H.I.E story. A High schooler gets sent to equestria by unknown means. As he meets and makes friends with the ponies there, many threats lurk in the shadows. its up to him to save his friends the only way he knows how... ACTING!
You have probably heard many tales of heroism. A handsome hero climbing a tower to save a princess, a skilled swordsman engaging in a grand duel of the fates.
...this is not one of those stories, and our so called hero is not what you would expect.
Join our unassuming acting student as he is thrust into a world of mystery, wonder, and a ticket to what may be his... *pause for effect while drum roll initiates* GREATEST PERFORMANCE!!!
* Gore warning is due to gore. * sex warning is exactly what you think it is.
Amidst the fog of war, the sounds of battle echo, and the tears of angels fall upon the living. Across the field, two figures face each other with eager bloodlust. The air is drenched in acrid smoke and crimson paint; no words are spoken, for none are needed. One will live, and one will die.
As the two men watch, contemplation seizes them. Both are of similar age, differing only in their states of mind. One, clutching a shortsword and shield, sweats and breathes heavily, body worn by battle but filled with vim, vigor, and the Will to finish. The other, wearing a crown and wielding a long sword and dirk, his face a mix of terror, spite, and sorrow for facing an old friend.
In the growing silence, one finally speaks.
"Heh heh... You know, the last time we fought like this, you were someone I would die for. And now, all I see is an assassin, here to bring Scotland to ruin," Macbeth says, weapons clutched desperately.
"Lay down your sword, Macbeth, and I'll grant you a swift death! That's more than you deserve for the unspeakable atrocities against the people of Scotland!" yells Macduff, once a friend.
Macbeth chuckles. "You wish to talk about atrocities? You may view me as evil, but I am a necessary evil. Everything I've done, I HAVE DONE FOR MY COUNTRY!"
Rage boils inside Macduff. "How dare you? HOW DARE YOU!?! I am no longer a father or a husband because of your so-called 'duty to your country.' You failed your country. Now, for the future of Scotland, our land, and any other families not yet harmed by your villainy, I will put you down!"
Macbeth smiles, then with a bellowing roar, he reveals his thoughts.
"AND I, MACBETH, SHALL TAKE GREAT PLEASURE WHEN I TICKLE YOUR PICKLE AND CALL YOU BILLY!!!
Silence blankets the land...
sounds of snickering and giggling erupt around the room
"... God Dammit Edgar, CUT!!!!"
It was 2:00 pm at Oakwater High School in Maples, Minnesota. Unless it was a half day, and I was home playing computer games, I was usually in the last class of the day, Theatre. We were taking our theatre final, acting out a scene we chose when Macbeth decided it was a bit boring. Yes, that was me playing Macbeth. Every story needs an introduction, and what better way to introduce someone than to see how they act firsthand? But, wait, I should properly introduce myself before we continue.
My name is Edgar Jorgensen, a senior student in high school soon to graduate in a couple of days. I'm average in everything except economics—I suck at that. I have a few good friends at school, but it took a while to figure out how to make friends. In fact, when I first came to the school in my freshman year, I tried making friends with some cool gangster dudes at lunch.
*** flashback***
"You guys seen that new Miley Cyrus twerk vid? Holy shit, brah, that was ratchet as fuuuuuuuck."
There they were, the senior section, the hippest, most gangsta group of all the seniors.
'Ok. This is it, Eddy. Don't mess this up.' As I approached the table, the seniors looked more and more menacing.
I don't know if I can do this. What if I get bullied?
You know how when you need to pump yourself up, you hear a song in your head?
his palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy...
Well, that kind of happened, and it inspired me to walk up there in the most civilized way possible.
"What's up, mah niggas? What's shaking? What's the word on the street, homie g?" I spoke, giving the most gangsta hand movements I could.
...
end flashback
Needless to say, they weren't impressed. Did you know you can't say 'nigga' if you aren't black? I didn't, and because of this, they kicked my ass and gave me four black eyes. Yes, you read that right. Don't think too hard about it; I don't even know how they did it. Seniors are scary, man.
After my parents found out I got my ass thoroughly handed to me, they enrolled me in a martial arts class of my choosing. The closest dojo was an Aikido dojo, so I went with that. I'm not that far into it, and frankly it just feels like the Weenie Hut Jr. of Jujitsu. That being said, it ain't really anything to scoff at. My tiny as fuck 100lb sensei could kick my ass any day of the week.
I'm pretty good too, I guess. I'm like a belt before brown, so I know how to break something if someone messes with me. However, its more focused on non-violence, so I learned to be calm under pressure and how to resolve situations before fighting, improving my people skills.
But going back to what led to this long rant, I was a very bored thespian at my high school's drama club. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do at the club; otherwise, I wouldn't apply for any part I could. It's a time when I don't have to be Edgar; instead, I can be anyone I want. I can be a romantic Romeo, a sadistic Sweeny Todd, or, in the case of five minutes ago, a Macbeth who spends too much of his time on the internet.
snickers and giggles slowly die down in the room
Mr. Akers was a pretty cool guy. He is the high school drama teacher, and he loves to inspire us to get creative.
Unfortunately, it's not productive when I get creative, as you saw. Mr. Akers and I have a sort of love-hate relationship. He loves me because when I play a character, I play it damn near perfectly. He hates me because I like to add something during scenes when I get bored, which I don't really get. True, I go against the script, but that's only for rehearsal and when I'm not performing for an audience. It's strictly for fun, but to Mr. Akers, however...
"Eddy, what was that?" he asked, deadpan, in an almost disbelieving tone. Honestly, I don't see how he didn't expect this. "You had it down so perfectly, and then you just had to go and mess it up."
"Well, Mr. Akers, we only have like five days of school left until graduation. I figured I am allowed to goof off a little. All my grades are high enough to pass even if I bomb this exam. My partner was doing fantastic, and our acting should have been good enough," I exclaimed with a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eye.
Mr. Akers did not seem amused. That's the good old, classic Akers face he gives when someone says something stupid. Before he could retort, however, the bell rang, signifying a bank robbery.
... I should really stop trying to be funny.
As my classmates filed out, either to celebrate graduating or to pray as the situation called, Mr. Akers told me to stay after class for a couple of minutes. Probably to lecture me.
"Alright, Ed, real talk. Who are you?" he said with a sudden shift to a serious demeanor and a stern tone. What is this, Rise of the Guardians? Akers isn't usually like this. He has always been a "let's get this done" kinda guy, not the wise Jedi thing he has going on.
"I'm sorry, sir?" I state with a confused expression and voice.
Mr. Akers gets up from his desk and starts to pace around in front of the board.
"I know exactly who I am, Edgar. I am a middle-aged theatre teacher with a low-paying job, good pension in four years, some unruly students, and I have mounds of paperwork. I am also in charge of every theatrical production at Oakwater High School. I make help make art, and I am happy with that. I am also a husband and a father to two kids, and I am happy. Do you see where I am going with this?"
I wanna say I do, but I really don't. As much as I respect Mr. Akers, I just wanna go home right now and watch me some MLP, rude as it sounds. I know it might be pretty neck-beardish of me, but those technicolored ponies have always had a good effect on me. I don't really mind if it's a show for little girls, since girls watch boy shows all the time. I use their characters for ideas for when we do improv skits all the time at the theatre.
Say what you want about My Little Pony, but the characters are absolutely hilarious when used right.
Mr. Akers continues speaking when he noticed that I have no idea what he's talking about.
"Your blank stare and silence are very reassuring. My point is that you have to figure out who you are. You are literally about to graduate soon, and you seem like you are still as much of a "sperg" as when you started this class. When you first came to this school, you were a bit of a loser. And frankly, I don't think you have grown up enough to go out in the real world. You can't just pretend to be the main character of your own story, having everything handed to him on a silver platter. You can't just sit at home on the computer waiting for your destiny; otherwise, it will pass you by. You have to man up and take charge of who you will be, or you might end up just sitting on the computer day in and day out looking at your cat videos," I wonder what he would think if I told him it was actually a little girls show... "I'm only saying this because I care about my students. You understand,?"
... Whoa. Just give me a moment, y'all
"You're excused, Edgar. I just needed to remind you that you need to grow up eventually."
As I am in the woods, driving home from school in my 2007 black Mustang... (okay, it's my dad's Mustang, but I use it all the time. Ok, back to what I was doing) I was thinking about my life up until now. Sure, I was moderately active, but I was always on the computer either watching a little girls show or looking up memes, and I've never done anything worthwhile. I never went to prom, I never had a girlfriend who lasted for more than a month, though I never really made an effort to keep one either. I never had anything close to a job apart from sweeping up the dojo, really. Reality checks suck, man. Just who was I going to be? And what was my purpose?
I didn't get much time to think about this because one moment I was driving on the black roads of Minnesota, but then the whole sky turned dark a little too suddenly. I looked at the dashboard clock. For the time being 2:45 It should not be this dark. It was almost pitch black. I flipped on the car lights and what I saw I could not believe. What was once the woodlands of Minnesota turned into a dark, foreboding forest that seemed vaguely familiar in an uncanny way. But, that wasn't the important part. What was important was the scene I was currently looking at.
There was a very singed caravan right in the middle of the road. On one side of the caravan was a...
No fucking way.
There was a small unicorn with a cerulean coat and white hair( or mane, I guess) with baby blue stripes in it. It was wearing a wizard hat and cape with star patterns sewn into it.
...by the 9 divines, THAT IS THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!!!
Her horn was currently glowing, and jets of fire are currently coming out it and is spewing right at... how did I not notice that?
The object currently being sprayed with fire is a very big lizard with win... wait, it's a dragon. An 8ft tall, red dragon. I know this because it started spewing fire right back at Trixie. I am currently feeling a lot of fear. Partly because what I am seeing is make-believe and should not be happening right now, but mostly because I am about to crash into the dragon at forty miles an hour.
" A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to slowly be born."
---Antoine de saint-exupery.
---------------------------------------------
Darkness....pain....fear...confusion.... These are the only thoughts I am able to register for the last couple of seconds.
uggg, anyone get the number of the tank I just hit?
As I come to, I hear a clusterfuck of different noises. Ahh, the beautiful sounds of nature. Birds chirping, wind rustling the leaves of the trees, the v8 engine giving its slow rumble, the groaning of the seemingly unconscious Dragon about a couple meters in front of me, and the high pitched scream of a certain magician.
----------------------------------------------
*3rd person pov*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH." The Great and Powerful Trixie screamed. She had to shove a hoof in her mouth to force herself to stop yelling in fear of provoking whatever that... thing was. She took a moment to look over the situation she found herself in. Here she was, about to be a snack for a wandering Dragon, and the Dragon who attacked her and her caravan to eat has just been launched twenty steps away by an even bigger, black monster with glowing eyes. If she didn't wet herself in fear when she was trying to survived the dragon's attacks, she was defiantly close to now. There was a slight growling noise from what Trixie assumed was the creature's mouth, and the sound continued for the entire time she looked at it. Then came a small, high pitched, sort of squeaky sound from the beast, which Trixie would have found cute, had she been in a better circumstance. She then heard a voice which that called out from the creature.
"HEY, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!!", The voice pleaded in a manner that scared Trixie.
All of the sudden, the growling slowed to a stop, and there was an utter silence throughout the everfree.
"please don't eat me, please don't eat me, please don't eat me whimpered the frightened showmare under her breath.
*Edgar's POV 1 minute ago.*
As I looked my self over for injuries, I felt a warm, coppery taste in my mouth and I have an ache on my ribcage. I guess I bit my lip on impact. I started to prod my ribs just to see how bad it was.
AH! okay, don't wanna do that again.
It didn't feel broken, but I was defiantly going to feel it tomorrow. I probably would have had a broken rib or two if I wasn't wearing my seatbelt.
Safety first, kiddos.
My car doesn't look to too bad, all things considering. I mean sure, it's got a very big dent, some scratches from the dragon's back-spikes, judging from the smell I have some popped tires, and the engine sounds kinda bad, but all in all it could have been much worse. I really hope I didn't just jinx myself. Unfortunately, as I struggle to try to unbuckle myself, I realize that the seatbelt is stuck and isn't getting undone anytime soon. If I had a knife in the glove compartment, I could have just cut my way out, but knives are not allowed on the school property, and given my luck they would have found the knife if I brought it. I guess I am stuck for now.
As I looking over my car from the drivers seat, looking for a way to get out of the drivers seat, I noticed that Trixie was still standing in the spot she was when I first saw her, and she hasn't moved a muscle. Maybe she's could get me out.
And no, I haven't forgotten that any of this shouldn't be happening. I don't think this is a hallucination because the pain still feels real, and this is still pretty hard to absorb. I can't let that affect me right now, however. My life may or may not be in danger, and the only person that can help me right now is that pony right over there. With this in mind, start to roll down the window to call for help.
"HEY," I bellowed in a loud desperate voice, " GET ME OUT OF HERE!!! HELP ME PLEASE!!!". I wait for a response from the showmare extraordinaire, but to no avail. She just stood their and stared at my car.
what the hell is she doing just standing there? I just called out for her help, and she is just gawking at my car... and shaking... and on the verge of tears. why is she shaking? she's acting like she's never seen a car bef-
Oh... shit, now I feel bad. She probably thinks either me or the car is a monster from this place. Heck, even if she HAD seen any of this stuff, she just got out of a life and death situation, so I was just being insensitive. I turn off the engine and open my car door. I move to get out, but again I am restricted by my seatbelt. Shit, I forgot about that. Instead of walking out and greeting her with a hearty hello, I choose instead to try and talk from here.
"Its okay miss, I'm not going to hurt you," I said in a loud voice, trying to beckon her over." I didn't mean to scare you but I'm stuck and I can't get out my car... or carriage." I added that last part, Hoping she would understand just what this was.
Trixie stopped quivering, and instead of fear plaguing her features, a sudden curiosity took over her as she slowly approached the mustang.
"That's a carriage?" The mare asked with a slight caution to her tone. score one for Edgar! Now we are getting somewhere.
"Yes, now please help me get out of here. I don't wanna be stuck in this seat any longer then I have to." I said with a growing excitement of finally getting out of my car and not being stranded alone.
Trixie stopped right at the door and took a good look at me, with her face soon scrunching up.
"What in Tartarus are you supposed to be?" She asked with fascination, like one would get when looking at the ugly kid in class.
wow, ok r00d!!!
"My name is Edgar. Edgar Jorgensen. I am a human. I like puppies, sour dough bread, long walks on the beach, and not being stuck here." I answer is a snide fashion similar to how Trixie spoke. That earned a chuckle from myself and a deadpan from Trixie. Before she can make what I assume as going to be some smartass comment that I would expect from seeing her character on the show, however, we hear a third voice in the background.
"Uggg, anyone get the cutie mark of that Alicorn that hit me?"
If there is a God, he really fucking hates me.
The voice came from the red dragon that I knocked out with the mustang. The dragon actually looks familiar, probably from another my little pony episode I can't recall. Ok, so I got an 8ft carnivorous, winged lizard that can breath fire getting up from the impact that knocked him down. I doubt he would be lenient to either me for knocking him down, or Trixie since he was gonna try and eat her anyway.
"Trixie, get in the car if you want to live." I say with an urgency that barred no argument.
"You don't have to tell her twice." She agreed. I was wondering when she'd talk in 3rd person. I was starting to get uncomfortable without it. She scrambled in through my side of the car, climbing over me as her hooves were crunching my already tender legs as she moved to the passenger seat. It hurt, but I don't think she was that heavy, given that she looks like she came up to just above my crotch in height. When she finally sat down, I closed the car door, and prayed he wouldn't notice us. He is just bent over on his claws and...knees I guess, coughing a lung out. Not surprising, since that hit would have killed a normal person. I probably just knocked the wind out of him when I ran into him.
When Trixie got situated, she then turned to me and spoke in a very hushed tone.
"Ok, Trixie is inside. What are you going to do now?"
... fuck. I really should start planning ahead more.
" Uhhhhhhh, give me a minute? I'm trying to think." But before I can get to do exactly that, Trixie decided to share her opinion on that.
"What? You mean to tell me you don't have a plan?!?!" Trixie says with shocked, incredulous expression etched on her face.
"Well excuse me for not being a trained specialist in "escaping dragons in a car with a damsel in distress"! I'm kinda new to this and I don't wanna die, so please be quiet."
Trixie decided right at that moment to throw a fit. An understandable fit really, but it's still a fit nonetheless.
"Uggg, what in Nightmare Moon's hairy vagina did I do to deserve this??? Here Trixie was, about to head back into Ponyville to try and and repair her reputation, then a dragon comes and tries to ruin her day by eating her!" Trixie borderline yells. This is starting to worry me. If she keeps this up, she'll attract the attention of the Dragon. I'm hoping he will just leave and carry on with his merry dragon stuff.
" Trixie, for the love of God, please shut up and calm down!" I whisper harshly. This mare is going to get us killed.
Trixie whips her head towards me, and does exactly what I should have expected: the exact opposite.
" Calm down? Trixie almost Died while fighting that dragon, then she gets forced in a black metal carriage of doom by a hairless, mutant diamond dog!!!", don't have to be a bitch about it, GOSH! "And to top it all off, she is probably going to die in here, *sniffle* alone and forgotten!" wait a minute.
I look over to Trixie, and see that she is on the verge of tears.
" I've *sniff*... I've always wanted to be famous. *sniff*I dreamt that one day, I might be the most powerful magician in the world. Crowds would cheer when they see my face, and I wouldn't have to scrounge for bits by performing in front of ponies who don't appreciate my talents." Tears are flowing freely at this point, as I start to get some feels from this sudden display." I've done a couple of bad things in the past, I admit it. All I want to do now is make it right... to make my name meaningful... *sniffle*... to say I'm sorry.Now I don't... *sniff* think I will get the chance."
Hnnng, feels intensifies.
This is some heavy bullshit. The second I feel one thing about the mare, she does something to make me feel the opposite. I've never felt so bipolar in my life. Do I feel bad for her, or not? I kinda feel a little bad, but even though I know her character from the show, I just met her. Right now, I am feeling some really awkward feelings.
These confusing thoughts did not last however when Trixie does something very stupid.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" she screams, and in a sudden movement she slams her hooves into the front of the dashboard, taking her problems out on that while openly crying. This was stupid for two reasons; the first reason was that she made the airbag deploy right into her face, and second was that it alerted the dragon (I'm getting tired of referring to him as the Dragon, so I will just call him Mr.D.) of our whereabouts. This does not bode well for our future.
Mr.D turned his head towards the car, and a very gruesome death glare was present across his features. I turned Trixie who is just now recovering from the airbag smacking her in the face. She is also now realizing what she did, with fear spread across her muzzle, and I look back to Mr.D. He is getting up a bit slowly, but still soldiering on, with the intent of roasting our giblets.
As he is getting up, I started to panic.
What the hell am I doing here. I just wanted to go home and get ready for my Aikido classes, But NOOOoooooooo. All of a sudden, just like any cliche mlp fanfiction, I just had to pop up in the middle of nowhere and get myself into a very bad situatio-...oh no. He just got up, and now hes walking toward the car. HE'S GETTING CLOSER! What the fuck are you doing??? Do something intelligent!
As the crimson Dragon slowly walked in a very pissed off manner to my car, smoke coming out of his nostrils, I look around for any possible escape routes to my situation. I'm still stuck in my seat by, so I can't leave, and if Trixie though that she could have outran Mr.D, she probably would have done so a long time ago. We could do nothing but wait as he came up to my car.
"So, you think you can just steal a dragon's meal and get away with it, huh buddy?" Mr D. harshly states, nodding as a sinister grin appears. He seemed to by hyping himself, but is focusing on the hood of my car.
...
Wait, is he talking to the car?
"Lets see how you like this, you tub of lard!!!" Mr. D bellows as he hears his fist back and slams it into my bumper, making a small dent and causing a cracking sound to come from said fist. I couldn't help it, I gave a small chuckle while Trixie just looked at the hood of the car with a newfound wonder eyes still puffy and red from her outburst and snout bleeding slightly from the airbag. That's probably because it is stopping her from being eviscerated by the Dragon, who is now clutching his fists in agony.
He legitimately thinks my car is a living thing. Oh my God, that's fucking hilarious!!! Good luck trying to kill something that wasn't alive to begin with, Dingleberry!!!
He look at the car once more, his teeth grinding almost comically. I say almost comically cause looking at those teeth look like the bastard child an angler fish's teeth, and a leatherback turtle's teeth, and that's a fucking horrifying combination.
"OH, SO YOU THINK THAT'S FUNNY? I'M GOING TO FUCKING BURN YOU TO A SMOLDERING PILE OF CINDER!!!" Mr.D yells, his rage fueling the fire he is about to unleash. He starts to take a ridiculously deep breath, and as soon as he finishes, let's loose a large torrent of flame at the car. This would usually result in a severe case of agonizing death, but again, my car is saving the day. The flames keep passing over us, the car acting as a shell for us.
"Hey Trixie...we're not dead yet." I state in a slightly excited tone. Not dying can excite someone more then you would realize. Trixie doesn't seem as excited as me, however.
"That still doesn't change the fact that we have a very vexed Dragon outside." She states.Way to be a downer, Trixie."Uggg, I swear, if somepony could actually get us out alive, I would probably suck his dick." She states in a joking tone, most likely trying to comfort herself in humor.
I take one more look over the car, hoping for an idea to pop up. While looking over my car, which I called Roy when my dad first let me use it, I begin to admire it. Its sizable trunk. Its sleek midnight black, currently fire resistant, punch resistant frame. It's beautiful cup holders.
I've never been more thankful for a piece of human engineering in my life. If only it could get us out of this mess... actually maybe it could.
"Trixie", I call out, trying to get her attention. She snapped out of her wonderment and turned towards me,"I just thought of an idea."
Tricks raised an eyebrow and wiped the blood of her nose.
"Oh really?" Trixie asks, without a tone dripping with sarcasm. "And what would that be?"
"I need you to shoot out some impressive looking firework magic outside the windows when I rev up my engine. It would probably help if you gave a blood curdling scream when I finish saying what I gotta say to the Dragon." I say to her with a sly grin. Judging from her befuddled look, Trixie was not convinced.
"Trixie is not convinced. Fireworks? Screaming? Can't you just explain your idea like a normal pony?" She questions as the Dragon takes a quick breather and unloads another breath of flame. It was getting kinda hot In there, so I turned the air on.
"As stupid as this Dragon is, I don't think he will try to target the car any longer, he might realize that that we are in here, and then we are doomed. Just trust me, I'm an actor."
"...That just means you are a professional liar" Trixie declares with a deadpan. Well that just makes me sound worse then I actually am.
"Well you aren't exactly wrong, but that just makes it soun- ...look nevermind, just do what I say."
Mr.D is practically heaving at this point. You have to give the lizard props, since he has been breathing fire at the car the entire time. He stopped to get another breath, then spoke with a slight amazement.
"Just...*wheeze*...Just what in Tartarus*cough*…are you?!?!?" He spoke like a fat kid who just ran a marathon.
You know, he totally gave me an opportunity to say something so unbelievably badass, I would be a madman if I didn't take it. Ladies and gentlemen... it's Showtime.
I roll down the windows and turn on the lights, with the lights probably looking like Erie eyes in the dense fog. Smoke coming from the engine as it is on its last legs.Ok, only one shot to do this, let's make it count. I take a deep breath, and let loose the most monstrous voice I can muster.
"YOUR WORST NIIIIGHTMARE!!!!!!!!" I bellow out, with my voice echoing across the Everfree. The instant I finish, I floor the gas pedal for the "monstrous growl" as I keep the horn honking. As I do this, Trixie let loose a scream that would make a banshee wet herself, while letting loose a barrage of red, orange, and purple "fireworks" at both sides of the mustang.
Now picture this, you are an apex predator. You are about to eat a helpless mare when suddenly, something knocks you on your ass. That "something" just ate your prey, so you are very pissed. So you go and teach it a lesson, but after a couple minutes of unleashing your fury on it, it wasn't phased. Then all of a sudden, it opens its eyes and they glow. To you, that creature was sleeping the entire time. So understandably, you are really fucking scared. All of a sudden, the creature yells at you and unleashes roars and a symphony of horrendous, angry sounds directed right at you, with flames and other demonic lights spewing out of every visible orifice.
This is currently what Mr. D is experiencing right now, and he is scared shitless. At least I think he was scared shirtless. He ran away screaming so fast, I couldn't tell whether or not he needed to used the bathroom or was trying to express his fear to the world. It was probably a little of both. It was a good thing too, since the engine died as soon as he was out of sight.
As Trixie and I sat in the car, thinking about what has just transpired, we look over to each other.
"heheha haha, we're alive!
"Hehe,heehahahahHHAHAHAHA. AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
Me and Trixie could not stop laughing for a solid 5 minutes. I don't think we will forget that anytime soon and neither will the Dragon. Afterwords, Trixie noticed I was still bound by my seatbelt. As she gave a smirk from predicament, I began to hear music playing in the background.
"Need help getting out of that? I think I have a knife in the carraige." Trixie asked.
"Do you hear that music, Trixie?" I ask the showmare. Trixie swiveled her ears as she tried to listen for what I was talking about. After a couple of seconds, she looked back to me with a raised eyebrow and shook her head.
"No. The Great and Powerful Trixie thinks you are just hysterical, but you are excused."
That was weird. Must be my imagination.
"Nevermind Trixie. I would love some help out of here." I say to her.
Trixie starts to trot back to her carriage, and right when she is at the door, she turns back to me and stares. As she stares at me, her face shifts from many different expressions, from contemplative, to a slight twitch of a smile forming, then a blush forms as a frown takes place of the "almost smile" thing she had going. She kept the frown and called to me from the carriage.
"Just so we are clear, I was joking when I said I was going to suck your dick!" She calls as she scrambles back inside.
I give a small chuckle at that remark and wait patiently for her to come back.
*warning, semi clop ahead. Proceed if you dare....*
"If you tell the truth, you dont have to remember anything." -Mark Twain
Trixie and me are currently walking toward her carriage, both exhausted after both the emotional roller coasters we both went through, and trying to get me out of my car. It took me a while to actually get out of the car seat due to a bunch of blunders. First was due to Trixie accidentally bringing one of her fake knives she uses for her magic acts. After she gave a sheepish laugh and ran back to get a real knife from soot covered home, she returned with a much more useable one, griping the knife in a blue aura. That almost ended we me being injured a tad bit more when her magic failed unexpectedly when the knife came into contact with me.
I've read a bunch of fanfiction before, and the human in Equestria ones were always unique in a way that some main characters would be immune to magic, while others would be extremely susceptible to magic. If Trixie's mistake meant what I think it meant that meant what I think it meant, then that might either be very good, or very bad for me in the future. Hopefully, it is the former.
After a couple attempts at gripping the knife again, Trixie decided to just to do it the old fashion way by grabbing it with her teeth and cutting it like that. As soon as we settled down Inside her caravan, my thoughts drifted back to the Dragon I encountered not even thirty minutes ago.
Surprisingly enough I feel amazing, which doesn't make sense since that crisis, let alone everything that is happening right now should be terrifying me. But that... rush I got was so fantastic, I am finding myself craving more.
Not only did I meet a real life pony, but with the help of Trixie, I scared off a fucking DRAGON!!! Seriously, how cool is that? I feel like I got the biggest dick in the forest! BRING IT ON!
Trixie casted a spell from her horn, as soon multi-colored lights floated around her, illuminating the side of the caravan in a menagerie of living flares. She looked towards me and smiled.
"Just one moment. I have to find my keys again." She said as she took her hat off and reached inside it, shuffling her hooves around. Why would she re-lock it again if we were going inside?
While Trixie fumbles with the door handle, I take second to inspect her carriage. It is just like the one in the show, aside from a few burn marks and much more detail then the drawn children's cartoon could give. The door has a height of about my eye level, me being about six feet tall, give or take an inch depending on what shoes I am wearing. The size of the carriage, however, suggest that I would have already six inches of room above my head, so that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
As I start to step inside, I am in awe of just how messy this place is. Books are strewn across the floor next to her miniature bookshelf, along with magic props hanging on nails inside. There was a messy unmade bed at the end of the carriage, with a couple bonbon wrapper and empty wine bottles with a picture of a familiar mare with a plum colored coat made a raspberry collided mane littering the top of it. Following Trixie, I take a step inside almost immediately stepping on the debris. I take a step back outside, not wanting to step on or accidently break something. I look up and see Trixie looking at me, wondering what was wrong. I don't know how she walked through all of that without tripping and breaking her neck.
"You coming inside Edgar, or are you just planning on sleeping outside? I really don't mind either way." She states nonchalantly with a smirk adorning her muzzle.
"Alright, fine. Don't come crying to me when I step on your first editions." I say with a mild annoyance. I didn't really mean it though. A wise actor once said that books were the greatest weapons In the world, and I firmly believe it. So I instead took a step back, and then made a leap over to a spot that has much less rubbish, bracing a hand against the wall to regain my balance when I landed. Wow, this place was dirty.
"Jesus Trixie, how long have you lived like this?" I ask in a soft tone, fearing the answer. Has this mare been living in squalor ever since that magic amulet incident? Is the messy state of her home a sign of apathy or depression? I have heard of karma, but this is just.... too harsh! I can't imagine the hardships she has faced. If there is anything I could do to comfort this-
"About 40 minutes ago, actually. It was pretty clean until the Dragon attacked." Trixie stated calmly.
Oh
"Oh." I say.
"What, you thought my butler was on holiday or something?" Trixie says with a playful sarcasm.
"No no no no, I just thought that this place seemed a little messy for someone like you."I said, cringing inwardly at how badly I covered that up. I didn't want her to think I thought she was a dirty pony.
Hey, get your mind out of the gutter!
"Oh really? Do me a favor and count to ten. Starting... NOW!" She commanded as her horn started glowing. One. All of a sudden, a majority objects in the carriage started to glow. Two. Trixie smiles as the objects cluttered aground start to rise of the floor.Five. The objects begin float around to be arranged to their spots. Two books in particular caught my eye as they floated off quickly their intended place, mostly due to the silliness of those books. One of which was a thick yellow book titled Magic for dummies, and another one had a picture of Nightmare Moon on the cover. The Nightmare Moon book was titled Frightening stories to read in the dark By Scary Spaghetti. Huh, now I know that's a reference to something. But what? Wait, where was I? Oh right, ten. Trixie has just broken a sweat as she is now finishing up the cleaning....12? Trixie just finished with her cleaning, and looked at me with an eager and triumphant smile as she waited for me to inspect her handiwork.
The caravan was spotless, but while the entire place is pretty impressive now that it's cleaned up, she took longer then ten seconds. I decided against telling her though, since she did do the work of five Hispanic maids in the fraction of the time.
"Wow Trixie, that was pretty impressive. That was ten seconds flat." I say to her. Sure I lied, but I didn't want to ruin the moment for her. It would have been better if I had said that to Rainbow Dash, though. Trixie seemed to beam at this, then adopted a cocky grin.
"Well, they don't call me the Great and Powerful Trixie for nothing. That wasn't even the coolest household related spell can do." Trixie boasts. She opens a cupboard and levitate a bottle of Exquisite Berry™ wine. Year 1 A.L.R.
"Do you mind if I drink?" Trixie asks. "It's been a long day."
I shake my head.
"Excellent. Do you want any?"
I nod my head as Trixie pours second glass. As she floats it towards me I pause a second, then I shoot my hand out to grab the glass. To anyone else, that would seem rude, but I didn't want to risk dropping it. Trixie's magic failed earlier in the car, so it could have failed as soon as I touched it. Looking back to Trixie, she didn't seem to mind as much, and she took a sip of her wine. Seeing that she was okay with it, I do so also, savoring the slightly tangy refinement the wine boasts about. It is not as strong as I was expecting, but that made it easier to taste the actual flavor.
As I look around the Clean and Sanitary Carriage, drinking the wine, I start to notice new details that were previously hidden by the clutter of garbage.. There was a large twin sized bed with bedsheets that were a very light purple with star patterns sewn all over the comforters. Previously hidden by the rubbish were different colored, glowing runes on the floor. It gave a very "full metal alchemist-y" vibe. The fireplace was giving a warm, homey glow and the...
Wait, fireplace???
I look again, and I realized I wasn't imagining things. There is an actual fireplace inside this wooden carriage. Do you see the problem with this? How this whole place hasn't caught fire is astounding me. Trixie must have noticed how wide eyed I was at the fire.
"Something wrong?" Trixie asks as she pours herself other glass of wine.
"The fire, How hasn't this place burned down yet??? This whole place is made of wood, and fire BURNS wood."
Trixie looks to the fire, and then looks at me with a straight face.
"Do you really wanna know??" Trixie whispers. As I nod, she beckons me to lean closer with my ear. When I get close enough she puts her muzzle right next to my ear.
"Magic..." she whispers. Immediately after she makes a sort of "woo-ing" sound as she waves her hooves in a mocking fashion, probably to make me feel dumb for asking. Needless to say, it worked.
I guess I should have saw that coming. Still, watching her do the woo-ing was kinda entertaining. It must have been the alcohol.
"But where does the smoke go?" I pondered.
"There is a portal right above it that sends the smoke somewhere. I don't know where exactly..."
***meanwhile on an indigenous zebra island***
"Beanie beanie wama ticka haha!(Oh no, the great juju of the mountain has awoken!)" A zebra tribesmare quivers, pointing her hoof at the smoke coming from the nearby volcano."
The Witch doctor of the village nods.
"Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang, Walla Walla Bing Bang(It is time to find a virgin to sacrifice. Go find Ugly Betty. if she isn't one, then no pony is.)" The elder shaman says to the Tribesmare.
Trixie takes a seat on a pillow near a bookshelf, relaxing as she takes her hat off, hanging it on her door handle with. I just opt to sit across from her.
"Ok, you gotta admit that the car thing was a pretty damn awesome, Trixie. Jeez, I am still getting goosebumps from the "Your worst nightmare" thing we did." I said with enthusiasm, trying to break the ice.
"Yes, that was pretty quick thinking. I'm surprised it worked," Trixie says is with a giggle at the memory as she traces her hoof along the rim of the wine glass. "And now that we got that out of the way, do you mind telling me how you know me?" Trixie inquired with raised eyebrows and an accusatory tone. Well that was a weird question. I mean, she did say her name many times while we were inside the car.
"What do you mean, you kept saying Trixie a lot, so I just assumed you were speaking in third person. By the way, don't take offense to this, but as cute as it is, it is kinda weird how you are switching back and forth." I quickly fibbed. Thinking nothing of it at what she was asking at first.
"Trixie is not dumb." She stated with an un-amused expression and tone. "You called me by my name before I even mentioned my name,"...I did, didn't I? Clever girl "So tell me how you know me. I don't want to be in the company of someone as dishonest as you are making yourself out to be."
Although I find that a tab bit hypocritical due to her lying about battling the Ursa Major from season one, I decided not to bring it up for a couple reasons.
First was that she was already suspicious of me, and if I bring up her past I might creep her out more. Like it or not, she is my best chance of surviving until I get out of the Everfree. I know what you are thinking. "Edgar, you are so smart and muscular, and your judgement is the best in the world, but I don't see how telling her the truth is so bad". Well in any other case, you would be right. But I can't just go up to Trixie and say 'oh yea, I know all about you and a bunch of other ponies. You are nothing more then fictional characters used to entertain children and weird adult men.' That would probably just scare her into thinking I'm a madman. And I'm not even going to imagine what explaining clop would be like.
The second reason was because she Did invite me into her home. She has a right to be suspicious of me, since she doesn't know anything about me.
And the third reason was because I was distracted by the music I heard playing in the background... again.
"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Where is that music coming from???" I question to no one in particular.
"What music are you speaking of?" Trixie interrogated as she swivels her ears intently." I don't hear what you are- HEY, don't change the subject! You are going to get two chances. Either tell me, or so help me I will...I will... I don't know what I will do, but it won't be pretty!" Trixie threatens. Actually, it's more like she tried to threaten since she didn't sound very convincing.
Ok, this is getting weird. At first, I thought the music from earlier was my imagination. Now apparently, it's not my imagination and I'm the only one that can hear it. Seriously, what the fucking fuck? Not only is the music different this time, but it is fitting the mood rather well, actually. I would appreciate it if I weren't so freaked out. That is the least of my problems, however, since Trixie is still waiting for an answer. Looking back, I think to certain good movies.
Ok, think Eddy! What would Jack Sparrow do? Drink? I've been doing that and it hasn't been helping. Lie? I already established that I'm going to do that. I just don't know how I'm going to lie good enough to fool her. Engage in a sword fight?
...maybe.
Weeellllllllllll, Trixie was pretty prideful in the episodes she appeared in. Maybe appealing to that might work. I take a breath and think of how to best present the lie.
[Speech 50/65] "My dear," I begin with the best charming smile I can muster. "Who In Equestria has not heard of the Great, Powerful, and not to mention beautiful Trixie?" I say with the most suave I can.
Nice work, ladies man. No woman can resist corny flattery.
Trixie gave a small blush, then shook her head.
[Speech check failed] "Nice try, but the first and ONLY town I have really preformed in was Ponyville." Crap, I thought I had her there." This is your last chance to tell me how you know me, and this time I want the truth." Trixie demanded with a growing annoyance.
I miscalculated. She's not a woman. She's a pony mare.
"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" I bellow out, my booming voice being a large contrast to my suave tone from earlier. I saw the opportunity, and I had to take it. Unfortunately, Trixie had no such appreciation for that reference, since she levitated two knives from the wall and held them in front of her, fear evident across her features.
Dammit Edgar, you're not in a cartoon or fanfiction. Trixie, and probably everyone else from the show, are very much real, and you're going to have to actually treat them like they are. That means no goofing off or acting like a "sperg", as Mr. Akers would put it.
I take a small breath, and pick what I'm going to say carefully. I don't want to scare what might be my only hope of surviving in the Everfree. Well, scare her anymore then I already have.
"I'm sorry if I scared you, Trixie. Back on my world, that phrase is a joke and reference, and it was very famous in a courtroom story. I just couldn't let the opportunity slip me by. Now how about we put the prop knives back and settle down before someone loses an eye?" I try to say as disarmingly as possible.
Trixie takes a glance at her current, not-very-sharp weapons of choice, then back to me. She gives what looks like a forced smile, and slowly sets the prop knives back on the prop wall. After looking down and taking a deep breath, she turns back to me while shaking her head and gives a more genuine smile.
"I really have learn to grab something more useful then those things. They might get me killed one day." Trixie chuckles. A look of realization dawns of her face as she looks back to me, shock etched into her expression not a moment after. "Wait, another WORLD?!?"
As much as I hate and fear what might happen, I am going to have to tell her. It looks like the fat lady has sung.
"Yea...I'm not from around these parts. Whether I'm on a different planet or a different dimension, I don't know. What I do know is that I have seen you all, and a lot of events that has happened in the past of this world. Now that I think about it its pretty scary, but also kinda cool."
I look back toward Trixie, who is currently locked in a staring contest with the wine bottle. She then gets up from her pillow, then starts to walk toward one of her cupboards, opening it and taking out three more wine bottles of the same brand.
"I'm not nearly drunk enough for this..."
----------------------------------------------
After four hours of explanation , three more wine bottles, two cheese sandwiches later (Hey, we got hungry.), and one panic attack from Trixie, I finally got done explaining what I know. Explaining should not have taken four hours, but I had to include explanations of the explanations and trying to calm Trixie down. She didn't take being watched by thousands of hairless monkeys too lightly. It took her half a bottle to calm down and another half to think of more questions to ask. The questions mainly involved Equestria, my world, and what my world thinks of Equestria. After both come to terms that we might be the first to make interstellar/inter-dimensional contact.
"Thish is shtill pretty...*hic* umbelievable." Trixie slides with a red tint on her muzzle. It seems that the alcohol is affecting her as the drinks progressed.
"Yep" I also say, that being the only thing I can come up with. I swear officer, I'm not drunk. I only had about a wine bottles worth.
"You... you think that you can get home?"
"I dunno, I hope I can." I say with a forlorn expression. I don't think I wanna be stuck here. The show and the fanfiction people write were good enough, but I have a life back home.
"HEY, I have... I have an idea. A smart and... ingenious? Yea... a Smart and Ingenious idea!" Trixie says as she waves her hooves in a very active, adorable fashion. "There is a purple pony in the town I was going to. It is about a day's travel from here, but she knows Princess Sunbutt. And... and if anyone can get you home, it is Princess Sunbutt. Hehe, Sunbutt." Trixie chuckles.
That's crazy. So crazy... it just might work!
"That shounds like a plan." I say with a slight slur. I look at the clock and notice it's close to 12:30. "Hey, hey Trixie?"
"Mmmhhh?" She murmurs, obviously tired as well.
"Where am I going sleep?"
"Hmmmm, think think think..."Trixie says taps her hoof to her head while looking up. Suddenly she brightens up and looks toward me. "I know, how about you sleep in my bed?"
I look at the twin sized bed. It's about my length, and about a foot or two over my width.
"But where are you going to sleep, Trixie?"
"In my bed, with youuuuuu." Trixie chimes as she takes my hand and leads me to her bed. She beckoned to lay in her bed first, so I obliged.
As I am laying down, I look over to Trixie, who is currently looking over my form, and looks at me with half-lidded eyes, a drunken blush, and sultry smile as she is swaying from side to side to try and keep her balance. She trails a hoof up and down my chest, then traces it in a circle above my abdomen.
"You know, I never got to thank you for sav-*HIC~CUP* me." Trixie says in the best falsetto she can manage while drunk, not even registering the hiccup that she had in the middle of that sentence.
Is she...nah couldn't be
"Wha- what are you talking about?" I stammer in my inebriated state. "I did it to save my life too."
"Trixie never would have lived through that if it wasn't for you. I was a damsel in distress, and shou..shouldn't a damsel reward her he-... her heroi-... her brave protector?" She explains as she started to climb over me, wrapping her legs around my midsection, her cape and body acting as a warm, comfortable shelter from the cool air.
She is currently straddling me with her smooth coat, as alcohol and berries mingling as their combined smell washes over from her warm breath as she is panting near my face. Her lips are just inches from my face, as a growing excitement starts to make a tent in my jeans. Noticing it, she slowly starts to grind on my crotch. I let out a sigh as I start to feel small waves of pleasure. Much of it was mitigated by my clothing, though I started to feel light dampness on my pants while she does this, a faint smell of raspberries in the air mixing in the the smell of the booze and some other fruit that I can't quite narrow down.
"This is wrong, Trixie. We're... we're drunk and we shouldn't be-" I am interrupted from my excuse as a soft hoof presses against my lips.
"Shhhh," the showmare whispers. As she puts more pressure into her hips, she leans in close to my ear and then speaks in a soft and gentle voice."If this is wrong... then I don't ever want to be right." Immediately after she finishes her sentence, she nips at my ear, making me shudder.
Wow, just...Holy shit. For being a pony that was hot. I have a soft spot for dirty talk, and my internet history would prove it. I'm amazed I didn't blow right there. As she sits on top of me, grinding faster and faster, she lets out a some low moans, and leans forward to kiss me. Lips pursed and lewd thoughts stirring in her head. She is about an inch away at this point. With my head in the clouds, I decided to resign to the carnal ecstasy I was currently in.
"AAAAHHHHhhhhh."
All of a sudden, Trixie moans very loudly, arching her back and spasming as I feel a gush of warm liquid splash on my jeans. She stays in this position for a couple of seconds, and when the spasming stops, she falls down on top of me, her head on the other side of mine. A gentle snoring sound comes from the now sleeping mare. With the combination of the being drunk, having an orgasm, and all that has happened throughout the day, the poor thing must have tuckered herself out. Sucks that I had to be blueballed though, which was weird that I was thinking this given that she was a pony.
Well this has been the most uncomfortable day I have had in a very long time. I'm just really tired...
I take a look once more to my left, at the mare currently snoozing with a hint of drool coming out of her tired, happy smile.
… but I guess It wasn't too bad. I mean, I did make a friend today, even if it wasn't how I would have l liked to have done it. I just hope that she doesn't remember any of what she did in the morning.
With that thought, I shut my eyes let Mr. Sandman bring me a dream.
''Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music in the wind and the silence of the stars. Anyone who has loved has been touched by magic. It is such a simple and extrordinary part of the lives we live."
***Edgar's POV*** **Tower of Terrible Omens**
Me, Donald duck and Napoleon Bonaparte finally reached the master's sanctum. After fighting Daleks, Stormtroopers, and my old high school Oakwater football team, our bodies were on the verge of collapsing. We could not give up, however. Our friends, our family, and our future children were all counting on us. We had to stop the master here and now, or else we would be running the rest of our lives.
I snap my fingers in a z-formation, and then I point at the door. Napoleon, understanding my hand signals, realized that the door I was referring to had a very ugly looking mahogany finish and needed to be taught a lesson. Riding a dark colored horse with a ethereal mane, he screams his signature battle cry and starts to ram the door.
"I SURRENDER!!!" The Frenchman screams as he urges the horse to trample the door. As it comes off its hinges, we rush inside.
We thought we were prepared for everything. We fought demons, devils, and forgotten evils. We thought our victory was assured...
...but even if we were at full strength, we could not be prepared for this.
Sitting on a bloodstained alabaster throne, was the king of carnage. The God of death. The very whisper of doom itself...
"I'm gonna knock your block off!" The Italian stallion yells as he rushes toward Donald Duck. As soon as Donald was in range, Rocky knocked him out with a Haymaker. This prompted Napoleon to rush and avenge his fallen comrade. Rocky was expecting this from the French General. As soon as Napoleon slashed at him with his saber, Rocky ducked and weaved and he...he...
Napoleon never stood a chance.
Rocky then turns to me, walking slowly towards me as he chuckles. I was shivering in fear, and I dropped my keyblade in order to beg for my life.
"Puny non-muscular man" Rocky laughed in an evil tone, "You brought this upon yourself. Do you have any last words? Actually, nevermind. You're not worth my time!!!" He roared as he reared his fist back. "For Adriaaaaan!!!!"
Swallowing my fear, I brace myself for a warrior's death. He then launched a hook right into my jaw, launching me into the air as a girly voice screamed in the background.
OUUUUCH. Wait, I'm Dreaming...right?
So why did that hurt more then it should have?
My world faded around me.
***Trixie's carriage***
As I begin to awaken, I momentarily feel a falling sensation as my face pulsed in pain. This pain increased as my face met the hard, wooden floor. I panic slightly as the pain wakes me up more and I become more aware of everything that is going on right now. I reach to feel my chin and wince as I touch it.
Uggg, that dream felt more real then I would have preferred. Seriously, what the fuck happened?
Not a moment after I have that thought, I hear a rather upset voice scolding me from a few feet away.
"Hummph, serves you right!" The voice barks. I lift my head up and I look at the source of the voice. Standing in front of me is a very irate Trixie. The mare with a bedhead seems rather upset, but I have no Idea why. I mean I just woke up, so cut me some slack.
"What happened?" I groan towards her.
"What happened? YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED???" Trixie asks incredulously. "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED! YOU SOILED YOURSELF ON MY BED!!!" She practically screamed.
I look toward my pants, and a dryer, but still noticeable spot of Mare cum still stains my pants. Suddenly, all the events of last night come back to me. The drunkenness, the grinding, her breath across my cheeks. Why would she get mad at me for something she did?
"You're lucky your... urine... didn't reach my bedsheets. Do you usually go into other people's homes and try to ruin their things?" She continued to berate me. She picked up a brush with her magic, and started to brush her hair in a very irate manner as she continued to glare at me. "Aren't you a little too old to be a bed wetter?"
She must think I wet my pants. Does she really not remember what happened last night? Now that I think about it, she was pretty hammered last night. Heck, had to be to do what she did. She probably has a hangover, and had forgotten what she did. I guess that is why she has a bitchy attitude this morning. When she woke up, all she probably saw was the hairless monkey who peed his pants right on her bed. Not to mention right under her.
I slowly get up and I look toward the mirror on her wall to take a good look at myself. Brown bed-hair? Check. Green eyes? Check. Muscular and attractive jawline? Double check. Red hoof-shaped mark on the left side of my chin, between my jaw and my cheek?
..That wasn't there when I went to sleep. Trixie must have done it when she woke up and discovered the mess she thought I made.
Well, that explains the punch and the girly scream I heard.
I was a tad bit pissed off at Trixie for doing that, and I had half a mind to tell her that she did it. I did not want to because I doubt she would believe me. Besides, would I really want to embarrass her like that? I just started being friends with her, and I don't wanna make things more awkward then they already are for the trip to Ponyville. I know what you are thinking. "Edgar, you are the best actor in the world and a sexy man. But weren't we right about telling the truth last time?" Well you were, but this is different in my opinion. Last time if I told the truth, I might have loss a potential ally.
This time, we are talking about either embarrassing my only friend on this world, or having her think I am a liar an losing more of her trust.
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Trixie interrogated in a way an angry mother would scold a child. Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to have to swallow my pride as I tell myself to own up to something I didn't do.
"I'm sorry Trixie. I... I had a nightmare about the Dragon from yesterday." I quickly lied looking away and speaking in an ashamed tone.
Hearing this, Trixie's hardened expression softened as some of her anger seemed to fade.
"You had a nightmare about the Dragon?" She questioned softly. I nodded, head facing away as she slowly walked closer. She swiveled her ears to my direction and stayed quiet, presumably to listen more intently to me.
Three years of drama improv, don't fail me now!
Contrary to popular belief, you don't make a good lie just by making it sound convincing. That might fool any stupid person. But if the person or pony you are trying to fool is smarter then a 5th grader, then you won't have much luck. In order to fool them, you have you actually believe your lie, and weave some truth into it.
"I keep thinking back to what would have happened if we didn't scare him off. Like any other person, I'm scared of death, and that was the closest to dying I have ever gotten in my life. I... tried my best to lie to myself. I thought I could hide that I was, and still am, actually horrified at what could have happened back there, but I guess I can act for so long." I take a deep breath as I look over to Trixie, and look away real quick to see her facial expression. She seemed to almost pity me, much to my humiliation. On the plus side, that probably means she is believing me. "I honestly haven't wet my bed since I was a child." I continue with a sorrowful chuckle. "Fitting since that's exactly what I felt like ever since I got here. I'm sorry for doing that to your bed Trixie, and I promise it won't happen agai-" I was interrupted from my apology when Trixie hopped on her hind legs and wrapped her forelegs around me me in a embrace, surprising me as she stroked the hair behind my head.
"No, no. I should be sorry, I shouldn't have been so harsh on you. I just thought that you would have been in these situations before, given how calm and quick-thinking you were when we were stuck in your car." Trixie tries to explain in a comforting manner.
"No, I wasn't. Humans don't get into situations like that unless they are in the military, or they are just downright unlucky." I explain with a slight, forced crack in my voice. "I just wanted to go home and graduate High School."
"You're still a student?" Trixie asks in disbelief.
"I wouldn't be in four days from now, when I would graduate and take my first steps to adulthood." I sniff and rub by eyes, giving a small chuckle as I do so. "Heh, look at me. Here I am, rambling on about becoming an adult when I'm so close to breaking down like a child."
"You think that's bad?" Trixie rebuttals with a teary eyed smile. "I repay the pony who saved my life by slapping him and yelling at him for something that wasn't even his fault. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?"
"You already did last night." I reply with a smile.
Trixie's eyes widened at this, and she paused for a second.
"How?" She questions with a sudden curiosity.
"Well that's easy. You invited me into your home, you fed me, and you gave me warm bed to sleep in." I begin as I smile at the mare." You gave me your friendship."
That must have scored me some major or brownie points or something, cause when I said that she squeezed me a lot tighter, and then she hoped away from me and got started with her morning activities, a blush prevalent on her face.
"Actually, there is probably something you can do." I say with a sheepish grin.
"Ooohhh?" She questioned.
"...Do you know any cleaning spells for clothing?"
***Trixie's pov***
It was a very beautiful morning in the Everfree forest. Celestia's sun was rising above the horizon, but because a thick canopy of trees cover the top of the forest, only small rays of light poke through it. All it succeeded in doing in the causing the morning dew to slowly evaporate back to the fog vapors that blanketed the forest. As foreboding and dangerous as the forest was, an eerie peace that very few places have known resonated throughout the forest.
"You want to do WHAT to my Mustang?!?!?"
...An eerie peace indeed. It was currently after a breakfast of canned peaches and bread, and we were currently discussing the best mode of transportation in this forest. I want to use his car, since it was really fast, and stronger then my carriage if the dragon could barely put a dent in it. Plus, I have a little Trixie trick that I want to show him.
...I should probably just stick to magic. Comedy is not my forte.
"Would you like me to use small words this time, Edgar?" I say, growing slightly agitated. I didn't think he would get so defensive about this. All I wanted to do was take his car completely apart, find out what I have to do to make it work again, and fix it...and maybe change that foreboding jet black color to something more inviting. Maybe a light blue with my cutie Mark emblazoned all over it.
"I know what you said, I just don't wanna believe it." Edgar stubbornly says. "It's already ruined to all hell. I don't wanna risk it becoming completely unusable since you don't even know how this thing works."
"Do you?" I counter.
"... well I'm not an expert, per say. I do know how to fix common problems with the car, like a popped tire or a dead battery. So before you take the whole thing apart, how about you just do what I say and let me help you with that." Edgar says with confidence. As much as he can while stuttering that answer, that is. Well it's better then just standing around arguing with him.
"Okay, what's the first step, Professor?" I say in a mocking but playful tone.
"Ok, well the first thing we need to do is see what the damage is.. Now from what I see, we have some popped tires, a couple of dents, and the engine sounded like something is compressing the pistons, not to mention..." Edgar's voice slowly tunes out as I go into autopilot. I don't really care about what he's saying right now. I'm just going to do what he says and nod when he looks my direction.
I know I am probably sounding bitchy right now, but this hangover is not helping, and that's not even mentioning all of what happened this morning.
***an hour and a half ago.***
I was just beginning wake up from a wonderful dream. I gave a happy sigh as crane my neck, relishing the feeling of utter relaxation and tranquility. You know how when you first wake up and you just don't want to get out of bed from how comfy it is. I am currently having that feeling multiplied by three. I am not usually a morning person, but by Star Swirl's beard that was probably the best sleep I had in years. That is, until I started to feel my hangover.
The hangover wasn't really the bad part. I get them all the time when I'm either trying to drown my sorrows and regrets, or simply wanna have fun. No, the worst part was when I opened my eyes. At first, it was dark in my wagon, which is how I prefer it in the mornings. Then I began to hear sounds of snoring beneath me. Curious as to what that was, looked down as my eyes slowly adjusted. When the room brightens up a little, I see the face of a very familiar creature. While I was confused for second, suddenly I started to get flashbacks from last night. The Dragon, the human...the way the human made me blush, Like when I cleaned my entire carriage in ten seconds. Ohhh I don't know why, but when he gave me praise it felt ten times better to me then having twenty people say the same thing. Then there was the drinking, the explanations... The way he called my beautiful when he tried to lie to me. Yes, While he did try to lie, I can see in his face that he meant it when he said I was beautiful. I also remembered me leading him to the bed and...
Noooo...
"...and shouldn't the damsel reward her her-... her heroi-... her brave protector?"
"If this is wrong... then I don't ever want to be right."
No no no...
I immediately wake up more at that realization. When I look at him, I see I am straddling him in a very provocative position. Swallowing very worryingly, I look back at my hindquarters and slowly lift my hips. Surely enough, there was a dark spot right where my vagina had been, as well as a certain stallion thing that happens in the morning.
This is bad. This is very, very bad. What if he wakes up?
"mmgmgmhhm... Donald, where's the blacksmitmhmm..."Edgar mumbles as he shifts his body, scaring me into thinking he was going to wake up. When he settled back down however, I started to get up.
Ugh... I swear I bring this stuff upon myself. Not only do I get my newest house guest drunk and borderline ra... raaa... raaap... damn it, I can't even think that vile word. I took advantage of him in his drunken state. I went full animalistic on him like I was in heat, and I..."splooged" on his jeans. Immediately after, like any bit-a-dozen whorse, I decided to just leave him high and dry by taking a nap right on top of him. Seriously, what the buck Trixie?
Come to think of it, I don't know how I climaxed so early... and so hard. Usually, a mare could go for about seven or nine minutes before she climaxes, yet I only lasted three when I was with him, and it wasn't even real sex! It wasn't like I wasn't experienced either. I experimented with like two or three stallions, and maybe a nice earth pony mare before back at that rock farm, so I know my way around the sack. That being said, even though I was tipsy I should have lasted way longer than that.
My thoughts were interrupted when Edgar moaned a little, and then started to murmur in his sleep.
"nooooooh, stay away frm meh..."
He might wake up any second now. I have to think of a way to make this less awkward.
Okay Trixie, think! Well, even though he's slightly bigger then me, I doubt he can drink as much as me without getting wasted. I had more practice then him. He drank only a bottle's worth of wine, but that looked like it was enough to get him drunk. It could have been enough for him to not to remember what happened last night.
Edgar shifted little, and his covered erection brushed against my marehood. It caught me off guard, and had I not caught myself in time I would have whimpered like a college filly in heat. Because of that though, I reminded myself of the spot that was obvious on his lower clothing.
Uggg, why did he have to wear clothing? He's gonna notice the spot and ask about it. It honestly looks like in he wet himself...
No Trixie, Bad Pony! I can't make him think he did that. It would embarrass him so much! Then again, if I don't he will think I am a perverted little whorse.
Weighing the options, I decided what I was going to do. Prepping my best shocked face, I slowly climb off the bed and rear my hoof back.
Well, here goes nothing. Please don't get too angry.
Okay, you caught me. I figured him wetting the bed would be less awkward for us then him finding out I rubbed my vagina all over him, but who wouldn't? What happened next however, I did not expect.
"We are almost done, Trixie. I just think we need to give the battery an electrical charge." He says with a smile.
"Alright. Let me see what the Great and Powerful Trixie can do." I say with confidence, masking my true feelings right now as I begin to channel electricity into the big box in the car.
He looked so fragile back when he talked about the dragon in his nightmare. At first, I thought from the way he handled that Dragon, he was not afraid of anything, that he could stare Nightmare Moon in the face and laugh at her silly helmet. It's only after he admitted his fear that I realize he was more scared and vulnerable about then I was when the Ursa Minor came into Ponyville. I felt horrible for making him feel that way. If there is one thing my mother taught me to do, it's to never make the stallion you set your eye on feel like he is the weak one of the group. That is just verbal domestic abuse.
When he was apologizing I couldn't help but hug him. I just felt so disgusted by myself that I couldn't tell him the truth, but if he found out that I did that stuff to him last night and pinned the blame on him, he would be furious. Any normal stallion would be. I ended up finding out two things about him. The first being that he was not as old as I though he was, and the second was that he viewed me as a friend.
Foal steps, Trixie. Atleast you are getting somewhere.
***Edgar's Pov.***
All in all, I say we did very fine job with the car. If we can get the battery up and running, we should be good to head to Ponyville. I still don't see how Trixie thinks we can move her carriage too. We already spent an hour on the car and other carriage looks like it would fall apart if I were to pull it at the speed my "Roy" Mustang would give.
After Trixie gives the signal, I turn my keys and hope it would start. Sure enough, I hear the familiar rumble of V8 engine. As I mentally fist-bump myself, I turn back to Trixie who has her signature cocky grin.
"Never doubt the Great and Powerful Trixie!" She booms in a showman like fashion.
"That was impressive and all, but you never said how we were going to move your carriage."
"Remember when I said that the cleaning spell I did was not the most amazing household thing that can do?"
I nod my head as Trixie's confident smirk grew.
"Well then prepare to be amazed!" She said as she pranced toward her carriage until she was about a few yards in front of door. Turning toward me and giving one last smile, she took off her hat and pulled out a... that looks a lot like the wand from her cutie mark. She then turned her hat upside down in front of her and tapped her hat with the wand.
As she waves her wand, I start to hear...
Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Sure enough, I start to hear music in the background. Only this time, Trixie is moving her head to the music. Can she hear it now?
Is she really singing along to the lyrics of the song this time? That's it, she must definitely know something's going on.
♪ I want your attention everything!♪
As soon as she finished that particular phrase, her carriage doors swung open, and peeking their heads out were a bunch of different objects that were found throughout the inside of her home. From pillows to books to bottles, they all had an almost living curiosity, and they seemed to be listening to what Trixie had to say.
"We're packing to leave," Trixie addressed the magical menagerie in a commanding tone. "so come on, let's go!"
The pillows and blankets started to move first, eager to please their mistress, but Trixie halted their advance with a hoof.
"No no, not you. My booze is always first you know." She corrected them. She started to wave her wand like a conductor's baton, and the music started to play again. As soon as it started, many different bottles carrying different years started to float in a line toward her hat.
♪Hockety pockety wockety wack♪ ♪abra-cabra da-bra nack♪ ♪Shrink in size very small♪ ♪we've got to save enough room for all♪ ♪Higitus Figitus migitus mum♪ ♪pres-ti-dig-i-ton-i-um!♪
As she blatantly copied a Disney song from an old movie of my childhood, the many different objects shrink as they get closer to her hat, shaking to the rhythm of the music as they float inside it. This was a very organized chaos, as certain objects butted heads with each other with an almost living personality, mainly a teddy bear version of an Ursa Major and a banana.
♪Cicero you belong to the "C's"♪ ♪alphabethical order please♪ ♪Ali-i-ca-fez bal-a-ca-zez♪ ♪malacamez meripides♪ ♪Hockety pockety wockety wack♪ ♪that's the way we have to pack.♪ ♪Higitus Figitus migitus mum♪ ♪pres-ti-dig-i-ton-i-um!♪
As the line slowly starts to shrink, it seems as if her hat was bottomless. I remember that the song lasted for a tad bit longer then this however, and she was going to finish way before then.
"Be with you in just a minute, Edgar," Trixie says as she breaks out of her trance-like state, if only for a moment. "My packing almost done."
I look back to her carriage to check and see if I missed anything, but there is nothing else coming out. What else could she possibly need to pack? I got my answer when I noticed the carriage adopt a bluish tint and start to float.
No way... the Trixie from the show was nowhere near as powerful as this, if she's doing what I think she's doing. This was Twilight-level magic.
Trixie noticed my mouth wide open and smirked, sweat visible as this feat taxes her. She tries not to let this show, as a look of a sort of excited determination takes over.
"This is the best part, now!" Trixie says with a cocky air in her tone. She then swishes her tail and hair, and adopts a steadfast stance, and hoists her carriage into the air.
♪Hockety Pockety Wockety Wack♪ ♪Odds and ends and Bric-a-Brac♪ ♪Higitus Figitus migitus mum,♪ ♪pres-ti-dig-i-ton-i-um♪
As the carriage begins to shrink, Trixie begins to look very drained, but still determined as ever when she almost screams the last couple of lines.
As the last phrase finishes, the carriage shrinking almost instantaneously into the size of a model car. I would have chuckled a tad bit if Trixie had not collapsed right there. Worried that she might have overdone herself, I ran to her side.
"Trixie, you alright?"
"My bucking horn is killing me!'" She said with an annoyed yet pained groan.
Must have been the hangover plus her doing all that magic.
"Just put my carriage inside your car. We can take it with us like that." Trixie requested between inhales and exhales.
Shaking my head, I move to wrap my arms around Trixie.
"I'll take care of that in a minute," I tell her as I hoist her up and start to walk to the passenger seat of the mustang. "Right now, I'm more worried about getting you inside so you can rest."
Trixie didn't seem to mind as she gave a sigh and leaned in closer as I walked closer and closer to my car. I didn't mind that she was still sweating. True, it was kinda gross, but she honestly didn't smell as bad as I thought she would with that sweat. Oddly enough, She actually smelled fruity, like the Trix breakfast cereal.
The humor in that is not lost on me.
As I put her in the seat and recline it for her, she whispers a small thank you and shifts her cape over herself like blanket and gives a very high pitched yawn. It was so adorable that on the way to get her mini-carriage to I had to kick a tree stump to feel manly again. As I pick up her carriage and hat lying on the ground, I open the trunk with my car keys. They weighed about the same as their size would suggest, which was surprising since the hat pretty much swallowed the entirety of the home's inside. I had to shift a couple things in the trunk to make them fit. I had to move my Jo staff and my Bokken over a tad to make sure they were undamaged. I usually kept them in the trunk in case we had a weapons class in my old dojo, but right now they had very little use. I placed the carriage inside the trunk, and took Trixie's hat inside the car, placing in on the back seat.
"So what did you think of spell?" I hear a tired voice ask. Looking over to Trixie, I see she hasn't quite fallen asleep yet and is looking to me with an inquisitive look. "Did you think that I did good back there?"
"Well, for starters I think that Walt Disney is going to rise from the grave to sue the hell outta someone," Trixie gave a confused and slightly hurt look at this. " But to be honest, that was amazing."
"Heh, well... Ta-daaaa" Trixie tried to say in a showman-like fashion. She gave a happy sigh and smile as I started the ignition. The car didn't sound too bad and I had about three quarters of the tank full of gas. The car was currently on a wide dirt path going two ways. One side of the path was very dark, while another was brighter then the other. At least with the brighter path, you can see what's in front of you. I look a look in the bushes in there and I thought I saw... nevermind. My eyes were probably playing tricks on me.
"So where is Ponyville?"
"Go that way, through the darker path." Trixie said.
"Wait, you want me to go deeper in the dark and spooky forest?" I ask with a certain amount of scepticism.
"No, you'll actually be getting out." Trixie said as she massaged her head. " This forest... it's pure evil. It's almost like it's alive, and it's trying to get you lost and kill you at every turn. It would trick you with hope, brightening a certain path to make you want to follow it, only to lead you into a creature lurking in the fog. We have to go through the most dangerous looking path to come out safely. Just trust me, I lived here long enough to know my way around."
Trying to Ignore how horrifying she just made the Everfree sound, I shift into drive and go down the darker path. I'm still scared shitless, so I put on some music to try and ease the atmosphere into something more cheerful. I turned on the radio, and I heard nothing but static.
Damn, no satellites mean no radio.
Determined not to let the doldrums of the car get the best of me, I turn it to CD while I look for a disc to play. Trixie seemed curious at what I was doing, as she followed every movement of my hands.
"Edgar, what are you doing?" She asked
"Looking for music to put on." I casually reply as I skimmed through Aerosmith, GNR, Best of the 90's volume 1 out of 10, and my own funk mix. I usually wouldn't skip such good bands, but Trixie seemed tired, so I wanted to play something to help both me and her relax.
"That doesn't look like much of an instrument? It's just a circle." Trixie stated in a disbelieving tone.
"You'd be amazed at what something so small can do." I say with a knowing smile on my face.
Finally, after looking through 20+ discs, I found my mother's old Disney CD, I put it inside the disc and wait for it to begin playing. She used to play it all the time on road trips when I was a kid. As the music starts, Trixie looks around in amazement. The music was coming from the speakers around the car, but to her, it probably seemed like it was coming from everywhere. I smiled at the sight. These ponies may have real magic, but we humans have the spark of imagination that drives us not only to make ways to hurt each other, but ways to create incredible beauty. It's our own little magic.
♪when you wish upon a star, it makes no differance who you are♪
As the original "When you wish upon a star" plays while I'm driving, Trixie slowly comes down from her high and turns to me.
"It's a record player, but it is SO CLEAR!!! This is amazing, it's like the Royal Canterlot symphony is playing all around us, yet they are nowhere at the same time." She marveled, her violet eyes still full of wonder. "Is this music common from where you are from?"
"There are all sorts of music where I am from, but this music is one of my favorite types. No one can dislike a Disney song, or at the very least, the older ones" I say with a smile and a sigh. "My family and I used to listen to this type of music time when we went on road trips. I probably memorized these songs by heart now." And that's not counting all the times I sang them for auditions. It was common enough for students to pick a song to sing that was popular, as these songs typically have a "musical" sort of vibe. Way easier to show vocal range for a musical with a Disney song or a Broadway song than Rob Zombie's music.
"You mentioned the "Disney" person twice now. Just who is he?" Trixie asked with genuine interest. "Is he like a wizard?"
"Eh, In a way he kinda was. Instead of normal magic though, he inspires imagination and belief into the hearts of children with the different movies, shows, stories, you name it. This song is actually a part of a story that he used to help teach children morals." I explain.
"...I'm not going lie, that bit about inspiring imagination was cheesy, but that sounds like a noble goal." Trixie admits.
"Laugh at the cheesiness all you want, it doesn't change the fact that you were singing of his songs a while ago." I say to the tired showmare. Trixie took on a very confused expression as she stared at me.
"You have an obsession with music, don't you? You seem to be the only person here that hears anything, cause I definitely wasn't singing." Trixie stated as-a-matter-of-factly.
I swear to God, I will eat the next person who says they didn't hear any music. I know I heard it. I should probably just record it with my phone next time. Now I am reminded of my phone, I should probably plug it into my car charger. I'll never know when I might need it.
As I continue driving, I listen as the song ends and switches to "Two worlds" from Tarzan. I think back to my family road trips.
Family...I hope I can see them again.
Trixie, almost like she can sense my distress, comforted me.
"This is very beautiful music, and I really loved the first song." Trixie said as she leaned forward with a blush on her face and...kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you for sharing it with me." She spoke she turned away from me, probably resting from her excessive use of magic. I'm glad she turned away, otherwise she would have seen my obvious blush.
what's this feeling I have? My stomach and chest feel very weird. I feel like I am going to puke, but I am still feeling of...joy? Yea, it's joy.
I look back to Trixie, then look back to the road.
This is too cliche to be what I think it might be, so it probably isn't. I'm sure any guy would react like I just did right now… still, I liked that feeling.
I look at the creature as he moved further and further away in his metal contraption. I gave up on trying to get into it while they slept since its lock was unlike any I have seen before. It seems that the creature is the only master it would accept. I give a small chuckle and walk started to walk back and celebrate my long-awaited homecoming with a plan already birthing itself in my head. Still, I couldn't help but wonder about this new creature. While it was easy to read the magician's delicious budding love, the biped's feelings eluded what little magic I had at that point. Still, that should be irrelevant soon. I will arrive back into my home in about a day or so, and be welcome with open hooves and new goal.
This being is most interesting. Not one day in this forest and he claims the heart of a lonely pony, even if she doesn't know it yet. What a ladykiller.
I've been driving at a decent speed for about eight minutes, and I swear this forest is going to be the death of me. Trixie, feeling better after a little rest, has been guiding me until we reached the outskirts of the forest.
"...And that's the tree that the Ursa Minor knocked over when those two idiots brought it into town. Seriously, who would think that was in any way a smart idea???"
"Yea, that sounds like a dick move on their part."
"Well if there was one thing it taught me, it was that I was not as powerful as I though I was. I can't be too cocky all the time." Trixie said with an accepting tone. It seems that the mane six were not the only ones who have lived and learned in Equestria. "If none of those horrible things happened, I would probably be a lot meaner then I am now. Oh, Speaking of Ponyville we should see it any second now. It's just over this hill."
"Hey, when life gives you lemons..." I started the phrase, but halted when I saw Ponyville.
"You make lemonade, I know. Hey, are you okay? What, cat got your toun-..." Trixie serioused the fuck up when she saw what I was looking at.
Like Trixie's carriage, ponyville was just like it was in the show, but with much more detail. From the top of the hill, we could see many Apple orchards to the left. We could see carousel boutique, and Sugarcube corner. The most breathtaking building was twilight's castle. When I first saw it on the cartoon, I thought it looked kinda cool, I guess. Now that I am seeing the glorified treehouse in real life, with multicolored magic runes floating around it and the crystalline structure shimmering in the distance, I almost shed a tear. It's almost like what Dorothy probably felt when she first saw the Emerald City. While it was certainly beautiful and breathtaking, that wasn't the most interesting part.
No, the interesting part was the large amount of bug-like creatures trying to swarm the town, as they are engaged in a battle with the royal guards at the bottom.
Murphy's law is fucking Bullshit.
Chapter Four: Dramatic Entries and Expositions 1/2[Tiny rewrite]
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." -Albert Einstein
***3rd person Pov***
Private Spoon has had a shitty couple of days. First, the higher-ups decided that after the "Tirek" incident and the appearance of Princess Twilight's new castle, that Ponyville needed more guards. Due to this, his commanding officer, Sergeant Lemonhead redeployed Private Spoon to Ponyville. He wouldn't mind being deployed there if he was given warning first, or if they at least paid for his train ticket to Ponyville. While he understood that the Equestrian government is focusing on repairing the damages Tirek and Discord caused, it didn't make him feel any better that he has to wait for his reimbursement. His problems didn't end there.
When his train finally got to Ponyville, a pink earth pony practically kidnapped him and forced him to go to his own "welcoming party". Royal guard training or no, he could not escape that crazy mare. When he was able to finally leave after eating half his weight in cupcakes, he got stopped by his new commanding officer, Major Asshole. That might not be his real name, but it might as well have been due to how he was treated by the Major. Spoon tried to explain why he was late, but Major Asshole would have none of it. He spent the next two hours "Working off the extra pounds" he gained. Again, he would understand this if he didn't have to do it in a bucking dress sewn by one of the princesses friends.
Not only was he getting humiliated in front of his fellow troops, but when the seamstress found her latest creation all muddy and ripped, she took her revenge by casting a spell to die his coat into an "unstylish color scheme", which was psychedelic mix of every color except yellow. Again, he wouldn't mind this if he didn't get a headache every time he looked at himself.
So what would any normal creature to after having a day like this, other then kill themselves? That's right, they would sleep it off. He only got three hours of sleep, however, because the castle alarms sounded an imminent Changeling attack. Now he was already tired as hell from partying, having a sugar rush, and running non-stop for two hours straight, so needless to say he did not last twenty minutes out in the field. Schadenfreude is that Major Asshole didn't either.
Now here he is, a P.O.W huddled next to a couple other guards and most of Ponyville's citizens, waiting for just something to happen. Waiting was the hardest part, since they were waiting ever since they were brought to the sealed gate of Twilight's castle. They already waited for ten minutes, so it wouldn't be long now. If there was anything he learned from the faction tactics course of basic training, it was that creatures of a certain malevolence and lack of morals, like Changelings, would often use hostages as leverage to get more hostages. They did this by getting another side to either surrender or make them watch as they tortured the current hostages. It was cruel beyond imagination, but it was an effective type of psychological warfare when used against those who have never seen this kind of thing.
Though he wouldn't admit this openly, his fear was getting the best of him. So much, in fact, that he started hoping one of the citizens would be picked first. The more innocent the victim, the quicker the other side would surrender and the less blood would be shed. Under his breath, he is praying his luck will turn around soon. It won't be long before the executions begin.
***Edgar's POV, 15 minutes ago.***
"Well we can't just sit here and do nothing, Trixie. Those ponies have been getting their asses kicked for the past ten minutes we've been arguing." I say with a frustrated tone.
Trixie and I have been arguing for a while now. One minute we were getting ready to try and head into town and try to talk to Twilight, the next we had to try and discuss whether or not we are going to go into town.
"As much as I want to ask what donkeys have to do with this, I think we should focus on the matter at hand." Trixie said worried tone, brows furrowed as she takes a deep breath. As she gets done thinking, she began to speak.
"As heroic it would look for you to to run into that like the mare from "Sleeping Handsome", you would be beaten to a pulp. There's like seventy changelings down there, maybe more. I'm sorry Edgar, but even with the help of the royal guards there, I don't think we can take them all."
As pissed off as I was with this revelation, I know she was right. The royal guards were practically outnumbered three to one, and they were currently being pushed back to the royal castle. Now that I am actually paying attention to the royal guards, I noticed how their tactics worked. To be honest, they reminded me a lot of how they were in the show... and that's a bad thing. They looked professional at first, but put them in a situation that needs any form of doing their job, and they suck.
I guess that's not fair. They were still doing their best but they were all pretty much scrambling around while trying to fight back the changeling force. The changelings weren't even doing anything that required serious strategy. They were pretty much just zerg-rushing the guards, while some are in the back, shooting emerald bolts toward the guards. The magic users are not caring who they hit, as they seemed to have hit at least two times more changelings own force then they hit guards.
"There has to be something we can do! They are fighting a losing battle right now. Maybe we can just run them all over with my mustang. They wouldn't see it coming." I say with an almost desperate air to it.
Trixie shook her head.
"No, that wouldn't work. Changelings are both very numerous and very persistent." Trixie warned. "Even if we do try to go on a killing spree, we wouldn't get all the ones down there, and it would only be a matter of time before we got swarmed."
I hate how right she can be sometimes. This car is already almost ruined, and if it breaks down in the middle of all those bugs, then we would be sitting ducks.
Where the hell are the Mane Six in all this??? They should be here rescuing shit right about now.
I look back to the Trixie and see that she too is staring at the scene before us in horror. This can't be any easier for her to watch. She wanted to come here to apologize and ask for forgiveness, only to watch it be on the verge on ruin.
"Goddess above, it's like I'm dealt a bad hand at every turn!!!" She looked as if she was about to hit the dashboard of my mustang, but stopped herself. "Why can't anything just go my way for once?"
"Hey, I'm just as just as frustrated as you here, but whining about it isn't getting us anywhere. So unless you already have a plan, help me think of one." I said in a commanding tone. I hated being so harsh to her, especially since she did nothing wrong. but I am not coming up with any survivable ideas at the moment. If anyone can think of something, it would be her.
Trixie looks at the scene before her, and a mix of brilliance and worry work her way on her face. It's almost like she thought of something brilliant, but is kicking herself for thinking it.
"What is it Trixie?"
"Nothing."
"No seriously, what?"
"I had an itch on rear and I didn't want to scratch it in front of you." Trixie said as she gave a sheepish smile.
"Trixie." I say with a deadpan. "That was a lie, wasn't it?"
"No, I swear it wasn't."
"..." I continued my deadpan with the most serious face I can muster.
No one can last long under a face like this one. I practiced in front of a mirror while thinking of how Christian Bale did his glares. While mine may lack the intensity, it is still a powerful tool. She'll crack any minu-
"OKAY, ENOUGH WITH THE EYES ALREADY!!!" Trixie yelled out. "UGGgg, if you really must know, I thought of a really horrible, stupid idea."
"I doubt I really have anything better, so let's hear it." I say encouragingly.
I should really learn to keep my mouth shut.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" I ask while trying not to panic. It's easy to act brave when you are about two football fields away from the action, but when your close up the bravado can go out the window very fast.
"Shhhhh. Just fly casual." Trixie said as she concentrated on what was in front of us.
"What was that, Trixie?"
"It's a Pegasus term. It just means go slow and steady."
Ignoring the blatant Star Wars quote, we were currently trying to sneak around Ponyville to get closer to Twilight's castle. If we can make it there, we can find out if Twilight has a plan and whether or not we can help. If we could get close enough, she could try and teleport inside and tell Twilight to let us in.
While normally, a big hunk of metal like my mustang would draw some attention, Trixie planned ahead. At first she made a couple attempts at putting an invisibility spell and a sound dampening spell directly on the mustang. At first it wasn't working, but then we remembered what happened when Trixie tried to get me out of the car. When the knife touched me, It fell and Trixie couldn't pick it up with her magic. After we made the connection that I, along with anything that we were currently touching, were immune to magic. This was an easy fix, however. While the inside of the car was immune, the body was not. So she just walked out of the car, cast the spells, and walked back in. We were practically ghosts now, leaving only tire tracks in the grass as we road to the Castle. These would be obvious footprints if changing knew what to look for. But since they were more focused on their battle, they wouldn't look for us.
This did come with some drawbacks, however. For starters, we don't know how long the spell is going to last. That means that they can fade at any time. The second drawback, was that I was at only half a tank of gas now. I don't think equestrian has any gas stations I can refill at. Eh, I'll think about that later. For now, I'm going to focus on not running over any of the changelings that I'm weaving around.
After about ten minutes, we finally made it to the underside of the balcony, near the front of the castle. Positioned about thirty yards from the gate, and sixty yards from us is a small army of bug ponies, who have practically took control of Ponyville. They seemed to have taken some guards and ponies captive. A majority of the ponies have been herded into alleyways between buildings with a green, gooey web-type net above them. Probably meant to keep the Pegasi in. A select few had been taken outside these cages, while being wrapped in the web-like goop as bindings. Along with some guards, I saw some very familiar faces, among them were the Cakes, the Apple family, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. While the alleys were full changeling hostages, the streets were relatively empty, save for the select few who were chosen be out of the cages, and their captors. Looking up, we saw that the balcony was patrolled by two pegasi and a unicorn guard who was rubbing his horn in a slight agony.
Wow, right in the middle of a battle. What a pervert... I think. I knew that in some fanfiction they functioned as a pleasure point, but I'm not sure that it might be the same here.
"Alright, I'm going to try and convince whoever's in charge here to let us inside. There is a powerful shield so I'm going to blow most of my magic on my teleport to get in. Since I'm using all my magic though, I might just end up somewhere random inside the castle. It also means that I'm not going to be able to help you." Trixie turned to leave the car, but then stopped and looked back at me. She stared at me for a second, then pulled me into a hug. "So for the love of Celestia, don't do anything stupid."
"Don't worry, I'm an actor." I say as I returned the hug.
Trixie recoiled at this, then narrowed her eyes.
"That just means you're a professional liar." she deadpanned.
"Again with the liar accusation. I really don't like it when peop-" before I can finish that thought, I feel a hoof press against my mouth.
"Just...Promise me..." she said in an agitated, but sincere and pleading tone. While this looks out of character for Trixie, I don't think that I should call her out on it."...please."
"Alright already, I won't do anything stupid when it isn't needed. Happy now?" I ask the mare. She just smiled squeezed into the hug more.
"Very."
After that, Trixie walked outside of the car and with an auditable pop, she teleported into the castle. With my car buddy now gone, I decide to shift my car into reverse and move it back just a little, turning so I can watch the the changelings right in front of me.
At least there are a lot less changelings then we saw a while ago.
Still, while I'm sitting here twiddling my thumbs, I can't help but worry for these ponies.
My worries intensified when a large green flame spawned right in the middle of the square. While this seemed to shock many of the citizens, the changelings only stared at it. When the flames receded, in its place was a changeling.
A considerably larger, more feminine looking changeling with greenish hair starting at the base, then slowly turning a very light pink. She had a cricket cage attached to a black saddlebags on her left side, and a katana on her right side. I used the term "katana" very loosely because honestly, it looks like a weeaboo's wet dream. It makes me wanna cry from how awful it is. If the fact that she looked very different didn't set her apart from the other changelings, it's the fact that she was also wearing a crown that did.
The regal changeling suddenly opened her eyes when the last of the flames dies down. With hot pink irises, she scanned the area from her left and right methodically. When she was finished, she simply looked to the castle and gave a toothy grin...a wicked, awful, toothy grin.
***Twilight's POV, her castle.***
"Please Applejack darling, calm down and let's talk about this a little more." A posh voice said.
"Ah can't just sit here on mah flank an' do nuthin', Rares." Yelled a very southern voice in a frustrated, panicked tone. "Mah family's out there, and we've done nuthin' but "talk"". Applejack said as she moved her hooves in pseudo airquotes, almost hysterically.
My friends and I, along with my number one assistant and Discord, were currently inside the Circle of Friendship trying to figure out how to beat back the changeling army that's outside the castle gates. The girls and I dubbed this room that after Rarity decided that this room needed a name. After such ideas like "Rainbow Dash's crib" and "The Hall of Justice", we just decided name it the Circle of Friendship because of the way the room was designed. There were six thrones facing each other, each bearing one of our Cutie Marks. In the center of this room is a table with a live map of what is going on in Equestria. Discord is currently laying on the table with his tail lazily hanging off the side.
"ummm, to be fair Applejack, you aren't the only one with loved ones outside. Rarity has her sister outside, and I don't even want to mention what Pinkie might be going through. Fluttershy said. Not three seconds after she said that however, her eyes widened as she realized what she said. "Oh my gosh, Pinkie I am so sorry. I didn't mean to bring them up." She whimpered at the downtrodden mare.
Pinkie paid no mind to Fluttershy as she continued to stare at the miniature Sugarcube Corner. She hasn't even said a word since she walked in here. Her eyes have lost most of their life, and her hair as lost its poofyness, instead draping itself across Pinkie's neck in a very straight manner. I can't imagine what she might be going through right now. Aside from us and her family, there is nothing she loved more then making Ponyville smile and laugh and caring for Sugarcube corner. But now that there is a chance that we might lose it... no, I can't think of that. We WILL figure a way out of this...we have to.
Applejack takes in what Fluttershy said though, and took some deep breaths to try and calm herself down. She was still on edge, but has calmed down noticeably.
I can't believe this. Not two weeks after this castle magically appears and I already find myself in a war trying to defend it. I'm just glad we managed to get a portion of the Ponyville population into the castle.
"I don't see why I have to stay here though. It's not like those overgrown cockroaches would catch me. I'm the fastest Pegasi in Equestria." A very brash and raspy voice said from above. Rainbows Dash, like the rest of us, was not happy about being caged in here while there are ponies giving their life for us. "Give me like two minutes tops. I'll fly to Canterlot and get some help from the Princesses. I'm sure one look at a pissed-off Luna would send them all packing."
Right before I was going to tell her why that wouldn't work, I felt...something. I don't know what it was, but it gave me a very ominous feeling. And then there was pain so intense, I almost collapsed. Applejack and Rainbow both rushed to my side to support me. It felt like a lemon wrapped around a gold brick had just been smashed against my horn. When I finally had enough control to open my eyes I saw that I wasn't the only one who felt that, as Rarity was also being supported by Spike, Fluttershy, and Pinkie.
"Rarity, are you okay?" Spike asked as he gingerly helped Rarity back on her throne.
"Unng, Don't worry about me, Spiky-wikey. I should be fine now." Rarity said as rubbed her horn. She then looked over to me, with a twinge of fear in her eyes. "Ow...Ow...Twilight, you didn't feel that too, did you?"
"I did. Rainbow, as fast as you are, I don't want you outside when that...thing is right outside." I tell her. Usually unicorns only feel pain in their horns when something with malevolent magic gives a massive display of power. While we can put spells on ourselves to mitigate the pain we feel greatly, it does us little good if it catches us off guard. That means that whatever that... thing was, it just arrived.
"umm, Twilight. If you don't mind me asking, why haven't you sent a letter to Princess Celestia yet?" Fluttershy asked in a timid tone.
"Hah, don't think we haven't tried." Spike said with a mild annoyance." After I wrote the first letter, I blew my fire on it, but in only turned it into a pile of ash. Twilight told me that she didn't feel the letter get sent, so we tried again. After twenty rewrites and burnings later, she decided it wasn't working."
HEY, it never hurts to quadruple-check the quintuple-checks.
"Ok, what gives Twilight?"
"I don't exactly know. It seems that whatever is out there put a magic dampening field around us. In short, we're on our own girls." I said, with a silence following.
"So, ummm...Discord, why haven't you done anything yet? Not that you have to or anything." Fluttershy asked with a more comfortable tone.
"Why, Fluttershy I would love to help my dear friends. I can't because I have no control over my magic." The draconequus said In a very bored tone, playing ping pong with his tail.
"That is literally the stupidest thing I have ever heard, Discord." I am getting very irritated right now. I wish he would take this a little more seriously. "What kind of Spirit of Chaos can't control his own magic?" I say as I stomp one of my Hooves on the tile.
"Have you ever handled Chaos magic before, Twilight?" I shook my head. "Didn't think so. Chaos magic is very difficult to control. It took the lifespan of the Princesses' parents for me to get a firm grasp of control. After Tirek took my magic, he pretty much took my control. I know how to get it back, so it's not going to take quite that long, but the issue is taming it again." Discord shrugged his shoulders as he snapped is fingers, summoning a top hat. He then reached into it and pulled out Fluttershy's bunny, Angel, who was shocked and very confused, and gave him to her. "Sure, I got magic. But if I were to use it for anything strenuous, I might accidentally turn my dear Fluttershy into a tree."
I was about to respond, but the muffled yells from the other side of the door interrupted us.
"STOP HER" and "How did she get in here?!?" Were heard as there was a sound of many hooves galloping toward the door.
The Changelings couldn't have found their way inside already, could they?
"Girls, assume the position." I said as they ran up to the stone door, which is now banging a lot. While Pinkie pie and Applejack were in front of us Rarity and me, facing the door, Rainbow Dash was trying to pull Fluttershy out from behind her throne. Spike put on his makeshift armor of pillows and Hoofball pieces while Discord... was sitting on MY Throne, munching on popcorn. I swear, when this is all over I'm finding a way to turn him back into stone. Even if it's only for day.
The marble doors busted into pieces, and out of the dust that the explosion created came scrambling...Trixie? Sure enough, a very tired and heaving Trixie was standing right in the front of the door. The only ponies that didn't seem surprised were Discord and Pinkie Pie. In fact, Pinkie actually seemed to brighten up a lot when she saw her, with a wide smile on her face and her hair getting poofy.
"Oh, hiya Trixie. How ya doin?" Pinkie said with her usually bubbly tone of voice. "Hey, did you know there's a battle going on outside? I was planning on throwing a "WOO-HOO, we beat up another bad guy!!!" party, but things aren't looking so good." Pinkie said as her hair deflated for a moment, but then looked back to Trixie and beamed. "Oh, I know! Maybe you can help us? If you helped us win, then I might throw a party for y-"
I'm sure Pinkie would have continued for a loooong time if Applejack didn't shove a hoof in her mouth. I could have sworn she mumbled something along the lines of "Too dry, needs milk.", whatever that means. Shaking my head at Pinkie's antics, I look back to the unicorn magician.
"Who the heck...*Wheeze* makes a door... out of BUCKING stone???" The showmare heaved. While she was trying to catch her breath, three of my new royal guards ran up to surround her.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!!!" The unicorn said as two pegasi apprehended her. "Are you alright, Princess Twilight? We caught this Changeling assassin teleporting inside the castle." Trixie looked repulsed at this statement.
"Assassin??? No, you got it all wrong, I'm here to..." Trixie started to try and talk her way out to the guards, but took a double-take toward me. "Wait a minute, princess???"
"Yep, that's me." I say as I flexed my wings. Its funny, when I was a little filly I always imagined myself as a princess. I sometimes built castles made out of books and stayed in them for hours at a time. My big brother used to have to bribe me with taking me to get ice cream to get me out. Now that I actually am a princess, having to deal with laws and armies, I just wish I had more time to be a filly again.
Trixie looked like she wanted to say something, but shook her head.
"Okay, as I was saying, I am not an assassin! A friend and I came here for different reasons, but we noticed you might need help. Is there any way we can help?" Trixie asked with a sincere smile.
"Now hold on a sec, Twilight. Even if she wasn't a Changeling, we don't even know if we can trust her." Rainbows said as she flew right above her, scowling as she continued to flap right above her, giving a slight breeze to Trixie's hair. "Helllloooo? Did we forget that she enslaved Ponyville? I say throw her in a cell right now, and save us all the trouble."
"No, I'm trying to change, honestly." Trixie said in a desperate manner. While I remember the things she's done, we have to focus on one thing at a time.
"Lets not ahead of ourselves Rainbow." I said to the Rainbow, whose gaze has not left the mare in question. "First we need to figure out how to prove you are a really Trixie."
Trixie seemed to be thinking for a minute, then with a sigh she closed her eyes and spoke.
"After you got the Alicorn Amulet off me, you were performing some magic for both Princess Celestia and some other important ponies from Saddle Arabia. I fired some firework magic in the sky to make your show more spectacular for them. I did this to help me practically beg for your forgiveness and you gave it. I haven't earned my forgiveness from any of other ponies though, which is why I came back. I want to help and hopefully make some friends." Trixie took another breath, opened her eyes and looked straight at me. "I know I've done some bad things in the past, but I just want a chance to make things right."
Taking all this in, I nod to the guards, and they let her go.
"Awwww, I knew you just needed some friends." Pinkie said in a very happy tone.
"Alright, whatever. That still doesn't change the fact that we can't trust her." Rainbow Dash looked right into Trixie's eyes as she got in her face. "Where's your friend, huh? Or is he even real?"
"Hey, he's real, he's just not here right now."
"So where is he?" Fluttershy asked.
"He's back outside."
"And you didn't teleport the gentlecolt inside because?" Rarity interrogated.
"...Because he's immune to magic."
"Bullshit! Told you guys she couldn't be trusted." Rainbow Dash said in triumph." I might not be an egghead, but I know that nopony is immune to magic."
"Actually Sugarcube, she was tellin' the truth the whole time." A wide-eyed Applejack vouched as Rainbow's jaw dropped. To be honest, if I didn't learn how to pokerface from Princess Celestia, mine would have dropped too.
A creature that is Immune to magic? There is nothing like that in Equestria, which can mean only one thing...an entirely new species!!!My inner scientist will have to wait though, I need to try and figure out how to save ponyville.
"B-but I called bullshit..." Rainbow said in disbelief, before turning back to Trixie. "Let me get this straight, your imaginary friend who is immune to magic is real???" Rainbow Dash asked in disbelief.
Trixie smiled and gave very curt nod to the mare, her look almost screaming "Told ya so".
"Oh my, what a twist!!! This is getting good. I can't wait to see what happens next." Discord, now holding a half-eaten bag of popcorn and holding a small camera...type thing was now watching the mares stare each other down.
"Even still, you abandoned him down there, so that has to say something." Rainbow Dash said stubbornly.
Before Trixie could say anything, an earth pony guard ran through the crumpled remains of the once flawless stone door.
"Your majesty, The enemies commander has shown herself. She just threatened start killing civilians if we don't meet with her right now." He said in a winded breath.
The entire room let out a gasp as Fluttershy's breath hitched.
"Oh no..." Quivered the gentle Pegasus, tears threatening pour out. "What are we going to do?"
"... I spoke too soon, I'd rather not see what happens next." Discord said as he comforted Fluttershy.
"We have to go to the balcony and see what her demands are. Girls, Trixie, let's head out." I say in a tone that bore no argument. As we started to head to the front balcony, one of the orange pegasus guards stopped me.
"Your majesty, I know what you're thinking, and it won't work. Changelings don't negotiate like we do. They will use every inch you given them to kill you." The Pegasus said in a pleading tone.
"I'm not just going to sit here and wait around while Ponyville burns, Flash. I have to do something. Now stand aside." I order the guard. Reluctantly, with a sadness in his eyes, he does so. "Don't worry Flash, we'll get through this." I said in a softer tone.
As we walk to the balcony, I hear a voice call out from behind.
"I just hope we do in one piece."
***Twilight's Pov, Balcony.***
We got to the balcony as fast as we could, and we were intimidated to say the least. There were at least Sixty changelings that we could see down there, some guarding prisoners while others are flying around in a perimeter. Being more then we could take on, I am very glad that my BBBFF taught me that shielding spell, otherwise, this castle would have been overrun a while ago. In the front, closest to us were citizens and guards that were tied up in green goo. Among them were Applejack's family and the Cutiemark Crusaders. Standing as outliers from the group was a lone earth pony guard with a rather... unique coat color and a rather tall, female Changeling. She had flowing pink hair adorned with a crown on her head, so she would have to be a queen. In her magic she held an intricate sword which pointed at the throat of the earth pony.
"Twilight". Trembled Pinkie, her hair deflating as she looked at the stallion."That's the stallion I threw a party for."
Before I could respond, a voice chuckled from the bottom.
"Ahhh, you must be Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic." Looking down, we saw that the changeling was addressing us with a smile. Ignoring the fact that her voice sounded like two ponies were talking at the same time, her voice was very lively and refined. "I'm sorry that we had to meet in such dreadful circumstances, but this was one of the only ways to get you to understand the gravity of the situation."
While the girls gave their undivided attention to the Changeling with looks ranging from worry to rage, Trixie keeps looking under the other balcony to the right. I wasn't given the chance to question her about it because the changeling spoke again.
"I don't like it when I'm being ignored, and neither will you if you don't start treating me with a bit more respect." She said in a very irritated tone, pressing her sword slightly harder against the throat of the guard she currently is holding hostage, small droplets of blood leaking from the small cut on his throat. "Now, do I have your attention?"
Stepping in front of my groups of friend, I nod to the changeling.
"You do. You know who I am, but who are you?"
"You may call me Queen Telsona. You should remember my older sister, since you are the one responsible for her defeat at Canterlot."
She must be Chrysalis' sister. As if she wasn't bad enough, now this "Telsona" is probably after revenge.
"Is this why you came here, for petty revenge?"
Instead of going on some spiel on revenge and the other stereotypical bad guy stuff we've heard before, she just threw her head back and laughed, stomping one hoof on the ground as does.
"Ahahaha, actually *hehe* you couldn't be further from the truth. In different circumstances, I would be here to thank you."what? "Why, if you didn't blast that stupid shrew into a million pieces, then I would still be at home, bored out of my mind playing with few prisoners we have left...watching their intestines unravel like a ball of yarn. Do you have any idea how long a ball of yarn is?"
Out of the corner of my eye I watched all the girls cringe, both Rarity and Fluttershy more then others. Discord placed a hand over Fluttershy's back in a comforting manner.
"You know, if you wanted to thank us, you didn't have to invade this town over this place. A theme postcard or a coupon booklet in the mail would have sufficed. This is just tacky and unoriginal." Discord said in with a certain distaste lingering in the air.
"Ohhh, but it is so much more personal. Besides, since I took my sister's responsibilities, I have to do them in order to keep them. Otherwise, mother would be absolutely livid. Unfortunately for you, that means taking over smaller settlements like this one to help feed our Swarm. We're not doing this out of hatred, just like you don't cook your meals because you hate vegetables. Now, are you going to surrender and lower that shield? It feels rude to be yelling at each other rather than speaking face to face." She said in a threatening tone, smirking all the while. There is definitely something off about this mare, even considering all had already done. I don't want to provoke her, but I want to buy as much time as possible. She can't do anything to us while I have the shield surrounding the castle, but she is still surrounded by hostages.
"What makes you think that be won't kick your flank right here and now?" Rainbow Dash spoke boastful, challenging air.
"Rainbow, I don't think now is the time you should make her mad..." Fluttershy pleaded to the prismatic tomcolt, but she paid no head.
"Your BITCH of a sister thought she was ~sooooo~ tough, and she got her sorry flank hooved to her. You'll probably be just as easy!!!" Rainbow Dash said with a reinforced determination.
That reinforced determination was shattered like a stained glass window when the smirking changeling dropped her smirk, and replaced it with... I don't think there is a word in the Equish dictionary that can describe what the hay that was. Her face contorted into many emotions ranging from anger, doubt, happiness, major annoyance, and finally settling on an eerie neutral as her left eyelid twitched twice. This menagerie of expressions unsettled us all, especially Rainbow Dash. Then with a dangerous tone, she spoke.
"Don't EVER...presume to find me comparable with that Miserable Failure!!!" As she finished two changelings grabbed hold of the guard, keeping him still as she slid her weapon straight through the throat of the guard with the psychedelic coat in a horribly slow and sadistic manner. I was glad that Big Macintosh was positioned in front of the CMC, otherwise they would have seen the horror that was currently happening at this moment. The guard kept twitching as he tried so desperately to fight back against the changelings holding him still, coughing up blood while he was getting skewered. The faint sound of gurgling intertwined with a growl of agony of fear came from the guard, as his airways were being filled with blood. While the citizens screamed and others looked away, Fluttershy and Pinkie bawling into Discord's coat as a life was slowly fading. I...I couldn't stop myself from watching. The blade slowly withdrew the back of his neck, twisting as it was exiting. The guard's twitching started to slow, and his wide eyes started to roll to the back of his head.
I took my eyes off the guard and focused on the murderer that caused this, and I am honestly not sure if what I just saw was worse than the look on Telsona's face. Her eyes were wide with a gleeful excitement as she gave a twisted open-mouthed grin, a string of drool came out of the corner of that smile as she finished pulling her blade out, wiping it clean on the now blood-stained coat of the guard. She raised one of her hooves, and with a slight twitch of the hoof, she motioned to the changelings holding him and they dragged the lifeless body to the guard away from the scene, leaving a blood trail in their wake. The queen was breathing heavily at this point, coming down from her own high as if she relished his murder. After a few moments of her getting control of herself, she started smiling the same smile she had from when we first saw her.
"Its almost funny. After getting to know him, I actually feel a little bad for killing him." The fiendish mare began. "His name was Spoon, Private Spoon, and he caught my eye with that...unique coat of his. I actually spoke to him quite a bit while you were inside your little panic room. He wasn't even here for three days before this whole invasion business." She then held up her foreleg..."He actually bit my leg and refused to let go when I picked him to be my first bargaining chip. It took a good twelve solid seconds of shaking before he lost his grip, and when I looked back I saw a TOOTH lodged in my chitin!" She shook her head recounting that with a reminiscent chuckle. "You would think one would be furious, but no I wasn't mad. Oh not at all. In fact, I actually admired his bravery in the face of certain death. I "love" that in a stallion. Would you like know what his last emotion was while his life was fading away?"
I'm at a loss of words for what she is doing. I mean, what can anypony say to that? She looked away in an almost theatrical manner, pretending to feel sorry for the pony she just murdered.
"It was a mix of a confusion and hurt, and if I were to give a name to it..." she slowly turned her head back to me as her smile faded, her eyebrows narrowing. "...I would call it "Betrayal". I could feel his heart pleading, not with me, but with you ..."why wouldn't you save him?". He was willing to give his life to protect these ponies, and it was rewarded by a coward too busy hiding behind her walls to give a damn. Honestly, such brave and loyal martyrs like him are wasted on a selfish mare such as yourself."
I had to blink my tears back as she finished that statement.
No, it's not true. I'm a good pony, right?
"I don't believe you are suited to be a royal at all. You can't call yourself "Princess" if you won't protect your ponies and you shouldn't have to bear this burden any longer if you don't want to." Telsona said in a slightly softer tone. "If you let down your shield, then we can just take the rest of the citizens and we all will be on our way. They will live... and I'm sure the princesses won't blame you in this impossible choice. If not, you would have to watch them all die, wouldn't you?"
The girls and I have fought monsters, old legends, and many other creature that would give nightmares to even the most hardened of Griffon warriors. But this mare... she is the worst kind of evil. She is a poison that eats away at your will, until there is no resistance. I read all about Changelings after the invasion at my brother's wedding, and I knew what to expect from those like her, but I just didn't think it would be this bad. I have to hold firm though, otherwise we are all going to become nothing but livestock for her. Taking a deep breath, I gather the courage needed to say what needed to be said.
"You know I can't do that, Telsona. I, nor Equestria will ever back down to one such as you. If you don't leave right now, you will risk the full wrath of Equestria!!!" I say with all the confidence I can muster, hoping she will back down. It didn't seem to phase her as she just shook her head, a frown prevalent on her features.
"Hmmm, I was afraid this would happen... eh who am I kidding?" She pointed at the two changelings and yelled in a commanding voice. "Carbon, Copy, please grab one of the little ones this time! I don't care which."
The changelings went over to where the Cutiemark Crusaders were, and grabbed Applebloom, and placed her right where the guard was murdered. Big Mac was struggling against his bindings as five other changelings went to hold him down. He was screaming at the changelings, begging them to leave her alone. A leg kicked out from him, launching a changeling into a brick wall as it was knocked out...or killed if that green stain on the wall is anything to go by. This prompted a few more to try holding him down. He was eventually restrained and immobilized by the dogpile of changelings, one hoof barely free as it was trying desperately to reach for Apple Bloom as Big Macintosh screamed for his little sister. While restrained, one unnamed changling with blue eyes and pink hair walked up to grab his head to position it and...making sure that he could not look away from his sister. As Telsona walked away from the spot Applebloom was at, another changeling poured a can of liquid on Applebloom, drenching her as everypony else watched in horror.
"Twilight, don't just stand there. That's my sister down there do something!" Applejack's voice was somewhere between a whisper and a yell. She was in hysterical now, trotting in place while looking everywhere at once. If there some way she could help her sister at this moment, she was going to find it. Telsona then turned around to face both Applebloom and us. She looked with a raised eyebrow towards Applejack, then Applebloom. Alternating between the two, she gazed long and hard at Applejack, before slowly smiling that wretched smile.
"...You're the element of Honesty...that's your family, isn't it?" She asked. "You don't have to answer me, the emotion spike I just felt from you already did. Is she your daughter? A sister? I loathed my sister, but I feel quite the opposite coming from the two of you." She paused for a small moment, and after she blinked she gave a wicked smile and addressing Applejack once more. "Go on, lie to her. Tell her everything is going to be okay. If I could believe it, then it just might be." Applejack, looked at the scene, then with a shaky and desperate voice, spoke directly at her sister.
"Apple Bloom, i-its gonna be alright. We're gonna get through this, an' we'll all to back to the farm and rest by the fireplace. You'd like that, right?" She asked, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
"You're going to have to lie better then that." Telsona interrupted, obviously not impressed. What does she expect? You can't just ask someone as honest as Applejack to do something like this. She knows the situation is bad, so she'll think she's lying... Unless this is just some sick game for her.
"Applejack, I don't think she's really going to do it." I pleaded with Applejack, but being stubborn as she is, she refused to believe it.
"Twilight, ah gotta try." She whispered to me, voice breaking as she turned back to Applebloom. "R-remember back when you went through that forest alone? You got cornered by that chimera and ah came ta save you? That's cause you're mah...*sniff* mah little sister, and ah'd never let anything happen to you. You'll be alright."
Telsona looked at the scene, and it seemed as if she was about to consider her own offer. She opened her mouth to presumably say something, only to shatter my hopes as she simply gave a yawn.
"Well "Apple Bloom", what do you think? Do you believe her?" Telsona taunted Apple Bloom, who was doing her best to have a brave face, had tears running down her face. "Do you think she was good enough to save you?"
"...WELL?!?" Telsona yelled as her hoof grabbed Apple Bloom's muzzle and jerked it up so that it was face to face with the monster tormenting her. At the top of her lungs, Apple Bloom was bawling in fear and hopelessness, her eyes rivers of despair. She kept trying to recoil away from the Changeling queen, but could not pull her head away from the changeling tormentor, her smile getting bigger and bigger as if she was savoring it her suffering as a meal.
"stop it."Applejack was shaking in rage. "AH SAID LEAVE HER ALONE! AH'LL KILL YOU!!!"
Telsona's head methodically turned back toward Apple Jack, her lips pursed with one eyebrow raised in a taunting and condescending manner with a smile to match.
"Ooooooooh~, I don't think you were good enough." She foal-talked to Applejack. "It was fun while it lasted, but we've been here long enough. Now I'm going to count up to three, and if that shield is not dropped, you will start down from your last census." As she finished saying that, her horn lit up, and small flame appeared on the tip of her horn.
No...Nonono this is horrible!!! What am I going to do?
Within a moment, I heard struggling to my right, with what sounded like grunts and bodies hitting the floor. As I turned, I saw my friends and two other guards dog-piling on Applejack, who was trying with all her might to get to me.
"Twilight, drop the damn shield now!!!" Applejack yelled with tears brimming in her eyes. "Apple Bloom hasn't done anything to deserve this! She didn't even get her cutiemark yet. She's too young to die!"
"ONE!" a wicked voice boomed from below.
I don't know what to do!!!
As Applejack was struggling and Applebloom was crying down there, I look around desperately for anything that might help.
There has to be a solution to this. There's always been a solution every other time!
Applejack wasn't fairing any better as she was practically sobbing her eyes out.
"Twilight, you're making *sob* a mistaaake." She wasn't the only one who was sobbing, as the girls probably feel as useful as me for doing this to her. If my shield drops however, then everybody loses. "SHE'S JUST A FILLLLY!!!" Applejack screamed, heaving in soul-wrenching pain as her face was pinned against the stone floor of the balcony.
"TWO!"
Applejack has used up almost all her energy, realizing that escaping the dogpile was futile. That didn't stop her from weakly struggling.
"Please Twi, just take down the shield." the orange mare whimpered, her eyes begging for my help"Ah can't lose anypony else." Her voice was now barely a whisper.
There...there's nothing I can do...no matter what choice I make, I am condemning my friends to pain and suffering. I can't drop the shield.
As Applejack saw my tears roll down my cheek and hit the pavement, she understood what choice I made, and she let out a gut-wrenching yell with her eyes clenched as tightly as possible to try and stop the flow of tears to no avail.
I have to save what's left of the Ponyville...and I have to prove Telsona's point...
That I'm a horrible, selfish pony.
"I'm so sorry, Applebloom." I squeezed my eyes shut, praying for everything to just be over. I waited for either the sound of screams or the inevitable "three", but it never came.
What I did hear was a strange growling sound that I never heard before. I happened my eyes to see what it was, but couldn't see anything. It must have caught Telsona off-guard since the flames on her horn dissipated as she scanned for where that noise was coming from. Soon the growling noise became louder, and as we traced where the noise was coming from, something smacked Telsona, causing her to ragdoll and fly through a brick-laid building. Everypony, citizen and changeling like stood in silence, wondering what had just happened.
There was a small flicker of black in front of Applebloom, and then another. Soon, the flickering turned out to be an actual... creature. At least I think it's a creature, since it was still growling. But then why did it have wheels for hooves? All of a sudden, I heard Trixie curse under her breath.
It was something about somepony named... "Ed-Grrrrrrr".
"To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." -Sun Tzu, Art of War
I step outside of my mustang, surrounded by both a cloud of dust that was kicked up by my car and a mob of Changelings. The bug-ponies glared at my every movement, setting me on edge as they looked like they were going to pounce at any minute. To my left, Applebloom was shaking with her eyes clenched, waiting for something to happen. When nothing happened, she peeked one eye open, and looked to where the queen had been launched. The dust around the building settled, leaving a large hole inside that one building that sold quills and sofas. Noticing the scary queen was nowhere in sight, she looked up to see me. I must have looked like a hero to her, but that might not matter now. After all, we are still stuck in the middle of the equivalent of a bunch of soldier ants, and I just attacked their queen.
Murphy is not a glorious bastard.
***Edgar's POV*** **four minutes ago**
Oh...my...GAWD!!!
I fangasmed all over the inside of my car when I looked up toward the castle balcony and saw the Mane Six. I mean holy shit, it's the real life Mane Six! I almost couldn't hold in my excitement from how awesome this is. It's like looking at Superman in the flesh, or Mickey Mothafuckin' Mouse. I know I shouldn't be this psyched up since I already met The Great and Powerful Trixie, but when I first met her I was still a little dizzy from the impact. Even after, I suppose that almost getting eaten by a dragon together, sharing a couple glasses (ok, bottles) of wine together, and her orgasming all over your pants is a wonderful icebreaker. I still can't believe that she was drunk enough to do that. Back to the point, that's different from actually seeing a real life main character from a movie or television show. Honestly, how would you react to seeing your favorite comic book or movie hero?
That didn't last long when I noticed the looks on their faces. Gone were the normal proud and lively looks they usually had, and in their place, just the look of defeat. They seemed argue back and forth for a minute or so, until suddenly the Queen turned... I don't know what exactly to call that. She got mixed emotions her face and then she... oh God.
Oh my god. She just killed that guard..."
And I just watched it happen.
This isn't anything like the normal plotline I have seen during the show I've come to know and love. Sure, My Little Pony had its sad and exciting moments, and it even has some questionable moments like the perverted stuff that most the bronies saw during the season four premier. Sure, Sombra enslaved his ponies. Sure, Chrysalis went all "Little mermaid" on the Canterlot wedding episode. But there was never anything as horrifying as what is happening right now. Even through all that, there was never any deaths in the show. That was some terrorist level shit. The reality that life could be taken so easily, even in what used to be such an innocent place caught me off guard like a ton of bricks. The fact that I just sat here and watched it happen weighed down on my conscience. Trixie told me to stay put and stay safe, but will it matter if everyone finds out I just sat here in my mobile suit of armor?
My contemplation was cut short when the Queen pointed at some changelings and said something that I would expect to not bode well for the other captives. As she started walking a couple steps away from the spot where she murdered the soldier, sheathing her weapon, the changelings she just commanded started walking toward the crowd of prisoners. They stopped by the Cutiemark crusaders and picked up a familiar banana-yellow filly with a red bow.
No... not her too.
Big Macintosh probably had the same thought since he tried to get up and bullrush the changelings to get to Applebloom. There was only so much he could do when he was being hindered by the green goop and the five other changelings that piled on top of him. He was pleading with the changelings to leave her alone, but they paid no mind as they placed her where the guard was killed. Applebloom clentched her eyes as a can of clear, brownish liquid was being poured on her. The queen changeling turned over to face Applebloom and the balcony where the Mane Six were. She then said something to the girls, which sounded like muffled yelling to me due to being in the car, and then a small flame appeared at the top of her horn. As soon as I saw it, her intentions became very clear. She was planning on burning Applebloom alive.
With my heart beating frantically, I look over to Twilight, waiting for something to happen. Any last minute idea that she might have that could help save the endangered filly, but there seems to be some turmoil going on up on the balcony as Applejack is being dogpiled by everybody but Twilight.
"ONE!" A refined, aggressive voice boomed. I look back over to the changeling queen who is currently fixated on the trembling filly right in the front. She's counting , that much is for certain. Im just going to assume that she's counting to three, since five and ten would be too generous for a villain type. I glance up to Twilight, my heart frantically beating as the drama unfolds.
What the hell is she doing just standing there? Ponyville is in dangerand she is just gawking at the scene before her... and looking around frantically... and on the verge of tears. What is wrong with her? She's acting like she's never been in a situation like this bef-...This feels oddly familiar.
I mean sure, she and her friends have been in dangerous situations before, but there was always a happy ending. What this Queen is threatening to do however was not something they might have been used to either. Maybe if I could do something about that intimidating leader right there, then it might convince all the others to go and help. I can't be sure that they won't just sit there and watch while I get murderized out there, but I can't just watch this happen.
"TWO!" came the posh, sinister voice that interrupted my thoughts.
Fuck, I got wrapped up in my thoughts. I look over to the changelings and I look back to the balcony. Not only does Applejack look about as fragile as Fluttershy right now, but both Trixie and Twilight, with tears in their eyes, look like they are about to just let this happen. Looking back to Applebloom, I try to give myself a pep talk.
"OK Edgar, this is it. Any famous last words?" A moment passes in the car. Suddenly, I turn my keys and rev up my mustang's engine, giving myself a nervous nod. Upon hearing the roar of my engine, the changelings and the queen appeared to be momentarily distracted as they looked toward my direction still unable to see me.
"...Yea, I really wish I had a better idea then this!!!" I say as I floored the gas pedal, speeding up toward my intended target.
*Edgar's POV, present time.*
Come to think of it, it was impressive how close I just cut it with saving Applebloom. That might not matter as these changelings are staring at me. I look over to Applebloom, who is still looking at me. My car pretty much blocked her from everyone's line of sight, so I decided to try and get her out of whatever is covering her. Given that she's pretty much in arm's reach if I were to kneel, I do exactly that. She seemed scared at first, leaning away from me while she mewled in uncertainty. I put my hands up in a disarming manner, and I speak in a soft, hushed tone.
"Hey shh shh shh, its going to be okay." I say in a comforting tone. It was more to comfort myself then her to be honest, but she needs it a whole lot more. "I'm going to help you get out of this. Is that alright?" I asked as I placed my hand on her bindings. They had a really sticky, rough texture, almost like bunch of smooth rocks mixed with Elmer's glue and rubber gloves.
Applebloom still looked at me a with fear on her features, but softened considerably when she saw that I was not hurting her. She looked into my eyes and gave me a nod, wonder still prevalent in her eyes.
"Thank you for trusting me. Now just hold still for a moment Applebloom, and I'll get you out of this" I say in a quiet tone.
"Are you an angel?"
"What?" I asked as I fiddled with her bindings, a subtle smell of a gasoline-like substance permeating the air around Applebloom. Her bindings were strong, but there wasn't as much used on her as I've seen on other captives. I guess it was probably due to her size. After about a second of messing with them, I pretty much said fuck it and opt to tear it off her. It felt like tearing a small but thick stack of papers apart.
"An angel. I heard from Granny that they go to ponies and save'em when they're in trouble." She explained in a hushed tone, stretching her limbs after being freed from the goop. That was one of the cheesiest things I have ever heard.
By the time this is over, I just might become one. At the very least, at least I get a shiny gold halo.
As flattered as I felt by the adorable filly, that's going to have to wait. We are still in the middle of the road, many eyes of both captives and changelings were focused on me. The dust was still high enough to conceal Applebloom though, but it was fading fast.
"Applebloom, you're being such a brave filly, but I'm going to need you to be brave one more time." I begin in an encouraging tone. "Ok, I'm going to make a distraction, and when I do I want you to run as fast as possible to the side of that building right over there. The dust is high enough and the dust is small enough to hide you while you run. " I pointed to a house with a ruined flower garden and a purple roof. Applebloom looked towards the house, focusing it intently. Due to my panic, I probably butchered what I was trying to say, but Applebloom seemed to get the idea when she nodded and turned back to me. "Atta girl. Now get ready."
"But what about you?" She asked me with concern.
"Hey, I'm an angel, remember?" I say with convincing confidence as I leaned into the car. I knew there was a very big chance of me dying, but if I'm lucky, maybe the Mane Six will come to the rescue. at least there was a chance of going out with a blaze of glory while maybe saving a life. I went through my glove compartment, finding a CD. Any would do, since I just want a distraction. I stumble across one that says "Good music fo' dancin", and decided that that would do. I put in the disc in the slot and motion for her to get ready. She gives me a nod, and I raise the volume and press play.
As I walked over to the trunk of my car, I thought that I must be making a pretty good distraction since as soon as the music started, Applebloom bolted to the building without a single changeling going after her. The music actually seemed to reverberate across the entire town, which was surprising since I know my speakers are not that loud. I don't even think it's even being loud, it's like everyone could hear it clearly. That's the good news. The bad news was that they were still focused on me. As the part where the singer spells out the word "saftey" echoes across the deathly silent town, I take my black bokken out my trunk and place it inside of one of my belt loops. I then take out my White oak Jo staff and walk to the front of my mustang, hoping that the changeings and I just stay in a staring contest.
I know what you're thinking. "Golly gee Edgar, I know that you're the best around, and nothings gonna ever keep you down, but this seems very dangerous. so why aren't you going to hide in your car like a normal person? Or better yet, why don't you drive off?" Well, now that I think about it, that might have been smarter. But i didn't want to get stuck in the middle of a bunch of changelings punching through my windows and divebombing my car. If that happens, I'm practically canned food.
I looked at the changelings who are now slowly advancing on me, heads bobbing to the beat of the song. Atleast they have good taste in music. Gaining a combat stance as relaxed as I possibly can with my jo staff, I sing to myself some of the lyrics of the song in attempt to calm my nerves in the face of impending doom.
"We can dance if we want to." I say in a shaky breath. I take one last look over to the balcony where the Mane Six and Trixie was, but they were nowhere to be seen. As my last hope of possibly surviving this left me, I say the last line in a fearful tone while very un-manly tears threaten to spill. "We can leave your friends behind..."
"...cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance-" A voice from the back calls out In... in a pitch perfect imitation of the lead singer's voice. That shocked me to say the least. All of a sudden, every voice, both changeling and pony called out in unison. "-Then they're no friends of mine." How did they know that song, and why are they singing? I took an experimental step to the left then to the right. To my surprise, the bug-ponies mirrored motion in unison.
All of a sudden the changeling mob start to shuffle back and forth, in a sort of rhythmic motion and smiling in a trance-like state. Looking more closely at them, I noticed that they added seemingly rehearsed footsteps to their...dance? Oh my God, they ARE dancing. They are not the only ones moving and singing to the beat, and in a stark contrast to their previous states the ponyville citizens were all smiling with closed eyes and bobbing their heads from left to right in rhythm. If they weren't tied up or imprisoned, I think they would all be dancing without a care in the world.
I'll be honest, I did not see that coming.
As they continued there seemingly mindless display, a stupendous idea works its way into my head. It's so amazing...it's so amazing that... I can't come up with a phrase that will show how amazing it is. I guess I will have to put this idea into effect in order its amazingness to shine.
I put my staff and bokken into my passenger seat, stepping to the beat all the while. I take a seat in the car, and I drive at a snail's for like a couple feet, just to test something. Luckily for me, the changelings started to follow me, slowly starting to make a conga line. I then drive at a pace that each one could follow at, leading them out of town and toward the green empty field I passed by.
I felt like the Pied Piper, leading these rats out of town with Intentions to exterminate. While the changelings followed along at a decent speed, I couldn't help but wonder why I'm doing this by myself. Where the hell were the girls?
*Trixie's Pov, six minutes ago.*
"You had ONE job, Edgar." I muttered angrily under my breath.
We were all currently standing on the balcony, staring wide-eyed at the scene before us. Not even thirty seconds ago, Queen Telsona was going to roast the earth pony's little sister, but Edgar just absolutely had to act like a hero and knock her into a building. All he had to do was stay inside the car, was that so much to ask?
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that the little filly is safe and unharmed. I'm glad somepony actually did something now since we were practically stuck in the shield. If Edgar didn't act out, we would probably be stuck here watching as she let loose tragedy by tragedy. The only problem I have with this was that now he was getting about a hundred angry stares from very angry changelings. Or, it's more like his car is.
"Uhh, Twilight darling, what is that thing?" Rarity questioned with fascination.
"I have no idea Rarity." Twilight began as she studied the newfound creature with caution. "I have never seen a species of Dragon that could have scales as large as that, let alone had wheels for legs. Trixie, is that the friend you were talking about earlier?"
"Yep, and his name is Edgar. And he's not a dragon." I say with a mix of pride for my new friend and irritation at his foolhardy actions. They must have all been curious, since they never seen anything like it before. To be honest, it felt good knowing something that Celestia's prized student didn't.
"I don't care what he is, he better keep his teeth off Applebloom." Applejack said, not very trusting of the Mustang. Turning her red-eyed glare towards me with wet streaks still visible on her face, she lowered her voice in a dangerous tone. "Ya got that, Trixie?"
Gulping, I weakly nod.
"D-don't worry, he won't hurt her." I say with an embarrassing stutter.
"Well whatever he is, he's gotta be pretty awesome if he took down the queen that fast. I mean he's not as fast as me, but still pretty fast and tough." Rainbow Dash said as she hovered in place. "Heck, those changlings gotta be small fry compared to him. He'll wipe the floor with'em." She said in a confident tone, not realizing how wrong she was. He said he was just a High School student, so there's no way he could handle an army of vicious changelings... like the one he is currently right in front of.
"Twilight, we have to help him. He might have beat Telsona, but he's in a bad shape. He can't take on an army by himself!" I say, pleading with the pony that I used to hate. I can only hope we have enough time to help him before it's too late. Goddess I hope I'm not too late.
Twilight looked at the building Queen Telsona was launched through, contemplating something. Then, with a look of inspiration and hope she turned to her friends.
"Spike, get ready to send a letter. Now that Telsona has been dealt with, I think we can finally send one to the princesses." She began as she started to jog towards the stairs. "Spike, write down that-"
"I know, I know. You had me write it down twenty times, remember?" The purple dragon interrupted with a huff. Twilight nodded at spike, then looked back toward her group of friends.
"Alright girls, let's head out."
----------------------------------------------
As we started to gallop down the stairs toward the main gate with a portion of the guards that were still left, I begin to think about my luck here. From almost getting eaten by a dragon, to molesting somepony I like and making him feel like the guilty one about it. After all that, I finally got to the place I've been trying to get to only to have to go against an army to do what I wanted to do in the first place. Even something like that would be difficult with the hostility that the Pegasus was showing me. I almost wanted to be the old me, just to do whatever I wanted to her for a good three seconds. Oh, and don't even want to get started on Twilight...
Nope, too late. I just need to get this off my chest, so bear with me.
Arrrrrgggg, that mare was really making it hard for me to ask for forgiveness. I'm trying to change and be a good pony, I really am. But does she find it necessary to one-up me EVERY! SINGLE!BUCKING time I try to do something?!?
I go in to town to make some bits with my magical talents, she puts an ursa minor to sleep to show that she was better then me. I become more powerful then her using the Alicorn amulet (which was bad, I admit), and she proved she was better then be by not even really using magic to beat me. I come to apologize and show her that I learned my lesson became good at magic on my own, and she becomes better then me by default by turning into a BUCKING ALICORN PRINCESS!!! What the actual buck?!?
Did Edgar know about all this? Ohhhhh, I bet he did. Just wait until I get my hooves on him. If he somehow survives all this, I'll shove my leg so far up his flank, he'll be spitting horseshoes for a week. Why didn't he tell me about any of this, and what else does he know?
Shaking my head, I continue to run and try to catch up with Twilight and the others.
Maybe I'm being a little harsh. I just hate not knowing anything and feeling so helpless most of the time.
I couldn't linger on these thoughts for long, since I had a more important priority right now. As we ran toward the castle entrance, I started to hear some...music? It was muffeled by the building and shield, but it was still clearly music. Nopony but me and Twilight paid attention at first. The farmmare was galloping faster then all of us, probably to save her sister. But before she could bust through the gate, a purple aura of magic surrounded her.
"Twilight, put me down or so help me I'll kick ya so hard, you'll turn back into a unicorn." Applejack began with an aggressive tone, struggling against the magic that she was currently holding her in. Her ponytail was frazzled and her eyes were still red and puffy from crying a couple minutes ago."You already almost sentenced mah sister to death once, I won't let ya do it again!" She said, making Twilight wince as her friends trotted beside her.
"As much as I disagree with her tone, I agree with her words. Twilight, why are you still trying to stop Applejack?" A quiet butter-colored mare gently but sternly asked.
Twilight's ear twitched as she looked around the room. "Don't you guys hear that music?" She asks everypony. As they all swiveled their ears, they all nodded.
"It sounds funky. I love it!!!" The hyper one said with excitement, shuffling from left to right rhythmic motion. "Its giving me dance fever right now, and I just wanna shake my groove thang now!"
"Exactly Pinkie, dance fever is pretty catchy. In fact, I'm sure all of you want to just start dancing right now, don't you?" She questioned as she slowly lowered Applejack to the ground. I wish she would stop being so cryptic.
"Please Sparkle, just get to the point." I asked with a certain annoyance, tapping my hooves. I probably could have asked nicer, but I not going to just sit here while Edgar is outside.
Twilight looked apprehensive at first, she then took a glance at my hooves. She then pointed, as if to prove a point.
"Trixie, look at your hooves."
I didnt get why she as so interested in my hooves at first, but as soon as I looked down at them I understood why. The hooves that I were previously tapping out of annoyance had adopted the same beat that the music had, and were moving in a pattern of left, right, left, right. I tried to stop my hooves, but I just couldn't. It's almost as if they had a mind of their own.
"AHH, Makeitstop Makeitstop Makeitstop!!!" I yell out in fear, trying to stop myself from the involuntary movements of my hooves
I heard laughing from Rainbow Dash as she swooped by. "Oooh my gosh, that's priceless!!!" She snickered as she held her stomach. Well I'm glad somepony is having enjoyment at my expense. She's probably going be the hardest to get along with.
"I hate to burst your bubble darling, but you're doing it too." Rarity said as she pointed out that Rainbow Dash's ears were twitching to the beat of the music, in a left-right pattern similar to mine.
"Okay Twilight, what the buck is going on?" The tomcolt said in an aggravated tone as she tried to hold her ears still with her hooves.
"I think that's Melody magic outside." Twilight explained as she put another spell into the barrier that surrounds the castle.
"Melody magic?" Rarity said with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, Melody magic, first discovered by Dr. Soundwave in 14 B.L.B. It's a phenomenon that happens when Harmony that is colliding with a voidzone is triggered by both strong bursts of emotion and a certain phrase or action. Many ponies that are affected tend have certain side effects, ranging from hearing music in the background to singing and dancing without realizing it or having control over it. The only ones that do have control over themselves are those that are either strong in magic, or in will during most cases. Even with the shield minimizing the Melody magic, you guys look like you're having a hard time controlling yourselves." Twilight explained as she looked at the door with scrunched eyebrows, trying to think of a solution to some new problem that only she knows about.
"Care ta' say that in Equish, Twi?" The frustrated farmmare said with a huff. This is the second time she got stopped from trying to get to her sister, so I'm not surprised that she is frustrated.
"I could explain more later, but the point is that unless you wanna become hypnotized by the music, we have to stay here until it fades." Twilight told Applejack with a heavy heart. The poor mare just keeps getting roadblocks before saving her sister, while Twilight probably feels awful giving this bad news time and time again.
"Just...buck it all." Applejack said with sad tone as she slumped down to the floor, weakly beating the tile as she took her frustrations out on it. All her friends went up to her and hugged her to comfort her, leaving me just standing their awkwardly. Good news is that I finally got control of my hooves.
Don't just stand there, do something.
I stand there in my spot thinking what I could do. She had her friends that she had known for a long time, but what did I have to offer? I walked up to Applejack, and paused in front of her. When she looked up at me with tired, watery eyes to see what I was doing, I took off my hat and waved my hoof around the rim. I then reached inside, and pulled out an a blue handkerchief.
"...Ta-Da." I say with a comforting smile, waving it in front of the grief-stricken mare as an offering. At first she just looked at it, sniffling all the while. Then she reached up and took it, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose into it. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the rainbow-maned pegasus that scrutinized me earlier looked at me with a newfound respect. All the other mares gave warm smile as they turned back to Applejack.
" *sniff*...Thanks." The farmmare said with a grateful tone as she looked away from me. It felt pretty good to do that, even after the hostility I was shown originally. Small thuds soon became more noticeable and louder it sounded like something was coming closer.
Spike, the dragon from earlier came running back back to us holding a scroll, out of breath as he tried to speak.
"Twilight.. ha... the Princesses responded. Celestia is staying in Canterlot to guard it while... Luna is coming with... ha... a battalion of whoop-ass. They'll be here in like, thirty minutes tops." Spike said with hope in his tone. All the other mares seem to relax as a look of relief came across their features. Looking back at door, I can't help but worry for Edgar.
I just hope they come in time.
*Twilight 's POV,Ponyville.*
After a couple minutes of waiting we finally stopped hearing the Melody magic, and after a couple more minutes of waiting, we finally made our way outside of the gates of the castle. We would have left sooner, but when I asked Discord to check how many changeings were outside at the moment, he said that they left a while ago with the "Edgar" creature Trixie wanted us to help. When I asked why he didn't tell us sooner he said, and I quote, "How was I supposed to know you wanted to know where the changelings were until now? You never asked.". I swear my mane almost caught on fire out of pure rage. The reasons I wasn't outright yelling at him were due to Fluttershy being right there and the fact that he said everyone else besides a couple soldiers and that one guard, Private Spoon, had been moderately unharmed.
Private Spoon...
"Honestly, such brave and loyal martyrs like him are wasted on a selfish mare such as yourself…"
No, I can't think about that right now. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one, and as a Princess of Equestria I have to make sure Ponyville is safe first. Looking around at the carnage before me, I start to think of a plan to help those that are still captive.
"Alright Trixie, where in the Sam-hell is Applebloom?" Applejack said while looking around the area. Come to think about it, neither her sister nor the black creature is around. Applejack walked right up to Trixie, getting right up in her face. Trixie is looking around for "Edgar" frantically. She didn't seem to have an answer as she just stood there, mouth opening and closing almost like a fish. "Well, Where is she???"
"Applejack!" I said trying to get her attention. She looked over to me, frustration still prevalent her eyes. "Please settle down. We'll find your sister and get through this together." She seemed to force herself to calm down after I said that. With a plan now concocted in my head, I turn to Rainbow Dash.
"Rainbow Dash, I need you and a contingent of Pegasi guards sweep the area for any survivors and changelings that might be still around." I say to the her in a commanding tone. I never liked to talk with my "Princess tone", but right now the situation called for it. Rainbow Dash didn't seem to mind though. In fact, she was probably used to it considering her time with the Wonderbolts.
"You got it Twilight." She said in an excited, brash voice. Turning to the Pegasi that came with us, She channeled her inner drill sergent and commanded the Pegasi with a sort of leadership ability she was born with."Alright ladies, you heard the mare. we got ourselves a search n'rescue mission with a Bug-Hunt to boot. Stay in cloud formation and shout when you see something. Move out!!!" As she sped off with the guards, I turned toward Applejack.
"You do the same thing Applejack, take a group of earth pony guards and scour the inside of buildings for anything, whether it be your sister and Edgar, other residents, or changeling." Unlike Rainbow Dash, there was nothing to be said. she just gave a determined nod toward me, a whistle to the guards, and a cloud of dust in her wake as she took of off, presumably to find her sister. I wish that she would understand. I had no choice.
"Rarity and Fluttershy, I want you and two other unicorn guards start freeing the captives and help tend to any injuries. Try to free doctors,nurses, and guards first so they can help tend to Ponyville." I told them.
"Okay Discord, now you be good and listen to what Twilight says." Fluttershy told him in a stern manner. When she got an affirmative nod from the Chaos Spirit, she and Rarity went off to the alleyways where the population was being held.
"Pinkie?" I asked, trying to get her attention.
She looked at me, hair still straight from when she saw Private Spoon di-... leave this world.
"Go with them and...be Pinkie." I said, mentally preparing myself for what might happen. I knew her Pinkie-sense would be very helpful In seeing if somepony was a changeling or not, but that ability came with Pinkie Pie being... well, Pinkie Pie.
Upon hearing this, she placed a hoof in her mouth and blew very hard into it, puffing her cheeks for a second. The puff then moved to the top of her head, and then settling into her hair and tail, making them all poofy again. She then bounced off, humming a toon that she probably just made up.
"Twilight, dontcha think that Rarity and the others might need more protection? You know, from changelings and such." Spike asked, obviously trying to hint that he wanted to go with Rarity.
"Hmmmm, you may be right." I said coyly, Spike visibly brightening at this."...Flashbang, go follow them for extra support." I commanded as one of my personal guards trotted off toward them.
Spike's stared slack-jawed as his head turned to follow the unicorn stallion. After I got my amusement at looking at his face, I used my magic to nudge him, urging him to go along with Flashbang. Seeing that I was just messing with him, he jogged along with my guard. While now might have not been the best time to joke around, I just needed to lighten the mood. It's probably why Princess Celestia likes to joke around a lot.
It's the little things in life.
"Discord, I want...what are you doing?" I questioned the now sunbathing draconequus. He was in a blue and white striped bathing suit, complete with sunglasses and a tanning mirror.
"Oh don't mind me, do go on." Discord insisted as he rubbed suntan lotion all over his body in a...sensual manner?
"Discord, I need you to- ugh, STOP THAT!!!" I shouted as he started to run towards me in slow motion, flipping his hair like a model. Stupid,sexy Discord "This is serious. I might need your help. Telsona could still be inside Quills and Sofas. I don't know if I want to risk taking her on alone." I explained to him. Even without the same level of magic that Chrysalis had during the Canterlot invasion, I don't want to risk a fight I could lose.
"If you need help Twilight, I'm sure that the Great and Powerful Trixie could be of assistance." Trixie said in an extravagant fashion. To be honest I forgot she was even here, but she brings up a valid point. She might be less powerful then me, but she is still strong nonetheless, as she demonstrated from not only being able to teleport through my shield, and bust through a marble wall.
"I don't think that will be quite necessary, my third-person limited friend." Discord began as a smile crept up his face. "She ran out of there a while ago."
"Wait, does that mean she is could still be around here?" Trixie asked, suddenly getting little more antsy then usual. Discord didn't show too much concern, however.
"I doubt it, otherwise we would still be able to feel her, true?" He said nonchalantly. I almost started to grind my teeth at this revelation.
"That would have been important information a while ago. So WHY exactly haven't you told us?" I interrogated. Discord simply started to smile wider.
No
"You really wanna know? Discord asked innocently.
Don't you dare!!!
"...You never asked." He said with a cheeky grin.
If Fluttershy hadn't come to interrupt me I would have screamed.
"Um, Twilight? Fluttershy asked. My anger almost completely melted as soon as in saw her. Who could stay mad after seeing a face like that? "I don't know if you can or not right now, but I think you should hear this."
Nodding my head, I went to follow her. Aside from Pinkie, Fluttershy is probably the most perceptive of us all. If she had something to say or saw something, it was probably very important.
With Trixie right behind me, I followed Fluttershy to the ponies that were being freed. Discord tried to follow us, but I gave him a new job: Get started on cleaning Ponyville. He tried to object, but with Fluttershy giving him puppy dog eyes he had no choice but to agree. Donning a Prench made outfit, he went to work on the houses. The sight brought a smile to my face.
Score one for me!
As I walked through Ponyville I couldn't help but have the smile fade from my face from when I looked around. Many stalls were turned over as the smells of both fresh fruits and flowers contrasted the atmosphere. A group of ponies we walked by just looked at us, some of them still shaking from the experience they just had. Rarity and Pinkie were doing the best they could to comfort them. Rarity by handing out blankets and food to the downtrodden souls, and Pinkie by trying to cheer everypony up. Their efforts seem to be paying off as the ponies they helped all seemed more at ease then they should have been. They are the element bearers for a reason.
As we walked on by, I spotted the pony Fluttershy took me to see. The familiar city official being tended by Dr. Stable as he wrapped her head.
"Mayor Mare, is everypony alright?" I asked her.
"Well aside from a few bruises and the fright we all have had, I think we are all okay, your Majesty." Mayor Mare said, coughing a little from after she said that from the dust.
"Um, Mayor Mare, you said you had something important to say?" Reminded Fluttershy.
"Uh a-what? Oh, right." Mayor Mare said. She then took a deep breath and began.
"It first started when I was walking home from work. When I got to my front door i heard somepony call my name. When i turned around I saw myself, looking at me with a blank expression. I then felt a something hit the back of my head and then all I saw was black." She looked up toward me took a breath and continued. "When I woke up, I was in an alleyway with a lot of other ponies. I think they used my identity and my home for their plan."
It might be a good idea to check her home later for anything that might help us.
"Thank you, Mayor mare. I will put this information to good use." I started to walk away, but a voice stopped me.
"Th-that's not all, your Majesty." Mayor mare continued. "What I wanted to talk about all about came after Queen Telsona killed that...oh by goodness. She MURDERED that poor colt. He didn't have to die but she still kil-" Mayor mare started hyperventilating as she looked like she about to puke. Nipping that in the bud, I tried her back to what she was trying to tell me.
"Mayor Mare, please focus. Now's not the time for that. What were you going to-" I was interrupted by the sudden sarcastic remark by her.
"Ha, now's not the time? It's YOUR fault he died in the first place!" She said, anger prevalent in her tone as her blood rushed to her face." You just sat there in your shield while killed stabbed him! Why couldn't you have done something!?!"
"Honestly, such brave and loyal martyrs like him are wasted on a selfish mare such as yourself…"
A bunch of eyes were looking toward me as the drama unfolded and everywhere it was dead silent except for the breath hitching in my throat. Rarity motioned for Pinkie to go over to another group to cheer them up, but she stayed put as she watched the scene.
"Mayor Mare, you know that's not what-" Rarity said to try and calm her down before things escalated, but Mayor mare didn't relent on her verbal assault.
"And what's worse is that you almost let a little filly burn to death. All because you wanted to hide behind your shield." She heatedly berated, hooves shaking from under her. "Were you going to let the same happen to us?"
"Please...stop it." I pleaded to the mare, teardrops threatening to break through. I was put in an impossible position, there was no way I could have made the right choice with what Telsona wanted.
"Some princess you turned out to be." The Mayor spat out bitterly, her own voice starting to break.
That last one cut me deep, and it would have broken the dam for me if Fluttershy hadn't intervened.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Fluttershy shouted at the official as she stared her down. Shocking the Mayor, she continued standing up for me. "There was nothing she could do there. If she let the shield down, then there would nothing to stop the queen from doing whatever she wanted. Now you apologize right now!"
Getting told off by a pony half her age was not something that happened often in Miss Mare's life. She was about to reply with vigor until she looked back toward me. I don't know how I looked to her, but her angered expression softened completely as it turned into one of guilt and regret.
"Twi-...Y-your Majesty, I'm so sorry. Please, I'm- I was just so angry, but I didn't really mean any of that." Mayor Mare pleaded as she bowed her head down, begging for forgiveness as I wiped my eyes. I saw a few teardrops fall from behind the her hair onto the ground below, leaving a few dark spots.
Don't let them see you cry. You're a princess, remember?
There would be plenty of time for later. Right now, I have more important things to take care of. Using a calming method I learned from my sister-in-law, I took a deep breath while holding a hoof to my chest. After about a second passed, I released my breath while moving my hoof outward. I like to think of it as saying goodbye to my problems. Turning back to Mayor Mare, I gather what resolve I have and continue my duty.
"It's okay, I get that you didn't mean any of it. You were just scared, just like everybody else is right now. Even I was scared." I revealed. Ok, time for some diplomacy. "I was scared of what could have happened to all the friends I made here if I made the wrong choice. I still am right now, and I need to know any anything you can relay to me. I need to protect the ponies that I hold dear. Can I trust you to help me protect your city?" Mayor Mare nodded. " Thank you, now please tell me what else you saw."
"...after the black beast appeared, I started to hear music. It sounded like something the young colts and fillies would listen to, but it was so very catchy. Then it felt like I fell asleep again, only I could feel my body moving. When I started to wakeup from what felt like daydream, I saw a figure leave the hole in that building over there carrying a sword." Mayor Mare described as she pointed toward the hole in Quills and Sofas. "Then it moved to the road going west." Mayor moved her hoof from the building to the road going toward the field. The road itself was littered with hoofprints and two wagon-wheel lines going that direction. Rarity walked up to me and whispered in my ear.
"Great job, darling. You handled that like a paragon of patience." She said as she gave a hug.
"Yes, but there is still one more thing I need to find out." I explain. Turning to Mayor Mare, I start to ask her my question. "Could you tell me what the figure looked like?" I think it could be the changeling queen, but she probably changed her form to make it harder to find her.
The Mayor looked as if she was questioning herself, but then settled with what she was certain of.
"Uh, yes. This may sound crazy, but she actually looked just like you..."
***Edgar's pov***
Okay, so you know how when you're at your friend's house and you wanna show them the most hilarious video in the world? While looking it up you spend so much time talking about how funny it is, but when he or she finally watches it they don't laugh one bit, and they just stare at you like you're a jackass?
Yea, that's probably gonna happen right about now since I probably overhyped my plan. To put it in layman's terms, "imma just run'em over with mah car. 'MURICA!!!" Now before you get all bent out of shape, just hear me out.
I was currently driving my car to the field, Changelings following close behind. I had to rewind the song like five times though just in case the song ended, but I managed to get them out here. Looking at my rear-view mirror and confirming that they were right behind me, I sped up a bit while turning. While I couldn't run over a mob of Changelings, I could definitely do one at a time.
You know, probably.
As soon as I was lined up perpendicular to the Changeling conga line I sped up even more, running over two changelings in front of me. Because Trixie had to cut me out of the car I had no seatbelt. I had to brace myself when hit them. While my elbows buckled a little it was nowhere near how the Dragon was. As I felt and heard the large thud, I watched as they skidded across the grass. The droplets of green blood splattered the windshield, making me cringe a bit. Reflexively, I turned on my wipers and soon the blood was gone.
Two
Doing an immediate 180° drift with my car (which I admit, was pretty fucking cool), I spend up to pretty much rinse and repeat. This is gonna take a little while...
Three
*Edgar's Pov, some time later*
Forty-seven
Ok, so it didn't take as long as I thought, since I had like two more changelings to hit. Changelings littered the ground as I started to finish up. My car had many dents across the hood and a green tint across the windows. I guess my window wipers could only do so much with all that changeling blood. I took a quick look at my gas meter, and noticed it was like a third of the way full. I can't really worry about that right now, since i have to focus on running ove-Applebloom?!?
Scratch that, I guess I only have one to hit.
Flooring the breaks, I came to an abrupt stop about six feet from the filly in question. She didn't seem to react at all as she bobbed her head and hooves in a rhythm to the song.
What the fuck is she doing way the hell out here? I asked her to stay hidden behind the one building I pointed to, and she followed me anyway.
Bringing myself back to the matter at hand, I saw that her eyes were open in a blank stare and she had a trance-like grin on her muzzle. Didn't the ponies in Ponyville get sucked to this musical stuff too? I'm guessing that they too would have up and followed me if they weren't tied down.
Well, I guess I brought this upon myself since I'm the one who freed Applebloom.
Turning off the engine, but leaving my car on so the music keeps playing, I leave to go and grab Applebloom. In the back of my mind I thought that she could have been a changeling. Thankfully, I soon smelled the familiar scent of gasoline when I got closer to her. Picking her up, I made my way over to the passenger side of my car. She wasn't that heavy, considering that she was the size of a suitcase. Opening it with one hand and putting Applebloom in with the other, I moved my training weapons to my driver's side and placed her into the car. She must really be into the music because the entire time I was doing this, she did not acknowledge my presence one bit. After I put her inside, I move to my side and turn the keys to the ignition.
...
I turn the keys to the ignition again, hoping the car will start this time.
...
I turn the keys again and again, frantically trying get this stupid car to start.
This is getting really bad! The car engine was already pretty beat up when I ran into that dragon, so it couldn't have been much better after running over like forty plus changelings. The music is still going strong right now, but this is starting to worry me. Since the engine died, my mustang is currently running on the car battery, which is only running cause Trixie gave it a jumpstart this morning. It's only a matter of time before the car runs out of pow-
Almost as if on cue, the mustang died. Because the car died, the music stopped. Looking outside of my driver side window, I saw that the last changeling I had to hit. While it looked just like any other changeling from the show, it also looked considerably more aware then before. It seemed confused at first as to why it was right there, and then it was examining the bodies of its comrades while making a sound that reminded me of a very loud cicada. I place my hand on the bokken that I had in my front seat, hoping that it wouldn't think to look this way just a little while longer.
"Mr. Angel?" A young southern voice asked in confusion. "What am ah doing here?"
Applebloom, breaking out of the trance-like state, now looked around in an apparent curiosity. I don't think she had ever seen anything like this before. She looked out of the passenger window, but thankfully all the Changeling corpses were on my side of the car, so she didn't see anything too gross.
"You fell under the same spell that the changelings fell under." At least I think it's a spell. I don't know exactly what happened, I just rolled with it. As soon as I mentioned the world "spell", Applebloom's ears perked up.
"Spell? Ya mean like magic?" She asked in a interested tone. She turned her head toward me, eyes full of wonder. "Ya must be like a wizard or sumthing".
My inner geek cheered in victory when she said that. She looked and sounded so sincere that I almost forgotten about the changeling outside. I was reminded of it when I noticed that there was distinct lack of Cicada sounds. Turning my head toward the changeling, I see that it had stopped looking at its fallen companions and is now has his nose toward the sky. It's almost like it's trying to sniff out something.
What is it looking for-...Emotions.
The Changeling stopped sniffing the air, and leveled his head toward the horizon. It then slowly turned its head toward our direction, neck making a sickening cracking sound that I could hear from inside the car. It's gaze soon came to look upon my car, which is covered in green blood. The look itself was very unsettling, since its look gave no indication on emotion. It's green eyes lacked any pupils, and its muzzle was closed. Emotion soon was visible on its face as its started to bar it's teeth and made the same Cicada sound it was making earlier, only in a faster tempo.
"What's that noise?" Applebloom asked as she tried to peer over my window. When she did she saw a lot of dead changelings and one living one standing right there in an aggressive position. She let loose a small scream in fear and she scrambled to try and get to the backseat. In her panic, she accidentally kicked the center of the wheel, honking the horn. The changeling jumped at this, then lowered his head so that his horn was level toward the car, hitting its hooves against the ground in the way that a charging bull probably might.
I know that the Cutiemark crusaders had a habit of messing up situations, but this is really fucking ridiculous. This is the second bad situation I have been put in today, and it's not even fucking lunchtime!
I placed one hand on my bokken, and another hand on the door handle. I don't think I will get lucky this time like I did with the Dragon. I might actually have to fight my way out of this. I'm decent with a staff or a bokken, but I don't know exactly how I would fight something like a this. I've only seen these guys in one episode and again today, and so far they two for two in places captured. I'm probably in over my head on this one. I almost felt like giving up, but then I heard whimpering in the backseat of the car.
It's not just my life stake, it's Applebloom's too.
The bug-pony outside my door was now starting to charge, with the intent of ramming either the door or the window. I don't know which, but I don't want to take any chances. As it picked up its speed, I readied myself to fight it. As soon as it was in range I opened my door to try and attack it with my wooden sword.
*thump*
"HIYAAAAAAA!!!" I gave a loud battle cry as I slammed my door open, about to strike it. My battle cry died down when I looked to see the changeling on the ground next to my front left tire, and It wasn't moving. For a second, I was wondering why it was laying there, but then I looked toward my door and saw a medium sized dent roughly the shape of the changeling head. I must have hit it with my door when I slammed it open. It's a good thing I opened my door a little late if I opened my door little earlier, I might have had to fight it. Letting out a relieved breath, I gave a small chuckle in disbelief.
I'm alive... I took out an entire army and I'm alive. Holy shit, I'm alive!!!
"HELL YEA!!!" I gave a small cheer as I fist pumped the air.
Applebloom popped her head outside the window as she looked around.
"Is it over?" She asked.
"Yea, it looks like it. Phew, just... just wow." I responded, still not believing what just happened. Here I was, about to face an army, when all of sudden I go all Cuban Pete on them. I take out said army only to have my car stall right before I take it the last changeling. Out of shear dumb luck, I end up taking out changeling by opening my car door.
"Mr. Angel, can ah go home now?"
"...Yea, yes you can." I told her.
"...Hey, you wanna come meet mah family? They might invite ya over for supper. You might even git to meet all mah friends." She said with her adorable accent. Applebloom glanced behind me and gave a wide smile. "Hey, there's one of my friends now. HEY TWILIGHT!!!" Applebloom yelled as she waved behind me.
Twilight's here? How did I not hear her? Shit, is my hair okay?
I turned around ready to greet her, but instead of the purple pony, there stood a changeling. It was a considerably larger, more feminine looking, and horribly familiar changeling with greenish hair starting at the base, then slowly turning a very light pink. She had crushed cricket cage strapped to a ruined saddlebag on her hip, and she was carrying an ugly katana. Her pink irises eyed me with an almost predatory leer, but her smile seemed... vaguely innocent.
"Hello...Friend." she called out from afar in a pitch perfect Twilight Sparkle impression. "I must congratulate you on your fine work in dealing with these monsters, but you seem to have missed one." She said as she trotted toward the changeling that I hit with my car door. "Normally, Changeling chitin is very strong, but you've done so well in taking out this army that I guess it's not much of an issue for you. "
"Applebloom, go inside the backseat and hide yourself." I whisper before she gets too close. What the hell is she doing. She just killed someone like thirty minutes ago, and now she's acting all buddy buddy.
"But why? It's just Twilight." she said as she looked very confused. I looked toward Applebloom in disbelief.
Is she crazy or something? How can she not see the changeling right in front of us?!?
Looking toward Applebloom, I also notice my dulled reflection on the metal door. In the distance, slowly coming toward us is the image in the shape of Twilight. Double-checking behind me, I still only saw the changeling walking toward us. All of a sudden, the queen having Twilight's voice and Applebloom thinking she was Twilight made sense.
...she can't see that it's a changeling.
Looking back towards Applebloom, I try to convince her one more time.
"Because my Angel sense is tingling, now get in there!" I whisper with urgency. "You could get a cutiemark in hiding from changelings." I add, hoping she will listen. Thankfully, that seemed to have done the trick as she went closer inside.
As the queen came closer, I manually locked the door of my mustang, grabbed my Bokken, and shut my door. She didn't seem to give this any mind, as she spoke reassuringly.
"You don't have to worry, this changeling is in no condition to fight. You must have hit him very hard to knock him out like this." she said, lightly kicking the unconscious creature. " Nonetheless, we can't take any chances. I can take care of this one for you."
A tiny, sickly green orb started to form at the tip of her horn, and inside the orb was a dark black oval. The orb continued to grow until it was the size of my fist, and then when it seemed adequate enough for her, she released it. It floated slowly downward unconscious changeling, landing right on top of it. It paused for a second, and then it sinked into its body. At first, nothing unusual happened. All of a sudden, it's eyes shot open as it started to convulse violently, foaming at the mouth.
"That was a killing spell. I hoped I never had to use it, but these animals don't deserve to live." she said convincingly as she leaned toward the changeling with a menacing glare as its convulsions became smaller and smaller. "That was for the guard, you bastard." She whispered in an aggressive tone, watching as the convulsions stopped. She was probably trying to seal the deal and remove any doubt that she was anypony but Twilight. I actually almost would have believed that she meant it for a second due to how convincing her entire act was, but I know that Twilight would never act so vengeful. She obviously needs to do more research on her roles.
Taking her katana into a magic grasp, she turned me while false regret was subtle upon her features.
"I only wish we could have caught the changeling responsible for the tragic attack on Ponyville. Sadly, all we found was her sword." She said as she threw her sword on the ground. "Horrid thing."
She definitely had story straight. While she was acting out of character for Twilight, I probably still would have believed it if I couldn't see that she was a Changeling.
She took a step towards me, making me tense up with my practice sword. I kept my bokken raised in a cho-dan stance, handle near my center while my body was facing directly at the oblivious Changeling Queen. As calm as I was trying to be, I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. I had like two hunks of wood in total, and she had an ugly, considerably sharper sword. Taking notice of this, she widened her eyes and spoke in a calming tone.
"It's okay, I'm not going hurt you. My name is Twilight, Twilight Sparkle. I'm a princess of Equestria and I came to thank you for saving my ponies." She said in a disarming tone. "What's your name?"
I stayed silent at first, not sure how to respond to this situation. Raising an eyebrow, she spoke once more.
"Can you even understand me?" She asked. Pointing a hoof towards herself, she spoke very slowly, trying to get me to talk. "Me Twi-light. You?" She said the last line pointing toward me. I don't know why, but while I thought of letting her know I could understand her, I didn't think giving her my real name was wise. I came up with the first name that came up in my mind that I liked. Pointing to myself, I spoke to her.
"...J-Jon Snow. My name is Jon Snow." I said with a frightened stutter. To be honest, this bitch is scarier then you would think, being so detailed. I kept thinking back towards those people she killed. That one guard, the changeling,... almost killing Applebloom. I took a little comfort in the name that I chose. In the Game of Thrones series, Jon Snow is one of the few Starks that stayed alive in shitty situations, so his name gave me a little comfort. It might even bring me good luck, right?
"Ah, so it CAN speak." She said as she gave a friendly smile. "Do I frighten you or something? You don't have to worry, I don't bite..." and that friendly smile turned lustful as she adopted a sultry gaze . "... much."
She started to walk forward slowly, swaying her hips as she did.
"You know Jon Snow, I can think of a couple ways to thank you for your bravery. But first, I have to take the filly in your contraption home to her family." She said , still mimicking Twilight's voice, giving me what looked like a bug version of puppydog eyes. "Could you be a dear and open it so that I can get this done sooner?"
Those puppy dog eyes just flashed for a second.
"...I don't think that's a good idea right now." I said hesitantly, worried about what she might do. She looked very surprised at this, and then she gained a more determined look.
"I said, Can you open the door so I may get the filly?" She demanded as her eyes flashed a brighter pink light once more. I shook my head, and readjust my stance. "You don't want to deny royalty, do you?"
"How do I know you're really Twilight?" I asked, already knowing both the answer and what I probably just did.
"Come on, I'm an Alicorn, isn't this proof enough?" She said while flexing her wings. " Just look at my crown, it has my Cutiemark on it." She said as she turned her flank towards me, pointing at her crown while she did. I did not see any Cutiemark on her, nor did I see any crown different to the changeling one she had on her head. It must be something that only she could have seen.
"Alright, what's the filly's name?"
"How should I know? I'm a princess. I can't be expected to know every one of my subjects. Now hoof her over, or face the wrath of Equestria!" She demanded, stomping a hoof on the ground in frustration.
"The real Twilight Sparkle would have known the name of someone that visited her during Twilight time. You're a changeling." I stated in a serious tone.
She seemed positively flabbergasted and when I said this.
"Twilight time? Bu- I- Alico-... Oh buck this! Cower before my true form, whelp!" She said in frustration as a shroud of green flames soon developed at her hooves. It rose across her body, and as the flames subsided... nothing changed. Standing there was the same changeling I've been talking to for the past five minutes. She gave a wicked grin as she leered towards me, speaking in an excited but fancy sounding voice. "It is I, Queen Telsona. The Sting of The Swarm. Now open the door."
"Why exactly do you want her. What's so important about her anyway?" I question, not taking my eyes off her. The wicked grin she had was wiped off her face, and in its place was a sort of "are you fucking kidding me" look.
"...Did you miss the part when I turned into the deadly Changeling queen who was threatening you with your life?" She deadpaned with annoyance as she pointed at herself. "You were already shaking like a wet dog when you saw me as Twilight, yet you're no more scared then you were back then?" She questioned while shaking her head. "*sigh* Males... Look, just give me the filly and I will be on my way."
"You never said why you wanted her." I shot back, hoping to get her to monologue.
"I have a distinct feeling that you're trying to be difficult. If you must know, it's because frankly you just botched months of planning, and I'm not going back empty-hooved. I just want another bargaining chip." She looked to her left and leaned inward, pressing her face into the window of my mustang. Applebloom, whom I just noticed was watching the scene from the window the entire time froze, staring back at the Changeling queen. Seeing an ample opportunity, the Queen flashed Applebloom a malicious, fanged grin. While the filly scrambled away from the window in fear for her life, the queen turned her head back towards me.
"You know, I respect you."
...What?
"Its true. I met a stallion earlier today who was about as brave as you are being right now. It's funny... it's almost like a weird case of deja vu." She said in an ominous tone. "Fortunately for you, I have a proclivity to honor and bravado. A..."soft spot", if you would."
"Oh?" I say, trying to keep her talking. The longer she keeps talking, the longer it is before something drastic happens.
"Indeed. Not only did you take on the remnants of my entire army, but you're standing up to me. That takes some serious cahones, which is why I'm going to offer you a deal." She levitated her sword in front of her, and spoke in a low volume tone. "You are afraid to die, but I can tell from the way you are holding that stick that you don't know how to take a life. You don't have to die for some pony you probably just met today. Give her to me, and you can still live a long life. You can even tell anypony who asks that I took her by force. I'm sure they would understand. It's not like just any pony can challenge a Changeling Queen and live to tell the tale." She took one step closer with a look of pity etched on her face, almost as if to offer something sacred and invaluable. "You're not a hero. You're not a soldier. You don't even look particularly strong. So please, make the smart decision and don't defy a power like mine."
I'm hoping that you won't judge me to harshly, but I would understand if you did. I seriously considered her offer in just giving her Applebloom. I hit her with my car hard enough to send her through a building and yet she still got up. If that couldn't kill her, what chance did a teen with a wooden practice sword have?
I almost handed Applebloom over, but before I did that I looked over to Applebloom and what I saw I wouldn't forget anytime soon. The way she looked at me... she looked at me with such hope, like I could do this with my eyes closed. Like I could stare death right in his beady little eyes and laugh. I looked away from her face, and saw from her hair that it was hanging down, still drenched in the foul smelling fuel from earlier.
All of a sudden, I knew exactly what might happen if I gave her Applebloom. I might end up like that guard if I open the car for her, and Applebloom... I don't wanna think about what could happen.
"Well?" Telsona asked as she loses her patience, tapping her hoof on the ground as she watched her sword whirl in mid-air out of boredom.
"...No."
She stopped twirling her sword and she looked towards me.
"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say no?"
Nodding my head, I continued.
"There is no way I can trust you. You almost burnt a child alive for your own sick amusement, and now you're asking for her back? Beside, from what saw earlier, you would probably just kill me after I opened the door."
The Queen gave a small chuckle at this as she shook her head.
"Ok, guilty as charged. You got me all figured out."
"You are a heartless monster who would probably kill anyone in her way. You're literally worse than Chrysalis was. The worst she would do is just impri..." I wanted to continue what I was saying for as long as possible, but the words died right in my throat when Telsona did...something with her face. It honestly looked like she had an angry seizure as her face contorted into many emotions ranging from anger, doubt, happiness, major annoyance, and finally settling on an eerie neutral as her left eyelid twitched twice. I recognized all that from earlier from when she... oh no.
I take a couple steps back, griping my bokken in fear for my life.
"Don't EVER..." she said in a dangerously low tone, a cicada noise slowly getting louder as her wings started to beat faster and faster.
Oh Shit!
"...Presume to find me comparable with that Miserable Failure!!!" She screamed as she bursted towards me with her katana.
"What?" I asked Mayor Mare. I don't feel Telsona's presence, so she is probably too far to be an immediate threat. But if she wanted to hide or escape, why would she transform into me to do it? She wouldn't be able to give commands that could be detrimental to us as me. Royal Guards have certain protocols to follow if there is a changeling threat. One of which is to not obey any orders that could possibly leave openings in defenses. They would even disobey one of us unless we gave a special command word, like "Banana" or "Eclipse". Sometimes I like to use "Bibliography". Not only because it's easy to remember, but also because it wouldn't be the first word anypony would guess.
"I said she looked just like you. She had wings, a horn, and even a crown with your seal to go along with it." She affirmed.
"Um, Mayor Mare, Twilight is wearing her crown right now. How could the Queen have it?" Fluttershy asked in an annoyed tone, trying to talk sense to her. It's obvious that she still harbors some small resentment from when the Mayor had her outburst. While I understood that she said all that because she was scared and angry, it didn't make what she said hurt any less.
"Changelings can create the illusion of many different articles of clothing. Remember during the wedding in canterlot when Cadence's Crown turned into the Changeling crown when Chrysalis revealed herself?" I explained. That wasn't Cadence's crown. I suspect that she just looked at the crown and fashioned the illusion of it.
"Canterlot wedding? So you dealt with the changelings like this before?" Trixie piped up with raised eyebrows, genuinely interested.
"Yea, and we would have lost if it wasn't for my brother and my old foal sitter." I told Trixie, feeling good inward when I remembered that. What would Shining do right now?
"...You're going to have to tell me that story one of these days." Trixie said. Looking around, she spoke once more. "So can we do something now?"
"What?" I questioned back at the vague question.
"We are just standing here doing nothing at the moment right now, and I'm really worried about Edgar." She said as she looked toward the ground, a face of worry imprinted on her. Sensing her distress, I had to break the news to her.
"I'm sorry, but we can't go looking for him right now. Not while that army is probably still out there. We might run into it while looking for Edgar." I told her.
"B-but you're an Alicorn! You could probably sneeze in their general direction and blow them up!" Trixie countered with disbelief. I shook my head at this.
"I'm almost sapped with trying to keep my shield up to begin with. Even if I was at full power, I'm only moderantly stronger then when I was a unicorn. Besides, there is a good chance that Telsona might still be out there and I don't think I can take both her and an army on." I clarified at the distraught unicorn. "That's partially the reason why I wanted Discord's help." If anypony knows how to take down a magic user, it would be him. Afterall, he gave both the Princesses a run for their money when he was at his full power. "I really am sorry Trixie, but I think it would be best to wait until Luna and her reinforcements came." I advised, really hoping she wouldn't get mad. I disappointed so many ponies today, and I'm probably already going to disappoint the princesses. I don't want another one to add to the list.
"...I understand. Afterall, you're just one mare."
She does?
"You do?" I said as I turned towards Trixie, pleasantly surprised at this. A couple months ago she would probably would have been very upset, to put things lightly. Now, she is acting so understanding. She has changed a lot the last time we spoke.
"Of course I do." Trixie said as looked at me. "Last time I saw you, you were a unicorn just like me. Just cause you grown a pair of wings doesnt make you any better then me." Trixie paused for a second. "... I'm sorry, that came out completely wrong. What I meant was that we shouldn't expect anything amazing from y- no, wait, I meant that your just like any other pony. I-I don't mean that in a bad way because you're still unique. It's just that-"
"It's okay Trixie, I get what you're trying to say. Even though I'm an Alicorn I can still make mistakes, right?" Trixie nodded with an embarassing blush. "...Thanks Trixie." I tell her, a hint of both gratefulness and warmth emanating from my voice. I know that I don't know the answer to everything, but that doesn't change the fact that I failed an entire town. Trixie might not have mentioned anything to prompt this, but I thought back to what Mayor Mare said about me, but then shook those thoughts out of my head after thinking about what Fluttershy said. Though we may fight and get on each others nerves sometimes, we will always manage to make up for it and hearse no moment in helping one another. My friends are my power, and as long as they are with me, we conquer any challenge. I wanted to thank Trixie for that realization too, but a voice from behind me soon interrupted the moment we had.
"Hey guys, have you seen Rarity anywhere?" Spike walked up carrying an assortment of blankets piled high. "Rarity sent me to get more blankets while she t-" Spike stopped when he looked at us. "...Am I interrupting something?"
Shaking my head out of the trance I found myself in, I looked toward Spike.
"No, you weren't inturrupting anything. We were just talking. I think Rarity is helping Nurse Redheart right now. Why don't you go back to helping her." Spike shrugged and started to walk away, only for my magic to stop him. He turned around confused until I lifted the blankets be on his grasp and enveloped him in a hug. "Thanks for always being there for us." While the hug out of nowhere caught him off guard, he returned it with vigor. Placing the blankets back into his arms, I sent baby Dragon on his way.
"I just hope Princess Luna gets here soon. I don't wanna leave him out there any longer then we absolutely have to.." She said as she turned away and looked toward the horizon with a somber expression. Raised eyebrows and both a tone and look of excitement soon etched themselves upon her face as she stared in the general direction of Canterlot."It looks like we don't have to wait very long." She said with a burst of newfound energy as she pointed off into the distance.
Looking over to where she was pointing, I can barely see what looks like many dark shapes against the sky, moving toward us. Soon other ponies started to take notice as many voices started to speak out.
"It's a bird!!!"
"It's a chariot!!!"
"It IS a chariot," I exclaim out loud to remove any doubts. It's not just a chariot, it's dozens of them, each being pulled and surrounded by heavily armored thestrals and pegasi guarding them. Inside each one are a mixed assortment of six earth ponies or unicorns, both from the Solar and Lunar guards. Near the rear of the force were cargo carriages, most likely carrying tools, food, and medical aid. At the middle of it all, the object that everypony was referring to, was a dark blue armored chariot with a very familiar Cutie Mark emblazoned in the front. "And it's carrying Princess Luna!!!"
Coming down to in their decent, the chariots started to slow down and angle themselves to make a good landing. One by one they started to touch ground on the roads heading towards town square, skidding as they slowed down. As Luna's chariot landed, I noticed the armor that she had on. Minus the helmet, it was a shinier her old Nightmare moon regalia and armor.
As she drew closer, her horn started to glow. Suddenly, a transparent blue pulse emanated from her horn, growing larger and larger as it spread in a sphere across Ponyville, with a low humming sound coming from it. As soon as it passed me I felt a breeze flow across me, and with it an amazing feeling of... a familiar happiness. It's like the same feeling one would get after having a wonderful dream. I don't think I was the only one who felt this hope, as soon the spirits of all seemed to rise as this aura passed them by. The goop that still held on to some of the residents simply dissipated away as their spirits seemed to lift, almost as if what happened not too long ago had only been a nightmare. Soon another pulse emitted from Princess Luna. And another. And another. Pulse after Pulse came from the Princess as she rode up to the center of town, each giving happiness and hope. She was starting to be followed by the newly uplifted citizens of Ponyville. She soon came to a stop, launching herself in the air with her wings. Flying in place, she used her Royal Canterlot voice to stir the hearts of anypony who was listening as trumpets sounded.
"In dreams, we can accomplish anything!"
Normally ponies are either very afraid or very annoyed by the Royal Canterlot Voice, but in this case the Ponyville citizens cheered at Princess Luna she descended down to the ground. As the guards started to direct the citizens away from Princess Luna and to the relief tents that are being constructed by the unicorns, Me, Rarity and Spike, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, and Trixie made our way to her. Turning her head to us, she smiled and walk toward us, shouting a few last orders to the officers in the force.
"Friends, thank the stars above thou art unharmed. When my sister recieved the letter you sent, we were both stricken with grief. We sent warnings to all the cities and settlements saying to be prepared for anything." Luna said in relief as she gave me a hug. When she first came to back to Equestria, she had a hard time adapting to the social norms and such. After a couple years back, however, she became much more relaxed. The only thing she still had a problem with was her speech, as she switched between old Equish and common speak often. Sometimes she even mixed both up, which was amusing to say the least.
"Yay, Group hug!!!" Pinkie yelled as she pulled us all, including Trixie, into a group hug. Trixie still seemed uncomfortable, but that's probably because she wasn't used to getting hugged by her former enemies and a night princess.... Now that I think about it I find it completely understandable.
Feeling her neck shift against mine, I could only assume she was looking around. "Just what happened here, and where praytell, is honest Applejack and loyal Rainbow Dash?"
Almost as if on cue, Applejack bursted out of a home carrying two fillies. One of which was wearing a tiara, and another one was wearing glasses.
"Alright, just what in tarnation was that?" She asked as she placed them down on ground. The fillies soon spotted their parents and rushed towards them with tears in their eyes. "Ya know, that magic wave thing that was-" Applejack and the guards froze as they looked upon Luna, and then proceeded to bow.
"Rise, honest Applejack." Luna said with a regal air. As she rose, Applejack walked up to us. "It was simply a spell Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor helped invent after the Canterlot Invasion. It was meant to help give hope and remove any changeling element in the immediate vicinity. Unfortunately, the feelings it provides will fade eventually, depending on how powerful it was, so it's until my sister arrives it's only a temporary solution. It should still last about an hour or so."
"What's it called?" I asked Princess Luna. Old habits die hard, and she just told me about a new spell. I might have to learn it when this is all over.
"Its still a fairly recent spell, so no name has been completely decided yet." She explained.
"Well ain't you a sight for sore eyes. I was starting get worried you wouldn't show." Applejack said as she looked around. "Has Dash come back with any news?"
We shook our heads. Luna, seeing an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, suggested this.
"While we look for her, let us discuss what happened here." Luna said as we all started down the street. "Start from the beginning."
Taking a deep breath, I begin to recount the events that transpired.
***Three minutes later***
"After she killed the guard, she almost murdered Applebloom. I wanted to drop my shield so bad, but there was no telling what she could have done if I did. I almost had to watch her burn to death." I said as I hiccuped, trying to hold back my tears. Looking to my left, Applejack looked at me with more sympathy them before. To my right, Trixie offered a handkerchief like she did Applejack, only this one was green.
"Go on, I've got plenty." She said.
I took the handkerchief and wiped my eyes.
"Right when I thought that she was going to die, the queen suddenly got launched into a building by Trixie's friend. With her gone, I sent the letter, and here we are." I finished. "I would have tried to teleport him with us, but Trixie said he was immune to magic."
"Wait, did you say "immune"?" Luna asked, clearly surprised at this revelation.
Looking back to Luna, she just stared at me as if in deep thought. It looked like she was about to speak, and then we noticed what looked like a solar guard with his helmet off inside alleyway staring at something. While it was strange that that he was just standing in the dark alleyway, he was probably going to get in deep trouble for taking his helmet off, since it was against the rules of the Equestrian Military. Taking it off took off the disguise enchantment that came with it, showing your true identity.
"We will all speak more of your decisions and this "Friend" later, but for now I must attend to something. Stay here and continue your search for Rainbow Dash." She said as she started to walk to the guard. I couldn't help but worry not only for Rainbow Dash, but for my future as a Princess. I messed up big time, and I can only hope that Celestia would forgive me.
As she walked into the alley her horn glowed a shadowy blue, illuminating the alleyway. While a normal pony would have thought she was just lighting up the area, it was actually just a very powerful attack spell she charged up. It just happened to be powerful enough to produce a vibrant light. She didn't want to risk being caught defenseless in an bottle-necked place like this.
Luna walked up to the guard, determined to find out why he was disobeying one of the number one rules he had to follow and to punish him if his reasons were not sufficient. As she got closer, she got a good look at the solar guard in question. He was certainly smaller then the others, standing at about a hoof shorter then the others and a less bulky then other earth ponies. While his size would suggest that he was probably thirteen or fifteen, she knew that it was not possible since you had to be at least seventeen to join the royal guard. He had a coat as white as moonlight and his mane from behind reminded reminded her of the style and color Shining Armor had, only there was a white stripe in the middle of his mane and tail. On his right side he had a very large saddlebag attached to his armor, and on his left a standard-issue gladius. She could almost hear a sniffling sound as she drew closer. She was only a body length away from him now, but he did not react to her hoofsteps. Either he didn't hear her, or he just didn't care. Due to his smaller size she could peer over him to see what he may have been crying about.
Not even a yard in front of him was a corpse of another earth pony guard. The corpse was on its side, front legs folded while it was turned in their general direction. He had a small cut on the left side of his neck and piercing wound at the base of the throat, with a small trail of blood coming from its mouth and the hole. It's unblinking brown eyes stared off in the distance almost with a sort of defiant gaze. What was really strange about the dead guard was the fact that the top part of the coat was grey with a yellow mane, while the bottom-half had a sort of mixed up color on it. It almost looked psychedelic, but the "psychedelic" part was starting to fade away, leaving only what may have been the original coat of the unfortunate guard.
"This must have been the guard Twilight mentioned." Luna thought as she speculated what might have been happening right now. The changelings must have dumped the guard here right after he died."Well, that solves one enigma. But who is this other pony?" she pondered.
She straightened her stance into a more regal one and cleared her throat. The guard, hearing the throat clear he quickly wiped his eyes. That explains why his helmet was off, since he wouldn't be able to reach them if it was on. He drew his sword with his mouth and turned to face whoever was behind him. Expecting a changeling, the guard was shocked to see the princess of the night standing there. That didn't stop him from keeping his sword raised, since she still could have been a changeling.
"Bedtime." Luna said, trying to assuage any fears the guard might have had. The guard visibly relaxed upon hearing her code word, but was still a mess to say the least. At least he sheathed his sword.
"Your majesty, you surprised me." he spoke while bowing his head. He didn't have a gruff accent like the other guards, as his sounded much more inviting. She wanted to say that his youthful accent reminded her of one of the Canterlot nobles, only there was no snobish undertone. If anything, it reminded her of the knights of the old kingdom, which fueled her nostalgia and helped her relax. She took a better look at the stallion in question. He seemed the same age, if not younger then the dead guard he must have been crying about. She could also just barely see tear streaks on his face, even though it was tilted down.
"Rise young soldier. What is your name and rank?" She said to the stallion. He stood up, but kept his head facing down as he spoke.
"Khan. My name is Private Khan, your ma-majesty." Private Khan spoke with a stutter. It wasn't out of fear, and Luna had a decent guess as to what it was. Even if she hadn't heard the sniffling or seen the tear streaks, she would have heard the shear amount of pain in his voice he was trying to hide.
"Private Khan, please look at me." She asked with a gentle tone. While it was still a command, she still would have understood if he had hesitation, or even disobeyed it the first time. While he did have some hesitation at first, he complied by slowly lifting his head to meet her eyes. His face bore the same determined glare that all guards were trained to give at all times. He was probably trying to hid the fact that he was crying, but the ocean blue eyes he had were puffy and red from crying, betraying his current state of mind. "You can drop the glare if you want. We are alone right now, I can allow it." She insisted, trying to make it easier for him. He kept his glare though, and proceeded to explain what he was doing.
"Your majesty, I was patrolling the area looking for changelings, and I found a body of Hea- this guard." He said, trying hard to mask his emotion, which seemed strange to her. While it was always sad to see somepony die, the royal guard always had been very good at masking what they were feeling. It took five years for Luna to be able to tell the signs of what one of them was feeling. He shouldn't have had this much trouble in doing it unless...
"Did you know him, Private?" She asked, having an idea of what the answer was. After a moment of pause, he clentched his eyes and gave a nod.
"He was sent out of our platoon three days ago." He said. Luna knew he was telling the truth, but it wasn't the whole truth. Regardless, she didn't press him on the issue, having an idea of what he was feeling. After all, how many friends of old has Luna seen fade away into memory? She walked up closer to the stallion, and pulled him in with a foreleg, wrapping him in a hug. They met with their armor making a clinking sound as it caught him off guard.
"Princess?" He started to questioned, but was quickly shushed by the regal Alicorn as she slightly tightened her hug, careful not to crush him. Her sister taught her that a little compassion can go a long way in helping a loyal subject, and at the moment the best she could do is lend a shoulder to cry on. While it may have seemed presumptuous that she thought he would cry, the fact that she was hearing passive melody magic in the air shows just how much he was holding in.
Melody magic was a very interesting thing. When active, it could make anypony sing about a subject they knew nothing about and be none the wiser. But when passive, it can warn anypony of the mood a certain situation has, and amplify it for anypony that is affected by it. Any creature that has a very strong will or it powerful in magic like Luna can hear it and resist its effects, but it seems that Khan wasn't strong enough as It forced him to show his pain. He couldn't hold back his tears as they coated the neck of the royal sister. She felt small tremors emanating from the guard as he unbottled his sadness. Whoever this Private Spoon was, he must have meant a great deal to him.
"I'm sorry p-princess. I'm a guard, I shouldn't be so-"
"There is no shame in mourning the loss of a friend." She said as she let go of him. "But as sad as it is, you cannot help protect Ponyville in your current state. For now, I am relieving you of duty." She said as she shot a small purple flare spell into the sky, watching it explode in a gentle flash of light. "Try for get some rest, the flare spell I sent will bring some guards here to retrieve his body." She said as she prepped herself to fly back to the Element Bearers. Before she could leave however, a voice from behind stopped her.
"You'll get her, won't you?"
Luna turned back to Private Khan, and a look of both determination and angry desperation etched itself on his face. It as something Luna was all too familiar with when she was under the influence of The Nightmare.
"I'm sorry?" She asked.
"The bitch who killed Spoon. She'll pay, right?" He asked a tone wrought with a silent but vengeful fury. He wanted blood, that much was for certain. Luna made a mental note to visit him and any other affected by this event in their dreams and help them cope, at least until her sister gets here.
"...I will do my best."
And with that she took off, leaving Private Khan at the alley. He briefly considered leaving, but after looking upon the corpse of Private Spoon he decided against it. Drawing his gladius, he took a guard stance and waited diligently for the other guards to arrive. He hated the shear irony of the situation, how it paralleled with the past, but he couldn't focus on it right now.
"Don't worry buddy..." He said to his fallen brother-in-arms as he drew a line across where he was. Right now, his focus was trying to protect his friend like his friend had done for him many times before.
"Ugggg, what's taking her so long? She should have been back by now. " I huffed with frustration.
"Knowing Dash, I reckon she probably got done with her flight a while ago."
"Sup guys, whatcha doin?" A raspy feminine voice asked.
"Nothing yet, we are just waiting for Rainbow Dash. I just wish she would hurry up." I told the voice, not really paying attention what's going on. Pinkie started to giggle, but that's probably just her being Pinkie. Most of the time she'll find any reason to laugh as long as it's within reason. "Fastest mare in Equestria and she's STILL late. The longer she's out there, the more worried she's making us all."
"Ah don't think I'm worried to much on where she's at right now." Applejack said with...I don't know whether that's mirth or sarcasm.
"...So when do ya think she'll notice me?" The raspy voice butted in again, annoying me. We have too find Dash, and I really don't have time for this. I turned to the owner of the voice that was talking.
"Can you please just be quiet. You're not helping." I told the Rainbow maned Pegasus. Turning away from her, I resume my thoughts. "Now, where cou-"
Wait, Rainbow-maned?
I turned my head to the pony I was just talking to, and saw Rainbow Dash just standing there with a smug grin. Everypony else was trying to suppress chuckle. Well, there's still the issue of not knowing whether or not she's a changeling. At the very least, we should check with one of my code wo-
"S'bout time you looked over here, egghead. I was getting bored of just standing here."
Yep, that's her.
"...How long were you standing there?" I asked her.
"About ten seconds flat." She replied, getting a deadpan from me.
Really?
"What took you so long to get here. You had us worried." I asked her.
"Alright, get this. So here I was, flying around Ponyville when all of a sudden I saw some shadows in Mayor Mare's house. It looked like a changeling so I busted in through the window, ready to kick some flank. But there wasn't any flank to kick. All I saw were maps and plans pinned to the wall. The guards that were with me said they would take it to the castle for you to look over. I knew I saw shadows, so I looked around to find what caused them." She finished.
"...Well?" We all said at the same time, eager to hear what happened next. Rainbow Dash reached inside her mane with both of her wings, and with a care that was unlike her, she slowly and gingerly lifted small object covered by her feathers. She held her wings in front of her and uncovered them, revealing... a little breezy. It was small even by breezy standards, based from the other breezies we saw, but it was still a breezy nonetheless. It was a very light purple breezy, with long blue hair. Well, long compared to its size, that is. Strapped to its left side was a half-eaten raisin and some thread, and to its right was a sewing pin. It was currently laying down with and covering its face with its hooves, shivering in either the tiny breeze or in fear.
"I found this little guy trying to hide from me. The shadows I saw was probably from the candle that was right next to where I found him hiding. Poor guy, he probably thought I was a changeling and got scared." As soon as Rainbow said that, the breezy stopped shivering. It took its hooves off its face, stood up, and glared right at her. It then flew up to Rainbow Dash's face and yelled at her with the fury of an angry little moth. As it was moving around, Its sewing pin was jingling around on its side.
"Scared?!? Oi, I wasn't scared!!!" it yelled in a high-pitched, feminine tone. Its accent was of the same type that all the other ones had. Maybe thats just the accent that they were known for, like earth ponies stereotypically having southern accents, or Griffons having a Prench one. "I getting ready to ambush you if you were a changeling, ya ninny!!!"
Rainbow Dash was not amused at the breezy's actions, and she wasn't the type to just let that slide.
"Riiiiiight, if you could call hiding in a flowerpot "getting ready for an ambush". I probably just saved your life. Without me you would've ran into a mouse trap, or got stuck in some old maple syrup or something." She shot back with her years of experience in the art of smack talking.
"First off I'm not a colt if ya can't tell by the thick, wavy locks of hair. And second..." The female Breezy turned around and bucked Rainbow Dash as hard as she could in the nose. It was a Breezy, so there was no way it could have hurt. That being said it still left a dirty hoof imprint on her nose. "I was doin' just fine on my own, thank ye very much. I was in the middle of making my daring escape until you just had to ruin it all by forcibly taking me against my will, ya glorified box of crayons."
So it's a mare. A feisty one at that. She's probably even more feisty then that one Breezy leader when he first left during the Breezy migration.
Rubbing the tiny hoofprints off her nose, Dash looked like she was about to blow.
"Glorified box of-, why I oughta-mffmvfmb mbdbghr!!!" Her livid threats were wasted when Fluttershy shoved a hoof in her mouth.
"We got off on the wrong hoof. I'm sure whatever she was about to say, she didn't mean it." Fluttershy said, trying to calm down the angry little sprite. "Let's start over. I'm Fluttershy, and these are my friends."
"Wait, you're Fluttershy?" The Breezy asked. When Fluttershy nodded, the Breezy flew up to the front of her view with a more lively and carefree way.
"Why yes I am. Why do you ask?"
"You're the one who helped my father get back home." She looked at her like she was supposed to know who she was talking about. "Ya know, tall Breezy, pink hair, and when he smiles it looks like this." She then proceeded to demonstrate his "smile", which consisted of her just staring at us with narrowed eyes, furrowed eyebrows, and a straight face.
Fluttershy stared at the breezy for a moment, then with one raised eyebrow she took a guess.
"..Seabreeze?"
"Ai, that's him alright. I'm Delphinium Bell, by the way. But you can call me Delphi for short. " She responded.
So she is Seabreeze's daughter....this just raises more questions!!! Like what is she doing way out here? Why isn't she at home? How come she looks so much older right now then she should have been. Last we saw Seabreeze, She looked like a newborn filly. The main question I wanted to ask is why she said she was in the middle of an escape.
I didn't get a chance to ask though, since soon I saw that Princess Luna was flying towards us. The glare from the sun made her look like a shadowy sillouete. I wasn't the only one who saw her, as "Delphi" started to get riled up.
"Come back for a rematch, have ya Telsona!?!" The mistaken sprite yelled at her. "Well bring it on then. I've been waiting for this for a bloody long time!" As soon as she finished, she rushed over to where Luna would be landing . She drew her pin and flew in place there, waiting. "I'M A GRIM BLOODY FABLE WITH AN UNHAPPY BLOODY ENDING FOR YA!!!" she yelled at "Telsona".
The glare of the sun soon faded as she decended, and with it the confusion that Luna might have been anypony else. She looked downward and saw the Breezy floating there, just staring at her while her mouth was just trembling.
"Well hello there, little one. Where did you come from?" Luna asked with a friendly smile. "I am Princess Luna. What is your name?"
Delphi said nothing as as she just stared at Princess Luna. Then she screamed surprisingly loudly for somepony her size and zipped over to Trixie, scrambling under her hat and surprising Trixie for a second. Luna simply sighed while she shook her head, and then walked towards us as Rainbow snickered in the background.
To be fair she has a right to laugh, due to how cocky Delphi was acting just a second ago. It's still like the pot calling the kettle black.
"...Well that escalated quickly." Rarity commented. "What do you suppose that was about?"
"Yoohoo, Delphi, what are you so scared of?" Pinkie asked as she poked and prodded Trixie's hat. Trixie pulled away in annoyance, and tried to fend Pinkie off with weak shield. "Come on, it's just Princess Luna. It's not even Nightmare Night yet, so she can't be that scary."
"I wouldn't bother Pinkie, for I am the scariest creature to her right now." Luna said in a tired tone of having to go through this even after a couple years of repairing her reputation. "Breezies and Changelings alike fear Nightmare Moon greatly."
"Whoa, what's with the getup Luna? It's nowhere near Nightmare Night." Rainbow Dash questioned when she finally noticed the armor Princess Luna had on.
"It was meant to strike fear in the hearts of the Changelings but I didn't expect there to be non here, let alone a Breezy so far from home." Luna said as she looked around.
"No offense princess, but if you wanted to scare the Changelings, couldn't you come as yourself? I mean, you can be awfully frightening when you are upset." Rarity offered with caution, not wanting to offend Luna.
"None has been taken, but I would have had a much greater effect on their morale if I stayed like this for now. Their fear for Nightmare Moon is equal only to their fear of the dark." She explained. Before I can ask why that is, Trixie spoke as she trotted in place.
"I don't know if this is important or anything. You may want to get to it whenever you have the chance, but EDGAR IS STILL OUT THERE!" She yelled as her ear twitched around. "We have an army and two Alicorns, shouldn't that be enough?"
"Indeed, but it is difficult to track them down right now." Luna said as she looked around some more as if in some thought. She then turned towards me s if she had an epiphany. "Twilight, you said he was immune to magic, correct?" I nodded, wondering where she was going with this. "That might explain what I've been feeling off in the distance towards the fields. I keep feeling something powerful, and at the same time there is nothing to feel. It's almost like something is flickering between existing and not existing. I thought it was just my imagination until now."
"That's Edgar! it has to be him." Trixie exclaimed with excitement as her ear kept flicking. She looked upward towards her hat with an annoyed expression a couple seconds later, then poked at it. "Hey, stop that. As I was saying, that can't be anypony else other then him. Though, I don't know why you can feel him all of a sudden though since he is immune." Trixie added to herself. It might be because Princess Luna developed a keen sense during her long life, but I don't think that's it because it didn't make sense to me. You can't just detect something that isn't affected by magic.
"And if he's there then that means Applebloom is too, right?" Applejack said, hoping she was going to like the answer. Trixie gave an unsure nod, which seemed good enough for Applejack.
Princess Luna took all this into consideration as she took a couple steps back. Her horn glowed a vibrant blue, and she launched a red flare spell into the sky. Within seconds a large portion of Royal Guard rushed to Luna's side, eager for some action. They were a mix of all pony races, mostly being filled with Thestrals. As the Pegasus were getting latched to chariots so they could pull the unicorns and earth ponies, the Thestrals formed a perimeter around Luna. Turning toward me, she spoke.
"You and thy friends shall stay hear and watch over Ponyville until our return. Don't worry about us," she told me with a without warning a shroud dark mist gathered at the base of her hooves, enveloping her as it started to rise. When she got completely covered, it began to dissipate as quickly as it covered her, revealing the once feared Nightmare Moon minus her helmet. In a voice I have not heard since nightmare night, she spoke once more. "We won't be gone for long." and with that, she took off at astounding speed towards the fields leaving a black smoke trail in her wake. Roughly half of the guards that came followed her at an almost equal speed, but were still a little slower then her. It would probably take a minute or two to catch up to her if she decided to stop.
I looked back to the guards she left, their face as stoic as ever.
"...Carry on with what you were originally doing." I told them, not being about to think of anything too more important then what they were doing earlier.
"That. was. AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she flew in the air. "Did you see her? She was all "I'M GONNA MURDERIZE THEIR FLANKS" and she took off really fast and..."Rainbow realized that she fanmared pretty hard, and then readjusted herself "*cough* So yea, that happened."
"D-does she do that often?" Trixie asked with wide eyes and surprised tone." The Nightmare Moon thing?" Oh, that's right. she only just met Luna today, so it would make sense that she hasn't seen her as Nightmare Moon before.
"Not since a couple Nightmare Nights ago. It's mostly just for fun. There's really nothing to worry about." Fluttershy said to help ease her fear.
Trixie took some deep breaths, and finally calmed down a decent amount.
"Ok, I think I'm good now." She said, but soon adopted an annoyed expression when her ear twitched a little." Actually, there is one thing that is still bothering me." Pointing to her hat, she spoke to Fluttershy."You're good with these things, right? Get it out of my hair. Literally."
Walking up to her, Fluttershy grabed Trixie and moved her head downward so that her hat was level her face. As she started whispering softly to Delphi, Trixie froze out of instinct.
"Ooh ooh, what's she sayin'?" Pinkie asked.
"I have no idea," Trixie said, not moving a single muscle as Fluttershy worked her magic. "They're both talking too softly for me to hear."
Fluttershy took a step back from Trixie and gave the news.
"She doesn't wanna leave just yet."
...
"What?" Trixie said incredulously.
"She said that she just got warm and cozy and wants to stay there until there is a room made just for her." Fluttershy explained as she shook her head. "Besides, she also said that she liked how it smelled like a mix of raspberries and booze inside of it." Fluttershy added. Trixie looked back towards us and saw that we were all just staring at her.
"What?" She asked in an acccusing manner after being put on the spot."You have your vices, and Trixie has hers."
Deciding to change the subject from her being an alcoholic, my thoughts drifted to Edgar. If Trixie said he was in bad shape, then we may have problem. Sure, Spike has gone in for a routine checkup, but none of our doctors have ever done a full-blown surgery on a Dragon, or whatever Trixie said he was before. She seemed attached to him If he came in more injured then he currently was, I don't know if we could save him. Almost as if she read my thoughts, Trixie brought up Edgar before me.
"Do you think she'll make it in time?" She asked, obviously referring to her friend.
"I don't know, but the changeling army should be taken care of relatively easily now that Luna and her reinforcements are here" I told her reassuringly. She didn't seem to buy it though.
"That doesn't make me any less worried about him, because I just had a disturbing thought." Trixie started as she looked over to where Luna flew. "Luna said that she felt nothing to feel, so that had to be Edgar. She also said that she felt something powerful in the same direction." As soon as she finished that statement, she looked over to me with worried eyes. "Whose power could that be?"
...Telsona!
Suddenly it made sense why Luna could sense him. It's because she was also sensing Telsona.
Looking back to direction Trixie was looking, I let out heavy breath trying to keep myself compose. If Telsona is out there with Edgar and Applebloom, then there is a good chance that something bad is going to happen.
No, I can't be responsible for any more deaths. I began whisper a small prayer to myself.
I take a couple steps back, griping my bokken in fear for my life.
"Don't EVER..." she said in a dangerously low tone, a cicada noise slowly getting louder as her wings started to beat faster and faster.
Oh Shit!
"...Presume to find me comparable with that Miserable Failure!!!" She screamed as she bursted towards me with her katana. Fueled by her rage, she did many sloppy slashes at me, which I prominently kept trying to dodge. She eventually did a downwards cut with her sword as soon as she came into range. Letting my martial instincts kick in, I moved my bokken in a parry position above my head, letting her blade glide across the back of mine as I stepped towards her side. When I was in was clear, I took my bokken and made a diagonal cut across the back of Telsona's thigh, close to her flank.
Contrary to what most movies portray, a Japanese sword fight would normally only last about five seconds at the most. It also wasn't about hitting each others swords all the time and using strength to overpower an opponent, at least when a sword like a katana came into play. It was about superior angles and precision. If everything went right, that should have been enough to take her down. But like everything that has happened since I got here, things went wrong. Firstly, I just now realized that I was holding a wooden practice sword, so when I struck to cut her, I just ended up smacking the back of her thigh. Secondly, when I deflected she ended up shaving some wood off my bokken leaving it a little smaller then it was before. Third ,she had really thick chitin, so it felt like I tried to chop down a small tree with a broomstick. Fourth and finally, I started to get distracted by the...Yep, you fucking guessed it.
Trying to ignore the painful vibrations I felt run up my arms and the strangely familiar and fitting music, I took a small hope backwards to get out of her range. Quickly turning around towards me as she winced, she took a glance at her flank and notice a black mark on her rear. It wasn't due to a bruise that started to form, but it actually came from the paint that scraped off of my bokken. Lifting her head up she faced me one more time, with a raised eyebrow to complement her glare.
"You just struck my flank." She said in a neutral tone, laced with a small amount of disbelief.
"You tried to kill me!" I shot back, not believing just how trivial this lady was being. She kills people without so much as blinking an eye, and then she all of a sudden gets so defensive about this??? Fucking women.
"You struck my bucking flank!" She borderline yells back at me. We both got into a silent staring contest for a second, until a wanton smile worked its way onto her features as she gave a small lip bite . "... I kinda liked it."
...Da fuck?
Almost as if she said something she didn't mean, she wiped the smile off her face and shook her head.
"...Sadly, I don't have the patience to act on that, since you did bring up she-who-shall-not-be-named. We'll both just have to settle for blood." She said as she got ready to stab forward. Right as she was about to stab, I opened the car door to use as a shield. Her sword pierced about an inch through my door frame, but didn't pass through the carbon steel frame of my car. At first, I though that was badass since it worked, but she saw her opportunity and tried to rush through the open door to get Applebloom. Letting adrenaline and reflex course through me, I do the first thing that came to mind.
"There you are, you little brat-AHGGG, BUCK!!!" she probably would have said something very villainous sounding if I didn't kick my car door shut with her face in between it. The door rebounded off her face, and she withdrew herself from it before i could slam it again. I gave the door another kick to keep it shut. She rubbed her lip before focusing her eyes on her hoof. There was a small green droplet on it. Putting her hoof back to the ground, looked right at me with an unreadable expression.
Well this is just fucking stupendous. Just what did I get myself into? Not only do I have a livid psychopath here, but my weapon just got a whole heck of a lot less reliable.
She lifted her sword in the air from her spot, which I lowered my sword to a lower stance. Raising her eyebrows, she then slowly lowered her sword to match mine, which I put my front foot back and moved my sword into a "hidden" stance.
"Ah, so you do know a thing or two about fighting. And here I though with the way you were shaking that this wouldn't be any fun." She mused as she put herself into her original stance. Fuck, she was trying to see what I knew, and like a dumbass I shown her exactly what she needed to know. Looking as if as was in thought for moment, she suddenly gained a devious smile. "Hey, I just thought of a wonderful game we could play."
Well that doesn't sound good.
"I never liked games that much." I lied, hoping that she would buy it.
"Oh but I insist, Jon Snow. I really think you will like it." She said, addressing me by the false name I gave her. Well, she believed one thing I told her, so at least I had that." Besides, I'm positively mad about games, you know." She said as she took a step forward, causing me to take a step back. I wished she used a different choice in words.
"It's very simple, really. The longer you survive, the more swiftly and painlessly your death shall be. Ready?" She said as she took another step forward. "Get set." I took another step back. "...GO!" She yelled as she took two quick steps forward, acting like she was about to strike. On instinct I tried taking two steps back to keep her out of range, but failed as I tripped over something and fell on my back. Looking at what I tripped over, I saw it was the changeling Telsona killed a couple minutes ago. I tried to get up fast, but a smooth black body pinned the arm that was holding the bokken. Looking at it, I saw it was another dead changeling. The green glow that covered the changeling soon faded, and when I looked up, I saw Telsona standing over me, and she had a smug grin on her face. Her horn was still glowing, and I soon felt even more weight on my legs. I could only assume it was another corpse. Feeling something really wet on the arm that was pinned, I had an idea of what it was, and almost threw up at the thought.
"Well that wasn't very long at all. You should be ashamed of yourself." She patronized as she held her katana with her magic close to the side of my neck. "I mean really, that was one of the oldest tricks in the book."
"Y-you cheated!" I yelled, not being able to think of anything else to say.
"And did I win?" She shot back in an amused tone. After she gave a small chuckle, her face shifted back to the serious gaze she had before. "I think I'm going to kill you now, but don't worry, you won't die."
What?
"Hehe, you seem confused. Go on, ask me why. Ask me why you won't die even though I said I'm going to kill you." She mocked with an evil gleam, sensing my bewilderment.
"...Why?" I obliged, not wanting to piss her off any more then I already have.
"Ah bupbup. Be specific, Jon." She corrected, obviously enjoying the display of her dominance.
"Why am I not going to die?" I repeat, beginning to dread the answer. She took her sword away from my neck and held it in front of her.
"This isn't what somepony would call a normal sword. I would even go as far as to call it cursed." She began, not talking her eyes off me all the while.
Greeeeeat. Now she starts monolouging.
"When I kill you, your spirit will be stuck in here like all the other snot-nosed creatures who got in my way." She said as she leaned closer to me. "Think about it, you get to be with me for as long as I want. You can watch as I decimate villages with all the other souls that are inside this sword." She asked as she raised her sword above her head, ready to plunge it into my neck. She paused for a moment before smiling a toothy grin. "You really did remind me of somepony. Many ponies actually, but the good news is you're about to meet them all."
"W-wait, if you kill me," I started to say, trying to think of something to tell her to keep her interested enough to not kill me." Then you'll never find the ring."
That seemed to be enough to stop her descent, if only for a moment.
"The ring?" She inquired as she tilted her head in interest. "Just what are you blabbering about?"
"...The one ring to rule them all? Forged in the fires of Mordor?" I kept going, trying to buy time until I think of something.
"...That literally sounds like something a twelve year old colt would make up while playing forts and phantoms." She said as she deadpaned. Wow, what a cunt! No-one talks shit about Tolkien. "Nice try though." she mocked she started her blade's plunge.
I struggled wildly, trying to free my arm from the corpse it was pinned under, but it was no use. I would never get out of it in time. As she began to lower the blade, my life flashed before my eyes. My first day at school, my first kiss, going to the beach with my family... why do I literally see flashing?
Apparently I want the only one who noticed this as Telsona stopped her inevitable plunge, noticing a light reflecting off her blade. She seemed almost mesmerized as she stared into the blade, like a moth to the flame. Shaking herself free from the trance she put herself in, she frowned.
"Okay, what the buck is that?" She questioned as she started to turn toward the source. The second she turned her head to the source of the flashing, she found herself slapped hard by the light and she was launched a couple feet forward by some sort of blue aura, falling face first into the ground. The blade that was hovering above me fell down, and I barely had time to dodge as it pierced the ground right beside my head. Out of shear instinct I turned my head toward the blade, only to nick the tip of my nose with a papercut sized slice.
"Oh. My. God!" I yelled to whichever cruel deity was organizing my luck right now. "WHYYYYYYY?!?"
Ignoring the irritating sensation of the itching pain on my nose and how stupid I was, I decided to free my arm before I lost all circulation and got that dull "pins and needles" sensation. Relaxing my arm, I drew it inward whilst being careful not to hurt myself anymore. When my arm was free I hugged it and the bokken close to my chest, trying to get some blood flow back into it. Soon the music started to die down to a complete stop as another pulse of light passed over me, and the body of the changeling that my arm was trapped under also launched itself towards the direction Telsona flew, as did the other changeling corpses in the area. The blood that was on my car evaporated while the lights washed over it, leaving a shiny dented mustang in its place. As I picked myself up, I got a good look at the waves of light that were coming from Ponyville, and I had only one thought.
...Was that a fucking Patronus Charm or something?
Whatever, I'm not even gonna question it. I gotta focus on getting out of here right now. Sitting up, I take a look at the corpse that was right on my legs. There was still a bit of foam leftover near the edge of its mouth, and it was laying down in a strange position. It's going to be hard to move, but not impossible. As I tried to push from my position, but I only succeeded in pushing myself down. Scratch that, it's impossible from where it is. How can something so small be that heavy?
After a couple more failed attempts, I look at my bokken and suddenly get an idea. Using it as a lever, I push as hard as I can upward, trying to roll it off my legs. Hearing cracking sounds, I continue the motion while wiggling my leg little by little out from under the changeling. I knew that it was already weakened from Telsona shaving a large chunk off from it, so I only had a matter of time to get out before it snaps. I managed to get a leg and a half free before my bokken snapped, leaving me with a broken piece starting from the hilt, and ending with a sharp, splintered piece the size of my forearm. Since I got so much of my leg free, it was easy to get the last part of it out after one last push. I rested a couple of seconds before I got up, the waves of light coming to a halt after a while.
Picking up the sword that almost killed me, I begin walking to the downed body of the changeling queen.The sword itself felt pretty balanced, I guess. It's still pretty fugly in my opinion. Coming within a few feet of the queen, I poked her side with her sword. As it made a small thud with each poke, akin to knocking on really thick cardboard, no movement came from her. The Patronus shit from earlier must have killed her, which I am really thankful for since I don't see how I could kill her even with an actual sword. At the very least, I might have been able to go after the chinks in her chitin and joints, but I don't think I would have been skilled enough to hit them.
...Wow, she's dead. I know Telsona tried to kill everyone and all, but that doesn't change the fact that she was once a living creature. Or that I killed all these changelings. At least with the normal ones, they were easier to kill since they were more like bugs then anything else. I almost felt bad, but I say "almost" because she and her bugs killed people who were just as alive as she was. It's still-
Nope, fuck it. I'm not getting philosophical. I just wanna leave before I get in any more bad situations.
Before I start to head to my car, I turn back to the deceased queen next to me.
"Don't talk shit about Tolkien!" I yelled in a raised voice as I gave a swift kick to her back. I kinda wished I didn't though. It literally felt like kicking a tree. After giving a silent curse and holding my boot whilst hopping in place for couple seconds, I hobbled back to my car.
Walking within feet of the car, I saw Applebloom in the window of the car, still looking scared. I was wondering she was scared of, until she pointed a hoof to something behind me. When I started to hear a cicada noise and the music from earlier behind me, I had an idea of who exactly was behind me.
You have got to be be fucking kidding me!
While turning with speed, I swung the sword in a horizontal strike towards her head, hoping to chop it off. The blade stopped with a padded thud right at the chitin on her neck. A few locks hair that I cut through fell down as she stared at me with an unamused expression.
"Really?" She questioned with a tone that matched her face. Rolling her eyes she grabbed me and threw me to the ground. Hard. I'm glad that breakfalls were one of the first things we were taught, otherwise I would have had the wind knocked out of me. I hit the spot where I was trapped before, and tried to get up only to be once more pinned, but this time with her hoof pressing down on my left bicep. Smacking her sword out of my other hand, she pinned my other arm to the ground. "Okay, let's try this again, from the top."
Telsona looked at her sword and did a slight nod...only for nothing to happen right now. She scrunched her eyebrows and nodded again at the sword only to have nothing happen yet again.
"Oh, come on!" She said, as she continued staring at her sword. I was wondering what was going on too, until I looked at the hooves she was pinning me with. I remembered what happened when I first got here, back when Trixie tried to get me out of the car.
---------------------------
"...After she gave a sheepish laugh and ran back to get a real knife from soot covered home, she returned with a much more useable one, griping the knife in a blue aura. That almost ended with me being injured a tad bit more when her magic failed unexpectedly when the knife came into contact with me..."
---------------------------
Looking back at the struggling queen, I see that her magic is not working cause she's touching me. She can't get her sword. While that's convenient at the moment, I'm still not sure how I'm going to get out of here. Looking around, I saw the splintered piece of my bokken lying just an inch out of reach. If I could just move a little, I could probably reach it and do something. Anything that would help me get out of here.
As she stood over me with hooves against my arms, I realized that she forgot about my legs this time. I could probably kick her in a sensitive spot to stun her or something.
Anything that would help me get out of here, right?
Bending my leg, I deliver the most devastating kick I could give in an upward motion, hoping that would make her jump up in pain, and maybe free my arms. While I expected to hear a yelp or anything, i didn't expect to hear the sound I heard next.
*squech*
...I just kicked her vagina...
I tried frantically to pull my foot free, but her vaginal muscles clamped on my boots, not allowing any form of movement. The fight music stopped very suddenly, leaving nothing to listen to but the wind and awkward silence. To my surprise, no screams pain or movement came from Telsona, as she just stood there, frozen with eyes closed and her mouth open in an "o" shape. A soft sound comparable to a cricket chirping emitted from her mouth as she shifted her hips a little, finally opening her eyes and looking down at me.
I think I dun goofed.
At first she just stared with malice, but then after she blinked a couple times, her expression soften as it shifted into curiosity.
"Hmmmm, I wonder..." She asked herself. Taking a couple seconds to think, she pointed her horn towards my face and started to lower it. She started to move the jagged bone closer and closer, scaring me into thinking she was going to impale me. I braced myself for pain, only to be shocked as she brushed her horn on the side of my cheek a couple times. The horn scratched at my skin, but it wasn't enough to draw blood. When she gave a sharp gasp, she lifted her horn away quickly. "You're immune to magic!" She exclaimed with shock, which soon melted into a mix of both a mirthful and lecherous smile. "Well that explains some things." Immediately after that statement she let go of my foot, letting it fall to the ground. Without warning she let her body drop right on top of me, straddling me with her head right below my chin.
Scratch out what I said earlier about the changelings that were on top of me being heavy. This bitch was at least TWICE as heavy. She knocked all the wind out of me when she landed. As I struggled to catch my breath, she started to scoot herself upward until her face was level with mine, noses touching.
"Comfortable?" She asked, her breath laced with the scent of...pine trees and tobacco? As strange as it was it was, it didn't change the fact that I still could barely breathe. I wheezed as I tried to tell her to get her fat ass off me. Telsona, enjoying the situation, responded in kind. "What's that? Oh, I'm sorry. One moment." She said as she shifts her legs up just a small amount, still clinging close to me but giving my chest and diaphragm room to move. "Better?" She asked with an inviting look.
I nodded hesitantly, wondering why she changed all of a sudden. A minute ago she was going to kill me, but now she was being all...this. It couldn't be just because I missed a vital area and accidentally boinked her with my foot.
"I don't know what you're playing at, but I don't think I'll like it." I said in a labored breath, finally being able to breath.
"You know nothing, Jon Snow." She said as she began to softly nuzzled the side of my cheeks.Really? "But that can be forgiven, as can your...mistake and meddling from earlier. The reason for this is because, luckily for you, you just made yourself very valuable."
"And how did I do tha-AHH!?!" I tried to asked, trying to ignore the small but painful bite she gave my shoulder. She lifted her head to look back at me. I saw a small amount of blood seeping from the side of her mouth, which she sensually licked clean with a long, ropey green tongue, making sure that I was watching.
"Let me put this in a way a monkey like you would understand. Your immunity to magic not only explains why you can resist me, but also lets you qualify for the new position of "Royal Toy"."
"...What?!?" I yelled out, flustered as I felt blood rise to my cheeks. This escalated very quickly.
"Oh, I think you heard exactly what I said." She said as she lowered her head to the left side of mine, letting her tongue flop out. I still kept trying to reach the broken piece of my bokken, trying to ignore the teasing licks she kept giving. I could just barely touch it, so now I just have to try and inch it closer to me. "You see *lick*, mmhm, salty, there would be certain advantages to having a creature like you that is immune to magic. While it's true that I never had a creature like you before," She shifted her head really close to my ear, which luckily for me she didn't notice that I was able to get two fingers around the broken bokken. Feeling the hot moisture from her breath, she whispered the next couple sentences in my ear. "I can be flexible. With training, you could provide and be provided with pleasure that only the Queens would deserve. You would be fed, have a home, and have the full attention of my sisters and I. You would be the sole focus of pleasure from beautiful mares that have been alive for many a year, and have had time to learn the secrets of the sexual arts." Telsona sang with growing excitement as she got a whimsical look. "I can just see it now. As my sisters and I have our fun with you, we would make you scream in pain and pleasure as our own personal love pet. You would beg for mercy from the relentless onslaught of carnal delight, and we would deny you again, and again," she put force into her next line by letting her tail snake her way into my jeans, letting her soft hair brush and coil itself around my rod, making me squirm in the alien pleasure. " And again. All we require is your complete obedience. Doesn't it sound tempting?" She cooed softly with cricket sounds as her tongue continued to tickle my jaw-line, occasionally switching to my bleeding shoulder.
"...and if I refuse?" I ask, already knowing the answer. Telsona started to answer but was interrupted when my car horn went off, honking multiple times. When she got startled her body, including her tail tightened on reflex, sending an unexpected burst of pleasure. I let out a small gasp, which thankfully I don't think she heard due to the constant noise coming from my car. Looking up and to her right, she looked straight at the window and glared at the culprit. Applebloom, who was honking my horn rapidly, noticed the look the changeling queen was giving her. The honking started to slow in tempo, until after one last honk, Applebloom retreated to the backseat where she was originally hiding. I'm thankful for that because I was finally able to grab my bokken. I didn't move to strike just yet however, since my arm was still pinned. I need to get myself free. Turning back towards me, Telsona opened her mouth and revealed a set of normal looking teeth. Well, normal when you exclude the sharp, curved canines she was displaying.
"Just because I can't kill you with my sword doesn't mean you are in a position of negotiation." She said as she moved a little closer to my neck. I winced and struggled, thinking she was going for the jugular or something, but relaxed a little when I just felt a wet kiss on the side of my neck. As if to form a seal, the queen presses her lips against it as she then swirled her tongue around and around. As quicky as she started, she pulled away, letting a loud "pop" from the suction of her hickey ring out. "So what's it going to be?"
...
This is the most uncomfortable boner I have ever had, and I watched anime.
Seriously, this stuff only happens in shitty fanfictions.
Thankfully, I didn't have to answer and either A: become her toy, or B: die. The reason for this was because of the sound that we were hearing. It sounded similar to jet flying in the sky, and it was coming from behind where I was laying. Telsona started to get annoyed by these constant interruptions and looked up to to the source.
"Can't I just have five UNINTERRUPTED minutes to mysel-" she started in pissed-off tone, but it soon died down as her eyes widened and I saw an emotion that I haven't seen from her yet.
Terror.
It was a drastic change for what this mare made herself out to be. Looking at what was behind me, I saw a dark blue object hurtling towards us, and it was emitting a thick black smoke in its trail. Looking back to Telsona, her eyes were wide as saucers and her lips trembled while she kept mumbling a mantra to herself.
"Happy thoughts during the day keep the darkness away. Happy thoughts during the day keep the nightmares at bay. " she uttered with a shaky voice and an almost trance like state with her pin-pricked pupils. I didn't give this much thought because she started to back up in a fearful manner, taking her hooves off of me. Seeing my chance, I thrust my splintered bokken as hard as I could into the softest spot I could see.
"EEEEIIIIIIAAHHH!!!" She let out a blood curdling scream as it plunged into her left eye socket, splattering a fairly decent amount of green blood over the handle and the sleeve of my shirt. The scream itself was loud enough to leave a dull ringing noise. She backpedaled as fast as she could as she held a hoof to her eye, trying to stop the bleeding. Turning to me and glaring with antipathy evident in her one good eye, she said a couple things, then green flames flashed brightly from her horn and straight at me. I raised my hands to protect myself as the flames that surrounded me temporarily blinded me. I felt nothing, however, and when I could see again I saw the area surrounding me was blacked like charcoal as grass smoulder-ed. Looking up I caught a glimpse of her form flying quickly into the Everfree forest with her sword strapped to her hips. I don't know what she said to me since my ears were still ringing, but I don't think she was inviting me for tea.
While my hearing was recovering, I tried to catch my breath and calm myself down from all the shit that happened throughout the last couple of minutes. I didn't get the chance to though, because that dark comet thing from earlier landed close by where the car was, about twenty yards. It left a small crater and a cloud of dust, obscuring whatever was inside. Soon, a silhouette appeared from within, and as the dust started to settle, a dark blue Alicorn was revealed. Correction, my favorite dark blue alicorn was revealed. I squealed like a fangirl on the inside when saw her, no joke.
Princess Luna started to emerge from the mini crater she created upon impact, dark vapors coalescing from her hooves and body. Constellations with an almost living personality shifted and moved in her mane as it flowed in the wind. She wore the same dark armor and jewelry from the series premier, as well as a predatory scowl as she took a couple steps towards me. Looking between my car and me, she spoke to me.
"Art thou the one who is called Edgar, or be you Changeling?" she asked in a bemused voice that was unlike the one I come to know and love from the show. It sounded more like...Nightmare Moon. Yea, that's what it sounded like, though I don't know why she sounded like that. I wasn't going to hold it against the best princess though, so I responded in kind.
"Yes. I am, your majesty." I told her, taking deep breaths in order to calm myself further. Princess Luna eyed me with a suspicious look and a raised eyebrow, as if searching for something.
"Do you... not fear us?"She asked as she tilted her head inquisitivly.
"I don't really know, should I?" I questioned back, trying to be mindful of what I say. I don't see how I ever could be scared of her. Her awkward personality and the old way she talks makes her so kawaii. Though she's acting more serious then what I am used to seeing on the show. That could be due to the fact that we are surrounded by corpses of the army that took over Ponyville briefly.
"Many ponies have feared us for years after our return, so please forgive us if we expected a similar reaction." She said as she shook her head. Soon, the smoky gas that was surrounding her began to dissipate, and Luna took a deep breath inward, then released it slowly. As she exhaled, I heard her voice began to shift in pitch and attitude, changing from the "Nightmare Moony" voice from a minute ago to the voice I expected to hear when I first saw her. "It is not often we meet an understanding creature such as yourself." She looked past me and to my car. "Or even a creature as strange as yourself to begin with. When Twilight mentioned a dragon-like creature helping Ponyville, I wasn't expecting a thing such as you, let alone the creature that is behind you. What is it's name?"
"What, my car?" I asked. Why does everyone keep thinking it's a living thing? It's getting kind of old.
"Mykar... Is that its name?" Luna asked me, before looking right at it. "SALUTATIONS, MYKAR. I AM PRINCESS LUNA OF EQUESTRIA. IT IS TRULY A WONDEROUS OCCASION TO GREET YOU AND YOUR FRIEND!!!" she yelled at my car using the Royal Canterlot voice.
Fuck, there goes my hearing again.
As I try to clean out my ears and fix my hair, Princess Luna waited patiently as she waited for my car to respond. After a couple moments, she looked back to me after I started to get some of my hearing back.
"Is your friend hard of hearing? Should we perhaps speak louder?" She asked with innocence.
"NO!" I yelled a little too quickly, hoping to avoid any permanent damage. "Just no. You don't need to talk to my car. It isn't really a living thing."
"Oh, we are sorry for yelling so loudly." Luna said as she looked down with a guilty expression. Awww, now I feel bad.
"Look, we got off on the wrong...hoof. Let's start over." I said, hoping to make her feel better. I cleared my throat and spoke in a friendly tone. "Hi, my name is Edgar. What is your name."
"We- I am Princess Luna." She said as she seemingly felt a little better. She looked over to my car once more and spoke once more. "If it's not alive, then what is it?"
"It's a car. It's like...well, you see...think of it like a carriage with an engine, like a train." I explained with difficulty. It shouldn't have been that hard, but I was more focused on the pain my eardrums had.
"It looks awfully small to be like any train I had ever seen." Luna said. She looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't get the opportunity as armored pegasi and batponies bearing weapons and her cutiemark descended down on the area, carrying chariots full of more guards, weapons, and chains with glowing runes on them. They surrounded both me and my car, their spears pointed at me with intent to kill should I make any sudden moves.
"Drop your weapon, creature!" One of the thestral ponies yelled, leveling his spear to my kneecaps. I quickly dropped my splintered, Green-stained bokken and put my hands above my head in fear that this guy would cap me if I didn't.
"Stand down, guards! This creature is one of the ponies we have been searching for." Luna explained in a stern, commanding voice. When the guards didn't obey, I started to fear the worst. That is until Luna spoke one more time. "Bedtime, now stand down!"
The guards started lowering their spears after that, but kept a watchful eye on me and my mustang.
"We are sorry about that. When Changelings attack, we cannot order our guards to do anything until we say a phrase that day." Princess Luna scanned the area, taking note of all the dead Changelings. "Speaking of which, did you see what happened here?"
"Yeaaa, well this was mostly my doing." I said while nodding my head. Luna simply stared at me wide-eyed. She was looking at the green blood that stained my grey T-shirt, as well as looking at the bokken piece that I dropped. After switching back and forth a couple times, she finally rested her eyes on me in disbelief.
"You," she said as she pointed at me. She then moved her hoof to point at the dead changelings. "Did all this...," she then pointed to the bloody, broken bokken sword on the grass. "...With that?!?" She asked with awe.
"Well actually I didn't do it with just this. Actually it was -" I said as I turned to my car. I was about to give credit where credit was due, but then I thought back to something my theatre teacher said to me.
-----------------------------
"You can't just pretend to be the main character of your own story, having everything handed to him on a silver platter. You can't just sit at home on the computer waiting for your destiny, otherwise it will pass you by. You have to man up, and take charge of who you will be..."
----------------------------
Just who am I going to be?
Back home, I really wasn't much. I had games, acting, movies, and Aikido. That was pretty much it.
But here?
Here I can be anything I wanted to be right now. Any personality… any backstory… it's mine for the taking. I could be a Superman, an alien from a world light years away, eager to help all I meet. I could be a Captain Kirk, an explorer who is eager to explore this brave new frontier, or maybe even something as simple as a lost author who had the misfortune of getting sent to this strange land. There is basically no limit to all the things I could do here, all the people I could be.
Don't get me wrong, I still fully intend to get home as soon as possible, but before I go I should probably have some fun. After all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. My one chance to be extraordinary, and I may not ever get a chance like this again.
You understand, right?
My car got all the blood cleaned off by whatever that light pulse was, so aside from dents and scratches it was in a pristine condition. My bokken and shirt, on the other hand, got stained from blood splatter after I stabbed Telsona in the eye. Taking off my bloodstained shirt and tossing it on the ground like this was an everyday thing, I continued what I was going to say, only with a minor change. "...wasn't broken until about thirty or so Changelings." I said in a nonchalant tone, causing the guards that were still at the chariots to do a double take with surprised looks. Now that I had them hooked, I channeled the spirit of the ancient Roman God, Bullshiticus, to aid me in lying. "It used to be in a lot better condition, but it broke and I was stuck with that thing for the rest of the Changeling. I wish I had my staff instead, that way I would have been able to probably take on Telsona too."
The guards that still held their spears looked at me with in underlaying fear, with the revelation that they were just threatening a being that could do this to an army.
"The stallion who took on an entire changeling army...has nipples." A female bat pony from the left said in a disbelieving tone.
"Are we sure it's a stallion? We don't even know what it is." Another mare called out.
"Forget the fact that he has nipples," a unicorn stallion called out in a frightened voice. "Let's talk about the fact that we were just threatening a creature that took on an army of changelings with a wooden stick!"
"And a changeling queen, let's not forget about that." I added. The guards started to seem more and more worried, which seemed more counter-productive. I wanted them to believe that I could do all this stuff, but not fear me. "Don't worry, friends. I only go after those who would hurt others, and those changelings were going to hurt a little filly named Applebloom." I said in a calming manner, attempting to settle them down. While the guards relaxed a little, Luna's ears perked up at the mention of the filly.
"Did you say Applebloom? You wouldn't happen to know where she is at the moment, would you?" Luna asked me, a small amount of distrust and fear evident in her tone.
"Sure, she's inside my car. One second." I said while i started to walk over to the driver's side. Hearing armor rustle, I saw that the guards all tensed up. Moving even more slowly and cautiously, I place my hand on the handle. "I'm going to open the car now. Please do not stab me." I say slowly and clearly. When I opened the door, sitting on the passenger seat was Applebloom. She hopped from the seat and wraped me in a surprisingly strong hug. Not enough to do anything serious since she was just a filly, but enough to show that it would be hard for her to let go. Her fur against my bare chest made it feel like I was getting hugged by a fluffy dog.
"Mister Angel, you're alive!" She said with a slight relief. " Ya looked real bad, an' when she threw ya on the ground, ah thought tha-
"Yea yea, I'm alright. I'm an angel, remember? We're gonna be alright, now that Princess Luna and her guards are here." I interrupted, trying to get her to think happy thoughts. This whole thing has just been a giant mess, hasn't it? When we broke the hug, Applebloom looked at Luna with excitement at first, but then it shifted into a frown as Applebloom just stared at her like she didn't trust her. I wondered what could have caused this for a second, but after a second of thinking I got a pretty good idea. "My angel sense says she's in the clear" I whispered to the suspicious filly. She perked up a look and soon switched from being distrustful to accepting.
"Heya Princess, can we go home now?" She asked innocently, earning some chuckles from everybody.
"Yes, young Applebloom. It is indeed time for us to return." She said as she turned look at me. "Does your train still work?" She asked, obviously taking about the car. Walking to the front of my car, I lift up the hood and inspect it. I know off the top of my head that the battery needs a recharge from earlier, but I need to make sure that th- Sweet mother of Nicholas Cage, it's hideous!!!
There was a Changeling horn lodged on the inside of the camshaft. Has that been there the entire time I was running over Changelings? That could not have been good for the engine. I mean, I guess we could still try it, but I don't know if it will work. Yanking the horn out ever so delicately, I look back at Luna.
"Well, maybe. There a bunch of different things that it could need." I explained to them. First things first though, we have to get the battery running. I took a seat inside my car and got ready to turn the keys. "Would one of you guys hit this box here with some electricity?" I yelled out the the group of guards.
At first, none made any moves. When Luna motioned for the guards to do something however, the unicorn that spoke earlier walked up tentatively and aimed his horn at the box. He then shot a continuous ark of electricity at it for a couple seconds. It should have been enough to get the battey going.
"Thanks bud!" I yelled from the inside as I turned the keys to the ignition. The radio, the front lights, and air conditioning were working just fine. I wish I could say the same about the engine. The second I turned the keys far enough to get it started, it made an ugly sound akin to someone rattling a jug filled with nails. When I heard this, I shifted my keys as fast as I can in reverse, hoping that I didn't damage the engine anymore then I already did. I turned to my left and saw Luna right outside my door, waiting for an answer. "It's a no-go. The engines messed up, and I really don't wanna push its limits too much."
Luna nodded in understanding, and turned towards her earthpony guards.
"Grab some of the chains we brought. We shall pull his car into Ponyville." She declared to the guards. As they moved to grab the rune-emblazoned chains off their chariots, I started to get up to help them. I was stopped ,however, by a hard but smooth dark blue hoof pressing down on my chest and forcing me to sit back down. Looking up, I saw that Luna was the owner of the hoof. Her hair was no longer floating, and simply hung off her head. "You are not going anywhere."
"Hey, I wasn't going anywhere. I was ju-" I started to get up, but I started to feel a sharp pain where Luna was pressing, making me gasp. Looking down, I noticed quite a couple bruises all around my body, most noticeable ones being around my ribcage. I felt Luna's hoof shift, leaving a small tingling sensation as her hoof trailed away from the spot she was holding her hoof and revealing a another bruise. Some of them looked about a day old, while others looked like they were just starting to form. I only now just started to notice all these after taking off my shirt. They must have happened yesterday with the dragon, and today with Telsona.
"After a battle like the one you just fought, you're practically running on adrenaline. You may not feel it right now, but after it fades you will start to feel a lot of pain, judging from the sizes of these bruises and all the cuts you have. For now, you have done quite enough for Equestria." Luna said as she took her hoof off of me, her hair going back the ethereal wave it was known for. She didn't even seem to acknowledge it as the guards finished hooking the chains under my car. They started pulling to test the chains, but got nowhere as the car wouldn't budge. When I shifted the gear into neutral so it would be easier to pull, Luna addressed me once more. "As I said, you are going nowhere. At least until we arrive into Ponyville. Am I understood?" Luna punctuated each word after that in a stern voice, like how a mother would talk to a child. When I nodded, she signaled for the guards to start pulling as the rest served as an escort for us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her pick up my shirt and the two pieces of my bokken and toss them in the back of one of her chariots.
I closed my door and reclined my seat back, already starting to feel a dull but small pounding sensation on the bruises, which made me thankful that Luna telling me to take it easy. The part that sucks is now I just have to sit here and do nothing now. As the guards pulled us along, I look over to Applebloom, hoping to maybe talk to her and pass the time.
She was sitting in the passenger seat, just staring out the window. This has been a rough day for her, so I don't blame her for being quiet. That's not going to stop me from trying to talk to her though. The only question is, what do I say? I can't just go up and say "hey... sorry you almost got burnt alive and foalnapped." Trying to think of some way to break the ice, I look around the car for any ideas. My eyes eventually settled on one thing that just might work.
"Hey Applebloom," I called as I fiddled with some buttons and nobs on the radio, switching it to CD. Her ears perked up, and she looked at me attentively. "Do you like music?"
"War does not determine who is right, only who is left."
-Bertrand Russell
***Edgar's POV, Fields outside Ponyville***
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"...How bout now?"
"No."
"Now?
"Yes."
"Really?"
"No." The bat pony guard to the passenger side of us told Applebloom with a neutral but stern voice. Wow, these guys have the patience of a monk on marijuana. Seriously, this little escapade went on for about ten minutes and not once have any of the guards nor the princess that was walking beside us shown a bit of annoyance. Frankly, I wasn't the least bit annoyed because I was too busy focusing on staring outside the car to really let myself notice what they were saying. Once we were far enough from the corpses of the changeling, taking in the natural and familiar beauty of this place was actually pretty relaxing. When I watched the show, I thought that most of the ways they designed trees and flowers and all that was a little "cutesie" for my taste, but with the vivid details that I can now see that has all changed. It reminds me a lot of how the greenery looked in that one "Oz" movie was, except... More real, and at the same time more fake. I don't know how else to explain it, it just is.
After giving an over exaggerated sigh, Applebloom gave up on asking questions and turned to me.
"Can we listen to more of that music now?"
"No." Luna answered before me. She had been walking beside us as we were being pulled for quite a while, almost as if to keep an eye on Applebloom and I. While she said that it was only to make sure we would be alright, I wouldn't doubt that there would be a secondary reason for keeping such a close eye on us. "At least until we understand what caused the outburst of Melody magic. Until that time, there is to be no music."
Applebloom looked to me, hoping that I was going to at least plead her case to Luna.
"I think we should listen to the princess. They were really starting to creep me out." If I had it my way, I would have chosen to play my Disney CD the entire trip to town. It was completely fine when the first song, "When You Wish Upon A Star", played. In fact, Luna actually seemed to enjoy that one a lot.
Go figure.
Strangely enough, after a couple more songs the guards started to get a little..."Jolly". While this doesn't sound bad yet, it started to get a tad bit creepy when their eyes started to glaze over and their normal stern expression turned into a dopey kind of smile. The music went on up until Luna noticed that the guards started to mumble the song "A Girl Worth Fighting For" under their breath, and were marching to the rhythm of the song. I know those songs were catchy and all, but there is no way they could have known the lyrics to it. The part that crossed the line with Luna, however, was when the guard sang about loving his fantasy girl's cooking. He, being a unicorn, talked about beef, pork and chicken, as if it was his favorite. When I stopped the song, he, nor any of the other guards had any recollection of what they said.
Applebloom let out a defeated grunt as she just slumped down in her seat, just tapping the front of the console. I think it was my stereo that caused it. I didn't want to bring it up because I didn't know why it happened, or even if it was the sole cause of whatever Luna was talking about.
"Hmm, that's surprising." Luna said with a skeptical gaze that was coupled with a single raised eyebrow. "And here we thought thou lacked the emotion of fear, or didn't know when to be afraid."
"What makes you say that?" I asked.
"Its nothing really. We simply find it curious that not only did you just take on an army of changelings and their Queen, but you showed no fear of us when we arrived. Until now, I came to the conclusion that you didn't fear, or even know what it was." She explained.
"Well, I still get scared pretty easily, And a lot of times it's over the littlest things. Like when you see a spider in your room, and you take your eyes off it for a second to get something to smash it, only for it to not be there. Now that's the stuff of nightmares." I joked with a chuckle. Well, not really joked, since I really do fear the littlest and most unusual things. I gotta cover my feet with the blanket when I go to bed so nothing eats them, and I gotta check the toilet rims before I go to the bathroom to make sure there isn't a snake in the toilet. Luna didn't seem very amused though, so I continued with what I was saying. "Ahem, that being said, I didn't really see a reason to fear you." I said honestly. From examples of my history class to plot twists in books and television shows, I didn't really like the idea of dealing with the government or any governmental figures because of how they looked. Call it paranoia or an unnecessary fear if you want, but I was always scared that that something bad would happen. With Luna or any other pony however, I feel like I know her better then I would know Obama, or any political leader. Seeing them time and time again makes me feel like I could trust them.
Luna did not seem satisfied with that answer though, as her face seemed to show doubt.
"Really? I find that very hard to believe. I would have attributed your bravery to me as ignorance of our identity, but you addressed me as "your majesty" before I introduced myself, so you must know who I am." She pointed out, still keeping her gaze straight forward. Shit, I really gotta stop doing that. Luna continued her elaboration as she walked in a more regal and loud way. "You knew that I am Princess Luna, that I was Nightmare Moon. I was the mare on the Moon and I almost brought eternal darkness to Equestria, yet you reacted to my old form no different then you react to me right now. Is that not clear? Are you truly not bothered?"
Ooooooohh. See, that makes a little more sense. Apparently, when she sounded like Nightmare she looked like her too. I guess I just didn't see it for whatever reason.
"Truth be told, when you first showed up, I couldn't really see a difference between you and Nightmare Moon." I told her...wow, that sounded a lot better in my head. I was affirmed of my mistake when I noticed the guards dropping their straight faces to cringe as Luna became agitated, almost stomping as she walked along us. Breathing heavily out of her nostrils, she looked toward me as if she was about to chew my head off, only to turn back to where she was looking with pursed lips.
We continued walking for about eight agonizingly long seconds until the silence was a little too awkward for me to handle.
"Hey, I know what I said sounded bad, but it's not what y-" I wanted to continue, but Luna interrupted me with a huff.
"We heard thy words clearly, foreigner." Luna spat. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that some of the guards that were still walking with us were eyeing the situation with interest. Out of all of them, the Pegasus ponies had the widest eyes after she said "foreigner". "Like everypony else, you obviously think that I am still a monster, that I'm still the horrible pony from before."
"Nooo no no no, that's not what I meant at all." I defended. "I meant to say that when you first showed up, I only saw you as how you look right now. As the nice and gentle Princess that saved me a couple minutes ago." Technically, that was true, since I didn't see the illusion thing she had going on. "I promise, I would probably be the last person to judging you." And that was true in every possible way. Heck, I could probably count all the MLP fans in the world who didn't like Luna on one hand. Luna turned to me still visibly angry, but that soon dissipated when she stared at me for a while longer.
"...You really mean that, don't you?" She asked in a noticeably-less pissed off voice. Well, not really asked. It seemed like she was talking herself more then she was talking to me, making sure she knew she got the correct answer.
"Why would I automatically assume that you are evil? I just met you." I said to her. Luna looked as if she was in thought for a couple minutes, but then looked forward to one of the guards way in the front.
"What was that Sidearm? We shall come immediately!" She said quickly as she speed up her pace as she walked to the front. I didn't hear any guard call her name, though. I guess it doesn't matter as much right now. The most important thing is that I am pretty sure she isn't as pissed at me as she was before.
For about a minute or so, I was stuck trying to find a way to entertain myself. I didn't want to talk to or say anything to Applebloom because I know that if she is anything like my little sisters, or any kid for that matter, she is gonna say something about the mini-fight me and Luna had. I really don't wanna deal with that level of awkward righ-
"Heeey~" A deep female voice called in a hushed tone from my driver side window. I turned my head to find out who interrupted my thoughts see a bat pony fully clad in armor like any other thestral guard I saw from the show and just now. The only really distinguishing features I can see right now is the dark grey coat they were known for, small locks of dark azure hair with red highlights peeking from the bottom of her helmet, and her piercing and contradicting vermilion eyes. So dull, and at the same time full of life. I almost found myself lost in those hypnotic orbs until she waved her hoof in front of me a little. "Hello? Are you okay?" She asked me, knocking me out of my pseudo-trance.
"Uh, yea. Sorry, it's been a long day." I told the guard. Now that I'm not spacing out, I can confidently say she looks like an OC that someone who works at Hot Topic would come up with. Though she doesn't look cringy or anything. Her colors blend fairly well for a dracula-esque aesthetic.
"Heh, I can see." She said quietly as she looked to her left and right. As she finished looking around she leaned in a little and started to speak again. "I just wanted to thank you on behalf of the lunar guard for what you said to Luna, she needed that."
"I meant every word of it." I told her as I rubbed the back of my neck, since it was starting to feel sore.
"Whether you meant it or not, Luna is much better mood now then she was before. You're one of the first ponies to not openly fear her." The guard said. "Though you DID caused it, you fixed it. I mean just look at her." She insisted as she tilted her head a couple times, beckoning me to look at the lunar monarch.
Luna was talking and walking with with one of the pegasi guards up front with the same royal poker face that she had since we started walking. I didn't really see anything noteworthy about her being happy. I mean she coughed a couple times and her ears flicked once in attempt to listen to something, but that's about it.
"Wow, look at all that "happy" that's going on right now." I sarcastically spouted. The guard just sighed and nodded.
"Okay, I know it miiiight be a teensy bit hard to see, but she really is in a better mood after you said those nice things. Needless to say, we really appreciate it and you earned yourself some brownie points. Her majesty could use a break every now and then." She told me as she looked around to check if anyone was watching.
"Ah. Well thanks, I guess." I simply acknowledged, not paying much attention to what she was saying, but instead thinking about what happened not too long ago. What Ponyville just went through was something that towns in even the more violent regions of Earth were lucky enough not to go through, and I can't imagine how everybody is taking it over there. When it comes to events like this, there are no winners. There are only those who lose less. I just hope that the Ponies aren't taking it too hard.
And no, I'm not trying to be a holier-than-thou shining knight here. I just know that there's probably going to be a ton of depressing stories. I don't want my first real visit to Ponyville to be gloomy, and I definitely don't want to go with a whole bunch of tearjerkers and the like. Then again, I could possibly write a popular book series based off then and make millions. I want to have an extraordinary adventure, with swords and actions and heroic miracles that come out of nowhere. I want to live a story.
"I don't think you heard me right." The guard told me, focusing her deep cinnabar eyes onto mine. "I really appreciate what you done for us and this town."
"If you're really that thankful, you could send me a gift basket." I said.
"...ya know, I'm not gonna say anything else. I'm just gonna let what happens be a surprise." She said, her lips curling into a mischievous smile as she seemed to be playing with whatever idea she had beneath that helmet. The slightly larger thestral to the right passenger side coughed a little as he his eyes shifted to the guard that was just talking to me. "Uh oh, looks like I gotta shut up. For now, just try to not let what Luna said bother you. I know she didn't mean it."
"What do you mean by that?" I turned to ask her, wanting to know what she meant by ignoring what Luna said. When I saw her, she was looking straight ahead with the same glare that every one of the guards had, ignoring what I was saying. "Hello? HELLLLOOOOOO?!?" I provoked, trying to get a response from her, but to no avail. I sighed and rolled up my windows. I'm not going get anything else out of her, so there's no point in wasting the air conditioning.
Well that's maddeningly unhelpful. You can't just hook someone in with something interesting and not finish it. She didn't even give me her name.
I didn't get to think about it for long though, since we are almost at Ponyville anyway. I know because we were coming up to the hill Trixie and I passed when I was going to Ponyville. Speaking of which, what was she doing back there? Where did she go?
Weird, I could have sworn I heard something. Back to the matter at hand, I'm sure that Trixie and the Mane Six had a good reason for not being there. I mean, Trixie's not the mare from before, right? I wonder what she's doing right now?
***Twilight's POV, Ponyville***
"Ooooooh, this waiting is killing me!!! They should be back by now." Trixie commented, her signs of annoyance creeping as her ears kept flicking. Having that breezy up there might not be all that helpful.
"You seem pretty worried for your pal." Rainbow dash commented. "You must two go way back huh.
We were all standing at the town square, waiting for Luna to come back, hopefully with Edgar and Applebloom. Applejack was comforting Big Macintosh as he got one of his legs wrapped by one of the freed nurses. He was insistent with staying with us, but he couldn't really move much because of the pain he was in due to what the changelings probably did to him. Although he limped a bit on on one of his back legs, he seemed relatively fine. Nevertheless, he had to get it treated as best he could until the castle infirmary treated the most injured of the town. Big Mac laid against one of the overturned Apple carts he brought into town earlier, Applejack close to his side as they kept reassuring each other about Applebloom's safety.
Luna hasn't been gone for very long. I would say that she's been gone for couple minutes, but I can still see how that would seem like forever for both Trixie and the Apples. Applejack has been hysterical for her sister's saftey ever since this whole fiasco has started, and Trixie...
"...Suuuure, if you could call meeting him last night going way back." She with a sheepish laugh, getting our attention very quickly with that revelation.
What?
Looking back and forth between us, Trixie shook her head at our shock.
"It's a Loooong story."
"Ohmygosh, you just made friends with him yesterday? This calls for a "WOOHOO, Trixie made a friend" Party!!!" Pinkie yelled as she hopped around in the way she always did when something exciting happened. On her fourth jump however, she froze in the middle of her jump as a look of shocked realization replaced her excitment. Still floating in mid-air, she turned her head toward Sugarcube Corner and the destruction around it. "I can't host a party right now... Ponyville is a mess." She slowly descended from her physics defying feat as her mane started to droop. "Maaaybe could host it at the castle! That's a good party place, right?" After that realization, her mane livened up again as she got into her normal bubbly mood. "But how would I send the invitations if some of the mailboxes were gone?" Aaaaaaaand it's gone. "Maybe I could get a spotlight and a pair of scissors, and then I could...
As she continued to bounce between hope and despair about her parties, I couldn't stop thinking about what Trixie just said. If what she said was true, then why exactly WAS Trixie so worried about him. While I understand that we all can get worried over our friends, there is no way she could get that worried if she had have been friends with him for that long. Before I could question her about it, I was stopped by a voice.
"Something on your mind, darling?"
"Mmmh? Oh, not really. I was just thinking."
"About?"
Trixie was far enough away, and Pinkie was still rambling on about things that could go wrong or right if she decided to throw a party (Seriously, what is a Spanish Inquisition?), so I didn't have to lower my voice when I said this. I still lowered it anyway just to be safe.
"Look at Applejack, and then look at Trixie." I told her, and she obliged. At first, it didn't look like she saw what I was talking about. Even when she finally saw it, she didn't seem to react very much.
"She's having the same reaction as Applejack, So what? Anypony would react the same way if someone they cared about was in danger, so I don't really see what the fuss is about."
"I can understand why Applejack is acting like that. It's her sister that's missing, after all , but Trixie only knew him for a day. There's just no way they could have become that good of friends." As I gave my explanation, Rarity looked at me more and more like was crazy. Shaking my head, I continued. "I know it's probably just my paranoia, but It just doesn't make any sense."
Rarity seemed to think on what I said, before turning and looking at Trixie. After about a moment or so, she sighed and finally gave in.
"Alright darling, if you are really that worried about it, then I'll keep my eye on things. Maybe I can see what I can dig up." She told me with a wink.
"Thanks again, Rarity." I said gratefully. It's probably nothing, but I don't want to take any chances. After all, the last couple times I listened my instincts, they were usually correct. It's kind of hard to concentrate while Pinkie keeps talking about things that can or can't go wrong, however.
"But there's no way I have enough cake mix for both Ponyville AND Edgar, and now that they're here, there's no way I can order more in time for all those parties..." and like she has been for the past couple minutes, she perked up quickly as a flare of genius flashed across her muzzle. "Unless I combine all the parties! Yea, I can turn it into a giant rave, and then I can get them all done at once."
Wait, they're here???
Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice what she said as both Applejack and Big Mac perked their ears, listening intently to what she said.
"Care 'ta repeat that sugarcube?" She asked in a serious but hopeful tone.
"I said I could probably throw a really big party for everypony, that way I only have to worry about one party to make super duper incredible. Do you think you can bring enough Apple juice for the town, AJ?" Pinkie asked her innocently, oblivious to what she meant. Big Mac grunted in annoyance.
"Before that." He clarified with a huff.
"Oh, you mean the part where I pointed out Princess Luna and her guards dragging the dragon-thingy into town? They're over there," She remarked as she pointed down the road leading to the fields. "By the way, what kind of cake do you think they would like?"
Sure enough, we saw the battalion of guards in the distance. The battalion, headed by Princess Luna, were currently marching toward us at a snail's pace. Behind them, Trixies friend was being pulled to Ponyville wrapped in the dampening chains the Royal Guards brought with them. The chains themselves were made of iron that had been dipped in a solution of lead and sea salt, with shielding and dampening runes etched into the metal. The chains were made specifically for binding dangerous magical forces, anything from a rouge unicorn to Tirek himself would be rendered near-harmless in those chains... the ones that were currently wrapped under Edgar.
If he was as good as Trixie said he was, then why was he bound?
As those glowing eyes of his peered into mine from behind the guards, the ominous light emanating from them forced me to avert my gaze over to Trixie, whom I was hoping would give some form of explanation. Anything to counter the creeping suspicions that were going through my head, but all I saw was the giddy expression that was plastered on her muzzle.
********Third person Pov.********
Trixie's heart was starting to slow it's pounding in her chest as she started to calm down a little. She was relieved as soon as she saw his car being pulled by the Royal guards. Neither her, nor any of the other ponies could really see anything inside the car because of the tinted windows, but the fact that the lights in the front were on meant that he had to be alive. It's not like anypony else knew how that thing worked. As the guards marched along toward them, the other villagers of this hamlet eyeing the car with fear and distrust. Mothers and fathers averted the eyes of their foals as the royal guards that remained in the town stepped forward in an aggressive stance, as if trying to stare the machine into submission.
Finally, after an excruciatingly long ten minutes of watching the guards pace towards them, Princess Luna arrived within talking distance.
"The changeling threat has been dealt with for now. I take it the recovery of town is proceeding just as well, Twilight?" Luna asked. Twilight was busy looking over the creature for a moment, before turning back to Luna.
"Uh, yes. It's going very well. We already have the best doctors in the town inside the castle infirmary helping to treat most of the injured along with the field medics you brought. There are some injuries that have to be stabilized right now, before being moved to the castle, however." Twilight explained. "The food relief is being split evenly, with half going to the population and the other half going into storage for the next couple of days. While it seems like it's going to be rough for the next couple of days, I think we will pull through well."
"Ah, excellent." Luna praised. "And the deceased?"
"...Being removed from the public eye for now." Twilight assured with a slight hesitation. She looked like she was thinking about something, and then she spoke again."Princess, what about-" she started but stopped herself.
"What about what, Twilight?" Luna questioned, still intrigued at what she had to say. Twilight didn't say anything, but instead tapped head with her hoof. After a nod from Luna, they waited couple seconds before Luna spoke again. "There is no need to worry about that, for we have already thought of a solution for it. We must wait for our sister to enact it, however."
"Um, do you mean for the first thing, or the last?" Twilight asked, hoping for more clarity in their silent conversation.
"Both situations, but for the latter, we do not think it would be much of an issue."
"Um, your majesties?" a quiet, shaky voice called out. "I don't want to interrupt or anything, but, um, could we maybe talk about that," Fluttershy took a gulp before finishing the next part of her question. "D-d-Dragon you found?"
"Forget the Dragon, that things hooked up with chains an' surrounded by two alicorns an' a group of guards. It ain't goin nowhere, so it can wait." Applejack growled. "Where... is... Applebloom!"
"Firstly, it is not a dragon." Luna told the aggressive earth pony, "Secondly, we did manage to find her unharmed." Applejack let out a sigh of happy relief after hearing that, and soon she shook her head back and forth, looking for her sister.
"Applebloom, where are ya!?!" She called out.
"Ah'm in here, Applejack!" Applebloom's voice called out from inside the car.
"Oh, thank goodness she's alright." Trixie said, letting out another relieved breath. They could not have been luckier in her opinion.
However, Applejack had not torn her gaze from the seemingly malicious, flashing eyes of the creature. Soon however, the blood drained from her face when she heard the implications of what she heard.
"It ate Applebloom..."
"-And here I thought this wasn't gonna e- wait what?" Trixie asked in surprise, dropping her excited demeanor and replacing it with a wide eyes and raised eyebrows.
"It ATE MAH SISTER!!!" She shrieked as a haze of fear for her sister's life surrounded her. "DON'T WORRY APPLEBLOOM! AH'LL GETCHA OUTTA THERE!!!" She yelled as she charged at the car, fueled by desperation and rage.
"Applejack, it's not what it looks li-" Trixie tried to defend, but was too late as Applejack turned and delivered the mother of all kicks to the bumper of Edgar's mustang, rocking it backwards by about six inches. The impact let out a resounding crash as the bumper and a little bit of the front side of the hood folded inward. Satisfied with what she had done, she pulled her legs away from the point of impact, leaving two hoof-sized craters on it. Everypony stared slack-jawed and the damage this creature had sustained.
"Betcha you'll think twice before ya think about eatin' another pony." She triumphantly told the car, before turning back toward Trixie with a look that could kill a small rhinoceros. Trixie looked left and right nervously before backing up a few steps. "You told me he wouldn't hurt her!" Applejack growled, putting Trixie on the spot. Her eyes were puffy and red from the amount of frustration and the times she had been reduced to tears this day, but she ran out of them a about twenty minutes ago. Instead, it only served to amplify the illusion of her rage. Before she could practically pounce on Trixie, Princess Luna intervened.
"He didnt." Princess Luna interjected with a stern gaze, grabbing Applejack's attention. "Edgar was merely protecting her. She was not eaten, nor is she in any form of danger right now." Her point was emphasized when Applebloom jumped out of the passenger window that was rolled down and ran to her sister and embraced her.
At first, Applejack could do nothing but fall to her rump and stare off into space, before she finally returned the hug tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as she started to choke back sobs. The eyes that ran dry from tears soon had a newfound supply, but unlike her previous bursts of wet anger, these were tears of joy. After everything that happened today and against unfathomable odds, her sister is alive and well. It was a miracle, one that was shared with Big Macintosh, who hobbled over as fast as possible with an injured leg to join in, turning it into a group hug.
"Don't worry Applejack, ah'm alright."
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh simply stated, knowing that he didn't really need to say anything else.
"Cutiemarks in Changeling fighting? The hell were you fillies thinking?" Applejack reprimanded, trying to sound stern, but failing miserably as her happiness leaked through one of her eyes and tone while she nuzzled her sister.
"You ain't gonna try an' hurt Edgar again, are ya?" Applebloom asked with the big eyes that little sisters are often famous for. "He really is a nice stallion once ya get to know 'em."
She opened her eyes once more, looking at the unicorn she was just yelling at. Hesitantly letting go of her sister, Applejack stood up and swallowed her pride. "Ah reckon ah owe you an apology." Applejack said while tracing a circle into the dirt before looking back to Edgar's car. She cringed at the damage she caused to what she thought was a living creature. "...To the both of ya."
Trixie already said he was in bad shape, but she was just so stressed and worried for Applebloom that she forgot all about it and rushed in like she always has. She just hoped Edgar wouldn't be too mad.
"Edgar" said nothing to her, nor did he make any effort to show expression. His glowing eyes just stared onward into the distance in front of him. All of a sudden, the light that emanated from him started to dim more and more until there wasn't a single glow at all. The Mane Six along with Spike just stared at the creature, not being entirely sure of what happened until Rainbow Dash spoke out.
"Uhhh, did that thing just...die?" She asked no one in particular.
"Oh no, that poor creature." Fluttershy said solemnly with her head hung low, walking toward the creature to close it's eyes and send it off into a peaceful slumber.
"What? No, y'all got it all wrong. he ain't dea-" Applebloom tried to say, but was inturrupted when her sister pulled her into another hug.
"A-a-ah'm so sorry, Applebloom. ah didn't mean to buck him so hard, but ah was just so worried about ya." Applejack soothed, stroking her mane in a comforting manner. Applebloom opened her mouth to try and speak, but her older sister cupped her hoof over her mouth, silencing her. "Shh shh shh, It's gonna be alright. I know things like this are hard to accept, but it's all a part of life. You're gonna be alright."
Applebloom, still trying to talk through the hoof, was starting to get annoyed at this, while Luna and the guards who were with her were watching in mild amusement. Applebloom didn't have to wait much longer to get her point across however, for right as Fluttershy came within two feet of the creature, its side opened up, causing almost everypony in the area to gasp, along with the fainting of three florists. The sudden motion gave Fluttershy about the worst jump scare she ever had, her wide eyes and motionless making her look like a deer in headlights. She stared at the opening, wondering what the hay just happened until another creature came out. It was a hairless biped, save for the medium cut mane on its head. To her, it looked a lot like either an ape, or a small mutated Minotaur. Either way, it looked incredibly ticked off. Even some of the guards that escorted it eyed it warily as it walked with a slight limp towards Fluttershy. It stumbled a little bit before placing its hands on the black creature's side and using it as support.
As he drew nearer, Fluttershy prepared herself for the worst, but nothing horrible came. He simply stopped right in front of the black creature from whence he emerged and, with an almost sullen mood, ran its paw delicately and affectionately across the dents and craters along the front of the black creature's armor.
"Edgar," Trixie said, breaking everypony out of their bewilderment. "Are you...Alright?" She asked, getting a little worried and weirded out by his attitude.
At first, it seemed as if the biped ignored her. Then, he weakly slapped the front of it and spoke.
"No, it's not alright..." He sighed in a calm manner, surprising those who have not yet heard him speak. Fluttershy jumped a little bit at the sound of his voice, but he paid no mind to it. He turned and faced Trixie, his sea-foam green eyes revealing his inner agony and fear. Trixie felt uncomfortable when she saw those eyes. Not in the "Creepy" sense, mind you, but in the sort of...awful churning feeling you get at the bottom of your heart when you walk into a hospital, or a funeral home. She wanted to-...No, it was her duty to try and help him in his time of need. She needed to-
"...My insurance doesn't cover this. It doesn't cover any of this!" Edgar shouted at his car. " *sigh* My dad is effin' gonna nuke me."
Trixie could do nothing but blink at what he said. When it felt appropriate, she took her hoof and placed it right on her face, shaking her head all the while. With that facehoof, all the previous feelings of sympathy suddenly went away.
***Edgar's Pov, ten minutes prior.***
"...And that's how I defeated the White Bitch and saved the Starbuck tavern." I finished. It's been a while now, and we were just starting to come up to Ponyville. I was getting bored since Luna wasn't around and guard buddy was ignoring me. I know, I know I'm right next to fictional cream colored ponies and I should have loads to talk about. Well you'd be surprised. I know that I would creep her out if I started fanboying over her and her friends, so instead I decided that I would tell her a story. I shared something that happened in my past back in Minnesota, only I made it sound cooler. I know what you're thinking, and the answer is no. I already told it once, so I'm not going to tell it again. But hey, you're all a creative bunch who probably have a pretty good idea of what happened. I'll just leave it up to your imagination for now.
Applebloom looked at me, taking in everything I said.
"Ah don't get it. If she was that crazy, then why did ya go out with her in the first place?" She asked me.
"Cause humans get more silly the more they grow up." I told her, earning nothing but a blank stare. "... it's what I'm called. A Human."
"Ok, Mr "A hoo-man"." Applebloom said, completely butchering the pronunciation.
"Nooooo, my name's Edgar."
"But didn't ya just say it was "A hooman"." Applebloom asked with even more puzzled then she was before.
"That's like saying you are a pony, and I'm calling you "Ms. pony". My name is Edgar and I'm a human."
""Edgar and I'm a hooman"? That's a mouthful." She said with a sly smirk. "Can't ah just call ya "Edgar" for short?"
"...You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. She confirmed this when she gave a lively giggle and an innocently toothy grin.
God, it's a good thing she's adorable.
I was going to rebut with something, but I couldn't think of anything clever. It's a good thing that didn't really matter, because soon Applebloom changed the subject. Her ears perked up and her eyes widened as she pointed straight ahead.
"That's mah brother and sister." She said. Looking to where she was, I saw the Mane six grouped up in front of us, with Applejack standing next to her brother near an overturned cart. Twilight was at the front with Spike, Rarity and Fluttershy, eyeing us with a leery caution. I caught a glimpse of Trixie the rest of the girls grouped together, each doing what they would most likely have done. Rainbow was hovering over the group and, along with Applejack, glared at me. Trixie looked happy to see me, while Fluttershy hid backed up a little, due her fearful reflex. Finally, Pinkie was...waving at us without a care in the world.
Honestly, I should have been expecting that from her.
As we were pulled closer and closer to the group awaiting our arrival, I noticed some of the townsfolk were working on trying to clean up and salvage certain parts of the town. Some of the ponies picking through the rubble of what I assumed were their homes. Some looked almost completely untouched, saved for a broken window or two, while others looked an awful lot like they got zerg rushed. I could have sworn I saw a familiar brown earth pony foal with a propeller hat run out of one, carrying a little polka dotted bindle. Seeing Button Mash run out of the building caught me completely off guard because he was a fan made creation and was not canon. In the back of my mind I was worried that I would be seeing some other fan creations, but since there was a lack of alicorns with hideous coloration and cutiemarks, I relaxed a little.
I probably shouldn't be making jokes at their expense, since what they went through was traumatic, but back to what I was originally talking about.
The townsfolk were stopping what they were doing and gazed at us as we traveled on by, many doing double takes when they looked in my general direction. Checking my rear view mirror, I saw that many dropped what they were doing to follow us. Seeing the growing mass of ponies almost distracted me from what Applebloom was saying.
"- and there's Sweetie and Scoots and Cinnamon and Twist and featherweight-" She kept naming off names of the ponies she saw without a care in the world. -"and that's mah teacher, Cheerilee. They're all alright."
"Wha-Oh. Oh good for them." I said, snapping out of my trance and noticed that we were practically right in front of the Mane Six and Trixie. When we came to stop, Luna walked up to Twilight and started talking to her. After a couple minutes of talking, I saw Applejack step up between Luna and Twilight, and she looked uber-pissed. I tried to listen to what they were saying, but all I could really hear from any of them was muffled by the window. After a couple seconds, Applebloom started pawing (Or hooving) at the glass.
"Hey HEY! Take it easy there, Applebloom." I told her, scared that she was going to scratch the glass with her hard hooves. This car as been through enough already, I don't know what I would do If anything else was added to the list. "What do you want?"
"Could ya open your windows?" She asked me, nudging her head against the window.
Oh. Well duh.
I rolled up my window on Applebloom's side and then I started to hear their conversation much more clearly.
"-ere...is...Applebloom!" Applejack said in a tone that was very much unlike her. Well this just got interesting. Luna started talking again, but her voice got drowned out by Applebloom.
"We gotta let her know ah'm alright." She said to me.
"Well you can't do that if you're talking to me. Go on and let her know." I told her, before another thought came in my head. "And let her know I was the one who saved you...Twice." I added. I know that it might sound a little boastful, but if I know AJ's character, she'll feel indebted to me and not only will she give me a lifetime supply of the cider and Apple related products that the show boasts about, but this will give me and opportunity to hang out with her. I would finally get to hang with the cool kids. I could just see it now. I would be hanging with her brother and we would both say "Eeyep" a lot, Applebloom would want me to meet her friends and become a CMC, and I would eat all the Apple pie...ever.
Forgive me if I went off on another tangent, but I always did like Applejack's personality. It reminded me of "murican", without any of the negative stereotypes. Don't get me wrong though, she is far from my favorite character on the show. If anything, she is the last of the mane six I would want to change out with. Hell, there are some side characters I would rather hang out with, but aside from Trixie she is my best option to go "fanboy" over when everything is said and done.
"Applebloom, where are ya!?!" Applejack called out in a relieved tone, breaking me out of my little daydream.
"Ah'm in here, Applejack!" Applebloom yelled out my car window. "Ah want you take meet mah family. I know you'll get along with them." She told me.
"I can't wait." I smiled before looking back to the group. My smile faltered when I saw how quickly the demeanor of everyone, especially Applejack, changed.
"It ATE MAH SISTER!!!" ...What? "DON'T WORRY APPLEBLOOM! AH'LL GETCHA OUTTA THERE!!!" She said as she sprinted towards me with murderous intent.
"No no no No NO!!" I was saying out loud to myself as she closed the distance. When she got close enough she turned about-face, reared up on her front legs and bucked my car.
I felt a marinade of sensations immediately after, none of which were pleasant. I felt my body jolt from the impact, which amplified the soreness I still felt in my ribcage, and something very hard smack me in the face with the force of two angry freshmen. I heard sounds in the background, but they sounded like echos in the distance that were overlapped by the dull ringing noise that I was hearing, almost like what it would sound like when you got hit by a flashbang in Call of Duty. I couldn't breath for a couple seconds because I was being smothered in something that that felt like plastic cloth, but I didn't have to worry about that as the material started to recede a little.
As I groaned and tried to understand what the fuck just happened, I felt something shake my right leg. I looked over to find Applebloom look at me with a slight panic. She started talking, but it still came out pretty muffled. I didn't really catch anything she said, save for the last part.
"-m sooo sorry. Ah'm gonna go let 'em know you're friendly." She put her hooves on the edge of the window, before looking back at me. "Pleeeeese don't be mad at her." She pleaded before hopping out and scrambling to the group.
"Whaa?" Was the best response I could come up with at the moment. My head was pounding as I tried to grasp what happened. I looked straight ahead and Applebloom hugging Applejack in a group hug with Big Macintosh. Looking down a little, I notice my airbag was deflating over my wheel, as a small spot of red stained the white material. I also felt a warm liquid run down my nose, so putting two and two together, I concluded that the airbag thoroughly "rekt my shit." Looking back to the group of ponies ahead of me, I had but one thought left in my head.
That. Fucking. Cunt!
***Edgar's Pov, present time***
"Let me at her! I'll turn her into glu-" I really wanted to finish what I was going to say, but a jolt of pain forced me to gasp and stumble. I would have fallen on my side if Luna didn't have cat-like reflexes. She leaned down and caught me with her side, and using the wing on the side I was on, she pulled me closer to her side and secured me tightly to her, making sure I couldn't injure myself or the hillbilly I was currently trying to murder. It almost felt like a living blanket was holding me against her.
"Thou had but one simple task, Edgar. Remain put and do not strain thy body, yet you failed to heed our words."
"But look at what she did!" I yelled back. She practically totalled it, save for the electronics. I was staking practically all my warrior "skills" and "abilities" on it, and now it's practically been rendered useless! I snorted a little just to keep the blood from running down my nose, but it also helped build the image of my pissed-off-ness. "She RUINED the body," I took one more glance to survey the damage. "And there's no telling what she did to the engine!"
To be honest, I don't know most of what I'm talking about. If the airbag was anything to go by, however, then there was no doubt that something was broken.
"Oh, you're just being a drama queen. It can't be that big of a deal. We fixed it last time, didn't we?" Trixie pipped up, annoyed at how I was reacting.
"We changed a tire and filled another with air. That's it. But this? This is way worse!!!"
"We are sure that whatever it is, it can be repaired." Luna took me and leaned me against the hood of the car. "But the words you spoke were uncalled for. Do you think that was an acceptable way to introduce yourself?"
"You're kidding me, right? You're not gonna get on her case about it?" I pointed out with raised eyebrows.
"We already have." She sighed before she looked back at Applejack, who pawed at the ground in a guilty manner. After switching the gaze between the two of us, a sly smirk adorned her face. She looked me dead in the eye and spoke again. "It seems as if you both got off on the wrong hoof. You two should start over and reintroduce yourselves." Oh, that's just not fair "Honest Applejack, would you step forth?" She asked as she beckoned her forth.
"Come on, Luna, that's just plain dirty." I told her, before getting a face full of feathers. She using my own words against me.
"Hush." She told me, watching as Applejack made her way over. "Now, whenever one of you two are ready."
"...Howdy. Ah'm Applejack. Sorry for bucking ya." She said as she looked away.
"Splendid work, Applejack." Luna praised before looking back to me. "It is your turn now."
"This feels stupid."
"Edgarrrr..."
"Alright alright. I'm Edgar... and I'm sorry for threatening to turn you into glue." No I'm not.
"Nicely done, now shake hooves you two." Luna commanded. Hesitantly, we both held our appendages out, and enjoy they connected, nothing happened. Applejack seemed to shudder a little when she felt my fingers enclose around her hoof, before giving three quick shakes and withdrawing it quickly.
"Huzzah, the ice has been shattered!" Princess Luna claimed. As Applejack trotted back towards the group, Princess Luna turned to face the wide-eyed gang. "As the rest of you may have heard, this is Edgar."
"He's certainly...interesting." Rarity said diplomatically. "And he's definitely no dragon."
"Anypony have an idea what he is?" Spike asked.
"He looks a lot like a chimpanzee." A guard somewhere in the back commented. hey now, you best check yourself.
"Nah, chimpanzees are stupid, and this one can talk. He's gotta be a Diamond dog." Another spoke. Hey! "or maybe he's a mixed breed. Maybe his mother was a diamond dog and his dad was a chimpanzee." The same Pegasus said with a look of "Eureka" flashing across his face. ...Did he just call my mom a bitch? HEY!!!
"Can it, Flash." Another unicorn said. "You don't wanna insult our guest, especially since we saw what he could do." He tried to say in a hushed tone.
Both Trixie and I rolled our eyes at the debate going on as to what I am until I felt something poke me on my thigh. It hurt a little, but not enough to really bother me. In fact, the touch was so light that I probably wouldn't have noticed it unless it hurt. I looked over to see Fluttershy gazing up at me, only to suddenly look down and hide her eyes.
"um, excuse me?" She asked me. "i don't want to bother you, or anything, but can I ask what you are. It's okay if you don't want to tell me, I understand."
Hnnnnnng!
"I'm a human."
"Oh, ok. Uh thank you." She said as she walked right in the middle of the debate and cleared her throat, took a deep breath, and... whispered something to Pinkie.
"EDGAR'S A HUMAN!?!?" Pinkie gasped out in surprise. Quickly looking left and right, she then shrugged. "... what's a human?"
"I am." I simply stated, trying to nip all this conversation in the bud for now. "I don't wanna sound rude or anything, but couldn't we just deal with this later."
Luna nodded in understanding.
"Indeed, for there is still much to be done. But first, we should get you back into your car."
I tried to get up off the hood of my car, but my arms and legs felt tired. And by that, I mean REALLY tired. It hurt, but not as much as it should have been hurting. instead, I just felt very sluggish, and felt like I could topple over any minute. Thankfully, Princess Luna stopped me before I actually had to walk.
"Do you see the point I tried to make earlier?"
"Yea." I said, my pride hurt at not even being able to walk. "...Sorry"
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, for I've have seen stallions who have been through much less go though the same fatigue after a battle like yours." She spoke as she braced be against her once more and carried me back to my seat. "This time, stay in there until one of us comes to help you out of your seat."
"Battle?" Trixie asked mostly to herself.
"Indeed, for Edgar had not only single-handedly held his ground against the changeling army and their new queen, Telsona, He had done so with but a mere wooden sword!" She declares as she held up the splintered halves of my bokken, still stained with viscous green. The jaws of all the ponies within a twenty foot diameter and their ancestors dropped as their eyes almost bulged out of their sockets when they heard what said. "Yes, we could not believe it ourselves at first, but tis true!" There were many whispers and gasps among the audience, and words such as "Amazing" and "Powerful" were thrown around.
Fffffffuck.
It was probably a whimsical dream, but I was kinda hoping she would forget entirely about it that. At least until I can make up a story in my head about how I did it that was believable. Luckily, she decided to change to subject, so I still had time.
She turned towards Twilight. "I shall fly to the castle and oversee preparations and organization. While you escort Edgar back for medical attention, make absolutely sure that there are no others that require aid. " After she got one nod from Twilight, she turned to leave before noticing all the ponies that surrounded us. She looked at Twilight. "Before I leave, however, there is but one more thing I must do." She turned back to the crowd who sought answers and guidance from the immortal diarch. Of course, this would be one hell of a time to hear music again... but this time the music was different. It was quiet and calming, like a lullaby. You almost couldn't notice it in the background.
"Citizens of Ponyville," She spoke in toned down Royal Canterlot Voice. It was much quieter then I was expecting. In fact, it was actually hard to hear her over the whispering of the crowd. "Thanks to our new friend, the changeling menace has been dealt with. Though he may seem foreign and strange, we hope that you treat him as you would an old friend, as well as anypony else who is in need of aid. For now, we urge you to return to your homes, should you still have them, and extend generosity to those who have lost theirs in this tragedy. For now, know that should any of you have any concerns, no matter how insignificant they may seem, you may find aid and solace at the castle. We only ask that you do not lose hope." Luna took to the air and started to fly off before a voice from the middle of the crowd stopped her.
"Mom, I can't hear her." A voice spoke from the back. Luna floated there for a moment before letting herself perch on the top of the school bell tower, her horn glowing a grossly incandescent blue. She narrowed her eyes at the crowd, trying to look for the voice who spoke.
"Whoever spoke just now, please come out." She said, trying to coax out the voice. I looked over to the crowd that began to split as three ponies became visible. The first was a large female earth pony with a beige coat, pigment blue mane with a rose pink streak. The pony I recognized as Bob Bon was being closely shadowed by two ponies, one of which was a pinto earth pony who was being held closely to her side, while another was grey unicorn filly. I recognized them as Dinky Hooves and Pipsqueak.
Like some of the other residents in this town today, Bon Bon looked shellshocked, shaking with puffy eyes as she held the two foals close to her. Her coat and hooves were stained with dried blood, while Dinky looked very sad as she comforted Pipsqueak, who had his head bandaged. It ironically looked like his pirate bandana from the Nightmare Night episode, only it was white with spots of red. His left ear was bandaged up in such a way that it looks like it would have muffled anything, while his right ear...
...I-it's gone. It's fucking gone.
When I realized what happened, I felt like crying like a bitch. Isn't it supposed to be against the rules for shit like this to happen to children? I looked back to Luna and saw that she wasn't doing so well either.
***Third Person Pov, Luna***
Luna had a hard time holding in her tears, as the light from her horn died down. When it comes to things like this it's never easy, but it was supposed to be so much easier then this. All she had to do was reassure the ponies , inspire them, do anything she could have done to make them feel safe, but then Pip just HAD to be one of the casualties, didn't he? He was one of the first to openly appreciate her, even going as far as to say she was his favorite princess.
...And here he is now, a victim of a calamity that he had no control over.
Princess Luna wiped her eyes to get ride of any tears that might have formed and flew over to the trio. She landed a meter or two in front of them, and ignored the bows that the ponies surrounding her gave. While the ponies, including the still shaking Bon Bon and Dinky continued with their display of respect, Pip ran straight forward and hugged Luna's leg. There were also a couple flashes of light which startled her at first, but then she saw that they were reporters, so she ignored them for now.
"I knew you'd come to save us." He said, Trottingham brogue leaking through as he nuzzled her leg. She could feel a rough sensation where his right ear should have been.
"M-my only regret is that we couldn't arrive sooner." She stuttered, watching as she stood as still as possible so she didn't brush against his head to hard. "Careful, little Pip. You'll make your injuries worse." She warned, but to no avail. Ignoring everything she said, he kept on with the display of affection to the point where Luna actually had to step away to keep himself from hurting himself. Having nothing to support himself with, he fell but was caught by her magic before he hit the ground.
"It's so good to see you again." He laughed off, getting right back up on his hooves and trying again, forcing Luna to pick him up and keep him suspended in her magic.
"Pipsqueak, please! you must be more careful." She stated, trying to get her point across.
"Th-that's not going to work..." The earth pony mare spoke, her voice breaking. Luna looked back up to the pony with the candy wrapped Cutiemark. "His ears are covered in a lot of wrapping, so he can't really hear anything. Even if he could, the doctor who treated him put him under so much pain killer that he can hardly understand anything, either." Luna looked back at the colt, and though he was still suspended by her magic, he was still running in mid-air as he tried to get to her. She was right, he was barely lucid.
"Slow down, Princess! I can't keep up." He said, keeping at same pace the entire time. Luna just chalked it up to him being a young colt full of energy.
"It was the changelings, wasn't it?" She asked, only receiving a nod from Bon Bon.
"He wouldn't stop talking about how the changelings were gonna be sorry, and how you were going to "come to the rescue"." She said, before sniffling. "Two changelings took him away from me and... they bit it off. They ate my precious little colt's ear right in front of us and I couldn't stop them." She cried out, starting to break out in tears and collapsing into a sobbing mess. "I tried to stop the bleeding, they let me do that much, but there was so much blood, a-and he was screaming s-so much. He wouldn't stop screaming...I thought I was going to lose him." she barely uttered the last words as she dragged herself forward, to keep herself close to her son.
"Momma? Momma, why are you crying? Luna's here to save us now." He told her, oblivious to the situation or how heartbreaking it was to hear a colt like him sound so excited about life, especially since sooner or later, the medicine will wear off and he will remember exactly what he went through.
No words could describe a mother's tears, and soon her words reached the crowd that was watching so intently, and they too, along with the elements were starting to get emotional. This rose a red flag for Luna. As she tried to push away her thoughts of sadness, she listened in the background for anything. When she strained her ears, she could just barely make out the hum of a wind instrument.
Melody magic.
She knew now that she was letting herself get affected by it, and casted a quick protection spell on herself so it didn't affect her or her decision making like it did the crowd. She could still hear the music, and she definitely still felt downright awful, but it wasn't as before.
That's three times now that it happened in the last three hours that she had been there, four if you count the event that Twilight described before she got there. This couldn't be a coincidence, but she will have to mull this over another time. For now, she has to keep their spirits up.
"Sh sh sh," Luna hushed the worried mother. "Your foal is going to be alright. We are going to take him to the castle and make sure he is under the watch of our best medical staff." Luna said as she unstrapped the armor on her back. She then picked up Pipsqueak and placed him on her back and placed the armor back onto herself. The inside of her armor was actually pretty spacious and had cushioning pads on the inside to help absorb shock from any particularly nasty falls. Because the colt was so small, he actually fit pretty snugly inside, with his head poking out near hers. She got surprised when she felt the colt squeeze her back.
"Ha, I got youuu!" He sang in triumph. Luna gave a bittersweet smile at that, and turned to fly off, but was stopped when Bon Bon's voice rang out.
"No...no no, we have to be with him. I have to be with him, you can't just take him away from me!" She wailed.
"Which is why you are coming back to the castle with us. I am not as cruel as to separate a grieving mother from her foal." She said as she motioned for some solar guards to bring a carriage to her. "You shall be given accommodations and care while he is being treated. Do you have any other family, or herd mates here?"
"The only other three I have are in Canterlot right now." She said as the two pegasus guards helped her onto the carriage.
"Then when we are sure it will be safe, we shall be sure to spirit them to you posthaste." Luna assured as she watched the flyers get latched to the carriage. As they stretched their wings, Dinky spoke out.
"Be careful with my brother. He's scared of heights!"
"There is no need to worry, little one. He shall be sound asleep the entire trip." She said as her horn started to glow. She casted the spell onto Pipsqueak, and felt him start to relax his grip. "He shall be under momentarily, and resting safe in a hospital bed before the hour is up." And with that closing statement, she let the pegasi take off. She looked back down on her hooves and saw tiny specks of dried blood that was rubbed off on her.
Pipsqueak's blood, and it made her absolutely livid.
...How dare they?
How DARE THEY!!!
After the Wedding incident, our first instinct was to obliterate the Badlands. To kill every last one of their despicable race. Not only did they hunt our ponies, rounding them up like cattle, they left them to be terrorized with nightmares even weeks after the event. Nightmares for us to deal with. The only reason we haven't was because it was the wedding day of our niece. "This is supposed to be a day of peace and love." Our sister told us. "They learned their lesson." She said, and look at what has happened because of it. We treated all our foes as if they were as delicate as paper, and we always had to rise above them. We had the mercy to let them live, and this is how they repay us!?!?! By having the bucking audacity of butchering innocent mares, stallions, and foals in our own country?!? They are going to Burn for this! We are going to-
"Hey Princess?" A voice from right behind her asked. Luna momentarily stopped her seething to turn and face this voice. Pipsqueak was shifting around on her back, trying to make himself comfortable. It's obvious that the spell was going into effect, given his struggle to stay awake. He gave a full breathed yawn and spoke once more. "You're still going to come back and visit on Nightmare Night, right...?" He asked, his voice getting quieter and quieter as he started to drift off into his cozy little dreamland. He probably couldn't hear her, but that wouldn't stop her from answering him. Before he completely went to sleep, she lit up her horn and telepathically gave him a little message.
"I wouldn't dream of missing it." She told him. She could have sworn she saw his mouth twitch upwards into a smile, if only for a moment. She made sure to channel one more spell to ensure he had the best dream he has ever had so far. Maybe giving him a day at that new theme park, Wonderworld, will be enough.
Caring for Pip that was enough to quell her rage and give her a moment to think clearly. Those were incredibly dark thoughts she was having just a couple minutes ago, but they were entirely warranted. Action will have to be taken, and she will see to it that it will be. She turned back to the crowd and few reporters that was still watching, waiting for her next move. With that, she was reminded of what she was originally going to do.
Rally the ponies. Give them something to believe in.
Her horn began to glow once more, charging the same spell she cast earlier.Wiping her eyes and clearing her throat, she looked back to them with eyes that commanded silence and spoke in her Royal Canterlot Voice.
"This colt may not have been able to hear me due to what these monsters have done to him, nor could many of those in the back of the crowd. Well I would like you all to know that I could hear you. I can still hear all of you even now, I want you all to believe me when I say, these... these Savages... they will hear from us. They will hear from all of us very soon!" With that closing statement, she let loose the spell, letting its arcane resonance echo across the city. The ponies didn't seem to notice it, as they probably dismissed it as being part of the volley of bright camera flashes that erupted from the paparazzi and reporters after Luna finished her speech, but the effects were all the same as before. With some of her thestrals guarding her, she took off and flew to Twilight's castle, all the while hearing the roars and cheers of the citizens.
As for taking action, she would make sure that something was done. While she wanted to take action as soon as possible, she had her small charge to take care of first. He was the number one priority right now.
***Edgar's pov, first person***
"Holy shit..."
To say what happened just now was "intense" would be an understatement. She practically just pulled George Bush and said they were going to go to war, and she sounded like she meant it.
While the crowds were cheering, I saw Twilight motion to her guards. It almost looked like a "c'mere!" type of thing before she started walking.
"Come on, lets get Edgar into an infirmary and make sure his injuries are not too severe." I heard her say. I saw the guards ears twitch once, before they immediately stood at attention and started to march, following Twilight back to the castle. I felt the guards start to pull my car once more before coming to another stop. "Trixie, aren't you coming?" She asked. Shit, I almost forgot about her.
I looked back to Trixie. She looked as if she was deep in thought. She then looked back up at her and spoke.
"Spar-...Your majesty, would it be alright if I spoke with Edgar?" She asked as she looked at me though my driver side mirror in a neutral tone that quite honestly scared the bejesus out of me. "...Alone?" And that scared me more.
Please say no, please say no, please say no.
"Oh course you could. You were worried quite a lot for your friend, after all." She said in a cheerful and oblivious tone.
This is why we can't have nice things.
Trixie trotted up to the passenger door and looked right at me through the open window. I saw her horn light up for a couple seconds before it dimmed out. Rolling her eyes, she looked back at me and knocked on the door. I scooted as far to the right as I could and pulled the handle on my passenger door so that she could pull it open. She did exactly that, pulling it closed with her tail on the way in and plopping her rump down and staring at me. The guards started to pull us when she got situated and we were on our way to the castle.
After a few seconds, Trixie scooted towards me and looked me over. Soon, her brows started to furrow and she spoke suddenly.
"What in tartarus were you thinking!!!" She yelled at me as she pushed me with her forehead.
"Owowow! Uh, Trixie?" I tried to interrupted.
"What?!?" She yelled, her voice getting louder. Gulping, I pointed behind her. She turned to look, and saw that the window was still down, and anyone within listening distance was looking at her with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. In the awkward silence, you could almost hear crickets chirping. Soon, her mean look turn turned into an obviously forced smile. After giving some equally forced laughs, she nudged in my direction. "Edgar, lowes-kay the indo-way, por favor."
"...What?"
"Close the dam- gosh darn window, pretty please with a cherry on top." She said through her teeth in a honeyed voice, trying to sound as friendly as possible as her eyes darted between the ponies looking at her and the car door. I turned my keys to turn the electronics of my car back on, and rolled up my windows. As soon as the windows closed, she looked back to me and let her forced smile turn into incredibly natural barred teeth. "Now, THE BUCK WERE YOU THINKING?!?" She yelled once more as she raised her hoof menacingly, causing me to flinch. She kept her hoof raised as she looked over my body, before letting it drop. "Damn it, you have so many bruises, there's nowhere I can smack you. What is wrong with you?"
"What is wrong with you?!? Where the hell did all this come from?" I asked incredulously.
"Oh, like you don't know!" She accused, like she expected me to know.
"I don't! I really don't!"
"Oh, well let me remind you then!" She said as she used her tail to whip my middle finger, which was currently resting on my armrest.
"Oowwwie!" I yelled as I put my finger in my mouth, nursing my boo-boo as if it were a grievous battle wound. Looks like she found a spot.
"You were supposed to stay safe. You bucking promised me you would stay safe, and what did you do? You put yourself right in the middle of a changeling army! Where is your common sense? Did you leave it in the Everfree?"
"What the hell was I supposed to do, Trixie? Just sit there and watch her burn Applebloom alive?" I fired back, letting my voice get more and more aggressive. That seemed throw her off guard.
"Yes, wait. N-no... look, I don't know, alright? So just shut up. You're being stupid!" She said. "Stuuupid!"
"Nuh-uh."
"Yea-huh"
"Nuh-uh"
***meanwhile, outside the car***
Everypony, including both the Elements of Harmony and the guards walking near the car, felt very uncomfortable as the muffled yelling continued from inside the rocking car. They couldn't really tell what was going on because of how tinted the windows were, but whatever it was, it wasn't pretty.
"...So is anypony going to talk about what is going on in there?" Rainbow Dash asked, rubbing the upper portion of her foreleg nervously as she looked away from the black carriage Trixie and the Hoo-man were riding in.
"Maybe it's angry sex?" The orange Pegasus offered, earning a very grossed out look from Rarity and a strong blush from Fluttershy.
"You may want to keep those perverted thoughts to yourself." Rarity reprimanded with an upturned nose.
"...What? We were all thinking it, I just said it." Flash justified. "With a get-up like that, she has to be into some pretty kinky stuff, and she probably thought that he was really hurt. Think of it like "FOMO" or something. Trying to get it before he has to fight off another invasion."
"Can it, Flash." The unicorn known as Flash Bang hushed. What he wouldn't give to slap the shit out of his partner, just a little. He did not sign up for the marine division of the royal guards to deal with his shenanigans.
"You're just upset because I'm the good-looking Flash."
Applejack shook her head at their antics.
"They're like two peas in a pod." Applejack sighed.
"Eeyup." Big Mac agreed, being as he walk on his three good legs.
"Wait, do you mean the ponies in that tin can right there, or us?" Flash Sentry asked.
"...Eeyup."
"Come on, bet anypony five bits that they're buckin." Flash Sentry challenged.
"GROSS dude." Rainbow Dash now had the largest blush on her face hiding behind her hooves as she flew at MACH-half toward Twilight's castle.
"Alright Flash, I'll take that bet..."
Everypony in the caravan's earshot turned towards the voice, belonging to a female thestral guard walking alongside them. She did not have many distinguishing features due to the armor she was wearing. The only one of note was her cinnabar eyes, which almost seemed to glow in the daylight.
---
***Edgar's POV, back at the car***
"...And the worst part is that you lied to me. You lied about staying safe and you lied about being normal." Trixie reprimanded, almost out of breath because of how much we have been yelling at each other. "You told me you were just a student, not some beefy super soldier."
"Alright, hold the phone," I said to her. "I am not a soldier."
"Oh really, then how is it that you took on army and a Queen with just that wooden stick?" She interrogated.
"Well, that's the thing... I didn't." I revealed. Trixie did nothing but stare at me for a good two minutes before she spoke once more.
"W-what do you mean you didn't?" She stuttered.
"I mean I didn't..." seeing that she obviously wasn't going to settle for that (not that I blame her), I continued with what I was going to say. "Remember when I kept saying I was hearing music, and you kept saying I was crazy?" Trixie nodded. "Well, it happened again when I was in front of all those changelings. I played a song from my radio to distract them while Applebloom ran off. I thought they were going to kill me, but they, along with the entire town, just started dancing out of nowhere. I don't think they even knew what was going on, and neither did I." In the middle of my explanation, Trixie look like she had an epiphany.
"Wait a minute. The Melody magic, me dancing, the music that started to play outside the barrier, that was you???" She asked, earning a nod and a blank look from me.
"Whatever you were just talking about, I'm pretty sure that was my fault." I admitted. "Anyway, I think the music from my car's speakers made them all hypnotized and stuff. So I lead them out of town like a parade and then...well, did the same thing I did with the dragon."
"You scared them off?" She asked. When I shook my head, she seemed confused at first. When she realized what I meant, the interior of my car took a very grim atmosphere. "Oh..." I shook my head to try and change the subject.
"Look, the point is, I used the music to beat them back. It didn't take serious skill or anything like that. It was just dumb luck."
"Well, Luna said you fought with the Queen. How are you still alive after that?"
"Dumb luck. She ended up talking a lot more then actually doing anything else." Among other things. Trixie looked like she knew I was not sharing everything, but thanks to some more dumb luck, she didn't pry into that. I was secretly grateful for that, since It made me uncomfortable just thinking about it. "I was able to keep her distracted long enough to stab her eye. She would have probably killed me if Luna hadn't shown up."
Trixie exhaled a lungs worth of air in a sigh as she shook her head.
"This is just perfect, you just flat out lied to two princesses of equestria and the entire town. And if word gets out, the entire country!" She let her head drop with a thud and she restes her forehead on the dashboard as she asked the next question. "Uggg, why did you have to lie to them? Why are you being so dumb?"
"Because now I feel fantastic!" I yelled. She turned her head towards me to pay attention to what I was saying, still letting it lay on the dashboard. "Back home, I was an average joe, if not less. Sure I could act, sure I could do some martial arts. I could sing, dance, hell I could make cupcakes. But on my world, all that meant diddly-squat. There was a tiny chance, if any, that I might be special and make something of my talents, but the chances of having a happy ending over there were practically nonexistent. If I stayed over there, I would probably be stuck working at a McDonalds or an Office depot for the rest of my life. Now look at me, Trixie. I fought a dragon, I just liberated a town, and just little over an hour ago I was rubbing elbows with Princess Luna. I'm a hero and I'm going to be loved for it, and that's just from two days of being here. Two Days. You can't just tell me that isn't the tightest shit ever." I let out a sigh... if I never came here, I really was going to be no one special, wasn't I?
It hurt to admit it, but it was true. The only way I could have had anything decent was if I went to college for a couple years, but that needed money. Money that I would probably never would have had. I turned back to Trixie and spoke once more trying to not only cement the idea I was trying to convey, but to stop my voice from breaking.
"Back home, I watched the show and watched your episodes in particular. Heck, I still remember what you said when the dragon was trying to eat us. You know what it feels like, right? To want feel great? To want feel important?" Trixie turned her head away from me and lowered her pointy hat with her hooves so it could cover her face. I knew that she understood what I was feeling all too well.
"Y̦͇̕o̷̹̦̺̼̖u are ̼̹̼̹͞͞s̝̳̝͓̹͙o̷ much m̨̥͈̻o̖͔r̝͓͞e̮̲̜̥̲̭͠ then ̨̞̲͎̲̥t̪̙͚̰̳̘̬ḫ̥̩̕ą̗̦ţ̝̗̮͔..."
"You are so much more then that." Trixie spoke in a soft tone. "I don't care how bad you make your world sound, it's different in Equestria. You risked your life to save an entire town, and that alone proves you are a wonderful stallion." She comforted lightly, as if speaking any louder would break me. "You're right when you said I should know how you feel. I do, but you're lying to yourself and everypony around you just like I did, and that's not right." She turned back to me and pressed her head into my side, careful to mind the horn and my injuries. "If you just come out clean and tell the whole truth to them, I know they would still accept you and treat you like you were one of us. I just did it today, and everything I done was water under the bridge to them."
I mulled over what she said. Even after all l the things that had happened, this was still as close as Equestria gets to the real thing. I could come clean right now and they probably wouldn't treat me that much differently, since I still pretty much saved the town. Still, It feels nice to pretend I'm more.
"Could you give me a little while? I'll come clean, just not right now." I pleaded. Trixie made me wait a full minute before she responded.
"I still don't agree with it, but alright," She then looked up at me with smile and pointed a hoof at me. "But you have to promise me that you will tell them the truth. Not just any promise, but a Pinkie promise."
"How do you know what that is?" I asked her.
"She wouldn't stop talking while we were waiting for you." She told me. After looking at me expectantly for a little, I did what she wanted.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly... am I really going to have to do the last part?"
"Edgaaar...."
"Alright, alright already. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." I finalized the sacred pact by balling up my left fist and pressing it against my eye. Trixie let out a sigh of relief right after.
"Thanks Edgar."
"No problem, I guess." I looked out the window to get our bearings. We were practically half a football field away at this point, so we were probably going to be at the gates in less then a couple minutes. "By the way, you put in a good word for me with Twilight, right? I kinda wanna meet her and her friends."
"Oh, that reminds me." A crack went out as she whipped her tail and hit me again.
"AAhh. Why the same finger, WHY???"
"How long did you know Twilight was a Princess? And why didn't you tell me?" She said with scrunched eyebrows.
"How could you not know? You live here! What, have you been living under a rock?"
Here we go again.
"Oh, I'm sorry. The Everfree mailmare must have taken one too many days off!" She said sarcastically, moving her hooves in pseudo air quotes.
We just sat there glaring at each other for a couple seconds before one of us started to chuckle. I couldn't tell who did it first, but soon we both started laughing. After coming down from our high, I spoke once more.
"But seriously, did you really have to hit the same finger? That really stung." I said, still noticing a pulsing sensation.
"Heh heh, sorry about that. I get caught up in the heat of the moment sometimes." She said as she looked at me with a sheepish smile.
"Mmm still hurts." I mumbled, looking back outside. We were practically thirty meters away from it at this poi- what is she doing with my hand?
I look back at Trixie and saw that she had my hand in both hooves, staring at my middle finger.
"Trixie has been such a bad pony, punishing you like that. Let her kiss that boo-boo better." She said in baby talk, putting her mouth around my middle finger.
My mouth stopped working as eyes practically blurted out of their sockets when I saw what she did. She sucked on my finger, massaging it with her tongue as it swirled around the digit. She then closed her eyes and gave a gentle hum, sending vibrations through my hand as the slowly pulled her mouth off my finger, letting it leave the warm confines of her mouth and letting the cool air embrace the glistening digit.
"Feel better now?" She asked in a fake innocent tone.
To be honest, it kinda did feel better, but the way she did it caught me completely off guard. I wanted to say something along the lines of "While I appreciate the gesture and good will you meant, I do not appreciate the methods you used or the fact that you didn't even ask", but my brain was pretty much scrambled from what she just pulled.
"Hahaha oh Celestia, your face. It's beet red!" She laughed at my expense, banging her hoof on the fabric of her seat.
"Y-you did that on purpose!"
"Oh, that was hilarious. Goddess, you are so easy." She said, still recovering from her fits of laughter, falling backwards with her head resting on my lap.
Well that wasn't very nice at all.
I was about to come up with a witty retort, maybe looping back to something about horns, but I heard a tapping on the glass. I turned around and saw the bat pony I was talking to earlier. It looked like she was trying to peer into my window, but couldn't really see all that well because of the tint. I opened my car door.
"Yes?" I asked the scarlet-eyed mare.
"Princess Twilight made a request to walk fro-" she stopped talking when she looked at me as her eyes widened. She looked at me , then Trixie, then back to me again before she started to gain a mirthful smile before giving a whistle. "Looks like I actually owe Flash five bits."
I was confused at first, before I realized what she was implying.
"Nothing happened. Nothing suspicious happened at all." I said, trying to convince her.
"You're blushing, your claw-thingy is wet, and we kept hearing your carriage rock the entire way here. Sure seems like a whole lot of nothing was going on." She joked at my expense. "A whole lot of kinky nothing. Bee-Tee-Dubs, You're pitchin' a tent." She chimed. I look down, and sure enough I had something down there. It wasn't quite boner level, but boy it was getting there.
I looked back to Trixie and saw that as she turned her head, her cheek poked the tent in my jeans before she scrambled away from it toward her side of the car. She looked just as mortified as I was, looking back and forth between me and my ever-more humiliating little friend. She looked at me and mouthed the word "sorry" at me, in a slightly guilty manner. I say slightly only because after she looked away from me, I saw the slightest smile on the corner of her mouth. She obviously found this more funny then I did.
I gave a quick punch to my thigh in attempts to stop myself from reaching full mast, and it started to work. After a small giggle from the Thestral guard, she spoke again.
"Anyway, Princess Twilight has asked that we walked to the infirmary from here, and that you leave the carriage outside. We are willing to carry you if you need to be." She said, transitioning from lecherous jokes to professional demeanor in a heartbeat.
"Why do I have to leave it outside?" I asked.
"It's heavy, and there's stairs."
I kinda didn't want to leave it outside, but I guess I could lock it. I would know if someone was in my car anyway if I put my alarm on. I took out my keys and shifted my legs to get out, only to get stopped by the soreness of my muscles.
That's gonna get old very quickly.
"Alright.... uh, could you guys help me out?" I asked.
The bat pony whistled over to another guard, and she came over to help me out. I noticed there seemed to be quiet a lot of female guards, as well as female everything. They both grabbed onto my arms and pulled me out. My feet were still in the car, so I would have fallen on my face if they both didn't catch me. They did this synchronized kneel-thing so I fell onto their backs. It was actually kind of impressive. They then pulled me out and started to trot towards a stretcher laid on ground, and carefully laid me down on it. They both then picked up the stretcher and started to march towards the door.
I turned my head to make sure Trixie got out before locking it. Trixie walked out the driver side and kicked it shut with one of her back hooves before trotting back to me. I locked the car, startling some of the other ponies before they relaxed, and let myself get carried past the front gate towards the mane six, Trixie close to my side.
From here, it looks like smooth sailing to get myself bandaged and all that bullshit. What could go wrong?
***Ten minutes later.***
"WHAT THE BUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T TREAT HIM?" Trixie yelled at the doctor.
(A.K.A Chapter Eight: The amount of introductions is too damn high!)
"I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions."
-Lou Holtz
***Third Person Pov***
"WHAT THE BUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU WON'T TREAT HIM?" Trixie yelled at the doctor. The doctor was used to this sort of thing because of how long he has been in his field, and proceeded to wipe the fog of Trixie's breath off his glasses without even missing a beat. "He just saved the lives of everypony in this town, and this is how your going to treat him?"
After the Mane Six got walked into the castle, Applejack went on ahead with Big Macintosh and Applebloom to not only get checkups, but to check on Granny Smith and make sure everypony was doing alright. Twilight asked Rarity to go on ahead with Spike and Sweetie Belle to get settled in their rooms and make themselves at home, and to spread the message to everypony else still in the castle. It was going to be a tight squeeze for the ponies as they would have to make makeshift sleeping quarters and a soup kitchen out in the main hall and the courtyard, but it was much better then sending the ones who were made homeless back into their destroyed homes. The town was practically in shambles, and while they have some construction ponies working on the infrastructure of the town, it was going to take some time for the contractors from New Yolk City to arrive and get everything repaired back to normal. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, volunteered herself to go on patrol with the Pegasi and make sure the town was going to be safe.
"It's supposed to be "You're", Trixie." Pinkie corrected, earning a confused look from everypony, Trixie included. "What? It's proper grammar."
When everypony else started to shake their heads, Trixie knew that it was her just being "Pinkie" and did the same, ignoring her and focusing on the issue at hoof.
"That's not what I'm saying. Your a doctor-"
"You're." She interrupted yet again.
"-a doctor. It's your duty to heal the sick and injured ponies." Trixie paused, waiting for the Pink Menace to interrupt. When nothing came out of her mouth, she assumed it was safe and continued. "You can't just say no to him, not after what he went through!"
"Could I just say something?" Edgar asked from his stretcher.
"Mind your own business Edgar, I'm trying to get you some medical attention." She said, causing Edgar to roll his eyes.
"Look, even if I could I wouldn't. I'll be frank, I haven't seen anything quite like him before. I don't have any idea where to start if I was to treat him, and that's not counting any of the possible dangers he might put the already injured ponies in."
"LIKE WHAT?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe an unknown pathogen we have never encountered. His common cold could be our Ebon pestilence. Biology aside, that's not even mentioning what seeing him could do to the already shell-shocked ponies in the I.C.U." The brown earthpony doctor shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry miss, but there is simply nothing I could do to help to help right now. Not without putting either species at risk."
Trixie looked at Twilight, pleading for some sort of royal intervention. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like it was going to happen. She couldn't just force the doctor to do a checkup on Edgar.
"He does have a point, Trixie." Twilight said. "The needs of the many do outweigh the needs of the few or the one. We have to be absolutely sure he won't inadvertently harm anypony."
Trixie stomped a hoof on the ground and exhaled furiously through her nose. It was just so frustrating for her considering every time she tried to do something these past couple of years it backfired-no, Exploded in her face. Why couldn't she have things go her way for once. Why couldn't things ever be simple.
Twilight, sensing her distress, placed a reassuring hoof on Trixie's shoulder in attempt to cheer her up.
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out for Edgar. For now he can use the softest, most comfy bed in the castle." She promised, calming Trixie a considerable amount. She let her thoughts drift off when it looked like a fight was not going to break out.
Just what was she going to do about this? Sure, she was excited about learning more about this new species, but Dr. Stable's professional opinion still held a weight in her mind. She didn't worry about infection all that much, because she knew the basics of sanitation. Cast a quick protection spell here, sterilize equipment there. In summary, she just had to think before she acted and she wouldn't be in any danger. On the off chance that she did get infected by whatever he might have had, how else could she be expected to lead if she fell under illness, let alone a severe one? It would demoralize the already devastated town. Adding to that, she doesn't know anything about his bodily functions or his physical nature. If she was to try and figure out more about him, she might end up doing more harm than good, But on the other hoof she couldn't let the pony who cleaned up the mess she was responsible for NOT have any aid.
"You could try for a veterinarian." The doctor said, oblivious to the implications of his comment.
"Excuse me?" Trixie pressed, hoping he had a good explanation.
"You know, an animal care specialist. Possibly one that specializes in monkeys, and doesn't mind getting their hooves dirty." He said, wiping his glasses one more time before turning toward Twilight. "It really is the best option, what with the sanitation issues and the house training and the feeding and the-uhhhhhh why is the pony in the pointy hat staring at me like that?" He asked as he looked back to Trixie, his voice going into a higher pitch then before when he saw her.
Trixie did nothing but glare at him for a couple seconds. "Glare" being the most gentle way of putting it. You could almost hear her rage boil, and quite literally see steam slowly leaking through her nostrils.
The doctor readjusted the collar of his coat and gulped.
"Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me." He chuckled nervously before looking back at Trixie. "No seriously, make her stop."
.....
***Edgar's pov, castle corridor, ten minutes later.***
"...We need to work on your people skills, Trixie." I told her, watching the halls pass by as the guards carried me from the stretcher to the room Twilight offered me.
Me, along with Trixie, Twilight, Pinkie, and Fluttershy were walking making our way to the room as.
"Oh, come on! You heard what he said. He practically called you an animal." She tried to defend.
"You still can't justify hitting a guy with glasses. Besides, what he said made pretty good sense." I emphasized. If you think about it, we are all animals in one way or another. The doctor was just a specialist for ponies. A veterinarian checks up on animals all the time, and is pretty much a generalist when it comes to many different animals. "It's not like I need a triple-bypass surgery or a heart transplant. A veterinarian would be a perfect substitute for a doctor."
"Where would we even find a veterinarian in this town?" Trixie asked. I gave a sly smile, knowing exactly who would be perfect for this job. I couldn't just ask her outright, since she would question how I knew she was one, but I had an idea.
"It would be a real shame if I, a sentient being and new found animal species, were to suddenly be in more pain." I gave a fake and weak cough right after I finished that, only to end up coughing in real pain because of the fake cough. Go figure."Oh no, pain! This is the worst! THE WORRRST!" I rasped out in a scratchy voice. Wish I had a glass of water right about now.
"...What was the point of that?" Trixie asked.
Wait for it.
"Can't talk, in pain. Ouch, look at all this pain." I continued to rasp.
Waaaait for it.
Soon, Fluttershy trotted up to me and looked me over, poking at the fabric of the jeans on my legs. It hurt a little bit, but as if she read my mind, she lightened her touch to the point where I could barely feel her.
"um, I'm not a doctor or anything like that, but if you want I can take a look at you and make sure you aren't hurt too badly." Fluttershy offered, both her pokes and her vision trailing upward until her hoof stopped at my neck and her eyes met mine.
Dawwwwwwwwww... they're so big and blue.
The gaze was soon broken when Fluttershy blushed and hid herself behind her mane.
"That is, if you wouldn't be too uncomfortable." She quickly added.
"If you are going to help me, then I definitely wouldn't mind at all." I told her her, relieved that that actually worked. "Thank you for your kindness, I was scared nobody would help me."
Suddenly gaining more courage and morale, Fluttershy straightened her posture and spoke in a noticeably louder voice. It was still quiet, but you didn't have to strain your ears to hear her.
"You're very welcome." Fluttershy turned over to Twilight and addressed her. "Twilight, ummm, is it alright if borrow a few things from you?"
"You don't have to ask that, but are you okay with helping him?" She asked, worried for the safety of her friend.
"Nopony else is offering to help him, so I have to. I'm just need a book and some bandages, and maybe some food for him for later." She clarified. After receiving a nod from Twilight, she went off to grab the things she needed for me.
We walked in silence for a couple more minutes until we turned left and saw... another long-ass hallway.
Jesus Christ, this castle can't be that big.
I was starting to lose patience because since I was face up on the stretcher, I saw nothing but ceiling the entire time. Until we stopped on the third door to the left of the hallway.
"Here we are." Twilight said, using her magic to open the stone door. The room itself was very large but seemed a little spartan. There was a coffee table and a baby blue couch in the middle, along with a queen sized bed and a Cherry-colored wooden nightstand on either side of it against the wall, which was made of what looked like smooth granite tiles. As we went inside, I heard what sounded like a wind chime that rang as we kept advancing in the room. They were loud enough to be noticed, but quiet enough to not get annoying any time soon. In fact, I almost didn't notice the chimes since the hoof-steps of the other ponies were close to drowning them out. As I was being carried inside by the guards, I noticed a fairly large window on the far right side of the bed, which let out a gentle ray of sunlight beaming through. "Be as gentle as possible when setting him on the bed." Twilight instructed.
The guards aligned themselves longways with the bed, and then proceeded to tip me onto the bed. Not wanting to fight gravity, I rolled myself like a tired teenager onto the bed and, used the momentum to roll a little more so that I was laying on my back.
"Comfortable?" The still unnamed bat pony asked me, tracing her eyes up and down my body.
Well, I've been better.
"I guess. Could I have a glass of water?" I asked.
"Ditto." Trixie said.
"I'll have a servant bring us some refreshments." Twilight said as she turned to one of the guards. "Continue with your normal rounds for now, and await further orders." The guards stared at her unmoving for a couple seconds until Twilight bopped herself on the head. "Oh, duh! One second, I have to remember what I scheduled today's pass code to be." She said as she thought for a moment, before looking at the guards, clearing her throat, and saying a word really fast. "..."Hippopotomonstrosesquippediliophobia"."
"Di-did you just have a seizure?" Trixie asked the Alicorn, mirroring both my expression and that of the guards.
Twilight shook her head.
"It's a code word. Anytime a situation changeling related occurs, ponies of high rank must use these to give orders. Otherwise, they could just try and impersonate us and make our forces do something stupid." she explained.
Of course Twilight would pick something as random as that.
"It's the scientific term for "fear of long words"." I informed Trixie. Soon everyone looked at me moderately surprised. "...what?"
"I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard. It just seems like a random thing for you to know." Twilight told me.
"Eh, internet." I bluntly said, earning confused looks from all but Trixie.
"Seems like only a sadistic psychologist would concoct a word like that to describe the fear of such long words. Why couldn't it just be “Longwordaphopia"? "Trixie commented.
Anyway, that seemed good enough for the guards, so they made their way out of the room after she told them to send for refreshments. As the were walking out, the floor caught my eye. It had a polished azure rock-crystal thing going on, but the most interesting things were the tiles themselves. Each one had a different color symbol glowing on it. Every step the guard took to exit the room, another chime rang out as the tiles they stepped on glowed a little brighter each time.
So that's what that was.
The guards shut the door behind them, leaving me alone with Trixie, Twilight and Pink-Alright, where the hell did she go? I was so excited for quality time with the unofficial princess of parties.
"Where did Pinkie go?"
"I don't really know." Twilight said, scratching her head. She shook herself out of her thoughts though and waved it off. " It's best not to think about it. I'm sure that she'll turn up eventually." She assured as she trotted over to my bedside. While she was walking over here, her horn glowed as she picked up the blue couch and moved it closer to the bed, facing me still smiling. Trixie had hopped on the bed already and was laying perpendicular to my feet, facing Twilight. We were stuck staring at each other in a what I would describe as a happy Mexican standoff until Twilight spoke once again. "~Soooooooooo..."
"So what?" Trixie asked her. Twilight kept smiling at us, before scooting her couch closer to the bed.
"Well, you both just shown up abruptly to save us. One of you being a pony I haven't seen in a very long time," She told Trixie, before looking in my direction. "And another, and entirely new and rare creature that I have never seen before." As she was talking, her horn started to glow and soon a paper and quill started to appear in my peripheral vision while her smile continued to get bigger. "~Sooooo, I've been meaning to ask...~"
I felt like sighing right at that moment.
I've read enough fanfiction to know where this is going.
Like all the other times before, I started to hear music again, but I've been hearing it so often, I stopped questioning it.
"Could I ask you some questions? I wanna know All about you. Like where you're from? What is the sequence of your genome? Can humans see in colors, or are they colorblind?" She hopped off her couch and stuck her muzzle really close to my hands. "And what do you call these things? Do they grow into claws? And where is your tail?" She actually bumped into my hands while she was continuing with her questions and the items she was levitating lost their aura and started to drop. Luckily, she caught them again almost immediately after she lost control. "And were you born immune to magic, or do you have a special trick to make yourself immune? Are you immune to all magics?" Unluckily, this just gave her more questions to fire off.
"Twi- well you see- could you let me fin-" I kept trying to answer her questions, but every time I tried to start a sentence, she cut me off with another confounded question. I looked over to Trixie, who was eying her warily for some obscure reason. She started to walk around the bed now, talking all the while. For some some strange reason, when she walked I couldn't hear any chimes.
"And what was that thing you were riding around in? It's not a creature, right? No, no, it must be some advanced form of technology we haven't seen before, like a compact train." Twilight stopped right in her tracks, and gasped in a sort of "Eureka!" fashion that would have made Einstein proud. In a single bound, she flapped her wings and landed right above me, and got right up in my face. For a moment, all I could see were her huge eyes. "OH MY GOSH, Did you bring any more technology with you?" she asked me, wagging her tail almost like an excited puppy.
Okay, she got way too close for comfort hella quick, though she seemed to not realize it. I felt my face start to heat up, and looked over to Trixie to see if she was going to say anything to try and get her off me. She looked pretty angry, her eyes narrowing as if she was trying to stare down the back of Twilight's head. It's not like I would blame her. I mean, I know Twilight is probably ecstatic by now, but I would be a little irritated if she ignored someone else's personal space too. We both heard a throat clear, and like a record player scratching to a halt the music stopped. Twilight turned her head as I tilted mine to look over at where it came from. Fluttershy was in the doorway, carrying a bag with a red cross on either side of her, a tray of fruit on one wing, a tray with glasses of a clear-ish yellow liquid on another, and a dictionary sized book on the top of her head.
She'd get a 10/10 if I was a talent show judge.
"Twilight, coul-Whooao, could get off him please?" She asked, almost losing balance of all the things she was trying to bring In. She didn't even bother looking at Twilight, and instead focused her vision almost entirely on the book that was precariously placed on her head. "I can't help him while you are on top of him like that."
Twilight slowly looked back at me and looked all around the bed. Seeing the position she was in, she quickly flapped her wings and scrambled off me, landing on the couch. Clearing her throat, she talked once again.
"Soooooo...Hey Fluttershy, need any help with that?" She asked almost too quickly. Probably to change the subject.
"Oh, take your time, Twilight." Fluttershy said while inching toward my bed. If it were anypony else, I would have thought that was sarcasm, but it is really hard to tell with the way Fluttershy is.
Twilight used her magic to take the trays and book off of her, relieving her workload by a great deal. Fluttershy, free of her burden, moved over here a lot quicker. Again, I heard no chimes from the floor.
"I'm sorry I took so long." She apologized, dropping her saddlebags off at the foot of my bed. "I had a hard time trying to balance the fruit and the lemonade."
"Fluttershy, I really appreciate it, but you didn't have to get them for us. I already sent for a servant to grab us some. " Twilight told her.
"Oh, I know. I ran into her as I was coming back. She was a nice mare." She commented. "She was on her way here, but another pony asked directions to the infirmary. So I told her that I would take the trays while she took them there." She explained as she took out the many objects from the bags she brought. Things like a bottle of who knows what, bandaids with smiley faces on them, rolls of actual bandages, hoof sanitizer, a box, a sewing kit and... a rubber ducky. Fluttershy, looking just as surprised as me, threw the rubber ducky somewhere into the bathroom, which made a satisfying squeaky noise when it landed. "I don't know where that came from, but let's just forget that happened." She said, making me start to doubt her medicinal expertise.
"Uhhh, this a little excessive, don'tcha think?" I commented while staring at the condom thing she was wrapping over her hoof. I started to get a little scared until I realized they didn't have normal gloves. I took a sip of the lemonade that was on the counter, which wasn't too bad. It wasn't godly like you would expect after so many fanfictions gave praise to the food and water in Equestria. It was cold, lemony, and ade-y, that's about it.
"I don't know if you're seriously hurt or no, so I came prepared." She said as she took a cotton swab in her mouth and dipped it in the bottle, then walked in front of the couch Twilight was sitting on.. "Thiph migh thting a wittle." She said as she leaned her head forward and pressed it against the tip of the cut on my nose.
"Ow ow ow ow ow!" I grimaced.
After she was done brutally wiping my nose clean, she spit it out into the box she took out.
"Sorry, but I had to do that." she whispered in apology, her voice quieter than before, as if to soothe me or something like that.
"Its fine, just give me a better warning next time." I said, wiping my nose with my good hand. Fluttershy took my right arm and looked it over, before looking over my body with a serious face.
"That is a lot of bruises." She said with scrunched eyebrows. She shook herself out of staring at my incredibly sexy and muscular toned body before looking back at me... Ok, I might be exaggerating a little. I'm not exactly built like a Mr. Universe competitor, so you probably wouldn't be able to notice muscles through some of my chub. I can still be pretty fucking strong, but I don't have the sexiest body in the gy- ok enough of my random thoughts. Back to what's happening right now."Ok, I'm going to need you to sit up so I could see what I need to bandage" She said as she started flapping her wings to help pull me up. I probably could have done it myself, but she had my good arm. As soon as so I had a good position, she started to poke and prod me around my midsection. "Twilight, could you please turn to page three-hundred and ninety-four on the book that I brought in and read it to me?" Fluttershy requested.
Twilight levitated the book over to herself and started turning the pages. As she was doing it, I caught a glimpse of what the cover was and facepalmed internally.
Your monkey and You
By Angry Arnold the Onyx
...Ok, now they're just doing this shit on purpose!
Trixie seemed to agree as she spoke out.
"Out of all the books you could have grabbed, you picked the one about monkeys? Really now?" She snapped, irritated at the insinuation.
"H-he's not a pony. I picked the book that he reminded me of, and he looked like some of the monkeys I treated." Fluttershy stuttered as she justified herself, but trying to make herself small at the same time.
"Well, technically, she did guess right." I told her, just to help her out.
"I'm sorry?" Trixie asked, surprised at what I just said.
"I'm a human, or Homosapien."
"...You like stallions?" She questioned with her eyebrows raised. This caused me to blink.
"Wha- No, it means I'm a primate, or that I'm related to the primate families like monkeys and apes." As I was speaking, I heard some furious scribbling going on. I looked to see Twilight blazing through her parchment. "You okay, Twilight?" I asked.
"You just answered a lot of my questions." She replied, not even bothering to look up while she just kept scribbling and scribbling. After about a minute or two, she looked like she got finished and looked back up. "While Fluttershy gets you taken care of, I'm just going to ask you some more questions. Is that okay?"
"Are you going to let him finish a sentence this time?" Trixie asked her interrogatively, causing Twilight to flinch. That seemed a little uncalled for, but before I could say anything about it, Twilight beat me to it. Giving a nervous chuckle, she spoke to me, avoiding my gaze.
"Heh heh, sorry about that. Sometimes I get so excited and nervous and-"
"Nervicited?" I asked with a cheeky grin, alluding to the Equestria girls movie, which really wasn't that bad. Immediately after I said that, both Fluttershy and Twilight stopped what they were doing and looked at me.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Twilight inquired as she looked me right in the eye, leaving the question to linger.
...WHY DID I SAY THAT!?!
Since Pinkie is one of the only ones to say that, I'm practically blurting out how much I know about them.
"Uh, I don't know, I kinda just made it up on the spot." I quickly lied. They kept looking at me for a couple seconds longer before Twilight spoke again.
"Hmmm... that sounds like a word Pinkie pie would make up. I bet you two would have a lot of fun together" She said, her suspicious expression morphing into a more friendly one. "As I was saying, I'm really sorry about the talking and the questions and the whole "invading your personal space" deal. Could we try that again?" She pleaded hopefully.
"Uhh sure, I can multitask." I said, knowing Fluttershy still probably needed to ask me questions or do other things. Twilight squeed as she picked up her parchment and quill.
"Could you bend your claw for me?" Fluttershy asked me, and I did. "Okay, they don't seem to be broken. You didn't feel any pain when you did, right?" I shook my head no.
"Would it be safe to assume that your claws are your primary means of manipulating objects." Twilight asked.
"Yea, pretty much." I agreed while nodding my head. "They aren't really claws though. The technical term is "hands"." As I said that she decided to scribble that down, Fluttershy spoke again.
"Very good. Now I want you to stretch your forelegs as far as they can go without hurting yourself..."
I've been answering questions, bending limbs, and having things been put in my mouth for three hours, and aside from Trixie butting in to make comment or to clarify something, it's pretty much been rinse and repeat. At first I though I was going to be able to handle this no problem, but it's turning into more and more of a headache. The fact that the stars and moon are out now capitalized my point. Do you have any idea how long three hours is?
It feels like one-hundred and eighty minutes.
"Okay, now say "awwwww"" Fluttershy asked me, holding a thermometer in her hoof. I opened my mouth as she put the pony sized thermometer in my mouth.
"Let's see... ninety eight point seven. Seems a little cold, Is that standard for you?" Twilight asked, still writing down the social structure on my planet.
"Yea, give or take." I said, my speech impaired by the hotdog sized thermometer.
"Uhhh, Twilight. I don't mean to throw you off your train of thought of anything like that, but isn't all this starting to sound familiar to you?" Fluttershy asked, beginning to bandage my midsection now. Twilight didn't appear to know what Fluttershy was alluding to, until she spoke again.
"Spike, make a note to send a letter to the canter-" Twilight stopped talking looked around for the young drake before giving a sigh. "I forgot he was with Rarity for now."
"For whom was the letter for, Princess Sparkle?" A regal voice called out from the far right.
"JESUS, Where the hell did you come from!?!" I shouted at Luna in heart pounding shock. She was standing at the entrance to the main door.
"Greetings to you too, Edgar." She deadpanned, shutting the door on way in. It's about time someone shut that thing. After all the ponies that came out of that door, I had a feeling if that door stayed open any longer the Spanish inquisition would arrive. Her expression softened as she started to walk up to the couch that Twilight was sitting in, cautious to not knock over the pile of parchments she made neatly stacked about six inches high high on the coffee table. "We see that thine new found acquaintances been busy of late. How goes thy recovery, Edgar?"
At this point I took the comically large thermometer out of my mouth and placed it on the table.
"I don't know." I turned to Fluttershy, hoping for an answer from her. "Give it to me straight, Doc. How long do I have left to live?"
The poor mare gave a small gasp before putting her roll of bandages down.
"Oh goodness no, you're not that seriously hurt." She said as she shook her head. "You are just really bruised."
"So other then that, I got a clean bill of health? That's it?" I questioned almost incredulously. "Then what is with all these bandages. Look at this!" I emphasized by trying to move my left arm, but because of the way Fluttershy wrapped it, couldn't move my left arm more than thirty degrees. "I've become one with the bandage!"
"If you moved that arm any further then that, you would end up bruised and sore longer. I did that to speed your recovery." She justified, not flinching in the slightest. I thought about what she said and it made sense, but now I feel like an asshole. At least she didn't wrap my right arm too much.
"Sorry."
"It's okay." She told me, continuing with her bandageing and forgiving my douchery in a heartbeat. While I was thinking about how I could get used to a place like this, Luna cleared her throat.
"As sweet as this may be, you still have not answered my question, Sparkle." Luna pointed out. "To whom is the letter going to be addressed to?"
"Oh, They were going to be sent to the Professor of Harmonics and the Professor of Quantum Theory at the Canterlot university." Twilight said as she levitated another piece of paper over.
"Well, then we suppose that you may wish to hold off on that. We have already ordered our guards to bring them to this castle." Luna revealed.
Is she a witch?
Seriously, how did she know Twilight was going to write a letter to them? Luna, almost as if she sensed our bewilderment, gave an explanation.
"After I left Little Pipsqueak in the care of Ponyville's best, I spoke with his mother, Bon Bon, about the possibility of collecting her herdmates." Herdmates? Don't tell me that It's "that" type of Equestria. "It was then that I learned that by sheer coincidence, two of the three herd mates that were currently in Canterlot were the scholars, or Professors that you were going to contact. We decided that we should not only fulfill our promise to the mare as quickly as possible, but we should also see if they might be able to discover how something otherworldly like you ended up in this world."
"Otherworldly?!?" Both Twilight and Fluttershy exclaimed in unison.
"What makes you so sure I am from another world, Princess? For all you know, I could be the last survivor of an underground species now awakening from an eon long hibernation." I said with sarcasm, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject. "That, or a species that is really good at hide and seek." Though in hindsight, I don't think that was very intelligent of me. Luna walked up to me and placed her hoof on me again, and just like before, her hair stopped the flowing thing it did and fell down into a straight style with slight curls at the ends. While Twilight started writing down some more mumbo jumbo, Luna took her hoof off me again and spoke once more.
"Nothing born of Equestria has ever been immune to magic. There have been creatures that used magic to repel magic, bent the laws of magic, devoured magic and even became magic itself, but nothing in known history that couldn't even be touched by it. Nothing...until you arrived. There are no other explanations." While Luna narrowed her gaze as if studying me, Twilight looked at Trixie in a mix of irritation and awe.
"You had an alien, one of the biggest scientific discoveries in our era, with you the entire time and you didn't think to tell anypony???" She said, flabbergasted at the unicorn.
"Hey, don't give Trixie that. This was literally the first place she came after we met." She shot back, defending herself in third person. I almost started to miss that until I took in account the way she said that.
Not if you count the night you met me.
I blushed at that thought. Bad Edgar, BAD!
"Girls, you're both pretty, now stop arguing." I said trying to stop an argument before it starts. They both looked at me with varying expressions. Trixie looked annoyed as she re-adjusted her hat while Twilight...
"You think I'm pretty? She asked, her expression...okay, I don't know how to describe it. It's like she's embarrassed too, but she doesn't know it yet. Her cheeks started to turn red, but her face didn't change at all. She just looked at me with her mouth slightly open as if in contemplation until I decided this was getting a little too awkward and cleared my throat.
"Ehem, so what happens now? Are the professors gonna try and study me tomorrow?" I asked, trying to get rid of the awkward feeling.
"Not likely, since their family in Ponyville was in danger not long ago. We would not be surprised if they spent some time to comfort their family and rest. As for myself, I wait until my sister and I decide what the next best course of action is. We know not from whence you came, or how you managed to even arrive in this land, but it does not appear to be by natural means. Rest assured, we will find out one way or another." She said with an air of finality, leaving the room in uneasy silence until Twilight thought it was her turn to clear her throat and change the subject.
"Speaking of which, I just have a few more questions now. This time, I want to talk to you about your magical immunity." Or not "Now are you immune to everything? Or just certain types of magic?"
"I don't even know what all the types of magic are. I just know that anytime a pony tried something magic on me, it ended up not working." I admitted, lifting one of my arms while Fluttershy bandaged that one.
"Could you at least cite some examples so I have a rough idea of what you are immune to?" Twilight asked.
Let's see, off the top of my head...
"I tried to get him a glass of wine, but as soon as he touched it I lost control." Trixie revealed, bring back memories of my first night here.
"Okay, so he can negate telekinesis. Anything else?" She said, prodding for more information.
"Before Telsona and I fought, she tried to make me hand over the filly I was with. You know, the one with a bow? Her eyes kept flashing, but aside from trying to give me a seizure I don't know what she was doing. Not only that, but she shot a fireball at me and couldn't pick up her sword when she was touching me." I described. Twilight took all this in, nodding as she adjusted her position.
"Her eyes were flashing?" Twilight repeated back to me. "It seems as if she tried to hypnotize you. It's good to know that you are immune to those spells too. I couldn't imagine what something strong enough to kill a changeling queen would do to a town like this." She commented.
"Yeeeaaaauuup see, here's the thing. I didn't kill her. She sped off into the Everfree somewhere." When I said that, a couple things happened at once. There was a loud tear as Twilight's quill pierced the umpteenth parchment she was writing on, and a girly gasp as Fluttershy tightened one of my bandages in surprise. "OW, WHAT THE HELL!?! WHY...Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, uncomfortable that they were staring at me like that. Before long though, Twilight gave an uneasy laugh.
"Oh wow. Trixie you never said humans were such jokers. Heh heh heh." She tried to laugh it off.
"I am afraid he is speaking the truth, Twilight." Princess Luna told her. "When I arrived at the field I found Edgar in, I did not see a body that could even resemble that of a Queen. I suspect that she fled to hide and lick her wounds."
"B-but you said that the threat had been dealt with, that Edgar fended off the entire changeling army!" Twilight brought up, hoping to convince reality itself that Telsona will never be a problem again.
"We did, and we are sorry that we were not more careful in our phrasing. Edgar drove her off, but she is still a threat." She said as she walked to the door that she closed.
"Oh no oh no OH NO! This is a crisis. We barely handled the last attack! What's going to happen if she were to come with twice the amount of changelings as before? Or three times??? " You could almost see her hair frazzling strand by strand, following with almost comedic sounds of string snapping.
"Calm yourself, Twilight. You are not alone in this matter. She is still out there, and should she ever become a threat again, we must be even more vigilant than before to any dangerous plots she may be conceivi-" she stopped talking as her ears twitched a couple times. She started talking again as she advanced to the door, but more slowly this time around. "Conceiving. We must stay sharp and-"
She stopped talking when she got close enough, and soon, her horn started to glow and the door swung open at lightning speeds. A small, string-bean lookin', snow white earth pony guard with a blue and white mane, who had been presumably listening in on this conversation, fell through and make a loud clank with his armor when he hit the ground. He had a fairly large canvas saddlebag strapped to his side as his sword fell out of his holder, sliding with such force that it impaled one of the bed posts near one of Fluttershy's hooves. Fluttershy nearly fainted when it happened, while Twilight readied her horn in case something else happened.
When the guard looked up, he found himself trembling in fear under the mercilessly cold gaze of Princess Luna, who levitated him with her magic and walked with him over to the balcony window. As mean as it sounds, he looked quite pathetic.
"We'll address this issue later. Continue what you were doing for now." She said in a tone that barred no argument. With the rattling solar guard in tow, she flew off to God knows where.
"Oh dear, she's not going to hurt him is she?" Fluttershy asked, still shaking from her near injury.
"No, Fluttershy. Princess Luna isn't like that. She is probably going to punish him, but nothing that severe." Twilight reassured her friend, although after seeing Luna's look, she looked like she doubted her down words.
"If I had to guess, she was probably going to Batman him." I thought out loud, though I hope I'm wrong. Trixie looked at me with a quizzical expression.
"What’s that even supposed to mean?" She asked me.
"I don't think you want to know."
...
***Third person pov, two miles above the ground***
Resting high on a cloud above Ponyville, Princess Luna glared at the guard she has suspended in her magic. She has been watching him squirm for three minutes now, watching his hooves moving in her grasp, trying to get a footing that was not there. She herself did not look forward to this next part, but there are consequences when you do not obey your superiors. This was just another form of discipline to her. After all, discipline is just a rougher form of learning.
"Y-y-your majesty, Pleeease put me down! I-I-I didn't mean anything by it. I won't do it again. I promise!" The private stuttered in terror. "I-I don't like heights."
"Silence!" Luna boomed at him, shutting him up with nary a whimper as he seemed to try harder and harder for him to keep himself composed. "You were spying on us, Even after we specifically told you to take leave. You deliberately disobeyed me...Why?" She asked.
"I-I was... I was-" Private Khan was trying to speak, but was way to hesitant for Luna's patience.
"I want an answer NOW!!" Luna shouted, blowing his azure hair back while simultaneously causing him to clench his eyes shut on reflex. He readjusted himself though, trying to give the gaze he was trained to do as a royal guard and to give her a satisfactory answer.
"I-" Private Khan started, before clearing his throat and talking in a stalwart voice. Well, as stalwart as one can while floating miles above the ground. "I needed to make sure that the creature was not going to harm you. It's unknown and unfa-AHHHHHHH!!!!!" Luna's horn stopped glowing, and with it the magic that was holding Little Khan in the air.
Private Khan screamed in terror while he was plummeting downward at terminal velocity, feeling the air rush through past him as he came closer and closer to the ground. His body twisted and turned in the air like a rag doll during his descent while all four of his hooves were scrambling everywhere , the primordial instinct to find anything to grab onto overpowering any rational thoughts. As the air blew in his face, he was forced to squint his eyes to keep the force of falling from damaging them. He didn't have to keep them shut for long however, as he noticed the sensation started to fade, and...reverse?
Opening his eyes, he saw that he was glowing in a dark blue aura and was once again floating upward at a higher speed. His velocity started to slow as was now at eye-level with the Princess still laying on the cloud she was when they first arrived here. She narrowed her eyes and spoke to the Private.
"One year. That's what it takes to graduate from the strict training regimen of the Royal Guard. Do you expect me to believe that in that one year, you still hadn't learned that the princesses of Equestria are more than capable of defending themselves? Don't you dare lie to me." She snarled at Private Khan, who was this point hyperventilating. She knew that he was hiding something yet again from her, and this time she was going to find out. "Try again, but this time I want the truth."
"I-I was walking back to the barracks when I was heard a yell. When I heard it, I ran up to the door it came from and listened in." Private Khan admitted.
"Did you know who was behind that door?"
"Not at first, no," He said while shaking his head. "but when I heard you talk, I realized that you were in there questioning some of the ponies there."
"So you knew I was in there, yet you did not respect my privacy and leave?" Her tone shifted darker, as she found the blatant disrespect of privacy aggravating. "Curiosity killed the cat, Private. You could have heard secrets that were not supposed to leave that room, and if it were anypony else that caught you, you would be thrown into a dungeon and left there until the matter of national security had been dealt with. So now I ask: Why did you stupidly decide to stay when you knew the consequences? Tell me why you were spying!" She demanded.
"Pl-Please, I don't wa-" Khan's breath caught mid-sentence as he felt the Magic that suspended him waver for a mere fraction of a second. That was not the answer she was looking for. He saw the Princess of the night get up from her spot, and with one flap of her wings she launched herself off the cloud, letting both herself and her magic drop once more.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAHHAHHHHHHH, PLEEEEASE STOP!!!!!!" Khan yelled, begging for Luna to help him. "I'M SORRY!!!!"
He could barely hear himself due to the roar of the wind, but Princess Luna, who was currently in a controlled free fall with him, heard him all too clearly.
"Answer me!" She commanded, not acknowledging his request.
Little Khan caught a glimpse at the ground that was fast approaching and his mind went blank. He continued to fall though the air, screaming all the while. He must have fell a mile until Luna spoke, or shouted again.
"DAMMIT, I WON'T ASK AGAIN!!!" She shrieked, her anger and patience reaching a limit with this guards persistence.
Khan looked back to the ground he was being pulled to, and started to panic even more than before. The objects on the ground, which previously looked like they were the size of a grain of salt, now looked like the size of a wasp, and were getting bigger and bigger in his eyes. In an emotional state of terror, he started blubbering out any words and phrases he could think of. For the most part, they were incoherent. But there was one word she recognized from the mess he was spouting out.
Well, not a word, per say. It was more like a name, which satisfied Luna enough.
Khan clenched his eyes shut and covered his face with his hooves, bracing himself for the life-ending impact, that never came. When he realized that he was in fact still breathing, he slowly removed his quivering hooves away from his face and opened his eyes. He was floating in Princess Luna's aura yet again, only this time, he was so close to the ground his tail was dragging on the grass. He looked up and saw the princess standing about four steps in front of him, and they were both in the middle of a field.
"I'm going to need to have you repeat what you were saying. If you can do that, you're free to leave." Luna promised to the guard, her anger softening. She knew the colt was probably scared out of his mind right now after what she did, and even more emotional due to what he witnessed earlier, but she had to make sure be wasn't a spy, or planning on defecting. Such a thing would obliterate the morale that she will need to garner the support of the nation with what she is planning.
As for Private Khan, this whole ordeal hit him like a train wreck. He stuttered in shame as he spoke his next sentence, still jittery with the adrenaline rush he received from the fall.
"C...could you please put me down, I don't like heights." He pleaded. Princess Luna nodded and gently lowered him back onto the sweet earth, a feeling of relief putting him at ease as he felt the grass he had become well acquainted with. He let himself relax, still reeling from he just endured, but did not let himself get too comfortable. He still had to answer Luna's question. "I-I was going to leave, I swear, but then I heard that awful name... her name." Khan almost spat out. Though he did not want to say it again, Luna knew exactly who he was implying. "She got away..."
Something peculiar happened after he said that. Soon, melody music played yet again, and this was starting to trouble Luna.
"I said I would do my best. As of now, she is missing both her army and if what our visitor said is true, her eye." Luna told him, trying to remain patient with him right now. He seemed very irritated, to say the least. But it wasn't as if it wasn't entirely out of the blue. "We understand thy plight, believe us, bu-"
"NO, you don't understand!" Khan interrupted in a sudden outburst of mounting frustration, taking Luna by surprise by how unexpected it was for a pony, a guard at that, to talk back to a princess like this. "I don't give a shit about her missing an eye or a hoof, or ANYTHING!" Tears of fury started to pour out as he unleashed his verbal rage. He was talking to Luna, but it's almost as if he meant to yell at all of Equestria. "The closest thing I had to a family is missing a heartbeat and that...That fucking MONSTER is still out there! We were supposed to be a team. ME AND HIM AGAINST THE CORRUPT, THE EVIL, AND SHE TOOK THAT AWAY!!!" He stopped take a breath, starting to get more and more tired, as a tremor wracked his body. "...and I didn't even get a chance to tell him how sorry I was." he let himself fall onto his rump, exhausted because of all the stress he relieved himself of.
"And so, the pieces fall into place." Luna thought.
Princess Luna stood there for a while as she watched him punch the ground again and again, feeling sorry for the young stallion and slightly out of place. She then walked up to the guard and sat at his side, offering a shoulder to cry on. While her methods may sometimes seem questionable at best, she was by no means completely heartless.
He resisted at first, before finally succumbing to the need to rest.
"I have to find her and make her pay. I can never forgive myself if I don't at least try."
"If you find her, what then? Will you storm the badlands all in your lonesome, brave the hordes of magic-wielding changelings and their queen?" Princess Luna questioned, she tried to get through to the young colt. "Believe me when I say that I know of your frustrations, and that I'm sorry for your loss, but that only happens in fairy tales." She looked at the heartbroken look the guard was giving and shook her head sympathetically. "But I also want to to have faith that Telsona will receive what is coming to her. I will be pushing for that."
Princess Luna got up and flexed her wings, preparing herself for take off.
"Before I leave, I'm ordering you to get a good night's rest, and at nine-hundred hours I want you to report to the main tent located at 6th and Fleet street. There still is an issue that needs to be addressed." Luna turned to look at the guard, who was rubbing his eyes and trying to remove any evidence of his outburst. His breathing was calming, so that was a good sign. "There are field-expedient barracks located near the left wing of Princess Twilight’s castle, about a twenty minute walk from here. Are you okay to walk by yourself?"
Private Khan nodded his head, satisfying Luna with his answer. As she took off toward the castle, he got up and walked to the Barracks quarters, thinking more about what Luna said.
He never was the strongest guard, or the biggest, or the fastest, or anything really. He knew Princess Luna was right... but that wasn't going to stop him, because if there was one thing he was sure of, he was the most stubborn guard there was. He'll show her, and everypony else what he can do. He might not be able to do anything yet, but he'll be damned if he gave up now. He's just going to have to train much harder and much more often. Every chance he gets if he has to.
And why should he stop there. He could miss a night or two of sleep every week or so. He'll take any chance he can get to speed his training.
If he ever, no, When he finds that murderer again, he will be ready.
***Edgar's Pov, guest room.***
"...Seriously, it was like she was the bastard child of a Sith Lord and Mary Poppins." I yawned to Twilight, who was still taking notes right now. "She was plain evil, but at the same time she made herself look and sound like she was polite and courteous."
I didn't go into too much detail about what actually happened. I don't want to have to remember anything in the future, but I said just enough to explain how I ended up bruised and in the middle of a field.
It was getting pretty late after Luna left with what's-his-name. Fluttershy finished with her doctoring a while ago, bandaging everything except my right arm and legs in case I needed to use the restroom. She was currently munching on an apple from the fruit bowl she brought in. I got halfway through eating a banana when Trixie pointed how I was eating the banana like a monkey, causing the girls to laugh. I lost my appetite after that hypocritical remark. She got on Fluttershy's case about the monkey book earlier.
"It's still amazing how you were able to hold her off." Twilight remarked. "Though, I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising, considering how you said you come from a combat-oriented species."
"Not just combat. We like inventing and music and all the other things you do. It just so happens that we like fighting too." I explained, my eyes widening at what I said. "Hey, look at that. I rhymed. I'm a poet, and I didn't know it."
I'm positive Trixie was going to facehoof when I said that, but I don't think she would have gotten the chance because the knock on the door interrupted the whole interview thing we had going on.
"Come in." Twilight beckoned. The door opened as it glowed an indigo, and standing behind it wa- Good fucking Lord, what the hell is that?
Standing behind the door was an almost hellish looking creature, with sickly green, mud-like goo on its face and a ritualistic looking spiral turban on its head. One eye appeared to be a normal baby blue, while the other was a covered with a light green disk. It's alien appearance was covered by what I could only describe as a thick ceremonial robe. Whether or not I was going to be a sacrifice, I didn't know. What I did know w-
"Twilight Darling, is this where you have been all afternoon?" The creature smiled, taking off the cucumber slice so it can get a better look at her.
Oh, it's just Rarity
"Um, what that on your face?" I asked the fashionista.
"Oh this? Why it's my beauty mask. An invasion like the one from this morning can give absolutely Dreadful worry lines. So I'm taking care of the problem before it starts." she explained, while she pushed the towel wrapped on her head so that it was "just right".
"Where did you even get the stuff to make that mask?" Trixie inquired.
"Well, you'd be surprised at what you can make with a few home recipes and enough determination. This one is made of cotton balls, avocado, cucumbers, and toi- are those apples and bananas?" Rarity asked out of the blue, trotting over to the fruit bowl. "OH, These would be a fine addition to my cream! Could you, perchance, spare a few fruits?" She asked me, batting her eyelashes.
"Uhhhhh." I knew what she was doing, or trying to do. I just didn't know what else to do in this awkward situation. I don't want to give her any ideas or anything. I jumped a little when the sound of glass shattering reverberated across the room. Glancing over to where it came from, I just barely caught a glimpse at Trixie's furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips, before she looked at the glass shards and spilled lemonade on the floor.
"Oops, clumsy me. I'll go...fetch a towel. Yea, that's it. Trixie will grab a towel." Trixie said as she hopped of the bed and towards the bathroom, scowling all the way. As soon as she went in, she shut the door a little harder then needed, causing everybody to flinch a little at the sound.
"It wasn't something I said, was it?" Rarity asked with a concerned look.
"I think she's tired and stressed." I defended, coming to the rescue. "What, with all the things that happened today and yesterday, I'm not surprised she might be be a little on edge." And I don't think the one million questions help one bit. My point was emphasized when I heard a symphony of squeaks from the rubber ducky Fluttershy tossed into the bathroom, along with some angry pony noises. Twilight cleared her throat and spoke once more.
"Did you just come to check on us?" Twilight asked.
"Oh no, Darling. I just wanted to tell you of the wondrous idea I thought of. Both the girls and I agree that this would be splendid to do." Another long drawn out squeak and growl came from the bathroom. "...Though, I think that our new friend would benefit too." The bathroom door opened, and out came Trixie with a large towel and a trash can floating in her magical grasp. As she began picking up the pieces of glass and wiping up her mess, Rarity spoke again. "So originally, I was making some of this mud mask and I got to thinking how relieving this was going to be. I started to think about inviting Fluttershy and you to join me, but then I thought "Why stop there?"."
"And where is this going?" I asked Rarity.
"I'm getting to that, Dear. Anyway, I was thinking that all of us could have a sleepover together. We could have pillow fights, do each others' makeup and mane," Rarity glanced over to Twilight. "and then when the little ones tire themselves out, we could talk about stallions and the like. It'll be fun." She said. "Are you game?"
"How are we supposed to get Edgar there?" Trixie asked, tossing the towel into the waste hamper.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to move Edgar around too much yet." Fluttershy commented. "It might not be good for him."
"So we're just going to leave him alone?" Trixie asked, a little uneasy at the idea.
"I don't think he would want to listen to us babble on about dresses and tea anyway, right?" Rarity asked me.
"I kinda just want to sleep right now." I remarked.
"You want to sleep now??? But we just got started!" Twilight exclaimed, picking up her quill once more. "I still have questions about the history of your race, your social hierarchy, your Panda Express and the Panda who are running it..." She probably would have kept going, but some kind deity decided to spare my sanity. She looked at the pile from where she would have picked up another parchment, only to realize that she ran out of them. She then looked over to the mounting pile of parchments that she finished front and back, and started to get an embarrassed look. "Though, I suppose we could take a break for the night."
The girls got up from the couch and went to follow Rarity out the room, though Trixie lingered at the doorway.
"Are you sure you don't want somepony to stay with you?"
"Eh, go have fun Trixie. I'll just wallow in my loneliness and sorrow." I said dramatically, giving a reassuring smile. "Hey, I rhymed again. Just call me Dr. Seuss."
"Trixie darling, are you coming?" A silvery voice called out from the hall.
Trixie stayed a little longer before I saw a corner of her cheek move into a slight smile. "You're a dork. Have a good night, okay?" she said affectionately, using her magic to snuff out the candle flames, Enshrouding the room in a blanket of dark. What was originally Trixie turned into a shadowy silhouette in the doorway, which readjusted her hat and then quickly galloped to try and catch up with the group, leaving the door to swing shut.
I was left alone in the dark with my thoughts, letting out a sigh of relief. I was just rubbing elbows with ponies that shouldn't have even existed moment ago, and it just blows my mind that this was all happening, both in good ways and bad ways. Good because of obvious reasons, but bad because now its making me doubt this is even real. Aside from crazy bitch that almost killing me, It's been a dream come true so far, but what if that's all this is. A dream.
Damn, I'm doing that thing. You know, when you lay down in bed, you just stay awake and think about random shit for a little while? I better stop myself before I end up thinking about and regretting some embarrassing moment from fourth grade.
It's funny, after thinking about all these thoughts I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of giddiness and fear? if i was to use a word for it, I would say that I'm feeling...nervicited? Yea, that's probably the best way to describe it. This place is supposed to be full of dragons, magic, ponies and much more, and there's no telling what's going to happen tomorrow. That in itself scares the shit out of me, but at the same time I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow, or the next day and so on.
With that I shut my eyes and try to force myself to go to sleep, but after hearing my stomach growl I knew that it was going to be hard to sleep with an empty stomach. I know that late night snacking is a bad habit, but it's not like nobody else has ever done it. I reach over and try to take an apple from the fruit bowl, only to find nothing there. After waving my hand around the nightstand a little bit, I gave up searching for the fruit and just turned over. What a terrible way to end the day.
Chapter Nine: Introductions, Interrogations, they both start with an "I" - 1/3
The next morning came and started as most might expect.
You wake up having no idea who or where you are and freak out for about a second, but then as soon as you wake up bit you start to remember what happened right before you went to sleep. In my case it was feeling hungry and sore. I rub away those little eye-boogers you get when you wake up and started to stretch myself, only to realize that I was still bandaged. So after stretching everything but the parts that were bandaged, I lay back down and try to go back to sleep. I knew I probably wasn't going to go back to sleep anytime soon, but I really like the feeling of laying down right when you wake up. It's euphoric.
After about half an hour I decided to get up and out of the harsh rays of sunlight that are plaguing me. They were fine yesterday, but this morning they seem to have made it their mission to ruin the afterglow of waking up. So after I answered the call of nature (which is harder then it sounds when only one hand isn't bound), I started to limp over to the exit. Using the wall as support, I made my way out of the room to see if I can rustle up some food since I haven't eaten any real substance since yesterday morning.
*smack*
...Only to have my face flatten against some invisible force in the doorway, which caused me to fall flat on my ass. After yelling a very choice word(use your imagination), I rubbed my thumping nose and looked back at this unseen wall saw some fog from my breath left over on it. It was starting to fade but it was noticeable nonetheless. I reach out for it in a slow and deliberate manner and eventually my palm flattened against the clear, cool, and smooth surface. When I ascertained that it probably wasn't going to kill me, I gave it a couple knocks. It was glass alright, but the sound it gave off when I knocked on it suggested it was thick. Like really thick, almost like the kind you would see in an aquarium that kept sharks or dolphins. On the other side of the glass wall appeared to be another glass wall, only this one had a whiter tint and very faint symbols scratched into it. It was so fine, that if I didn't run into any of the glass, I probably wouldn't have noticed any of them. I followed the glass upward and saw that they were bolted to the crystal tree branch...crystal wall column... They were bolted to the pillar that was attached to the wall.
I couldn't even fathom how they managed to make this so quickly, nor how they managed to do this while I was sleeping, but that's all the moot point though. Right now, there are so many questions that are much more important than that. Questions like "Why?" and "Who?" were the more dominant ones at the moment. However, there was one question above all others that I just couldn't get out of my head.
"The fuck?!?"
***Trixie's POV*** *Dining hall*
We were currently situated in the dining hall, eating Apple spiced oatmeal like every other pony in here. It as regal as this place was meant to look, it was leaning more towards soup kitchen because of the large cauldrons of varying types of oatmeal. Well, as much variety as you can get when the main ingredient of every single one is apple and oatmeal. The bustling ponies that were either in line for their bowl or currently eating, sitting on the ground pushed this image. It wasn't all bad though as most of them actually seemed genuinely happy, almost as if this was a indoor picnic. Whether it was because they knew everything was going to be alright, or they knew they had to have a positive attitude I couldn't tell. But this sense of community still brightened the mood immensely and eased everyone else's feelings. Even Pinkie Pie, who was currently making foal faces at a pair of giggling twin foals a few tables over the distance, seemed to emanate a feeling of ease. I just wish either she or the ponies at the table I was at could do the same thing for me.
We were all sitting at a corner table of the large crystalline hall. I myself haven't even touched my bowl of oatmeal aside from playing with the apple slice on top. I already felt sick to my stomach after last night and didn't have much of an appetite.
"Ya know, It could just be a REALLY biiiig misunderstanding. You thought Edgar was a dragon too, didn't you Twilight? An Anti-magic dragon sounds pretty spooky. " I heard the annoyingly cheerful voice of Pinkie Pie say, obviously trying to comfort me. She then bit the side of her bowl and lifted her head up, letting the contents of the bowl dump into her gullet. "If any-phing, sheesh probabry awarding him tickish to the Grand Gawwoping Gawa. Iph you shave Ponyviwwe emouph timesh, you get'em imm da maiyl." She tried to say with a mouth still full of oatmeal, oblivious to the judgmental stare of the white Unicorn mare off to her side.
"...Manners, Pinkie darling."
"If he tries anything, I swear I'll pulverize 'em." A voice from above me threatened.
"Um, weren't you just talking about how awesome and brave he was last night."
"Oh come on, that was like ten hours ago! Besides, I was totally playing Nightmare's advocate." The brash tomcolt spoke, before looking off to the side and coughing. "Of course, That's IF he tries anything. Otherwise, I'm super chill with him being here. He beat up changelings and doesn't afraid of anything."
"...Proper Equish, Rainbow darling." Rarity shook her head. "Doesn't it seem a bit odd that all this is happening so suddenly? I mean I know that trouble like this is always a bit-flip away around our group, but something feels wrong about all of this. What if Celestia thinks that the human is a threat? After all, he is a forei- an outsi- oh shoot, he's not from around here."
"You could try using "hero", and his name is Edgar." I chastised, starting to get mildly irritated at the posh unicorn.
Look at her, that two-faced whorse. Why, not even yesterday she was fluttering her perfect little eyelashes at Edgar, and now she is talking about him like he's some sort of monster. It's outrageous, and those eyelashes are probably fake!
Rarity looked to Twilight, and almost as if they had some silent understanding, they both looked back at me with worried eyes.
"Trixie, I am trying to be objective..." Rarity stopped what she as saying and looked around the room for a second. After a few moments she looked back at me and opened her mouth to speak again, only to close it once more. "There's no easy way to say it, is there?" She asked, turning to Twilight.
"Say what? Sparkle, what's she saying?" I looked at her, begging for an answer. Twilight looked reluctant to answer at first, she glanced over to me and spoke.
"Trixie, if Celestia decides that he is indeed a threat, then you might not see him again." Twilight said solemnly.
"Yea, she'll just banish him back to his tree in the jungle, right?" Pinkie asked. After a bit of silence, I saw hair started to deflate and go limp like a balloon. "...Bu-because she will just banish him back to his home...right?"
"Oh no..." Fluttershy said as she hung her head low. The others soon followed suite as the mood went darker.
I didn't get it, why wouldn't it matter what his name was? It's like they're insinuating that...
No, they can't be serious.
"How could you SAY something like that?!?" I yelled them, slamming my hooves at the table, causing everypony at this table and a few other tables to turn their heads in surprise.
"Darling, I understand you're upset. I really do, but you must calm down." Rarity said in placating manner. "Please. We don't want to make the other ponies worried." She tilted her head toward the other tables, motioning at the ponies sitting there.
I slowly slink back into my seat. I am far from calm right now, but apparently it was enough for the other ponies to stop paying attention.
"This is a bad joke, It has to be. Edgar wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone another pony." I pleaded to the group.
""Wouldn't hurt a fly"?" Applejack butted in incredulously. "Now that's a load of crab apples. Ah don't claim to be the shiniest apple in the bushel, but an army invaded and he killed them all? That don't pass the sniff-test, Sugarcube."
"And if Trixie recalls, he saved your little munchkin and this entire town, you inbred!" I shouted at Applejack.
"Care ta' repeat that, sugacube?" Applejack asked, placing her both her hooves on the table in an aggressive stance. I couldn't tell whether or not that was unintentional or because she wanted to brawl, or if she meant to do that to scare me into backing down. Frankly, I didn't care about what any of them thought at this point. Edgar wasn't here to defend himself, so if nopony else was going to stand up for him then I will have to do it. I slipped a large feather out from one of the pockets sewn into my cloaks lining and held it in my magical grasp, causing a wince and wide eyes from Applejack.
"You put that thing away." Applejack said, slowly lowering herself back to her seat.
"You don't know what Edgar is like. None of you do!" I told them flat out.
"And I suppose you know him so much better then us, Missus "met-him-yesterday"?" Rarity brought up.
"I known him for twice as long." I countered.
"Two days then. Like that's sooo much better." She sighed as she shook her head. "Look. We all saw the letter and the way it was worded. The last few times Celestia acted this drastically was when either Discord or Tirek returned. I would argue it may even be worse!"
"I'm sure there is a plausible explanation for all this. After all, Princess Celestia has been around for a very long time and is a very wise ruler. Surely there must be a good reason for wanting this done." Twilight told me, probably hoping to ease my nerves.
It didn't work.
Neither Twilight or I have gotten a wink of restful sleep since the sleepover last night, the bags under our eyes confirmed this. It took Twilight casting a sleeping spell on us both just to get a couple hours of sleep, but even then I had nothing but nightmares.
It was around midnight at the small mansion Twilight called "her room". When first walked in I hardly noticed Applejack teasing Rainbow Dash, or Pinkie passed out cuddling Spike and those three fillies everyone worried about. I was stricken with awe as to how a room this big could fit in the castle. And here I thought Edgar's room was huge. Seriously, it was bonkers how big this room was. To put it in perspective, I noticed a walk-in closet right next to the bathroom door, and the interior of that could probably swallow my caravan when it was it's normal size.
The bucking closet was bigger then my home...
I didn't let myself linger on those thoughts for long and forcibly un-slack jawed myself to maintain some sense of composure.
Anyway, it started out as a blast. We were doing our makeup, we pigged out on ice cream were talking about how our weeks have been, played a version of "truth or dare" mixed with "spin the bottle". All being done while we did our best to avoid talking about what happened earlier today, but there was still a clear tension in the air surrounding the Farm Mare and Twilight. They were smiling as they joined in on our games, but they did not seem to be enjoying each others company as much as they were enjoying the company of everypony else.
Afterwards, Rainbow smacked Twilight with a pillow and things got a little crazy. So after smacking each other around with pillows for a while (I still don't see how Fluttershy could be so brutal with a fluffy sack of feathers), we did a mix of truth or dare and spin the bottle. After everything was done with and everypony decided to turn in for the night, things took a turn for the worst.
***Last night***
Edgar...
While everypony else was asleep, I found myself restless. I just couldn't stop thinking about him. How he kept getting into stupid situations, his infuriating attitude about his near death experience...the stupid way he smiled at me when he told me to go have fun. I know he said that I should go and enjoy myself, but how could I do that when he's left alone all by himself?
*Rustle Rustle*
My ears twitched as I heard some rustling. Curious, I peeked one eye open just to see who it was. I heard the sound of mumbling, and with a sharp breath, a purple princess woke up, leaning up in a startled state before starting to calm down after a few moments later. I guess Twilight couldn't sleep much either as got up, rubbing her eyes as she stretched in the moonlight. Suddenly her horn started glowing as to illuminate her surroundings, scanning the room to see if anypony else was awake, but I guess she didn't notice my eyes slightly opened. It seems as if she was awakened from a nightmare before starting to get up.
What is she doing?
Twilight got up and started to walk over to her desk, yawning all the while. When she got there, she levitated a parchment and quill over to her.
Does she ever stop writing??? I mean, how much paper did she use up earlier? Is that what happened to that old treehouse of hers? She turned it into paper?
It was when I heard her start talking to herself as well that l shut up my inner monologue and I started to pay attention.
"Dear Princess Celestia," Twilight started, using the glow of her horn to Illuminate what is possibly a letter to Princess Celestia. "I know that it is late, or very early for this, and that you are probably busy with making sure Canterlot and the rest of the other cities are safe, but I made a promise to you. I promised you that if I ever discovered something new about the magic of friendship that you would be one of the first ponies to know. I have written to you so many times in the past, with each letter I wrote, the more excited I felt about the next lesson I would learn. This feels like cheating, but I wanted to ask for your help."
"In the aftermath of the attack on Ponyville, I did my duties as optimally and diligently as possible, but with each decision made, it felt as if I had a paraspite sitting on my shoulder, whispering that the decision I just made was going to get somepony hurt."
"I scheduled double guard shifts with Luna's aid, I allotted ration amounts for the coming days in case an aid shipment was delayed. I did headcounts with Mayor Mare to make sure everypony else was still safe and unharmed, but I still felt powerless. Princess Luna told me that I made the only decision that I could when I sealed off the castle, and I believe her. My mind is telling me that it was the only one to be made, but my heart is tearing into me. It makes me sick to my stomach. The "right" decision couldn't have been to abandon my friends."
I started to hear sniffling.
"Applejack's sister was outside that barrier, and I don't think our friendship is going to be the same. I thought Apple Bloom was going to die and still kept the shield up. I would have gladly traded places with Apple Bloom in a heartbeat if I could, but this is a worthless thought since I still kept it up. I know what I ended up choosing... That voice in the back of your head. The one that tells you that you are worthless and everything that you are doing is wrong...Does it ever go away? How do I fight it and still stay "me"? I want you to teach me how to be strong like you. I want to be worthy of the title you passed down onto me. I want to protect everypony, and I don't think I can handle being put in a spot where I have to choose between lives again. What would you have done? Could I have still protected them?" I could see tiny shimmers of liquid falling from Twilight's face and landing on the parchment she was writing on, rubbing her eyes once she saw the few droplets start to stain the scroll.
I could feel a tear coming to my eye as I found it a little harder to breath myself. She is not okay after yesterday, and she is still beating herself up about it.
Come on, coward. Get up and tell her its not her fault. Tell her that she did all she could, and that everything is going to be okay. Do something!
I couldn't muster the will to do such a thing though. What could I even say to make it better?
Twilight paused, and I thought she was going to end it on that depressing note, but then the somber look that was on her face soon faded, as if to distract herself. "Princess Luna has been helping me. Along with her and some newfound friends, we managed to make the best of this situation. Princess Luna brought aid and stability to Ponyville, the two others each helped out in their own way. One of them was the last Unicorn I would have expected to see. Her name is "Trixie", or "The Great and Powerful Trixie", as she would prefer." Twilight chuckled as she shook her head, her voice starting to brighten up. I would like to think that she was doing what I was and reminiscing the times we had together.
Like that one time I enslaved the entire town with a corrupting magic amulet that she had to trick me into taking off? Good times, good times.
"I think I told you about her before. When I first met her, I found her to be both arrogant and infuriating. It wasn't until today that I believed that she is truly making an effort to change herself." She stopped writing for a split second, but then started up again. "A few of my friends in Ponyville lashed out at me because my inability to protect them and my decisions afterword. Some coming from those that were left outside, and some coming from those that were inside the barrier. I even experienced some backlash from my best friends, and though I know it was because they were scared, it hurt because they were all right to do so. Trixie helped bring out my good side, however, and it made dealing with this much easier. She's not perfect by any means, nor was she a pony I wanted to see anytime soon, but I think I needed her yesterday. I didn't realize it until about an hour ago. I know that she's a good pony at heart, and she did more than enough to prove it yesterday. Although she may stumble along the way, I feel that I may have much to learn about friendship from her."
Wow. I don't know what to say except that I felt confused and strangely flattered. Twilight still needs to give herself more credit. She has money, fame, success, and an entire town that loves her despite what she is thinking. She rubs elbows with the Princesses, has incredibly loyal friends, and probably has stallions throwing themselves at her feet. She has everything I don't have and more...How could she ever need somebody like me?
"The other pony was something I certainly did not expect. They're not even a pony. He said he was a "He-you-mahn", which was a creature from a different world! Trixie said he fought off a dragon, which seemed like another tall tale of hers until he fought off the entire changeling army by himself. I was amazed, but I wasn't as surprised after I found out about his unique immunity to magic. Because of this however, we couldn't heal him with normal means. He should be resting right now, and while he definitely looks "out of this world", he seems friendly enough and has this calming nature about him. I don't quite know what it is about him, but Trixie seemed almost attached at the hip while he was answering my questions after only knowing him for a day. Maybe I'm overthinking things, but I'm almost certain that there is more then meets the eye when it comes to him."
Twilight stopped talking for some reason. Taking a small peak, I saw her roll up that parchment whilst tying it, and picking up another fresh clean one.
"I guess I really went off on a tangent there, didn't I? Maybe I'm just tired and rambling on. I guess what I'm trying to say is in the aftermath of that dark hour that I've seen these ponies shine the brightest. They were....they were brighter than me, and maybe through whatever light they have, I thought that I could learn something from them. From all of this, but I just don't see it." She wiped her eyes and looked deep in thought, before speaking again. "What do you think? What was I supposed to learn?" Twilight paused, as if she was awaiting an answer from the sheet of paper, which never came. She then shut her eyes and took a deep breath, holding a hoof to her chest. After about a few seconds passed, she released her breath while extending her foreleg out. Sealing the scroll with a ribbon, she quietly started to tip-hoof over to where the dragon was sleeping.
*Clip-Clop Clip-Clop*
"Spike...Spike" she whispered, trying to gently shake him awake.
The young drake's eyes seemed dazed and confused, half-lidded and on the verge of closing again until Twilight waved the two scrolls in front of him, prompting a tired huff.
"Twiiii~liiiight, can't it wait until tomorrow?" she questioned in an annoyed whine.
Twilight put on the puppy-dog eyes as she lightly shook the two scrolls she had in her magic.
"Please Spike? I promise I won't bug you for the rest of the night or day tomorrow."
A deep sigh came from the drake as he took the scrolls in his claws.
"Gee Twilight, two scrolls?!?" he chuckled, blowing a small ball of fire into them as they disappeared, illuminating the room for a moment. "Alright. Going back to sleep."
"And Spike?"
"Yea, Twilig-ahg!?" Spike said as he turned around and was surprised with a spontaneous snuggle hug, powerless to pry his way out. "Hey, enough already."
"Thanks for sticking around with me all these years." She said sweetly." I know that I can be a pain in the flank sometimes and I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate everything you do."
Ohhhhhhhh, that's so ADORABLE!
Smiling, I closed my eyes and tried to get back to sleep again after that sweet note. It was bittersweet, and I would have plenty of time to talk to Twilight tomorrow anyway. But like my luck so far, that HAD to get ruined.
*Burrrrrrp*
"EEP! Spike, what was that for?!?" Twilight jumped, whispering harshly as the smell of burnt hair complemented the whooshing sound that the tail was making.
Ok, Maaaaaaaybe Trixie can stay up a bit longer.
I peeked my eyes open from under the blanket as I saw the last moment of Twilight patting out the smoke from her tail. I had to be careful not to giggle loud enough for them to know I'm awake, but I still smiled a little at the scene that was happening.
"I didn't do it on purpose, Look." Spike said with a sudden alertness, as he pointed at the ground behind her, where an object encased in flames was burning. When the dancing fire finally subsided, a deep ivory colored scroll appeared on the ground in place of the flames. Though, it seemed to lack the care that was put into Twilight's letter. Unlike Twilight's, the ribbon was almost tied on there hastily and without much effort in perfection.
"That was fast." Twilight commented while she levitated the scroll off of the ground and began untying the ribbon.
*Burrrrrrp*
Spike burped out another scroll, only this one seemed was wrapped with blue ribbon. The scroll was made of a very thin paper, and looked very old and discolored. Twilight and Spike looked at each other.
"Gee...twoooo scrolls..." Spike commented as he started turning back toward the scroll on the ground.
Twilight finished unraveling the ribbon around the scroll she currently had in her magical grip and began to peruse it. She froze for a second or two before rereading it again, this time she looked like she was reading it even faster as her eyes quickly darted to the left and right.
"Well, what is it Twilight?" I heard Spike ask.
"Spike, run to the barracks and tell the thestrals and any unicorn who can make a barrier to meet me in the main hall. I have to find Luna." Twilight seemed to cast a spell on the double doors for some reason, then fled out the double doors as she galloped down the halls.
"Twilight, what's going on? You weren't raised in a barn." Spike chided as he ran out to follow her before the pitter patter of his scaled feet stopping to close the door behind him. His voice echoed in the hall. " Come on, you promised I could go back to sleep!"
"Spike, just do it!" Twilight echoed from far off the hallway.
As they rushed hastily out of the room, they neglected to bring the scroll that caused this commotion.
It couldn't be another changeling attack. If it was, then why wouldn't she want to wake up all her other friends? Curious at why she was behaving so drastically, I slowly got out of my sleeping bag and crept over to the table as quietly as a creature with hooves could. While I'm pretty sure this may be illegal, I need to make sure its not anything to do with me. I don't want to have to make a hasty getaway at the last minute unless I have to. So I took the scroll in my magical grasp and began to read through it.
Twilight,
Do not lose sight of that human for a moment. Refrain from physically touching him as often as possible. Arriving shortly are detailed blueprints of a containment procedure that MUST be used to negate the threat his race's super-magical properties possess. I understand that my sister is also lending her aid over at the moment, and will view this as a somewhat drastic measure. Should she question this, or even try to impede your progress. Stand your ground. You are a princess, this is your castle, and this is of the highest priority right now. If for some reason you should fail in convincing her, show her this scroll. Although she might not agree with it immediately, Luna will at least allow you to continue.
I wish I didn't have to put you in this situation, and I wish I could be more descriptive as to my sudden sense of urgency, but this is a matter of utmost secrecy and security. If the creature you described is what I believe it to be, a lot of lives could be in danger.
I will be there tomorrow afternoon, so before you rest for the night, please make sure you place some of the night guard on the task of assembling the said blueprint whilst keeping a close watch over it.
I will see you soon. Until then, please keep yourself safe, my faithful student.
P.S. Luna, this is real. Don't even try to argue with me. You owe me after that Mullen Mouth incident.
P.S.S. Twilight, I am concerned for you and I would like to make time for us to speak about your letter. Please find me when you are free tomorrow. Otherwise, I am sure I will find you sometime tomorrow.
~Princess Celestia
"...Oh Buck." I whispered almost in reflex. As I felt the sudden chill in my spine after reading that, I glanced over toward the other sleeping ponies, then back to the scroll. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I reread it again just to see if this was a joke or if I simply misread it, but there was no mistake.
What is this? What in Tartarus is this? WHAT IS THIS?!?
What did Edgar do to get himself in trouble? Celestia didn't discover that he was lying already, did she? No, there's no way she could have. She wasn't even here to meet him yet. And secondly, What super-magical properties??? Last time we checked, he was anti-magic. Wait...if he's in trouble, what does that make me? I've had my fair share of issues with Ponyville, and since I lead Edgar here, they'll probably see me as an accomplice to whatever they think he was doing.
...We have to get out here. As I started to sneak toward the door, I felt a large burst of wind and bright flash of light behind me.
"I'll even show you the letter." I heard Twilight's voice whisper loudly from behind me as there was a large, papery crinkle sound.
Buck!
I turned around and saw Twilight and Spike, both looking at a very large, dark pony that was reading the scroll. The parchment was blocking her face, but with a horn THAT long peeking over the page and the fact that I don't suffer from short term memory loss, I know that has to be Princess Luna.
Double Buck!
Due to her horn moving from the left and right, I assuming she was shaking her head.
"We are unconvinced." Princess Luna said. "Surely this is a badly thought out jest."
"I don't think Princess Celestia is the type to joke in a time like this. Look, it's her seal." Twilight pointed out with hoof. She was biting her lip in nervousness as she waiting for Luna's answer.
"Of all the foolish, moronic, absolutely..." Princess Luna said, her anger starting to rise. As the tone of her voice started to raise, it stopped all of a sudden as I heard her exhale deeply through her nose. I could have sworn I saw a dark mist coming out from the other side of the parchment. The voice still had anger to it, but sounded almost like a whisper-yell."Why in Tartarus are we wasting resources better spent on securing our township with imprisoning an ally!?!"
They haven't noticed me yet.
I don't know it was the poor lighting of the room, if it was them being distracted with all of this being thrown at them, or if I was just naturally really stealthy, but I figured it would probably be a very good idea if I skedaddled the heck out of the room as slowly and quietly as possible. Putting one hoof behind the other, I backpedaled towards the door of Twilight's room while they were distracted by what they were speaking of.
*Clip-Clop*
Ohhhh, why are hooves so LOUD?
Amazingly enough, none of the ponies seemed to notice that hooves make noise on tile as I made my way to the door...but it looks like the drake just did.
"Uhhh, Twilight?" Spike said, nudging Twilight as he stared at me.
"One second, Spike. This is important." She brushed off, completely oblivious to me making my way out. Whether it is just dumb luck or fate I wasn't going to let the fact that they were that distracted go to waste. "Maybe Celestia knows something we don't. I haven't lived as long as you both have, and you were gone for a thousand years." She tried to reason, almost as if to convince herself more then Luna.
*Clip-Clop Clip-Clop*
Come on, the door is RIGHT THERE!!!!
I was inches away from the door. If I could juuuust reach it...
"Twilight, I Reeeeally think you shoul-"
"Spike, is this really the time? "Twilight whispered in a frustrated tone. As she was now fixating her gaze on him for a few moments before turning back to Princess Luna.
The young drake rolled his eyes and huffed. He looks like he's been through this song and dance before, and turned back toward me. This time however, he raised his claws and...shooed me away, as if to say "carry on".
...
*Clip-Clop Clip-Clop*
After what felt like an eternity of agonizing the tension, I finally place my hoof on the door and get ready to push it open.
"Are you suuuure, Twilight?"
"SPIKE, what is so important that you have to keep interrupting-"
*SSSQUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAK*
I barely even tapped the door to open it before the weight of the door caused it to start to swing open on its own, causing an excruciatingly long squeak of an unoiled door hinge to interrupt all other sounds in the room.
...Are you serious.
Slowly, the other mares in the room started to wake up with yawns and mumbles. The door's high pitch screech was enough to wake them but more importantly, it gained the attention of the two Princesses, as Princess Luna lowered the letter from the front of her face with her magic aura casting a light right at my silhouette. The magic from her horn illuminated her face, showing that she was not amused. She had an annoyed look, and I could have sworn I saw her left-eye twitch. Twilight also seemed a little worried as she looked at me and then shifted her eyes between Luna and I a few times.
...
*SSSQUUEEEEAK*
I tried to continue opening the door faster before but it was stopped by a blue glow of Princess Luna's Magic.
"I have to go to the restroom?" I lied with the vain hope that she would believe me.
"Hold it in." Princess Luna commanded as the door behind me shifted itself closed with an Azure blue glow. "Let us have a discussion, Miss Lulamoon. Tell us how you have become acquainted with Edgar."
.....Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck
***Edgar's Pov*** *Current time*
"Can I ask where you're taking me?" I asked the guards.
"No."
"Could we at least go grab something to eat?"
"No."
"Please? I'm starving here!"
'No"
"Is "no" the only thing you guys can say?" I asked rhetorically. The male pegasus on my right didn't say anything else after that, and in the back of my mind I gave a little mental cheer that he didn't say no again. On my left however, the Female Thestral that stayed silent and seemed to think about this for moment before smiling a cheeky little grin.
"No."
That did little to help my mood
It isn't every day that I'm being escorted down the hall of a tree castle to either be executed, thrown into a prison, or experimented on. Most would think I am just having an hyperactive imagination and I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, and they are probably right. But when I am getting escorted to an unknown location, for an unknown reason, and all I am getting out of the ten armored ponies that are escorting me are grunts and "no's", I can get pretty freaking worried.
The makeup of the Guards seem to be a mix all the races of ponies that I have seen so far, though with the Pegasi and Earth Ponies the closest to me. They seem to be split half and half on either side of me, with a mixed formation of Solar and Lunar guards.
While their walks are relatively slow, it was clear that they wanted to speed things up as they took very deliberate and calculated steps. They just couldn't cause while I was doing the best I could, it still hurt to walk. That's not to say that I probably couldn't. While I kept feeling dull thumps from each step that felt, the biggest pain and annoyance I felt was from the Bandages that were chaffing me and restricting my movements, and this fucking headache that just won't go away.
Surely they noticed shear amount of bandages Fluttershy put on me. At the very least, they could have got me a walking cane or something to help with this Cancerous Migraine. What would they even give me? An icepack, Advil...Horse Tranquilizers? Eh, the later is seemingly more tempting by the second.
As we made a right turn, my eyes fell upon a white double-door down the hallway. It was big and obvious, so if I had to make a guess, I would have assumed that that is where these guards wanted to take me. I sped my hobbling up, just to get this over with and have a chance to rest my feet. As I suspected, the royal guards with hastened their walk to match me.
This proved to be a very stupid move, as I started to feel dizzy and nauseous, to the point where if I actually ate something this morning, I would have threw it up. My body couldn't keep up with the physical and mental CrossFit that I was putting myself through however, and my left leg buckled and I stared to topple over.
Oh...I guess I'll die then.
I was saved from the incoming deathblow when a thestral guard caught my fall in a very Luna-Like manner, catching me with her side, and using her left wing to wrap around my other side to stop me from sliding over another direction. The other Pegasi on the right gripped my bandages on my right arm with his teeth to try and stabilize me. The rest of the guard squad stopped immediately in their tracks to form a wall both in front and behind me, Half of them facing away and scanning for any possible threats. The other half looking toward my direction to keep an eye on me. One thing that noticed was that whether it be with magic, their teeth, or their hooves, they were prepared to draw the gladius on their sides.
"Careful there, Speedy," Grunted the female bat pony in a playful tone, "If you go too fast, you might end up needing more bandages, and I doubt your mare-friend would like that." Mare-friend?!? As I slowly pushed myself off her back with my free hand, she started to push herself up a little farther to help me, while the Pegasus on the other side started to pull me up too. "Uuuuuup we go!" exclaimed the thestral as I stood up straight. After she seemed sure that I was stable, she motioned with her hooves and we all kept walking toward the double-doors.
"You doing alright, Romeo?" The thestral asked. The bat pony then turned to look at me with a half smile and deep scarlet eyes that I recognized from yesterday.
"Oh hey, you're that chick from yesterday." I thought out loud. There was no mistaking it. She had the same dark azure hair with red highlights peeking from the tips of her hair near the bottom of her helmet, and her piercing Scarlet eyes that seemed to be staring into my soul. "God, I know your name, it's on the tip of my tongue...uuuuuh Ruby?" I guessed.
"I didn't tell you my name." she said with a smug smile "...And I'm not a "chick". I ain't got a beak or back-half of a lion for a behind."
"...Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? What's sooooo crazy!" I guffawed, looking away as I felt heat rise to my cheeks. Feeling stabilized thanks to the help of the royal guards on my sides, I decided to break away from the topics. "Well I think that we spent too much time dilly-dallying, so think its just about time to get a move on." I started to walk forward to the dreaded double-doors in front of me, as did the other guards seeing as I started moving again. All except for the still unnamed thestral guard.
"Nope, bump the breaks," She stated as she raised her hoof, causing all the other guards to stop and stand at attention. She then trotted in front of me, then "about-faced" toward my direction. "You still didn't answer my question." She declared, her eyes and head trailing up and down as if she was sizing me up, sniffing the air around me as she does. "You don't look so hot, Romeo. Your face is flushed and you've been sweating cold this entire walk." With one eyebrow raised in playful suspicion, she started her Sherlock impersonation again. "You doin' alright, hun? You aren't nervous over a tea party with the Princesses, are you? We can go back and take a nap together if it'll make you feel better?" She teased with concern hidden in her teasing.
...
.......
That's where I was going?!?!?
The Pegasus Solar Guard that helped me up sighed in annoyance, and shook his head.
"Need I remind you that that everything is strictly need-to-know, and that we were told not to tell the treasured guest where he was going?" He cautioned, moving his eyebrows in a way that just screamed Take a Hint.
"Oh come on, it's not like our treasured guest wouldn't find out in the next two minutes anyway." She defended. While she did her best try and justify that slip, I could not get over her word choice. "Treasured" is not the choice of word I would have used.
I know that I should try to keep myself grounded and remind myself that this is a real world, with real people and real situations, but I keep thinking back to the stories and fanfictions I have read before. Typically in these stories, whether it is adventure, action, horror, or slice of life, there is something called a Rising action. Usually its connected to relevant incidents that create suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative. If I was to go by that logic, that would mean that the Glass cage I found myself in earlier is connected to the meeting I'm about to have with the Princesses. I doubt they put that there just because it goes so well with the decor, so if it is for some negative reason, I can't help but get even more frightened then I already was. It's not like I could just book it out of here very easily either with all these bandages surrounding my body.
I was suddenly broken out of my thoughts by a voice addressing me.
"...Oh shit, you are spooked..." The female guard said as her smug smile slowly started to fade as her eyes met mine. She looked deep into my eyes, and for a moment I could almost sense a sort of protective aura from her. "Hey~..." she said as she pointed her hoof downwards. I only looked confused as she then pointed at me, then pointed down. I took this as an invitation to get closer to her own eye level, so I leaned down as far as I could without getting nauseous or off-balance. She then put her hoof on my chin and tilted it to make sure that I was looking right at her scarlet orbs, and spoke.
"Relax," she reassured, a smile starting to sprout again. "You're going to be in a room with two of the nicest ponies in Equestria. At least, they are way nicer than me. If this was a trial, you wouldn't have been sleeping in a better accommodations of us. We are stuck in barracks and tents while you got a nice and secure bedroom in Princess Twilight's castle. Canterlot snobs wish they could have gotten a room with your view." Adopting the smug smile from before, she took her hoof out from under my chin and then proceeded to ruffle my hair with it. "So don't sweat it, nothing bad is going to happen. I promise."
Almost like she practiced this speech in her head, she closed both her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and gave a big toothy grin.
I really wanted to still be worried after that. after all, I didn't want to let my guard down depending on what might happen, considering I'm two for two on "Days that I could have died on". But there was something about the way she said it. How she was so confident that I couldn't help but feel myself ease up quite a bit.
If this was gonna get Game of Throne-sy, it would have happened by now, right? I just gotta go in with a cool head, and show that I am the smart, heroic, and still approachable person they think I am...
"...What?" I asked out-loud, prompting the unicorn that was standing off to the side of me to speak up.
"Do not worry, Edgar." He spoke in a very business-like tone "I was just asking if I needed to remind our commanding officer that the Princesses are expecting us at any moment?"
"Do I remind you to suck my dick, Flash?" The thestral chick who's name yet alludes me chides back.
"You don't have a dick." another pegasi of to the side of me noted.
"I do. In fact, I have an entire squad is full of dicks and assholes under my command who keep trying to tell their commanding officer what to do." She grunted with mild annoyance and a commanding tone.
Damn...
"Anyway, if you're feeling up to it, we can head on over now. You're practically already there." The thestral encouraged.
Well, there is no time like the present.
She walked up to the double doors and opened it enough for her to be visible to the ponies inside.
"Your majesties, our Treasured Guest is here." She said, giving a polite bow toward the ponies inside. I soon heard Luna's voice call out.
"We thank thee for thy service, First Centurion. Please send Edgar in posthaste."
The bat pony look my direction, and nodded me toward the room with a smile. I took this as sign that I should start walking in.
"Thanks." I said as I start to walk forward.
"No worries. Good luck in there" the bat pony waved me off. As I was about to enter the doors, I heard her speak once more. "By the way...it's Scarlett."
"I'm sorry?"
"My name. Scarlett." She finally revealed as she started to sashay away, letting her hips move in a way that does not seem to have any decorum you would expect from a royal guard, her tail flicking left and right. Before leaving for good, I see a cool smile as she looks back my direction. A few other Lunar guards followed her in suit, while the rest of the solar guards started to take up posts a small distance away from the double doors I was standing in front of.
"See you around, Romeo."
Do they have even have Shakespeare here? Also, why do I feel so lightheaded all of a sudden?
I passed through the double doors to take in my surroundings. This room gave off the impression of a sort of parlor, with the intention of entertaining guests or foreign dignitaries. Sitting in the middle of the room were two couches, each facing each other. In between the two was an ornate coffee table, with some fancy tea and tea accessories to go along with it. On the much larger, chalice silver colored couch sat two Alicorns. One of a pure white coat and prismatic mane, the other darker coated one I already met. Regardless, I could recognize both in a heartbeat.
Celestia, in all her regal glory was sitting on a couch pouring herself some of what I assumed was tea in an adorably pink teacup while Luna had a white souvenir coffee mug of black liquid in a glowing magical aura, with the engraved with the words "No Maidens" with an close-up shot of the top part of her face below the text, looking as if it was pitying who was looking upon the picture. Something just seems surreal about that, any other day I feel that it would lighten the mood. Unfortunately, all that was on my mind was that God-awful music that nobody else can seem to hear playing in the background. Though, there as something wrong with this music. While I admit that for the first hearing it it sounds beautiful, it sounds almost...threatening. At least, the undertones were.
"Ah, so you must be the "infamous" Edgar I've been hearing so much about. Both Twilight and Luna have told me so much about you. Isn't that right, Luna?" She greeted with a warm and friendly smile.
"Hi." I greeted before giving a short bow of my head. I stayed in my spot for a moment or so, not quite sure what to do next. Celestia shook her head and used her hoof to wave me over.
"Oh don't be shy, come over here and take a seat." Celestia beckoned with a motherly smile that promised nothing but grace. "We don't bite."
Being careful not to trip in front of Celestia of all ponies, I waddled my self way over to the adjacent couch.
I noticed that although both the Alicorns looked at me with very attentively, they both had noticeable bags under their eyes. All the while the music started to getting more noticeable.
"Hey, do you guys hear that by any chance?" I asked, hoping that they heard the music. After the two alicorns looked at each other and seemed to strain their ears, they looked back at me.
"I am afraid I am not sure what you are talking about." Celestia told me. "Do you mean the castle staff roaming the halls or the guards that just dropped you off?"
"Eh, must be my imagination." I lied. I was about to answer her, but I decided against it. It will probably end up the same anyway. I would talk about the music, they would look at me like I was crazy, and we would move along like nothing happened until we do the exact same thing a little later.
"...Very well. Would you like some tea, perchance? It's a Goldenbrew maple blend." Celestia offered.
I don't even know what that means, but it sounds fancy. Therefore, it has to be delicious. I nodded, and Celestia poured me a cup and levitated it over to me. Just like when Trixie offered me wine a couple days ago, I quickly snatched it from her magical grasp.
"Heh, sorry. There's a story behind that."
Celestia looked confused for a moment before it hit her.
"Ahhh, that's right. Your "immunity"." Celestia clicked her tongue. Her horn started to glow, but after a few moments, it stopped. "Simply remarkable. I don't have any control of that tea cup anymore. That reminds me of why we summoned you here. I do hope you are finding you accommodations suitable."
"I could do less with the whole "SCP" thing you have going on right now, but it's nicer than any hotel I've been to. What's with that, anyway?" I told her, taking a drink of the maple tea she offered. It tasted kinda like Black tea with an aftertaste of lemon and... sweet maple syrup? "Thaaaaat's weird." I said as I put the cup down. It's wasn't awful, per say. It's just a strange combination.
A strange combination that I would never order if I had the choice.
Celestia chuckled at my reaction.
"You remind me of when I first tried it. The Goldenbrew Maple's leaves make for some of the most interesting flavors of tea. Right before Fall, it expels its unhealthy sap into its leaves as waste, infusing them with its nutrients. Coincidentally, the sap that's unhealthy for it is healthy for adult ponies, and it is really good for waking a pony up for the day." Celestia said, leaning in and giving an almost giddy whisper "... I didn't even have to add any sugar for it to taste as sweet as it does. It's all in the leaves, and its paleo if you are into that sort of thing!"
Luna gave a sigh as she pinched her nose.
"I don't see how you think anypony other than yourself would enjoy that abomination you call a beverage."
"Oh come on Luna, it will catch on eventually. Not to mention the vitamins and minerals in the leaves are essential to a growing mare's health."
"If you grow anymore, we'll have to build a bigger throne for you."
Shots fired!
"You don't need to be jealous Luna. I make this look good." She defended as she pointed at herself. To be fair, she was about as wide as I was, but she didn't look fat. "Besides, It's a gluten-free beverage that can keep you awake when you need it most. It is a SUPERFOOD!"
"Coffee is the exact same thing." Luna deadpanned. "Only it tastes better. We hath told thee we should have just made more Prench roast."
"We?!? There was nothing stopping you from asking for more to be made. Besides, you always make the coffee is too strong and nigh undrinkable without adding enough sugar or cream to turn it into mud." Celestia said taking another sip of her tea and giving a hum of delight.
"I work for a living, Tia. If my coffee is too strong for you, you clearly never needed an energy boost. Besides, thou art one to speaketh of such things when thy tea is already undrinkable regardless of the copious condiments you infuse in it."
Celestia just deadpanned at Luna for a couple seconds as a magical aura surrounded her teapot, pouring herself another cup."...You're drinking bean water."
"Thou art drinking leaf juice!"
If this was anything like any of online comics or fanfiction that I've read, this would probably go on forever. I wouldn't have minded watching them bicker, and I probably would have thought it was hilarious if that ominous music wasn't going on in the background. At least it got me to focus on more serious matters, like "why was I was locked in a glass cage for a couple hours with little to no contact with anyone?"
"Umm, excuse me?" I interrupted with some regret. I was actually enjoying that. "I don't mean to be rude, but you said you needed me for something?"
"Hopefully not anytime soon." Celestia said a little too quickly before catching herself. "We summoned you here because we wanted to talk."
Trying to brush off the subtle attitude that seemingly came out of nowhere, I questioned her again.
"...You just wanted to talk?" I asked with a little confusion.
"Yes, just talk." Luna said.
"Ummmm, okaaay?" I said mildly awkward and confused. It's amazing really, because you'd think there would be a lot to talk about with the battles and the prisons and the fact that it shouldn't be possible for me to talk with them or anybody else in this place. Really, I at least want to bring up the recent changes to my room (mainly the glass box thing), but that would probably be a little forward if I was just to bring it up outright. I wouldn't want to overstep my bounds or anything, so I decided to play it safe and start with something easy. "So, how's the weather today."
I felt the ghost of Cringemas-past hovering over me, and I know that this was this cliché opener was the best I could come up, though neither princess seemed to mind.
"However we want it to be, but it is rather nice." Celestia mused. "How are you enjoying your time in Equestia? This is likely not the warmest reception that you could have received, but we are glad that you are okay."
"Well, I am a bit hungry. Actually, really hungry. I hadn't had breakfast yet."
Celestia frowned.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that. We are working on distributing aid among the townsfolk until we get a proper handle on the situation, but I don't believe you were the top priority." Celestia then gave a reassuring smile. "This shouldn't take long, and once we are done, I can send orders to our custodians to bring you something." She took a sip of her tea, then poured herself another cup.
"Now, a little birdie told me that you were not from around here, and that you recently stumbled upon Equestria a couple of days ago..."
"Yeah," I answered, preparing to give most of the story of what has happened thus far in my own words. "I was driving home, listening to some tunes on the radio when suddenly everything went pitch black. Now it would have been strange even if it was nighttime, but I was driving home in the middle of the day. The road started to get bumpy, I kept hearing the cracks of branches as I was driving over them. I thought I had gone off road, so I flipped on my headlights and It was the weirdest thing I ever saw. I saw Trixie battling a d-"
"A dragon," Celestia finished for me. "Yes, we are well aware. Miss Lulamoon has great admiration for that feat, and she appears to be quite the fan of you".
"You spoke with Trixie?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. How much has been happening since I was asleep?
Celestia shook her head.
"I did not speak with her personally, but my sister spoke with her at great lengths in the early hours of the morning. How much do you know about her? Do you know what type of pony she is?" Celestia questioned with a tilted head, as if to gauge my reaction.
That is a weird transition, and I'm getting the feeling that something else going on here. Luckily, what Celestia doesn't know is that I have had a birds-eye view on My Little Pony since a few months after the show came out.
"Why yes, as a matter of fact. She is a traveling magician who helped me find my way here." I told her.
"And did she tell you why she was ran out of this town on numerous occasions?" Celestia interrogated. "...Did she even tell you she was ran out of this town at all, and that she avoided this town?"
"...Because she tried to enslave Ponyville?" I said slowly with an uneasy shrug.
ow, shouldn't have shrugged
Celestia's eyes widened in surprise, though I can't tell if this is her acting or if it was genuine.
"Really?!?" She questioned, eyebrows raised and a shocked face adorning her. "If it were a few hundred years ago, she would have been put to death for that, or worse, she could have been imprisoned in stone and buried somewhere that we could have easily forgotten the location of." She said, just casually dropping that as if she did not give that much thought. Resting her head on one of her hooves, she shook her head. "Thank the heavens nopony was seriously harmed, but she had the means and a motivation to do far worse. You know that she was responsible this and yet you still traveled with her? That is curious, and does not look good for you."
That's not fair! Back in the show, she was being corrupted by the Alicorn Amulet. She held a grudge, but she was not "all-there" that episode either. She sincerely had remorse at the end of the episode.
I almost spoke out to defend her with this fact, but I caught myself. At least I am getting better at that.
"Well she's not a bad pony. On the same night that she met me, Trixie gave me food, water, and a place to sleep. She's even helping me find a way back home. She just came here to apologize about everything she did." I defended, before doing a double take at what she just said. "Wait...what do you mean it doesn't look good for me? What do I have to do with it?"
"I mean, it all seems very strange..." Celestia started. "You were "ripped" from your home and coincidentally showed up during Trixie's life or death encounter. Then, you made your way here with the same mare that, up until recently, had bounties placed on her capture. It is then revealed that this same mare, who my dear student described as being mischievous and really good at conning other ponies into believing her tall tales, suddenly mended all her ways and lends her aid to a creature she had only met only the day before going to Ponyville. They then travel to the town to ask the aid of Princess Twilight, who this con-mare should have every reason to hate, simply to ask to return you home. Cui bono?"
"Ummmm" I ummed, still not sure what she is suggesting.
Cui bono? I think I heard that phrase from my history class before, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is supposed to mean.
"That is not even the half of it. Upon arriving, they find that in a bizarre set of coincidences they arrive the exact moment an attack is going on. The creature that was clearly outnumbered, yet not outmatched and managed to not only defeat the army AND a Changeling Queen, he does it with minimal injuries and, Luna correct me if I'm wrong," Celestia's horn started to glow, and from behind the couch two black splintered pieces of wood started to rise, with the handle being stained in dark green blood. "A wooden sword?" ...
"I'm almost done Edgar. I am recapping these events as they were explained, as I am still have a few questions lingering in the back of my mind...and I am not sure I would like the answers...this is your chance to prove me wrong."
Brows furrowed, Celestia's eyes narrowed as she leaned in.
"One...Why would Trixie risk bringing a creature as strong and fierce as you into Ponyville, to the same town that has humiliated her on multiple occasions? Two...if the changelings were not already attacking Ponyville, how do you think events would have played out if it was just the two of you in Ponyville. Three...Trixie offered to take you to Ponyville to get you home. A logical pony would assume this is some form of repayment for a sort of "life debt" that she might owe you for saving her from that Dragon, but I can't shake the feeling that she offered this because she would have something to gain from you. However, I can't fathom what it could be. It doesn't sound like she benefits from helping you in this situation."
Luna chimed in.
"Cui bono, Edgar? Did Trixie ask anything in exchange for your return home?" Luna asked in suspicion.
I am not the sharpest knife in the crayon box, but are they insinuating that I was brought here to do something terrible? I am just as lost as they are!
I was about to speak, but I was not even able to get a single sound out before I was interrupted by the prime interrogator in this conversation.
"Stop," Celestia interrupted, holding a hoof in front of her with her eyes closed. "Before you start answering these questions, you should know that we can not force you to tell the truth. While we have the power to invoke truth from those we have doubts about, it is based on magic and would not work on one such as you. ..." She then opened her eyes and stared into me, like a lioness contemplating her meal. " ...But my sister has used this magic on Miss Lulamoon last night."
This sentence caused my heart to sink, then slowly pick up the pace quicker than before. I can almost hear the beating right now. I glanced over at Luna, and she nodded with an neutral expression that I just could not decipher. The motherly vibe I got from watching episodes with Celestia and the adorable view I had of Luna were all gone in this moment, and I can't help but feel more threaten than when I encountered Telsona.
I haven't even done anything wrong. I am just sitting here, and I'm feeling like I am fighting for my life. All they are doing is staring and asking questions!
"We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Trixie Lulamoon was telling us her truth, or what she believed with all her heart to be true, and if you are indeed telling the truth, we should hope to hear similar answers."
"Well...I mean... yea, it sounds really suspicious when you put it like that." I admitted...
Okay, you can do this. Just keep it short and simple.
"Alright. One? I don't know. Two? Twilight would get me in touch with you and Luna. And three?..." I paused while rattling off these answers.
Why has she gone out of her way to help me?
"...She said she was already planning on going to Ponyville to repair her reputation, but I don't think I have anything to do with that. That's her business."
That part is true, and I am rooting for Trixie, but that is mostly because I feel as if I known her for a long time the episodes I have watched and the stories I read. She has been going out of her way to help me, and we even worked together to get into the castle almost without knowing anything about me, apart from my time with her these past two days. When anyone else would probably run away from me or from Ponyville during this attack, she didn't. She showed that she was worried about me plenty of times, but that seems a bit out of character for someone she just met.
Celestia wore a neutral face just the same as Luna had, nodding as I was speaking.
"Okay, and how were you able to fight this "Queen Telsona" with a stick?" She asked, the tension easing in her voice.
"Its not as unlikely as you may think, sister. Against any armored opponent or anything with a thick shell like giant bugs or crabs, A bludgeon like clubs or maces are usually the best weapon to use." She explained. Celestia sighed as she shook her head. Almost as if to prove a point, she tilted it back and forth in Luna's face.
"Lulu, it's a stick, and not even made from a durable hickory at that." Celestia deadpanned. "Its not made for war, and it would have broke before he could any serious damage to a changeling's natural armor, let alone a Queen's chitin."
"Right, it wasn't. Which is why she got stabbed in the eye with the splintered piece." I said confidentially.
"That's not to mention that regular changeling Chitin isn't nearly as strong. If anypony gave a good strike to the temple or the sternum, they should go down relatively fast. It is not unheard of to use an improvised weapon if that is what it takes, isn't that right Edgar?" Luna said, looking at me like I knew both know what we were talking about.
"...Yeeah! Anybody with half a brain should know that!" I said, gaining Luna's approval. Celestia just stared at Luna in disbelief, before turning back to me.
"And what about everything before that? How did you go from encountering her to defeating her? You seem to be missing some steps, and how you can accomplish that task is beyond my imagination."
A blush crept to my face as I remember her pinning me down and...trying to seduce me.
"I am sorry, but it is a bit difficult to remember. Everything was a bit of a blur. High adrenaline and all that." I lied.
"Celestia, is the minutia really necessary? She is gone right now and Edgar is still alive." Luna remarked, seemingly trying to change the subject to something else.
"LunAaaa~?" Celestial nagged. With Luna giving an affirmative nod, Celestia rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well, I know there are things you aren't telling us, but as I already said, we can't make you tell us." She tool a sip from her cup, and with the teapot surrounded in Celestia's magic, she refilled my cup with tea before asking. "What about the Melody magic that you have been causing?"
"I'm sorry, the what?" I asked. I heard Trixie say something about that before, but I have no idea what they are talking a-
"Melody magic. You mean you haven't sang with ponies, danced, or heard any form of music come from seemingly out of nowhere? No instances of spontaneous musical numbers to be seen? Both Twilight and Luna were both corroborating this happening yesterday." Celestia questioned with raised eyebrows.
Hold on a second.
"Wait, you know about it? You can hear it too?" I asked, causing the other two heads in the room to turn immediately to me. "What about now? Can you hear the song playing right now?"
Celestia and Luna both looked confused for a moment before their ears started move, almost as if to the invisible violins in the background. Apparently they did hear it because soon their eyebrows raised in shock, Luna's lip giving the slightest quiver as both Alicorn's were half-slack-jawed in disbelief.
"How..."
I could have sworn I heard one of them murmur something, but it was much to quiet for me to hear. They soon looked to each other and enveloped themselves in their own magic auras for a couple seconds, soon having it fade. Soon after, I heard a magical chime around me, and for just a brief moment the room shined brighter for a split-second before dimming back to its original color.
"Its subtle, isn't it...? Yes, we can hear it now." Celestial admitted as she eyeballed me. "Before, we have been hearing it almost constantly as of recently. And it has come about much more recently ever since you've shown up."
"You don't think I'm doing it, are you? I mean I don't even know what the hell this "melody magic" is, but whatever it is I am not doing it."
"What, you expect us to believe that you don't even know you are causing this melody magic?" Celestia interrogated.
"It can't all be him, sister. After all, a tragedy did just happen very recently and our subjects are likely still distraught and emotional." Luna chimed in, almost as if she was playing Devil's advocate.
"I mean sure, I heard the music stuff plenty of times. I seemed to be the only one that heard it a lot of times, and some of it seemed familiar, but I'm not doing it!" I defended, getting a little antsy at her look. It was starting to become more agitated. "Uhhh, what did you just do?"
"That was a sound-proofing spell. Nothing can hear what is being said in this room." Celestia told me.
"Ummm...why?" I ask slowly, since this was starting to make me a little uneasy. It was reminding me of certain shows on HBO.
You know the ones.
"Honestly, it should have been the first thing we have done when you walked in. We don't want anypony getting caught up in whatever influence the melody magic might cause. Additionally, we feel it prudent to stop ponies from spying on our conversations all "Willy-filly". From what I heard, a guard was already spying on a conversation between my sister and you which should have stayed secret." She stirred in a sugar-cube as she into her tea. She then looked up and saw the obvious concern on my face. "Is there something wrong Edgar? You do seem tense."
I HAVE BEEN TENSE EVER SINCE I WALKED INTO THIS FUCKING ROOM! Its honestly starting to feel like that music was there for a good reason, but I can't be bothered to wrap my head around it because of all this pounding headache!
"I'm fine," I lied. Conveniently, my stomach rumbled right at that moment. "I'm...I'm just a little hungry!" I semi-truthed with what I am sure was a convincing light-hearted smile.
"That it? You're hungry?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow. I nodded my head energetically. Celestia clicked her tongue. "That's right, you mentioned that earlier."
"I haven't eaten anything since yesterday, and even then all I had was a can of peaches and half a banana." I told her, hoping to try and throw her off my scent.
"Well, that..."Celestia looked like she was gonna tell me to wait again, but then she raised an eyebrow and turned toward Luna. Luna's horn was glowing, and within a few moments Celestia's horn started to glow. Celestia shook her head and looked back with a soften expression? "...that certainly won't do. I wish that I took the care to make myself aware of how little you actually had to eat."
Celestia gracefully got up from her spot on the two Princess's couch, stretching her legs as it seems as if she had been there for quite a while.
"I'll take a short leave of absence to see if I can rustle up some food for us." Celestia looked to Luna then looked at me. "Behave you two... and remember Luna; no tonsil-hockey while I am gone..." after that, she teleported, leaving a flash of light and a slowly fading silhouette made of what looks like glitter.
D...Did she just?
"TIA!" Luna gasped in a flustered manner, a tinge of deep purpleish-red blush painting against her face as she embarrassingly glanced between me and the afterimage formally known as "Celestia". I doubt I was faring much better as I felt that tingly buzz you get in your face when you know your blushing. Honestly, it was a bit more refreshing than the unreadable expressions she had earlier, and is a bit of a godsend that I won't take for granted anytime soon.
Luna turned back to me, but when our eyes met we both looked away just as quickly, leaving an air of awkward silence. In the ensuing silence, I was trying to figure out what I was going to say. I couldn't think for anything to say however, so I just resigned to the silence and started to admire the lovely chandelier that was dangling above us. Now that I think about it, I was kind of glad that it was quiet. It was a preferable alternative to Celestia's voice right now.
What the hell was that all about? That was not at all what I imagined Celestia would be like. She looked so much nicer on the show, so why was she being so... so damn bitchy to me? I haven't done anything to her, and I know that I certainly didn't deserve the treatment she was giving me right then and there. She had bitch resting face for most of the time we were talking. What did I do to deserve this interrogation?
*Ploof*
I felt a big depression on the couch that I was sitting in, and when I turned I saw Princess Luna sitting right next to me. Well, more like I "looked up" to see Luna sitting next to me. If we were standing she probably would have came up to my chin, though if you counted her horn she was taller. Since we were both sitting down though, she probably towered over me by about half a foot. She was still trying to avoid my gaze like we were doing a little while ago, only this time her tail was flicking back and forth in an almost "tick-tock" rhythm. Eventually the silence was starting get to me, so I started to clear my throat but Luna beat me to it with a sigh.
"We apologize for our sister," Luna groaned as she shook her head whilst facepalming (facehoofing?). "She infuriates us sometimes. Taking any chance she can to embarrass us in front of other stallions." Luna cleared her throat, obviously wanting to change the subject. "Edgar. We have been meaning to ask how thy bruises are mending. You seemed to be fairing well with the walking, true?" Luna asked.
Well, if you don't count the time walking here, yea. I'm feeling a bit better now.
"Yea, I think I'm doing alright, though I think I have a killer migraine. I'm still a little sore, but it's the type of sore that you get after going to the gym for a couple hours. I think I might be able to stretch pretty good if it wasn't for these bandages." I said, kind of hoping to get these bandages off of me since they were starting to feel a little constrictive.
"You are probably dehydrated. We are not fans of the tea our sister enjoys, but you must drink something. Would you prefer coffee, or water?"
"No, I'm fine. The tea really isn't that bad once you get used to it." I assured. I just gotta think of the maple syrup taste as a sweetener and pretend I smoked a bowl earlier.
"Very well. I pray thee, allowest me to inspect the dressing of thine injuries?" Luna asked, pointing a hoof at my bandages. I think she wanted to look at the bandages, so after a nod from me, I saw that Luna's horn started to glow for a split second before it faded again. She rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. "That shall take some getting use to." She remarked. She then shifted her body my direction. She leaned in and put two of her hooves on my shoulders to brace herself, and pressed her face against my chest, tilting her head so her horn was pointed safely to the side of my head. Upon touch, her hair went from doing an ethereal wave to just hanging off her head and onto the couch with a slight curl at the ends. This seemed lewd.
"Uuuuuuh, Luna? What the heck are you doing?" No answer, though I did feel a couple short, hard scrapes on my bandage. "Luuuuuuna. Luna! You still haven't answered m-GAH, HEY!" I said, flinching as I felt a sharp pinch right under my nipple. Luna's head retreated as her flushed with embarrassment. "Did you just bite me?!?"
"Our sincerest apologies Edgar, we... haven't used our teeth to grab since we were but a foal." She justified. Carefully, she leaned in a lot slower and successfully grabbed the tip of one of the bandages and shifted it upwards. "They are still noticeable, but not as pronounced as yesterday."
"So I can take these off now?" I asked. My hopes were dashed when she grabbed the bandages again and scooted them up to their original spots.
"Kindness likely would not take too kindly to that. We feel that it may be best if they be kept for time being. Whilst I am not a doctor, we would be surprised if this took longer then two days, or even sooner to heal fully." She said, earning a groan from me. Luna took her hooves off of me and rested on the same couch as me, letting out a sigh. After a couple seconds she spoke again. "We're sorry..."
"Hey, it's not your fault that the changelings attacked yesterday," Or that Applejack is a bit of a cunt.,"
"It is not that, though we extend our apologies for you having to take part in that as well." Luna corrected, before giving a sigh." We... I never did apologize for what I called you earlier. When you said you didn't see a difference between us and Nightmare Moon, I assumed that you meant that in the worst way. And without thinking ahead, I let my anger and frustration get the best of me. I deemed you a "foreigner", and I know that it was most ignorant of us to do so. Could you find it in thy heart to forgive my transgression?" Luna asked, genuinely sad and concerned about what she was apologizing for.
"But I am a foreigner, so you have nothing to apologize." I told her, slightly confused at her apology.
Luna would have none of it.
"No, don't insult yourself to make me feel better." Luna said, shaking her head at me. "We're over a millennia old, and we should hope to be mature enough to understand when we have wronged somepony."
"But I'm not from around here, so I am foreign." I tried to explain, causing Luna to tilt her head in bewilderment.
"...Edgar, what does being a..." Luna paused, almost hesitant to speak again before she swallowed and started again. "What does being a "foreigner" mean to you?"
"It means you're not from around an area, or not native?" I asked, a little unsure of myself now. I knew what the word meant, dammit! But from the way Luna asked that question, it made me feel like I knew nothing. "Why?"
Luna's eyes widened for just split second in surprise before going back to normal, probably from hearing something she wasn't expecting. Her mouth soon formed into an "o" as she nodded at me in understanding.
"You have no idea what we meant when we called you a "foreigner", do you?" Luna asked rhetorically.
"What? But I just told you what it meant!"
"Yes, but that is the most basic form of the word." Luna told me, earning her a dumbfounded expression. Luna seemed to be in thought for a moment. "Oh, how could we explain this? Thou art taking it very literally, and it has different context when we have used it."
"Yea?" I said, remembering giggling like a little girl when I first heard my friend call my dog a bitch. To be fair, I was twelve.
"A year after I first returned from banishment, I faced social stigma for a month in Canterlot when I accidentally made the son of noble bawl his eyes out at the Grand Galloping Gala." Luna admitted.
"Now how do you "accidentally" manage to do that?" I asked.
"He looked as if he was having a wondrous time, so I remarked upon his merriment. I told all the nobles how "gay" he was, and how it made me happy how one could be so "gay" in a place like Canterlot."
"You spread rumors saying he was gay?" I asked, shocked that Luna would be so rude.
"Back in my time, gay meant "Carefree" or "Joyous"! I didn't know it meant he was a colt-cuddler now." Luna said as she fidgeted in place. "Besides, they didn't turn out to be rumors, and we had brought them out of the broom closet too early." Luna said much more quietly.
"Okay, but what's this have to with you calling me a foreigner?" I asked. Luna tapped her forehooves together, as if trying to find the best way to word what she was going to say.
"As you know, it's a word that's often used to describe if something is not from this land, but it's more...aggressive." Luna started to explain. "Instead of simply not having origin in Equestria, it is declaring that something just doesn't belong there. That they're not welcome. It is considered an ugly word and I had used it against you with very little hesitation."
"That is a lot to take out of one word." I commented, trying to wrap my head around this. "And why would a world like that have a meaning like that anyway? I thought this was Equestria, the "Land of Love and Tolerance"."
"You have to understand, nearly everything that that has came from outside Equestria's borders had brought destruction and misfortune unto our land." Luna said, seemingly glaring off into the distance. "Changelings, Tirek, Sirens. The list goes on and on of the terrors Equestria has had to deal with. Is it so hard to believe that us ponies would be so distrusting towards those that they are not familiar with?"
"Well, that explains your sister..."
Luna bowed her head in an apologetic way, before meeting eyes with me.
"Our kingdom has not made a single good impression on you since you had arrived, and it appears now that even we, the rulers, had dishonored you. I beseech thine forgiveness, and urge that thou mustn't judge our sister harshly. For millennia, her golden heart has weathered loneliness and shielded our subjects, and despite the pressures of ruling, she had kept it open for all her subjects. There are few whose hearts can compare, and it reveals itself to be both a blessing and a curse..."
With both of her hooves, she grasped my right hand. They felt smooth and hard, but the gentle pressure she applied made it seem protective.
"It is because she cares so much that she was so harsh in her manner of speaking. She is frightened of the safety of our subjects. We are all frightened right now as not long ago, she had made the mistake of not trusting her student during her niece's wedding, and the changelings almost cost us everything." Luna told me, expressing some form of anxiety. Her eyes seemed glassy, and though there no signs of a tremble in her voice, she gave off the impression of someone trying to keep it together. "Not one month ago, we barely managed to drive Tirek back into the abyss that is Tartarus. Yesterday morning, my sister almost lost this town, the ponies, and those special few that she held in the sacred recesses of her heart, and we would not have known until it was too late. The only reason that this hamlet isn't a graveyard is because of you, a foreign creature... and I shall treasure this gift that you have given us."
Oh god, tell me I'm not starting to tear up. I am a manly man, and I don't cry for anyone other than Hachi.
My fears were confirmed when Luna took one of her hooves and wiped away the not-tears that was forming near my eyes, a smile hint of a sweet smile peaking at the corners of her lips.
"You didn't have to do that," I sniffled. "I wasn't about to cry. It is just dusty in here."
"We shall ensure Princess Sparkle's staff are notified of this complaint". Luna shook her head as if to shake off some thoughts and change the subject. "I am sorry that thou had to hark upon our burdens. We suppose none of us hath been receiving much rest as of late. What of thou, Edgar? Doth thou hast any stories thou sayeth to us of thine homeland? We wish to hear of thine memories of merriment!"
I started to compose myself.
"Well, my life was pretty boring until now. However, I do have a story I think you may like. Let me tell you all about Dark Knight...So it all started when this super rich kid's parents walk down..."
Chapter Nine: Introductions, Interrogations, they both start with an "I" - 2/3
(A.K.A Chapter Nine and two-thirds: The one without Edgar)
"That it is better One-Hundred guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent person should suffer, is a Maxim that has been long and generally approved."
-Benjamin Franklin, letter to Benjamin Vaughan, March 14, 1785.
***Third person POV*** **Main hall** *roughly an hour after breakfast*
.
.
.
"Come on Twilight, you go first."
"I will, just give me a moment."
"She'll get done talking to the Apple ponies over there any second and you will miss your chance."
"I said give me a moment!" Twilight snapped at Trixie, causing her to jump a bit. "I'm sorry Trixie. I'm sorry. I just...I'm trying to catch my breath before going over there..." Twilight apologized, trying to calm her nervous heart.
After the Trixie, Twilight, and the rest of their friends finished up having a communal breakfast in the castle, ponies slowly started to file out of the castle to try their best to continue on and resume their day to day life and help with clean-up of Ponyville. They all can't mope around and freeload forever, so it is up to them to repair the town and continue doing what their cutie marks have destined them to do. They still can't do anything major until the New Yolk contractors arrive, but they can at least give it a head start.
It won't quite be the same for a while. Removing broken glass, repairing doors and bridges, restoring the parks(which thankfully were not too damaged), this was done under the alert eye of the royal guards, many of which were not local to Ponyville. As they didn't know the population, it is a bit difficult for Twilight to see them looking upon her friends in town with distrust, not knowing if any of them could have been Changelings. She could not blame them, and she is thankful that not many other ponies would have noticed this from the Royal Guard. She was also thankful that it wouldn't last long. Either this will come to pass and they will look upon the ponies they are watching over as new friends(although the change would be unnoticeable to the other citizens), or the danger would pass and they can return to their own families in the cities they watched over.
There weren't as many as what came yesterday when Luna arrived, but Twilight knew that was due to many of these guards being tasked with removing the many bodies of the dead changelings to be "allocated". Either for them to be donated to the scientific universities in Canterlot, or to simply be burned far away from Ponyville.
Twilight's many friends slowly dispersed out of the area to take care of their respective tasks, though not alone as Twilight asked for quite a few of the guard reinforcements to accompany and keep the Elements of Harmony safe.
Pinkie Pie bounded off a little while ago to see what was taking Sugarcube corner so long to be declared "safe to start cleaning up". She commented that she had a lot of work to do to make sure everypony kept smiling, and while it seemed innocent like most of her statements, Twilight believed she might have her work cut out for her for the next few days at least.
Fluttershy said she didn't need any guard escorts, and left with Discord to go back to her cottage shortly after Pinkie bounced off. Apparently she was not too worried about any damage to the cottage itself, and with good reason. The first warning sign Fluttershy got was with almost all the smaller animals(apart from her rabbit "Angel") scurrying or flying off in the opposite direction of where the changelings were marching in. It was due to this warning that Twilight was able to get as many ponies sheltered within her castle during the first stages of the invasion. As for many of the larger animals, Fluttershy just so happened to be trying to settle a love-triangle dispute between two female Grizzly bears and one very stressed out male Grizzly about their version of "Cub-Support". In addition, an angsty adolescent Grizzly bear was also just being an all-round pain in the flank, just wondering who his real mother was, however that could have happened.
The bears were stressed, temperamental, angry, and likely too much for the changelings to worry about taking a bite out of during that time. Really, Fluttershy was going back to feed the bears and settle this dispute, as well as catch up on her veterinarian duties before making time to check up on Edgar later in the evening.
Rainbow Dash wasn't at all satisfied that she didn't get to fight as many changelings as she wanted to before I forced her inside with a quick teleport. She has been stressed lately from her multiple Wonder Bolt applications and have been awaiting results that are supposed to come in anytime between two weeks to five years. This ridiculous time frame left her on edge, and she was anxious to take it out on anything, be it a punching bag, a karate sparing session, the race track, or the first changeling/monster she sees. Because of this, she has been on patrol both by herself and any Pegasus and Thestral guard that can keep up with her for an extended period of time. This has been a good thing so far, as the guard have been getting compliments for how much safer the town feels with her constant patrols.
Rarity, surprisingly enough for somepony who overreacts with the littlest things, hasn't complained one bit. Probably because doesn't have much of a reason to since Spike immediately left to go and help her with any clean-up the Carousel Boutique might need. Rarity gets to get help in general clean-up with pleasant company, and Spike gets some "Alone time with a total babe". It was a win/win for the two of them.
As for Twilight....
It all sounded so simple at first. Just walk up at talk to Celestia. Ask how her and Luna's talk with Edgar is going, and see if it is safe for him to join them again. At least to quell Trixie's anxiety, but she found it difficult to take a step toward Celestia, who has now been speaking to the Apple family for a while now. Apple Bloom seemed to be missing from their group, so all that one could see was a lime-green elder mare, a Stenson-wearing blonde with orange coat, and an absolute giant of a red-coated stallion currently seated on a wheel chair due to his hurt hindleg. To Twilight, they were Granny Smith, Applejack, and "Big" Macintosh respectively, and respected they were in this little town Twilight called home. They had a long history dating back to the founding of this town, and their entire bloodline has roots planted all over Equestria, both figuratively and literally.
To Princess Twilight Sparkle's luck, they hadn't noticed her yet, as they had their backs toward her while speaking with Princess Celestia. It was anypony's guess as to what they were talking about, as Twilight had not moved an inch toward them. Twilight's luck seemed to be changing however, as she did catch the eye of Celestia.
Princess Celestia herself never made any facial "tells" to show that she was aware of Twilight, but Twilight know instantly as in her mind, she heard a voice vying for her attention.
"Please come here, my faithful student. I will wait"
. . .
Princess Twilight swallowed hard. It is likely that Princess Celestia has been waiting for Twilight to start walking up for quite a while now. After performing some of the breathing techniques that her foal sitter taught her, she started to walk toward the ponies, followed by the blue magician.
"Y'all make sure he finishes it now. Ah reckon its gotta be a nice change from bananas an ant-hills all the time!" The elder mentioned. Her eyes weren't as good as they used to be, but if it looks like a monkey, walks like a money, and is called a monkey by the rest of the town, Edgar probably liked bananas.
"I am sure it will not take much convincing. You're quite is quite the chef yourself, as I am told. If the revered "Granny Smith" made this special for him, and he will be sure to appreciate it, as will my sister and I. Thank you for your charitable donation to this town." Celestia complimented while holding a serving tray with three bowls of oatmeal on it perfectly level, effortlessly demonstrating her dexterity and control of magic.
"Tain't nuthin off our backs. Thank him! We ain't done payin him back by a long shot, no ma'am." Granny Smith declared, prompting a chuckle from Celestia.
Princess Celestia looked up toward Princess Twilight, as if she just noticed she was approaching them.
"Oh, good morning Twilight," She said to her, before turning toward the costumed azure unicorn standing beside her. The Great and Powerful Trixie was currently shaking, or more like "vibrating" in place due to her nervousness at meeting the Princess Celestia in the flesh. She suddenly caught herself and remembered that she should have been bowing, and thus proceeded to do so. "...and the Great and Powerful Trixie Lulamoon, I presume?"
Trixie perked up.
"Hah! My rrrrreputation precedes me!" Trixie exclaimed triumphantly in an admittedly silly showmareship fashion, rolling her "r's" with a hoof raised to her puffed-out chest. Her eyes were closed with a confident smile. This pose likely took practice to nail as well as she had it, it is a wonder how she knew if the close-eyed addition was going to work out for her if she could not see herself in the mirror. "You may call me "The Great and Powerful Trixie" for short, and the "Great and Powerful Trixie" is pleased that you have heard of us."
"Indeed, though your wanted posters have your mane at a darker shade of blue." Celestia said as she leaned it. Neither Trixie's smile nor her tense pose dropped as she was still frozen in place, but her now nervous eyes shot open at the speed of cracking glass, her breath hitching with an "eep" coming from between her still-smiling teeth.
Celestia then giggled, and her laugher eased Trixie's worries as she visibly relaxed. "Don't worry, I am only teasing. My student pardoned you a long time ago due to this "Alicorn Amulet" she wrote about, and there are no more wanted posters out for you. I could only guess you were "The Great and Powerful Trixie" by both my student and my sister's description of your uniform. You certainly look the part of a Falling Star student."
"You could tell?" Trixie asked Celestia with one raised eyebrow, before suddenly raising the other one in suite and shifting her attention to Twilight. "Wait Twilight, you already pardoned before I came?" Trixie asked, with wide eyes, before suddenly becoming quiet as she saw Twilight and the three Apple ponies lock eyes.
After a short pause in the group's little corner of the room, Princess Celestia ears perked up as if she was listening for something. She then spoke once more, continuing her conversation with Trixie.
"I still believe your name has too many syllables. I hope I am not being rude, but in the interest of expediency I would like to either call you "Trixie" or "Miss Lulamoon" for short-er. In return, you may simply call me "Celestia". Don't worry about bowing either, as a friend of Twilight's is a friend of mine." The Solar Princess bargained with a disarming smile. Upon looking back at her faithful student and the founding family of Ponyville, Celestia turned back to Trixie. "...Miss Lulamoon, may I ask you to follow me for a moment? I have a question about this "Alicorn Amulet" business, and was hoping you could enlighten me on it. Specifically, where it may have went..." Celestia started walking away Trixie felt a gentle nudge to her side from a glowing yellow force.
The Great and Powerful Trixie started to follow Princess Celestia as the walked past Twilight. As Princess Twilight began to turn around and follow suit, the Solar diarch stopped her.
"Would you please mind waiting here for a moment Twilight. If I am not mistaken from Applejack's prior letters to me, it seems that Cider season may be coming up around this time of year. May I ask you to please speak with your friend Applejack about placing a fairly large order for the Life Party and getting this scheduled? We decided on a date for about a month and a half away starting today." As she kept walking. "We won't be long."
Celestia's voice echoed in Twilight's mind once more.
"I think you and Applejack's family may need to talk and clear the air. I have spoken to them earlier, and they are still having a difficult time coming to terms with the events of yesterday. I know this may be difficult, judging from the melody magic I am starting to hear again.
Please shield yourself and your emotions from this music. Once you are done, we shall be waiting here for you.
If you believe you need me for any reason, you need only ask and I will be there immediately for you."
Princess Celestia and Trixie started to walk away, and though I had just cast a shield upon myself to shield myself, I felt as if my true protection was leaving me that moment. I swallowed and turned back toward the Apple family.
I know that there were many ponies in the main hall chattering, just like I knew that stars were out even in the daylight. But I could not register them in this moment. I heard nothing from the other ponies still in the hallways, talking to the guards, talking to their friends, talking to each other. Not even the music mattered in this moment, as it paled in comparison to the deafening silence between myself and the Apples.
...
"H-" Not even a breath of sound came out of my mouth before Applejack beat me to it.
"We got it handled, Sugarcube." Applejack declared, trotting over to Big Mac to help him off the chair he was sitting down on. My horn glowed with magic as I went to try and help lift him out of the chair before Applejack looked back at me with a salty scowl, as if trying to use her own magic to stop me. "Ah said we got it handled."
I let my magic drop. They have every right to be upset with me, but it hurts that they aren't even accepting my help. Maybe I can help a different way?
"Celestia noticed more melody magic. I couldn't tell it was audible until now, but it may do things to you if you aren't careful. I can't help you with it unless I shield you myself, but I need your permission."
"We ain't staying for much longer. We're actually just on our way". Applejack spoke plainly, not meeting my eyes this time. "If it's here like you're saying, then it's all the more better we get on outta here."
There was an slight silence after the fact before Granny Smith broke it and eased the tension if only for a moment.
"Celestia is right. Cider Seasons coming up in bouta month, we reckon. Its probably gonna be the busiest one in quite a hot minute." Granny Smith predicted. "We already spoke with Celestia, and Big Mac wanted to tough it out. He would rather wait outside for Applejack to fetch the wagon than have somepony waste time walkin the wheel chair back any. We're gone be on our way." She declared as even she walked over to try and give Applejack a hoof in getting Big Mac on his three hooves. "We'll just count on getting a buncha munchies, bushels of apples, an barrels of cider ready ahead of time."
I took another few steps forward as I approached them with guilt weighing down my step. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. I tried clearing my throat, attempting to find the right words.
"I-Is Apple Bloom okay now? She had fun last night's sleepover, but I haven't seen her since earlier this morning."
None of them responded.
"Please...Granny Smith...AppleJack...Big Mac..." I turn to each one of them. "I am so sorry. About what happened with Apple Bloom... I'm so sorry. Just tell me she's okay."
"Twi, Ah'd like to be civil, but ah don't think were in the mood right now. Apple Bloom's just fine now that she's back with her own." Applejack assured bitterly. Coming from the Element of Honesty, it was bittersweet hearing that Apple Bloom was doing better after what I ended up putting her through.
Granny Smith looked at Applejack with eyes weathered by age, conveying a mix of disappointment and frustration. She shook her head, and as she walked up to me, she gave me a short hug before turning around and walking away.
"Young'en, I appreciate you tryna apologize and look out for us, but now ain't the time. The Apple family's got work to do, and we need some time...and a-bit of space." Facing away from me as she started walking away. It felt like her hug was to try and soften the blow of the shunning aura I felt coming off her.
Don't cry...Don't cry...Don't cry.
She doesn't seem angry, or maybe she is trying to hide it well. Fat chance she actually wants you to feel better though. Did you hear the way she said that? She's disappointed in you.
She almost lost the foal of the family, so she has every right to judge you. She doing such a better job than you at keeping her poker face and if she can do it, so can you.
"Granny Smith, I know, and I know that you're angry. I put Apple Bloom in danger, and I can't apologize enou-"
"Neither Granny nor Big Mac nor I wanna hear it." Applejack said curtly gritted teeth. "You can't just fix everything with a "sorry". It won't change what you chose."
"Applejack, you know that we couldn't let the shield down." I tried to justify. Whether to Applejack or myself, it was hard to say. "Not with the other ponies insi-" I was cut off with a scoff. Once they finally got Big Mac upright, Applejack turned toward me with a look as if I had just slapped her.
""We?!?" Applejack asked incredulously, as if I had just slapped her, gestured to the two other Apples present. ""We" don't have your fancy magic, Twi." Applejack said as her eyes seemed to glisten in frustration as she took her hoof and pushed it into me with every word she emphasized. "There weren't no we that moment. You kept the shield up. You made us watch! That was all you ."
Don't cry...Don't cry...Don't Cry...
She's being honest, but you need to bury your emotions for now. You can cry when nopony else is in the room, but they can't see you cry. You can't let them see you cry. You need to keep a brave face for everypony, and keep them in a peaceful state of mind.
Applejack has always put her family above her friends. Any pony would. All you did was show her what you were capable of. Suffer though and take it like a mare. If you really deserved her forgiveness, you'll earn it.
Applejack looked as if she had more to say and get off her chest, but Big Macintosh rested his hoof on his sister's shoulder to stop her. Whether to calm her down or to give me respite from it, it was welcome.
"I gotta go get the wagon and get back to takin care of The Farm. Big Mac got hurt trying to save Apple Bloom, and while he's restin, I got my work cut out for me. Apple Bloom and Granny will be helping take care of each other and Mac. "
"Please. I never asked for any of this to happen. I didn't know what else to do. I..." My words died out as I saw the tired look that Big Mac gave me, shaking his head as if to warn me to stop talking and making it worse for either Applejack and myself.
Big Macintosh never said anything as he saw the entire exchange between his family and I, but did he really need to when his silence already spoke volumes? His tired, furrowed brows looking at me to see what else I had to say, or if he needed to try and hold his sister back.
Don't cry...Don't cry...Don't cry...
Have you even earned the right to cry? To try and squeeze every last bit of pity from the Apples themselves?
You saw Big Mac's looks the entire time, though you didn't want to acknowledge it. Big Mac has always been a quiet stallion, answering with either a 'Euyep" or a "Nope". It always got the point across, but why would he waste even that on you, especially after an excuse like that? At least Big Mac tried doing something when they grabbed Apple Bloom. He did way more than you, and after his kick killed one of the drones, his leg got beaten to hell and has multiple hairline-fractures courtesy of the changelings that came to hold him down and take revenge for their fallen brethren.
Wow, even the Changelings have done more to protect their own than a coward like you tried to do for Ponyville. The only reward he got from protecting family was now his workload is being passed onto them.
He probably had nothing nice to say, and if he didn't, he wouldn't say it at all to you. He is a polite stallion.
"Ah'm gettin' old, Twilight, and I ain't gonna be around fer my grandfoals fur'ever." Granny Smith finally said with a solumn tone. "Ah...don't wanna bury any more of my family before ah go. Ah get why you chose whatcha did. It is whut it is... but don't ask us to accept it. It still hurts. If yer fixin' to try and make this right, I reckon you should start by giving us time and space like ah already said. Please...just drop it for now, and please take care of yerself."
I stayed strong. Eventually, the Apples turned a corner as they walked outside of the into Ponyville. I didn't see Apple Bloom with them, but since I suspect they already know where to find her. Once they were out of earshot, I called some guards over with a magic signal. Often times, these were used to silently call guards in case of an intruder or if there was a drunk party-goer at a Gala. However, I wanted to make an exception and make sure that Applejack and her family got home safely, so they will act as a both an escort for Applejack and possibly the ones to pull the wagon if Applejack would let them.
If anypony asks, it was by Princess Celestia's request.
*Meanwhile*
. . .
"May I ask if you know where this "Alicorn Amulet" may have went? Twilight said it may have affected your mind and heart, so I would like to keep it out of reach from over-inquisitive hooves." Celestia asked still walking beside Trixie. The magician shook her head, before raising it and meeting Princess Celestia's eyes. She had to lean her neck back pretty far in order to look directly at her, and as her hat started to fall backwards, Trixie started to hold it in place with her magic.
"The Great and Powerful Trixie is privy to many of Equestria's hidden secrets, but not this one. After Twilight conceived that ruse to get Trixie to take it off, we have never seen it again. Trixie thinks Twilight may have hidden it or destroyed it."
"...Very well, I believe you." Celestia said a bit too quickly for Trixie's liking.
"Really, you would believe Trixie just like that?" Trixie asked Celestia. She was honestly expecting the inquisition after the prior question, but found nothing of the sort.
"If I may be plain, I would not normally. However, I trust in Twilight's beliefs when she wrote that letter regarding its fate being "ambiguous", as she put it. If you do not know, then I suspect that other ponies will have a nigh-impossible time finding it or even discovering it." After a moment more of walking, Celestia came to a stop. "Truthfully, I needed a reason to give space for Twilight and the Apple family?"
"That rude Hillfilly's family? She's been nothing but a stubborn meat-head since Trixie had met her!"
"Yes, the Element of Honesty and my friend, Applejack." Celestia corrected Trixie. "You are not wrong about Applejack, however, and she is having a difficult time herself." She defended, looking upon them from a distance. Trixie looked as well and while Celestia led her away far enough to keep Twilight's conversation with the upset family private.
Trixie Lulamoon looked at the inaudible argument going on. Glancing between them, she saw ashamed looks that Twilight was giving and what looks like the argumentative actions by Applejack, who was now poking Twilight in a harsh manner. She looked back at Princess Celestia with a furrowed brow and a perplexed expression. Celestia, who had been observing the events from a distance, met Trixie's gaze with a mix of understanding and sadness.
"Your m-majesty, Trixie doesn't understand. Why aren't you defending Twilight? She did what she was supposed to...I think?" Trixie asked, unsure if there was anything else she could have done.
Princess Celestia sighed, her regal demeanor softened by the weight of the situation.
"She did, and I believe if I was in Twilight's hooves, I would have made the "wrong decision", whatever this may have been. From hearing the reports from my guards and from my sister, there was nothing else Twilight could have done in that situation. It seems that in Telsona's game, the only winning move was not to play."
"Then why?" Trixie asked. "That doesn't explain why you're letting her get spoken to like that."
"Trixie, I understand if my decisions are not always easy to understand, but unfortunately neither is a broken heart. I love my student, but Twilight is not the only one going through a difficult time, and while I already attempted to reach an understanding with Granny Smith and her grandfoals, I can't mend their trust so simply. Their feelings are just as valid as my student's, and they are "stubborn" as you had said. They are all learning a lesson that goes beyond the immediate consequences of their actions."
Trixie was still visibly upset as she couldn't accept this answer. With a head tilted in confusion and a brow scrunched, she spoke once more
"They don't need a lesson. Twilight doesn't need a lesson. Those ponies are blaming Twilight for what happened to Apple Bloom, but she's blaming herself even more! It wasn't even her fault." An inquisitive eyebrow raises from Celestia, who now looked down upon Trixie. "She never knew that Trixie was awake, but...I heard all the things she was writing to you. She's not okay right now and she needs her friends. Can't you tell Applejack or her family to get over it, give Twilight something to work with? Anything?"
The Princess shook her head.
"Nothing that would help her nor or would change the Apple family's mind. It was the youngest of their family that was put in danger, and light above only knows what would be going through my heart and mind if I was in their situation. I am not sure I could be as rational if I knew Twilight was in imminent danger." Celestia revealed, furrowing her brow as her head seemed to tilt up.
Trixie's disappointment was palpable as she looked away for a moment, processing Celestia's words.
"But Twilight is your student, your friend! Shouldn't you stand by her no matter what?"
"She may still view herself as my student, and I as her teacher, but we stand as equals. Friendship is about more than just offering unconditional support. It's about helping each other grow. Twilight needs to understand the impact her decisions can have, even with the best intentions. I know that Applejack will forgive her, but the wound needs time to heal. Forcing this would only further drive the rift between them."
Trixie sighed with her frustration being obvious but before she could voice her concerns, Princess Celestia continued.
"I am here for her, Trixie, but I can't be here for the way that she wants me to be. From me, she is seeking an answer that can only come from herself. I can only be here in the way that she needs. I believe in Twilight's heart and she will still be a stronger pony today than she was yesterday. This wasn't an easy decision to come to, but I believe it is right and it is final." Celestia looked back toward the group. The Apple family appeared to be walking away with a few solar guards following them.
Twilight's face looked awful and positively full of regret after getting a dressing down from her friends. After a few short moments, Celestia recognized Twilight performing the breathing exercises that her niece loved to do so much.
Trixie Lulamoon looked back at Celestia, her eyes searching for reassurance.
"I hope you're right, your majesty...but right now, it just feels like she's facing this alone while nopony else is doing ANYTHING to help her." Trixie stomped a hoof down as she looked away from the Princess of the Sun in frustration.
"...You're right. What do you intend to do about it?" Celestia asked, prompting Trixie to look back up to her. Celestia gazed over her, with almost a dozen calculations seemingly running through her the Princess's mind. Her tone seemed to not be cruelly teasing Trixie, but asking for a genuine answer. "If you heard of Twilight's woes as she was writing them, you'll recall that she mentioned you by name. About needing you at that crucial moment. What would you say to her now? Tomorrow? If she needed you again, would you be willing to lend an ear to her? A shoulder to lean on? Could you be her island in turbulent seas?"
Trixie looked away from Celestia, pondering what Celestia was really asking. Twilight already had so many other friends who have been with her longer than her. Who have shared experiences that Trixie has only heard rumors of. What could she bring to the table that Twilight's many, many friends already couldn't?
Before Trixie could think of an answer to give to Celestia, she was suddenly distracted by heavy hoof steps trotting up.
"I'm sorry, that must have been strange to hear from me. It's just something to consider." Celestia whispered to Trixie, renewing a smile before turning back to the seemingly exhausted purple Alicorn walking up to them.
. . .
. . .
***Twilight's POV***
After getting a few deep breaths in and using the calming technique that is starting to become my own, steeled my resolve and made my way out of the main hall to meet back up with Celestia and Trixie. I hope she wasn't being too harsh on Trixie. She can be a bit brash and haughty, but she's a good pony.
Celestia looked back at me, and her smile became brighter, putting me in a much better mood than a few minutes ago.
"Welcome back Twilight. How was your talk?" Celestia asked with as she turned. "Were you able to sort things out?"
"It wasn't easy, Princess Celestia, but they are preparing get supplies ready for the Life Party. They seemed adamant on getting things ready ahead of time, but I think they might need help with their next harvest."
"Is there anything else you spoke about with them?" Celestia asked after a short pause.
"Nothing too bad... it was just them getting things out of their system."
Celestia tilted her head in understanding as a frown appeared on her face.
"I see. I hope they weren't being too harsh on you." Celestia prayed, gentle shaking her head in sympathy. "They are having a rough time, and I am sorry that you both have to go through this."
it's not like it's undeserv-
"You're a good pony, Sparkle." A voice interrupted my thoughts. Turning toward Trixie, I saw what looked like gratitude? "Thank you for pardoning me after what I tried doing...and for doing your best to keep this town safe. You look like you were working really hard, and I think you need to start taking it easy on yourself."
Where was all that coming from?
"Well, yeah. It wasn't your fault..." I told her, before catching myself in a lie. "I mean, it kinda was, but you were under the influence of a dark artifact. What's important is that you learned your lesson, and you are a better pony in the future."
"I would also ask that you try remembering to address Twilight with her title in the future." Celestia denoted with a word of caution. "I don't like hearing my title often, but you shouldn't assume that every royal would..."dig" the casual attitude." Celestia said, using the modern slang she has been hearing lately. I saw Trixie wince after hearing Celestia say that, causing me to chuckle.
"It's okay. All my friends can just call me Twilight. I "dig" it." I said, winking at Celestia. Trixie upgraded from wincing to shaking her head due to the 1d4 psychic damage we both inflicted on her. "Its the bees knees!"
I get why Celestia did it. It feels wrong hearing an older pony use slang like that. I even as I had my own "Twilight Time" visitors give the same reaction when I used words like that. Once I realized Celestia was doing it on purpose, I started using outdated slang around younger ponies as well. Celestia taught me to "own our lame-ness" as she calls it.
She's so cool.
"That's groovy Twilight, but would that mean that no pony refers to you as Princess in this town?" Celestia counter. "More power to you if you're hip with that."
Trixie coughed as if to interrupt us, and taking the opportunity to shake herself out of the verbal stun-lock we put her in, Trixie continued talking. "But still, I could have come back again to Ponyville one day and tried something else, yet you still trusted me? Even before my apology?"
"What else could I do, stay mad at you forever?" I asked Trixie. It's like she thinks she's not deserving of forgiveness. "Everypony makes mistakes. I certainly did whe-" I stopped speaking once I reminded myself of why I was upset in the first place. What momentary respite I had in tormenting Trixie with outdated "lingo" earlier was now wiped away.
Of course you had to be the one that made mistakes when it mattered. Couldn't have been the chef oversalting his soup. You had to almost lose your home, and Celestia and Luna had to come and clean up your mess. You could handle everything else except a tiny incursion, one that Celestia could have easily dealt with if this was Canterlot, or if she was here. If it wasn't for Trixie and her "Edgar"...
I knew I was forgetting something, but I was dreading actually doing it.
"P-princess Celestia, I'm so sorry. I failed you, my friends, and Ponyville. Without Edgar and Trixie, everypony would have been taken and it would have been all my fault." I bowed my head toward my teacher as I apologized. I know that a scolding was coming my way for how I handled this debacle. It came, but not how I was expecting.
"Must I tell you again not bow to me unless we are both greeting each other? You are a "Princess", Twilight." Celestia gently scolded, trying to break me out of my old habits. "Please. Raise your head high and stand proud. You did your best."
"But my "best" wasn't enough." I did ask she asked and my eyes met Celestia's. Why didn't she look more upset with me? "I didn't learn anything from my friends getting hurt like this."
"And what would you have done differently, Twilight? Knowing what you know now?" My teacher asked me.
I didn't know. I still don't know, and that is what bothers me. How could I say I could keep them safe, that I learned from this if I didn't know where I went wrong in the first place.
Sensing I was struggling to find an answer, Princess Celestia started to walk away. As she walked, Celestia's horn glowed, soon a single log of charred timber came into view as it floated, its edge still glowing from the flames it was subjected to. If I had to make a guess, it came from under the oatmeal cauldron found in the kitchen, near the main hall. Alongside the serving dish with the oatmeal bowls Celestia was holding, it too floated besides the Solar Princess as she started to walk off.
"Come, walk with me. Both of you." She told Trixie and I. We both shared a glance and a nod, and followed Princess Celestia.
"Do you know how diamonds are made?" She asked.
I nodded, and started to explain.
"At very high pressures and temperatures, the carbon atoms from materials such as Charcoal or Graphite are squeezed so much that they start touching more atoms. When the pressure is about 50,000 times the pressure at the surface of Equestria-"I was almost done getting to the good part until Celestia stopped me with a hoof raised.
"I'm sorry Twilight. It was a rhetorical question. I know that you know how diamonds are formed, but I am glad that you are still as bright as ever. I'm sure you will never find yourself without a topic to speak with your future Colt-friend about." Celestia chuckled. "Yes, diamonds are formed under pressure, but never forget, they are not formed overnight."
"Is this going to be like one of those inspirational speeches you hear coaches give?" Trixie asked Celestia. "It's kinda Cliché."
"It's something like it, yes. I think you both could use an inspirational speech. You especially, Falling Star." Celestia said to Trixie, causing a blush to show up and shatter Trixie's prideful demeanor.
While a "Falling Star" was technically a drop-out from a Unicorn magic school, it didn't have many negative connotations. It just meant that you wanted to take a different path than what was typically expected of a Unicorn. Star Swirl the Bearded was long thought to be a drop-out who then pursued trying to create new spells for the sake of doing so. Spell to make you see different colors, spells to change your voice if you happen to sneeze so that it is a cute sneeze, and the infamous "Check-off" spell that can remind you of one thing you forget about when its most convenient to do so.
"Falling Star" students get their namesake from him. If true, this probably ended up being for the best since he was said always want to do things differently anyway, even if he couldn't explain why. Some extremely talented Unicorns end up dropping out just for a sort of "Pilgrimage" to follow his path and be one of "The Greats". He was so respected, even if he was supposedly said to be an oddball of sorts, just like Trixie I guess.
"You think I wouldn't notice, Miss Lulamoon? Of course I would. Both myself and my Luna would recognize Star Swirl's motif in your cape and pointed hat from the Moon. Did you know he was our own mentor?" Celestia dropped nonchalantly.
Both myself and Trixie looked at Celestia with peaked interests. Not much is known about Star Swirl the Bearded aside from autobiographies and history books. If this was another joke, Princess Celestia was keeping a really good poker face with her unwavering smile.
"Tis true. In the brief time we had together, he taught me nearly everything I've known about magic, and how to open my mind to the infinite possibilities of one's fate. All it takes is for you to see it...and make it manifest. It's amazing that he had much such a legend of himself despite being such a goofy old stallion."
"What was he like?" Trixie asked, tilting her magician's hat to get a better listen to the Alicorn we were following...gosh, how could I not put "two" and "two" together?
The cape, the hat, the cutie mark. It's like she was a walking stereotype of somepony who was trying to do things like Star Swirl while I was simply trying to figure out what was going on in his head when he made these spells.
"I must admit, even I don't know that much about his past. He loved bringing smiles and wonder to the faces of those that saw his magical marvels, but Star Swirl slowly drifted from bringing joy to the lives of other unicorn, as he though there were plenty of those that already did it better. Instead he turned his gaze to the stars to ask more and more of what his purpose was. Overtime, he started asking them more and more questions, and he started to get more and more answers. This... was his "side hobby", if you could believe it."
"His real hobby...Failing." Celestia revealed... anticlimactically. "Stumbling. Falling. Making an absolute ass of himself during either his magic lessons or his life lessons for us. He was such a bad influence since he encouraged Luna and I to fail and get into trouble with our parents. We were grounded so often and all our suitors were scared off within a date or two." Celestia giggled as she reminisced about her memories.
"Should you be talking about Star Swirl the Bearded like that?" Trixie asked, almost as if to defend the legend. Celestia looked at Trixie with a smile and a raised eyebrow before shaking her head.
"I wouldn't hold him too high on that pedestal, and he would appreciate the ego checks. He was extremely bashful when he was still around, and would probably spin in his grave if he saw how much ponies worshipped him after he passed. Then again, he wasn't bashful around my sister and I. I can not speak for Luna, but he was like a second father to me."
Wow, she really held him in high regard. Its like looking into a mirror of how much I have come to respect her.
"Throughout his life, all his lessons, all his failures, of which he bragged about many, he was still stayed himself. He was still "Star Swirl the Bearded". He had eyes that see lights in the sky, and magic in the air! Even if it was a rainy day that that forced him to hunker down inside, he saw a future where a beautiful tree was growing in an empty spot on a hill, and heard music in every raindrop pitter-pattering over the leaves and lakes. Even when I couldn't." Celestia's tone changed from one of happy memories to a more somber tone. "Even when I wasn't quite myself at times..."
"You are not the only one who believes they have made mistakes, Twilight. In my life, there were those that I failed to lead...failed to protect. Nothing compared to the night I had banished my sister to the moon." Celestia stopped to look out the window, as if seeing ghosts of the past. In her magical grip, the burnt wood she still held started to crack and compress, with a massive heat emanating from that orb of pressure. "Every night after I failed her, I had a new epiphany. Where all at once I could see every domino fall that led to the harm of another. Every mistake that I made which culminated to that instance, and I grew angry. I felt nothing but pressure upon my shoulders. I felt frustration and sorrow, and rage. That because of my failings, because of my past mistakes, I felt as if I was not fit to lead." The orb grew smaller, and smaller, and almost impossibly small. I almost felt myself start to get sucked into the gravitational pull of the force she was placing on that single piece of log, if you could even call it that anymore.
"Princess Celestia...I don't understand. Is any of this supposed to make me feel better?" I asked, hoping that there was some lesson at the end of this.
The immense pressure Celestia applied to the orb faded, leaving behind a single remnant sparkling within.
"...And in my despair, Star Swirl came to my room one night and said something to me that changed my outlook. Would you like to know what he said?" Celestia asked as she closed her eyes. I wanted to know, but before I could ask, I found out that this was also a rhetorical question, with Celestia giving her answer.
""Celestia, did you know that it is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose? You should not mistake failing for weakness. That is simply life...""She said with a slight wheeze in her voice. She wasn't losing her voice, but rather it was as if she adopted another voice entirely for only those three sentences.
"In that moment, he said exactly the thing I needed to hear. It has been so long that I have almost forgotten what his voice sounded like, but I could never forget him saying that to me." Celestia turned around and met my stare, her gentle gaze washing over me. "Do you understand what I am telling you...Twilight?"
I heard the melody music again, and in each note of the invisible harmonics, I heard a year of Celestia's life and experience echo before me. My teacher conjured a sound-proof shield over her and I, clearly wanting the next words she said to stay private between us.
"Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. You are not alone. You are never alone. I have sat in a throne just like you, having the same doubts about myself...Thinking how I shouldn't be leading these ponies. Doubting how I could protect them when I had so many noble souls leave for their eternal rest. These doubts still gnaw at me sometimes...but here I am...still leading Equestria...still weathering the storm...still doing my best to protect and care for all my little ponies..."
"Why then? How do you do it?"
"My reasons may be different than yours...everyone I have ever truly loved as a friend has eventually passed away. Your friends are still here, and they still love you. You think your bond with Applejack's family and Ponyville may be broken, but I believe with all my heart that deep down everypony still loves you as that bookish, extraordinary Unicorn from those years ago. They blame you, but they will come to understand." Celestia walked up and placed a reassuring hoof on shoulder, and it started to feel like everything is going to be alright.
"I will tell you my secret..." Celestia shared. "I will tell you why I am still leading after more than a thousand years.... Why I led my ponies when my sister was gone during those lonely years. Why I told Princess Cadenza to never give up on her love for Shining Armor, knowing that your brother may not share her longevity...Hope. Hope that one day, when I leave this world, I want to see the smile of everypony that lost their lives for my dream, but they will not be smiling at me. Hope, that instead, I shall be smiling with them, as we look upon the world we leave to you and your children. Hope that you, and all your friends and family will inherit the land from us, a better place than whence we were born into it. A more peaceful place."
"Celestia..." I couldn't get much more out apart from her name as my voice was caught in my throat. I don't think she has ever opened up to me like this. Celestia shook her head.
"I am sorry if this may have been too much to hear from me. I am not sure why I felt the need to lecture you of this of that so suddenly, but I am glad that I did. I feel a weight off my chest now." A gentle smile crept on her face as she looked toward the direction she was originally going. "I will need to get back to my sister and our guest. Is there anything else you would like to talk about? I will make time for you, but I don't want to keep you from your own responsibilities..."
"...I have things I need to get to as well, but I will let you know if I need you." I told it. It wasn't a lie, but while I do want to talk with her more, it would be selfish of me to burden her with my problems when she has so much other things to do. I turn to walk away, waiting for Celestia to drop her shield.
"...Very well. I will let you see to it. And Twilight...?" I was about to turn around before I myself fall onto my rump with the same gravitational magic she demonstrated on the log, though it felt gentle. I felt Celestia's strong embrace from behind, as her hooves and wings completely cocooned me as she let her head rest off the side of mine. It was mighty, yet I felt completely safe in her soft cage. "I don't want you to forget. You are my diamond, and I will always have faith in you, my dear Twilight Sparkle. Know that much may happen here in the coming weeks...months...years, but above all, do not forget this - you may trust in me. You may trust in Luna. You may trust in Cadenza. You may trust in your friends and family. You may even trust in the Apples, regardless if you think you've lost them. We cradle each other's lives, and what threatens one of us, threatens us all." I felt shudder from my teacher, but it was small. Like she was trying to hid the rumble of this tremor. "...And if you find you can no longer trust in me, trust in the lessons you have learned. Trust in yourself. Never doubt what you have accomplished. All your decisions have brought you to this point. You have saved Equestria and taught us more about friendship than I myself have learned in the many centuries I have been alive. I believe that you will shine brighter and more spectacular than all of us."
As if my body was moving on its own, I hugged one of the forelegs that surrounded me. I felt like an oversized teddy bear or filly in her grasp as I tried to stifle my own voice and beating heart. With courage that I thought I was missing until now I spoke out.
"You're afraid..." I realized, as I felt a tear land on one of my hooves. She is scared of something, and has been worried the entire time I was speaking with her.
"...Of course I am. I am afraid for you, as I always have been." Celestia gingerly took one of my hooves and held it face up before depositing what appeared to be the compressed log into my hoof. As the magic was released, I saw ashes start to drift away from us and out both the shield and the Window we were next to. A purple, star-shaped diamond no bigger than a blueberry, which was once previously hidden by the ash shown brightly in my hooves as it reflected Celestia's magic. "Such an small thing...so unassuming. Not many would notice upon first glance that it was so spectacular, so strong, so beautiful, but I did..." Celestia smiled before turning her head back to me, her eyes slightly shinier than before. "I think I shall name this one..."Twilight". Would you keep her safe for me?"
"...Y-...Y-yes." I promised, feeling a tear start to flow down my face myself...only it wasn't the tear of sorrow that I felt, but one of joy. That one could have so much faith in me when I couldn't feel it. I am so fortunate to have met Princess Celestia. She was more than a teacher to me, but a motherly figure that I knew I could always rely on. How could she ever think I wouldn't trust her.
After a few more minutes of enjoying the moment I had with my teacher, I felt a gentle glow begin to tidy me up. No longer were my eyes or heart feeling strained, and when I looked toward Celestia, she looked no worse for wear than when I first met with her this morning. The music has since died down and was inaudible, and Celestia's shield was dropped...
"Finally!" an exasperated voice came. Trixie Lulamoon was standing in the same spot she has been. "Twilight, if I had a pocket watch, I would be looking at it really condescendingly right now. "
"What is the matter, Trixie?" I asked with an annoyed tone, judging the mare who seemed to be tapping a hoof impatiently.
"Trixie been standing here for twenty minutes! It felt like really long time! Trixie thought it was going to be a cute moment between you two, but then your shield went up and I couldn't see or hear what was going on the entire time. I was standing staring at your bubble like a creeper by all the guards that were patrolling!" She huffed and whined with puffed-up cheeks.
"I am sorry that we neglected you?" Celestia apologized, unsure of what it was she should have been apologizing for. " Couldn't you have wandered my student's castle or gone outside? Why wait here?" Princess Celestia asked as she was clearly confused by Trixie's motives. Suddenly, thanks to Star Swirl's "Check-off" spell that was reminded of, I was reminded of the first reason we came to find Celestia in the first place.
"Princess Celestia, is Edgar okay?" I asked. I heard Trixie sigh as the question was finally asked.
"Edgar is just fine. He is likely talking to my sister about all the wonderful things in his home. I admit that I feel some remorse that you can't hear more of his stories quite yet, but I think you may have plenty of time to speak with him more, Twilight." She reassured.
"So he is answering all your questions like you wanted, right?" Trixie asked warily. "Princess Luna asked me a lot of questions, but some of them didn't make any sense."
Celestia closed her eyes, as if thinking of a way to phrase it for the both of us.
"Yes and no. Your friend is not making it easy. He has been getting distracted and changing the subject often. For any topic he sticks with, he appears to be trying to keep his explanations as short as possible. In times like these, I almost wish I could cast some sort of "Truth spell" on either him or you simply to assuage my doubts and ask the questions I want."
Trixie snorted with relief.
"Fat chance. If such as spell actually existed, Trixie would not have wasted soooo~ much time trying to find out if stallions actually liked her or not in her teen years." Trixie mocked the idea of such a spell existing, and I don't blame her. There has not been a successful attempt at a Truth Spell since the idea first came up.
"...I could certainly think of some uses of this spell, and I have studied and looked but have found nothing that I would consider acceptable. Any Unicorn that attempted to make a spell like this only ended up controlling their target however briefly. They would simply tell you what they think you would want to hear, regardless of if it was true or a lie. There were many trials I had to preside over where I had to immediately let the accused go when I find out somepony tried to force the truth out of them."
"Even if they were actually guilty?" Trixie questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Especially if you think they were guilty." Celestia corrected, carefully choosing her words. "It is more important that innocence should be protected, than it is that the guilty should be punished. We want to live in a world where we will protect the innocent, for if innocence can not protect you from punishment, what reason would a pony have to do what's right? We want to live in a world where the virtues of harmony are rewarded, not punished." Celestia looked back at Twilight, deep in thought as her smile seemed to falter ever so-slightly, before snapping herself out of it. "My sister and Edgar are probably wondering where I have been all this time. I should probably get back to them. Please take care of yourselves." Celestia said as gave one more quick hug to me before turning away and carrying the serving tray of oatmeal back to the tea parlor.
Upon hearing this from her, I felt a calling to try and stop her in her tracks. To ask that Edgar not stay in that glass cage for now. At the very least, explain to him why we thought it was necessary. I started to think about how confused he may have been, and he deserved an actual answer, even if we were asked to keep this secret. Why "punish" him by building that glass box in the first place if we weren't even sure he was responsible for the melody magic. Not even Trixie knows fully why we did it, or why the box was designed the way it was. If he was causing it, the box was mainly to try and filter the Melody magic and keep it confined to the area around him. To not have it affect the ponies here as much as it we thought it was, but I am not entirely sure it was his fault.
Before I found the courage to ask Celestia about it, she turned the corner and was out of sight. I heard a nagging voice from my immediate right.
"Trixie can't help but feel left out. Why couldn't the Great and Powerful Trixie get a Princess hug as well? We helped save Ponyville." She argued. It was a moot point now that Celestia was gone, but did she have to wait until after she left? If she just asked, I bet Celestia would have done so without any issue as long as Trixie didn't make it weird.
Then again, does she really deserrrrrve one from Celestia?
"Yes, but you also forced Snips and Snails to drag you around on a chariot with no wheels when you enslaved Ponyville." I countered, knowing that there were far more ridiculous examples than that.
"Sparkle, you can't be taking their side! They brought an Ursa Major to your town."
"Ursa Minor." I corrected. I shook my head. "Do you want me to hug you. Would that make you feel better?"
"Its not the same." Trixie sighed in disappointment. "Perhaps when we become better friends, but Trixie wants one from the cream of the crop!"
"This mare is insatiable. Will nothing make her happy?"
"Like one of Fluttershy's hugs? They are the best." I assured, knowing she always gave the best hugs. Not too soft, not too hard, but way too comfortable. She could give Mrs. Huggin Kiss, the town therapist, a run for her money.
"Who?" A confused voice asked. Looking back at Trixie, I thought she was first trying to mess with me, but its like she legitimately forgot about the element of Kindness that risked infection to help Edgar.
Oh my GOSH, its only been a day!
Before I could get too annoyed, I heard a sound. It was like a like a quiet buzz.
I heard a buzz getting louder and louder before an "EEP" came from the direction of Trixie, using her magic to try and hold her hat onto her head. Trixie then took it off her head to peak in to see what slipped insi-
"You gotta come quick!" A high pitched but miniscule sounding voice came from the hat. Though it was mostly cotton, the shape of the hat still acted almost like a microphone. A head poked out of it, showing that breezy from yesterday.
"Delphi?"
"Ay lass. We flew off sometime in the weee-morning when the drunkard was first captured by you and Nightmare Moon. We hid in mountains of oats an' apples, we swam in a bowl of milk to evade detection. You all are brutes with how you all throw around your oats, but that's not important." She was explaining, before getting interrupted.
"Holy crap, Trixie has completely forgotten about you! You were in my hat the entire time last night? Trixie could have squished you on accident!" Trixie exclaimed in fear, thinking about all the times she might have scratched her head the entire day, or tossed and turned while trying to go to sleep.
Delphi darted up to Trixie's eye, grabbing her attention and making herself obnoxiously obvious.
"FOCUS!!!! You have to save your hero!" Not satisfied with her tone not reaching Trixie, then flew up to Trixie's ear and held it open, yelling right into it. "Nightmare Moon is trying to eat him!!!" She shouted in desperation. Trixie winced and involuntarily shook her head at the weird feeling, suddenly causing Delphi to lose her grip and be flung right back into Trixie's hat with a tiny yell.
After Trixie gave an uncomfortable shudder from that weird sensation, she and I looked at each other before looking back to her hat, as two tiny hooves caught the inner rim and crawled out.
"What?" We both said in Unison.
Chapter Nine: Introductions, Interrogations, they both start with an "I" - Part 3/3
“It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.” ― Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
***Third person POV*** **Gotham city construction site**
"...but the Joker couldn't win. Gotham City needed its true hero..." Batman's gravely voice said to Gordon, as he turned the scarred side of his former friend's face away...showing the hero that Harvey Dent once was...Not the monster, but the man.
Gordon came to a sudden realization, looking upon his friend with anger. How could he suggest such a thing???
"No, you can't! You're not!" He refused to believe what Batman was suggesting, before a radio was shoved into the police commissioner's hands.
The midnight blue Alicorn stood at the ground level, drinking her coffee and watching them from a distance as she sat there as awaiting the next portion of the story with baited breath...
. . .
***wait....nevermind, it is still Edgar's POV*** **Tea parlor of Twilight's Castle**
. . .
Princess Luna was at the edge of her seat, wide-eyes that were gargantuan with worry and wonder as she tightly squished one of the cushions she hugged against her, completely immersed. She was mid sip of the "no maidens..."coffee mug she was holding next to her until she gulped, her mouth suddenly dropping as it seems like she realized exactly what was coming next.
"He wouldn't...He couldn't.." Luna murmured, looking away from me in thought. I saw a nod from her, and before long she seemingly coming to a realization and turning back toward me with a determined look."...No, he would..."
"His old friend's words echoed in his mind. "You would either die a hero or live to see yourself become the villain", so he decided to become a villain in the eyes of the city he loved for the greater good. To protect the memory of his broken friend and keep the thousands of criminals off the streets...To protect the city from the truest evils." Even as I was telling the story, I felt the same shiver I felt when I first heard about this speech in theaters. "Because he wasn't a hero. He would be the one who actually killed those villains, not his friend...Because sometimes, the truth isn't good enough... sometimes, people deserve more..."
As I was finishing up telling the story of The Dark Knight as an abridged script to Princess Luna, I saw that she started to look a bit more fuzzy, only to now realize that her fur was starting to stand up on its ends in excitement as she was awaiting the climax of this story, with a barely contained grin beaming right at me.
There it is! I got her hook, line, and sinker!
"He was the hero Gotham deserves...but not the one it needs right now." I whipped my head toward Luna's direction with a deathly serious tone and raised eyebrows "So they hunted him! Because he can could take it. And they would never catch this Ghost of Gotham, because he was their silent guardian..." I started to say the ending before I was interrupted by Luna, who had what looked like another epiphany.
"Their watchful protector...Their Dark Knight!"
"The end!" I smiled, cheering internally as I saw her reaction to the ending.
"HUZZAH! What a riveting tale!" Luna giggled as she clapped her hooves together, giddy in excitement.
"You liked it that much?" I asked her, kinda already knowing the answer. I knew that sometime while I was on Equestria, I wanted to tell Princess Luna about batman since it seemed right up her alley. I was also debating about telling her about a bunch of other stories about "dark heroes", but above all else I wanted to get a "Batman" out of the way before anything else.
I'm actually debating whether or not I want to to tell her about an edgy vampire called Alucard that I started to grow fond of while watching an Anime called "Hellsing Ultimate", but I have yet to see anything truly heroic about him yet. Then again, I never got the chance to finish it since was only about three episodes in before I found myself in Equestria on my drive home. I was sticking with the show just to see if he actually fights "Dracula", but...
Luna interrupted my train of thought.
"Of course we did! Many fall in the face of chaos; but not Batman! Not this hero, who was armed with nothing other than his mind, body, and unbreakable determination!"
...and a mansion and a butler and a gazillion dollars and Plot armor and...
"He's not a hero, remember? He's just doing what he felt was right."
Luna shook her head in disagreement, and almost seemed to take offense to me besmirching Batman's achievements.
"Tis a lie! Is that not what makes a true hero is on your world? Meddling regardless of whether or not those believe he was needed? The noble sacrifice of his reputation for the greater good? Nay, he is a hero, regardless of what he thought of himself! He lives with the tragedy of what happened to his parents every day, but not in the way we could have expected. He took his tragedy to turn it into something special. Helping Ponies in his city every day to protect them from the tragedy he had experienced! In the eye of the storm that wicked Jester had brought upon his home and the corruption that befell his friend, his valor shined brightest against a backdrop of despair! He was an incorruptible monument...like our sister!"
I was in disbelief.
"Really? You see similarities between Batman and your sister? Batman...and Princess Celestia. Nobody else comes to mind?"
"Who else could I compare to this stalwart guardian. Thee?" Luna asked as she tilted her head in confusion. "Thou art a hero too, but we have yet to witness thou prance about in costume. Still, "Tis not who thou art underneath thine mask, but what thou dost achieve that defines you!"" Luna quoted, or tried to quote as best as she could. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration appeared from her smile. "Perhaps thou could consider staying for Nightmare Night. You may come as the Dark Knight thou hast regaled us with! Wouldn't this be splendid?" She beamed at me, suddenly leaning in toward me and over me, awaiting my answer.
It is clear that none of these ponies have any concept of a personal bubble, as she was close enough for me to once again feel her hot breath close to me. It smelled fresh and fruity, which is kinda weird since I know she had been drinking black coffee during the entire time I've been in this room. I thought coffee breath was supposed to stink, or at the very least smell like coffee. Before I could place what the smell was, we were interrupted from a voice in the room.
"Ahem." came a voice from behind. Luna looked up and a blush immediately manifested on her face. "Luna, what am I to think of this! What have we stumbled into?" Said the regal voice that I recognized as Celestia. I looked behind my spot and saw her standing in the door way, with a serving tray containing three bowls of what looks like light-brown industrial sludge garnished with apple slices on top. At least, I hope it is that and not oatmeal. I never liked oatmeal. Its gross.
"Thou hath stumbled upon nothing, you nosy ninny! Edgar, tell her!" Princess Luna commanded, expecting me to defend her virtues. She was right.
"Nothing happened?" I testified unsurely. "Also, that was way longer than a few minutes. I literally told two whole Batman stories."
"Why dost thou specify a specific number? There is MORE to his tale?" Luna inquired, excited over the possibilities that the boy billionaire would get into.
"Bat...man?" Celestia asked with a raised eyebrow, like an older person who just heard about what an CD-ROM or ASCII was.
"Yea. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Bruce Wayne, who is also a crime fighting detective by night! There are plenty of comic books about him, but of the story I was telling Princess Luna about, there should be one more story connected to the last one." I explained, glancing over to Luna to see her reacti-aaaaand she's positively beaming again.
Celestia did not really seem as enthused.
"...That sounds very interesting, Edgar, but it seems to be more of an acquired taste for me. I'm sure that there is a very good explanation as to how all of those circumstances have occurred in a sensible manner in your story." Celestia remarked as she walked past my couch and set the tray on the coffee table. Honestly, I don't blame her for doubting, since you can make a lot of stories sound silly if you don't have enough context. "I am sorry that I was gone for so long. I was preoccupied and lost track of the time. I suppose it is now a "brunch". Do not worry, the oatmeal is still very warm. It was freshly made and I made sure to keep it warm."
God...Damn it. Why does oatmeal exist? It is the Jared Leto of all breakfast foods. Easily the worst thing of any pantry it's in.
"It's made from oats, which is a grain here in our world." Celestia reassured.
"I know what oatmeal is. I was never really a fan of it. I had it forced on me as a kid when there was perfectly good cereal Cookie Crisps or Lucky Charms in the cupboards, so it was always a mood breaker for me. I don't even like Oatmeal Cookies."
Celestia shook her head as she used her magic to slide the bowl closer to me.
"Beggars can't be choosers, Edgar. Oats are standard in our food stores. When stored properly, they can last close to a decade without going bad. We always have an ample supply of this for emergencies, along with other foods and water. I think you should try it Edgar. I am sure you'll like it." Celestia encouraged, trying to convince me. "The apple slices on top are courtesy of the Apple Family. The grandmother of the filly you were found with really wanted you to have this bowl. When she found out who I was bringing this to, she was adamant about making it herself. She downright wrestled the ladle out of one of the chefs to add it to the bowl herself, along with, and I quote, "A spoonful-ah-sugah, spices, and her very favorite apple slices." Celestia drawled in a slight southern accent. There was no mockery in her tone, but you could tell she was mimicking Granny Smith's way of speaking. "We couldn't stand in her way." She chuckled.
Looking again and prodding it experimentally with a wooden spoon that came with the bowl, I can barely see tiny pieces of green apple shavings mixed into the oatmeal. This would probably bring more of an apple-y flavor out than the three apple slices garnishing the top of the oatmeal. Even the full apple slices on this one looked as if were browned with what I assume is cinnamon and brown sugar. I took an experimental bite of the oatmeal along with a spoonful of apple on top.
...It's delicious!
It was sweet, and gooey, and reminded me more of an inside-out apple pie than the semi-solid "gross" that I was expecting. Granny Smith couldn't have done that much to the bowl. Maybe it was knowing that she had a hand in it? With renewed morale, I started eating with renewed vigor. Both Celestia and Luna joined me in breakfast, albeit a bit more reserved and regal even in eating. After the first two bites, I realized that I was probably eating like a caveman in front of them, so I slowed down and tried to match both the pace and decorum they showed while eating.
"Thank you. I was practically dying."
Celestia did not respond apart from her nod of acknowledgement, and after she swallowed, she spoke again. "I bumped into Princess Twilight Sparkle on my way back here."
Luna's ears perked up. "Pray thee, she is well?" Luna asked.
Celestia chewed for a bit longer with this question, eyes closed, before swallowing once more. "She was clearly tired from yesterday's and last night's events." Celestia answered, probably referring to both the invasion, and either her one million questions to me or her slumber party. "She has also had some difficult conversations with some friends. She seems very stressed...and may require our guidance in the future."
"I see." Luna nodded along in contemplation. It was almost as if they were having their own conversations under the conversation.
Celestia ears raised as if she just remembered something. "Oh, she was with Trixie Lulamoon, and they were both asking about our guest. I trust you aren't harassing Edgar too much, Luna?"
"We haven't even touched him! Edgar, tell her!" Luna commanded once more. That was a lie, since she was being super reassuring a bit before my story about Batman. Grabbing my hands and wiping my face to clear up the not-tears from my face. But I did as she asked and lied, not exactly wanting to give Celestia more ammo to harass her sister.
"It's true. Touching royalty was the kind of stuff was punishable by death in different nations in my world. I probably would have stopped Luna long before something like that happened."
"Ah, I suppose our worlds aren't that different then, are they? I am glad nothing happened." Celestia nonchalantly weighed in, finishing up the remainder of her bowl of oatmeal with a smile as the room was put into a deafening silence from the implications. I was stuck wondering what "counted" as touching. Was it just the lewd stuff like, or was it as something as simple as Luna poking me or grabbing my hands like she did earlier.
Princess Luna, still sitting at my side, started to finish up her oatmeal as well as she kept quiet. I am not liking the vibes. I felt an urge to clear my throat, but resisted since that cliché act might raise questions.
"...So why were Trixie and Twilight asking about me?" I inquired, quickly changing the subject.
"They simply wanted to know that you were okay." She remarked, placing her now-empty bowl onto the silver serving tray, which confused me at first. She took less bites and ate slower than me, how did she already finish hers? "You seem to be quite a hot topic around here as of late, even considering your encounter yesterday. I know that they both had more questions about you that they didn't voice. I suspect that they will try to more than make up for it after our discussion." She revealed, causing an uneasy feeling to bubble up from my stomach.
"Great. More questions." I grumbled, massaging the bridge of my nose. I just know that this is headache was just going to get worse, I could feel it.
As if sensing my dissent, Celestia continued carrying the conversation as Luna appeared to be oddly quiet. "Why do you look upset, Edgar? Twilight seemed excited about you when she spoke about you in her letter. Judging from all the notes she has written about you, your traits, and your personality, you were both clearly busy last night."
"I barely survived." I grumbled about. "She was practically talking my ear off. I was happy to talk, but god, she just kept going and going! I thought see was going to ask more substantial questions, but everything she asked brought up more questions! And not even what I would consider interesting ones. She also kept hyper-focusing on so many uninteresting things! "How did the Pandas manage their "Panda Express" delivery service?" and "Does your hide change color for camouflaged?"." I shuddered. Thank God she ran out of paper. I seen the memes about her, but I think she might actually be slightly autistic.
"...Thank you for indulging her curiosity. She can be overly-enthusiastic, but she needs the distraction." Celestia showed gratitude with a head bow, catching me off-guard.
Oh...wasn't expecting that.
"You're welcome, I guess? I mean...it was really wasn't that bad. If it made her day a little better, I would probably sit through it again, though." Taking a sip from my teacup, I couldn't help but think about how every other pony was handling this. "Is everyone else okay? It doesn't look like battles are an everyday occurrence here in Ponyville." I asked. I know that I have been putting up a bit of an act so far, but I really am concerned about them. I seen a few fan-fictions that were 18+ that tried doing their best to try and copy HBO and put their characters through extremely stressful situations, but those characters only acted as they were written. I never imagined...no, that's a lie. I did imagine myself in situations with them every now and then when I was bored. It never really amounted to anything other than "what if I was in Dark Souls, but AppleJack was a companion" and other daydreams like that. I never really considered them real with real thoughts until I ran into Trixie the other day. I hope these ponies are doing alright.
Celestia nodded. "You are correct. She not the only one who needs the distraction, as this town is reeling from this "Queen Telsona". Upon arriving, it is clear that they are afraid and understandably gloomy about the events that took place, even if they tried to hide it around us."
"If thou art curious, we have a spell in mind that should help with this, but it is merely a balm before the true treatment."
"Spell?" I asked, turning back toward Princess Luna.
"Indeed. There isn't a good name for it yet, but it is a derivative of one that our niece and nephew-in-law improvised during the battle of their wedding. We had performed this spell to a lesser extent upon our arrival yesterday to inspire Ponyville and to rid ourselves of any changelings left in Ponyville. It wanes as it expands, but we are sure that it would be more than enough once we put our combined strength towards it." Luna stated flatly, triggering a bit of a light-bulb in my head.
"...Did it look like a shiny blue bubble that kept pulsing out?" I asked, being reminded of the Patronus-looking thing that rocked the fuck out of Telsona.
Luna's nodded, confirming that it was indeed her. "So thou hath witnessed it?"
"Yeah, I noticed. It was a bit hard to ignore since it saved me more than once..." My eyes widening upon that realization. Wow, I really did cut it close, didn't I? I should not have lived through that situation, and I have Luna to thank for it. "Thank you, by the way. You saved my life more than once now." I bowed my head to her, trying to be as sincere as possible.
Luna answered with a small smile, before clearing her throat and continuing. "We will require multiple magic users for this spell, including Twilight and our niece's help for this. With this caveat Twilight will need some rest before we attempt it. "Hopefully casting it will give us time to keep spirits up before the Life party."
"Life party?" I asked with a wince, getting flashbacks to the Star Wars Christmas Special that I sat through out of morbid curiosity.
Questions questions, too many questions. I can't help but feel bad about giving Twilight grief about that now. I thought the show was simple enough to understand given that it was a children's show, but I have been learning more and more about this place every single day. It's starting to make my head hurt.
"Yes, it is a funerary tradition. Shortly after one is laid to rest, we celebrate them." Celestia illustrated.
Now that was a bit confusing to me. "You guys would throw a party right after a battle? Where people die? I don't know, that seems kinda disrespectful."
Celestia raised her eyebrows, seemingly just as confused as I was from my query. "Disrespectful? Could you explain, Edgar?Does your kind not have funerals or burial rites?"
"We do but...I mean they died, right? Why celebrate that?" I explained my confusion, still not quite picking up what she's putting down.
As if she was starting to have a better understanding of my gripes, Celestia looked toward the ceiling in curiosity."...I think I see your confusion. We don't celebrate at the funeral. It is a sad state of affairs when a pony you hold dear passes away. But when you die, would you rather your loved ones cry and mourn over what once was? Or would you perhaps rather they smile and remember the joyous times they had with you. We are not celebrating their deaths, but the life they led up to that point. It can be difficult at times, but it helps us move on with pleasant memories."
"So its like, "don’t cry because it’s over, and smile because it happened?"" I quoted Dr. Seuss, thinking I get the gist of what they were saying. I never liked funerals back home. I never felt good after going to one, knowing it was going to be the last time I saw one of my aunts or grand parents. Celestia looked down from the ceiling to meet my gaze and had the other eyebrow raise alongside the first eyebrow. It looks like her apparent skepticism changed to a welcome surprise.
"Yes, Edgar. An apt choice of words. If these do not exist where you are from, perhaps you should try it one day. It may help knowing that when your loved ones look down upon you, that you are doing fine." Celestia's mood seemed to take a more gentle tone as she spoke of this topic. So far, her tonal shift has been a welcome improvement, but she seemed to be thinking of other things as she was acting more civil to me. "Death" must be a touchy subject around her, given the tact and respect she was showing when talking about it.
"Ponyville won't forget what happened here, nor should they, but this will help them come to terms and accept that what happened. They will not relive the terrors in their dreams, and their hope will not abandon them." Luna said a frown...which was morphing into something more and more menacing. Truthfully, this shift was beginning to frighten me as it appeared to come out of nowhere. It was almost as if both Luna and Celestia swapped bodies.
"A-are you okay Luna? It wasn't something I said, was it?" I asked, feeling my heart rate start to rise. I started to feel an onset of a migraine happening, and it was beginning to get very annoying. "I am sorry if I insulted your traditions. I just never hea-"
"You are fine for now, Edgar, but I ask that you silence yourself for a moment." Celestia herself started to gain a frown as well, before closing her eyes and concentrating hard. Her horn began to pulse, glowing and dimming as her own ears twitched. "Did you sense them too, Luna?"
"Yes...we have uninvited guests. We can't tell who they are, since they appear to be trying to mask their presence with a muffling spell. Whomever had cast this spell must be quite powerful indeed. We almost couldn't feel it."
"Do you think your wards failed?" Celestia asked bemused.
"No."
"Is there something I need to know about?" I asked them, worried that it was Telsona coming back for revenge.
"Not particularly... and no Edgar, it isn't Changelings." Celestia clarified as her horn started to glow. As their horns glowed, they seemed to have another silent conversation before Luna stood up.
"They are somewhere above us." As she spoke, a dark miasma surrounded Luna as her body looked as if she was sinking into her own shadow. We shall go pay them a visit." And with that last declaration, she phased into the floor. While that seemed counter productive, considering that she is presumably looking for the intruders upstairs, she looked cool as hell doing it. Still, I wonder if any ponies below us saw anything.
It would be weird to imagine a butt with legs starting to float down from the ceiling.
Celestia was still looking at the spot before she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Show-off. She could have just walked out the door." she chuckled to herself.
"So could you..." I remarked, remembering her disappearing into a cloud of glitter.
The smile on Celestia's face started to falter before turning back toward me. "I did it because I hardly get to stretch my wings and work my magic often. Luna on the other hoof seemed to be doing it because she did not want to be outshined in front of you...why is that, do you wonder?"
***Luna's POV, third person.*** **A storeroom in Twilight's castle, above the tea parlor* *Mid-Day*
As Luna quietly lurked in the shadows of the room above Edgar and Celestia, she couldn't help but wonder how both she and her sister could let whatever this was slip by their watch. While Twilight and her friends were looking after the anomaly known as Edgar, she and the other guard unicorns used almost every sentry ward in the book to secure Ponyville and the area surrounding it. If there was a flock of geese migrating, she would know. If there are ponies coming back from a camping trip, she would know. If a tree fell in the Everfree and nopony was around to hear it, she would know if it made a sound or not. Nothing could have crossed any of the wards she placed, so it is certainly not Changelings making another infiltration attempt so soon after their first incursion.
And it is not as if whomever was causing this magical disturbance just teleported into the castle. The amount of magic it would take to blast past our magical sentries would make so many "ripples" that would have had the entire castle in full alert immediately. This means that the intruders must have already been inside the castle at the start, and this worried Luna.
"Can you hear them yet? Anything?" came the voice of what sounds like a certain magician Luna spoke to earlier in the night. It is clear she was trying to speak quietly, but you could barely call her attempt at it a whisper.
Luna heard the familiar voice in a hushed tone behind some crates. "There they are..." she thought, and she made her way to the crates in the slowest and quietest manner possible, she caught bits and pieces of the back and forth conversation that was going on from the other side of the boxes.
"No, I can't get around it, and I don't think they are taking that spell down anytime soon." A voice that was unmistakably Twilight's said. "I certainly don't want to risk trying to pry my way in. They would notice it instantly."
"Do you think they knew we were planning on listening, Sparkle? We did a good enough job with muffling our trots with a spell, didn't we?"
"I don't think so. We can't hear what they are saying, but they obviously put up their own muffling spell was up before we even started trying to snoop on them... Uhhg, why did I let you talk me into this? This wasn't going to work!"
"Because you still owe us big time! Besides, this is your castle. You should be able to go wherever the hay you want! That's what Trixie would do if she had a castle. She certainly would not let her powers go to waste."
"She has a point, Lass." A faintly familiar third voice called out. "...where did she go?"
Luna peeked her head over the boxes to find what looked to be both Twilight Sparkle and Trixie Lulamoon looking toward a small beam of light emitting from a crack. Miss Trixie was in her normal attire, but her cape seemed to not be flowing freely, and was instead bound tighter to her body with what looks to be a cerulean-colored gossamer sash with star embroidery. Twilight herself was wearing...a black nylon body suit and a bandana?
The Princess of the Night had blinked and shook her head at the thought of such a ridiculous costume. Twilight always was one to try and do things by the book, and if sneaking around required a pelt-tight bodysuit, there was no talking her out of it. Luna thought it suited her form quite nicely, and without the added flair that she saw from Generosity's "fashion sense", Twilight must have made for herself.
"Still, that only makes two out of the three voices she heard. Where is the other one."Luna thought to herself. Peering toward the middle of where they were staring, there appeared to be the bottom-half of a Breezy sticking half-way out of the floor. Possibly from a crack or a whole that hadn't been repaired.
"Where did who go? Did Princess Celestia leave?" Twilight asked in a nervous manner. She probably knew that what she was doing was wrong or sneaky, and she certainly did not want to be caught spying on her teacher. That being said, the trio seemed too distracted to even notice Princess Luna slowly creeping up to them in the dark store room.
"No...N-Nightmare Moon." A quiet but shaken voice said as the breezy tried pulling herself out of the hole. With a bit of struggle, she succeeded in doing so, falling back on the tile as the light beam from the hole grew wider in diameter.
"You can call her Princess Luna. She hasn't been "Nightmare Moon" since last Nightmare Night, and that is just for fun." Twilight clarified. Luna thought it was nice of her to try and clear her name and sweet talk the breezy, but it would certainly be a losing battle. They are horrified of Nightmare Moon over what she represents...Darkness. Absence of Light and the warm glow of the sun. Absence of the coming dawn in the darkest night.
"Trixie thought you were watching them the entire time. How could you miss her leaving? She is the second biggest pony in the castle, aside from Princess Celestia!" Trixie questioned in a hushed yell.
Luna's poor self esteem was wounded. It is no lie that she is fairly large compared to most other ponies, and she has intimidated many in the past with her height and size. Even as she worked hard to diet and exercise to make sure she is of adequate and lithe proportions, an unfortunate fact remains that muscle weighs heavier than fat. With her muscles being dense due to her Alicorn body, she has found herself close to the same heft as the most portly of ponies, even if she is told that she wears it better than others. Celestia has told her to have pride in her body and other "desirable features", as she put it. With all that, it is still difficult for Luna to take her sister's words to heart. Not when she compares herself to her other Royal Family members.
Princess Mi Amore Cadenza herself was known for her beauty, kindness, and grace. Try as she might, Luna could not help but feel insecure about her own appearance and personality compared to Cadance. How could a Princess of Darkness and Nightmares compare to the literal Princess of Love. Nightmare Moon destroys and corrupted, while Princess Cadance encourages creation and harmony. Her infectious personality helps her gets along with ponies so easily, as evidenced by all the couples that may sneak a letter to her for advice. She has shared quiet a few stories during their meetings and always knew what to suggest to the young lovers. Cadance even landed the stallion of a lifetime within nearly no time at all once she met Twilight Sparkle's brother. They both look so happily married, and he isn't even the slightest bit interested in adding other mares to form herd. She makes him happy enough as it is, and they would both make wonderful parents one day.
Celestia herself was positively gorgeous. Even amongst the four alicorns she was the one most sought after in most ponies dreams. It mattered not that the mare has two planets for an ass and sneaks cake during the night. It mattered not the mischievous streak she had when causing chaos during the Gala or pranking the castle staff during the day. One would argue that those are "features" to an already incredible mare that nopony could hold a candle to. She has a voice like honeyed-butter accompanied by an exquisite smile that could wipe away any fear and doubt. This coupled with her experience and confidence, she always knew what to say when somepony needed advice. She wasn't the best to come to when it came to "love" as that honor had already been claimed by Princess Cadence. No, her advice has the common sense that seemed absent from ponies in this time period, and she was persuasive. She had literally the perfect personality...it is no mystery as to why she found that the subjects of Equestria have had multitudes of more dreams involving Celestia than herself.
Even Twilight Sparkle, her sister's former student, now stands as an equal Princess of Equestria. She is a fellow princess who has earned the admiration and respect of ponies across Equestria. Princess Luna admits that she feels envious of Twilight's close daughter-like relationship with Celestia and her rapid rise to power and responsibility, but she has proven time and time again to be more than deserving of it. She and somehow finds a way to make everything alright. With all dilemmas seeming to turn out okay in the end of any event they may find themselves involved in, as if Twilight Sparkle is the main character of her own book. But more than anything that Luna envies, it is how easily she forms everlasting bonds and friendships with those she meets.
It isn't quite as easy for a mare that ponies told Nightmare Night stories about for the past one thousand years to make many friends, or even a real conversation. They had nightmares of her and the idea of her, after all. Her form was unknown for many a year, and these ponies were imaginative as to what monstrous features they had in their "head canon" for her. Though she was mostly powerless during her banishment, she still had a clear view of their dreams and nightmares during her time on the moon. They may play along and run around during Nightmare Night but she still catches the uneasy side glances of ponies that happen to see her outside of night time hours. The only ones that seem to alleviate Luna's loneliness in this regard apart from her fellow royals would have to be her stalwart Lunar guards(who were forced to interact with her at first), the foals and fillies she entertains once a year during said Nightmare Night, and the dreamers who don't know they could be speaking with the Princess Luna. Has anypony really spoken with Luna apart from these ponies? Has anyone even spoken with Luna as a friend since her banishment, without it either being some requirement or falsehood of them not knowing it was her?
"... I only saw you as how you look right now. As the nice and gentle Princess that saved me a couple minutes ago. I promise, I would probably be the last person to judging you."
That's right... The creature known as "Edgar" didn't show the least bit of caution around her, even if he does speak before he thinks...
"Why would I automatically assume that you are evil? I just met you."
...
Perhaps Luna and her Sister may be going about things too harshly with him. He doesn't seem too bad.
"Ay must've blinked or somethin'. One minute she was there. Another, "Poof"." The high-pitch voice of the Breezy rationalized with shaky rattle.
Princess Luna shook herself from path her thoughts were taking, and refocused on her investigation. There was time for introspection later.
The great and powerful Trixie spoke after the silence became too much for her. "Where do you think Princess Luna could have gone?"
"Right behind you." Princess Luna growled.
"AHHHHHHHHH" came the cacophony of terrified screams from the trio, stumbling over each other in a sea of chaos. Delphi, the Breezy suddenly zipped right back into Trixie's hat. Trixie was in the process of throwing a smoke bomb onto the ground, which was swiftly caught by Princess Luna's magic as it detonated into a fine compressed powder in the shape of the smoke bomb into her magical bubble. Twilight's reflexes were nothing short of phenomenal, as she quickly hoped over with flared wings and kept her horn primed at the ready.
In the back of her mind, Princess Luna was glad that Twilight was this skilled and has no doubt that she could have defended herself if it was any other unicorn or magic user on the caliber of Discord or even the Changeling Queen she had the nightmare about last night. But Princess Luna was not just any other magic user, and there are extreme advantages to the element of surprise. Princess Luna released her magical hold on the condensed smoke from Trixie's smoke bomb and flung it at Twilight's face, momentarily blinding her and throwing her focus off as Princess Luna finally wrangled her in her magic. In power, they may have been closely matched, but Twilight still had a few more decades to go before she could go up against Luna when she fights dirty.
In summary, the Trio was no match for Luna as she was able to predict all their moves and rendered them completely immobile in her magical grasp.
"Twilight Sparkle..." Luna growled in annoyance, greeting the purple Alicorn with the intention of letting loose the Royal Canterlot voice and scold her.
"Hip-KHOFF KHAK KHAK!" Before Twilight Sparkle could speak, she erupted in a coughing fit from the smoke, blue powder puffing out of her mouth. After a few short moments of Twilight's coughing and dry hacks, Twilight's breathing started to stabilize with her heaves starting to become less labored. "Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia-KHAK" Twilight strained out.
"What?" Luna asked, momentarily forgetting the verbal lashing she was going to give Twilight. This didn't sound like a cough, but some form of coherent sentence she was trying to get out.
"Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia! Also, you brought EXPLOSIVES!?!" Twilight wheezed, involuntarily turning toward Trixie as they both still floated and spun in the weightlessness of Luna's magic.
"They're simply smoke bombs, Sparkle. They are quite valuable for quick getaways!" The lopsided and upside-down Trixie justified as she kept trying to crane her neck to see Twilight. Her cape was just barely sweeping the floor as she held onto her Magician's hat to keep it on her head.
"That's not better! What if somepony thought there was a fire."
"The smoke is blue and fun, like myself. Nopony would think "danger" when they see it, they'll think of the greatest magician in Equestria."
"Unless they thought it was smoke from a chemical spill or the experiments I run!"
It soon came to Luna's attention that Twilight could have escaped Luna's grasp at any point with enough effort. However, it is clear that Twilight was letting Luna hold them to not aggravate her.
"...What...What was that sound, Twilight? Dost thou need an apothecary? " Luna asked again, even more confused with a raised eyebrow, causing Trixie to interject.
"It's long-word-a-phobia! It was Twilight's code word yesterday. We're not changelings, see?" Trixie said, trying to ease Luna's worries and hopefully not become a shish-kabab. "Just put me down and don't hurt us! Or me, at the very least."
...Of course Twilight would change the pass phrase from "Bibliography" to something that ridiculous. Couldn't be anything simple like "Friendship" or "Harmony", now could it?" Luna thought to herself. "It still doesn't make any sense to us why she liked to convoluted things like a password, as we doubt her guards have an easier time with it then we do. It defeats the purpose if her guards can't even understand it or question if the phrase was said correctly. We must address this with her later."
"You do not have to worry Miss Lulamoon, for we were fairly certain you weren't changelings. There is no way you could have passed my sentry wards otherwise." Luna let out a sigh of relief as she lowered Twilight Sparkle and the Loud and Bound Trixie onto their hooves. Princess Luna then shook her head and gave an annoyed huff. "Still, thou had us filled with dread. Twilight Sparkle, have you cursed us upon entering your castle? This now marks the THIRD time that we hath had our conversations ease-dropped on. And why in Faust's name were you sneaking around your own castle in such ridiculous costumes?"
"Told you!" Trixie snarked as she flared her cape and let it rest properly on her barrel, prompting Twilight to frown and take a second to stick her tongue out at the magician in mild annoyance. "We were worried about Edgar. We thought you all would have the wrong idea about him, and we wanted to make sure he was going to be alright."
Princess Luna's gaze shifted between the two horned ponies with an intent to admonish them with the fury of a mother who caught a filly's hoof in the cookie jar.
"It isn't like thee to act in such a guileful manner. We told you both that we would make sure no harm would befall him, and our sister has assured you both that he was alright. Doth thou not trust in us?" She asked, hoping to get a better explanation out of them.
"Then why did you try to EAT HIM!?!" A voice came out from Trixie's hat, eliciting a double take from the stunned night princess.
"Why did we- what?" Luna asked, the poor alicorn's confusion not at all dwindling as she found herself speaking to Trixie's hat. Out from under the rim of Trixie's hat, popped out the head of a Breezy...the one from yesterday, yes. Delphi seemed to be putting on a brave face in front of Luna and the other two, but it was still clear to Luna that she still instilled fear into the Breezy.
"I saw the whoooole th-th-thing! You tried to eat him earlier by going right for his weak-spots. Right under his bandages. So I went back and warned everypony else about you and your plans to eat him and gain his power! Riiiiight here." Delphi pointed at the left side of her own chest.
"I thought it was silly when Delphi came to us with that, but I wanted to help her understand that you wouldn't gobble Edgar up. We also didn't want to interrupt, since Delphi is still a bit scared of you." Twilight explained with an embarrased chuckle as she shook her head, dismissing the nonsense before she looked back at Princess Luna...who was now starting to blush like a filly with her hooves caught in the cookie jar. "Why are you being quiet, Princess Luna?"
That marks the fourth time Luna was spied on, but this was pushed into the corner of her mind. Her face started to flush in heat as blood rushed to her cheeks. Though it was obviously a misunderstanding, she couldn't help but feel bashful at the whole situation.
"N-no we were not biting Sir Edgar on purpose, we merely ho-..." Luna started before clearing her throat and realizing that they were getting off topic. "Hark, there are still mysteries surrounding him."
"Please don't change the subject, were you trying to eat him or now?" Twilight asked, leaning away from Princess Luna as her left eyebrows raised, as she started to look at Princess Luna strangely. "...Princess Luna, please! Just say that you didn't and we can prove that Delphi has nothing to fear."
"Yea, what do you mean by "on purpose"?!? Did you actually bite him?" The Great and Powerful Trixie's right eyebrow raised as she gave Princess Luna a suspicious look. "I thought you Alicorns choose not to eat meat? He couldn't have tasted good, I don't remember him getting a bath a-."
Princess Luna shook her head as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"TheSubjectIsBeingAltered. PrayWeDoNotAlterItFurther!" Princess Luna spoke quickly, almost as if she was trying to match the speed of Laughter's manner of speaking. She didn't come close, but the untrained ear would not know that. After a few calming breaths, she regained her composure and turned back to Twilight. "Now, is that the only reason that you were spying on us?"
Twilight looked down and to the side in guilt, almost as if she was caught reaching into the cookie jar.
"...Edgar didn't ask for any of this."
"What does that mean, Twilight? He didn't ask for "what" exactly?" Princess Luna inquired, wondering if Twilight had the same feelings on the matter that she herself had.
"When Celestia asked me to voice any concerns I had...I didn't, and I forgotten my courage that moment. You and I helped each other build his dampening box, and I get why Princess Celestia thinks it's needed. I just don't think we even gave him a chance to see how he felt about all this. I just think we should have given him more of a chance then simply building that cage around him while he slept. It feels wrong that he doesn't even know why, and he had to have been so confused and scared when he woke. He shouldn't have been in the cage to begin with..."
Princess Luna is near certain of Twilight's intentions, but she has to make sure. "Take the Human's feelings into consideration? Even if it could hurt the ponies of Ponyville if let loose? Even after knowing what you know about Edgar now? If our sister's theory is correct, he could be affecting Ponyville's emotions and state of mind, and this is the worst time for that to be the case."
Twilight shook her head and gave Princess Luna a determined glare. "If he was planning on hurting anypony, he would have done it to Trixie when they met. He could have done it to Apple Bloom in the field. He could have done it to me when I was interviewing him, but he didn't! We want to live in a world where we will protect the innocent, we can't punish somepony because we think they could be guilty of doing something wrong. We don't even know that he's doing it, and if-..." Twilight continued her fierce defense of Edgar, but in honesty Princess Luna stopped listening after the first few sentences after hearing her conviction to protecting the innocent.
"If only Celestia could hear this, she would be so proud." Luna thought, almost getting chills from Twilight's continued declaration. The good kind, that is. She can see why her sister has made it a habit to tutor new students and witness their growth, and it almost tempted Luna to try and procure a disciple for herself. At the very least, one that is less talkative and excitable than Twilight. A student like her may be fulfilling, but she would certainly be a hoof-full.
"I agree. Come." Princess Luna interrupted before turning facing the stairs out of the storeroom.
"-And its not fair that I didn't make an exception when doct-..." Twilight stopped and did a double-take. "Really? Just like that?"
"Indeed. Thou art a princess too, Twilight. Your fears and worries matter just as much as ours, and if you are concerned that we are going too far with Edgar's detainment, this needs to be taken into consideration. Art thou going to follow us?"
"...I had twenty more minutes worth of reasons as to why we needed to free Edgar...This is anti-climactic." Twilight mumbled in a dispirited tone, kicking away at an imaginary pebble on the ground. Luna chuckled as she took a hoof and patted Twilight's back.
"Thou may save thine speech for our sister. She likely wouldn't want to miss it. For now, we breaketh the ice once more!" Princess Luna shot a hoof forward, pointing at the staircase "leading the charge" toward the tea parlor.
"You've been using that slang phrase often. Did you just learn it somewhere?" Twilight asked with a smile and a cheerier disposition. She, along with Trixie started to follow Princess Luna out of the room and into spiral staircase leading to the castle halls.
"Indeed. We would like to work on modernizing our vernacular. Perhaps we should simply try echoing Loyal Rainbow's or Laughing Pinkie Pie's manner of speaking, though we admit we still struggle with Kind Fluttershy's lesson of "Volume"..."
"We might wanna hurry." Delphi yelled from the back. As the trio of magic users looked behind them toward the ground where the noise was coming from, they saw Delphi peeking through the hole again. "Princess Celestia isn't smiling anymore. She looks mad."
"Ugh, Edgar probably said something stupid... Again!" Trixie face-hoofed, adjusting her hat. Delphi flew right up into the Trixie's hat, prompting Trixie to once again readjust it in annoyance after she got done the first time. After following Princess Luna toward the staircase going down from the storeroom, Trixie pipped up once more. "...Princess Luna wasn't talking about The Great and Powerful Trixie's uniform being ridiculous earlier, was she? I can understand her complaints about your outfit, Sparkle. But I think blends with my coat and suits me very well." With a wave of pride, Trixie struck a pose. "It's my brand!"
"You mean how it's super over the top and funny looking, right?" A tiny voice from her hat questioned, crushing Trixie's ego in a fell swoop. "And aren't you ripping off Star Swirl?"
"its not that bad..." Trixie said, dejected.
Luna's voice could be heard from below the staircase.
"Tis a wonderful look for a Falling Star such as thee, but thine embroidery gives thee no tactical advantage whatsoever."
***Edgar's POV*** **Tea Parlor of Twilight's castle**
"Very well, Edgar...I suppose you thought that if you had pushed her away, you may have been in a perilous predicament. There is no point in getting angry over it now." Princess Celestia said, still very annoyed at me. "This is Luna's mistake. She buttered her bread, now she gets to lie in it when I speak with her about it later."
Long story short, Princess Celestia somehow knew right away that we were lying about not touching each other, but after I explained that it was purely platonic I am not in serious trouble. I didn't make a conscious effort to stop Luna, but I don't think I could have even if I wanted to. Given that this was the first thing she was probing me about once Luna left, I honestly don't think she was kidding about touching a princess lewdly being a punishable offence.
"Now, back to the elephant in the room. You came here to find a way home, correct?" She asked, while I nodded my head to her question. "...and because no normal pony is as strong, skilled, or knowledgeable enough to cast this spell, Trixie Lulamoon brought you here." I nodded once more. "I believe in Twilight, but even an Alicorn such as her would need help when it comes to opening a gateways like the one you're asking for, and from what Twilight described Trixie wasn't a particularly powerful Unicorn when she left. I doubt she could conjure a portal to your world."
"Well yea, I guess. She said she knew Twilight, who knew you. So I was hoping you would help me get home."
"This task is more complicated than it sounds. We can't just drop everything we are doing because you asked nicely, and it may be a bit more time-consuming than you may have hoped."
"Time-consuming? How long do you think it's going to take???" I asked, sort of dreading the answer.
"Because of how complicated spells like this can get, we need to make sure everything is set up perfectly. If our spell and preparation is imperfect, we may conjure a portal to the void between the moon and stars, and you would not survive. We need to research and determine what exactly your world is. Is it an alternate dimension? A world across the stars? Another time deep in the past of another dimension? We are unsure. That is the biggest hurdle, but not the most important one." Celestia mentioned in a slightly contradictory manner. "The medium we would need to use to accomplish this was one of my own teacher's creation, a genius of magic. It was one of his crowning achievements, and as he is no longer of this world, I would like to preserve his memory in any way that I can." Celestia mused reminiscently, probably referring to Star Swirl the Bearded.
If she is talking about Star Swirl's mirror portal thing, then this means that either the comics are canon(or so I heard, since I saw one panel from a Bizzaro-world Equestria), or the Equestria Girls movie is canon. Whichever the case, it will likely piss off a large portion of the fanbase back home.
However, I can't take joy from that thought since Celestia has been rubbing me the wrong way this entire time. It may have been the fucking headache, or it may have just been pent-up frustration from being hangry earlier or with Celestia's attitude and the runaround I have been given so far, but I just let her have it I am sorry, but I don't think I can deal with it being spoken to like this. Being given the runaround on me getting home or not. Her not showing any form of gratitude in the slightest for saving this town, and me still not knowing what the fuck is up with that glass box she turned my room into.
"Well don't you kind of owe me for saving Ponyville? I did my part and all that, and its not like I had to do so or anything. I chose to do so."
Celestia paused her sip and put her cup down. "Explain." She commanded. "The Royal Guard stationed here made the same choice you have without asking for anything more than a safer Equestria and compensation for their services. Six of them have given their lives yesterday."
"Only six guards died in this invasion? That's way better than I thought it could have been. From what I saw coming in, they were getting beaten back and I came in to help with the heavy lifting. It could have been much worse if I didn't show up last minute, right?"
The corner of Celestia's mouth twitched. "Only six?"
Oh...oh that could have been worded better.
"I mean, when all things considering, this could have been much worse, and I didn't really swear any oaths or pro-" Celestia held up a hoof and I shut up immediately. I clearly crossed a line with her.
"Only six..." she repeated to herself looking off to the side and nodding with a pursed smile. It felt as if she was deciding how best to serve me to a neighboring dragon, and it only affirmed my fears once Princess Celestia turned back to me. "Private Sequoia Saps, M.P Shields. Sergeant-Major Loud Mouth..." Princess Celestia started to recite names and titles, but the impression was that it was not from memory, but from heart with the care of that one would show when giving a eulogy. "Second Centurion Slow Dancer. Private Barkhide. Private Major Stone Wall. Cadet Onyx Bolt. Vexillarius Flag Keeper. Praetorians Left Hook and Right Hook. Vexillarius Stand Maker, and now Private Heavy Spoon, who was executed in broad daylight after giving his life to protect Ponyville. These are the names of the Stallions and Mares that have given their lives protecting Equestria this year of the many hundreds I have personally overseen the funerals of. I've personally lost count of them, and of all of our failures yesterday, the bravery of my little ponies were not one of them. You may have "saved" Ponyville before my sister could, but every minute they spent battling off the changelings was another life they saved. None of our citizens died, and the price of this was their blood, not yours. I would ask that you choose your next words very carefully and not disrespect the noble dead in my presence ever again."
Holy fuck, I'm a douche...
"I-I wasn't thinking, and I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry." I tried to apologize. "On my world, when you hear of battles or war, we'd hear about fights that had at least a few dozen or a few hundred, let alone the millions that have died. There was a battle we learned of in our history class in a single city called Stalingrad, which had roughly a million soldiers die on the low estimate."
"...I see. What a terrible place you come from, for your first thought of their deaths to be the quantity of the mares and stallions that died rather than the quality of the pony who made gave everything they ever had...everything they ever will have, for your tribe." Celestia clicked her tongue. "I will pray every day now that we never become so callous here."
"We don't do that. That was just me being frustrated and a douche about the whole "not getting home anytime soon" thing. Respecting soldiers is actually a really big deal in my country and I was just being an idiot and speaking before I think...again. I can't apologize enough."
"Don't apologize or justify yourself to me. Be better." She scolded at me, now wearing a rigid expression as she seemed to judge me. There was an awkward and tense silence in the room for a few moments as we seemed to start calming down, and Celestia took this time to use her magic and refill both her own cup and mine with tea. Strangely enough, the liquid in both of our cups seemed to be steaming even more than usual. I would have expected it to cool by now, and the steam seemed to obscure Celestia's face as well as a gossamer veil.
"Regarding your trip back home, I have given it a bit more consideration. I now believe it is for the best to get you home as quickly as possible, and I will ask all of the three other Alicorns and some of the strongest unicorns we know of to make time for "Ponyville's Hero" and send you to your home. It would have taken up a few months on normal circumstances, but for you..." Celestia seemed to give that answer a bit of thought as she bore into me with that uncomfortable glare. "...weeks."
I released my breath that I didn't know I was holding. It is a bit bittersweet hearing that. I do want to get home, and while I am happy that it could have been done so quick, it sucks that I gave Celestia has such a bad taste in her mouth about me now. That's not me, and I hate feeling like I can't make up for this or take back this mistake. I'm getting the feeling that she is trying to plow through this as quickly as possible because she doesn't want me to stick around, which sucks because I really wanted to try and hang out with everyone else from the show. Possibly do a little bit of trolling with Discord? I don't know if I'll have time for anything, or anypony if I am leaving this quickly.
"And if we find a way for you to go home you will leave for certain?" Celestia probed with a monotone voice.
"I'm sorry?"
"We're going to be spending a lot of time trying to send you home. This will be a monumental risk, and I don't want efforts that can be better spent ensuring the safety of my ponies to be in vain." She explained, using her magic to pour herself another cup of tea. She already finished the first piping hot cup that she poured since our spat? Is her throat insulated or something? How is she not in pain? "I need you to say that you will. Once you do, we shall commit to this."
"Is that all I have to do? Just dip out as soon as I can?" She just scanned me with calculating eyes, not letting up her burning gaze as she sipped her tea, not blinking since the question was first asked. "Alrighty then. Let's shake on it. I leave the minute the portal is made." I extended my hand out in hopes to get some sort of agreement between us, but it just hung out awkwardly in mid-air as she kept that gaze upon me. "Eh-heh, it's called a handshake on my world, by you might call it a hoof-shake." I explained.
If I had blinked, I could have seen that she only looked down for a fraction of a moment at my offending appendage before leveling her eyes back to bore into mine. She saw my hand was out but she made zero effort to reciprocate and just kept looking at it. It was like my hand was offending her some way or another.
Ok I know handshakes existed in the show. There was plenty of episodes that had something like this, right? Unless this is some sort of Mandela thing going on. I'm not going crazy, am I?
I retracted my hand and put it to better use scratching the back of my head in what I would assume is obvious discomfort.
"Very well. We shall work on getting you back to your world. We do not need your hand-shake, as your word would suffice," She waved off, still unblinking in her judgements. "During this time, I am prohibiting you from making any attachments to my little ponies. Control whatever "urges" you may have during your time, and do not act upon them. Do not make friends with them. Do not court them. Do not even touch them, or I will know."
"What, why?" I stuttered as a blush crept on my face. "I-I mean I'm not planning on trying to go on a date or anything, but that seems a bit off-topic. I mean, they aren't humans. I mean, sure I think they are nice and colorful and have great personalities, but they're... I mean, they're ponies!!! I mean, not that there was anything wrong with that, or anything, but...they're PONIES!"
I was doing my best to convince her, but I think I was honestly trying to convince myself as well. I will admit feel a bit disgusted with myself for thinking of these characters in that way for the past few days. While they may be adults and act lewd sometimes(or a little too often in the short time that I known them), they were made to entertain children. At least, that was the intention, before a bunch of Bronies decided to draw lewd/humanized art of them.
Did I get a boner with Trixie when we were drunk that one time. Sure! I was drunk as hell and that was my second time having alcohol. I'm not that good with drinking yet. And even when she did suck on my finger like she was trying to polish it into a fine point...come on, it caught me off-guard! It doesn't count!
Did I get a boner when that Changeling queen was acting like one of those chicks from the Monster Girl Quest tiddy games? You betcha, but she was already stroking my dick with her tail! Her TAIL! Kinda hard to resist biology and it's cruel effects on a guy who still hasn't gotten laid yet.
It's a bit different from seeing a lewd on Derpibooru or FimFiction and seeing a cartoon character you know in the flesh, Humanized, Anthro, or otherwise. Even if I had an attraction to them(or the idea of them), I would feel like a creep trying to make a move on them after knowing so much about them and their world. Like I was some form of a stalker or something.
Wait, did she say I can't even make friends with them? What the hell kind of out-of-character statement was that?
Celestia took a large intake of air through her nose as she seemed to start getting frustrated. The feeling is mutual. "I don't know why I have to explain this to you. Surely you would have considered this as a common courtesy you should zero issue following through on. Should you by any miracle or curse sire a foal, you cou-"
"Celestia stop, please!" This is getting annoying.
"So we are in agreement in this, at least?" What a stupid question, and I feel like you're drilling into me on purpose. I get it, you don't like me. Cool.
I was starting to get a bit irritated at her, and this headache isn't helping. "Yea, but why even bring it up in the first place? If I am leaving as quickly as you said I was, there wouldn't be a chance, even if I was interested in that kind of stuff, which I'm not! And why did you say I can't even be friends with them? I'm not doing anything wrong if I crack a joke or two, or if we tell stories and-"
Celestia interrupted me once more, her words feeling like they are pressing into my skull and pounding their way out. "Why do you think it be ill-advised to make lasting bonds and attachments with my ponies when you know you will never see them again?"
"Fine, I get it. I'll do my best to be as blunt and unapproachable as you would like me to be." I snarked at her, getting a bit more angry.
"You will not "do your best", you will do. I need you to make this promise right now. I need to hear these words right out of your mouth. You need to give me your word, your solemn vow that you will stay away from my ponies. If a pony even bumps into you on accident, you will tell me and explain in detail what happened. Do I make myself clea-"
I had enough of this bullshit.
"ALRIGHT already! I already said I wouldn't do it, what the FUCK do you want from me!?!" I shouted at her, smacking a fist against my bandaged palm. "God, ever since I've been cooped in that box, I've been treated like an SCP or a Zoo animal! The guards that escorted me here would not say a fucking word and couldn't even be bothered to grab a cane or a crutch or something. Because of that, I took one little stumble and almost tripped. A good half of your guard drew their swords at me for that. ME! After I played hero for Trixie and Ponyville, my reward is to be treated like John Wayne Gacy?" I slammed my fist against my palm again, as if to count my grievances. "You still haven't explained why I woke up in that glass box. You haven't even explained what that is about. You still don't trust or believe a word I say when I have ZERO reason to lie right now. I feel like I've been walking on eggshells, and its only around you. I really don't appreciate the fucking third-degree. You fucking made your point, so take your "W" and just drop it, bitch!" I rested my pounding head in my free hand as I leaned back.
...Holy crap, my jaw is actually shaking right now, and I can't get it to stop.
Though I don't like her at all right now, her reasoning made sense so far. What I didn't like, however, is how she said it. Her logic made sense, but I still let my emotions get the drop on me.
There was an eerie silence in the room before I felt a small shiver right as I got done venting at her, feeling goosebumps over my body. This was not a cold shiver, but it felt like one of those random shivers I would get just out of the blue. I started to fear that I might have made a big mistake interrupting her...calling her a bitch...and being as aggressive as I was right now.
Something in the room changed and it's not just the mood. I can't tell what, but it's there.
Neither her face changed nor her posture as she sat there on that couch observing me, but she kept looking at me as the room grew a little bit brighter brighter from her horn. She was still holding her tea. It was the fact that she seemed so unfazed by my outburst, that was giving me the heebie-jeebies, and she was clearly the one in charge in this room. Almost like she was expecting this from me.
Gradually, I felt my entire body started shaking for some reason. It wasn't just my jaw from earlier, but it was like I was getting cold shivers across my entire body... It was as if I was feeling a primal fear.
Like I was in imminent danger
As if I was already staring at a snake inches away, only to now have it start uncoiling its hood and revealing itself to be a King Cobra that I just poked with a stick.
"So I have..." Celestia said after clicking her tongue again before getting up and walking toward me, avoiding the coffee table between us. It now came to my attention that I was relying on that as a sort of teddy bear or a placebo for a wall between us. As she drew closer it dawned on my just how much taller she was. " For the time being, you are to remain in your guest room. You are not to try and leave until we ponder upon on this situation further. I also know of your diet, due to the extensive notes my faithful student wrote down, of course. I don't know what your previous eating habits were, but all forms of bovid are sentient here. Chickens and Pigs are also not on your menu, as they help with our agriculture. Every meal from them to feed you would take the meals of three or more ponies. As such, we can only accept you adopting a pescatarian diet while you remain in Equestria." She got nothing but a blank stare from me. "... This means "fish"." She deadpanned at me.
"I-I see...none of that is bad. Thank you" I acknowledge, still stuttering. I kinda expected that, since that was the fallback that most fanfictions fell back on. Otherwise, I would have no idea how they would tolerate Gryphons or Minotaur in the show's lore. Celestia stayed quiet after this, and I looked down and away from her to try and hid from her gaze. The silence was starting to get to me. Maybe she wants an apology from me? Yea, That's it. I just have to swallow my pride and apologize. "Cel- er, Princess Celestia, I want to apologize. I shouldn't have s-"
"Don't think you are off the hook just yet, hero." She warned me, letting the word roll off her tongue like a piece of raw garlic. "You may have pulled a wool over the eyes of my sister, my student, and that entertainer that insisted on traveling with you, but you have not fooled me. I know that you were lying to us...about more than just Luna "holding hooves" with you." Celestia finally revealed with a mocking tone, as if to gauge my reaction. I'm bit sure what face I could have made since my heart stopped for a split-second after hearing that.
There was something wrong... There's been something wrong here, but now I can hear it in this music. It didn't sound anything like any of the music that I heard my entire time here. Not even when I was fighting Telsona did the music become this sinister...this terrifying.
Involuntarily, I started to retreat back further, only succeeding in pushing myself further and further into the cushions of the couch I was sitting in, molding myself into the fabric.
"Do I know of one par~ti~cu~lar lie? Do I know about every lie you have given up until this point? I will let you stew on that...It's not the first time we have been lied to and it will probably not be the last. That is what your kind is known for. A cornucopia of "Lies"." I heard Celestia spat out, almost as if peeling a nasty bit of food off of her tongue. "Your kind have destroyed families, eviscerated nations, and ruined the lives of loved ones with lies. Even the ones told in good intention paved the road to Tartarus, and those who do so with good intent suffer the worst, as they not only sacrifice the trust of those that love them but they sacrifice their own convictions. They sacrifice what made them "ponies", what made them..."Hyuuu-man." Celestia's words were coated with venom as she approached my seat with a quiet fury. "As hatred breeds hatred, as love blossoms into more love, lies grow upon lies like a cancer, eventually leading to more suffering. This cancer, however, has been known to be contagious. I should probably admit to you that I too have lied today. Were you not in the nullification zone, you may have heard of how much that Magician, Trixie, obsessed over your wellbeing. You may have heard how much my student questioned my decision in interviewing you. You may have even been woken up by the argument and choice words my sister had for me earlier this morning about your circumstances." I felt that Princess Celestia stopped somewhere in front of me as the room grew humid and thick.
"I told Miss Trixie Lulamoon you were fine, and this was true. But also I told my student and my sister earlier this morning that no harm, no matter the circumstance, would befall you in your time here. This was a lie, and a promise I can't keep...Look at me, Human."
I didn't dare to do so. I couldn't even voluntarily blink or shut my eyes. The stinging feeling I felt as from not blinking was overshadowed by the terrifying presence looming over me...an overwhelming pressure bearing down on me as a small screech grew louder and louder.
"I command thee LOOK!" Princess Celestia BOOMED as she reared back on two legs and as slammed her two of her gold-adorned front hooves about a foot and a half away from either side of my head in a muffled CRACK. I flinched, still shaking as I slowly turned my head back up to meet Celestia's gaze. I heard cracking noises coming from what I assumed was stressed wood under the upholstery from the section where she was resting her weight on. As I craned my neck upward, this position perspective just how huge and menacing she actually was, as the shadow casted from her silhouette was enough to swallow me entirely. She was not as big as an actual horse, but that hardly made a difference as she was still an Alicorn, and she was bigger than Luna at the end of the day. I felt as if she could break me with her bare hooves if she so pleased. She needed no magic to do so. What struck me most of this view was her face, or lack thereof. Obscured by a copious amount of steamy mist, all I could perfectly make out were her eyes...her glowing magenta eyes that peered furiously through this induced fog.
Celestia still had her teacup and pot in her magical grip, hovering over me and glowing not just from her magic, but from an ever growing heat that felt like would eventually turn the dishware into molten ceramic even from where I was sitting. The strange concoction inside both was starting to boil and sizzle like crazy as steam continued to billow from the liquid. Tiny little droplets from the bubbles that popped from it landed every which way. Some landing on my face, causing me to let out hitches in my breath as I winced. Some of it landed on Celestia, though it did not even seem to effect her, as it evaporated into a milky steam as soon as it touched her. A tumultuous whistle of hot vapors poured out of the teapot she had in her grasp like a continuous scream, growing louder and louder and LOUDER. The steam could not come out fast enough though, as the lid of the teapot had an ominous rattle as the steam was trying to find any way it could to escape it's confinement. Celestia was unfazed, Not breaking her eye contact with as if she watching for my next move. "Now pay close attention Hyu-man...Don't touch me. If you so much as brush up against me, the magic holding these will likely fail and they will melt on top of you."
The music changed again...or, evolved. It was more or less the same, but it was starting to get bombastic. Louder. It was as if it was screaming at me, trying to warn me that I was in terrible danger, and that I needed to run, while also warning me that if I so much as tried, I was going to die right there. I can't control the trembling in my hands nor the sweat from the humidity beading down my forehead nor the formation of liquid terror starting to coalesce near my tear ducts, and as I exhaled, i-my breathing, oh my god I can't control it! As many breaths as I take in, I can't seem to get enough air. I feel like I'm suffocating. These bandages are getting to tight, a--aad-and I.
"Whether or not I keep my promise to them is based entirely upon your actions hence forth. I can not keep it if you attempt to bring any harm, intentional or not, to the lives of the ponies here...I would recommend you do not give me a reason to come back and take you back to Canterlot myself, because I promise you will be looking for one. If it were up to me and me alone, you wouldn't even be sitting here. You would have been placed in a dungeon, or kept in the crystal maze under Canterlot until it is time for you to leave. But no, you get to rest in that gilded cage only because of my student's faith in you, which can change the moment you slip up. And if you think about breaking any taboos with Twilight... I won't hesitate to kill you with my bare hooves." Celestia raised her right hoof and banged down on the couch's wooden ridges, leaving sicking snaps as the wood spine started to fracture. "Stomp... Stomp... STOMP! And when you die, you won't have anypony here to mourn or celebrate you. You will simply be forgotten to time. Am I still making my point clear?!?! AM I???" She yelled into me as the prismatic colors of her hair growing whiter and whiter as her hair adopted a shade of white-hot fire.
I'm petrified.
I can't move. I can't breath. I can't think! My vision is getting blurry, and whether it is from tears streaming down my face or from the steam of the tea being flash boiled away, I can't tell since I can't even tell if I am still asleep or if I am living through a nightmare.
"...and you're crying now??? All that bravado, your blustering boasts, and your crude mockery of the fallen and you're CRYING?You haven't even received that "Third-degree" that you were talking about earlie-"
"TIA!"
An echoing boom came from the doorway, giving me the absolute worse jump scare of my entire life as I yelped and metaphorically shat myself...if I had actually had anything to eat, I would. The crystal chandelier above us rattled as a few papers napkins flew from the coffee table toward Celestia's direction. It looked as if they were going to hit Celestia until they combusted into embers before touching her. As Celestia looked up from me, I felt the hold her eyes had on me break.
Those haunting eyes...
I'm alive... You're alive... Breath in through your nose...and out through your mouth... You're still alive, and you have to breath...
As quickly as the music came it faded abruptly, leaving the the only ambiance I could make out being our heavy breaths and my heart seemingly trying to beat it's way out of my chest.
As things were starting to get too quiet for my comfort, I turned shakily turned to find Princess Luna at the doorway. Her knees were bent as she appeared ready to charge; Her eyebrows were cocked like a blade, and you could almost see a tumbling blue flame starting to seep out of the corner of her eyes as she barred her teeth in fury at the white alicorn.
"A word. NOOOOOoow!" She growl through her teeth.
With a raised eyebrow and flared nostrils, Celestia gave a nod and walked over to Luna, letting the ceramic dishware in her magic gently rest on the table, slowly warping as the air cooled it. Gone were the embossed floral patterns that previously adorned the kettle, as the multitude of colors they used to have mixed to form a pinkish-green amalgam. You could still feel the heat radiating off them as they cooled, and the air felt humid now. Celestia's hair reverted back to its rainbow-pastel colors, but the scowl she wore never left.
I'm still shaking, and I'm still alive. I'm fine. I'm fine. I can just ignore the headache and I'll be fine later. Just... in through my nose, out through my mouth.
Luna's horn glowed, and they were soon surrounded by a blue translucent bubble. I saw that Luna was flaring her nostrils in suite as she was breathing, and she looked upon her sister with loathing. She took a deep and long winded breath and in that split second I thought I was going to lose my hearing for good this time. I covered my ears as best as I could and squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the Royal Canterlot voice. Strangely enough, I didn't hear single thing. At first I thought that they were so loud I lost my hearing with Luna's yelling, but then heard some rumbling and some of the crystals of the chandelier jingling a little. When I opened my eyes I saw that Luna was in fact yelling at her sister, though I couldn't hear a single thing of what was being said. It looked as if she was trying to pantomime her audition for the Incredible Hulk, and though I couldn't hear what was being said I could feel her yelling. Celestia didn't let up either and gave what looked like just as much force back into her retorts, adding to the vibrations that were reverberating in the bubble and around the room too. Even the leftover tea inside the cups were rippling like there was an earthquake going on outside.
They both had to be talking about me somehow, as both Luna and Celestia were making gestures toward me as they yelled.
"Edgar..." a voice called from my side."...Edgar, are you okay?"
***Third person POV*** The tea parlor of Twilight's castle
Music rang in the ears of both Alicorns, but as they casted wards on themselves earlier to try and negate the effects, they paid little attention to the ambiance that echoed within their little bubble.
Luna could not believe what she had seen. In truth she arrived roughly a minute before she even spoke, observing a side of her sister she had never seen before. She appeared to be at a loss for words, trying to find the right thing to say, as calm heads prevail.
"You...BITCH!" Princess Luna spat.
But how could she stay calm after what she just witnessed?
"Hast thou lost thine senses!?!" Luna screamed at her sister, pointing at the Human stallion still trembling at the couch. "That stallion risked life and limb to save this town and the first thing you do is imprison and interrogate him like a war criminal?"
"I thought that's exactly what we both agreed we were doing. Whatever happened to "good guard, bad guard", Lulu?"
"Do not presume to "Lulu" us, Celestia! Forsooth, madness hath overtaken thee in thy attempts to interrogate this pony! That was MORE than you being "The Bad Guard"! Had you a cock, I wouldst mistaken thee for THE MAD KING SOMBRA!" Luna stomped her hoof into the ground, causing a few cracks to appear in the Azure floor as magic slowly left one of the tiles. Had she been paying attention, she would have noticed a few specks of crystal falling from the ceiling and bouncing off the shield the siblings have conjured. "Edgar already did gallow half-to-death with thee imprisoning him out of nowhere. Imprisonment that WE had helped with, and thou art threatening the boy with a life in Tartarus? WITH DEATH? Holding Liquified clay over him after he hath obviously shown he did hath nothing but valorous intentions? THIS IS NOT OUR SISTER!"
"Open thine eyes, sister. Do you really think that something that is pissing their pants over there is a powerful warrior capable of routing an entire army, let alone a Changeling Queen by themselves?" Celestia pointed to Edgar. "If you try to do the exact same thing without magic and you would not be standing here and you know it." She explained with furrowed brows. "We both know he is not being honest with us, and his words thus far is highly suspect! If he had told us the truth, we could accept that he simply wanted to make a name for himself, as his situation mirrors Miss Lulamoon's situation with the Ursa Minor, and yet he is so adamantly keen on trying to keep his secrets, one would suspect that he might die if they are discovered."
With every emphasized word, she cocked her hoof back and pointed right toward Edgar, not taking her eyes of her eyes off of Luna as the wind of her Royal Canterlot voice blasted Luna's hair back.
"WHY is he still alive after encountering Telsona's forces and WHY was he so Tartarus-bent on not telling us!?! Every moment he keeps this secret is another moment our ponies are not safe."
"From whom? The Changelings? Thus far, the only threat to anypony we have seen today is thee!"
"Watch...your...tone, Luna." Celestia's eyes narrowed as her voice started to lower. "You know that I am referring to the human..."
"You think we do not knoooow he has not been honest about his time here? We were both in agreement of this, but I shall not idly by as a Princess of Equestria-neigh, my own BLOOD treating him with such sadistic hatred. Hast though not seen his bandages? His cuts and bruises? Of his lies, he can't be faking those, and his actions and his pain speaks for themselves. Look upon him..." Luna interrogated as she turned and pointed to Edgar. Upon seeing him and the shivering tear-stained face again, Luna whipped her head back at Celestia with a renewed vengeance and speed that you could almost hear. "LOOK AT HIM!!! LOOK AT WHAT THOU ART WROUGHT UPON HIS STATE! Sir Edgar scared and in an unfamiliar world...alone. Whether he is was telling the truth or not, his cuts and bruises speak more than his words ever could! He is clearly not wanting of yet another battle against a Queen, and certainly not threats of death or imprisonment from the one Princess everypony looks up to in Equestria."
Celestia took a moment to magically steady her crown, which had almost slid off the Diarch's head due to the wind and vibrations occurring in this bubble. A normal ponies ear drums would have suffered long term damaged by now, but despite the Alicorns being accustomed to this volume of speech, Celestia was starting to get a migraine. "I will not pity a fool who willingly wanders in places they have no duty being. Better ponies have died on that battlefield, regardless of if they truly understood the finality of their fate." Celestia said heatedly, completely dismissing Edgar's plight and state. Tensions in the sister's bubble seemed to rise, almost as if ready to pop the bubble at any moment as Luna was slowly starting to lose what little patience she had of her sister this very moment. Celestia was not finished however. "He saved Ponyville. Great. Fantastic, even! That will certainly make up for the knife he would have lodged in any of our backs at the worst possible moment."
"A bold claim coming from somepony who portrayed themselves as a fair and just ruler until now. Though art bucking delusional! Were it not for him, this town would have be ashes. Are you simply going to take the lives he saved for granted, Celestia?" Luna spat off to the side of her sister's hooves as if to wash the now bitter taste out of her sister's name out of her mouth. A tear of wet, frustrated anger began to form on the corner of Luna's eye, caused by disbelief that she could see her own sister in such a state of vitriol. "Perish the truth thou so seeketh. Tis not worth the price of his friendship! Tis not worth the kind heart I know you have! This isn't you! We know it!"
"Even if he was telling us the entire truth at this point, its purpose would be a lie. His kind i-..." Celestia interrupted her train of though. "This human is unpredictable, and thou art no better a ruler, what with your "idea" to use him and whatever his capabilities are to help rid us of Changelings." Celestia took an antagonist tone, scolding her sister. "You act as though you are on some sort of "moral high-ground", but have you even told him you expect him to aid you further? To do it all again and assist you in your genocidal crusade you are trying to pitch to Equestria? Or are you going to spring that onto him out of nowhere?"
"Thou art not one to speaketh of such things, hypocrite. As we recall it was you who sent Discord to capture with Tirek, only to have him join him in "Jolly Cooperation". " Luna spat with her hooves forming air quotes, as she now started to pace back and forth in the bubble. "Yet despite all that, his betrayal, his lesson, his atonement were the key to defeating Tirek. We loath to admit it, but Discord is "reformed", and has since been a stalwart companion to Kind Fluttershy. Like with Edgar, none of us would be here today without him. If somepony who was as vile and chaotic as Discord once was could make a turn of the better and become allies with us, then why can't he?" She pointed at Edgar. "Rather than force him to leave, make peace and let it be his choice if he would like to help us. Until the time whence he is needed, we will protect him..."
Celestia blinked a couple times, almost dumbstruck.
"Prote-TELSONA'S INCURSION JUST PROVED THAT WE CAN'T EVEN PROTECT OUR OWN PONIES. THINK! LU-NA!" Celestia screamed, tapping a hoof at her head with those last three syllables. Celestia herself was starting to get teary-eyed in frustration. "Let's just entertain this for a moment and pretend that he is a venerable knight such as Shining Armor and isn't lying through his teeth. One who do no such thing as to bring harm upon our subjects. How is it that you think you can protect him, hmm? I've heard the Queen is still alive, Luna. What do you think this Changeling, whom Twilight described being sadistic, dangerous, and on the same caliber of Chrysalis, would do when she recovers from this humiliating defeat? Who do you think is the first pony she is going to hunt down, HMM?" She pointed at Edgar's direction once again, who was still very-much frozen in fear. "He is as good as dead if he stays, and I will not leave the fate of my little ponies in the clutches of a MONSTER! I made the choice that nopony else could, Luna! I was the "bad guard", and I made sure he will have zero intention of staying, let alone have to worry about his effects on Equestria. He will be galloping back to his rotten home the moment we are able to create his portal. It will be on his own volition, and we don't have to factor him in. That is final!" A stomp of Celestia's own cracked tiles on her side of the crystal floors, giving signs that she herself was starting to lose patience with this conversation. This was ending right now, and Edgar was going back into his gilded cage as she started to walk toward the direction of the couch the Human was yet trembling at.
"We were once a monster once too, Tia...and we still are to many, including the Changeling vermin." Luna said with gritted teeth, her voice trembling as she wore a face wet with rage and frustration, as tears finally started to roll down. "W-were I not your sister, would we hath simply been another monster to you? You hath given us a chance to prove ourselves despite every horrible thing we have done all those years ago, and we hath lived as honorably as one could since then..." Luna's face had wet streaks running down her face. This has been an emotional time for them, and while they have been known to argue from time to time, they had not done so with such vitriol for a long time. Seeing Luna's angry tear-soaked face caused Celestia to turn away from her sister and Edgar's direction, her own tears starting to roll down from the painful memories long since past.
"Luna, please...you can't fall for that monster's charms! You mustn't..." Celestia barely eked out with a voice hoarse from the yelling they have both done to one another, she barely sniffled. There is only one fight they had that was worse than this, and the stain of time has yet to wash away from that millennia ago.
"...and the one creature that we didn't have to prove ourselves for...The one creature who knew who we were and still accepted us without demanding us to prove ourselves is across the room from us. And they are a scared of us...If that matters to thee, we...I'm begging of you. Consider the same kindness you had shown to us for one who has also acted honorably, who trusted Twilight enough to speak plainly for every silly little question she had. Whom little Apple Bloom called "her guardian angel". Who had not shunned us for the monstrous things they know I had done..."" She rubbed out the tears that started to fall down her eyes, looking toward Edgar to see if he finally calmed down, but also in hopes that he could not see them both in such a pitiful state.
"...Where art thou, Edgar?" Luna asked in sudden shock. Celestia's eyebrows raised as she looked where Luna was looking, finding an empty spot on the chair and pieces of bandage strewn about. Neither the human, Twilight, or Trixie were anywhere to be seen.
***Edgar's POV*** **Tea Parlor of Twilight's castle.** *Moments before*
As I watched these ponies bicker back and forth, I almost could have sworn that they would have damaged their vocal cords by how much they seemed to be yelling, or lost their hearing... and I was relieved that no pony was talking to me.
"Edgar...?" a voice called from behind me.
I did not respond.
The same voice called out but I was honestly too shaken up to realize who it could have been until a light blue unicorn came on the left side of my peripheral vision. As I turned toward her, I could tell it was Trixie by the shape of her outfit and the color of her coat, but she honestly seemed like a blur to me.
"...Edgar, are you okay?" Trixie asked in a gentle voice, sizing me up with worry in her eyes. "You're shaking Edgar, please say something. What did she tell you?"
"Yea, don't..." I had to stop myself to take a few breaths. I just realized that I was holding my breath the moment Trixie started talking to me as if I was waiting for something to happen. Despite all that, I am still okay. I stuck a thumb out of my fist and the flesh of my hands turned white as I squeezed to try and give a picture-perfect thumbs-up. "Don't worry about me. I'm su-super!" I smiled with strain. Judging how miserably I failed to stop that stutter, I can only imagine what it looked like to Trixie. I don't think there was a point in trying to lie. Trixie did not call me out on that though, and she reached toward me as if to comfort me.
Without knowing why I started to lean away from her, pulling one of the segments of the couch cushion with me. It was then I realized that I was still squeezing it for dear life with my other hand, and after forcing myself to let go, I started to feel an aching relief in my digits and my wellbeing.
Just when I thought I was starting to get my bearings and steady by own breathing, I saw out of the corner of my eye that Celestia turned towards me.
Despite the hot flashes I had already been receiving throughout my day, the look she gave me froze my blood and soul to their core.
That look. That horrible horrible look. Those horrible horrible eyes.
For anyone else that has never watched this show, she could have just been upset or angry, but I had a flashback to a scene from the show when she fought Queen Chrysalis in the Royal Canterlot wedding. It had a frontal shot of Celestia's face upon the reveal of Queen Chrysalis. In the show, it was just a fight where she had stand up to the evil queen to save Canterlot against a threat in city lands. Here in this Equestria? It was probably kill or be killed between her and Queen Chrysalis, with the fate of her friends, family, and her country on the line.
And here I was on the receiving end of the same look she gave Queen Chrysalis before they fought, and I started to shake again.
I felt something touch my right shoulder.
I flinched on reflex as I balled up my right fist and retracted in a sort of half-boxer stance. As it was coming up from my lap, I ended up nailing something that felt fleshy yet rigid.
"OW!" came the other voice, and as I looked, I saw a purple Alicorn holding her nose with scrunched up eyes. I realized what I had just done, and though it was on accident I was now certain of my imminent future.
"oh no...."
The shaking turned to quaking...
***Third person POV*** **Tea Parlor of Twilight's castle.**
"oh no...." Edgar uttered quietly.
"Jeez Edgar... I'm sorry for startling you, but you have to be more careful in the future. That really hurt." Twilight said with a nasally voice, sniffling with her head tilted upward as she gave her nose some experimental prods. She soon winced in regret. "oww-oww-oww. Am I bleeding Trixie? It feels like it."
"Oh it can't be that bad! Aren't you built like an Armipasi since you're an Alicorn?" Trixie said, ripping another colored handkerchief from her hat as she held it against Twilight's nose.
"I'm a bit tougher than I used to be, but I'm not going to go asking ponies to kick me in the face!" Twilight justified, soon taking the offered handkerchief from Trixie to hold against her nose as she sniffed up the blood. "Thanks Trixie, that wasn't pleasant."
"...I'm...I'm going to die..." Edgar muttered, before starting to get up.
Both the mares who were previously distracted by the quick bop on the nose Twilight received snapped their heads and saw that Edgar sprung out of his seat and started to walk out of the room, which slowly turned into a powerwalk....then a jog, getting faster and faster. All the while, he was tearing away at any of the bandages that were limiting to his movements.
"Edgar?" Twilight questioned with unease, showing a growing concern etched upon her face as she teleported ahead of him as she trotted alongside the human. Her being a quadruped made it easy, even if this whole situation made her uneasy. "Edgar, what does that mean??? Where are you going!?!" Not liking what that implied in the slightest, Twilight sent a magic signal to every guard the west wing of her castle to help stop Edgar from running away, and that something was wrong. In the meantime, she had to try stopping him without the use of her magic. Luckily, Princess Twilight was a strong mare now that she had Alicorn blood flowing through her veins. She teleported in front of him once more and pushed against him with her shoulders.
She was more than strong enough by herself to stop Edgar...for a split second. Somehow, this human appeared to slip past her by doing some sort of "martial" technique on instinct that Twilight had never seen before. Pulling down on the crooks of her hooves she had on his chest, he performed what appeared to be a pirouette and spun out of her grasp. His motion seemed like a hoofball dodge with the grace of a beginner ballerina's twirl, which appeared to use Twilight's own strength against her as it focused on redirecting it. It was a strange technique, and caught Twilight off-guard. She was not harmed, but it stopped her from getting a good hold for that one second.
Now that Twilight knows what to expect, she could probably attempt to do grab Edgar again, but decided against it. If you meet force with more force, there is a chance she might end up hurting him. She needed him to understand that whatever was the matter, he was not in any danger. Either way, Twilight created enough of a delay for Trixie to teleport beside him as well to try and talk some sense into him.
"Edgar please! Take a deep breath. Drink some water, do something but you have to calm down." No response from the Edgar before Trixie ran behind him and grabbed the edge of his pants' nylon belt with her teeth. "WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO US!" She yelled through teeth and fabric as she felt herself getting dragged by the Human. Whatever happened in there, he was terrified of something.
Almost immediately, thestral guards lead by one of Luna's helmeted centurions flew in and arrived at the scene with an always impressive response time.
"Whoa hey! What's the rush, Romeo?" The red-eyed thestral asked as she stopped in front of Edgar, holding up a hoof in front of her to get him to slow down. Neither Scarlett nor the guards under her command seemed to intimidate Edgar in the slightest. He did not even register their existence as he ran past them. "I-hey, HEY STOP! HALT!" She dropped her friendly canter as she sprinted up and grabbed his left leg, her intention was to lift him up and knock him off balance. However, he seemed to simply fall forward into a roll without any resistance, taking both Trixie and Scarlett to the ground with him. "By order of the lunar g-". Before the Scarlett could finish a command, she was stunned as she saw that Edgar's eyes were almost blank with pure abject terror as tears rolled down his face, causing her voice to drop in attempts to deescalate the situation. "Hey hey, its okay. What's wrong, Romeo?"
The human's head turned and appeared to looked toward Trixie's direction, holding one of his claws in front of his face as if to hide from whatever had him spooked as he tried using another one to pull himself away in the opposite direction. "Please...don't hu-" he sputtered with froths of foam started forming at this mouth. His eyes dazed and frightened before slipping into unconsciousness as he started to hyperventilate, making a gurgling sound though the foam of spit as he rolled onto his side.
"HeyheyHEY! Can you hear me!?!" Scarlett asked, wiping away the foam near his mouth and keeping it open to try and clear up his airway. She used a hoof to lightly smack his cheeks and tried shaking him awake. "Come on, come on, give me a sign you can hear me, Romeo...EDGAR!"
No response.
"What's happening to him, WHAT'S HAPPENING!?" Trixie yelled with a terror stricken shudder, gently using a hoof to stroke his chest, looking for anypony to come and do something. "Edgar, can you hear me!? You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay, can you hear me?" She reassured, frantically shaking his back. "HELP! HELP US!" She called out.
The female thestral currently tending to Edgar cocked one hoof back and pushed Trixie's chest as hard as she could.
"Stay BACK!" Shouted Scarlett as she shoved Trixie onto her rump back as a few guards moved between Edgar and the duo of magic users. "Keep that Unicorn away from him!" She commanded, rolling the shirtless human onto his back and started feel around his chest. After a bit more prodding, she seemed certain that she found the right area. "Okay, like a minotaur," she said as she started pushing down on his chest, trying to give CPR Chest compressions to the human. "Twinkle ~ Twinkle ~ Little ~ Star. Gotta ~ Give'em~ C-P-R." She sang to herself, pressing down with each word, keeping to the beat to try and keep it going. Pressing her ears into his chest, she listened to his breathing, heartbeat, anything that could give a clue to what was going on. While his heart rate was starting to slow down, it sounded like his lungs were hardly getting any air. As foam started to form again, she took her hooves off of Edgar and lifted his chin up, wiping away the foam from his mouth once more. Scarlett ripped off her helmet and mashed her muzzle against his lips, forming a seal as she tried to breath air into his lungs.
The sounds of many hooves galloping started to become louder and louder, as did the clangs of armor. From behind Trixie Lulamoon, both Luna and Celestia were galloped up to the scene with puffy red eyes.
Celestia frowned at the development before turning toward some guards that followed them. With a hoarse voice, she took charge of the situation. "You, fetch a medic team and a stretcher now! Twilight, what happened?"
"I don't know." The now-shaken Twilight admitted in nasally voice, looking up at Celestia. "He bumped into me and then he started running away from us! He was ignoring everything we were trying to say to calm him down, but he just kept running and running until he fell over!"
"What happened to you, Twilight? Your nose is bleeding." Celestia asked as her eyes narrowed, noticing the red drip now that Twilight was more concerned with the creature laying on the ground than she was with plugging her nose. Celestia did not get an answer due to Twilight's newfound friend suddenly ripping Celestia's attention toward her.
"What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" The crazed and hysterical Trixie yelled, rearing up on her hind legs and doing her best to shove Princess Celestia. The Alicorn did not budge an inch as Trixie felt herself sliding away from Celestia. Within a span of a second, the guards came to apprehend her with swords drawn before Celestia raised a hoof to stop them. She was looking upon Trixie as if a million thoughts were forming in her mind, but they were suddenly interrupted as if somepony broke her train of thought.
"Oh fuck." A tense outburst from the thestral who was previously performing CPR caught everypony's attention. Everypony turned to Scarlett, who was staring at Edgar's shoulder. "He's been bitten, right on his shoulder." She poked at fresh four scabs on the shoulder muscle near his neck, once previously covered by bandages. You can barely see red flesh contrasting against his pale skin.
Dread dawned upon the muzzles of every guard once this realization has occurred, as the hairs on their coat started to stand on ends. The princesses themselves seem to be shocked, with Twilight's jaw dropping upon hearing this as well.
Trixie was fearful of this news for a different reason. It appeared as everypony except Trixie knew what this meant, but with how horrified they were acting, Trixie's imagination ran rampant. The terror of the unknown of what could be happening has him left her in a dreadful suspense.
The Thestral Centurion known as Scarlett shook her head to snap herself out of this news, and was about to continue CPR until Princess Luna stopped her.
Princess Luna's movement was calm and collected, but her actions betrayed a sense of urgency. Her horn glowed as her immediately turned head turned toward a nearby stained glass window. As magic enveloped the entire window, she applied force inward toward the hallway ever so slightly. Any unicorn simply witnessing her that moment would have had the equivalent of roughly a few days worth of lessons in that one action, as her dexterity with magic was akin to a praying mantis striking. There was no wasted effort, and only speed and precision. The glass cracked and shattered, and each and every shard of glass landed neatly condensed on the floor near the window, not even clattering against the other thrown glass shards.
"There is no time for a stretcher!" Luna declared with urgency, trotting up to Edgar's unconscious form and started to hoist him up with her hooves, forming a cage around his midsection and beating her powerful wings as she started to lift him up into the air.
Seeing Luna start to grab at Edgar, Celestia gave a panicked gasp as her horn glowed.
"Luna don't!" She reached out, but was stopped as Luna's head whipped toward the Alabaster-white Alicorn.
"DON'T YOUDARREEEEE!"
Her glare containing almost primal hatred that both Princess Celestia, the solar guards, and the Lunar guards in the vicinity near her felt within their bones. Through barred teeth came what appeared to be a dire warning, as the reverberations of the Royal Canterlot yell pushed some of the smaller glass shards away from the pile. Celestia's hoof and the glow of her horn slowly receded, apprehension plastering her face, as shock was adorned on the faces of even the guards that were present.
With a mighty heave, Luna flew out the window with Edgar and suddenly dropped out of sight, coupled with the sound of glass breaking not too far below them.
As Twilight ran up to the window and poked her head out, she saw a broken window two floors down, indicating that Luna ended up crashing through another window below. As she turned to Trixie, she saw her galloping down a hallway to look for where Luna has taken Edgar, and followed her in pursuit...
As Princess Celestia watched the ponies scramble away in this situation, she caught her own guards looking her with confusion and trepidation. Upon dismissing them to the duties that were likely interrupted due to this event, she turned toward the Tea Parlor that this whole mess started from. Doubt started to gnaw at her, but she soon quashed it. This was right.
"My dear faithful student...My foolish misunderstood sister...Even you, Miss Lulamoon...I am so sorry, but it had to be done. I will protect you all from him...even if you end up hating me after all this is said and done..." Princess Celestia thought to herself as she started to sullenly walk to her guest room in Twilight's castle. "Perhaps one day, I can earn your forgiveness once he is gone, but until this time, I will be his shadow in the light. That demon will charm you with a smile...for a while, but in time? Nothing shall harm you all. Not while I'm still here."
***Edgar's POV*** **Maple Grove Gynocology clinic** *Afternoon*
"Such bullshit." I grumbled.
I was not in a good mood today. I was stuck with the duty of taking my mom to the gynecologist because, of all things, my dad decided that building a tunnel to Antarctica for his snow cone business was more important.
Yeah, you heard that right. Snow cones. In Antarctica. It make sense if he was sourcing the snow from there to sell here, but Minnesota is already snowy enough god damn it! Since I'm the only other person in the family with a license cause my mom doesn't trust muscle cars like my Mustang and my dad is half a planet away, guess who got voluntold to take her.
"Edgar, Language!" The thirty-seven year old Nicole scolded, silencing me almost immediately.
Oh yea, never introduced you to my mom. Please bear with me, this won't sound flattering at first.
Picture someone who looks like they could be the kindest, most gentle version of The Trunchbull from "Matilda". That's my mom, Nicole Jorgensen. She was a burly for a woman, when I was way younger and watched Matilda on VHS, I actually thought that was her pretending to be mean in the movie because both her build and her hairstyle was the exact same. I didn't know that she only picked that hairstyle because it was easy to do in the morning before going to work, but cut me some slack, I was like eight or something.
That's not to say that she couldn't be mean if she wanted to be. Our family often teased her and called her "The Mean-ager", since she fired soooooo many people from the restaurant she ran. She even fired somebody on Christmas one time, but it was completely justified. It was another manager who thought they could sneak their friends in after closing hours and help themselves to the copious amounts of alcohol for their own private Christmas party. She was notified of it at two in the morning and called them via cell to tell them not to come in at two-ten.
Anyway, she's only thirty-seven, but she looked as if she was in her late 40's. She had me when she was seventeen, just before she finished getting her GED. She was a bit young to be having kids, but that didn't stop her from carrying herself with the kind of authority that makes you think twice before stepping out of line. Her hair is this deep, charcoal black with very few strands of white hairs starting to make itself known(probably from the stress of being a restaurant manager). It was always pulled back into a tight bun like the Trunchbull on the top of her head. Never had a strand out of place, ever.
Despite that tough exterior, there's this sweetness to her. It's like she's the personification of a tough bear, but not the kind you'd run away from. Instead, she's more of a "Momma Bear" than anything, the kind you know will suplex a nuke for you, no matter what. Believe me, when she sets her mind to something, she's unstoppable, kind of like how she's taken on the task of forcing me to take her to the gynecologist because Dad's off chasing his snow cone dreams in Antarctica with my three little sisters!
My fucking luck I swear.
Anyway, the trip was a blur and we were already in the waiting room. Sitting behind the receptionist desk was a Alicorn of onyx fur and flowing indigo blue hair. A red cap with a white cross on it sat perfectly atop her head, its bright color a stark contrast to her coat and mane that shimmered like the night sky full of stars. It was a bit of a surreal sight seeing that not only a hat, but a sort of nurse's robe? It reminded me of something a nun would wear, or an 1800's nurse, but for ponies.
"Mrs. Jorgensen for the two o'clock, we presume?" A voice that was unmistakably Luna's came out of her mouth, but it seemed to have a velvety richness to it. When she spoke, it was as if the very air in the reception room vibrated with the timbre of her voice, echoing off of the...everywhere, I guess. It was less reserved, but more Hello fly, welcome to my web type of vibe. I wasn't too concerned about her. She was still wearing a nurse's hat, so Hippocratic Oath and all that. "I'll take you to your waiting room. I don't have any other appointments scheduled to show up anytime soon." The mare walked from behind the desk and urged us to follow her.
Hmmm. Two o'clock. That's a weird coincidence...
As we walked down the hospital halls, she turned to my mom to strike up conversation. "Huzzah, I see you are a mare of quality. You prefer them young too?"
Flustered, my mom waved her off as we walked along side her. "No no no. This is my son, Edgar. He is taking me to the doctor since his father is preoccupied with his business trip to Antarctica. I don't trust myself with muscle cars, but those are all his dad ever bought."
"What a dutiful son. You must be very proud." Turning her Cerulean-slitted eyes to me, shooting off a knowing glance between the two of us.
"When he listens, yes."
"Mom, I'm right here, you know."
"Oh good. So you are listening." Mom teased.
Both the ladies laughed before the Alicorn who was totally not Nightmare Moon spoke once more. "Too prideful to let a little ribbing go unchecked, I see. We can relate." She stopped and turned toward an office door on her left. "Here we are. You will just need to wait inside. The doctor should be here in roughly ten minutes. It was lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jorgensen."
We both looked at the door with the following description stenciled in block lettering on the frosted glass.
We started to walk inside, and as I started to pass the Alicorn, she pipped up again. "Oh, and Edgar...?" I turned toward to see what else she had to say. Those catlike slits locked with my eyes once more for a while as her smile started to get wider and wider. I found myself transfixed, unable to look away before she spoke again, breaking me out of my involuntary staring contest with her. "Got it ~ It was nice to finally speak with you, Edgar, although not as long as I would have liked. Come again soon. Doctor's orders..."
"Sure, likewise, I guess?" She turned and walked away out of view. I sat down on one of the plastic guest chairs in the Doctor's office, sighing out a breath of relief. "Holy fuck, she was weird! Did you see her eyeing me like a piece of meat the entire walk here? I have a hard time believing that Alicorn has ever been to medical school..."
"Oh, stop it. She seemed nice." Mom started poking at my ribs. "You might be able to get her number if you tried. Did you bring your rolodex with you?"
I sighed in annoyance. "No mom, I left it back in the Lucky 38 in New Vegas. You know this!"
"Oh, right. Mr. House was never happy that you chose to run Doom 64 on Victor. "
It was a good time. Luckily, if my utility droid T3-M4 was there to reactivate the elevators. Otherwise, I doubt I could have escaped back to the presidential suite to play Shrek 2 on my Xbox...
"Mrs. Jorgensen, I presume?" An older masculine voice inquired from the back of the room, a bald man walked in and shut the door behind him wearing in a physician's coat and a smug smile. As he turned, my eyebrows shot up and cocked themselves as I felt my muscles tense up. I recognized this fucker. That man was no doctor...
. .
"No.....Absolutely fucking not." I stood up from my chair in a building rage.
The perverse porn-star never dropped that smug smiled, but rested his hands on his hips as he bent down to talk to me. As if he was patronizing me in front of my mom. "What is a matter, Sport? Is something wrong? Would a lollipop make things better? You can pick one up at the receptionist desk. Nurse Moonbutt usually has a stash in the cabinet that she thinks we don't know about." He winked at me as he nudge toward the door.
"Don't you give me that, you putrid pathological, pornographic pussy-pounding piss-ant! I know what you're here for! You are not doing any form of dentistry, gynocology, plumbing, coaching, mammograms, or anything like that with my Mom. Not while I'm here! She's not like the thots back on Pornhub. She's a good mom, you bald muscular prick! Fuck you!"
"She's a mom, and that makes her a MILF." The mocking gesture from Johnny Sins was dropped as his face took on a darker expression. "Mr. Jorgensen, if you don't leave the room and let me see to my patient, who is in dire need of my services, I may have to be required to call for security!"
*THWACK*
A solid fist landed squarely into the nose of the bald bastard, sending him spinning in a comedic fashion around the room before suddenly crashing out of view behind his desk.
"I Fuck-Tuple-Dog dare you, bitch!" I yelled, putting up my dukes and getting ready to metaphorically make him the bitch. "I ain't afraid of you. You tried threatening to put a remote explosive in my balls that would detonate if I failed No Nut November, but I failed on Day four and my balls are still here! I'm not fucking scared of you anymore! YOU'RE NOT MY DAD! YOU'RE NOT FUCKING MY MOM!" I yelled at him before whipping toward my mother, who was sitting and watching the whole ordeal in confusion. "Mom, lets get out of here." My Mom was transfixed at something, before pointing at the wooden desk that hid the winner of six different pornography awards. Turning back, I saw a hand rise from behind the wooden desk as it grasped the corned. An unamused and no worse for wear Bald man lifted himself up. "How are you still standing after that?!?" I asked in absurdity.
"Do you have any idea how rough my scenes can get?"
"...Yes."
"Then you really should have expected this..." Johnny Sins reached for the corded phone on his desk and pressed one button to call security on speed dial. "Yea, I have a Momma's boy that doesn't want his mom to get her interior examination. I have doctor-patience confidentiality I need to worry about, so do you mind if you play babysitter for a bit?" I sat back in my fighting stance, letting him do what he wanted for a reason I could not fully understand. "You can do whatever you want with him. Uh-huh. Yes. No, I don't really care. Got it. Uh-huh" Johnny Sins then turned toward me as his head twisted in an angle that most people would find uncanny."...See you soon, your majesty."
The fire behind my eyes was quickly doused by that statement, and his smile grew more sinister as he saw that I realized exactly who he called.
"No...No what the fuck did you just do?!?" My legs turned to Jell-O as they started to lose their strength. I stumbled backwards against the door that we entered from. With surgical precision, this walking meme cut out my attitude and signed my death certificate. "I-i'm sorry. I'll be good. I'll leave right now."
"You're free to walk out that door at any time now, Mr. Jorgensen." He offered, motioning to the exit behind me.
I turned toward the door I was leaning against, but froze as I started to hyperventilate. A voice and face obscured by the door's frosted glass spoke a horribly sweet voice with a horribly simple request.
.
"Look at me, Human."
.
The door knob to the office started to jiggle as a magenta glow enveloped it, and upon instinct I leaped for it and squeezed it as tightly as possible with both hands to hold it shut, but the glow didn't disappear. It didn't disappear. "No, no, no, no, no!" It took every ounce of strength I had to hold it shut, but I knew I wasn't going to last long. The door knob was twisting and forcing its way open against my grip. I was losing the battle to hold the door knob to stop it from opening. It was getting hot, and it was starting to burn...oh my god it burned, but I can't let go. I can't let her in.
From the gaps around the doors frame, hot steam billowed thorough and started to melt the wood surrounding it as the room filled with a thick fog. "OKAY, you win! I'm leaving. I promise, just tell her to go. PLEASE!"
"Oh, I can't stop her. I'm only hyu-man." Johnny Sins shrugged with a smug smile, walking over to my mother and massaging her shoulders. Even my own mother had a neutral expression as she watched me desperately struggle to hold the doors shut in a battle that I was desperately clinging onto. "Can you feel your heart burning Edgar? Can you feel that sinking sensation of knowing all the worst possible things she wants to do to you? And you can't do a damn thing to stop it? The fear within you is beyond anything your courage or mediocre wits can conquer. She's going to kill you Edgar, and you cannot fight back in a way that matters."
The knob suddenly stopped, and soon the door was begging to push open slowly. I slammed my shoulder into to shut it once more, but was suddenly flung back from the force of the door slamming back with twice the force I could have ever managed. I felt myself crash against the doctor's desk, as I looked onward at the figure behind the mists and steam. It was a White Alicorn with golden jewelry and magenta-colored eyes...those horrible horrible eyes.
"Look at me, Human..."
Stomp...
Stomp...
Stomp...
The eyes shined through the darkness like signals of my demise as I heard her getting closer and closer, cracking the tile as she drew near.
Dazed, I tried to stand up, but a magical aura engulfed me and held my arms tightly against my body in a blazing hot cocoon... and it burned."What's wrong with you?!? You're not supposed to be like this!!!" I pleaded with the entity, but saw no mercy from her eyes. Only hatred. I desperately called out for somebody, anybody to help me. "MOM, HELP ME! MOOOM!"
"I'm sorry sweetie, I can't help you anymore. You're a world away from us..."
I turned toward her and saw only shadowy figures lurking in the shadows where my mom and the bald man was. All I could make out where their glowing magenta eyes. A pair of white hooves clamped themselves at the sides of my temple before cranking my head agonizingly slowly to face their owners. "Please no please no PLEASE NO!" Unable to move, unable to fight, I tried resisting with what little muscle my neck was capable of giving. There was nothing I can do. She was turning my head this slow on purpose. To build the anticipation like she was savoring this.
"I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY! MAKE IT STOP!" Even as I met with Celestia's horrible horrible eyes, all I could make out was hatred.
"Look at me, Human!"
Her eyes, unblinking magenta orbs glowing with an intensity that scorched my soul. They held no warmth or benevolence that the show portrayed. Not a single shred. I only saw hellfire. They were windows into an bright abyss, a chasm filled with a hatred so palpable, it felt as if it could physically rend me apart.
I couldn't even muster the ability to scream, only stare open jawed. Celestia herself did not speak any more, and simply stared...and hated.
The room, once filled with steam and the eerie glow of her magenta magic, now seemed to start to fade to black. The office, my mother, the false doctor...they all started to melt away leaving me alone with Celestia. In the pitch black, I was trapped in an endless moment of scrutiny under Celestia's gaze. Time seemed to lose meaning as seconds stretched into minutes...stretching into hours. All that was left in the darkness were her eyes...
This chapter may be a bit jarring(fair warning), maybe even rushed(going from one event straight to another). but it'll make sense soon. I promise.
Now, on to the story.
♬Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation Darkness stirs and wakes imagination Silently, the senses abandon their defenses...
Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender Turn your face away from the garish light of day Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light And listen to the music of the night...♬-
~Music of the night ~Phantom of the opera
***Edgar's POV*** **Twilight's castle**
I awoke with a yelp as I felt my hands reflexively slap against my shut eyes, covering them. I can't remember what my nightmare may have been about, but I know it was a nightmare. I know how it felt.
"Shhhhhh...Shhhhhh..."
As I started to remove my hands, I let my eyes adjust to the darkness. I think I was still in Twilight's Castle, in the same room that I slept in earlier. This wasn't like when I first woke up though. I feel a heavy weight pressing down on me, like I'm trapped in a thick haze of molasses that muffles my thoughts and limbs. It's as if every movement requires a Herculean effort, and even the simplest actions seem daunting. But amidst the lethargy, there's an odd undercurrent of restlessness coursing through me, stirring up a strange cocktail of sensations. My heart hammers erratically in my chest, each beat reverberating through my veins like a drumbeat in a distant jungle. Even the cold sweat down my brow was beaded down did so slowly and deliberately that I thought it was playing red-light/green-light when I wasn't paying attention to it.
"Shhhhhh...Shhhhhh..."
But even through all of that, I felt strangely safe. There was a soft, melodious humming filled the space around him, gentle and soothing, like a balm to my frayed nerves.
"Shhhhhh...Shhhhhh." I finally started to register a woman's voice gently hush from my right, as well as something smooth brushing against my hair. Something that has been brushing against my hair. I felt humidity, hot and fresh with the smell of something warm and sweet washing over my face. What is that? Black Licorice? Before long, I heard the humming start once more. The lullaby was a slow, rhythmic melody, each note floating in the air with a tune that ebbed and flowed like ocean tides in the middle of the night. The light of moonlight and the calm of night. It felt like the gravity of the moon was gently pulling me, carrying with it a sense of peace and serenity.
"That voice..." I blurted out in my haze.
The humming stopped abruptly as the woman's voice broke the wordless song with a heavy breath. "You are finally awake...that's good."
I was keenly aware of the fact that something was holding me tightly, latched to my chest. When I tilted my head to the right, I saw a two glowing cerulean orbs staring back at me as I felt the grip get tighter around me. I gasped in surprise, and in my haze, I tried to shake it off.
"Calm thyself. Tis only us, Edgar..."The barely visible pony lifted herself off of me and stood up near me, and a horn illuminated from her forehead. Suddenly, as the dull white light of the moon shined into the room. I couldn't see the moon from here, but I know its light was reflecting off the floor. As the light continued to slowly brighten up the room, I saw the silhouette slowly brighten cerulean eyes stared back at me with worry that she may have startled me. "Thou were plagued by a nightmare...a terrible one of which thou could not awake from."
"...Luna?" I called out before mentally kicking myself. It was a stupid question as Princess Luna's mane started to glow and glitter as constellations danced in them. I should have already guessed it was her. The song she was humming would have made it too obvious. Thankfully, Princess Luna did not seem to call it out, but what I did notice is that Luna was missing her crown. In fact, as I looked her up and down I saw that her collar and shoes have also gone missing. "Luna, why are you naked?" Princess Luna paused for a moment, looking at me in surprise before she suddenly snorted with a huff of laughter. "Hey, what's so funny?"
"Princess Twilight was right. You humans truly worship your clothing and modesty if that is the first thought upon awakening. We feel as if you and Generous Rarity may have much to debate in terms of attire..." Luna started to regain her composure as she wiped a mock tear from her eye. "It is good that you seem better, but we are not anymore 'naked' than anypony else in Ponyville. We simply removed our Royal Attire since we didn't want to scratch you with them."
"Okaaay? And why were you laying down with me again?"
"We can speak more of that later. First, we would like to know how you are feeling. Has the night terror subsided?" She inquired while looking me up and down. She seemed to be paying very close attention to me, or maybe looking for something? As for her question...
I don't really remember what my nightmare was about or that I was even having one, but if Luna said I was, I guess it would track with how I am feeling right now.
I rubbed my forehead and eyes as as I started to wake up a bit more. I don't think I have a headache anymore but...
"I don't know...I feel...A lot of things right now." I said with a drained voice. It's as though my body is caught in a perpetual state of heightened awareness and dull haze, every nerve tingling with a heightened sensitivity that borders on overwhelming. Even the slightest brush of felt blanket against my skin sent shivers down my spine. Even the air feels different against my skin, electrifying and charged with an almost tangible energy, and the smells... Every breath Princess Luna takes is laden with a heavenly, tantalizing and intoxicating in its potency... God, if I'm feeling anything, "like a creep" is on the list. It's hard to make sense of it all, and it feels like I was drugged or had my drink spiked. This is more than just me being drowsy. Though I don't feel like I have a headache, I think I would have preferred the headache from yesterday to what I am feeling right now. Even now, there is like a sort of primal flame pulsing beneath my skin, igniting an ardor that flickers and dances with an intensity I can't quite comprehend. It's a raw, animalistic desire that coils and twists within me, urging me to seek out... something.
I was broken out of my thoughts as Princess Luna sat up on a couch that was not there when I woke up. When did she move that next to my bed?" Her horn glowed once more, and two candles lit up illuminating a serving cart. Using her magic, she appeared to pour a multitude of concoctions from bottles and pots that had aromas I can smell from here into one of the wine glasses. I could see half of the wine glass having coffee being poured into one, but this was followed by another bottle of an inky-black substance being poured into it. As it was being poured, I recognized an the sweet smell of licorice.
"Do you take whipped cream with your coffee? We know it may be a bit late for it, but you will need to be awake for this." Luna took a sip of the drink with her eyes closed, as if to thank it for being so tasty.
"Sure. Coffee sounds really nice right now..." I agreed, tiredly as I still tried to wake myself. In another wine glass, she poured black coffee, though she did not add any of the blacker liquid from earlier.
"We might as well live on coffee alone, but on occasion, we like to add Sambuca to ours as a comfort. Have you ever tasted it?" I shook my head. "It's a liqueur made from Anise. It is not enough to intoxicate us, but we enjoy it. Wouldst thou like to partake?"
I gave it some thought, but was still skeptical of it. "It smells nice, but I don't want to waste a cup if I don't like it." I told her.
As Luna was mid sip of hers, she stopped and looked at me with a strange look in her eyes before gingerly grabbing her wine glass with her hooves and holding it toward me. "You can have a taste from my glass if you would like." I looked at the glass without moving my hands toward it, testing the waters of whether or not I should. "Please, we do not mind sharing, though it may be a bit strong for you since it makes up half." She insisted with a fair warning. I guess I shouldn't be rude.
"Thanks..." I said as I grabbed hold of her wine glass full of alcoholic coffee. Weird choice to drink coffee from, but I wasn't going to complain. I looked at Luna once more before she nudged her hoof at me in encouragement.
It had a rich and robust flavor. It still had the boldness of black coffee along with sweet and aromatic notes of this "Sambuca", creating a perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness without the sweet being overpowering or unpleasant. I could taste a strong flavor of Licorice in the back of my mouth as the aroma served to put my mind at ease. She was right, it was very strong. Are all ponies as big into alcohol as Trixie was the night I met her? Still, it is certainly too strong for me for a glass that large.
I offered her wine glass back to her. "It's really good, but a little strong for me. Maybe if there was a bit less in my coffee?"
"...Of course." Luna smiled tenderly at this before her magic went to work, grabbing at a multitude of items in the cart. Working with the deftness of a skilled barista, she threw together a coffee-based cocktail that she offered to me with her own hooves.
If I thought that the original drink was alright, this was nothing compared to the masterwork she created in the span of a few seconds. It was still a bit difficult to see in this low light, but I could tell it would put an unskilled bartender to shame. A Midnight black liquid mixture of the coffee and sambuca was at the bottom with foamy whipped cream scooped onto the top of it to cap it. On top of that, I could see and smell it was dusted with cinnamon, complete with a cinnamon stick sticking out of it as a garnish. Seeing all of that, I can see exactly why she choose wine glasses for its presentation. It was very thoughtful and it made the entire drink a work of art.
Upon the first sip, it turned into my shot-gunning it with gusto. The taste was fantastic, and probably the best thing I had since I came to Equestria. Heck, it was probably the best drink I ever had, on par with Orange Julius and Horchata.
"Seems as if thou enjoyed it somewhat." I heard Luna stifle a giggle as she pointed at the side of her face. I licked the whipped cream off the corner of mouth, with a bit of embarrassment that I downed it that fast. "We are fine with our coffee, but we thought you could do well with some libations and comforts of your own after what happened earlier. It is nice to see thee smile."
I felt a sinking sensation in my gut after hearing that. "Is Ponyville alright? Did something else happen while I was sleeping?"
Luna stopped her sip before looking back at me with an unreadable expression before her gaze suddenly softened. Out of nowhere, a small espresso cup appeared from behind the serving cart and made itself manifest as Luna began filling it to the brim with Sambuca before grasping it with her hooves. "It may be difficult if this is your first time, but I ask that you please finish the entire cup before we continue go further. The quicker you do it, the easier it will go down." I took the makeshift shot of Sambuca from her hooves and with a bit of hesitation did what she asked. I had wine before, courtesy of the Great and Powerful Trixie and that was definitely easier than I thought, but this was another beast entirely with nothing else mixed into it. It tasted much like spicy licorice juice, but I was able to down it even if it wasn't with a straight face. It was good, but a bit strong for me. "Thank you. Now, what is the last thing you remember?"
I started to feel a bit of a tingle in my face from the alcohol, but that did not distract me. "You didn't answer my question. What about Trixie or Twilight? Ponyville?"
Luna's neutral expression did not waver, but she did pause for some reason. "...Ponyville is better than it was yesterday, as are Princess Twilight Sparkle and Miss Trixie Lulamoon. However, we ask that you please focus. What happened before you had awoke from your slumber?"
I felt my muscles start to relax a bit after hearing that. Obviously nothing that bad if everypony is okay. Wait, everybody. Shit, I'm even starting to use the show's lingo now. "Okay, well I remember going to meet with you guys. There was a bat pony that I saw that was the same one from the fields. I told you a story about Batman, and I had some oatmeal...then you left to see something about visitors, and-" The dull ache that throbs persistently behind my eyes started to hurt. It's like a relentless pressure that refuses to abates. "Whats..."
.
"Look at me, Human."
.
"I'm sorry..." The words slipped out of my mouth as I dropped the espresso cup, but luckily a dark blue glow enveloped it before it could either stain the bedsheets or shatter on the ground. Memories of Celestia's warnings started to flood back.
She was going to kill me. I saw it in her eyes...I have to get back home. Where is she? I need to leave, before she comes back. Before she gets me alone with her agai-
My thoughts were interrupted as almost instantly the cup seemed to teleport away somewhere before I felt a hoof pull my face to meet with Luna's eyes. "Edgar, look upon us. Focus on our voice." I felt her other hoof on my right thigh, slowly stroking them in a calming manner. "So long as the night remains my domain, no harm shall befall thee. You are in a safe place."
"Y-you shouldn't be touching me. If you are laying next to me like that, people might start to get the wrong idea between us." I pulled her hoof away from my face. Her touch...it was calming, soothing even. Everywhere she touched left tingles, but something in the back of my mind was screaming that it was wrong. Not just because she is from a TV show, but because of what would happen if I was caught with her.
She shook her head, not breaking her eye contact with me. "We had not choice even before you awoke. You were shaking in your dreams much as you are right now. We could not peer into your dreamscape and help as we can with others... It pained us to see thee in such a state. We only hope that our body could provide respite as we lied beside thee." Luna did take her hooves off of me, and in a near instant another espresso cup full of the inky black liqueur levitated in front of me. I looked back at Luna only to find that she was doing the best that she could to give me puppy dog eyes. "Please, one more for good measure...for us?" She didn't need the puppy dog eyes to convince me, but it was a strong force multiplier anyway. Once more I downed the Vantablack vintage, though with considerably less resistance than before. My fingers were starting to get a bit tingly, but I can still think clearly. Offering the cup back to Luna, she smiled once more as she took it back in her grasp. I saw her mouth the words "thank you" to me in the flickering candlelight.
I pulled the blanket up a bit further, I felt soft fabric brush against me, and came to a startling realization that I was naked. Really naked. More so than just being naked normally, as I can still feel that I am wearing my socks and shoes. HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN NAKED?
I never needed the coffee. I was now wide awake and panicking.
"LUNA, WHY AM-" I was silenced as a dark blue hoof pressed against my mouth, muffling my complaints.
"Sir Edgar, it is many hours into the night, and most the castle is sleeping, baring the night staff. Please lower thine voice." Luna requested with a stern look. I suppose it was fair enough for her to chastise me for freaking out for something as teensy and insignificant as having my dick out for the entire world to see...HAS THAT BONER BEEN THERE THE ENTIRE TIME WHAT THE FUCK?!?
"Luna, why the hell am I naked? Where are my pants? Where is my underwear?!?" I whispered harshly, shifting the blanket up a bit further over me and pinching it between my chin and chest to form a tent to conceal my raging hard-on. "I'm dressed like Sonic the Hedgehog!"
Go down, damn it! I really do not need to flash the Night-Blue Alicorn with my absolutely massive not-average wiener. Not that I'm insecure or anything, no nonono. Its just that i'd probably be put on like nine different lists if she sees it, and I don't know if my ears can take any more of her Royal Canterlot voice if she screams from the sight of it.
"Forgive us Edgar, but we had to remove them from you. We found that we were not as thorough as we should have been when we first inspected you for your injuries. Are you perhaps cold? Your hands have not moved from your erection for the past few minutes." She innocently asked as she pointed at my hips would be. The realization that she knew I had one lurking under the covers was jarring to say the least, and I did my best to avoid eye-contact as heat rose to my face.
"I'm sorry"
As if she suddenly gained insight to my plight, Luna's ears perked up. "You're trying to hide it. Is this taboo for humans?"
"...Yeah. We don't really show off our genitals to people unless you worked for Nickelodeon or were planning on getting arrested. It's embarrassing, and I don't want to be getting a boner around you. Not when yo-" I'm Just gonna stop myself right there. I don't want to embarrass Luna with the implications. "I'm sorry about that."
"We can tell you must be flustered, but you needn't worry. There is nothing shameful about your body and its natural form." She did her best to reassure me, but it wasn't really making me feel any better about it. Apart from the personal space issues these ponies seem to have, I guess a lot of human concepts would seem silly to them. Luna let me stew in the awkwardness of the moment in silence, her mouth opening and closing as if deciding what other way she could possibly say as she tapped her hooves together in front of her. No doubt about to say something about ponies not needing to wear clothing or that she wouldn't likely judge me for being naked. "Edgar...If you were given a choice, would you lay with a pony if they had asked you to...intimately? Or if it was the difference between life and death?"
...or not.
"W-what did you say?"
"What circumstances would it take for you to consider having coitus with a pony?"
"I heard that, its just I uh...hehe wow. I didn't know you liked pranks..." I lied, knowing full well that she liked them from her Nightmare Night episode. "Breaking the ice again, I guess. Good one. You almost had me for a second, trying to get a rise out of-No, very poor choice of words." No smile from Luna, and she simply looked on as if to study my gaze. "Princess Luna, you aren't smiling. Why aren't you smiling?"
"We are not speaking in jest. We are deathly serious." Luna stated in no uncertain terms as she leaned to my direction. Once she was certain she had my full attention, which she abso-fucking-lutly did after that, she continued. "This was a difficult topic to broach, so forgive us if it seems sudden. We had awaited for you to wake up so we could explain ourselves, but there is no longer any time for details. It is fortuitous that we may explain ourselves, but had we waited any longer, we may have been forced to make you ejaculate during your sleep...and beg for your forgiveness when you awake."
Almost immediately after Luna finished that admission I felt a blush start to overtake in my face. I pinched myself on the arm and after a sharp sting I knew that I wasn't dreaming and that this was real. With that realization, I felt my little Judas of a prick twitch a bit at that. This did not go unnoticed by the now-smiling Alicorn, a tinge of passion making itself known behind her eyes.
"This prospect excites you Edgar? It must, at least somewhat." Luna sounded almost relieved as she continued the amorous conversation. "Tis true that you may be a rare creature yourself, but there is only one other living soul that can claim they have carnal knowledge of an Equestrian Princess."
"This is a hell of a topic to segway into after I just woke up." I mentioned, still not sure if she was joking or not. "Seriously. Where did that come from? You're not...you don't actually like me, do you?"
Her smile faltered as her voice lowered to a hush. "Forsooth, tis not a matter of loving you as one would their partner. We believe we have a better understanding of your encounter with Queen Telsona..."
Oh...
"Oh..." I looked away from her in reflex, but ended up staring at the grassy hills that were just barely in view off to the distance. Kind of coincidental that I fought her there. I thought back to Queen Telsona's "mood switch" and her ultimatum. If Luna hadn't saved me from her back then with her uncanny timing, I would have had to accept her "terms". To be taken back and hopefully not be murdered. I just hope Luna doesn't think I'm some sort of sex fiend. I wouldn't have had a choice but to say yes, at least to make the queen believe me. "...Exactly how much do you know about that?" I sheepishly inquired. Luna's hoof gently landed on the side of my chin and guided my gaze back to her. When I saw a somber look as she continued to brush her hoof across the hair on my side. Her hoof then continued to trail down to my shoulder, resting where I felt a sore thumping from where Telsona bit me.
"Enough to understand, brave Sir Edgar. Don't think about that right now. All you need to know is that when Telsona bit you, you became envenomed; We wish we had more time to wake you, but it too long for thee to awaken, so there is little left..." Luna took in a deep breath through her nose. "To save you from her accursed taint, you must have coitus with us. You may succumb to it otherwise."
"Succumb? You mean I'll-" Luna nodded at me, finishing my question before I could finish. If it wasn't for the blush I was feeling, the color would have drained from my face. "Couldn't I just jerk off?" I ask, prompting a head tilt and a raised eyebrow from Luna. "...you know...masturbate in a corner somewhere like some goblin?"
She shook her head. "I am sorry Edgar. No matter how vivid or salacious your imagination may be, your body would know the truth. You would not be able to release nearly enough seed to exhaust the venom in time."
I was still having a hard time believing her, but what she said has to be true. I have been feeling awful, and very VERY weird since I woke up. Now that I think about it, it all started ever since I got bit. I was mostly fine until now, with a few headaches and such, but ever since I met with Luna and Celesti-
"...Do not give me a reason to come back and take you back to Canterlot myself, because I promise you will be looking for one."
I swallowed a bit hard as I felt trapped. Damned if I do, and damned if I don't.
"I still can't do it even if you are offering. Celestia made it very clear that-" I paused as my breath hitched. If Celestia finds out, who knows what will happen to me. This really sucks...
I shook my head at Luna. "I don't want to cause problems, for you or me. I made a promise to Celestia."
"...She gave us permission to help you. Your life is in mortal danger, and as cruel as she was being, she doesn't actually want harm to befall you! Not when you were only bitten during your valiant efforts."
After all of those threats she made, all of those promises I made, they're all swept under the rug just like that?
"You're joking..." I felt relief and disbelief as I heard those words. I want to believe her, but it doesn't make sense.
"It isn't a joke!" Princess Luna raised her voice since she was apparently starting to get annoyed with me. "What part of "deathly serious" do you not understand?"
"Can you really blame me though? This is...nuckin futz. That's a good way of putting it." I was struggling to find the right words for how I was feeling at that moment, but my brain felt fried. "None of this makes sense. Why is Celestia suddenly okay with me doing this with you? Why are you even the one offering! You're a princess, right? Isn't this something a uh-" I cleared my throat."...Professional" should be handling?"
"We can't ask anypony else to do this with you. Though you have shown good will towards us, you have proven to be powerful and dangerous being. We would sooner risk ourselves rather than somepony that could not protect themselves against you." she held up her two hooves in placation. "Not that we think you would hurt us intentionally, but it is a precaution we must take. While you slept, our sister even offered to help you with the venom coursing through you, but we felt this would not have been appropriate after how she had horrified thee. She felt just horrible about the whole situation, and now that she knows you were bitten, she left the burden unto us to help you."
"So Celestia all of a sudden okay with me?" Luna nodded her head. "She is okay with you doing this?" She nodded again, a bit more quickly this time. "She doesn't want death or bodily harm."
"She never did. She wanted you scared of possibly harming her ponies, she had no idea that the venom was coursing through you. Its effects on your body and your initial fear induced a panic attack and you fainted in the halls as you ran from us."
I let out a sigh as my heart started to slow a bit as I started to think more about it. I felt worries start to abate somewhat. It was still a bit difficult to piece those events together, but I felt calmer.
Celestia wanted to help me after all...? Was there actually a heart behind those eyes?
Regardless, it didn't change the fact that Luna was put in a tough position because of me getting bit in the first place. It doesn't seem fair to her.
"I don't know Luna. A Princess offering herself is medieval! I don't feel comfortable with forcing you to do this. This all just sounds like a poor excuse for me to have sex."
Luna shook her head as if to chastise herself. "Fine. Perhaps "burden" was the wrong word to use. Edgar, we want to help you. We really do, but we need thee to want this as well. We wouldn't be laying at your side if this was a falsehood. Why art thou so resistant?!?"
"Is there really nothing else we can do? Like, bring a warm cantaloupe or an apple pie or something?"
Luna paused with her eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Apple pie...?"
"Look, I saw it in a movie once. It was a comedy, but there has to be some merit to..." I joke when I am uncomfortable about something. That's just how I am. However, I knew that it would have been a good idea to shut the fuck up when I saw Princess Luna's face.
"I-I see then. We should have known, but it hurts all the same." Luna sniffed during that stutter. "You've been opposed to it the moment it was suggested. Twilight's notes said that you only went into relations with others of your kind, and we see more clearly now...We ponies-*hic*" She turned away from me, toward the balcony where the moonlight was coming in from. She took an involuntary intake of air while trying to maintain her composure. I could have sworn I saw a tear as she hiccupped. "We ponies are truly so different to you that we are none too dissimilar from beasts, aren't we? Are we so hideous to you that you would rather fornicate with a Fruit? A pastry??? Would you rather die then spend a night with us?" As Luna lowered her head into her hooves to cover her eyes, her slender frame shuddered silently with the only noise being her quiet sobs and the ruffle of the feathers upon her shuddering wings.
Fuck, stop doing that. Stop pissing off the mares and stop upsetting Princess Luna! The fuck is wrong with you? They don't get Earth references, and this isn't the time to be joking around. If you made Fluttershy cry, you would be flogged with a rusty chain, let alone Luna.
"Nonono Luna, it's not that, really! I just don't want to take advantage of you, so I'm just trying to find another way around this. I'm joke because I'm feeling uncomfortable about this whole thing."
STOP IT!
I caught myself and tried to justify. "The thing, the situation, not you! This was a bad time to be joking, and I'm sorry. Just please stop crying..."
Even in her dismay with her face buried in her hooves, Luna maintained a dignified grace. She was quiet for a time before taking a deep breath, she broke her silence once more. "Edgar, I want to try something. Close your eyes and listen to my voice..."
"Lun-"
She interrupted me. "Please, Edgar..."
...
I closed my eyes as she asked. I heard a fwoosh and felt a breeze against my skin as I laid there in Darkness. I didn't hear the wax from the candles bubbling and crackling from the flames. Instead, I heard only Luna's voice.
"I want you to forget everything that has happened for now. Instead, I want you to imagine that you have awakened in a land unfamiliar to you. This is not the land you find yourself in now, but rather in another place in time. It might be similar to Equestria, and it might not be. All that matters is how you feel. It is full of beauty and wonder...and other humans. Maybe even races that look like humans but are friendly all the same."
I laid there with my eyes closed and tried to think of a place like she asked...and as I did, I started to hear a somber and nostalgic melody.
It was from the Legend of Zelda games. This was Princess Zelda's theme. Even if I didn't recognize this version, I would recognize its motifs in a heartbeat. Anyone who has ever save Zelda in their childhood or played another game would.
"Can you see it now Edgar?" I nodded toward Luna. "Where art thou?"
As I heard the harp playing in the background...I had one thought.
"Hyrule..." I finally settled on. " I used to play games based in the land of Hyrule called "the Legend of Zelda"."
"Hyrule..." Princess Luna repeated. "I can hear its music....tell us about it."
"It's beautiful. Its a mystical land blessed with deep forests. Giant mountains that could take days to climb . Serene lakes from a domain whose water ripples are melodious, a barren desert that whisper tales of honor and deceit, hiding both salvation and damnation. Jaw dropping cities, tranquil villages, and many ancient puzzles hidden throughout. It is not without danger, but neither is a rose with its thorns. I spent my childhood here, and no matter how much may change, the more it stays the same. It is like it never loses its magic. It was a made-up world, but it was real to me..."
I can't believe those words came out of my mouth without me having to read them... I suppose it helps that I had so many fantasies of being in Link's shoes, being a hero of courage and helping those that need it. Always being able to find solution to daunting odds.
I guess I got what I wished for when I arrived in Equestria. When I came to Ponyville with Trixie in the first place. But Link wouldn't be as scared as I am, right? Things would work out for him in the end because they had to. I can only "act" like a hero because of what I saw from movies, games, and TV shows. I only know what I think a hero is like, even when I played a hero or a villain in a play, but I never really had to struggle until now. I was able to skirt by on some dumb luck so far, but can I continue to do so? Do I even want to continue this act?
Luna's voice hummed in contentment, shattering my train of thought as I felt a hoof brush against face. "You had a smile for a time. It must have been a sight to behold, and you must have had many joyous memories there. Does it have castles?"
"Yes."
"Does Hyrule have Princesses that live in these castles?"
"...a few..."
"I see...Please think of one whose beauty enraptures your thoughts. What is her name, Edgar?" I didn't hear any sadness in Luna's voice anymore, and while it seemed stoic she did seem interested in what I had to say.
The answer was obvious.
"Zelda, her name is Princess Zelda."
"A pretty name...What does she look like?" Luna asked.
That's a harder question to answer. Most of the time, she's blonde. Other times, she's brunette.
"She looked different depending on the story being told every form may change depending on the way the story is told. Her looks didn't matter, since her fate is always the same. She and a courageous knight always stand together to battle the forces of evil. Though things may seem bleak and insurmountable, they always find some way to win and save the land of Hyrule...together." That's one theme that the Zelda games always stuck with while I was playing them. If Ganon was the villain, he would always be thwarted when Link and Zelda worked together in their final battle. No matter what, they were fated to take him down together.
"And this time was no different. With the help of this Princess, you have saved this land of Hyrule from a vile force. While a new foe may once again rise one day, the foals of this world get to live in peace for a time free of fear. As you laid in a bedchamber of Hyrule Castle after a long-earned rest, you awaken to find a certain Princess laying besides you. How did she make you feel, again?"
There was a pause on my part. I was starting to get lost in the fantasy Luna was creating for me, and before I could answer, it seemed as if Luna already had her in mind.
"That's right, Edgar. She is exactly what you imagined her to be. Her name is Princess Zelda, and she is Human princess. She everything you have ever dreamed of, and you loved her almost as much as she loves you...She had long, flowing hair that seemed to float in a breeze. Her silvery voice was what you woke up in the morning to hear. You could have sworn that the sun rose if only to hear her sigh in the wind." I felt a hoof start to trace circles in my chest, before moving it's way down and start to run at my abdomen. "She had a motherly attitude to those ponies that would need it, and a fierce heart to those she felt deserved it. She was a fantastic teacher, and had an eye for seeking out those of great potential. That is how you two met, after all." hold on... "All the Humans in Hyrule loved her smile in the daylight she ruled over, but her smile seemed to be brightest tonight as she lied there with you." Luna's hoof started to reach lower and lower, starting to just barely graze the line between my abs and pelvis as I felt her lips just barely tickle my right ear as she started to whisper. "Princess Zelda, who wants nothing more than to share this one night with you, is a human female...a gorgeous human female. She is possibly the most beautiful mare thou hath ever lane eyes on, and she is here for thee. Perhaps she wants to do her best to reward her champion with more than a simple kiss. With something only she can bestow upon you. More than her body, she wants to give all of her love, her heart, to her beloved. Humble to a fault, thou aren't sure she is making the right choice, but she is. More than anything, she wants thee to live for her sake, and she wants thee to feel Elysium. For at least one night, one magical night, there were no nightmares within the lands of Hyrule...only dreams."
I felt a soft set of lips gently brush against mine before leaving a peck on them. I didn't think I could blush any harder, but the tingly sensation in my face grew intense. "Luna!" My eyes started to shoot open before I felt a hoof drape across them.
"Keep thine eyes closed Edgar, and lose thyself in this dream." My heart was pounding as I felt her lips continue to tickle mine as she whispered. "This night... I am Princess Zelda, and I am still in love with you as the day I met you, my champion..."
"Luna..." I asked, breaking the illusion she was trying to give me."...are you pretending to be "Princess Zelda"? Or are you pretending to be somepony else?" She gave no answer other than her silence... I gently took her hoof and removed it from my eyes. I saw Luna looking at me with a sadness that...No, I've seen this look before back in my acting classes. This was a face that other seniors and Alumni would have when they wanted to portray worthlessness. It was a somber look of someone who was not good enough and knew it. Someone who thought that they weren't worth it. Wasn't worth the love of another... I swallowed hard. I NEEDED to fix this. "Frankly, I'd feel more comfortable with you than "Princess Zelda"."
Luna looked away from me, hiding her face behind her starlit hair. "E-Edgar, close your eyes. We can't help you if you only see us an animal."
"Did you not hear a word I said earlier? I don't see you as an animal. You're Princess Luna. I'm the different one. Judging from everyone else's questions and reactions, I am the only human who has ever stepped foot in Equestria. I'm practically a hairless monkey and by all accounts the closest thing to an animal in this castle" I continued.
"Bu-but-" Luna sputtered, but I nipped her protest in the bud.
"Luna, I need to say this." Luna stayed quiet, and seeing that she was giving me a chance, I took a deep breath with an intent to not waste it. "It sounds like you already know this, but Queen Telsona threatened me...threatened to turn me into "a love toy" of hers and her sisters. There are some guys back in my world that would have killed to be in that position, and I thought I was one of them until she actually started talking. Until I saw what she tried doing to Apple Bloom. I feel disgusted with myself for even fantasizing about that kind of thing...She scared me, but you don't." Luna's breath hitched as I saw a hoof go to her face, presumably to cover her mouth. I couldn't see what face she was making, but I can't let that distract me.
"I was losing that fight badly, but you saved me from Telsona. You didn't have to come out to help me, but you did." I reached for her face, and Luna did not shy away. "You helped Pipsqueak and personally took him to Twilight's castle to get treated. You didn't have to do that yourself, but you did." I caressed the side of her cheek with my hands, and she didn't shy away as she looked into my eyes. "Even now, you have been arguing with me for a while; To convince me to let you pleasure me. You don't have to do that. You could have just left me alone and hoped that I would get better, but you still are doing your best to save my life at the cost of your own innocence and modesty."
I swallowed hard, hoping that what I said next could finally get the message across.
"Luna, after everything I have seen you do, how could I ever see you as an animal and not the incredible pony I met." And have known about for a very long time now." How can I look at you as anything less than my friend?" I asked her, wiping the tear away from the corner of her eye.
Luna said nothing as her eyes darted between me and the hand that was caressing her cheek. I pulled my hand away from her, thinking I went too far.
"Shit, did I make it weird? I'm sorry, I just wa-" Luna took the hoof that previously covered her mouth and placed it over mine, shutting me up. She gave a warm smile as her eyebrows furrowed in faux annoyance.
"Trixie was right about you. Thou sayeth kindest words one could imagine, only to do their best to ruin the moment with something stupid." Luna removed her hoof again from my mouth before leaning into me.
"...You know what, that's fair. I can't stop saying stupid things." I agreed, now gently patting her head since I was unable to think of anything else I could do to comfort her. We sat in silence once more. Just her, myself, and my raging erection that was thankfully not bothering me during my entire apology. Sadly enough, I heard the music in the background start to fade away.
"We shall simply have to put your mouth to better use, won't we? Hast thou ever had thine cock sucked?"
If someone was recording me that moment, they could have made a sick beat-box video from the sounds I made at that question. "LUNA, I thought we were having a heart-felt moment!" I stammered. "I can't deal with those questions out of nowhere!"
A smug laugh came from behind that smile she wore. "Your face is Beet Red...we shall assume the answer is no...There is one thing thou is mistaken of...we are not at all an innocent filly." Princess Luna admitted with a provocative wink and taking back control of the situation.
With that admission out of the way, Luna began her descent as she slowly slid her body down, her fur gliding across my bare skin and across my erection, causing a relieved sigh at the stimulation.
Holy fuck is this really happening right now?
"We hope thou art not disappointed if we are lacking practice." She took a hoof and traced it across my penis, electing a sigh with a shudder of anticipation. That felt way better than I was expecting. She then took her other hoof to catch my member between her hooves and her body, hugging my penis against her fluffy chest. Slowly rising as she brushed her fur against my member, she pulled back. All the while, her wings were bent downward and resting their feathers on my thighs as just barely tickled the skin like a feather duster. She didn't have any breasts on her chest, so would this be a chest-job? Whatever it was, the way her tufts of fur on her chest caressed me was amazing. This wasn't even the mythical "sex" I heard so much about, but it felt way better than any time I ever got myself off.
"Uhhhh-" I moaned instinctually before clasping my mouth shut to stifle it much to my chagrin. This was nuts. I thought this was just a thing that pornos did for fantasy. She's barely touching me and I'm having trouble holding back those sounds. Her ministrations with something so simple were starting to take a toll on me, much to her enjoy apparent enjoyment as she saw me trying to stifle my whimpers and trying to gauge my reactions.
"Thou needn't do that...Thou art afflicted by changeling venom. It makes everything unbearable. Tis only natural to make these sounds, and we want to hear more of thee..." Rising slowly, dropping fast. Rising slowly, Dropping fast. Up and down. Up and down as she pressed herself against me. "Now that the music has subsided, we would like to hear thee sing..." Her voice dripping of a sensual seduction, and I still could not believe I wasn't dreaming right now. Princess Luna was a straight-up succubus.
She then angled my penis downward a little bit as it rested in front of her lips, breathing hot humid air over it as she gave an experimental lick to it. Her lips form a seal upon the very tip of my penis where my hole was, not placing the head in her mouth. She held it there to get more comfortable as she set her forehooves on either side of my hips. Looking back up at me, I felt her tongue poke and prod at the entrance...then lap at it.
"mmmn-god Luna," I sucked in air through my gritted teeth as I felt myself involuntarily buck my hips to no avail since I was being held down by her. Luna giggled as her head moved further down with confidence. I felt her tongue swirl around the head of my penis, slowly and deliberately wrapping her tongue as if to polish my head. Once coated, she started to move down... down... down as she lovingly bobbed her head, her eyes moving between judging her own performance and meeting with mine to judge if I was enjoying it. She let my cock out of her mouth for a moment to hold the bottom against her lips. Her tongue poked out and wiggled left and right against the underside of my head, and those eyes...Those half-lidded wanton eyes that were trying to get me to cum all on their own...What a sexy expression. Why is she so hot!?! Using one of her hoof, she pulled her hair back behind her ears to give me a better look at her face and how much she was enjoying it, and I got a better look at her tongue as it wrapped around me. It was long, definitely longer than mine. It had to be at least four inches, and I saw as she bobbed her head, her tongue stuck out to caress either side of my shaft in alternating patterns. Even if she wasn't going all the way down just yet, her tongue was easily long enough to touch and rub the places that her lips haven't reached yet.
And she made sure that I knew it.
I squeezed my eyes shut to try and ignore the feelings and the lewd looks Luna kept giving me. I saw nothing, but with the loss of one sense I almost immediately felt a difference with all other senses heightening as if to punish me. I felt her teeth gently scrape against my mid-shaft, but only once so far as she seemed to correct her technique. From then on, the roughest sensation I could feel from her technique was the gummy ridges on the roof of her mouth gently grinding against my dick's head. I heard slurps and wet kisses as her tongue wrapped around every which way. In the breaks of my own attempts to control myself and my voice, Luna's own moans filled the gaps in the air as she sent pleasant vibrations into me. When she found something that I liked, she used that technique more in her ministrations. Eventually as she pushed herself deeper and deeper, her muzzle reached the base of my cock. I don't think she has a gag reflex. However, it was not without lack of trying that she tried to get more cock in her mouth as she pressed harder into my pelvis. At that moment, I felt the tongue that was previously wrapping itself around my dick now focusing pressing itself under my balls, swapping between caressing the left and right side. A barely noticeable smell permeated the air, and I could almost taste it in the back of my mouth. I couldn't get away or even mitigate the pleasure and lust I was feeling at this very moment as I started to buck my hips again.
"Uhn, Luna..." I let out a strained grunt. I felt her drag her head up until she stopped. I opened my eyes and when I looked down I saw her cupping the head of my dick with her mouth as if holding a lollipop. Her bright blue eyes enraptured me as they met my own.
"MMmmm?" She gave a questioning hum with the vibrations gently massaged me and making it harder and harder to hold back. Though she wasn't bobbing, she was still sucking in the meantime.
"You're too go-AH! I'm...I know I'm close...close to cumming." I could barely get out. I felt myself start a sentence, but every time I tried finishing a thought, Princess Luna seemed to try to do her best to interrupt me by wiggling her tongue, sucking, or playfully teasing me in all the ways she found out were my favorite. Soon, she let herself off of me with a "pop" as a string of saliva broke between her and my member. Her lips were glistening, but she looked no worse for wear and seemed almost energized.
"Even with the venom, thou seems very sensitive." Princess Luna observed looking clearly happy with her handiwork and handling. Her wings bent upward and reached for my face as they gently brushed the side of my cheeks. "Normally, we would stop and let thee catch thine breath, but time is of the essence. Grab hold of the sheets, Sir Edgar. This may feel intense..." I did exactly that and she started it up her mouth magic again.
She did not change her technique, but she didn't have to. It's like she already knew exactly what I liked. She was perfect and amazing, and she knows that I just needed more "her" to reach my peak. My hands had to be turning white. Not from the moonlight, but from the tightness of my grip. I was gripping the comforter of the mattress with one hand as I kept trying to blindly grab at something else to hold onto with the other. It eventually felt something hard and Luna paused. I felt smooth keratin and saw that I was grabbing Luna's hoof. I let go and started to pull away until I felt Luna push her hoof further into my hand as if to give me permission. I grabbed onto her hoof as she continued to love me with her mouth. If she was a human, the way she pressed into my palms would be like if we were interlocking fingers. She had none to speak of, but the gesture was intimate all the same as she smiled at me.
Despite everything Luna was already doing, everything she had already done, I think it was that one insignificant thing that sent me careening over the edge. "Coming, I'm cumming, i'm-Fuuuuck!" I grunted and growled as I felt a jolt of pleasure course through my body as I shot ropes out my shuddering hips. Perfectly timed, Luna's moaning muzzle went straight to the base of my cock with every pump of semen I released into her mouth, pulling back between shots only to slam back down. As I let myself pulse into Luna's maw as my mind started to go blank, finally releasing after the last few days of being teased and toyed with.
As I started to come back down and sigh with a shudder. When I finally remembered where I was after the roughly ten seconds of bliss, I had a realization. This was the best orgasm of my life. I started to felt like everything has been squeezed out of me after I ran a marathon, and it all came from a dark blue horse...I can't believe I tried telling her "no".
After a few moments, she pulled herself off my cock with another "pop" breaking the silence of my labored breathing. Luna rested her cheek on her hoof, her eyes closed as if she was trying to decide if she liked the strange substance in her mouth, looking almost as if she is using her tongue to play with in within the confines of her lips before tilting her head back and-
*glup*
"Oh my god..." I laid there, staring slack-jawed as she swallowed it all without any complaint, shocking me more than I thought I could have already been. She looked down back back at me, and her eyes glowed in the moonlight with a gentle smile complimenting them.
"Salty...ponies like salt." She admitted as she gently rubbed by sensitive balls and member, slowly leaning in to place gentle pecks upon them both as they shined in her saliva. Luna watched me from behind my dick while I twitched at her contact. Her hoof slowly stroked my shaft in a slow and lazy hoof job as she did her best to ease me down from my high and let me ride it for as long as possible. Before long, it slowed to a stop as she settled with resting both her forelegs on either side of my legs as she laid between them. My head leaned back against the pillows, and I started to close my eyes to bask in the afterglow as I sighed with contentment. There wasn't much else that could be done to make this night any better.
"Luna, that...ohhoho that was amazing..." I breathed out as I was was slowly coming down from my high. My eyes suddenly shot open once I felt a familiar warmth surrounding the head of my penis. Craning my neck, I lifted my head to look back at the offending culprit and felt a twinge of fear and excitement once I saw Luna's mouth latched onto my oversensitive head, a strong suck causing my hips to jerk in reflex. "UNNG...L-Luna, please. I'm still sensitive." Her smile didn't abate, but her loving eyes shifted to those of impish malice as I saw both her wings stretch from her back and rest her soft feathers on either side of my cock's shaft. "...Luna?" Her flexibility astounded me for a moment but this was all but completely forgotten as she started to rub the soft feathers of her wings against my midshaft in an alternating fashion, all the while I felt her swirl her diabolical tongue around my oversensitive head on a deliberate speed never letting up. "Uuuungh fuck Luna! Holy shit, Luna stop! I just came!" I begged in an almost embarrassing whine. My hips were struggling to try and get away from her sadistic onslaught as lightning shot through my nerves, but she was laying in such a way that I could't get my hips away from her. She had my legs held down as she continued to bully my poor member. "-oh god-ffffu-fff!"
Everything that happened next was a blur for me.
I think forgotten how to speak English. I couldn't even swear as I squeezed my eyes shut with as much muscle my face could muster to try and bear this. I tried to reach down blindly with both hands to try push Luna's head off of my genitals, but when I could sense Luna's disapproval with a loud hum, I realized this was a terrible mistake. The moment my fingers brushed against what I think was her wing, she hooked her hooves around my hands and pinned my arms to the bed. Almost completely restrained under her, she nearly doubled her speed and friction against my cock as she loudly and maliciously moaned into it and sent will-shattering vibrations directly into every nerve of her newfound toy. I couldn't even get out a "sorry" or "you win" with any attempts ending up as guttural moans. She did not ease up, and as I was starting to run out of thoughts to describe what I was going through as I came yet again. Too embarrassingly soon as I shot more ropes into her mouth. I am not even sure if she swallowed that time, nor could I care. All my thoughts were full of contradictions, praying that she would both "stop" and "keep going".
There was no limbo, no rest between the heaven and hell she was putting me through...
----
I do not know how much time has passed, but I know that eventually I woke up a bit more and started to become aware of my surroundings again. I was drenched in sweat and no matter how heavy my breathing was, I just could not get enough oxygen.
"In through my nose, out through my mouth..." I thought to myself. I had plenty of oxygen even if I thought not. I'm just gassed out, is all.
My eyes opened a bit later and I soon realized that I as I was becoming more aware that I was feeling a warm, furry being nestled between my legs.
"Welcome back to the world of the living." A soft voice said from my waist.
I looked down and what I saw was positively depraved.
Princess Luna wore a prideful smile as looked up at me with half-lidded and lustful eyes. Her mane still hadn't been floating, but it appeared to have ropes of my cum across laying across it. She stared into my eyes as she playfully had my tip in the frog of her hoof, her face resting and nuzzling against the right side of it, heaving breaths of hot air against it. Her wings were jutted out rigidly, and given that she was just finishing up from giving me the most mind-breaking orgasms of my life, I suspect that the jokes about "Wing Boners" might actually have merit.
"Luna?" I asked in a haze of heat and sensitivity.
"Still us...." Her hoof toyed with my cock, pulling it away from her as far as it could go without it being painful before suddenly letting go and letting my dick comically smack her in the cheek like some lewd paddle. She licked it as her eyes never left mine. "...enjoy thy rest? We have been waiting for thee to awaken once more."
"W-what happened?" I sputtered dizzily.
"You passed out after we made you release twice more." She held up a hoof as if she was showing me two imaginary fingers sticking out. "We were starting to get concerned."
"You're joking." I accused, with nothing but a shake of Luna's head against me as her answer. "You're not...Fuuuck, how long was I out?"
Luna appeared to give the answer some thought. "For a while... perhaps an hour or so. We did warn thee of the intensity." I turned my head away from her to take in a breath. That was more than intense. I thought I died for a moment. I'm still struggling to calm down from the heat that coursed through my body. "You made such wonderful faces, and your moans stirred something primal in us. We are sorry, but we couldn't help ourselves. How was it?" Luna implored again as her wings folded inward to gently stroke the side of my shaft as she gently bounced my cock off of her nose and muzzle.
I sighed in comfort at the contact. This was nicer than the last contact I remembered, but I felt sore. I don't think my brain has fully reset after all that. "Please don't do that again. I don't think I can handle something like that again."
"You didn't like it?" Luna inquired with a tinge of sadness in her voice as she stopped fondling me. I don't know what face I made when she asked, but her smile faded as her ears splayed back behind her head. "No, you didn't...We thought it would exhaust the venom as quickly as possible. "Ripping off the bandages", as some would say, but the venom still made thee too sensitive. We didn't stop to consider how you were feeling, since we have always enjoyed the touching ourselves after we released. We are so sorry..." Luna sounded genuinely distraught and ashamed.
"No, it was still awesome, really!" I tried to console. "It was just too much for me right now, and a little scary..." She's not smiling, fuck. "Seriously, don't worry Luna. It was like scary in a good way, you know? Like riding a rollercoaster...I just don't want that rollercoaster to set my nerves on fire, you know?"
"Do you not like us anymore?" She asked timidly. "Please let us make amends. Please, we don't want you to be afraid of us..." Her voice cracked as she leaned her head to rest it against my midsection.
"Amends for what? You were only doing it to save my life, remember? I can't be mad at that. Besides, it was amazing. By far the most intense feeling of my life." I wanted to continue showering her with anything I could to make her feel better, but I was distracted started to sniff the air. Something humid and sweet was permeating the air like a perfume. "Do you smell that Luna? It smells good." I leaned over as best I could to look around the room to see where it could have been coming from.
Luna perked her head up and leaned over to sniff the air herself before turning to look at me. "Perhaps it is thee?"
"No, I probably smell terrible." I tested a sniff of my arm raised before I instantly recoiled. "Oof, yea I need a bath. I'm sorry you were dealing with that."
"You don't smell terrible, Edgar. In truth, we have grown rather fond of your scent in our time with your little friend. It reminds us of incense and the crisp night sky." Luna sighed as if she was recalling an old memory as her eyes closed. "It comforting."
At least she is not looking sad anymore. Thanks nose! You always know how to guide me to the right outcome.
"I think your sniffer's broken, Luna. That description is a little too poetic for my stank....God, what is that smell." I had to know, and this seemed like a good distraction for her. I gave Luna as much detail as possible, musing hypocritically as I tried to tell her. "It's like super sweet...and "dark", if that makes sense. It smells downright delicious, like the "sambuca" that you gave me earlier. Its so overpowering I can almost taste it."
A massive blush of panic appeared on Princess Luna's face she turned and looked toward her flank. "You can smell that?" The ruler of the night blurted out in a low whisper. With a wince she turned back to me with a look of embarrassment as hind her legs rubbed together in agitation. She looked so innocent and vulnerable, a stark contrast to the succubus I saw when I first woke back up. "We shouldn't be surprised. Please do not be disturbed, but it may be us..." Her tail appeared to lift itself, but it was easy to see that a great many strands of her glittering wet tail hair adhered to her backside and traced the elegant contours of her rear and thighs. It was still a bit hard to make out how it looked in the dark, but the glitter in her dark tail hugged against her plot and sparkled in the reflective moonlight, forming a sort of overlay that gave me an idea of the shape of her ass...and by God was literally Divine.
She flicked her tail to the left and right. As she did, I felt a tsunami of heat of this scent wash over me as I covered my mouth and nose. I felt a few droplets of her land on my hand, and that cute look of mortification when she saw what she accidently did. It was almost enough to drive a man mad. "Jesus, Luna, you're soaking wet!"
"We're sorry, Edgar." She groaned in humiliation, burying her head between my thighs. Apparently she was trying to use my legs as ear warmers as she grumbled into the comforter we were both laying on. "We couldn't help it. We tried ignoring it, but it just kept dripping."
"Didn't you just get done practically stealing my soul though my dick for the past hour?" I teased with a bit of confusion evident in my voice. "Stop apologizing already. I should be flattered that you were getting so...excited? Is that a good word for it?"
"This is supposed to be for thee and thee alone." Came a whimper muffled by the fabric. "Thou art in danger if we can not exhaust the venom, but we are allowing ourselves to become too exuberant in our service of you. We shouldn't be getting this aroused. Please don't think less of us..."
...Fuck you nose. You betrayed me and made her sad again!
I was a bit flabbergasted. For my first time, I would have felt safe in saying that Luna definitely knew what she was doing. Her mouth was doing magic earlier, but all of a sudden she was getting flustered over getting turned on by it? I should feel flattered, but I can't help but feel that if Luna was going that long pleasuring me without the same happening to her. It just didn't seem fair, did it? And with that, I got to thinking...
"Hey," I reached down and massaged her ears both hands, feeling her sigh into my thighs as she appeared to have internal monologue of which hand to lean into. "Can I help you out?""
"With what?" Her muffled voice asked.
"Well, you are soaking wet down there, and I'd like to help you out a little." I offered with a bit of a nervous chuckle. "I'd like to try eating you out, if you'd let me." I cringed a moment after I said that. There has to be a sexier way of saying that.
"Thou wishes to what?" She asked as she pulled away from my legs to look up at me with pursed lips.
"I'd like to lick you. You know, give you a blowjob...for mares." Nope, not it. That just sounds hella gay.
"Thou wants to taste our nethers? Interesting slang..." She sighed in relief. "Edgar, this is supposed to be for you."
"You are way more worked up than I am right now, and it ain't fair if I'm the only one getting some, right?" I argue with her. "You told me yourself that you would rather risk yourself than some other pony when servicing such a "powerful and dangerous being." Luna was nodding along, almost as if it was both me and her nethers trying to convince her to agree with me. "I think you deserve something for that, right?"
On the right track...
Luna looked close to saying yes before suddenly shaking her head. "We can handle it ourselves at a later time. We don't want to insist."
I should really apologize for being so resistant to her, now that the shoes on the other foot.
I started to get up from my spot and scooted to the side. With the bed seemingly being alicorn-sized, there was plenty of room for me to do so. It's about time I pulled out my secret weapon. "You want to make it up to me and make amends? Well then let me make it up to you and give you some payback. Lay down..."
Payback. That's the phrase. Good job, Brain.
Luna gazed at me in silence before a small smile started to win her over. "We suppose we have no choice if it is to make things right..." Luna appeared to rationalize, starting to crawl up to the spot I was laying down on before turning and laying on her back with her wings spread out. Her legs soon joined her wings in spreading as a wet tail swished to the side to give me a better view of the dark lips of her pussy, as well as two small mounds resting little ways between her hind legs.
"I'm a genius..." I thought to myself as I started to crawl downward to the source of the sweet pheromone permeating the air. As I stood face to lips with Luna's lips, I realized that this was really happening. "...Oh no, I've never eaten pussy before. I know I asked if I could help, but its so much more intimidating up clo-IT JUST WINKED AT ME! It's making lewd noises!"
"Edgar, don't make us wait. Thou has us quivering with anticipation." Luna's purred with need. "Please...help us make amends, my hero..."
Alright, no bowing out now. I'm not gonna Blue Ball...Blue clam? Blue Bean? I'm not gonna Blue Bean Luna. I won't be able to live it down. Not after she asked so nicely.
"...You're not a human Luna, so I want you to tell me if I can be doing better, okay?" Princess Luna slowly nodded with prospect in her half-lidded gaze before closing her eyes and laying back onto the pillow, entrusting me with her pleasure. Alrighty, showtime. I might be out of my league with this, but I did read a few tips online for research purposes back in my teen years. I guess maybe I should start on the outside and work my way in. Upon a better look at it, it was tall(if that was a good way to describe it). Honestly looked like some of the art that I sa-heard it described about online. It gave the occasional wink, and it seemed to glisten in Luna's juices. Even the musk was starting to make me light-headed, and it spurred me onward to take the plunge. As my tongue took the first decisive lick causing the breath Luna appeared to be holding to hitch, I was very pleasantly surprised. I gave a few experimental licks on the outside in case I was going crazy, but no. I just tasted something I could describe as sweet and "slightly tangy", but it was like licorice, or that sambuca Luna gave me earlier. I can get used to this...
I kept licking and trying to see if there was more flavors hidden behind those lips. With every lick, my tongue was rewarded with more flavorful and sticky substances as I felt more and more of her. Every so often, I heard sighs on contentment as Luna's hips lifted off the bed and rolled itself into my face. I started to feel more confident, and after I licked the outside of her pussy for a while, I tried inserting my tongue inside her and I thought I was going to faint at how warm and tight it was inside. Even pressing my tongue inside was met with some resistance by Luna's walls that immediately began to clench around my tongue, giving it a full and tight squeeze. Feeling that on my tongue...Just the thought of how that would feel if ... I felt myself starting to get hard again at the feeling as I felt my cock brush against the bed. The friction against the bed caused me to start humping the sheets a little bit, and as I tried to calm myself down, I was met with Luna's moaning as she started to writhe a bit as well.
"MHmmm, stop teasing Edgar... You've made your point..."
Oh No...Am I actually terrible at this!?!?
My Tongue, my lips, my chin, my nose. I used it all to try and stimulate her. Kissing and making out with her pussy, rubbing my nose and chin everywhere I could. Even shoving my tongue as deep as I could, it was still not enough for her. I started to freak out as I frantically did as much as I could to her poor neglected genitals. Luna started moaning and mewling a bit more often, but it wasn't enough for me. I had to think quickly to make this better for her before she got bored and disappointed with me.
Suddenly, it hit me. While eating her out, I started to rub my fingers while licking them and her marehood. Once lubricated, I switched tactics and I started to slowly insert my middle finger into her depths. "MmmmMm, thats moroOHHH!-" Luna tensed up as my digit went deeper and deeper, and I felt her right leg start to shake. Funny, my tongue was clearly too short for her, but add a finger and now it is juuust right for her. "K-keep going, Edgar. Uuhh-Up. A little moooore..." With an apparent understanding between us, I followed Luna's guidance toward what I assumed was her g-spot. I didn't find a magical button that could make her orgasm instantly, but I got lucky. I felt barely a bump against my finger, and as if that was the trigger, she started to convulse as if she was going into an epileptic fit. Her velvety walls tightened erratically around my finger and it took a small but noticeable effort to pull it out and thrust it into her. Even her hips bucked against my mouth as a low moan escaped from deep within her throat.
I started to feel a pressure on my head as Luna's haunches started to close themselves around my head. They felt warm and slick since her fur was matted with her juices from earlier. "Edgar...our pearl. We are so close!" I felt a pair of hooves gently tug at my hair, and I let her pull me up slowly. I followed her guidance with my tongue trailing up her folds, I heard a gasp as I lapped it against a peculiar nub that just barely poked out from there the top. "THERE! Right there~"
I was appreciative of Luna doing her best to help me please her, and smiled as I took other hand and used my thumb to try pulling it back gently like she said, revealing a small bump. The effects were immediate, as every lick I performed had Luna's hips jerk into my face with more and more force. Holy shit...I found the clitoris! I sucked on her clit, alternating between gentle licks and firm pressure with the flat of my tongue. It only took a few more seconds before she shattered, the orgasm ripping through her body like an electric shock with her thighs squeezing tightly around my head. The sensation was incredible and my mind went blank at the sheer strength of it as her hips bucked into my face with more force, rubbing her wet lips and my nose against her clitoris. "MMMMMMMGNNNNNNNNN!" The tremors as her orgasm arrived as she gave a guttural scream with her lips and eyes sealed shut, creating a loud and erotic hum. I tasted more of her in that time as my chin felt noticeably more moisturized, and I realized that I just made Princess Luna cum. She lost control of her body as she hugged my head between her legs and against her heat as her right leg twitched, and it was all because of me... She was riding it out for a short time afterward, with sudden jerks and spasms sporadically popping up as I slowly lapping at her folds as her legs released their hold on my head. It still hurt a little, but I ignored it as I had other things on my mind at the moment.
I didn't think I was doing that good at it, but I think this was my favorite activity that happened tonight. Don't get me wrong, getting my dick sucked into oblivion and getting the most powerful orgasm of my life was fantastic...but there was something about making her cum. Making her feel that good... If the tables were reversed and she was the one that was bitten, I could easily see myself giving Luna the same treatment for as long as she needed. I felt a deeper understanding of her point of view. Her needs. I was content to continue pressing my tongue flat against her folds as I tasted her essence, moaning into her just as she had done to me... I didn't like my moans, but she seemed to, so that was good enough reason for me to not have a care in the world as I treated her like royalty.
But then she foolishly decided to speak.
"P-please slow down, Edgar." She huffed breathlessly. "We're very sensitive right now..."
All the pride I accumulated for making her cum was transmuted into malicious cruelty as I had an idea pop up in my head. A wonderful, awful idea. A devilish smile made its way to my face as I clamped her legs over my shoulders and held them tight. "Edgar?" I took one more look at the nub that she lead me to before suddenly suckling gently suckling on it. "MNnnngn Edg-AH! WHY-Eee!!!"
I didn't say a word, but I did look up at the struggling princess to let my eyes speak for me. "Well well well...if it isn't the consequences of your own actions." I thought to her as I dove my tongue deep inside her once more to explore a bit more. I read about this once while doing "research" and thought it would be a good idea to try out actually spelling out words with my tongue. In my time looking into this, people recommended all sorts of things...the Alphabet, compliments, your partner's name... I was not feeling that romantic. "Let me spell it out for you..."
P-A-Y-B-A-C-K
As my tongue danced around her labia, her moans turned into protests as she squirmed beneath me with her body doing its best to try and get away from me. "Thou hast payback! We beg of thee stop! CEASE! DESIST!" She was failing miserably with her escape though as I had her legs locked against my over my shoulders. She clearly knew what I was doing but there was a hint of desperation in her voice that told me she wasn't entirely opposed to what I was doing. Even her tail seemed to work against her as it started to drape itself over the back of my neck and pushing the back of my head deeper. Besides, I wasn't finished yet.
"I-S..."
I continued to explore every inch of her pussy with my tongue, trailing from her swollen clit down to the opening of her sex and back up again. Her wetness coated my tongue as I delved deeper into her folds. Moans mixed with soft cries as the pleasure built within her once again.
"N-NO! Not agai-AHmmmm. SSsss-uhnnng . Stu-stuh-stop." Even with her stuttering, I might have started listening if it wasn't for that dopey smile she had on her face as she leaned back into the pillows of the bed and arched her back, giving me an easier time accessing her.
I kept giving her the riot act with my tongue. I could feel how turned on she was, her juices dripping onto my tongue as I continued to devour her. The musky licorice scent of her arousal filled the air, making me even more eager to please her in my revenge.
"A ....B-I-T-C-H"
Her moans turned into high-pitched whimpers as she approached the edge once again. Her muscles tensed beneath my touch, and I knew she was close to coming undone once more. Her back arched off the bed as she cried out in pleasure, her juices flowing freely into my waiting mouth. Revenge never tasted so sweet.
I continued to lap at her pussy throughout her climax again, drawing out every last drop of ecstasy from her body. She writhed beneath me, lost in a sea of pleasure that I had created for her. "StopStopStopStopStop" She begged as she rode out her orgasm, but I felt that she she might have been enjoying this as much as I was getting back at her. Her tail was wrapped around my neck, and she was pulling me closer to her with each passing moment. Eventually, I did stop and released her from my grip to let her catch her breath. She was panting heavily, her chest heaving with each labored breath. Her eyes were glazed over with lust, and her body was trembling with desire. I think I am starting to understand what Luna was getting out of that previous torture she put me through. Watching her tremble was hot, to say the least.
I crawled up her body, planting kisses and rubbing along her soft fur as I went. No sounds came from Luna aside from the whimpering and small whinnies that were coming from her as she arched her body into my touch. Her body still had some leftover tremors from her last orgasm, but when I got up to face her, she didn't even look at me. She just kept staring at the ceiling behind me like she was in an orgasmic coma.
"Luna?" I asked. She looked broken. I think I may have gone to far. I climbed up over her and looked at the blank look she was giving. I stroked the side of her cheeks with my hand to try and get her attention. "Luna, are you okay?"
As if waking up or suddenly noticing I was there, silence was broken by a deep low voice as Luna eyes locked with mine"...Why did you stop?"
I was dumbfounded by the mixed signals. "Cause you were telling me to. I didn't want to go to far. Did I overdo it? If I was hurting you I'm-" Luna reached behind the back of my head with her forehooves, stunning me as she pulled me into her and pressed her lips into mine. This wasn't my first kiss but Luna certainly took the time to make it feel like it was as she slowly worked herself on my lips with her own. The warmth and pressure of her lips felt almost indistinguishable from that of a human's as she gently nibbled and licked at my lips, before slowly moving outside the corner of my lips and licking my cheeks as if to clean of any of her essence that lingered.
"Holy fuck, how are you so good..." I thought to myself. I felt a deep red blush spread across my cheeks as her lips slid down my face to my neck where she started to kiss, lick, and bite at the crook of my neck. I tried to do the same for her, but couldn't concentrate as she switched her technique on me, alternating between nipping at my neck with her teeth and leaving long licks. My entire body felt like a giant erogenous zone as I moaned yet again, causing Luna to break her neck-sucking to give me a post-orgasmic giggle that oozed with lust before her eyes became half-lidded once more.
"Edgar, I appreciate your concern, but if I really wanted thee to cease..." Luna's foreleg's flipped me over onto my back as she rolled with me, finding herself straddling on top of me. Face to muzzle, her warm breath washed over me. "We could have put up more of a struggle." She gingerly rested herself on top of me as she hugged her body close to mine. "We hope we are not too heavy. We are larger and taller than many, apart from our niece and some well-fed Earth ponies."
That was an absurd statement. She had enough heft to her to know that an Alicorn laying on top of me, but she wasn't as heavy as I thought she would be even with her being a fair bit larger than me. Unlike when Telsona was on top of me, I could breath easily even with how close she was. Unlike the plastically hardened shell that Telsona had when she rested on me, Luna felt warm and soft. Huggable and cuddlable. Her dark blue pelt was like a fine felt over my naked body, and I felt her soft coat brush across my stomach, my chest, my hips...my crotch. Every breath she took caused her body to rise and lower, brushing her fur against my skin. That alone was stimulating me in ways I was not used to, but the intimacy of this position was setting my heart pounding. My breath hitched as my cock, already hard again from both Luna's kissing and her moans from earlier, suddenly twitched and lightly slapped against Luna's rear. She jumped at the contact but soon realized what happened as a smirk started to creep up on the side of her face.
"Oh, we have a visitor..." She sultrily teased.
"Friend of yours?" I asked. Damn I'm smooth. Master of sex.
"Yes. Its been far too long, and we simply must catch up..." She gave her hips a wiggle which forced a sigh of contentment from me as my cock wedged itself between her cheeks. "A Queen's venom must truly be potent, if thou art willing and able even now. One more time Edgar? To be sure we conquer it...?"
"I can do that..." I whispered to her.
Luna smiled warmly at my admission as she sat up, taking a moment to grind her pelvis against mine. I started to sit up before feeling Luna pushing my shoulders back down onto the bed behind me. "Ah ah ah~, Edgar. We made an exception for thee earlier, but this night is still for thee and thee alone."
"Has anyone ever told you that you are very assertive?"
"We should hope so. We are a princess of Equestria."
"Still, I don't want to feel like a dead fish." I grumbled.
"You won't. We promise." Luna cooed as she leaned over me and planted a soft peck on my lips. "We do have but one small request of you. When thou art nearing completion again, do not try to stop us as you have done when we were suckling upon thee. We are trying to get the venom out of your system, and thou must let yourself enjoy this for that to happen. We decree that the only time thou art allowed to stop us is to instruct us on how to better please you. Otherwise," Luna leaned her head to the side of mine and whispered with a sultry breath "~Let go of your inhibitions. I weaved this night just for you, and I want to hear what lies in your dreams~..." I felt her grind herself onto me as if it was a slow and sensual tango, causing a relaxed sigh as I hugged her against me almost reflexively.
"Mmmm, there's a good colt..." Luna sighed into my ear. I don't think she meant to make it sound as erotic as she did, but that deep, throaty purr caused goosebumps to rise on my body as I felt the vibrations run down my neck and across my chest. I couldn't get enough of that. The sound of Luna purring while slowly grinding her hindquarters against me was music to my ears. My hands found their way onto her back and began to trace her body, exploring her fur with my fingertips in the dim light. She didn't say anything about it, and her ears were relaxed as I tried to map her body out. Her hips rocked gently as her body rocked against mine with a lazy, relaxed rhythm.
How could I ever hope to refuse her? Why did I argue so much against her in the first place?
"How can I say no to you?" I asked, starting to get more playful with her. I let my hands wander around her barrel as I felt myself thrust up against her. Her pleasured sighs started to join mine. "You really do have a beautiful body." My hands rubbed around her pelt as I felt up and down her figure. She seemed to like it and let out a delighted sigh, making it harder for me to keep my composure as I started to grow more and more excited.
"Oh?" She asked bemusedly as she leaned forward once more and started to nibble near my neck once more. She took the same treatment to my neck as before, alternating between long licks, light kisses, and even taking the time to occasionally suckle at my neck, causing me to whimper in pleasure and surprise.
"Mmm, your fur is amazing. The moonlight almost makes you glow-OH f-..." I could barely think as she immediately swapped from by neck to nibble and pull at my earlobe and interrupting my train of thought as I tried complimenting Luna. Whatever control I thought have had over how this went, it was clear that it was only the amount that Luna let me have. How much time did it take her to get so good with her mouth? "You have a nice voice...and a cute laugh...you have beautiful wings..." I probably should have stopped by now, but I didn't get the memo. Every single compliment came out of my mouth without any consideration for how good I would sound as my mouth continued to blurt out praise in the midst of the lewd wet noises she was making. "You have beautiful eyes...your mane looks soft...even with the cum hanging off of it..."Luna's ministrations had stopped and was listening to my ramblings with an air of disbelief. She lifted her head and looked me dead in the eyes. "T-That not to say that it isn't hot or anything. It would just look better witho-" Luna's hoof found its way over my mouth again.
"Do you remember what we said earlier in the night? About your penchant for "kind words" and "ruining the moment"?" Luna asked, trying to hold back her laughter.
"Sorry..." I mumbled bashfully. The blush I felt on my face was less of being a turned on and and more of embarrassment as she rightly called me out for what I was trying to do.
Luna hummed as she let herself calm down. "Careful now. Too much flattery, and one might think you are trying to bed a princess...Perhaps they were right..."Luna sultrily joked.
I chuckled, but that chuckle was cut off when I felt Luna slid herself further up my body until my tip was just barely kissing her entrance. Both our genitals were coated in her fluids from the previous "dry humping" we did, if I could even call it that, and I could feel her heat against my shaft as I felt a small wet spot start to grow on my pelvis.
My heart started to pound again. I took a deep breath I shut my eyes I waited for the inevitable plunge into her but felt nothing. Opening my eyes, I saw that she stopped just before I entered her, and tilted my head up to meet once more with Luna's eyes. The Alicorn's eyes still radiated wanton lust, but as her gaze bore into me, I saw concern start to manifest.
"Edgar, are you nervous even now?" She asked. Her eyes didn't leave mine as she gently rested her chest on mine and started to lightly hug me, and her legs interlocked themselves on either side of mine, giving me a sensation of being trapped, but not in a bad way.
I thought about my answer, before shaking my head. "A little, but not as much as I was."
"This may be your first time with a pony, but I promise it will be just as good, if not better than with one of your human mares."
That got me to pause. I should probably come clean with her. I flew by the seat of my pants in eating her out, but I should probably set some expectations. As she started to relax her legs and slide herself back to drop once more, I stopped her once more.
"...I'm gonna be honest, this is my first time...with anybody. I know that you're trying to get the venom out of my system, but if the fun ends early, promise you won't hold it against me?"
This time, it was Luna's turn to pause her descent. "You're a virgin..." That was more of a statement than a question.
"Yes..." I replied. I don't think I should have been nervous about admitting that. I am a virgin, but I am still a mature enough to not let it bother me. Most guys got laid sometime in between their sophomore and senior years, and I guess I was a late bloomer. Never really had the time for it with the rehearsals for plays, aikido classes, and babysitting my sisters. "Not having enough time" was the reason my first girlfriend broke up with me to begin with. The White Bitch of Starbucks, as I nicknamed her. That relationship didn't really last long, so I could hardly even care about the break-up when it finally happened. Now that I'm actually about to lose it, I can't stop thinking about it. Why was I so nervous about it now? Cause it was with Luna? What if it isn't all it was cracked up to be...?
"We had suspected..." Luna's neutral gaze was held once more for a few moments before she sighed and smiled at me. "...There is no shame in that. None at all." She comforted, brushing one of her hooves across my chest. "We could stop now if you would like, but we will not rest easy without knowing for certain that the venom's effects have been fully exhausted." She leaned in closer, her face inches from mine. "Please, Noble Edgar...Let us bestow a perfect end to this night..." I gulped. I am not sure how many times I have done so since she was with me. She seemed to pick up on my hesitation. She waited for my answer, but I was afraid to give it. "...Would you prefer that we go back to fellating thee?"
No...with how much Luna had taken care of me... With how much Luna has been working to make this night perfect despite the circumstances, I can't tell her "no" now. Not when I already committed. I'm gonna make this good for her. I will make her feel good one more time.
"Lets do it." I breathed out, barely unable to contain my nervous excitement...my nervicitement.
Luna's accepted my approval with a relieved smile as she grinded her body against mine once more, eliciting a shuddering sigh. My cock brushed against the lips of her entrance before she slid back and finally let me slip into her.
The tightness and warmth was absolutely blissful as my shaft was enveloped in her velvet insides, causing my head to tilt back as I felt myself be enveloped by the hot embrace of her inner walls. The way it squeezed against my length sent tingles up my spine. Down...Down...Down, she kept sliding until the entire length of my penis hilted inside her in one go. She paused for a second, looking down at me with a contented smile as her lips parted slightly, as if she was just barely holding back a moan. She felt so tight and so warm that I never wanted to leave this moment. I didn't know if this was how a human pussy would feel like, but it was better than any dream I could ever hope for.
"Still nervous?" Luna asked, almost teasingly.
"Not so much now." I replied.
"Good...Thou shouldn't be." Luna purred as she slowly pulled her body up my cock. It felt as if it was being sucked into her with every inch she pulled up, until the tip was nearly out before suddenly plunging back down on me. The tightness of her walls contracted around me as she continued her slow ride, and her slow grinding and grinding was quickly making me lose my mind as her fluids lubed my cock once more. "You're bigger than you appeared."
I chuckled. "Thanks..." It wasn't long after when Luna started to pick up the pace. Each time she moved had me losing myself more and more as I heard her gasp and sigh in pleasure. "L-Luna...You are really tight..." I groaned through gritted teeth. I felt a familiar pressure building up in my lower stomach as she continued to move up and down at a steady pace.
"...No, No, already??? It hasn't even been a minute and I'm already gonna cum? No, that's not fair! I just started!!!" I thought to myself, tensing every single muscle in my body to try and avoid the disappointment Luna was going to feel.
"Art thou about to cum already?" Luna asked with a shit-eating grin. I knew that she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, but I don't want this to end so quickly...but I can't help it. I've gotten too worked up.
I nodded to her, getting ready for my release. Luna caught me off guard, however, as she suddenly stopped her movements and just placed a hoof on my diaphragm. "Don't breathe from your chest...breathe from here...slowly, and tense your muscles." She cooed in a sultry voice. I was confused for a moment but I tried my best to follow her orders. My cock was still throbbing inside of her, but after a few moments I slowly felt the pressure in my pelvis start to relax. I wasn't on the verge anymore. I felt a strange mix of disappointment and relief that I didn't cum.
"Thank you, Luna. That was close."
Luna simply nodded and sat there for a bit...and just sat there...not doing anything.
"Are you gonna move?" I asked as delicately as possible. I can't exactly tell her get to it, but the wait was driving me crazy.
"No..."
"...Should I start moving?" I asked.
"No...we will wait a bit longer."
"Why? I thought the point was to force me to cum asap?" I asked, confused at Luna's sudden shift in opinion. She stayed still motionless. "You even told me to tell you how to "please me", didn't you?"
"We did...but thou art gifting us thine first. This changes things." The Princess started to slowly roll her hips in small circles, her walls undulating around me in a way that I didn't even think was possible and eliciting a sigh from me. "This needs to be special. This needs to be savored. We will take it a bit slower for now..." She smirked. I swear, this was a smirk that didn't even have the common decency of being evil. It was just pure smug satisfaction. I don't think she even realized it. "We promise, this will be worth thy wait when you cum buckets..." Luna pulled herself up before sitting back down once more. My breath hitched and I started to feel the pleasure once more as she rolled her hips and gyrated her pelvis against mine. It was faster than before, but not as fast as she was doing it at the start.
"OooOoh... You feel so good...its so tight..." I couldn't help but mumble out loud. Wispy moans escaped her as she continued to slowly bounce on my cock, rolling her hips with every descent before grinding against me and lifting herself once more. My hands gripped onto her fur for some sort of stability as I felt her silky coat rub against my skin and slide across my torso.
"So we've heard..." Luna teased between her hums. "We are-mmmhmnn-not fairing much better. Thou art as hard as steel. We hope you are enjoying this as much as we are...Keep breathing like we asked." Luna did her due diligence in policing me, but was having a hard time keeping herself under control as well if her mumbling and whimpering was anything to go by. She ground her sex into mine and her vaginal muscles squeezed in erratic patterns. "We can feel your spire's heat...You throbbing against our insides. Can you feel us squeezing you? Can you fmmm-feel how wet we are?" Luna leaned forward, her breath heavy as her chest heaving with each breath. "Can you feel what you are doing to us?"
"Fuck...Luna...I-" I couldn't keep up with her lewd dirty-talk. It was just too erotic for me to focus on that when I was trying to ignore what she was doing to me . I could imagine her practicing her motions on a pillow, trying her best to keep it right as how she practiced. However, the dance she was attempting to do on my lap kept getting interrupted by her own shudders and spasms as she hits what I think is her g-spot. She was powering through it though, and through hitches of her breath and moans, she seemed to be feeling really good. I thought she was hamming it up just for me at first, but as I listened, I feel they were real. Some of her moans sounded like they were the stuff out of l pornos, others were almost sounded like they could have been downright embarrassing for her, which I found to be even hotter than the other ones.
As my hands kept exploring her body, Luna decided to take an even more dominate position by hooking a hand with a hoof and pinning one arm above my head as she leaned in. Though she was slightly taller than me in this position, I was still able to look her face to face, she demonstrated this to me by mashing her lips into my mine to stifle her downright-feral moans. Her tongue ran across my lips as she moaned, tickling and prodding the corners to try and find an entrance. Involuntarily, I flinched at this contact and one particularly tight squeeze of her pussy, and this was all it took for her to seize the opportunity to plunge her tongue into my mouth, to explore everything she felt with my tongue included in my first real French kiss.
...Licorice...
I read stories with sex scenes before, and some of them describe "kissing" as a boxing match or a battle between the two appendages. This was not a battle. This was a massacre.
Princess Luna easily out-maneuvered and beat her long tongue against mine every which-step of the way. When I tried to hide in one side of my mouth, she found where it was hiding and battered it with her own, dancing around it in circles and trying attempting to pull it into her mouth with what little friction she had on her tongue. I was getting mixed signals as when I tried to push my tongue into her mouth, she pushed it back out and continued to bully it. She wrestled and explored every inch of my mouth. She already won the fight, and I was already beaten in this one-sided tongue-war she was waging against me, but she was determined to left no survivors as I moaned pitifully in her mouth. I never knew that a kiss was supposed to feel this good, and I think the venom was to blame for that. When she pulled away with as string of saliva dripping from her mouth down onto my chin, I was suddenly made aware as to how I wasn't breathing the entire time during that kiss. It couldn't have been long since I was still alive, albeit barely. However, it felt like eternity was passing by in that instant, and I was once more hoping...praying that she would start the kiss again. To get that sweet, warm taste of her lips once more.
My free hand, which was still caressing Luna's back, was torn away though my sheer force of will as I give it a new target. I reached out to caress the side of Luna's head, combing her hair with my fingers. "Hhh...Nhhh...Hngg...MMmmn" Luna was in heaven as she resumed her bouncing on my cock, and the sight of her face as she was locked in this bliss was only fueling the fire inside me. Luna leaned and nuzzled into my palm as she moaned, removing the hoof that held my other hand down and bringing it to her mouth, biting it as she tried stifling her moans. She was still propped up by one hoof anchored off to my right shoulder. Now free from her sensual restraint, my other hand went straight for the side of her ass, squeezing and kneading it.
I could feel her muscles, how much hard work she must have put into it, yet there was a soft marshmellow-y layer of thin fat covering it as well, giving it the well-rounded shape that I noticed from before. It was an amazing ass, and it was easy to tell she was loving the extra attention my hands were giving her. "MMm-ark. My mark!" At her request, my hands drifted to the side of her flank and as it brushed where her Cutie mark was I saw Luna's eyes shoot open. She tensed up before letting out a throaty moan as an instant shock of pleasure hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Again. Mmhhm...Again. Keep rubbing!" I quickly obliged, moving my hands around and massaging the side of her flank once more, eliciting a gasp from her before she bit her lip. "N-NnnnHhh~ we're s-so close." I could never imagine something this erotic even in my wettest dreams, but I was in disbelief at how much Luna was enjoying it. "Oh, Edgar..." She moaned while breathing heavily, still trying to catch her breath from her prior session of French kissing me. She leaned forward once more to start kissing me, but I stopped her with a hand under her chin, barely holding onto my own sanity. She looked hurt that I would stop her right in the middle of this moment. She stopped bouncing, instead resting her pelvis on mine.
I felt myself start to get close, and I know that I was not going to hold on for much longer. Just like Luna wanted me to before, I stopped and started to get another breather. I have no idea for how long she was going at it, but it was nearing its climax. "Luna...I'm getting close. I think I should-" She interrupted me this time, forcing her lips onto mine once more with renewed vigor. As she kissed me, I felt her talk into my mouth during the kiss. It was hard to make out, but it sounded like she was calling me stupid in between her hums and moans. This time, instead of hesitating like before, I embraced my losing battle once more.
Luna pulled away all too soon, letting strands of our saliva fall back on my chin."Oh Faust Edgar, if you don't cum soon, you'll drive us MAD!" She announced while diving back in for more.
I started to thrust up into her, trying to match her rhythm.
"That's it Edgar, that's the way. Yes Edgar...YES! Let yourself go. Don't hold back!" Princess Luna was borderline yelling at me, losing herself to the sensations as she commanded me to cum. "We can't be safe unless we are sure. Give us every single drop of your seed! Edgar!" She yelled out one last time before forcing her muzzle against my face again as she did her best to have her way with me, though I put up the best fight I can during our make-out session. I wasn't going to let myself get beaten this time, and Luna sounds very close herself.
It was supposed to be a cliche, saying one's name like that during sex...but I could not judge her. Had I not been kissing her at that moment, I would be moaning her name too. It was all...just...PERFECT....
The Motions of her erotic dance...The Gyrations...The Squeezing...Her tender kiss...Her beautiful expressions...Her erotic moans...The musky scent of our bodies of permeating the room...
The love...the love in her eyes as I caught her peaking at mine though the kisses.
The Frantic gyrations as she started to speed up her milking...Her sex getting impossibly tight...The vibrations I felt on my lips as she groaned loudly into my mouth... The sex-crazed eyes of a woman who is on the brink of mind-numbing ecstasy... The pleading look she was giving me...begging me to cum right now!
Luna broke the kiss one last time.
"Cum...Cum...CUM! CUM FOR ME EDGAR!" Luna manifested her thoughts in to reality, and there wasn't a damn thing I can do to stop the rush of my ejaculation flowing into her. I pulsed into her for longer that I thought should be possible even after how much I ejaculated tonight, and every single pulse felt like a weight off my shoulders and soul. I hugged her tight as against me as I kept flexing my glutes, doing my best to drive myself as deep into her as possible. I could feel every inch of my shaft being squeezed and milked as her velvet walls tightened around me almost painfully so.
Luna's voice came out in a high pitched gasp as she felt the torrent of my seed flood into her depths, and I could feel my warm fluids seeping into her. Her sex twitched and spasmed around my cock as she was brought to the same orgasm she gave me moments earlier. Her lips quivered and trembled, and her eyes shut tightly as pressed herself against me and hugged me back tighter than I was hugging her. She was biting my shoulder almost hard enough to draw blood, and oddly enough the stinging sensation only added to the pleasure coursing through me as our hips rocked together.
I lied about the blowjob. THIS was the most intense orgasm I ever had, and my eyes rolled up as the sensations became too much for me to handle. I shut my eyes and continued to ride out the feeling until I started to grow tired. I relaxed into the bed as I started to feel myself grow limp, but Luna kept grinding into me as she humped herself through an orgasm that was wracking through her.
I was already starting to go soft, but she kept riding me and grinding into me. My mind started to go blank once more, yet I didn't even try and stop Princess Luna this time. If only from her words earlier about touching herself after an orgasm. This was what made her happy, apparently. As such, I was prepared to just grin and bare it for now, sucking in air through my teeth since I was too tired to try and stop her. Yet all throughout the waves and electricity flowing through my nerves, it felt like Luna was restraining herself...to make it easier and more pleasant for me. For the both of us.
Eventually, her own throes died down and she finally stopped her motions. Her teeth unlatched from my shoulder and she just collapsed on top of me. Taking in deep breaths as she laid against me, she straddled me with her legs and wrapped her wings in a cocoon around me. I heard every mewling breath she took as even her cheek was resting against mine. She was so soft...
We stayed like that just basking in the moment, but after a time Luna broke the silence.
"Edgar...we...we..." Luna tried to speak, but she couldn't form words as she tried catching her breath. She seemed so utterly spent that she couldn't even move an inch. "...Was your first time everything...you hoped it to be?" I tiredly chuckled at her words as I slowly took hold of her body, hugging her against my chest as I felt her breathing start to even out, and match with mine. Through my stupor, I tried to lift Luna's bottom to pull my dick out only to feel her press further into me. "MmNo, leave it in...please. You're warm."
I didn't bother arguing. "Okay..." I mumbled. I felt so tired, but I didn't feel scared anymore...not while she was here. Not when she's done so much to protect me... "I...Luna, tha-" I tried talking to her. Telling her exactly what I felt.
What I was feeling right then...
What she made me feel...
...But all I can think about was how woozy and tired I am. My eyes started to feel heavy, fluttering in their attempts to close. I didn't want to sleep...not yet. "Luna...I think I-" I tried to talk, but she interrupted me as she slowly nuzzled into my neck.
"Shhh, you're safe now. Safe from her...Sleep...Dream...shhhhh" Luna cooed into my ears as she hugged me close to her. I wanted to argue, to finish what I was trying to tell her. What I needed to tell her, but her requests... they sounded so nice right now. "Dream of something sweet. Dream of us if thou wishes, but above all, dream of what makes thee happy..." Then I heard it again. That humming of hers. The nameless lullaby she was humming when I first woke up.
That was the last thing I heard before I drifted into a warm slumber...
.
