours - he is the second-in-command."

Luna's face contorts into a displeased look, before she turns away and stares down at her desk again. "T'was not this way back before Our return sister."

The words jab into Celestia’s heart. "Luna..."

"Never mind Our words." Her tail flicking in agitation, the dark alicorn picks up a pen with her magic and starts writing something. The two of them stand in silence for a time. It always got this way whenever the big changes between now and before Luna's banishment came up. No matter what Celestia tried, there always seemed to be bitterness between them when she tried to bring her sister into the world of now. Luna seemingly clung to the old days, which was most notable in her form of addressing everypony, or how she expected things to be done by the old rules. Rules that had been made when Equestria was still a very dangerous and unstable land.

"Is that all you would require of Us sister?" Luna's question snaps Celestia out of her thoughts, and she shakes her head.

"No. Actually Luna, I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to attend a special holiday coming up."

"Oh? And what pray tell is this event meant to celebrate?"

Smiling, Princess Celestia decides to put on a teasing tone in hopes of enticing her sister's curiosity. She could remember all the wonderous adventures they had gone on in their youth after she or her sister found something that peaked their interest. "Well, I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for you, but it is a holiday I'm sure you'll enjoy."

"Hmm, what is it called?" Luna asks, ears flicking up. Celestia smiles at the old tell.

"Well, it's called Nightmare Night nowadays-" Luna stiffens, which goes unnoticed by Celestia as she thinks back on the history behind the holiday. "But it's actually quite fun! I was thinking perhaps you could go down to Ponyville and visit Twilight Sparkle and her friends even. I'm sure they would love to show you around the village and invite you to all the festivities they no doubt have planned."

"..." The subtle sound of grinding teeth fills the area around the desk. "We shall…consider it, dearest sister."

"Wonderful! Oh I just know you'll love it Luna. It's practically made for you!" Trotting over, Celestia pulls the not much smaller alicorn into a hug and just as quickly turns to leave. "I'm sorry I can't visit longer, but there's a big diplomatic meeting I will have to deal with in the morning. You know how feisty the griffons can be. Good luck with the search and have a wonderful night Luna!"

Staying quiet until the doors close, Princess Luna sits in the darkness of her room and stares blankly at the piece of parchment in front of her. Then, with a flick of cold blue magic, she shreds the paper and blows out all the candles in a fit of anger. Now completely in the dark, her eyes glow as the lone source of light.

"Nightmare Night." She spits, a faint hiss in her voice. "As if We would ever consider celebrating such a foul thing! Your sick humor has grown worse over the years it would seem, dear sister."

After some more paper shredding and fuming, Luna finally relights the candles and pulls out a new scroll to continue her work. All thoughts about Nightmare Night and her possible attendance are quickly and vehemently thrown out the window.

Destiny in Doubt

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Four months later...has it really been four months? In the time since my last major offensive, the seasons have changed from the chill of winter to the warmth of spring. I’ve been diligent in following my own advice to lay low, bar occasional explorations of the castle at large. Living the life of a simple and kind pet with Cadance has actually been quite nice. I could for days at a time forget about my crusade to restore my power and freedom, instead building friendships with the castle staff and other ponies that frequented the grounds. I knew that for all that I wanted to leave Equestria far behind once restored that friendship was a major step toward having positive emotions as the first response about me, especially since Celestia and Luna would no doubt begin a smear campaign anew once I escaped from under their noses. Again.

Speaking of the princesses; Their own efforts in regards to me continue to ramp up in a decidedly negative manner. Princess Luna had taken great offense to my attack on the barracks, just moments after she had left to fume elsewhere over the tongue lashing Shepard had given the alicorn no less. She was rarely sighted in the capital anymore, with the Night Guard being forced to scout and hunt along the various borders of the kingdom to the point they had all but vanished. Rarely would one be seen at the castle, forcing Shining Armor to once again cover their posts at all hours of the day and night with his own forces. I learned as an aside that this was why I had spied them in the lower levels that night I infiltrated the Armory; with their numbers still low since Luna’s reforms as well as her constant hunts, there was little guarding that the Lunar Guard actually bothered with under her command. All of this was not having a positive effect on her public image. Many nobles and upper crust ponies had begun to speak about her behind her back. Calling her unfit to be a princess, a crude and ruthless taskmaster. It would seem I wasn’t the only one disturbed by her darker and harsher form, but Princess Celestia often stepped in to defuse the worse of the rumors and hearsay. That also however had some commenting on how she was ‘covering her sisters flank’ over her gross abuse of power. Considering what I knew of Luna’s worst actions, such as with Lieutenant Shepard, I could only nod and agree with their beliefs.

As for Princess Celestia herself, relations with her were...adequate. Although she had pushed and attempted on multiple encounters to sway Cadance into releasing me, my caretaker had stubbornly held against the elder alicorn’s words. It had even devolved into a few shouting matches not unlike the first time in her bedroom, before finally Celestia had all but given up and chose to ignore me instead. I wasn’t too sure as to why she was so hostile toward me, but as Cadance had scolded me once over being aggressive I figure it was better to let things be. That, and of course I found a good outlet for my annoyance at the alabaster pony in the form of pranks. With most of the staff being told to leave me be I have the chance to move around mostly unmolested even if technically I wasn’t supposed to be in some sections. As such, I’d taken to leaving small surprises every now and then around where Celestia frequented. A bucket full of sudsy water over a door, a whoopie cushion in her seats, hot sauce on her desserts. Nothing harmful, unless you counted her public image sometimes. She had taken the pranks in stride so far, although nonetheless was perturbed that someone could be getting her at all. Her guards certainly felt mortified whenever a prank was pulled successfully. I wonder what they will think if ever they learn that it was the Black Knight pranking them like this, and with such basic tricks as this. That would certainly go toward several weeks of good cheer and mirth for me.

Cadance, my loving companion and unknowing partner in crime, had not changed much herself. To this day she continued to follow a set schedule for her days in and out of the castle. Study, break, study, break, study...shop, and then lastly study after her day of break. It was dreadfully dull overall, but she kept things fresh by not trying to study the same thing twice or doing the same leisure activity in a row. It worked well in letting me learn more about Equestria and the world, expanding what I already knew from the series before arriving here long ago. The days off kept the worst of cabin fever away, but even still it gnawed on my brain at the worst of times. Even Cadance became jittery over time, taking to studying in less traditional locations so as to ‘have a breath of fresh air’ for her sessions. I personally liked when we spent time in the Royal Library, as I could peruse the books on the shelf if anything Cadance had with her wasn’t enough for my curiosity.

I have to wonder how she handled this lifestyle before me, since often the way she worked off her nerves when relocating failed was by playing with me. Perhaps Shining Armor had been a distraction; he still was really. They spent lunch often with one another, and I had left her quarters a few times to give them some privacy if ever they wanted to cuddle and be a bit more intimate. She also talked with the staff a lot; the older ponies seemed especially close to her and always took time from their tasks to speak with her about how they’d been since last. The younger generation was also polite and kind, but there was a sense of uncertainty in their motions. Their gazes seemed to flicker oddly to her crown, or wings, before trying to maintain polite conversation. It made me feel as if the idea of not one, but two (three really) princesses was absurd or alien to them. Perhaps they were more used to ‘Prince’ Blueblood, who was simply a unicorn, or perhaps the shadow of Celestia was still casting itself over other alicorns even after one-thousand years to learn better.

I try not to think about it much. Princess Cadance was clearly happy, especially whenever I sensed out her emotions. Her life was quite pleasant and if she had no qualms about having few responsibilities, then it was not my place to huff and protest the oddities of her life. Even if I wanted to, how could I? A pet had no voice to question the workings of life after all. So instead I simply enjoy being Koromon the Blob; today would be no different toward that goal.

“Koromon!”

“Koko!”

Jumping out of the bathroom, I laugh and cackle as I hear numerous splashes behind me. The loud thump of a body tumbling out of the tub is followed by hooves squeaking and clattering across the slippery tiled floors. By the time I’m on the bed and far away enough, Cadance at last bursts into the room with a cloud of bubbles, a bar of soap in her mouth as she drips water everywhere. She looks a right mess with her fur matted and covered in bubbles, her mane limp over her eyes and horn, wings drooping and dragging across the floor. Spitting out the soap, she uses her horn to brush aside enough of her hair to glower at me and snort.

“You get back in there right this minute young lady.” She orders, stomping a hoof and getting a very unsatisfying ‘squick!’ for her troubles. She grimaces at the feel of damp hoof on damp carpet. “You haven’t bathed in over three days and stink! You will. be. bathed.”

Technically, I’ve not bathed with her for three days, so she’s correct on that front. I however have been taking baths just fine; the issue with my smell today is from her nasty morning breath drool and its applications to my skin from being hugged beneath her muzzle all night long. It was not a pleasant sleep and this was my revenge for it.

So I reply with a raspberry. “Komor!”

“Grr, you- Ai!?” Cadance takes a step forward, but had forgotten to check where the soap had landed. Her hoof comes down atop the slick bar and immediately it flies out, taking her balance with her. She flies up and over onto her back, slamming hard into the ground enough to be felt, yet still filling the air with the noise of wet carpet and tile squeaking and squishing. A small whinny fills the silence as she sits there, eyes wide in shock for a moment, legs pointed up into the air. Then, her legs flop down, she sits up, and ignites her horn which casts dark shadows over her angry face.

“That’s it, no more nice Princess.”

Picking up the soap that had landed next to me, I deck her on the forehead and leap toward battle. The ensuing water battle would be the things of legend in times yet untold.

The Canterlot Castle Gardens ringed most of the eastern and northern corners of the grounds and surrounding mountainside. It was composed of several different venues of entertainment, ranging from flower beds to tennis courts, and was open to the public for several hours every day. The nobility especially used its services to host numerous parties and social events, and so next to several of the hotspots were extensions and rooms that could hold more traditional events like balls and tea parties. The main veranda was an especially large affair, with a small pond set into it with fountains and a seated section set above the main flowerbed and animal sanctuaries. The in-house dignitaries and nobles use it to enjoy breakfast and lunch during the warmer days of the year, as did myself and Princess Cadance once done cleaning up. From time to time, a maid on waiting duty would sweep by and refill drinks or take orders, but otherwise we were free to enjoy the peace of the day alone.

Said peace of course was especially delightful to me as unlike Cadance, I was smiling. Nibbling on my stack of blueberry pancakes, piled high with butter and syrup, I take a glug of milk before looking over to my companion. Cadance, sitting there with ‘prench’ toast and several strawberries, was frowning and pouting as she stares at me. She was still pretty damp and had even forgone the usual regalia so as to not let it rust, making her look even younger and dare I say it, cute, in her anger. She had not won the battle earlier and to top it all off, I’d managed to find and then force the newest bow she’d intended for me onto her own neck. It looks quite nice against her pink fur with its light blue cloth, if I may say so myself.

“You suck.” She mutters.

I reply with a good mouthful of pancake and noisy chewing. The sweet taste of victory.

“Did you really have to run out into the bedroom too? The maids will have to change all the covers twice in one day because of that. The carpet will need replacing too.”

I swallow my bite and wave a tentacle ear in a circle. “Korro.”

“Not to mention how soaked all my notes and books probably are. I’m just glad I left the window open so the sunlight and wind can dry them off.” Cadance huffs. “And how am I the one wearing a bow after all of this? How did you even know I had that stashed there for you?”

I shrug and hide my smirk behind another sip of milk.

“At least Shiny will like it…” She trails off to take a vicious bite of her toast. Focusing on just gobbling up her meal, she devours the platter with several noisy bites. This always amused me to see; although perfectly fine with eating in a more ‘refined’ manner, Cadance in private gobbled food like a starved man, and just as messily. Her mood really must have been off from my antics earlier for her to ignore decorum, and the sight of nearby ponies staring at her has me chuckling under my breath. When she finally finishes, she burps and takes a swig of milk that leaves a white moustache on her lips. “Speaking of Shiny - I was going to talk with him today. We really need to talk about a few things, you know, for the…” She wiggles her hoof, and then pauses to wipe her mouth once she feels the milk dripping from it. “Whoops. I don’t see what the fuss has to be about, since it’s not like I care to have a crazy wedding. I’m already marrying the stallion of my dreams.” She smiles, a distant look in her eyes.

Then she sighs and shakes her head. “But he does have a point. A royal wedding is bigger than what I want, not to mention he’s the Captain of the Day Guard too. Even if I’d rather keep the ceremony to close friends and family, I’m sure the nobles and some diplomats would raise a stink if I don’t let them enjoy a lavish affair and the chance to impress me, Auntie and Shining Armor for favors or something. Politics.” I roll my eyes in agreement with her. “But I’m totally calling the shots for the wedding reception. As soon as all the classical stuff is over? Well, I know a pretty nice DJ.”

I chuckle and nod, knowing who she’s talking about. To be honest I’m surprised by how Cadance views the upcoming ceremony. Going by what I’d seen in the show I would guess at first that she was every bit the girly-girl when it came to romance. She was, make no mistake, but she was also just as smitten with the idea of burgers and a board game as she was fine wine and the private booth of a five star restaurant. To her, a wedding wasn’t some flashy public affair but one that was both intimate and sincere. Perhaps she was jaded from marriages that had broken up? I doubt the Princess of Love cares for divorces, though feeling true love is more important than keeping a fragile or broken bond too. Maybe the simplicity of the act somehow made the impact more powerful. After all, you wooed by doing big things, but would the emotion be just as strong in the day-to-day as well? A good test for lovers everywhere, and suddenly I realize I’ve been contemplating love like a philosopher or something. Time to get back on track.

“Since we didn’t have anything else planned, would you like to come with me Koromon?” Cadance asks. I think about it and then shake my head. “Yeah - too much paperwork not enough fun, I agree. I think I’ll take Shiny out to lunch then as well, meet you back in the room before dinner? How does Pasta Garden sound?” Smiling, I nod and she smiles back. “Great. I’ll see you later Koromon.”

“Kor Koromon.” I wave as she gets up and leaves. Left on my own now, I sit and digest for a bit while the maid comes over to clean. She smiles at me and gives my head a little pat, to which I chuckle and hug her hoof with a tentacle for. So what should I do today? I’m not looking to prank Celestia again just yet, and the day is simply too lovely to spend indoors either. Perhaps a walk around the garden to enjoy the weather and season. The statue display actually wasn’t too far from here; perhaps I could visit a certain acquaintance atop his pedestal.

“...hear that Fancy Pants…”

A few words drift over and catch my attention from a nearby table. Turning slightly, I peer from the side of my rather large eyes at the speaker. There were two upper crust mares sitting and gossiping, a couple glasses of what appeared to be fruit parfaits half eaten in front of them. Both were leaning into one another with their large brimmed hats shading them from the sunlight, giggling and looking far too involved with their conversation to see the outside world.

“The derby? Oh my, he must be hoping to win it big as usual.” One titters.

“Oh he never gambles darling. He’s far too involved with more proper means of gaining bits after all. It would be terrible for his reputation.” The other replies.

“Well then why even bother? I hardly see the appeal to it all - watching those pegasi fly around in circles is such a boor.”

“Oh tell me you’re joking darling! Don’t you know about the VIP box? All the important ponies and sponsors sit up there and talk. That’s where all the real business gets done.”

“Really?” The first gasps.

“Really dearie. Fancy Pants even uses it as an opportunity to hoof out invites to his party as well - lots of prospects and aspiring ponies would fall over their own hooves to get such an honor.”

“Then the whole week of soirees he goes through before his garden party…?”

“Business, and making connections.” The second mare tuts and playfully nudges her companion. “Really darling, you have so much to learn. Just what has your father been teaching you all these years?”

“Well...to bow properly and maintain balance I suppose.”

“Oh, there’s far more to being a proper lady than that my dear. We’re the real power behind the stallion don’t you know.” The two look each other in the eye, and then break out into laughter and clink their glasses together.

Fancy Pants, a derby and a garden party? That certainly sounds all familiar. I know Fancy Pants from around the castle as being one of the biggest, richest nobles around. With a charm and flair few could match he’d risen from obscurity to being one of the biggest entrepreneur’s in the country practically overnight. He was elevated to noble status for ‘services rendered to the crown’ and now spent his time travelling around Equestria overseeing his business and attending/hosting various parties and soirees. But surprisingly not much else was known about him; as much time as he spent in the spotlight, his personal life was very private. Some of the high society ponies around believed that to even attend one of Fancy’s events was to guarantee success on their next venture. There was some truth to it; The biggest event he threw all year was his annual Garden Party here at Canterlot Castle. While not the largest or most extravagant it was where he did most of his actual business with his closest associates as well as bright prospects he’d scouted out over the past year. Cadance herself had attended the party once before, leading to me hearing about it in passing as she’d received an invitation just last week. After going she’d been bombarded with suitors and opportunists, however, so while she appreciated the continued invites she always declined now to avoid more unpleasantness. Especially since Shining Armor would probably get very protective and jealous.

But that wasn’t the only reason I knew of the party. With the mention of the derby I could now align my knowledge of the show with real life again, leading me to believe that the events of Sweet and Elite were about to begin. I recall the episode having Rarity staying in Canterlot for the week and ending up socializing with Fancy Pants and several other elites of the town. But what she should have been doing was shopping and preparing Twilight’s gift for her upcoming birthday. In the end, after trying to duck out from attending Twilight’s party in favor of Fancy’s, she comes to realize that she was trying to hide her roots and that you should never do that in the name of social standing or peer pressure. It was fairly nice for an episode overall, and the lesson was good with even a song earlier in the episode to emphasize her mindset during it.

Turning my gaze toward the castle, I stare past it in my mind's’ eye toward the south and Ponyville. Hard to imagine that just a few miles from here Twilight Sparkle was fulfilling her destiny along with her friends. They rarely interacted with Canterlot or the princesses so I didn’t often have to even think about their adventures. It was a relief; as much as I liked the idea of talking with them, befriending them, helping them even with some future troubles, I know I shouldn’t. Every action has a reaction and I was already interfering with ways were running in Canterlot. The butterfly effect could be a powerful force without careful consideration, and down in Ponyville things were already prone to random chance and circumstances. Thankfully none of it should be impacting Twilight, considering again the low importance of the capital until the wedding. But that also meant I was under a deadline of sorts. I didn’t want to inadvertently shift events to the point that Twilight never discovered her destiny. That she wouldn’t be given the journal by Celestia, that the final spell of Starswirl the Bearded wouldn’t be cast. To do that, I would have to leave prior to or swiftly after the wedding. Maybe stay long enough to at least ease the strain on Cadance from being down in the crystal caverns, and then hightail it out of here with my armor and power returned to me. From there...well, there was a very sizable world out there. A world tour wasn’t out of the cards just yet.

Still...I can’t lie and say there isn’t some part of me that wants to stick around. Perhaps step in at places and help out. Maybe even goad the princesses and Mane 6 with my presence, playing mind games with my continued actions of both antagonizing them and yet also helping. It could be an amusing pastime, but I shake my head quickly at the thought. That would be completely counter to all my efforts so far, especially after my horrible actions at the barracks. I could not forgive myself for going berserk like I had from my powers overcoming me even for a brief time like that. Plus, while blame ultimately fell upon Luna, I still felt the sting of guilt from Shepard’s forced retirement. I would have to find a good gift to give her in apology, either anonymously or in person sometime in the future.

Hopping out of my chair, I wiggle a bit to wake my body up and then begin hopping toward the gardens. I feel decidedly unbalanced and a visit to the local sealed chaos spirit would do me some good. If nobody was around, perhaps I would even share some of my tale with him. He might get a good laugh from my pranks, and perhaps feel silly for dismissing me as just a little blob when he first broke out. Perhaps that too would be amusing to him, who knows how he thought. He was screwier than Q, that’s for sure.

The derby began the next day, but it wasn’t until the second day that we had time to enjoy it ourselves. That meant that once free I was atop Cadance’s back as we made our way through Canterlot and the bustling crowd of ponies likewise heading to the race track. The Wonderbolts Derby was an annual event held in the capital every spring. For three days there would be racing, drinks, games, events and even a small concert on the final night. Racers from various species would come and gather to show off their stuff with special highlights including an inter-team competition of the Wonderbolts, hence the name of the derby, and an air show face-off between the griffons and pegasi. Sort of like a dance battle only in the air. While primarily geared toward aerial events, there were more than enough ground races as well that just about anyone could compete in as long as the name of their game was speed. Only the Equestria Games boasted a bigger stage for speedsters to compete on, and those were only done every four years like the Olympics back home.

What also was important about the Derby was that it was a major social event for high society. Dressed in everything from classic formal wear to roaring twenties casual dress, they mingled with the common folk on the way to the show where they would wine and dine in private booths and boxes. Sponsors and owners of teams especially would be there boasting and doing backroom deals for trading team members, or showing off their prized new stars while gambling away their small fortunes on bracket placements in the upcoming season. And speaking of gambling; the Derby was also one of the biggest Bit generators still legal in central Equestria, with only Los Pegasus beating it out as the gambling capital of the world. The gambling windows would be open all three days and be making heavy bank on numerous bets made by thousands of ponies and foreign tourists coming to see the show. Some ponies would be making their fortunes today while others lost all but the clothes on their back. Even I wanted to get in on it, though only because I knew the outcome of at least one race I was certain would occur.

As we enter the lobby the noise level around us grows to deafening levels. Two unicorns and three pegasi are flitting about and magically moving chalk around across a giant board that was displaying the races today and their odds. The windows below as expected were packed, though turn-around was high as armed guards made sure nobody stuck around for long once business was concluded. Across the hall and indeed down every hall, the cry of numerous vendors, from food to gift, cry out their wares and the smell of greasy food hangs heavy in the air. If it wasn’t so appetizing to sniff I might have gotten very queasy from the scale of it.

“I swear it gets crazier every year.” Cadance says to me, gently making a path from her presence alone. Ponies tended to notice when you had wings and a horn. It certainly made navigating this mess easier. “The gambling especially - I mean just look at those odds! They’re really underestimating Fleetfoot.”

“Oro?”

“Fleefoot, over there see?” She points at the centerpoint of the board over the various windows. Several noteworthy Wonderbolt names were on display, and I spy Fleetfoot among them. She was the one pony I knew would be winning something today. “She doesn’t have much in terms of endurance or power, but her lithe and small frame makes for some incredible speed! I wouldn’t be surprised if she won the race, especially not when Rapidfire is the top contender she’s against.”

I nod along, and then tilt my head in curiosity. “Oro?”

“Rapidfire. He’s one of the top rookies from last year’s recruitment. Better than Spitfire in sheer wingpower and endurance, and she’s the Captain of the Wonderbolts for a reason. But he’s built like - well, he is a stallion, and that means he’s a lot bigger and heavier than a mare. His bulk will slow him down no matter how fast he is in the straight through, while Fleetfoot will easily cut through and keep a strong pace even in his hot zones.” Cadance shakes her head. “His odds and skills will probably win him a lot of the events he’s in, but in the main race? Nah.”

Nodding again, I watch as Cadance begins to walk away, but she pauses as we’re about to take the stairs up to the next level. She glances back, then down the halls in either direction. “Say Koromon, do you want to grab a snack or anything?”

Even a mainly vegetarian race like ponies can still fry with the best of humanity. But at least here they seem to use more organic and safer ingredients, like panko batter for most of their stuff. “O morokor ko.”

“Great! Then, why don’t you go get something and bring it back up to the box. Just follow the signs and look for the guards, can’t miss it. I’ll go use the little filly’s room in the meantime, sound good?” I lift an eyebrow, but nod. It was nice to see that she trusts me that much to go out on my own in public like this. Especially with how busy the stadium was today. As she lifts a small bag of bits out of her bag, I take it in my tentacle and gently wrap it up to keep secure. “Get me a tofu dog would you?”

“Koko morok!” I reply, hopping off and waving as she heads toward the ladies room. I jiggle the bag some to guess the amount inside of it and hum, looking toward the betting windows. Tofu dog, maybe some nachos, and…

Several minutes later I finally escape the mad throng of the first floor and head toward the VIP staircase. The first two floors were primarily meant for the public’s use, but the third and smallest floor was cordoned off by both stadium security and a few royal guards assigned to the derby for its duration. Since they know me from around the castle the guards let me pass without issue, and I make my way up following the signs toward the one box set off from the rest of the balconies and booths meant for VIP. The Royal Box was set under the announcer booth and has the best view of the track, along with towering walls that prevented any kind of intrusion by the spectators in any direction around it. Carpeted with red rugs and couches, there was also a single throne close to the edge that Celestia usually sits in while her guests relax around her. Today, Cadance was the only occupant besides me, and she was standing next to the throne eyeing it speculatively.

“How Auntie sits in that thing...my butt was falling asleep.” She mutters, shaking her head. “Maybe it’s because of all that padding she- oh! Koromon. Were you okay getting up here?” I chuckle and nod, offering up the tofu dog in one tentacle. “Thanks girl, want a hoof for your nachos?”

Shaking my head, I hop onto one of the lounges and gently take off the little platter of nachos that had been sitting on my head with careful balance. Cadance joins me forgoing the throne she’d been muttering about, and we settle in to enjoy the day’s races. The second day’s events were the bulk of the derby’s grand events. Right now, a marching band competition of a sorts was going on between a group of ponies and what looked to be Diamond Dogs surprisingly. I honestly was impressed by the coordination the dogs were showing, using their height and long limbs to even throw out a few acrobatic stunts such as a small pyramid and jumping through arms while still playing. Cadance and I cheer both teams on for their incredible performance, and the time passes smoothly. We have about an hour before the main event begins, and it seems that the event coordinators had chosen to use it as a halftime show for some of the non-racer feats. Eventually though that time passes, and soon the trumpets begin to blare.

“Lllaaadies and gentlecolts!” The announcer above cries out over the PA. “We know you’ve waited, we know you’ve bet it all for this! The main event you’ve all been crying out to see all day today - the Wonderbolts Derby!” The crowd erupts into cheers as down below a crew of pegasi begin to rapidly shift the stadium floor into a cloud track. Somehow the ground was lowered several feet to give the illusion of it all being done at high altitude, and then a shimmering magical field casts a blue sky image beneath it all. “In just fiiive minutes we’ll be watching the best of the best compete head to head in the truest test of all! Speed! Skill! Fleeexibility~” That got a few laughs and catcalls from the stallions, including me and Cadance for good humour. “Who’s going back to base with the top gold today? Who’s going to outshine even the top stars of the Wonderbolts? Well we certainly have quite the line-up today folks of strong new recruits and rising stars. First, we have…”

“I love the derby.” Cadance says, her voice blocking out some of the announcers introduction speech. She looks down at me with a wistful smile on her face, a hoof gently rubbing the top of my head. “I remember when I was very young actually that I wanted to compete in it. Nowadays, I’m just delighted to be here and get to see it all happening.”

“Ko?” I look up at her. Down below the Wonderbolts have begun flying around and getting onto their marks.

“Mmhm. I love flying - sadly the guards get really huffy when I try to get out and stretch my wings.” She looks up at the clouds, the ones above in the sky, with a sad smile. “Always saying that it’s too dangerous, or not proper protocol. ‘Please use the chariot’ and ‘We can’t guarantee your safety if you’re flying out in public’ blah blah blah. I keep telling them to just follow me, but then the next thing I know Shiny or Celestia is coming to me and ‘subtly’ dropping the rules and decorum I should be following as a Princess of Equestria in our conversation. Ugh...I know they care about me, but it’s so...stifling! I want to feel the breeze! And not just from the open window of my bedroom.”

I give her leg a hug and she smiles a bit brighter in thanks. Cadance really does seem to love flying and the sense of freedom. It makes me wonder if perhaps she was originally a pegasus before becoming an alicorn. After all, Twilight Sparkle became one, so perhaps it wasn’t so much being born as one as transforming. What did that mean for Princess Celestia and Luna? It wouldn’t shock me if they were both unicorns too; they hold themselves very similar to how all the unicorns around Canterlot seem to. Not like Cadance, who for all her kind and almost motherly nature, has a wild heart more in line with Rainbow Dash. I wonder how she achieved the transformation without a horn? Then again, all ponies have magic, so perhaps she simply is the first to defy expectations.

“Racers, on your mark!” The referee calls, taking our focus down again toward the stadium track. My eyes quickly hone in on Fleetfoot, who was the smallest mare in the herd below. When the whistle blows, the pegasi all dash off, the cheer of the crowd blotting out additional commentary from the announcer. From the beginning a few stand out, with Fleetfoot and Rapidfire taking a strong lead among the herd. They battle for first place, with Rapid holding the front for most of the race as Fleet lags in the straightaways. As they come upon the last lap however, Fleet makes her move. Pushing ahead with a burst of speed, she actually cuts Rapid off and forces him to the outside, where his bulk and weight finally catch up to him. As he flaps hard to turn sharp, Fleet cuts ahead by a mile, and even if he pushes off after her soon enough, the damage was done. The referee waves the checkered flag just as the announcer shouts, “And it’s Fleetfoot by a nose! Fleetfoot wins!”

“Woohoo!” Cadance cries, drowned out by several others and many more that groan. “Yes! That’s my girl, you go Fleetfoot! See Koromon, I told you she would win!”

Laughing, I nod and then perk one ear up as one voice seems to stand out from the crowd around us. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but the familiarity of its tones makes me look around to hone in on it. As I spy one of the VIP balconies I see a flash of a monocle and identify Fancy Pants right away. He was a very distinguishable stallion in his style and height, but the mare next to him catches my eye the most. Decked in a summer dress and large hat, Rarity was whooping in delight as several other elites of Canterlot chat around her in shock and surprise. She must be celebrating over having named the right winner, and as the ponies swarm her to talk I know things are swiftly being set up for the rest of the episode before my eyes. It was...strange. Not bad, but very strange to see it happening like this. The angle was all wrong, the ponies more detailed and less colorful in places, the ambient noises of the scene so loud and distracting…and yet I was fascinated by the sight. This was confirmation that indeed the show was happening at the same time I was here. I could easily go to Ponyville at any time and perhaps stumble across another friendship report event.

Shaking my head, I look up and chirp a little noise at Cadance who was still giddy. She replies by nuzzling me, and we take to watching the next few races. My eyes only linger over the balcony and Rarity a few more times throughout the day.

As the sun begins to set, hours later, the derby comes to a close for the day. Tomorrow the final races would be held and a ceremony would take place to celebrate another year. But for the two of us we would be back into studying and learning more about the world. Most ponies have already left the stadium by now, making it an easy trek down the stairs to the first floor. Only those looking to cash in whatever winnings linger around the betting windows, while some janitors and staff clean up and put away whatever was needed before opening tomorrow. As Cadance begins to pass by, I give her a little tap on the ear and she flicks it back before turning her head toward me. “Yes girl?” She asks.

Nodding toward the betting lines, she gives me a small confused look. Smirking, I hop off and move to stand in line. I hear her follow me, and I ignore her probing questions until I hop up onto the little counter to talk to the stallion on the other side. He gives me a queer look, but upon recognizing the royalty behind me, takes the little slip I offer him and actually looks at it.

“Well, I’ll be a Diamond Dogs uncle! You’re quite the lucky blob there little fella’.” He remarks in surprise. “Not many folks actually put up this bet, so you’ve made quite the pretty bit from all of this. Wouldn’t suspect I’d be paying out to er, one such as yourself, but if the princess approves then I suppose I’ll have to add this tale to my collection! One second.”

As he moves out of sight, Cadance grunts out a very unladylike noise. “Are you telling me you used my bits for a bet?” I shake my head. “Well then how did you even pay for this? Come to think of it, I know you gave me back some change for the food.” I give a little mysterious smile in reply. I’d found that in addition to storing my armor, my ability to Zip items into my form could include other non-organic items such as currency. It even gave me a small counter to keep track of how much was inside of me, and I had been saving up slowly via fallen bits and little tips from the more generous ponies around the castle. I’d banked all of it on this little gamble, and now the payout would see me comfortable for quite some time. Excellent road money for the future, in other words.

“You shouldn’t be gambling Koromon.” Cadance begins to scold me. “Gambling is never a healthy way to spend your bits, and if you ever lose then you’re just broke, and then what? Do you know what the odds are of any bet actually succeeding, much less breaking even or doubling your earnings? You should have given me whatever money you had so I could put it away somewhere, like the bank! At least then you would be earning interest...although I suppose it is a little odd to imagine you having a bank account.” She rolls her eyes up in thought at that.

Said thoughts immediately derail as the stallion returns, carrying not one, but two heavy sacks of bits. Setting them down on the counter, he has to open the partition just to pass them along, and I happily chirp a thanks out as I slide them to either side of me. “Darndest thing I’ve seen all day. Somepony - someblob - winning their weight in gold and then some! Ain’t seen something like that in all my life.” He gives a hearty chuckle that wiggles his small moustache. “Be sure not to spend it all in one place now little fella’, and you have a good night there Princess.” Waving to her, he puts a ‘Closed’ sign up and happily moves off to the back.

Turning to look at Cadance, I laugh at her gobsmacked expression, and I decide to further mess with her a bit. Taking one bag in my tentacle grip, I lift it over my head and spread my jaw wide enough to drop it down into my mouth. As it passes over my tongue, I subtly digitize the bottom half of it and slowly pass it through into my body. To her, it would look as if I had just swallowed an entire bag of bits whole, and then join it with the second bag a moment later. Not even a bulge to show for the effort, and her jaw lowers a bit more in disbelief.

“Wha- I- But…” She shakes her head, trying to look stern again. “T-That still doesn’t change the fact that gambling is bad! You don’t see me gambling do you?”

“Oh, Princess Cadance!” Calls out another booth operator. They slide the partition up a little to stick their neck out, and I can see that it’s a middle-aged mare with freckles on her coat. “I didn’t expect to see you here dear. Did you want to come pick up your winnings directly for once? I was just about to make the usual deposit into your account in fact, so it’s quite the perfect timing.”

As the silence drags on past a minute, I slowly look back from the confused mare over to Cadance, whose face is beet red with embarrassment, her jaw flapping for a reply. Raising my left eyebrow, I judge her back for her own words, and she reaches up to close her jaw. She takes another moment to do a small breathing exercise. “...Not. A. Word.” She says firmly, before turning to the mare. “Ahahaha, y-yes Miss Margarin! I was uh, in need of a few bits this week for...reasons. How much exactly did I make this time?”

“Oh, well I’m afraid it’s not an easy amount to count. You’re going to need several bags…” Their voices quiet down as the two lean in to talk.

Shaking my head, I softly chuckle so she won’t hear me. At least the wedding expenses should be covered now.

When I awake the next morning, something feels...strange. Not odd, so much as strange and unusual. Like something perfectly normal that has gone differently than it should have, but to the same effect.

The best emotions I can express for it was delight, happiness and joy. A permeating feel of it that seems to follow me all the time, but not actually come from me or the alicorn in the room. The feeling persists all throughout the early hours, nagging at my brain and spirit like a feather tickling my skin. It wasn’t really all that unpleasant; I know of a thing called ASMR and the sensations I have certainly remind me of the auditory stimulation. But there was nothing in range that I could see or hear to actually trigger it, and as the day rolls on I find myself wracked with discomfort over simply not knowing.

Eventually however it leaves, fading out of some unknown range, and I can finally relax. The odd mix of pleasant emotions and aggravating unknowing had stressed me fiercely. So much so that Cadance was now looking at me in concern since it had been so apparent on my visage. “Koromon? Are you alright sweetie? You’ve been looking very stressed all morning.”

I shake my head. “Ko’r...moro ro koromon.”

Putting her book down, she hops out of her chair and comes over to the bed where I am reading on my own. She gently closes the book in front of me and rests her head on the edge of the bed to stare at me in the eye. “What is it then? Did you have a bad dream?” I shake my head. “Is breakfast not sitting well with you?” I shake again. “Huh...are you feeling fine now?”

Sighing, I shake out my tentacles and nod. “O ko.”

“Odd…” She frowns, and then stands back up. “Tell you what, let’s go get some lunch. It’s late enough for it, and maybe some fresh air will help whatever it was that was bugging you. How does that sound?”

Perhaps some ginger ale will soothe my head as much as the stomach, so I nod. Hopping onto her back, we head out and make our way down to the dining hall to grab a quick bite. But along the way, we bump into an unfortunate pony neither of us had wanted to see.

“Oh! Oh...hello Blueblood.” Cadance says, voice dropping flat after recognizing him.

The fob prince dusts off his coat some and stands a bit straighter. Unlike most ponies, he looks very much like his cartoon counterpart. Immaculate, snobbish, rude, and very Gaston in his treatment of others. I had hoped that upon meeting him previously that perhaps he wouldn’t be as abysmal as when Rarity attempted to court him at the Grand Galloping Gala. He wasn’t, at some points, but in others I wish that was the farthest extent of his arrogance and self importance. “Prince Blueblood please, cousin. It wouldn’t do for any of the commoners to think it fine to flaunt familiarity with us.”

“Right…” Cadance’s jaw jilts to one side, before righting itself. “So uh, what are you doing here? I thought you were off to Saddle Arabia for a meeting with the sultan?”

“And miss a Garden Party held by Sir Fancy Pants?” He looks at her as if she’d implied he was an earth pony. “My dear Princess Mi Amore you must have left your wits elsewhere if you’d think I would ever miss such an event! The sultan will be fine if he has to wait but a few more days.”

“Seriously? First - don’t call me Mi Amore, you know I hate my full name. Second - are you about to skip out on an important, official meeting for the sake of a canterlot social event? Just send a RSVP and attend the next one.”

“Ugh.” He rolls his eyes. “Now I see why you’re never invited to such events-”

“Technically I am, I just have other things I want to do than spend time gossiping like a bunch of-”

“You never have grasped the fine art of socializing my dear Amore.” He interrupts her interruption, voice a bit sharp. “Why, I bet you don’t even know of the dinner party being held by Lady Swan Song tonight. You don’t? My point is made.” He sniffs.

“So? You and the other nobles are always holding such events. If I tried to attend them all like you do I’d never get any actual work done.”

“Hmph, work? My dear, maintaining my appearance and standing is crucial to my position! How else am I to be one of Auntie’s finest diplomats if am some ho-hum, no-name commoner that barely knows how to inscribe his signature properly? Treaties are not signed with ‘X’s I’ll have you know, and the name must have weight to be of any worth. To say nothing of what connections I might establish for later deals.” Flicking a lock of his mane back, he begins to walk past us. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must be on my way. A Prince’s duty is never done.”

I roll my eyes at him behind his back, and hear Cadance let out a little huff. “Honestly, if he wasn’t so good at his job…” She looks back at me, and then walks on. “I just don’t get it sometimes. He’s easily Equestria’s finest diplomat, to say nothing of his heritage having left him with a royal title. But if you met him in private like that, you’d swear he was the greatest prat and a spoiled brat, the snobby uptight son of a-” She cuts herself off. “He was okay when younger, even if his station was already giving him such a big head. But once he got his cutie mark it was just downhill. Doesn’t help that he’s a real pig when it comes to wooing mares.” We travel in silence for a few minutes, before she mutters, “Or that he’s technically right about those connections he makes. I’ll have to tell Auntie about him skipping the meeting.”

When Celestia learns of her nephew’s chosen path, she sighs and rubs a hoof over her head before sending us off. Blueblood doing his own thing must be old hat if all his actions got was an exasperated sigh. Still, that had been some time ago, as we were now back in our room, full and content to finish the day off. I was back to reading over my book, a novel that spoke of an expedition to the far north and Yakyakistan. Cadance was moving from a book on economics to, probably because of Blueblood, a book on Saddle Arabia. We were both relaxing on the bed, resting against one another, when as the sun began to set I felt that same strange feeling pass over me again.

“Kor?” I look up, frowning.

“Hm? Is everything alright Koromon?” Cadance looks over.

“O koon morro koron.”

“You’re fidgeting a lot again. Almost like this morning.” She puts a hoof over my forehead. “Not too warm or cold, and you’re not pale or anything either. Do you feel sick?”

I shake my head. I feel the opposite of sick really, though the emotions coming to me this time were a bit different. Excitement, desire and confidence were prevalent, probably because whatever the source was had gotten something good while away. The desire did seem to ‘taste’ selfish however, and something about the way they resonate with a hollow core makes me think that something was being forgotten in all the excitement.

“I wonder what…” She trails off, a thoughtful look crossing her face. Looking down at the bed, she slowly pans it to the right, then left, pausing on a particular space. Curious about her behavior I try to follow her gaze, but as my eyes lock with hers I can see that she’s not looking at the bed. She’s looking through it, on something far off. “Koromon, is it something you feel that’s bothering you? Something not coming from you?”

My surprise shows as I nod. “Koro!”

“Huh…” She focuses back on me and smiles reassuringly. “I didn’t know you were an empath like me. That must be a Heartsong you’re sensing.”

“Huh?” My confusion was big enough to not even bother with a false word. What’s a Heartsong, and how did she figure out my ability to sense emotions from that?

“Never heard of it? I’m not surprised - Heartsongs are a sort of unspoken magic among ponies, and rarely even acknowledged to exist by other species. I’m not even sure if there’s any books written about it anywhere. Maybe in Celestia’s private study, or an ancient archive somewhere.” She taps a hoof to her chin in thought. “Would you like to hear about it?”

“Or kroomo!”

“Okay...Heartsongs were first recorded shortly after the founding of Equestria, although they are known to have occurred beforehoof. Have you ever heard the expression ‘sing your heart out’? Well, when a pony has something in their heart that weighs heavily on them that’s what it basically is. It can be something positive, negative, happy or sad - as long as it’s important to the pony in question, and in need of release, it can be triggered. Harmony itself, the magic of Equestria and beyond, resonates with that emotion and triggers a way to let it out and help the pony find peace and, well, harmony.

“What’s really interesting is that even if we know what or even when a Heartsong is happening, there’s no guarantee anypony will understand it once it’s over. The same magic that lets you project one into the open also shields it, pulling in and pushing out anypony needed to help it along. Entire musical numbers can consume a town, and just as soon as it’s over, everypony goes back to what they were doing and only recall vaguely that somepony, somewhere, has just had a song and they helped sing it. It’s all based on intent, and if a pony needs to get something out, but wants it private or personal, the magic abides by it.

“With empaths however, like you and I, a Heartsong is more likely to be noticed even from afar. The only other ponies that can sense it are powerful magic users, and that comes with more interesting bits, but I won’t get into that right now. For us, we can feel the emotions behind the magic even from afar. Since like sound it can travel far from the source, even if it’s on the far side of the castle I sometimes sense songs being sung.” Cadance looks up and smiles, closing her eyes. “Whoever is singing...they’re happy. Must be fulfilling something they’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I hope it ends well for them by the end of it all. If you’ve never felt a Heartsong before that might be why you feel so uncomfortable too. The song doesn’t necessarily want you to join in, but in addition to feeling the emotions, your heart starts to try and sing along. It instinctively knows the rhythm, and even your physical heart can sometimes begin to beat along to it. That’s called The Echo, although normally it’s meant more for somepony who actually is meant to join in from afar. Some Heartsongs can span the entire globe, resonating with various souls out there. Some ponies believe that is a sign of a greater destiny, that bond echoing even over the vast distances, hence the name. Honestly I could talk about this all night - there’s simply so many fascinating features to this kind of magic!”

Cadance indeed looks to be ecstatic. I was interested in all this knowledge she seems to have over such an elusive facet of pony magic. This ‘Heartsong’ seems to be the key reason for all the musical numbers in the show too, besides the writers and director wanting them in a children’s show that is. Glancing between our two books, I gently nudge her to get her attention again and smile.

“Ko kroo mo.” I say to her. Her own smile widens.

“Really?! Okay, but first let me go get some snacks then!” Letting out a little squee of delight, she hops off the bed and heads out for the kitchen. I chuckle, feeling good that I’ve made her night with my request. Maybe she’ll break out into song over this herself even. Explaining Heartsongs, with a Heartsong, would be quite apt for the situation really. I wonder what it would sound like, and ponder the lyrics while I wait for her return.

Two more days have passed in peace and comfort, but as the sun sets on the heart of the weekend, I find myself sitting on a tree branch in a conundrum. Down below me are several ponies in castle staff attire and a private catering business uniform. I had let them know I was going to sit here earlier and the castle staff had been gracious enough to let me. Even asking for a hand in hanging some of the lights near me. Now they were busy with tables and bringing in the various silverware and kitchenware that would be used for tomorrow’s party, while off to one side Fancy Pants was talking to the hired band with Fleur de Lis by his side. Or on his side, since she refused to stay in a single pose or position for too long. He seemed to find it quite enjoyable, and would often shift himself some to help with the more amusing positions. Octavia, the band leader and spokeswoman, took it all in stride with a neutral expression on her face.

Why was I here observing all of this? Because my curiosity was beginning to clash with my sensibility. All week I had seen and felt from afar the events of Sweet and Elite. Rarity’s escapades had even reached the ear of Cadance, though she didn’t quite know that the mare in question behind all the rumors was a friend of Twilight. All she knew was that a new mare of high standing was making a stir among the nobles, and that so far she had attended all of the major events through the week to resounding success. It wasn’t uncommon for a mare or stallion of the hour to stir up the nobles like this; among the elites and their inner society, being associated with the hot and new was crucial to looking good among their peers. But it spoke depths to Rarity’s character that her own nobility was never asked about, merely promoting herself through word and action. Fancy Pants had obviously seen that too since he’d become so fascinated with her, enough so that she had been given an elusive invite to this soiree tomorrow night.

Which did nothing to quell my growing desire to step in and see all of this face to face.

I had not realized just how far this temptation had grown for me until just last night. Cadance had left to do some shopping before sunset yesterday without me, and upon returning had placed a wrapped present upon the vanity. She claimed it was for Twilight Sparkle, whose birthday would be this Sunday. Which would be tomorrow, going by the calendar and how the party and episode would fall on it as well. She intended to send it off by mail, but I knew that I could easily take it down to the banquet hall tomorrow night. After all, only I knew that Twilight would change her party location to Canterlot Castle in the wake of Rarity’s letter. And if I did that, then I could stick around and party with the girls, and get to know them better face to face. It could go a long way toward cementing a more positive light about myself, as well as letting me just enjoy their company as a fan of the series.

But I had promised myself to not interfere with the events of the show, and the fact I was even considering doing this was gnawing at my conscious. The plan was to leave Canterlot behind once my Armor was fully reacquired from the diarchy. Celestia has already failed to safeguard three pieces of my armor, so finding the remaining two should hopefully be swift once I put true effort back into the search. Once free I could go anywhere, do anything...within reason of course. That included not interfering with greater events such as Twilight’s adventure toward becoming a Princess. Or striking out against Equestria like a villain, and any other country. What that would mean truly in the grand scheme I don’t know, but I’m sure with my power and skills I could happily find a good comfortable living and life to spend the rest of time with here on this world. But that would only happen if I stopped having to tell myself this over and over again.

Shaking my head, I let out a little grunt and turn away from the party grounds. They say that curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. In that regard, perhaps I could afford to go tomorrow evening, if only for as long as it takes to hand over Cadance’s gift to Twilight and say hello. Then I could go back upstairs and put this whole thing behind me, without putting myself in the midst of Rarity’s friendship lesson. Give a little, take a little. That would probably solve the dilemma in my heart without completely ruining my conviction. So long as I didn’t go spouting my mouth off for some absurd reason, all should be fine.

Looking back at Fancy Pants, I hop off the branch and take the long way around to get back to Cadance’s room. I need to work off the jitters that were now running up and down my spine, as well as plan my approach to tomorrow.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us Koromon? Shiny won’t mind if you do. He even invited you along.”

Shaking my head, I hug Cadance’s front left leg and then gently nudge it toward the door. “Ko or moro. Orom o koor moko.” I say reassuringly. “M’oo mo okor.”

“Well...alright girl, if you say so.” I give her a small look, and she giggles. “We’ll be back in a few hours anyway. Want me to bring you something to eat?” Again I shake my head and she bends down to hug me. “Alright Koromon, have a good night!”

“Kor-kor!” I wave, dropping my tentacle as the bedroom door clicks shut. “Hm, I certainly hope I will…”

After spending some time out with Cadance, I had feigned the desire to go back to the room so I could relax. With the day drawing to a closed the party would soon begin down in the garden, and that would also mean Twilight’s birthday bash was about to begin. Thankfully Shining Armor had come by with an offer of dinner for the three of us, but while a part of me demanded I take the offer to avoid temptation, I was already set in my course for this. Besides, I feel it would be a strong and kind gesture to both Cadance and Twilight if I were to deliver the gift to her in person. Or so I told myself to feel better.

Moving over to the vanity, I take the little wrapped present down and balance it atop my head, moving out once I was sure Cadance would be well away. With a party being held on the grounds security was somewhat tighter than normal. The upper levels were blocked off with additional guards on every staircase, while the ground floor was kept observed by no less than two guards per hall and room. Saying hello to them all as I pass, they remain stoic and neutral, which wasn’t anything new. The Day Guard was completely unlike their Night counterparts; stoic and cold discipline, versus open but stern order. I almost expect the opposite whenever I see them, but then again, the Night Guard at least don’t have the near fanatic obedience toward their princess that the Solar stallions do. Amazing what a thousand years could do to an organization, at least that’s I believe to be a root cause.

As the banquet hall and garden close in, I can hear voices growing louder amidst two distinct types of music. Outside the marble walls of the castle classical music softly flows through the air among talking nobles, and inside loud polka-like music was broken up by occasional shouts and laughter. It faintly reminds me of the movie Titanic, where above water the rich danced in ballgowns and tuxedos, and down in the bowels of the ship the commoners partied and drank. Thankfully there were no icebergs to sink this ship, but it would be wise to remember my sealegs for this next bit.

Curiously the doors leading outside to the garden are staffed with guards and some velvet rope, but when I move past to the ballroom there wasn’t a pony in sight. Opening the door slowly, I peek inside and get my first real look at the Mane 6. Twilight Sparkle stands out in her simple dress, her mane just as straight and organized like the show, even down to the neat little bars of colors inside of it unlike Cadance’s more blended mix. She and Rainbow Dash are at the buffet table enjoying the chocolate, the latter looking notably shorter and slimmer than her friend. There was no denying that she had speed however, with her wings being strong in size and shape, and her messy mane of rainbow locks shimmered in a way that almost implied she was moving much faster than she was even when still. Pinkie Pie was dancing by the record player, her thick body proving a hazard for anyone wanting to come close as she swung it side to side, up and down. Applejack, looking buff and unshorn along her hooves, was wearing a blindfold as she tries to hit the pinata dangling down from the ceiling. The tall and willowy Fluttershy gently lifts and lowers the rope holding it in her mouth a few feet away out of swinging distance. The only pony not partying, and looking decidedly unsure, was Rarity in her fancy dress, hovering just within range of the tables and her friends but also much closer to the doors leading outside into the garden than she had any right to be. Watching her for a second, I can see the well groomed and svelte unicorn mutter something under her breath, before bolting away when nobody was looking in her direction to the doors and outside. A few moments later, she returns and hurries to the buffet table to blend back in with her friends.

According to my memory, the episode reaches the climax once Rarity has exhausted herself too much to notice a major blunder on her part between both parties. Given her still poised demeanor I suspect there is plenty of time before that moment. Perfect then for mingling a bit and then taking my leave. Slipping through the gap between the doors, I close it behind me and turn to-

“Hi!”

“MOTHERFU-KO! K-K-Ko...koro…ko...”

Eyes wide, I bite my lip as hard as I can without drawing blood as Pinkie Pie crouches before me. Her smile, previously bright and cheeful, has slightly shifted to one of confusion at my outburst, and from behind her I can hear a record scratch despite nobody having been nearby to stop the music. All of her friends are looking over at us, and I’m sweating buckets under all the attention. Gods damn all pink horses and their sudden appearances.

“Huh? What did you say little blobbie?” She asks. “For a second it sounded like a really bad word I heard once!”

“K-Ko…”

“Mmm, nope that’s not the word!”

“Pinkie? What are ya doing over there?” Applejack’s southern twang calls out. “Is tha’ somepony or what?”

“Look girls, I found a Slime!” Grabbing me up, she turns and presents me to her friends like a prize. “A She-Slime even! Shame it’s not a Metal Slime though, I could use the experience points.” Did she just…? Well perhaps some of the beliefs about Pinkie Pie are true after all.

“The heck is that thing?” Rainbow Dash flies over to hover in front of me, her muzzle uncomfortably close as she looks me over. “Uhh, Pinkie Pie? Are you sure that thing’s even safe? It looks weird.”

“That’s cuz she’s a cute widdle blobbie, aren’t you girl?” Huffing at the misnamed gender, I still accept her nuzzle and smile at Rainbow without teeth. The pegasus still looks uncertain.

“Oh, what a sweet little creature you are!” Fluttershy coos, floating over to take me into her own hooves and deliver a fresh nuzzle. This close I can smell a very strong aroma of flowers and nuts from her mane. “You’re just the cutest, squishiest little blob aren’t you? Whatever are you doing here? Did you come from the menagerie outside?”

“O kor koromono o mor Koromono.” I say, pointing out the wrapped box in one tentacle.

“A gift? For Twilight? Why that’s very nice of you.”

Hold on, did she understand what I said? That wasn’t usual; Cadance seemed to understand me thanks to her ability to read emotions like myself, but typically others needed to guess or read whatever I did with my tentacles to have something of a clue. Not to mention my speech was essentially organized gibberish. “Wait, you understand that thing? It’s an animal?” Rainbow asks for both of our benefits.

Pursing her lips, Fluttershy holds me out and looks at me apologetically. “W-Well, it’s a little hard. I don’t strictly speak animal, I just know how to read them thanks to my special talent. It’s usually no trouble, but um, you seem to have a very thick..accent? That’s not offensive is it?” I shake my head. “Oh good.”

“Ah’d have to agree with Rainbow there Shy, that thing's plum weird looking.” Looking at the farmer, I stick my tongue out and then puff my cheeks. “Heh, sorry there partner, but I ain’t never seen a creature whose head is as big as their mouth. Makes that old saying of Granny’s pretty funny. Bet there ain't much you can't eat now is there?” Knowing what saying she might mean, I chuckle.

“Who cares, she brought a present!” Taking me back, Pinkie spins me around and then plops me onto her thick and bouncy mane of curls. “And that means we have even more partygoers! That means this is a surprise party and a birthday party!” She squeals in delight.

“Whaddya say Twilight?” Rainbow calls. When no immediate response comes from their friend and unofficial leader, all of the girls turn to look back toward the tables. Twilight is sitting in a chair procured from somewhere with a book quickly being flipped through in her magic. “Ugh, seriously Twi? You brought a book to your birthday party?”

“Actually I summoned this from the library back in Ponyville.” She answers idly. “I marked a few books for such emergency occasions such as this if ever we might need a handy field guide on some new monster or magic. This was a great test run of the system.” Closing the book, she trots over to us and peers at me quizzically. “But even after looking through ‘Beasts and Fiends of Equestria’ I can’t seem to find anything about this creature. I’m not sure if it’s safe to interact with girls.”

“Oh, she wouldn’t hurt a fly, would you girl?” Fluttershy looks at me. Thanks to her height she can almost stare dead ahead at me atop of Pinkie’s mane. I would estimate she was actually just under Cadance’s height, an impressive feat for a pegasus.

“K’o koromoor o kor.” I try to explain.

Fluttershy blushes. “O-Oh, I’m sorry mister blob. Um, what’s your name?”

“Koromon.”

“Koromon? Oh, I see, you speak using your name. That’s a very clever language Mister Koromon.”

“That’s a dude?” Rainbow blurts out, looking at my pink body. I give her a deadpan look and mimic her raspy tones while saying my name again. “Hey! I don’t need to speak slime to know what that was about! Not cool man.”

Applejacks chuckles deeply. “He got ya there sugarcube.”

“I’m still not sure we should let it-”

“He.”

“He - sorry - I’m still not sure they should be allowed to stay. You’re obviously an intelligent, er, blob mister Koromon. But how do you even know me to bring a gift for my birthday party?” Twilight asks. “I wasn’t even planning to have the party here in Canterlot until just this morning.”

As I open my mouth to try and explain, Applejack suddenly speaks up. “Speaking of Rarity, where is she? I haven’t heard her say nothing about our lil’ guest.”

“Here I am!” Rarity calls, moving over rapidly with her breathing a bit strained. “Hah, sorry darlings I was just...uh, admiring the lovely spread you provided for us Pinkie Pie.” The party planner beams with pride. “What are we admiring over here?”

“I found a She-Slime!” Pinkie points to me. “Well, actually just a Slime I guess.”

Rarity looks up at me with disgust in her eyes, but politeness on her face. It’s obvious she doesn’t know what to make of me. “Charmed, I’m sure.”

“Korro.” I say hello.

“He said hello.” Fluttershy translates. The explanation oddly seems to relax the unicorn, her gaze shifting to wary but accepting.

“Oh, well how nice. Twilight dear weren’t we enjoying some music and dancing beforehoof?” She looks to the guest of honor. The obvious distraction works, as one by one the ponies all meander back to the party area and the music turns back on. Still atop of Pinkie’s mane, I follow along and gently set my gift down atop the small pile before enjoying the festivities myself.

As I had hoped, my presence affects little as the minutes and hour pass by. Welcomed in by the girls, I happily play games and eat some of the snacks, while they in turn pay me some attention with pets and idle chatter. Most of time they simply leave me be, with Fluttershy and Pinkie taking the most interest out of them all for obvious reasons. Fluttershy, with her love of animals, asks me politely about how my body and anatomy works, and if perhaps I knew of any others of my kind that she could meet. Pinkie Pie, acting as my personal ride, offers sweets to me and even takes me out onto the dance floor to shake her rump with me wiggling on her back. Sometimes Twilight would also try to interrogate me about something, but while I understood a fair bit of what she said, it often involved answers that boiled down to ‘because I’m a Digimon’ for the most part. So in that regard I had to feign innocence, and thankfully she bought it with a disappointed pout.

But even with all the fun and excitement of getting to meet the Mane 6 and party with them, I still keep an eye on Rarity to catch the important cues. As the party goes on she would disappear for several minutes, always coming back looking a bit worse for wear. Sometimes she would even bring hors d'oeuvres from either party, which made for hilarious reactions as she sometimes dipped caviar in chocolate, or brought a slice of cake out on a plain paper plate. Her friends don’t seem to notice it, buying into her excuses and explanations with open trust and sometimes amusement. As the hour begins to pass into a second however, she was flagging and really struggling to keep her stories straight. Although concerned for her, I was more pleased to see that so far, things were lining up with my memories of events.

Then, after approximately one hour and thirty-seven minutes, she brings in the croquet mallet.

Snickering at the cross-eyed look she has with the mallet in her mouth, my laughter draws the attention of Rainbow Dash, who looks where I am looking and sees Rarity. “Uh, what’s with the croquet mallet?”

“What croquet mallet?” Rarity mutters out between the handle.

“The one in your mouth, duh!”

Startled, Rarity drops it to the floor, the noise drawing the attention of everyone else. The music stops once again, and her friends all walk over from their spots to see what’s going on. The unicorn begins to nervously look around and laugh. “Ohh, that croquet mallet. I - well that is to say - I mean the truth is...um…”

Twilight’s eyes narrow. “Were you at that other party out in the garden?”

“I...I…”

Nodding slowly, Twilight’s expression changes as the other girls see what she’s talking about. “I see. I’m really surprised Rarity.”

“Please Twilight, let me explain! I-”

“I hadn’t realized you were such a savvy businesspony!”

“I-It’s not like...what?”

Nodding again, Twilight gives Rarity a dazzling smile that stuns her fellow unicorn into silence. “All of those ponies look so posh, and with the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, I bet you could totally get some of them to buy your dresses. And if you can get the nobles and elite to purchase some, then your name will be everywhere in Canterlot! Very smart.”

Mouth flapping slowly, Rarity gathers herself quickly as some of the other girls quietly converse between themselves about the fact. Pinkie Pie beneath me seems to be pouting about the last Grand Galloping Gala and her experience there. “W-Whyyy yes! Yes, I erm, d-didn’t want you to think I was being rude, so that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you.” She laughs nervously, tugging at the collar of her dress. “Yes, the only reason…” Comes the quiet mutter.

“Oh, well, you didn't have to do that. You should totally go over there and mingle!”

Smiling warmly, Rarity gives her friend a strong hug and leans into her. “Oh Twilight, you really are the best friend a pony could ever ask for. I don’t know why I ever thought you wouldn’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Nothing!” Pulling away, Rarity adjusts her hat and dress a little bit before turning and prancing gaily toward the garden doors. “See you girls later~”

“Hey, wait up!” Flying over and blocking her way, Rainbow Dash puffs out her chest and points to herself as Rarity and the others look at her. “I'm sure they won't mind if we check out the party too! I mean, we’re your friends right?” A lot of the girls make sounds of agreement. Nodding and waving them to follow, Rainbow Dash hurries over to the doors and throw them open. “C'mon you guys! Let's show them how to party: Ponyville Style!”

Cheering, the girls all rush out, Twilight grabbing the phonograph and looking especially giddy. As Pinkie Pie passes Rarity in her bouncing gait, I turn to look back, which allows me to see her already white fur seemingly pale further as her eyes narrow in horror.

“Oh no.”

The garden party has become chaos incarnate to the nobles now under assault. As Twilight Sparkle and her friends spread out, they each begin to sow a little bit of their own personal touch of mayhem and disorder, throwing the entire party off to the point that the band stops playing and watches in shock. Pinkie Pie eats the hors d'oeuvres and fires her party cannon, Rainbow flies overhead while upsetting all the hanging decorations, Fluttershy calls down several animal friends to talk and play with, Twilight starts to…dance, in the middle of the field with her record going, and Applejack for some reason starts digging out some of the weeds and getting herself very muddy. Not wanting to get too involved with this final step of the episode, I quietly move to the stage, hopping up and giving Octavia a small nod which she replies to with an arched eyebrow.

“And who might you be?” She asks in a posh accent.

“Koromon.” I bow as best I can.

“Charmed, I’m sure.” Picking up the one thing I’d taken with me from the other party, I offer a small bowl of popcorn to her and the other musicians. That earns me a snort of amusement, and a pat on the head before taking a few kernels to chew on.

Rarity has arrived by now and is trying to blend in with the elites, who in turn are talking quite loudly about the ‘uncouth commoners’ that have crashed their party. I can even hear a few of them wanting to go find the guards, but Fancy Pants seems to just be humming and watching the going-on with an amused smile. As Twilight does that awful jig of hers, the host of the garden party finally takes a step to resolving this whole issue. So of course, he approaches the flailing purple pony and asks about her dress.

“Excuse me, might I ask where you got your ensemble?” The stallion asks.

Twilight stops her dancing and pulls her tongue back into her mouth. “Why, yes! Yes you may. A very, very close friend of mine from Ponyville made it for me.”

Rarity spit-takes on the sidelines, having foolishly chosen to try and calm her nerves with some punch.

“Ponyville? That quaint little village down in the valley? You don’t say.”

“I do say.” Twilight beams with pride over her friend. She is clearly looking to help promote Rarity’s work like she had assumed was the reason for the fashionista’s disappearances. “Her name is-”

“Fancy Pants! Come with me!” Rarity interrupts, suddenly by the nobles side as she tries to gently coax him to follow. “I'd like to show you this, er, thing that's over there. On the other side of the field. Away.”

Fancy merely chuckles. “In a moment my dear. This lovely young filly from Ponyville was just about to tell me who made her charming dress.”

“T-That dress? Oh come now, who cares haha! It's just a plain old-”

“Oh, don't be so modest Rarity! This dress you made is beautiful.” Twilight obliviously says. The entire crowd gasps, and I think I hear something shatter as it falls.

Fancy Pants, acting unaware of the aghast elites around him, looks at Rarity with a faint smile under his mustache. “You know these ponies?”

“...” Looking between the Canterlot ponies, and her slowly huddling together Ponyville friends, Rarity bites her lip and then gains a resolute stance as she walks forward. “Yes. Yes, I do know them. They may not be as sophisticated as some of you Canterlot ponies, but they are my best friends. And they are without a doubt the most important ponies I know.”

Two ponies I know to be Jet Set and Upper Crust scoff. “Important ponies? These ruffians?” The stallion asks, before they in tandem begin to mockingly laugh in their haughty voices. “Oh please. They are nothing more than low-town commoners!”

“Funny, I could say the same about you.” A voice that shouldn’t be here suddenly speaks up.

Freezing, my eyes slowly turn toward the doors back toward the banquet hall, where Cadance is standing with a frown on her face. Looking unhappily at the two snobs who have suddenly choked on their spit, she walks forward with Shining Armor right behind her as he smiles apologetically at Fancy Pants. “Jet Set and Upper Crust, right? I’ve heard about you two.” They slightly preen at this. “You were born in lower Manehatten and managed to snag a hefty inheritance from a relative of Jet’s, here in Canterlot. Helped you move up here and live comfortably off your aunt Rising Star’s fortune that she had amassed as the premiere booking agent of now several international superstars like Sapphire Shores. Princess Celestia was quite sad to hear of her passing, more so that her only living relatives had barely laid her to rest before throwing those well-earned bits around like they were candy.”

Now looking unbearably uncomfortable and small, the two social ladder climbing opportunists cringe as several of their former associates begin to mutter about them openly and behind their back. Fancy Pants is looking at the two with a disappointing frown, damning them in the eyes of Canterlot nobility, before turning to Cadance with a dazzling smile. “Ah, Princess Cadance! Such a delight to see you again at my garden party. Don’t tell me my charm has finally won you over to another visit?”

“Hardly Fancy Pants. Although I’d say this party is a fair sight more interesting compared to my first time.” Smiling, Cadance looks over warmly at Twilight. “Happy Birthday Twilight!”

“CADY!” Squealing in joy, Twilight finally snaps out of her surprise as seeing her old babysitter and brother and rushes over. After a deep loving hug they step back and perform their silly ritual dance. “Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

Behind the two mares, Shining Armor laughs and walks up to hug Twilight as well. “You two still do that? Man Twily, I thought you’d grown up after you moved out to Ponyville.”

“Never, BBBFF.” Squealing again, Twilight tackled hes brother in a hug that makes him have to spin her around once before they could stop moving. “Oh my gosh it’s so good to see you both again! What are you doing here?”

“We could ask you the same thing, as well as if you’ve seen a certain troublemaker blob.” Cadance giggles and turns her head to look at me. “There you are Koromon. You had me worried when I didn’t see you up in the room. How on earth did you know Twilight was here - did you bring the gift too that’s missing?” Face hiding my inner thoughts, I simply nod with a very faint and weak smile on my face.

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash speaks up, raising a hoof. “Is anypony else as confused as I am?”

Stepping forward, Applejack leaves the group as she marches up to Twilight and bumps her shoulder. “Twi? Mind giving out introductions to th’ rest of us? Ah know I agree with Rainbow about this.”

“I-Is that...you’re a princess?” Rarity squeaks as she finally notices the small matter of the crown, wings and horn on Cadance.

Shining and Cadance both look to Twilight. “You never told them about us?”

“I-It never came up...sorry.” Twilight sheepishly explains as she rubs the back of her head. “Everypony - this is my brother, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadance, my old foalsitter.”

“Shucks, yer family?” Reaching a hoof out, Applejack gived Shining a shake that nearly rattles the soldier apart. “Mah name’s Applejack! Pleasure to meetcha Shining Armor!”

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie Pie zooms over to Cadance. “Want some cake?” She offers a plate that appears in her hoof like magic.

“Rainbow Dash - faster flyer in Equestria!” Rainbow boasts. “Any bro of Twilight is cool in my books!”

“I-I’m uh...Fluttershy.”

“Rarity. It is an honor to meet you, your majesty. And you as well Shining Armor.” Rarity walks over, looking much more collected and now sans her dress. I couldn’t see where she had stashed it.

“It’s wonderful to meet all you.” Cadance greets warmly. “I’d heard from Auntie that Twilight had made five wonderful friends from Ponyville, but I didn’t think I would meet you all this soon. What brings you all to Canterlot?”

“Well-”

“Allow me Twilight.” Rarity gently interrupts, turning to address the captain and princess. “I’m afraid there was a bit of a...kerfuffle with my schedule during my stay here in Canterlot for the week. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were very generous to change their plans of a party down in Ponyville to instead host it here so that I could also attend. We were just inside of the banquet hall until a short time ago, when Fancy Pants was kind enough to let us join in with his own event.” Biting her lip, Rarity looks over at the stallion after making up her small lie. Applejack narrows her eyes as she catches it, but before she can perhaps say something, Fancy Pants chuckles and steps up.

“Why it was a pleasure my dear. I, for one, find them all charmingly rustic.” Looking at Twilight, he gives her a bow and gently cups a hoof in his own to kiss it. “I had no idea a delightful filly like yourself was the sister of the Day Guard Captain, much less our passionate and spirited Princess of Love! Would you please continue to enjoy your birthday with us, if only so that I might make up for my terrible foresight in bringing a gift?”

“Oh.” Blushing lightly, Twilight slowly removes her hoof and nods. “That would be wonderful, Sir Fancy Pants. Thank you ever so much.”

“Not at all my dear.” Turning to the stage, he claps his hooves, and the band behind me begins to play again. This time with a slightly more upbeat tune so as to embody the birthday spirit better. “Would you care to join me for a moment, Lady Rarity?”

“Why, I would be delighted.” Giggling, Rarity takes his offered hoof and they move off to partake in a dance. Taking this as the ice breaker, the rest of the nobles slowly move around and resume the party, while Twilight and her friends began to converse with Shining Armor and Cadance.

Sitting at the foot of the stage, I stare at the group of ponies with more than a bit of trepidation and fear. This wasn’t how it was meant to go. Even though I’m certain that Rarity had learned her lesson, everything after the major plot point was new grounds that broke several future events quite possibly beyond repair. None of the Mane 6 were supposed to meet or know the royal couple before the wedding, nor were they supposed to be here at Twilight’s birthday party. Going by what Cadance said to me, I can only assume that this was indeed all my fault. Having returned to the room, she noticed the missing gift and lack of myself and set off to try and find me. No doubt the guards along the way told their captain that I had come this way, and once they found the ballroom it was inevitable that they would look outside.

Now, instead of possibly distrusting Twilight’s fears and worries at the wedding, the girls would all have evidence that Cadance was not as she appears. If Cadance didn’t tell them about the wedding now I would be most shocked. Indeed, as I observe them I can hear and see them all screaming in excitement as Cadance tells them something with Shining blushing by her side. If none of the circumstances that made the wedding fiasco occur were there, then that would mean that a lesson would be missed, and possibly Chrysalis would take more measures than she was supposed to. That could mean that she would succeed, or perhaps it would be stopped more easily on the other hand. The sheer scope of this small change was something I would have to ponder in private later, as right now I had to try and keep myself from looking off or worried.

Hopping over to the group, I hear something Twilight is saying to Cadance.

“...missed the old days when we would trick or treat.” Twilight laughs. “‘You should have seen Spike last year. He dressed up as...a dragon!”

“Hahaha.” Holding a hoof over her muzzle, Cadance shakes her head in mirth. “Oh Spike. I definitely miss spending the holidays with you too Twilight. Remember that one time we went dressed up as a ponytaur?”

“I do! Oh my gosh that outfit was so stuffy.”

“Speaking of Nightmare Night though Twilight, I’ve been dying to know.” Calming down her laughter, Cadance looks around conspiratorially and leans in some. “Everypony has been dying to know what Princess Luna was like. Did she have a good time down in Ponyville, maybe give a fright to all the colts and fillies?”

A look of polite bafflement crosses Twilight’s face. “Princess Luna? What about her?”

“You know, when she went down to enjoy the holiday? Auntie Celestia was very excited about how Luna agreed to come down and enjoy the holiday with you all.”

“She did? She was?” Shaking her head slowly, Twilight looks over to her friends, and those who were listening to the conversation and not Shining give her baffled shrugs back. “I-I’m sorry Cadance but...nopony ever saw Princess Luna as far as I know.”

“Really?” Cadance frowns, and my heart nearly stops. “But Celestia was certain Luna left for Ponyville, and she wasn’t seen until the next morning…”

“Maybe she went to another city?”

“...Somehow, I don’t think so Twilight.” Shaking her head, Cadance changes the subject. “Hey, how about Hearth's Warming Eve? What was it like?”

I tune out the rest of their conversation and begin to slowly bounce away. When I reach the ballroom doors, I start breathing very heavily and hurry once out of sight. I need to get away, think, figure out what was going wrong. How on earth had yet another episode gone wrong already?! Without me ever knowing about it too so long after the fact? Was this also my fault, was it this strange version of Luna? Could the butterfly effect be taking hold in ways I had not predicted? I was starting to panic, and so with a deep shudder I hurry to make my escape to solitude.

The party was finally starting to die down. All of the nobles had left some time ago, but Fancy Pants at least lingered to talk with Twilight and her friends more, as well as pay the band that has been performing at his own garden party. Shining was now sitting with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash as he talks about some of his days in boot camp, and I was enjoying some time with Fluttershy while Twilight and Rarity have a chat to one side.

“So Koromon is a boy?” I blink in surprise.

The shy young mare nods. “Mmhm. He seemed very happy to hear me say that. I suppose he gets confused often for a girl thanks to his color and gender neutral body type. His species must be very fascinating - I would love to talk with him more when I have the chance.”

“I-I see.” A weak chuckle escapes my lips. No wonder he was always avoiding the ribbons and other gifts. I’ll have to somehow make it up to him for doing that.

Speaking of the little blob however, I couldn’t see where he’s gone. Lifting my head up, I scan the garden but see no sign of him anywhere around. Even with opening up my senses to try and feel out his emotions I can’t find anypony but the nine of us, the band leaving down the path. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him in quite a while, so maybe he didn’t just leave recently?

“Shiny?” I call out to my fiance. “Have you seen Koromon anywhere?”

Shining pauses and looks over to me, then shakes his head. “Sorry Cady, can’t say that I have.”

“Twilight?”

“Yes Cadance?” My future sister-in-law looks over.

“Have you seen Koromon?”

“Who? Oh, your pet right?” She shakes her head. “Sorry, but no I haven’t.”

“That’s odd...where did that troublemaker get to now?”

“It’s getting late Cadance. Maybe he just went back up to the room finally.” Shining offers, and I shrug.

“Well if he’s not there he’s definitely going to get an earful.” Putting the matter aside, I turn back to Fluttershy and ask her a question about her animal caretaker job. But a part of me can’t help but feel more than just worried. After all, when I first showed up, I think he had felt very scared. Of me no less. But why would that be?

Author's Notes:

So two weeks after my first initial belief of finishing this...and ironically fourth MONTHS later just like in this chapter...here we are.

It took forever to do all of this, but in a lot of ways I'm pleased as punch by it all since it let me do some very creative side-along writing to the episode Sweet and Elite. It's late...so tired...maybe I'll edit this AN with more in the morning. Goodnight All!

Morning Edit: So like I said this took forever! I even posted a Blog about the delays and even then I had to wait a while to get it done and posted. What I especially love about this chapter was how it detailed side events of the show as well as allowed for an outside view of some scenes. Koromon's struggle and comprimises with himself also were a delight, because I feel it's an honest progression on how a fan might react when in the same spot. Let me know how you feel about it in the comments, and maybe about Cadance looks and feel too. We're going to be seeing a lot of her next chapter.

Out on the Town

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I wake up to the sounds of rain and conversation through the walls. Around me the castle is waking up, but I’d rather roll over and get a bit more sleep. There’s been a large number of storms scheduled lately from Cloudsdale, meaning that there hasn’t been much reason to go outside without an umbrella. I like the rain really; when it rains, Canterlot becomes a different city and castle. Without ponies filling the streets or nobles all over the grounds you can really step back and appreciate the beauty that was put into the designs. How it all slopes and flows in natural streams down the mountain, how the colorful tiles and masonry shimmers from the reflecting rain, how the various lamps and windows glow like twinkling stars in the gloom. How the moat when full becomes a wonderful playpen for some of the more aquatic animals from the menagerie and gardens, and how those who don’t care for the rain huddle and snuggle under the boughs of the trees in plain view to any observer. The castle halls also undergo a transformation on days like this. They fill with ponies and grow warm with conversation. Long corridors that normally wouldn’t have more than a guard posted along it now suddenly are stuffed with staff, elites and tourists of all walks of life. Laughter and even the fine clink of cups echo, bringing a warmth that usually is reserved for days like Hearth’s Warming.

All of this has been a wonderful change of pace, but again my biggest desire was to roll over and snuggle into the warm bed sheets. It didn’t help that my usual sleeping buddy was gone, as was becoming increasingly common over the past two weeks, making me miss their warmth. They always seem to wake up before me and leave for the rest of the day. Whenever I try to find them, it’s like they’re suddenly a ghost, not even seen by ponies like Shining Armor or Celestia. Occasionally we’d meet up by chance for lunch, or dinner, but it’s not until bedtime that we truly reunite, and even then they’re too tired or silent to hold any conversation. What was wrong? Were they hiding something, or was I just being paranoid? We’re all very busy right now after all with the wedding approaching, so maybe they were just getting into it like everypony else.

Finally giving up I push myself out of bed and stretch. A yawn escapes me as I head to the bathroom and step into the bath to clean up. My thoughts again wander off, this time to the wedding. Despite all the hustle and bustle that the castle was under to prepare for the special day I still don’t have much of it affecting me at all. Not that I wanted it to; there were far more capable and prepared ponies already keeping things going. Twilight Sparkle was especially one, having stepped into her role as the head coordinator with pride. Bless that girl, she’d jumped at the chance to help arrange her BBBFF and old foalsitters wedding the second she learned of it. Already she was sending letters back and forth to Celestia to make sure things were okay or if this or that could be done. Poor Spike must be getting a tummy ache from it all, but there’s nobody better around to help her. He’s Twilight’s Number One Assistant after all, so they should be fine. Right? Right??

Splashing the water some, I blow a bubble off my nose. “Good luck Twilight.” I mumble.

Thinking of today’s schedule, there was some studying to do as usual. Since the rain started it had been several days in a row of it in fact. But I don’t know if I want to this time. It’s already a gloomy day outside, and the topic picked out today is about war. War is a foreign concept to most ponies; in over five-hundred years there has been no major conflict between Equestria and another major power. Yet before the current lasting peace there had been blood, loss, grief, revenge and disharmony on all sides. Other races don’t play as nice and fair as ponies either. Griffons can hold a grudge without even letting it show sometimes, and minotaurs have always preferred smash-and-grab tactics over diplomacy and trade. To·say nothing of wrangling negotiations from a dragon that doesn’t involve their fire breath and claws at least once.

Politics, much like war, are another battlefield they can fight us on, so theoretically knowing their tactics for either can go a long way toward handling the worst and best their cultures can give. Who will act with honor and nobility? Who plays the long game, wielding cunning and smiles with a knife to the back? Ambassadors have a tough job if they have to handle so many diverse beings like there are on Equis alongside ponies, something that should be admired...unless you’re Blueblood. His diplomacy might work, but it was utterly aggravating and snobbish. Too many ponies I think have taken to peace without consideration to the alternative as well. What will happen if their first response in war isn’t a shield and spear, but a pie or harsh words? When a dragon attacks, burning not only houses and fields, but ponies as well? More ponies need to remember that Equestria was not founded on smiles and friendship like the tales often go. It was through sword and magic and love. Whether that love is for country, family or Celestia it doesn’t matter. They can’t keep looking to her in the hope that she’ll step in and save the day.

A sneeze knocks me for a loop suddenly, blowing several bubbles away in an arc. The water has gotten cold during my inner monologuing, so I drain the tub and get out before I start wrinkling up. It seems I’m fired up about studying after all, if my thoughts are anything to go by. Guess I’ll stay in the room after all and order something to be brought up.

After drying off and finishing my bathroom needs I head back into the main bedroom, ready to start my day. I sit at the desk and pull over the pile of books prepped last night in the ‘To Read’ corner while setting out a few sheets of paper. It’s a respectable stack, albeit thinned out to involve only the past thousand years. Ancient warfare would require another day I feel to study it all. Glancing at the clock, I’m surprised that it’s already past ten, but my stomach rumbles a bit to let me know that I’ve indeed missed breakfast. I guess I’ll just take a break early on for a big lunch. Not like it will ruin my figure or anything if I scarf a big meal, which makes me laugh for a second. I bet a lot of ponies would envy my metabolism if they knew about it.

The first book off the top makes me pause for a second; seems I hadn’t removed all of the older books after all, but for a good reason. The title was ‘The Art of War’ by Master Sun, a heralded General of times past. There have not been many Generals in times past for the Equestrian Army. Typically in times of peace there was simply the two Captains of each guard, although the Lunar Guard was in hiatus for the one-thousand years Luna was gone. Even in states of emergency like with the hunt for the Black Knight it didn’t warrant a General or the formal activation of the army. But in every war there had been an Equestrian Army, and leading them was a General of great renown. Master Sun was noteworthy due to simply being the greatest tactician to ever take the role, and before dying he’d written this book and a few others to pass on his knowledge to generations to come. Going by the quality of the book, this must be a first edition, well kept and preserved by the Royal Archives. That also meant that it was likely written in his original language too, which since he was born originally in ancient Hooaxia, now known as Zhonghooa, it was not a dialect I know very well. Many wouldn’t, which is why packaged with it was a handy translation magnifying glass. I don’t know the exact magic of the spellwork and runes on it, but apparently it would translate a pre-selected language to modern Equish while panning it over any writing. A much safer means of reading the book without marring its historic value by using a translation spell directly on the book and paper.

Passing the time in silence, I enjoy the ticking clock nearby and the gentle rainfall outside my window. Sometimes a rumble of thunder would sound, breaking the monotony, but otherwise I was entranced by the words I read. Master Sun was an excellent teacher as well it seems as I have no problem following the flow of his text, his words painting war almost like an artform that he was a master of. But as time goes on, I find one passage that shakes me up a little. I lower the magnifying glass for a second to take a breath, and outside a flash of lightning lights up the clouds. I watch the clouds, a second one coming seconds later that burns into my vision, then I look back down and re-read the last part.

”All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable. When using our forces, we must appear inactive. When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away. When far away, we must make him believe we are near.”

Images of green fire and large chitinous wings cross my mind. Wicked fangs and echoing laughter come from a single lanky shadows mouth, before another flash of lightning snaps me out of it and thunder rumbles overhead. Closing the book, I lean back in the chair and shake my head to get the last of that awful memory cleared away. A headache begins to form as I rub at the spot. “I wonder...if Master Sun encountered them before he wrote that.” I murmur out loud. “It describes them too perfectly either way.”

I think I should pause here and get that lunch I was planning earlier. Or walk outside; The rain would feel nice right about now against my face. I’ll just slip back in by the kitchen so I can dry off on the stone by one of the fires. No reason to bother with an umbrella I tell myself. Getting out of the chair, I move to the door but before I can turn it the door handle begins to glow and swings open to my surprise. The stallion on the other side, not expecting me there, nickers and hastily bows.

“Oh dear, my apologies Princess Cadance! I wasn’t expecting to see you there.”

Blinking slowly, I recognize him and break out into a wide smile over my muzzle. “That’s alright Pennyworth, I was just about to head out.” I reassure him. “It’s good to see you back in the castle. Did you just arrive today?”

He bows again. “Indeed your majesty. But I’ve dallied enough on my vacation, so I felt going right back to work was in order.” Pennyworth is an older grey stallion, with white all across his formerly black mane and tail. Garbed in his usual butler attire, I’ve known him for about forty years now. Not too long after I first arrived in Canterlot in fact. He was given to me to act as my personal attendant when he was just starting out on the staff and we became quick friends, although unlike Shepard he tries to stay fairly professional in his interactions with me even in private. He has been on paid leave after an unfortunate accident saw his left hind leg in a cast for several months, and after his leg was healed his wife demanded the family take a long overdue vacation. I was glad he’d taken some time off, but was even more-so glad to see him back working. Pennyworth really loves his job, as his tea tray and teapot cutie mark attests to.

“Well I’m glad for that, but is you leg doing well? I bet the rain’s not doing it any favors.” I giggle.

“Haha yes, I’m afraid all this moisture is being a tad bothersome on my old joints. Nothing a spot of tea and warm company can’t fix.” Lighting his horn up, Pennyworth rolls into view a cart he has with him. “Speaking of in fact, I was informed by the maid on duty during breakfast that you were absent downstairs today. I thought I might bring you some brunch and a fresh pot of coffee to help with your studies. Today is a study day, is it not?”

Licking my lips, I lift one of the tray covers off and see that it’s a platter of waffles five high, layered with sugar powder and a nice raspberry sauce with bits of diced fruit. The coffee smells heavenly and I see that he has some vanilla and sugar as well to mix in with it. “Oh Pennyworth, I’ve definitely missed you. Will you join me?”

The old stallion smiles, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling up. “My dear princess, I was hoping you might favor this humble old servant with your company for a time.”

“Oh hush, you’re still young and spry. Now bring that cart in, and tell me how Copper Coil and little Moneysworth are doing…”

My brunch was the best I’ve had in quite some time. With good company and amusing tales to share between us, Pennyworth really brightened up my afternoon before he inevitably left. It’s a shame I couldn’t introduce him to Koromon, but I at least let him know to keep a lookout for the little blob. Penny really seems happy that I have a pet now too, something about keeping my spirits up. I think he worries too much honestly; It’s not like I don’t have glum days but I’m not wallowing in them like that worrywart seems to think! But now with my meal done I find myself antsy to get out and walk some of it off. Studying will have to wait even longer it seems before I finish.

Putting on my regalia, I take a second to look outside at the rain before heading out. The halls are a bit quieter right now thanks to lunch having taken many people out of the halls into quarters and dining rooms. The only ponies really populating it besides me were in fact the tourists, who despite the poor weather had clearly come from too far away to give up the visit. I could hear Fillydelphia accents from several of them as I walk past, with the occasional Manehatten or Vanhoover thrown in among the smaller groups. Stopping at one of the larger crowds, I stand in the back as the castle guide discusses the history of a painting featuring Aunt Celestia. Something drawn apparently by a famous artist from the country of blah blah blah. I’ve heard the history of most of the displays several times now since I first came here. They don’t change the decorations nearly enough I think, and usually only to remove the more damaged and scuffed ones from inconsiderate hooves and sticky foals. Such a shame too really since there are some good ones now lost in storage somewhere.

I’m mostly standing here so I can prank the guide. One thing nopony really knows except me about this picture is...oh wait, here it is.

“As you can see, the painting has sadly been damaged in recent years due to an errant fire that was started in this hall.” The guide says, pointing to the lower left corner where a notable black spot is. “Restoration efforts have tried to recover the object Princess Celestia is looking so fondly upon, but unfortunately all that could be done was preserve the rest of the image. The arsonist in question was alas, never found and prosecuted.”

“Mostly because you can’t really accuse auntie of damaging her own picture.” I giggle, getting a gasp of surprise as ponies finally notice me. The tour guide, seeing me there, begins to sputter and blush. I guess I’ve caught him and his groups before with my pranks. “Then again, who would believe she faked being startled one night by a guard and ‘accidentally’ tossed her candle at the painting? Especially over the spot where you could clearly see her eyeing a wonderful slice of cake?”

“P-Princess Mi Amore! That is hardly appropriate!” The guide sputters.

“Oh relax, she likes the picture except for that. I think it’s because that’s where a lot of the cake rumors about her first came from.” I wink conspiratorially with the tourists. “Although, you didn’t hear that from me.”

As they all gossip and chatter I hold back a smirk. My little story was a lie, although nopony could attest to that besides Princess Celestia, who was pretty keen on sticking to the story. In truth that corner of the picture was actually meant to show her working on several documents as a sign of how she lovingly works toward caring for her little ponies. The artist had even requested he be allowed into her room to paint it as she did actual paperwork, something that was ironic considering the papers in question had been for an art gallery. One that she had been planning to name after said artist. Celestia was the pony who caused it to get burnt however, just not for the reason I stated. Newborn dragons don’t care for classical art, especially not the dusty kind that make you sneeze. The look on Celestia’s face was priceless after she put it out.

As I turn to leave them, I tilt an ear to listen in on their words, hoping to hear some amusing gossip. Unfortunately what I mostly hear isn’t talk about my story so much as about me. Things that send my mood down as I walk away.

“Who was that?”

“Did you see, did you see?! She had wings and a horn!”

“An alicorn? But she’s not Princess Celestia.”

“Of course she did you dummy. Don’t you recognize Princess Cadance?”

“Who?”

“Cadance? What’s she the princess of?”

“I bet they’re fake - probably somepony paid to talk with tourists.”

“I wish we could talk to Princess Celestia…”

“Yeah, not some poser like ‘Princess’ Candy Dance.”

“Was that her name?”

I try not to curse but...fucking seriously?

I sigh as I turn the corner and continue on. While I’ll admit that being around for fifty years is nothing next to a thousand, it still stings to hear ponies talk like that. How hard is it to realize there’s another alicorn out there besides my aunt, especially after half the lifetime of the average pony? There was a big announcement in the papers that year and the title I bear isn’t formal like Prince Blueblood is. Princess Celestia officially adopted me as her niece, giving me the right to sit on the throne, that is alongside her of course. While I will admit I don’t have many duties or make public appearances as the Princess of Love often, I still get around and talk with lots of ponies around Canterlot. But it seems even Princess Luna gets more notice than me, and she was gone for a thousand years! Then again, I’ll also admit she is the lost sister of Celestia so I can’t fault the excitement behind that fact.

Speaking of her; Princess Luna’s public image was by no means doing well even if it was larger than my own. All of her actions since returning have had ponies question whether or not she really was cured of being Nightmare Moon. She speaks down to everypony as ‘peasants’ and ‘servants’, uses the archaic Royal We and Royal Canterlot Voice to talk with most ponies, and has flipped many rules and orders upside-down as she forces her changes and desires onto the Night Guard and the castle as a whole. While not many know of this, I also have heard her act incredibly racist toward many of our allies and friends. Calling Griffons barbarians, Diamond Dogs foalnappers, the Yaks neanderthals, even Earth Ponies ‘mud dwelling serfs’. I know several staff members who have protested or even personally objected to her slurs and demeanor, only to find out that she isn’t all bark but equally bite. Her anger issues are legendary alongside her vengeful streak, as whenever somepony tries to correct her they often find their jobs suddenly very shaky. Her demeanor is completely despicable, but not even Shining Armor and myself can convince Celestia to do much about Luna. She always says that Luna is simply having a hard time adjusting to the new millennia and that she just needs ‘space and time’ to take it all in. I think she needs a psychiatrist to talk to about her possession and time locked away on the moon. There’s being aggressive to change, and then there’s being a raging bitch who will likely ruin Equestria’s image the second her actions begin to impact international relations.

Ah, but you can’t just go and do something like that, can you? That would paint a horrible image about the royalty, and the nobles would gossip and chomp at the bits. The public would run rampant with rumors and possibly doubt the government. Luna could very well become feared again, not as a monster but as a tyrant. Celestia could end up being forced to either dethrone her sister or perhaps even banish her just to save face. Bah; I know I’m just ranting in my head like this, but it still has some truth to it all. Aunt Celestia needs to stop coddling her sister, or else nothing will change.

From a side hallway a maid comes running out with a load of towels, nearly bowling me over as I wasn’t looking. As she apologizes in a rush and moves on, I stop walking and paw the ground with a snort. I really got riled up there for a moment huh? Damn...I’ve been stressed lately, more so than I thought. It’s just so hard to put into words; little things at random these days seem to start bugging me. I’ve always had a bit of a temper I’m not afraid to admit it, but usually I’m a lot calmer when letting it out. Like when I bombed Upper Crust and Jet Set’s future chances at being pals with the nobles and elites. But ever since...yes, ever since around the time I saw that creature back at the barracks, I’ve been slowly losing my temper more. I’m glad it’s been mostly in my head, but the fact I can’t seem to calm down like I used to is bothering me. Perhaps the real issue is the wedding coming up. As much I like to think everything is going well, I can’t deny there’s a small bit of worry deep inside of me. Twilight can have panic attacks and overachieve when she has a project. Plus, it’s getting to be much bigger than what I anticipated. My own words about my title and role earlier seem to be flying back into my face with how many dignitaries are trying to reserve a spot at the ceremony. All I want is to marry the stallion of my dreams. Does it really have to be so complicated and political? That day is meant to be perfect, the day I dreamed of since I was small. But instead of having cake with all my friends to celebrate, now I fear I’ll be a figurehead in it all.

...Okay, definitely getting stressed out. I think some tea from the kitchen is a good idea right about now. I check where I am in the castle, and after a quick course correction I hurry to the lower levels for a pot.

“Here you are princess.” Porcelain Kettle says a few minutes later. He’s one of the kitchen staff and was kind enough to brew a pot for me after I walked in. “Some linden tea, as you requested. Shall you need anything else?”

“No thanks, this is plenty.” I lift the cup and blow on it some. “Thank you Porcelain, you can get back to work.” As he bows and leaves I take a whiff of the lovely sweet floral scent and sip. I was sitting at a small table out of the way of the main doors and walkway the staff used to get around. They always keep this here for any off-hour snacking that me, Celestia or any of the in-the-know ponies in residence desire. They were never so busy as to not have a moment, at least when there wasn’t a major event like the Gala or other filling the ballrooms and dining halls. Today especially, since although everypony was inside they were far more focused on staving boredom off than filling their bellies. I could even see a few of the chefs dealing cards across one of the prep counters.

The sight and sounds help with the tea to soothe my mind, and time passes by swiftly. Before I know it I hear a very loud, firm cough from behind my shoulder and I turn to see who it was. A young mare roughly Twilight’s age was standing there with her striking blue eyes boring into me. With her peach fur and blonde mane she was actually quite beautiful, but I know that she’s a serious hardass and tough professional when it comes to her trade. She has to be, in order to keep ahold of the position as the Royal Baker. There were countless ponies after all with cooking and baking talents that try to join the Canterlot Castle kitchen staff every year.

“Angel Cake.” I greet her politely.

“Princess.” She says, voice almost alluring if not for a bit of rasp at the end. Some say she got it from yelling so much at ponies goofing off during their shifts. “I’d appreciate it if you would keep your pet from bringing rain water into my kitchen day in and day out anymore. I’m getting pretty...annoyed, at having to get someone to mop up after it.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Your blob - Koromon? He’s been coming in ever since the storms began to dry off by one of the fires. I’ve allowed it due to him keeping quiet and out of the way, but he also has been leaving water everywhere he...bounces.” Angel’s face sours even more at some thought. “I’m almost certain he’s stealing some of my pastries, but I haven’t caught him in the act.”

Ignoring that last part, I levitate my empty pot and cup over to one of the dishwashers to clean up and stand. “This is the first I’ve heard of this actually. So he’s been wandering around outside…?” I rub my chin as I trail off in thought. What was he doing out there?

“I don’t care about the details, just tell it to stop.” Angel snaps before leaving. Well, she’s never been the most polite pony when on the job, so her attitude I brush aside. I move further into the kitchen, sidestepping several of the staff as they move through, making my way toward the fires. Lined up in a row along one wall, there were five very large fireplaces that were used by most of the bakers and soup makers to make more traditional and wood-fired meals. They were from some of the earlier years of the castle’s lifespan and showed in how the floor dipped down a step to make up a more brick-laid pit around them. Looking over them all, I spy Koromon quickly and take his appearance in as I approach. He was wet and snuggled into a towel a few feet from a fire, staring into the flames with a lost look on his face. Or maybe he was just thinking about something intently? I’ll admit his blob face is sometimes hard to read without a bit of help.

Stretching out my senses, I read over his emotions and get a strong sense of Worry. Something was bothering him and probably the cause of him going outside in the rain. Maybe he went on a walk to let it wash his mind clear of clutter? Or was he going to look at something that was related to it? I can’t imagine what might be out there that’s bothering him however. Not seeing anything else I could do just standing here, I walk over and place a hoof on the crown of his head. He twitches slightly under my hoof, but otherwise doesn’t react to my touch or sudden presence.

“Kor.” He says.

“Hey Koromon, is everything alright?” I ask, settling down beside him. The warm bricks are comfortable despite being so hard.

“Ko’r morokor.”

“Mmm.” I give him a few pets to pass the moment in silence.

“Moroom, ko’r morokor.”

“Mmm.”

“...”

Finally Koromon sighs and slumps slightly against my leg and his towel. “Romo korom.”

“Well yes, especially if stuck inside. But you’re not exactly staying indoors, and it’s starting to upset Angel Cake. Mind telling me what’s got you so worried? I know it’s not the rain.”

Koromon is silent for so long that I start to think he won’t answer me. But before I can speak up again, he replies. “O komo mo okrom.”

My hoof stops petting. “You...want to leave?” I repeat what I’d interpreted. “B-But why?”

He looks back up at me. “Nor kon, Koromonor. O komo mo okrom Koromonor.”

It takes me a few seconds to figure out he was using a capital letter for his last word, which then pieces his sentence together better. “Canterlot, you want to leave Canterlot. Why?”

He takes another moment to answer, tentacles wiggling erratically as he tries to speak his thoughts. “O moro koon ko mor roro. K’or moor koro moo nork, or moork koro.”

I begin petting him again, not sure there was anything else I could do or say. For the second time in a short while I find myself reconsidering how I look at Koromon. When we first met, he was just this little pink blob thing. As weird as I found him, he was also pretty cute, and looked so lost and surprised to be bumping into me. With how Discord was tossing around chaos magic and changing the very laws of the world to his whim I knew that he must have been a victim of the circumstances. So instead of leaving him on his own, I took him inside with me, and together we played games and passed the time. When Discord was locked back up I was surprised that he didn’t change back, but then figured that he must be a misplaced creature of some kind. That he was happy to stay with me was a nice end to that day, and from that point I considered him my new pet.

But was he really a pet? I didn’t just confuse his gender; Koromon from the beginning has always been so articulate and intelligent despite his words being gibberish to my ears. Whenever we talk it’s like I’m talking to a pony, one who simply knows a different language. I’ve never felt completely assured in my actions while treating him like a pet because of it. Even Shining Armor has told me he doesn’t think Koromon is something you could call a pet. Others on the staff treat him more like one, but they’re always praising how smart he is, how well he does what they ask. Some even talk to him like I do, albeit more to vent or speak out loud about their troubles to someone. What if, all along, he was never a pet, but a sentient species?

Oh horsefeathers, I’ve been sleeping with him in the same bed.

Coughing as that thought passes through my head, I ignore how Koromon turns to look at me and try to get my breathing back under control. I should probably never bring this matter up out loud. Shining would be...I’m not even sure what, but unhappy is a good starting point. The rumors would spread like wildfire too, oh Celestia this is really not what I needed right now. What mattered was finding a way to make Koromon happy, and it seems it all stems from his cabin fever. More aptly called city fever, in this case. Perhaps he does have family somewhere and is missing them? No, he told me once he’s alone. Then we need to get some space from Canterlot and the castle. But what could we do? Well, a vacation was obvious, but where?

Unless...there was that idea my friend had...oh boy. If I go through with it, I’ll never hear the end of this.

“Hey, Koromon.” I say slowly, still weighing my options and resigning myself to hours of stress. “How would you like to go on vacation for a few days?”

“So do you remember that thing you were talking about? You know, that trip?” I say the very next day. As it was my day off I was out of the castle even as the rain was still coming down. Luckily the forecast was scheduled to end these rains by tomorrow night, and already the clouds were starting to slacken in downpour, allowing for a lighter shade of grey to fill the sky and ponies to begin moving about. After sending a letter off in the morning, I had made my way to a small cafe that my friends and I frequent when spending time together to meet up with one of them: Lemony Gems. She and Diamond Rose have been my friends since high school, when I went to immerse myself with some of my ‘peers’ after so much time alone in the castle. Technically I was their senior by like, two generations due to being an alicorn, but my body was slow to change and that was why Celestia had suggested I try high school at all. Plus, because of that I got to meet Shining Armor and fall in love with him. Those were arguably the best years of my life.

Lemony likewise thought that, which was why even after growing older she was still very much the partygirl filly I recall from those days wandering the halls of Canterlot High. She has always been a live now, think later kind of pony. Always a smile on her face, mischief in her heart and not enough money in her wallet to pay for it all. Thankfully after having a change of heart and mind her husband Buck Withers turned out to have a pretty sensible head on his shoulders for money management. He also, despite being well played by Lemony after his battle with Shining for my heart, had gained a strong backbone on letting her get away with whatever she wanted. The two made for a good couple, although considering the conversation I was about to have, there were still some things I don’t think Buck would ever get her to calm down over.

Tapping her chin, Lemony thought back and gave me a little happy gasp as she found what she was looking for. “Oh my Celestia, do you mean…?!” She asks. “But I thought you were all for being dull and boring about your wedding?”

I roll my eyes. “Gee, so nice of you to say that Lemony. Yes - I wanted to just enjoy a nice, calm evening with my friends for the bachelorette party. There was no reason to go all crazy and wild like you had in mind.”

“But that’s so boooring.” She whines, leaning over and shifting tones as she grabs my hoof. “So, what’s changed? It definitely wasn’t my arguments for it, and I know Diamond has been too busy to talk with you much. Not to mention she’s just as big a party pooper as you are.”

Instead of rolling my eyes this time I boop her muzzle with my free hoof. She pulls back and scrunches up her muzzle, giving me time to gather my thoughts. “What changed is my need for change.” I explain. “Do you know when it was last that I ever left Canterlot? Probably since shortly after I first arrived, when I was still...still recovering, you know?” She nods, and I accept the sympathetic look. “Things have been fine for me, day in and day out, but now with Koromon I’m starting to feel, I don’t know. Suddenly I can’t help but feel like the castle walls are closing in on me. He’s starting to feel it too - that’s why I’m even thinking about this because he wants to leave Canterlot.”

“And so, because of your pet, you’re willing to go to Los Pegasus with me and Diamond Rose?” She arched an eyebrow, and I sigh. When put like that, it was a little strange I’ll admit. But I still nod. “Well shoot, whatever makes you loosen up Cady!”

“Sure, although let’s make something clear Lemony. I’m not going there to get drunk, or gamble, or spend tons of bits with wild abandon like you were gushing about.”

“Well then what’s the point of going?” She huffs dramatically, crossing her forelegs and pouting. “How can you go the party and gambling capital of Equestria and not party and gamble?!”

“By seeing the sights, catching one of the countless performances, enjoying some nice poolside fun, enjoying the exotic cuisine the city has to offer…”

A scoff. “You can do that all here silly.”

“The point is to go somewhere not Canterlot, not what I do there. I’ve been a Princess for how many years, Lemony? And in all that time, about the biggest thing I’ve done as one to connect and get to know everypony is offer my services for Hearts and Hooves day. That and try to read up and discuss new politics with my Aunt, but I’m never involved with the actual process. I’m not even sure how often she listens to any of it.”

Lemony frowns, her face shifting into one of disapproval. It fades after a few seconds but she still has a frowny face. Sighing, I shake my head and stand up to leave. “Nevermind, it was just the first idea. I’ll still invite you two along, but maybe I’ll pick somewhere else to-”

“No!” Lemony shouts, startling me and a few patrons around us. Laughing nervously, she waves off everypony staring and then stands to push me back down into my seat. “N-No, no Cadance I understand. Sorry I’m just...I mean I just want to let loose, have a wild time like during my own bachelorette party. You’re my friend, and I just want to spoil you before everything goes down.”

I smile. “Thanks Lemony, but I don’t need to be spoiled. I just want to have a good time with a few friends, whether in Los Pegasus or not.”

“Well…” Putting on an air of exasperation, Lemony says, “I guess we’ll just have to settle on the more boooring stuff, you party pooper. I still say Los Pegasus is the best spot, so let’s just go and see what we find! How does that sound?”

“I say that sounds good.” I let out a chuckle, reaching out and patting her hoof. “Thanks for being so understanding Lemony. Now all we have to do is make sure Diamond Rose is all for this too, and we’re set!”

“Oh don’t worry about that, she’s totally for it!”

“Really? I would have thought she was as much against this as me. I mean, she hates to leave her flower shop for more than a few hours it feels like. Much less go to Los Pegasus.”

“Eheh...don’t worry about it Cady. As far as she’s concerned, giving you the best bachelorette party is her job this weekend. I’m sure she’ll help you figure out the best way to go through the town and ‘see the sights’. Preferably with some poolside bars too.” Lemony winks, and I just give her a look back.

“Only if Diamond approves, but okay. We’ll do a little bar hopping or something like that.”

“Yes! Oh don’t you worry Cadance, this will be the Best. Weekend. Ever!”

Somehow hearing you so excited makes me disagree, but I’m willing to give it all a chance I suppose. With a hug and after paying the bill I leave her behind and head over to Diamond’s flower shop next. This visit wasn’t planned, but with Lemony already scheming things I figure it’s best to nip this problem in the rose bud. Unlike Lemony, Diamond Rose began her life after high school by purchasing a foreclosed shop off the beaten path by our school. It used to be run by an elderly mare who Diamond always loved to chat with on the way back and forth from school. When she passed, the shop itself closed and was nearly torn down, but Diamond swooped in once she graduated and reopened it with her as the boss. She’s made a good successful business out of it and treats it like her baby, which made hanging out with her a bit hard since staying out too long often made her unhappy. Sure, there were employees to handle the shop and till, but Diamond wanted to always be the one to tend to the flowers growing in the back herself. She says it fills her with love to see the flowers bloom and grow well from her care.

I walk in and see a young mare, probably still in school even, manning the front desk. She was reading a magazine set on top of the order manuscript with a slightly dull look on her face. My guess is she was working to get some spare bits. “Welcome to the Rosy Dew flower shop, how may I - eep.” She began, but when she looks up and sees me she actually flinches! “A-A-A Princess? Here?!”

“Hello, just stopping by to see an old friend.” I try to reassure her. “Is Diamond in the back?”

The girl just stares at me wide-eyed, before pointing behind herself at the doorway leading to the back. Nodding, I try not to startle her further as I move along, and after stepping through a small cloth curtain I smell a lovely array of flowers and soil hit my nose. My mother used to smell like this, back when she tended to the garden patch she had outside our house. I miss her hugs, and her potato soup. The memory passes by quickly and I move around a prep table for some bouquets to find Diamond in the small greenhouse she runs in the back. Natural light filters down through several sunroofs and a sprinkler system gently sprays the flowers down just as I step onto the small cobblestone flooring she’d installed to help with the draining. Diamond has her back to me as she gently prunes a few stems, not even humming as she was so focused on not harming the flower. I stand there and wait patiently for her to finish.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.” She says half a minute later. Her voice sounds a bit tense, but there’s no hostility or rudeness. Diamond was just so serious these days it was hard to tell.

“I was out having lunch with Lemony. I figured I could drop in and say hello.” I say with a smile.

“Hm. What’s that mare up to this time?”

“Oh the usual, and I’m afraid I might have agreed to at least one thing.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” She lifts a pair of little scissors up to work on her next target.

“Well...I may have...agreed to that whole Los Pegasus Bachelorette Party of hers.”

Diamond snips way too much, beheading the poor rose as her body stiffens to my reply. I look at the rosebud on the floor, a bit of guilt at having caused that, and then gently lift it up in my magic to set on the table. I know she will find a good use for it. It takes a second longer for Diamond to loosen up, and once she sets her scissors down she turns and glowers at me.

“You did what?” She demands. “Do you know hard it was to move-” She stops, closing her eyes as she mulls over things. I’m willing to bet she and I had both been hoping to throw the party here in town, maybe at Diamond or Lemony’s house. Probably the former, given the mention of moving things. Diamond’s house was much more modest than Lemony’s and a lot more cozy. You couldn’t go wild there, unlike our bubbly friend who had a pool and sizeable collection of liquors to party with. “I see. So we’re going with that plan then. Fine - Cadance, I’ll see you at the train station this weekend. Lemony and I will have a few talks about what to do while there, but you can be assured that I’ll keep the rowdy mare in line.” She gives me a soft smile, and I smile back while walking over to hug her.

“Thanks Diamond, I know this was probably sudden for you. You don’t mind if I bring Koromon with us, right?” I ask to be sure.

“Your pet?” She pauses. “No...no that shouldn’t be an issue at all. I know the...a few resorts and hotels allow for pets, and the one I have in mind should have that policy. We should be okay.”

“Great! Love you Diamond, see you later!”

“Bye Cadance.” Waving, I head back up, nodding to the still surprised looking girl at the desk. As I leave, I see Diamond Rose through the glass front march up and begin talking to the mare in a rapid chatter. That’s my friend for you; the minute something needs to be done, she gets it settled quickly and without pause. The shop will be in good hooves while we’re away. With both of my trips done, I head over to the market to browse the stalls for a time, and then head back up to the castle. I need to start packing and figuring out what I’ll bring. Oh, and tell Shining I’ll be gone for the weekend, Celestia too. This will be a great time!

Before I knew it the weekend arrived, and with it I was now sitting on a bench at the train station, two guards flanking me on either side. As excited as I was for doing this trip now, I can’t help but feel a bit miffed too over a few things, like the guards. Telling my aunt had not been a problem, her reply being to have fun and wishing me a good trip. But Shining Armor had gotten a bug up his butt, suddenly concerned about my safety and the protection I might require. In fact, he had almost ordered me not to go, before I snapped him out of the strange funk he’d gotten into. I’d never seen him react like that before, but then again, if that didn’t say something about how little I traveled, what could? The compromise was that these two would safely see me off at the station here in Canterlot, but I had put my hoof down on letting them follow me around Los Pegasus. I was just as well trained and prepared as they were, thank you very much. Well at least I was close; my time spent training with Shepard and the other guards have given me a fair advantage over the average pony in self-defence. I also know several defensive techniques thanks to Shining Armor, so if I had to fight I could also run.

Sitting on the one bag I was bringing along, Koromon was looking around with curiosity at the crowd and station. Despite getting ready to leave Canterlot like he wished he doesn’t look happier much to my regret. Oh he gives me a smile and thanks me sincerely for the chance to see Los Pegasus, but I can tell he’s still looking for something more. My hope is that seeing the sights of the city and some of the amazing performances will snap him out of this funk. Maybe, if things work well enough, I’ll take more vacations like this the next time either of us are feeling cooped up.

Finally as the clock strikes eight in the morning I see Lemony Gems and Diamond Rose enter. Waving them over, I’m happy to see that they’ve both packed light, although for Lemony that means two full saddlebags and a modest sized trunk being rolled behind her. That could be for clothes she already has, or for the clothes she will have first chance she gets to shop. I hope Buck gave her a decent allowance for the weekend, or else she might start trying to bum bits from us when she inevitably runs out. Getting up, I hug them both and then we move onto the train set to leave in ten minutes time. The two guards try to join me, no doubt a ploy by Shining, but I block them with a stern look and they stare me down until the whistle blows and we leave. I can see them slump a little as the train pulls out of the station, and giggling I give them a wave goodbye before moving toward our compartment.

Lemony is petting Koromon when I walk in, with Diamond across from her reading a book. “So why aren’t we in first class?” Lemony asks. “I mean, you’re a Princess right? Why not just book a whole car?”

“Because that’s pretty silly for a princess trying to keep a low profile and not raise a fuss. I’m on vacation Lemony, not going for a royal visit.”

“I still think it would have been more enjoyable.” Diamond chipped in as she lowered her book. “We booked the express but it will still be a twelve hour ride. I think we will all be wishing for more space and stretching room by the fifth hour.”

“I thought the railway only went toward Los Pegasus on this branch.” Lemony tilts her head. “How is it the express?”

“The rail splits halfway to Los Pegasus for a south and north line actually, and the express means we get there within twelve hours instead of eighteen.”

“How does that work?”

“Horsepower.”

Koromon begins to cough and covers his mouth with both tentacles. As Lemony pats him on the back to try and help, I sit down beside Diamond and look over her shoulder at the book. She helpfully moves it so we can both browse it. “What’s that?” I ask.

“A history book on Los Pegasus. I thought it would be educational to see how such a diverse city was formed.” She replies. “Plus, I knew you would like to read it as well.” Having said that she offers it to me, and I graciously take it with my magic to flip through.

Los Pegasus was definitely a fascinating place, lush with culture and seedier ventures like gambling, as well as the most bustling shipping port on the west coast of Equestria. Like Manehatten, it was a modern symbol of development and expansion from more traditional locations like Canterlot, but unlike its east coast sister this hadn’t been the plan at first. In fact it had three plans; on the same day, three separate ponies approached my Auntie about purchasing the land. Each of them had a vision about what to build the city for, and each of them had won over Celestia to gain the rights to land north of the San Palomino Desert. This wasn’t discovered however until all three of them had arrived and begun construction, only to encounter each other and begin arguing over who had earned it first. Celestia, not having a personal assistant at the time, had not timed or clocked in when each grant had been given until much later the same day, and had marked each with the same time and date. Meaning that all of them were equally valid, and outside of her choosing one, which would have had some major backlash potentially, there wasn’t an easy solution. She got an assistant after that needless to say.

HJ Whinny, a talented unicorn illusionist who later went on to create Applewood after marrying his wife and her fortune, wanted the land for the diverse scenery its location provided for his new cinema business. He was all set to make it a large retreat built around the arts with his, at the time, new form of moving picture media being the headliner. A number of rumors and eyewitnesses also record him as having been the first to step forth, so it could be argued that he had the strongest claim to it all.

Unfortunately for him, it was Heavy Gas who had the bigger claim due to wanting to build a city in the area. At the time Equestria had been lacking in solid centers of industry on the west coast, with most ports unable to handle the larger ships and offloads that were becoming more frequent as the Zebra and Minotaurs bolstered their ocean presence. His plan was to turn the area into Equestria's largest industrial city thanks to the abundant natural resources that could be found there. With wind farms to the south, Boulder Dam to the east, a solar farm in the north, and the Great Bay to the west it’s been a gold mine for trade and industry just like he'd hoped for. To this day it's still the one of largest and most productive cities in all of Equestria.

Yet this dream wouldn't have been realized without the third stallion throwing down his hat in the debate. A stallion, who had played all sides, even while further entangling the matter with his own petition. Bugeye "See-All" Seagull was the most infamous con artist in history thanks to his amassed fortune. Even before settling for legitimate business it had been quite substantial and only grew once he started his plan for Los Pegasus. Rumors say he overheard HJ and Heavy talking and decided to pull a royal con, thus leading him to being the third owner of the land. After winning Celestia over he traveled to the desert and met his two future business partners already arguing hotly over their rights to the land. With a silver tongue he calmed both of them and ironed out an agreement that left all parties satisfied. Not too surprisingly he still managed to come out on top even from a 'fair' deal, but a lot of historians and even myself can’t argue against him earning it both then and later in his career.

HJ settled to the east along the mountains where he would build Applewood. Heavy took to the west, granting him access to the Great Bay and its shipping routes. Meeting in the middle would be the sprawling metropolis itself, which Seagull took as an opportunity to try something unique. The first ever earth-to-sky cityscape, with its foundations in earth pony engineering and topped with pegasus sculpting. Naturally he became the first Mayor, but he took his job seriously and set out to make sure numerous features were mandatory. It was Los Pegasus that’s accredited for first marketing the Hover Boots; enchanted shoes that ponies could wear to traverse the cloudscape that made up the upper tier beyond the skyscrapers. It was also the first city to have skyscrapers of any scale, and the first to ensure their construction could handle natural disasters that not even pegasi could stop.

From their efforts the city flourished. A cultural mixing pot of industry, the arts and entertainment for all ages. Bugeye rode his way through office and retirement atop the largest legal fortune ever made by a ‘former’ criminal. Heavy Gas would spread his work to other cities as well, creating numerous landmarks that remain iconic in Los Pegasus and other coastal cities. HJ Whinny's success needs no real help explaining, as everpony who watches or listens to anything can all accredit the ability to his work and dreams. All the while, the nightlife draws ponies by the hundreds to gamble and live life to the fullest. Parties are held twenty-four seven, the likes of which are a thing of legend and could even tire out the most energetic of ponies. And many have the idea to hold Bachelor and Bachelorette parties here, even their wedding. Nothing quite says 'magical' as much as being married off by an Elvis Prancely impersonator.

No thank you, thank you very much.

An errant bump along the tracks break me out of the haze of reading I’d been in and I look up. The sun has shifted a fair bit, maybe four of five hours since the train set off. Looking back down at the book I could see that I was pretty much done with it, and closing it I set it aside and look at my two friends. Lemony Gems is laying on her back munching on what looks like a piece of candy, Koromon reading his own book on her belly. Diamond Rose is dozing against the window, or maybe she’s just resting her eyes. After looking at her for a few seconds she cracks one eye open enough to stare at me, and then closes it again to enjoy her rest. The energy in the compartment was definitely lethargic now, with little room to move or entertainment to keep us active. Maybe I should have rented a car after all, then I could have brought a few games or at least we could stretch out more. But seeing my friends here, thinking about our trip, I feel a wave of gratitude strike me for the situation.

“You know…” I say, drawing out the ‘o’ to stall for time. “I really want to thank you girls for sticking with me. Over the years, I mean.”

“Hm?” Both of my friends look at me in curiosity.

“You know - princess of Equestria, niece of Celestia, technically your senior?” I point out and see Koromon lower his book to look at me. “It’s just...I don’t always think about it but, I don’t think I’ve made any friends outside of the castle except you two. It’s the whole reason I went to Canterlot Highschool, but like, outside of Shiny you’re the only two ponies that really stuck around. You’re really my best friends.”

“Oh.” Lemony Gems looks for a second like she wants to say something else. But she doesn’t, instead giggling and rolling her eyes. Diamond Rose answers for both of them with, “Of course we did Cadance. You’ve been a great friend to us too you know.”

“Well thanks, but still this isn’t how - sorry.” I apologize quickly, knowing that my words might sound wrong in a moment. That feeling was starting to get a lot more melancholy. “It’s just...I expected more essentially with my life by now. Sure I’m getting married, I have good - great - friends, and I couldn’t be happier with how my studies into being an effective leader of Equestria are going. It’s just that for every time I told Twilight to make more friends, or as much as I try to talk with Princess Celestia about current matters, I’m still falling behind it feels like with both of those.”

“You have plenty of friends, just in the castle like you said.” Diamond argues for me.

“Yeah! And like, ruling an entire country is super hard. Celestia just has a super huge advantage in being super old.” Lemony giggles, which get a snort from Koromon in amused agreement. I smile at them both.

“You’re probably thinking about it too much like a normal pony. You’re special Cadance - the Princess of Love, an alicorn, marrying the Captain of the Day Guard - so your life just doesn’t shape itself like you’d expect a regular ponies life might.” Diamond continues. “And in the end, if you’re happy and love what you have, why worry about what you might not?”

Her words really get to me, washing away the doubt and concern I had a moment ago. “That’s true...thank you girls.” We all smile, which eventually evolves into a giggle fit as Koromon leaps over and knocks me back in a hug. Snuggling him between my forelegs, I look at Lemony Gems and Diamond Rose and indeed feel very content with my life. This is the kind of thing I want after all, even if there’s still a nagging feeling in the back of my head. But that’s what friends are for; they help you through these kind of downer moments. With that little matter settled we relax and chat for the next several hours. The train slowly lumbering on down the tracks as we move closer toward Los Pegasus.

As evening arrives and the sun began to reach the horizon, our destination was at last in sight. With the tracks bending south slightly to follow the rivers’ flow we were able to take in the whole sheer majesty of Los Pegasus. Or as some called it, the City of Golden Skies. The girls and I all clutter around the window to take it in with Koromon atop my head.

Los Pegasus is a tiered city of wonders, ranging from lower buildings all across the river and bay, to the higher peaks in the cloud district. Interconnecting these two segments are the middle tier of skyscrapers, all of them bedazzled with various forms of decoration and glamour to draw the eye and play off of the numerous neon lights that illuminate the city day and night. Even in the waning sunlight the city positively sparkles, with the warm tones making the city appear as if it was an ancient and mysterious forest the way the spaced out skyscrapers appeared. When you focused more on the details, you began to see the generations of artists and engineers shine through. Elaborate motifs and jeweled window frames, glowing neons signs and outrageous geography. Each building beneath the cloudscape either was promoting a casino and resort above, or was an extension of the establishment including entire shopping centers and various restaurants that also shared the limelight and fame. If not looking to explore the entertainment districts, then you could move closer to the waterways and enjoy more calm and exotic goods, since various merchants and companies have taken the locations to sell foreign wares. You could find just about anything here they say, and that included some illegal items that sadly continued to slip in thanks to the cities openness regarding morals. A legacy of Bugeye that rumors say he helped start up.

A few minutes later we arrive, pulling up to the station and heading out onto the main road of the lower city. As I check over our luggage to ensure it was all accounted for, Koromon twists and turns on my back to take in the sights. I could faintly hear him muttering something, but the crowd noise was so loud even with so close it was hard to hear. Diamond pulls us aside because of this, finding a slightly less crowded spot of the large station to talk plans.

“Okay, so I booked us at The Aria.” She said, pointing to one of the skyscrapers with an obelisk shape to it on the map. “Great resort, enormous casino, some of the best all-you-can-eat buffets. The staff cater their guests very well and more importantly, their prices are fair. I even managed to book one of the suites for us on the upper level, above the clouds, even with our budget.”

“Wow Diamond, that’s incredible.” I compliment her, looking over toward some of the windows to see if I could find it. “It’s not far from here though is it?”

“Who cares? We’ve been cooped up in that cabin for hours.” Lemony yawns. “I wanna take a walk, maybe find a cool place to eat.”

“We should head to The Aria immediately and report in.” Diamond countered. “Not to mention we have all of our luggage.”

“Yeah but if, like, I see a bed? I’m claiming it.”

“We probably should eat something…” I say, right before all of our stomachs grumble. Looking down, we all take a moment to laugh and then head off to the front doors. “Alright - definitely some food then, and then we grab our suite.”

“Works for me.”

“Sure!”

As luck would have it, there was a wonderful restaurant not far from the station that serves good Brayxican cuisine. We all got tacos and nachos, talking for over an hour while enjoying an enforced light round of drinks. Lemony tried to get shots for us, but I cut her off and use that as an excuse to get us moving to the hotel again, Diamond backing me as she notes the time. Upon seeing The Aria for the first time I feel...oddly nervous. It’s a dark building surrounded by more colorful and illuminated ones, almost looking closed at first glance. The walkway to the front door has very subdued blue and green lights to illuminate the path with and leads to an overhanging archway that felt very gothic until I noticed some of the tiered spires, something I’ve seen more from Neighpon and Zhonghooa architecture. The rest of the building was more plain; a tall stained-glass skyscraper with more of the blue and green lights along the edges and corners of the buildings. The rest of it was cut off by the clouds above, but I could see some odd protrusions further out from the sides coming back down. Maybe some kind of platform? A large veranda or performance space for booked shows?

Walking inside the colors shift to warm red carpeting and golden light from above, giving the lobby a royal demeanor that calms my nerves at such a familiar setting. A few ponies are sitting in little sections talking, staff moving around in black and green suits, and over the PA was some form of muzak that was at least not smooth jazz like it tended to be. Something with flutes and strings, again reminding me of the oriental lands.

“Welcome to The Aria.” The mare at the desk greets me. “Your suite should be ready in a few moments Princess Cadance. Will you and your guests like to ride up, or shall I call a bellhop to deliver your suitcases? We have several locations in the building that you can relax at before retiring for the evening.”

I open my mouth to reply, but Diamond Rose cuts me off. “Take us up straight away please. I think Lemony Gems needs a bed.”

Nodding, the mare floats over three keys in her magic and points down the hall to the elevators. I’m impressed by the machine as it doesn’t seem to use a manual gate but some kind of magical system. Doors that swing shut by themselves, a faint hum coming from the floor below, and several buttons to select floors with. I spend the minute climbing to try and figure it out, and then step out onto our floor with no success. Another shift in the decor leads to wide corridors with small pillars carved into the walls between every two doors. Each of them are double-doors too with little nameplate slots under them, some filled with names and others empty. Diamond leads us along until coming to Room 2551, and with the key unlocks it.

“Alright girls, this is it.” She says, and swings the door open.

“Whoa.” Walking past her, I turn my head slowly and take it in. The first thing I see are the large wall-filling windows that overlook the Upper Strip and clouds. A small balcony is outside of it, empty, but just inside around the windows are a few tables we could probably pull out there. In the center of the room is a large inset lounge area with a crescent couch facing a large fireplace. Behind the couch is a bar area, the shelves lined with various liquors from across Equestria and imported from various countries. A big kitchen area was also in the main room, all of the appliances looking new and spotless, with a platter of fruits set out on the small breakfast nook that Lemony rushes over to and snags a mango from. Diamond moves around and opens a door, revealing a big bathroom with a tub about the size and shape of a jacuzzi, and when she steps inside she calls out that it was indeed a combination bathtub. “Geeze Diamond, how did you manage to get this?” I ask in awe.

“I might have known some...pony.” She says vaguely. “They cut back on the price for me, but even then I splurged a bit.”

“You really didn’t have to do this. I mean, I almost want to just hang out here all weekend.” I chuckle. Even for a princess this was luxurious!

“Oooh~” Lemony walks back over, chewing the mango. “Thash a gewd idea! Diamund-”

“Chew and swallow please, and No. We’re not spending the weekend cooped up inside of our suite.”

“Awww.”

“Hey I only said almost, I’m not going to just sit here. There’s shows to see, shopping to do, dancing to enjoy!” I laugh and set off for the final door. Opening it reveals the bedroom, which has a set of queen-sized beds for us to share. Another smaller fireplace is in here as well, along with a few side tables covered with pamphlets and tour guides about Los Pegasus. I take the bed closest to the window and set my bags down. Koromon hops off my back to test out the springs in the bed. Surprisingly he doesn’t bounce much at all, until I move some of the covers to see it was a cloud-top mattress. I let out a small whistle. “But wow, they sure make you want to stay inside.”

“Bed~” Lemony sing-songs tiredly. Trotting in, she tosses her bags to the side and then flops down onto her side of the other bed. “Mmm frrrr hrrrffyy. Mmmm…”

“And she’s down for the count.” Diamond sighs, moving her own luggage around and pulling open a few drawers. “Cadance, why don’t you take the shower first? I want to check with the front desk again about any events happening nearby. Plus, I think we need to get casinos passes from there.”

“There’s a casino here?”

“This is Los Pegasus.”

“...Okay fair enough, but, I don’t really need one myself.”

Diamond Rose is silent for a moment, and then she turns to look at me. “You might as well - Lemony Gems is just going to keep insisting we try out everything here. I might not want you to let loose like she would-”

“Mmrrhrrmmm!” Lemony makes a few noises into her pillow.

“...but I know you, and you’ve already put a few bits to the side in your funds for splurge spending, right? Why not gamble and see about increasing them? You’re in Los Pegasus, Cadance. Even I’m going to be enjoying myself - you don’t get to visit a town like this often, much less for your bachelorette party.”

“I’m pretty sure just about everypony comes here for their bachelor and bachelorette parties.” Still, I get what she’s saying, and I did put bits aside for anything more...chancey. The last night I had been contemplating a run at the casino too, since even if I went broke on bits it’s not like it would matter. “Fine, but let’s save it for the final day here. That way if we lose, we don’t have to worry about staying here for another day without money.”

“Works for me.” Shrugging, Diamond walks out of the bedroom and a moment later I hear the door open and close to the suite. Lemony has already started to mumble sleepily and curl up on her bed, so grabbing my toiletries I head to the bathroom and enjoy myself. As I relax on the bathtub bench and enjoy the massage feature that was built into it, I idly note to tip well the staff here for all of these amazing luxuries. They had even known all of our names without checking in first; maybe when I return to Canterlot I’ll recommend Celestia and Luna visit here sometime.

The plan was for us to arrive Friday night, enjoy Saturday and Sunday, before finally heading home early Monday. I’m sure we all wanted to do more that first night, but after the admitted mistake on my part we were too achy and tired to really explore the hotel or local sights. Poor Lemony slept the whole night and woke up with terrible bedhead, but Diamond and I enjoyed room service as she struggled with tangles in the bathroom. After we all finished eating and were refreshed for the day, Diamond Rose passed the reins to me for our plans, and I decided to use the pamphlets to seek out any nearby shows to enjoy.

In Los Pegasus, there was a performance going on at every street corner. You had griffons doing elaborate tricks, unicorns performing magic, maybe a local theatre group doing an impromptu skit. It didn’t matter as long as you had a permit for it, and then there were the big names that covered the billboards and signs outside all the venues. I took us down a street and slowed at a few of the street performers before coming up to the cinema I had seen hosting one of the latest movies to come out: Star Wars. We all enjoyed it, Koromon especially as he watched and chuckled all throughout. He seemed to enjoy the plot and when I asked him afterwards about it, he conveyed a hope for sequels, including oddly one with the bad guys striking back in victory. I had to admit it had its appeal; it would be very dull after the first if the good guys only won every conflict against the empire. He then got into an amusing faux battle with Lemony using two sticks we found outside, and I cheered him on as a crowd formed to watch the impromptu performance of saber battling. Thankfully Diamond was there to get us moving once some of the local police came to break it up, but they merely smiled and waved goodbye at us as we left.

After the cinema we decided to grab some food and enjoyed some Nagrata cuisine on the recommendation of a local. The curry heavy food was surprisingly revitalizing, if a bit spicy, especially for Koromon who unfortunately ended up with one of the spiciest dishes on the menu. He soldiered through it however, guzzling several glasses of water before even asking for seconds! I guess it was a favorite of his, so I’ll have to remember that. Then we moved on to The Strip, and that’s when Lemony went wild.

The Strip, as it had come to be nicknamed, was the main street that bisected the northern and southern portions of the city. In fact there were two main streets in the city due to the unique layout, and so there was an Upper Strip, and Lower Strip. The Upper Strip was focused on entertainment, much like the rest of the cloud city was. The Lower Strip on the other hoof was geared toward business and storefronts. The train station was placed so that when you first stepped out, you saw the wide expanse the Lower formed as it stretched from the steps of the station to the far horizon. Wide enough to move seven carriages abreast, it was decorated with towering palm trees, lights hanging from every hook and curve, and had gilded windows on every shop with eye-catching colors to draw tourists in.

Tourists, it seemed, like Lemony Gems who has more bits than sense. With a squeal of delight she bolts down the lane before either I or Diamond could stop her. Stopping at one store front, her eyes positively sparkling at the things on display before she’s off to the next one. Darting from spot to spot, often knocking or at least disturbing other pedestrians before we could catch up and calm her down. After the fifth shop I simply lag behind, letting Diamond Rose hunt down our wayward friend as I take in more of the sights and the beings around me. A soft smile comes to my face as I see so many happy and smiling faces, tourists like me standing out badly in their various novelty items and cameras. Many move in packs, likely tour groups or parties bigger than my own. The residents easily move around the large group of ponies and other creatures like water in a river, prompting my gaze to turn and peer at them closer as well. They were far less assuming, often looking more like the ponies of Canterlot or Ponyville going about their business. But as I look at them, keeping one ear tilted to follow my friends, I see something that makes me curious, and delighted.

One stallion passes me by, rather unassuming looking save for the dash of lipstick he has on and some blush around the cheeks. Two mares are chatting, happily laughing away as they stand by a store looking in, and then lean into each other and plant a little kiss on each others cheek. A griffon walks past with a little colt on her back, and although it was clearly a pegasus, I could see a sharpness to the muzzle, a broader width in certain feathers and a tail more like a whip of hair than a mane. I watch the mother and son pass and then turn to look at the zebra on a crosswalk that I was pretty certain was built too much like a mare to be a stallion as their adornments suggested. Sights that nopony would really pay attention to here, and yet stuck out to me like stars in the night sky. Signs that so many unspoken of things in more cultured places like Canterlot were bantered about in plain view, and yet not abnormal at all. It told me of loves and passions that were unbridled and spoke to my nature as the Princess of Love, and looking up into the sky I felt that perhaps coming to Los Pegasus has been a good idea after all. It was...nice, to know these things were around and not being scorned by nobles and aristocrats stuck in tradition and outdated beliefs.Something I hated and always argued with them about, knowing the depth of emotions that often come with these decisions that their stick-in-the-mud minds refuse to understand. After taking it all in for a moment longer, I put this moment of thought behind me and hurry to catch up. My friends were finally sticking to one spot long enough for me to even try thank goodness.

I find Lemony Gems plastered to the front of a dress shop, eyes alight with joy. Diamond Rose is next to her, also looking in but with a far more savvy gleam in hers. The difference of my friends thoughts make me laugh, and they turn to look at me. “Isn’t it amazing Cadence?” Lemony asks, making me move closer to look at the dress on display. It was a bedazzled thing, covered in gems and elaborate stitching. Something only high society really could find use for, but to the average mare it must have looked like something fit for a princess. “I bet it costs a small fortune.”

Diamond lowers her muzzle to a small card under the mannequin. “Yup.” Is her succinct reply.

“Totally worth it~” Seeing where this was going, I grab her tail in my magic and yank on it as she tries to bolt through the door. “Aww, no fair! Spoilsport!”

“You’re seriously going to spend all your bits on the first day in town, on a flashy dress like this?” I question her.

“I have the money for it.”

“How much did Buck even let you take on the trip?”

“...Enough.” Cue the shifty eyes.

Shaking my head, I see Diamond scoff and rub her forehead with a hoof. “I’ll send flowers to his wallet’s funeral.”

That little quip gets Lemony pouting, but she turns and finally slows to walk with us as we continue. We find a number of nice stores after that, all of them far more sensible with their price range and sense of style. Some even hold a large stock of exotic goods; being one of the biggest ports in Equestria, the wares of countless countries stopped here to be sold. Silks of Zhonghooa, magical gems from Zebrica, the perfumes of Saddle Arabia. Nothing I was admittedly unused to seeing in Canterlot, but typically they were adorning nobles and not the average mare and stallion. We all canter around, buying a few things while keeping Lemony on a leash, and then take a break a few hours after noon. We stop in the shade of some palm trees and look on at the sights surrounding us near a small fountain square. Koromon hops into the geysers shooting up through the pavement and even rides a few as they shoot him up through the air.

“Little guy really seems happy.” Lemony giggles. “Guess you got what you wanted, huh Cadance?”

“Yeah...Koromon looks so much more relaxed.” I quirk my lips as he does a front-flip by accident, catching himself on another water spout. He says something that I think means ‘I’m okay!’ and I laugh. “It’s kind of nice seeing nopony freaking out over him too.”

“He is a little weird, but in this city I guess that’s just expected really.” Diamond drawls, looking over at a pony decked in silver paint and holding still as a statue. “He’s quite polite and obedient too for such a strange pet. I would have thought he might cause an incident or two already.”

I frown, some of my thoughts from before the trip coming back. A moment of indecision comes over me, before I look at Lemony Gems and Diamond Rose with a look to match my feelings. “He’s not like other pets - to be honest I’m not sure I should call him one anymore. The way he talks is...like a strange language. I have no trouble understanding him with my sense helping, and we’ve actually ‘talked’ about so many...normal things.”

Both of my friends look at Koromon, then me with a frown. “Like...he’s a real pony?” Lemony asks. “What Lemony means- are you saying he’s as smart as us, or a griffon, or pony?” Diamond clarifies.

I can only shrug. “I think so...come to think of it, I guess there were a lot of signs telling me he wasn’t just some ordinary blob creature. I really wonder where Discord took him from.” The girls look at each other again in worry, so I wave a hoof. “Aw come on girls, he’s not dangerous or anything. He’s been with me for months now so I think it’s safe. Plus, if anything he’s the one who convinced me to even come, so that’s something right?”

The girls share another look, and I get a strange vibe from it that dampens my mood. I get the feeling they were hoping I would have come by my own choice, not someone else’s. But it’s not like I hated the idea; going on a trip before my wedding had sounded wonderful, if only for the fact that I would much prefer someplace low-key like Ponyville instead of Los Pegasus. Before I can ask about their mood Diamond Rose shakes her head and waves a hoof. “Guess so. Come on Cadance, let’s move on and get Koromon dried off.”

I nod, calling him back over to us so I can use a spell to dry him off. We then move on to the next portion of The Strip, where we enter a few shops with less glittery objects. A magic shop (the stage kind) catches my eye and we spend a few minutes having a giggle over some of the tricks. A strange mare with a tick of talking about herself in the third person was actually in there and I have a pleasant conversation about some of her own stunts. She seems a bit arrogant, but she certainly knows her stuff. Koromon actually takes a liking to her, but she doesn’t until he manages to stump her by guessing right on a card trick several times. When we move on, the little experience in the shop made us all want to enjoy a live performance, so we check out the various billboards for something good to watch. A number were now available, the sun setting to mark the start of the cities evening, but given the ache of our hooves we choose to move back closer to The Aria and find one that would be easy to return to the hotel afterwards from.

To my surprise and joy, this turns out to be a circus of all things! I had only been to one once before, back when I first came to Canterlot. Princess Celestia had taken me in order to cheer me up over the traumatic times, and I fell in love with the trapeze artists and incredible acrobatics that I saw that night. There was just something magical about the circus and the performers that worked under the big top. They didn’t just try to entertain you; once you step under the big top, it was like they were trying to open your mind and heart to the wonders of your childhood and imagination no matter the age gap. Certainly all those years ago it helped me rediscover myself, and the idea of seeing one again had my heart fluttering like seeing my first crush might.

We settle in ringside with tofu dogs and massive buckets of popcorn. Koromon takes a seat in my lap, holding the popcorn for us both with his ears, and as my eyes roam over the ring below I can see that already they’re putting on smaller forms of entertainment for the foals and younger ponies. Clowns telling jokes and making balloon animals, a juggler doing amazing feats while atop a unicycle. One of the mares done up in fanciful bodypaint talking while contorted to dazzled fillies, even a tamer letting one excited colt slowly pet over the mane of a big lion. Two acrobatics are gently swaying up in the air over our heads with streamers trailing over their legs, and when the lights began to dim they flip down to the ground and spread their wings. The griffoness holding hands with the hippogryph as they bow and then skip behind the curtain with the others.

The crowd grows hushed as the lights go out completely, a spotlight shining down at the center of the ring where someone stands in ringmaster attire. Their flashy sparkling red suit and tophat radiant to my eyes, especially when they move out of the low ground scraping bow to spread their arms and beam a dazzling smile at us all.

“WELCOME!” The light-blue stallion yells. “Welcome - to all you colts, you fillies, you puppies and cubs! Welcome to our circus, where the magic of life and wonder reigns supreme!” Clapping his hooves, the curtain parts behind him with geysers of smoke and flash powder, as the first few performers come rushing out on unicycles, bicycles, cartwheeling across the ring and zooming up into the air. All of them trailing tubes that emit different colors of smoke, all the while the ringmaster spins in place and throws his hooves out. Magic flying from his horn to fire off small fireworks, before flinging his forelegs out farther to declare, “Let me take on a Journey of Amazement!”

The show was a journey and more. The first number alone was a staggering show of all to come, with countless circus stars and workers dancing around the ring as music began to play. The ringmaster always standing in the center, brushing hoof and horn against those who flowed closer to him, while those high and far away got a smile and laugh from him. Everyone trying to show off, perform as if for his satisfaction, only to receive a jaunty wave and a clap to carry on. Those passed over turning to us, the audience, seeking our attention, our love. And oh how the crowd sang with it. All the children leaping up and out of their seats, parents holding them tight to not let them simply leap down and interfere with the performance. The adults all enraptured too, eyes sparkling with that old childhood joy. When they all slowly disappeared back behind the curtain, Razzle Dazzle, the ringmaster, called to the last performer yet to vanish, calling them back as if they had forgotten to stay. The two doing a fun little dance in the center of the ring, hanging off of each other as he introduced his wife and the star mare of the circus, Glitzy Glam.

The love those two emit was as clear as day to me; they were a duo who love their work as much as each other. He did a magic trick, she acted awed and amazed. She did a wild juggling act with burning torches, he panicked and begged her to put them down. Laughter and cheers were had by all, and with a bow he escorted his wife off the stage to let the next act come on. Then the next, and the next, and the next after that. Soon enough over an hour and a half passed, and we all found ourselves standing to applaud and cheer as everyone took a bow in pride at their jobs well done.

I was sad to realize it was over; I feel like a little filly again, sitting with friends and having watched such a fantastic performance. With the lights up ponies begin to leave, but I wait with the girls for it to thin out some and finish the popcorn. Neither Koromon or I ate much of it, and my friends didn’t look like they had touched anything they snagged either despite looking pretty full. We all meander back out onto the street and idly began walking back to the hotel.

“You know, I’ve never been to a circus before.” Lemony Gems muses. “That was, like, really cool Cadance. I’ve never felt so full.”

“Fulfilled, you mean.” Diamond Rose corrected, rolling her eyes. “But yes - that was amazing Cadance, thank you for picking it for us.

“No problem girls, that was a pretty magical and special thing for me tool.” I sigh happily. “I haven’t been to one in years. Feels kinda...well, just plain good to have done it again.”

“Did you see all those animals? Like, I haven’t seen a lot of those outside of the menagerie, and they were just waltzing right up to ponies in the first row!”

“I liked the production effort they put into everything. Whoever did their costumes really knows their stuff, and the lighting was spot on.”

“Heh, you have a nice eye for detail like always Diamond.” Looking to check the time, I hum but then shake my head. “You know, we’ve done a lot already. What do you say to just turning in back at the hotel girls? I don’t think I wanna stretch myself with one day left still.”

“Sure.”

“Sounds good to me!” They reply together.

Our return to The Aria was uneventful, and as we settle into the room Lemony orders us some room service to snack on while Diamond Rose goes to the bar to make some mild drinks for us all. We sit around the fire talking and telling stories for the rest of the evening until we hit the hay. For the first full day in Los Pegasus it was definitely fun. I wonder what the next day will be like?

Sunday starts much the same, although this time I go down to see what sort of buffets they might offer to guests. They actually have a chef making fresh omelets that I eagerly take advantage of, while Koromon takes some of the decidedly non-pony dishes and heap them up on his plate. I’m glad I’m not queasy about meat eaters, because the way he attacks that bacon is definitely a sign of how much he had missed enjoying a more well-rounded omnivore diet in the castle. Even if we try to cater to our allies there are just never enough resources outside of more basic fish dishes. Thankfully he finishes up before Lemony and Diamond come down, but I make a note to ask the chefs back home to bring more meat in for him. I was making a lot of notes it feels like on this vacation, and that’s a bit exciting. There might be some nice changes once I get back to Canterlot.

Things decidedly make a strange turn of events however when I bring up the topic of what to do today.

“Casino!” Both of my friends chorus, and I blink as even Koromon hums in interest at the idea.

“C-Casino? Really girls?” I ask in surprise. “But..I mean sure we could do some, but for the entire day…?”

“Well, like, Friday was a flop right? So I mean we’re seriously behind the schedule Cadance.” Lemony, trying to sound serious, lectures. “There’s a checklist when you’re in this town you know! The sights, the performances, the shopping~”

“Which we’ve all done, alongside some of the good cuisine and services.” Diamond picks up. “But no gambling or partying at all? I’m afraid we need to get to that or else this entire mission will be a flop.”

“Well, I guess that’s only fair.” I did bring more than a few bits for gambling after all, but I was still surprised by how strongly the girls were going for this. I look to the guiltiest with a quirk of my eyebrows. “I’m surprised you’re supporting it so much though Diamond.”

“Like I said, I have a mission.” She says vaguely, looking away guiltily. I look toward Lemony, but she was nodding with her eyes closed. Did they make some kind of deal? “And besides, who cares if we go a little crazy today? We’ll be heading back to Canterlot tomorrow, so what’s the worst that could happen?”

Koromon mumbles something into the waffle he was chewing on. What did he mean by checking the roof?

“Well...I guess that’s the plan then.” I look one more time to see if the girls want to say otherwise, but both of them are nodding and Koromon is just focused on eating the last of his food. Shaking my head, I get up and they follow as I return to the room to quickly grab a saddlebag and my bits.

When we get to the casino I see two burly looking employee’s manning the set of doors into it as security, and one is kind enough to open a set for us to pass through. On the other side I let out a low whistle as I check out the expansive room. It was big, easily as large as a theatre or auditorium, with a second floor balcony that wraps around it supported by giant carved pillars. The lighting and colors in here are more like the outside of the hotel; all dark blue and black with green or purple coloring set into the floor or under the balcony. A few white lights shine down the walkways, over tables and the bar, but they’re so dim compared to many of the machines or the more colored lighting that it’s almost washed out. Hundreds of ponies are in here, walking around or sitting with drinks and piles of chips at the various offerings the floor has to offer. A game of Poker, 21, Blackjack and Hold’em fill the nearby tables, are there are also several slots down many aisles on the left and right sides of the main walkway. I start to finally move in deeper and see dice or balls roll across tables, or slot wheels spin faster than my eyes can track. The sounds are insane; screams and cheers take up half the air alone besides all the flashing, crying machines trying to make me come over and play, overwhelming the mind. Idle chatter occupies the tables as ponies both rich and nearly poor trade life stories or anecdotes about their experiences gambling. A couple was sitting at two slots and talking to each other, maybe arguing going by how aggressively the mare was tugging the handle. Another pony at a roulette wheel was guffawing and holding onto his ten-gallon hat, while a mare clearly dressed for a night of fun clung to his foreleg. It was just too much to take in, and I start to get a headache quickly as while even inactive my empathy was picking up the ocean of emotions floating in here. Greed, Envy and Desire are certainly prominent but I can also feel a ton of Love. Definitely not the innocent kind, but it’s all enough to make me stumble, which thankfully Lemony saw and helps hold me up.

“Whoa there girl, we haven’t even gotten a drink into you yet!” She giggles, pushing until I can stand up by myself again.

“Y-Yeah, sorry I uh...it’s just really loud and bright in here. Very noisy.” I try to play it off meaningfully. I don’t like talking about my empath power unless in private, and Lemony seemed to catch my drift as her eyes widen before she nods.

“You gonna be okay?”

Before I can answer, a drink appears under my snout. The fizzy water in it makes me snort and rear back, but Diamond pushes forward with it. “Here, drink this. It should help.” She instructs.

“...’kay.” I carefully take it into my magic and sip it. It’s a lemon-lime soda mixed with something stronger, but it doesn’t burn my throat and actually feels a bit refreshing. “Wow, what’s this?”

“Splash of lime with vodka and soda.” She says, and I hum in appreciation. “It’s fairly light, so don’t worry about getting drunk.”

“Thanks Diamond.” A few more sips indeed relieves some of the tension in my mind from the overload of emotions running around in the casino. “I really didn’t expect it to be...uh, energetic in here. Usually I’m a lot better with crowds…”

“People come in here for the luck of winning big. Emotions run high as the tension and odds shift, not to mention they’re all being dunked in enough booze to drown a town.” Diamond states. “Then there’s just the sheer freedom and love they feel from going wild, letting go. Los Pegasus helps ponies enjoy the sins and vices most of society tells them to clamp down on. In here...it’s a feast of emotions for everyone to partake in.”

Lemony nods. “Yup-yup! This city is amazing Cadance. You could be anything, do anything, feel anything! Ponies and other races come from all around the world to be here, to experience the freedom that their rules normally forbid. You can be something different from what you are at home, or open yourself to being more like who you really are. I bet lots of ponies in here are office workers, teachers and custodians. Ponies that work nine to five and go home to eat dinner and sleep. Ponies that never get any excitement outside of a new movie once a month, or maybe a new place to eat. But then they get here, and there’s just so much to do! They love the freedom, they love the choices, they love life! Isn’t it incredible?”

The passion of my two friends is startling. I’ve never seen them on such a similar wavelength, much less with their eyes so bright and glowing as they take in the surroundings. Could this be why they wanted to be here, because of some kind of need for release? Lemony was such a socialite, but she helps Buck with his job a lot so maybe that was taxing for her. Diamond I could understand the most, because although she dearly loves her flowers and business, I know it has dulled a lot of her vibrancy after high school finished. Looking toward my back, I can see Koromon staring at everything with a light in his eyes as well. A different place; an escape from Canterlot...he had asked me for that, and I brought him here. But did that mean I was the only pony not needing that? After all the negative thoughts plaguing me lately?

Looking at the drink floating in my magic, I take another sip, but stop and then chug the entire thing. The fizzy bubbles tickles my nose but I finish it all in one gulp, before exhaling loudly and setting it down on a nearby table to be bused. “Alright girls! Then let’s get wild, rich, or poor as fuck!” I shout, and they all cheer in reply. Together we step forward into the sea of lights and sounds, and the night turns into a haze of joy.

The whole day was spent in the casino...I think. So much drinking and gambling, with all those ponies around me. Music and laughter in my ears even now; is there an echo up here? No, I’m just drunk, because everything’s hazy now. Am I sitting? Yes. Okay then, but...ah, the hotel room, good. I need to focus though.

Gah...not an easy task...room is blurry. Feel good...but odd...limbs are weak and numb...

Maybe an entire day of chugging drinks was a bad idea. Alicorn’s have one heck of a metabolism, but I definitely didn’t hold back on what I got. What did Lemony once tell me about drinks and stirring? No...mixing, that’s the word. I definitely had a few sweet and bitter drinks down there, and I think I fell in love with something...smoky? I can still taste caramel on my tongue and lips, licking them just tells me how parched I am. Did I drink any water? Silly Cadance, you know better to not drink without hydrating.

I see a few bottles of empty water bottles, oh and one’s next to me half drinked. Drunk. Definitely not enough...did I eat anything? I had uh...pretzels. Seriously? You sneaky...jerky-jerks.

My vision wobbles and some clarity comes back. Slumping against a pillow on the big couch; so that’s where I am. Where’s the others? Diamond is...not in view. Lemony is, and heh she’s snuggling a pillow while drooling. That’s so cute. Koromon? Where’s Koromon? I have to get up and find him, make sure he’s okay. But it’s so hard, because my hooves feel like massive weights and I can’t feel my skin. Legs. Same thing. I manage to climb the little step and reach the bedroom door. I peer in…is that lump him, or a pillow? Oh it’s moving, goodie. I squint to see better in the dark and hear a little snore. I remember him drinking some himself, and...hey he ate my food! That’s why I’m so hungry! That sneaky bastard.

I totter out with my wings out to help me balance. Or at least my right wing, the left one is numb from dozing on it. How long was I on the couch like that? We left...when did we leave? We went in just before noon, no was it after breakfast? Maybe around ten o’clock...sounds close. Then we hit the casino, no were already at it. Then I had a drink, and picked a slot machine. Lemony and Diamond vanished, but they were always there with a drink or two to share. We sat at a poker table, geeze did Koromon win a lot. I think he was counting cards, can he do that? We hit the bar for a break and snacks, but there was a cute colt trying to flirt with me. Koromon made him leave, but he’d bought a drink for me and…

I stagger and lean against the back of the couch. How much did I drink?! An alicorn shouldn’t...shouldn’t be this tipsy unless we hit a whole bar. Wait, wasn’t there somepony that called for a round for everyone? Oh Celestia, there was a drinking contest. I remember now. Did I win that? I must have, I feel like I did. Urp…

A gallop to the bathroom helps, but now my mouth is putrid and my mane a mess. I could shower, but I really need something to wash everything out first. Things are still blurry, unresponsive, but I think I can make it to the kitchen. But there’s nothing there; all the water is gone and there’s only more booze, crud. Where’s that phone for room service? There is it...oh, it’s already past midnight? They’re not available...until morning...too long. This hangover is gonna kill me if I don’t get something into me. But wait, I need water, and ice is water. That machine! I know I saw an ice maker down another hall.

I fumble with the ice bucket some, my magic sluggish and uncooperative. I’ve never felt it like this before, but I’ve never been drunk like this either. I remember stories about things and stuff dummies do when drunk. I should be careful, use my hooves. Ugh, but they don’t want to grip the door handle. Come one...come on...there!

The hallway is dark, the lights set on the walls really dim. That’s silly, because what if other ponies need to get to their room? Or me right now, ah right I have a horn. I get a light spell going but it makes me lose my grip on the bucket. Stupid magic. I have to balance it on my back with my wings partially out to hold it in place. One hallway is wrong, another is in the wrong direction going by a sign. I find the right one on the third try and sigh in relief. I’ll suck on a few ice cubes until they melt, maybe put the others in a cup for the microwave to melt.

The chunking of the ice into the bucket is really loud, it’s almost painful to listen to. Must be the hangover already coming…

Wait.

Couldn’t I have turn on the faucet in the sink? Oh for fuck-

Suddenly there’s a blackout, the hall going completely dark. I whinny in surprise and drop the bucket, ice spilling all over the floor as my heart starts to beat faster. Some more clarity comes from that, and now I’m definitely freaked out a bit by everything I saw coming here. Turning around, I try to turn up my spell but it flickers instead. My magic is barely functioning, moving like water through my feathers. It doesn’t feel right; it’s almost as if oil is coating it somehow. I still manage to keep my horn lit, but I can’t see more than a few feet away from me and the machine. Worse, there’s two directions to look for anything since I’m in the middle of the hall. I’m not cornered...but then why do I feel like eyes are on me?

“W-Who’s there?” I rasp out, coughing as the acid from my earlier bile digs into my throat. A leg shakes but I stay upright. “I know somepony’s there, show yourself!”

Nothing answered me, but I hear something start to lightly thump on the carpeted floor. Hoofsteps, just one set I think, but who was it? “Hello?” I call out.

I see a leg appear on the edge of my light, and after a pause it moves and brings...Diamond Rose! She’s okay, thank Celestia. Relaxing and moving closer, I look my friend over and she appears to be fine, if a bit serious looking. “Diamond! You wouldn’t know how happy I am to see you. Where were you - I didn’t see you back in the room. I went to get some ice, silly drunk me forgot I could get some water from the faucet.” I chuckle, but it peters out when Diamond doesn’t react as expected.

“You did drink a lot.” She comments, voice oddly even. “More than we expected honestly, but that’s hardly a problem. It will just make things easier.”

My senses were starting to warn me about something wrong here. Diamond was acting funny, the lights were all out, my magic was acting up...and there was still a sense of something watching me on the back of my neck. I look around, but nothing shows itself in the light of my horn.

“You know Cadance…” I turn back to listen to my friend. “I was really surprised you decided to come. I mean, it was a gamble from the get-go I know. But They were really insistent on me trying, to make everything easier for us. When you said no, I was told to make it work back in Canterlot instead. By my best estimates I’d say we would have just made it under the wire that way.” She shakes her head.

“What are you…” My magic flickers, and I focus on my horn to try and get it back. The hallway dims, barely illuminating Diamond Rose, and I start to panic when I can’t seem to get it back up. My magic wasn’t just oil and water, it was like trying to hold gas now. My legs were wobbling as my body seemed to gain thirty pounds, locking me in place to just not fall over.

“They were very happy by your sudden change of heart.” Diamond continues; I can barely focus on her words. “All of the old plan was put back into place, and we really did have an easy time of it getting you ready. Even with that strange pet of yours…” She pauses, eyes shifting some to the side and voice growing louder, more confident. “Well, it’s just a pet after all. Nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things, as They would say.”

“W-Who...are you talking about?” I grunt and strain, trying to pump more magic into the light spell. It’s still slowly dying, and now my wings are drooping. This isn’t the alcohol anymore. I feel more like I’ve been...drugged! Did somepony slip me something at the bar, if so what? I’m an alicorn, I can’t...can’t…

The caramel on my tongue. What did Celestia warn me about caramel flavors? There was a plant...

Diamond Rose doesn’t reply, just bowing her head so I can’t see her expression. I finally manage to work through my panic and disorientation to throw a ton of magic at my problem, and with a huge flash of light the hallway lights up! Revealing…

“No.”

They line the hallway, walls and ceiling even.

“No…”

They were exactly as I remember them, all black save for those nearly see-through wings and massive green eyes.

“N-No...no…!”

All of them turned toward me, the only one any different among them being Diamond Rose. But even she lifts her head up to look at me, abd her eyes flash green as magic pours off her form like flames. Leaving behind just another copy among dozens.

“No no no no no…!”

Frantically I turn, but slam into something bigger and sturdier than me. I fall back and flail, but they fall on me like a swarm and pin all my limbs. I scream, trying to shout for help, but something viscous and gooey slams over my mouth and chokes off my voice. The world is spinning and my magic dies out as more goo splatters over my horn. I can feel it sealing my magic inside, and although I struggle the swarm is too heavy for me to buck off while drugged like this.

“...!!!”

In the total dark, only their eyes and magic give any form of light. I can barely see their fangs, their wings, their hole ridden hooves and limbs. Flashes of fire fill my mind, of screaming ponies and my own crying from long ago. Of two bodies lying on the dirt road as our house goes up in green flames. Of one among them, taller and sinister, cackling and standing while backlit by the chaos she unleashed on my former home. All to acquire me for her sick and twisted plans.

Plans that she finally achieved, as my mind starts to white out in terror as two slit green eyes appear above the mass atop of me.

“Hello there...Princess.” Purrs that echoing voice of my nightmares. “It’s so good to see you again, how have you been? Have you enjoyed your time as my guest? No? Well that’s a shame…” She stops to laugh, my vision fading even as her bent and hooked horn lights up with a sickly green aura. Letting me see her insectoid pony face one last time.

“I guess we’ll just have to upgrade you to the Queen’s Suite then. Pleasant dreams, Mi Amore Cadenza.”

A black hoof reaches for my eyes, and it’s lights out.

As the sun rises over Los Pegasus, a pink little blob stirs atop a bed and looks around groggily at the room. Seeing nopony in sight, he bounces off the bed and moves into the next room. There he sees Lemony Gems, still asleep on the couch but now flopped on her back with her horn through a pillow. He chuckles at the sight and then moves to the bathroom, where he washes up and returns to shake her awake. She groans and weakly tries to bat him with a hoof, but he dodges it and snickers before bouncing to the kitchen. With surprising dexterity he pours a glass of water and brings it back to her to drink, which she happily does before thanking and giving him a kiss atop the head.

The two occupants of the room get to tidying up a bit while they wait for their other two friends to return. Koromon doesn’t know where they went, but he assumes it must have been for breakfast with some brought up for the two of them. Lemony, after realizing her two friends are gone, is oddly silent and stares out the window a lot. When the door finally opens, the two of them turn to look, and have both very different reactions.

“Is it…?” Lemony starts to ask.

“Yes.” Diamond replies, face stoic and posture rigid. “Mission Complete.”

Koromon, having scrutinized the two ponies in the doorway carefully, swiftly adopts a placid expression. The tall alicorn next to Diamond Rose looked like his friend, cutie mark and all, but that was all she shared in common. A sneer was on her face, very unbecoming of the kindhearted mare. She had her head up in a way that was meant to look down on ponies from, and what’s more she had her regalia adorning her unlike the entire weekend when it had been tucked away carefully into an unused spot in her baggage. In fact Koromon knew it was still there, as the bag was still undisturbed back in the bedroom. This regalia had flaws; the crown was too tall, and curled out along the top with several gems on the tips. Arrogance flowed from her every step as she moved further into the room, and as her gaze swept over Koromon, disgust filled her eyes as they flashed green.

“So that’s the pet?” Cadance asked, her voice his friends but so very not. “What an ugly little creature. Get rid of it.”

“My Queen, if you did somepony is sure to notice.” Lemony quicks speaks up, darting a glance between Koromon and the alicorn. As the latters gaze turned toward her she stiffened. “I-It’s just...everypony in the castle knows how close the two are, a-and how strongly she fought to keep it. She even stared down Princess Celestia!”

“So you expect me to keep that…thing, with me at all times?”

“Of course not My Queen.” Diamond says, stepping forward and turning to stand besides Lemony and Koromon. She too darts a glance to Koromon and then bows. “Simply let it follow us back to Canterlot Castle. From there you can simply lock it in the room, or let it roam about. If it causes any trouble, simply say that it has been acting up lately and will deal with it later. Perhaps lock it away with...her?”

“Hm...very well. It’s important to keep up appearances anyhow.” Cadance nods once, and then turns away to leave. “Pack everything up and meet me at the train station when it is time. I have a few last minute orders to give out before we depart. Do not keep me waiting.”

“Yes, My Queen.” The two mares reply, bowing before the alicorn leaves by slamming the door shut. Trading one last look between each other, they look to Koromon for any sign that he might suspect something amiss. When he looks back without reply, they reluctantly leave to start packing and follow their orders.

With the room now empty, Koromon moves to the large balcony windows and pushes one open to step outside. He hops onto the railing, not mindful of the steep drop, and watches the sun finish its climb into the sky. A strong breeze blows in from the bay, ruffling his ears. “And so it begins…” He says softly.

The Black Digi-Knight

by jsk244

And So It Begins...

The Amalgamated Monster

A Chance Encounter

Almost Home Free

Home Away From Home

Explosive Evolution! Greymon

Destiny in Doubt

Out on the Town