> Gatling Rain on a Steam Filled Morn
>  by Bro Dash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Meeting Fate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Her name was Nightmares and Sweet Dreams. All four words. Rather lengthy. She is a bat mare. With especially small wings. She can't fly, like most bat equestrians. Right now, she's a thief. And currently running from law enforcement. Her haul? Luna's very own regalia. Sneakthief like herself had the perfect opportunity to nab such a priceless artifact. The very personal clothes and armor of Luna herself.

Well, it's proving rather difficult to run away from law enforcement.

As Night ran through the streets, simply weaving through and around people, she quickly packed away the objects in her hands, and then continued onwards, sprinting, picking up speed. The way ahead were a market. Perfect. She could lose them in the crowd.

"Oh no you don't!", one of the guards called behind her. A gunshot cracked the air and a round whizzed past her, missing her, but hitting another target ahead. A defenseless citizen. Everyone scattered like ants, scurrying away as fast as they can. Some screamed, some simply ducked and waited. Night sprinted onwards. To the docks.

The docks, as they were, were being cleared very quickly. Magic were being used to push the ships away from the docks, snapping lines that held them secure, and every chance to break line of sight were robbed from the lowly bat thief. She were already struggling to get air in her lungs, and every breath she took was not enough. She needed to breath, needed to stop, catch her breath, but that luxury were not coming any time soon. An elite captain of Luna's personal guard appeared at the opposite end of the docks. As he flared his wings crafted from weaved magic and beautifully carved metal, he hovered along the docks, closing the gap between him and the soldiers behind Night.

She halted. At that moment, her lungs were panicking on their own, practically exhausting her with how much they demanded. The captain and the guards were close, now. Just another moment, and they'd have their hands on her. She bolted to her right. Down the dock, and to a dead end. As she came to a halt at the end of the floating wooden planks, she found herself at, literally, her wit's end. There is nothing else she could do. Nothing. She can't fly, can't even break her own fall if she slipped. Swords were drawn on her, the captain readied a crackling spear coated in lightning.

And then the whole dock wobbled and shook as something weighty landed on the floating wood hard. The object were a figure, and as he stood up, drew a claymore from it's place on his back. A full sized greatsword, and impressive in craft. He swung the blade about deftly like it were a longsword, then put both hands on the grip, wrenching one free just to pull his hood off.

He were Cloud waltz. Stock grey coat, charcoal grey mane, flowing backwards and voluminous, and his attire looked like tattered old rags, but Night caught a glimpse of expertly crafted armor underneath. If just barely a hint.

The guards didn't question who he was, only advanced upon him with intentions to fight over the fact that he stood between them and Night. First one into combat were the captain with his electrified spear and over glorified visage of might and power. He charged at Quinn, spear held at the ready, and it were a very quick ending for him. Waltz's blade came up and straight through the spear's middle, snapped it in twain, and in the same move, he spun around, cut the captain down, and his body flew to the ground at the feet of the guards.

Guns were immediately drawn on Waltz.

Taking that as his cue, Waltz turned around, grabbed Night, and threw them both over the edge. They fell. To the guards, they simply watched one stallion jump to his death and take a thief with him. In the next moment, they were dumbfounded to see that not only did they fail at their mission, but the sight before them were like a taunt. Waltz had taken flight with wings of massive span. Big for any pegasus, gryphon, anything with a set of feathered wings.

"Ok! Ok! You can put me down! Please!! I"m safe now! I'm not going to jail, nor turning myself in, just please take me to the ground!"

Waltz obliged, gliding down past one of the many dunes of the desert so to put them both out of sight of the city sky island while he put her down. Night breathed, falling to her hands and knees in the sand.

"Oh, thank the....oh right, I stole from the goddesses. Huh....", she breathed, standing up. "Alright. First question, hero, who are you?", she turned to the mysterious pegasus.

No response. He sheathed his claymore.

She made a face, raised a brow. "My name is Night. What is yours?", she tried again.

Still no response.

"What? What do you want? Money? Is it the regalia?"

He shook his head.

"Really? Then what do you want?"

Still. No response.

"Whatever, then. Don't talk to me."

He pulled a small book from a pouch on his belt, and opened it up to a blank page, pulled the pencil from it's binding and wrote in the frist page. I can't.

"...So you can't speak. Meaning you're a mute."

He nodded.

"Thennnnn....what? What do you want? Why did you save me?"

He whisper chuckled. Then wrote more in his book, turning it to her. To be a hero. He wrote directly under it. Thief. He whisper laughed.

"Uh-huh. I guess that's as good a reason as any. But uh...now I'm in a predicament. Mind helping me out? See that island we just left? I need to be there. To hide. If I trek in the sand for five minutes, they're going to find me."

He nodded.

"Does that mean you'll help me?"

He shook his head, holding his open hand out. He then gestured for her to either move closer, or give him something. He then adjusted his hooded rag cape, covering the majority of his body, even his massive wings.

"What?", her hand fell to her rapier. A gold and white metal object set at her waste. Contrasted highly against her attire, which were leather armor.

He slid his fingers together in a gesture known all too well to Night. Money. He wanted money.

Night sighed. "I thought you did it just to be a hero."

He pointed at her, pointed at the city behind them, spread his wings, then held his hand out.

"I'll pay you, but I don't have gold."

He shrugged, smiling. Night hmphed, pulling a decorative knife from a pouch concealed along her waist. It were a balanced blade, simple dagger or throwing knife, but were carved into and inlaid with gold. "Stole these from the personal armory of Celestia herself. Each of these is worth a small fortune. I keep them as my own weapons. Will this be enough?"

He nodded. She set the blade in his hand, then he readjusted his cape, covering himself again. The only thing Night could see is his rags. Not even movement.

"Ya know, it's a badass otufit and all, but I think you're over playing it."

Waltz fanned his wings open, startling the mare a slight, and then he grabbed her, leaving the ground in the next step, taking flight just as three ships began their slow depart from the docks. As Waltz closed in on them, they readied cannons, guns, muskets, revolvers, flintlocks, anything ranged to shoot him down. With a swift move, he barreled to the side of one ship, flew under, over it, then had his fun, playing with the armed ships before slipping off at such a high speed that each turn practically threw Night's head for a spin. Curling over stalls, looping around pillars, disappearing below the sky island, looping over it, closing his wings, fanning his wings, then finally, he leveled out, gliding smoothly along.

Night breathed. Finally able to rest after such a strenuous activity. "Ugh. that was...crazy."

Waltz angled down and slowly backwinged before flapping his massive wings once really hard, stopping them just above the ground. He set her down.

"Where'd you learn to fly like that?"

Waltz smiled, shaking his head. He then pointed at himself.

"Oh. Right. You're a mute.", she sighed. "Thanks, stranger, for being a hero. And then getting me to bribe you to finish saving my ass.", she squinted at him. Waltz handed her a folded thick piece of paper, gave her a wink, and then turned away, walking off. Night opened it. It read...

All in a day's work

She chuckled at it, then lost her smile. "Hey, wait!", she hurried to catch up with him. "Before you go...It's cool and all that you wanna remain mysterious and what not, but uh...can I at least get a name? You...may have saved my life and what not. I don't know. I really don't. But I did steal from a goddess..."

Waltz held two fingers up.

"Yeah, twice."

He then pulled his book from it's pouch on his side, turning the cover to her.

"Cloud waltz." She nodded. "Alright. I won't forget that name, and thank you for your help. Good fortune to you.", she waved him off, walking the opposite direction.

Guards were quick to recognize Night. She were rigth outside the very place she robbed. Slinking into the crowd proved far easier this time.
> Leaving Fate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night fished the remainder of the throwing knives she owned out of her pouch, counted them and set them back in place. Five left. Then she stopped walking. She gave the dark alley she were in a stern brow. Why in Equestria did she just let that pass her by? Not a word from him, not even a reason why he chose to save her....actually, it were to be a hero. Well, that could be reason enough. Fits the bill. Mysterious stranger, cloaked in old rags to hide what actually...looked like very good armor underneath. His skill in flying is...on point, and he faced off with one of Luna's Guard Captains in seconds, and won. That's virtual gold...working with someone like that...No no, he's being a hero, saving people. Hrumph.

Night sighed, rubbing her forehead for a moment. She checked behind her (no one there), and then took off at a run. Then she climbed the walls of the alley, parkouring her way to the top of the shortest building. She had places to be, places to explore. And an outfit to change into...Continuing to look like a thief prepared for a fight and nighttime stealth doesn't help your matters much. With a shrug, she simply pulled herself up onto a ledge, turned around, lept forward, grabbed the bar overhead, then swung herself over the edge onto the next level.

Night stood up, and turned around, running smack into...Waltz. Of all people. She looked up at him silently, and he stared down equally as silent.

"Uh. Fancy meeting you here."

He didn't budge. Night moved to the side, and he blocked her advance. Then shook his head.

"What do you mean no?! I'm not standing this close anymore, creep, and...", she paused, looking behind him. Waltz covered her view, she moved to the other side, he covered her view again, repeating until finally she socked him in the groin and whipped past him.

And into his home.

It were chucked full of trinkets. While not exactly of value, mostly, it was like browsing a shop to steal from in Night's eyes. About five seconds into her perusing, she reached for something, and subsequently had a claymore pit between her and the object, Waltz grabbed her, and yanked her to the ground. He put one foot on one hand, then grabbed the other. He picked her up, grabbed her second hand, and held them at length so she couldn't move or grab anything, lead her out of his home. He didn't push her off the ledge, but he put her to the entrance, and stood sentry in the doorway, full on preventing her from getting into his house a second time.

"Ok, first off, meeting like this is...is insane! Hard to explain, but anyway! Is this your home?", she asked with a smile.

He didn't budge.

"Alright, I'll cut you a deal, since if I really wanted to, I could just stab you and take whatever I want. I. Won't. Steal. Anything! Kay? Promise.", she held her hand out. Waltz spun around a full three hundred and sixty degrees, grabbed her hand by the wrist, then bound the two of them together. He nodded. "You gotta be kidding me..."

He pulled his book from it's pouch, then flipped to a specific page, holding it open to her. It were a set of rules.

My house, my rules.

No one enters my house.

Kill trespassers.

The last line were scratched out.

Night looked up at Waltz. He smiled.

"Look. I guess I could do my hero a favor.", she drew a knife from her belt, cut the bindings clean, then stowed the knife. "I won't steal anything, but I'm not going to be tied to you. Damn hermit."

He sloughed the binds off his wrist, then picked a sign up from atop a crate beside him. It read, "Not a Hermit."

"You have a sign for that?"

He pursed his lips, nodding his head.

"Hermit."

He shook his head, and entered his own home. With a huff, he motioned for her to enter. And she did. without hesitation. In fact, she practically hopped into the small room.

It were like a junk yard, only...organized. Wind chimes everywhere, some made of scrap metal (though very well made), engine parts everywhere, even a full engine sat in the corner on a table. Like, full on casing, complete engine, and a good ten blade turbine. Bout the size of a schooner engine. The room, as it were, was set into an old clock tower. Old was literally the most basic way to say it. New wood, younger than the stone it was set into, had replaced what had to have been decades old wood that was set before it. The windows, which could be opened, were refitted with new wood as well, and actually very well made. Smooth finish, nice texture.

The rest was the junk part of the home. While it wasn't exactly garbage, it was a lot of old trinkets, objects, baubles, random stuff just set on display, and on only one table sat what looked like a shrine. Or...trophies. As Night observed the table, she noticed quite a few hard-to-acquire objects. Like the core of a brass machino golem. You literally would have to pull this out of it's chest to stop it, and it is embedded beneath at least a quarter meter thick shell of machinery and armor. The golem does not stop working until the core is removed or the core dies, which happens thousands of years from the point the golem is activated. This object on this table is still humming with energy, literally. It's barely audible, but it's there. Night made to grab it, and Waltz pushed her away from the table. Rather gently, like moving a child away from something breakable.

"Excuse you! You could just say- Oh right...", she looked away. "You've...got quite an impressive collection here though. Hmm. Anyways, I need to get back to my own business. I've got other interests, things to steal, places to explore, yada yada. It was actually kinda cool to see you again. Maybe I can ask you this again. Why did you save me?"

He raised a brow, then pulled his book from his belt.

"I'm not accepting, 'Because I wanted to be a hero.' See, I'm a thief. It was obvious, plain as day that the city guards...actually, Luna's guards, were after me and in full uniform, and very pissed off. Enough to send three ships after me, send a captain to execute me in the street, and onwards. Hero or not, whyyyyy....Now that I think of it, saving a damsel in distress from such...you're hitting on me, aren't you?"

He stared at her. for a logn moment. then wrote in his book. Let's start back at square one. I don't know your name.

"Yeah you do. I told you my name, hero. Waltz was it?"

Waltz nodded, then traded his book for a stone slab and engraved silvery metal stylus. As he wrote on the slab, it engraved it in the stone. He gave an example, showed her a line, then wiped the line clean off with his bare hand.

"Whooooooaaa! Why the fuck don't you carry that damn thing when you wanna talk to someone?", she asked.

He held it to her, and she grabbed it, almost falling forward as he let go. "Gahfah!!! Heavy!!", she lifted the object with both hands. "Now I see why. Unnecessarily heavy.", she held it back to Waltz, whom took it and began writing.

I don't expect you to give me your real name. You're a thief. You had the royal guard after you.

"Wow, you're fast at writing."

He wiped it clean.

"My name really is Night. In full, my name is Nightmares and Sweet Dreams."

He looked down at her with an annoyed look, then scribbled on his slab. I find that hard to believe, but I'll still believe it anyway. When she waved off his slab, he rolled his eyes and wiped it clean. Then he wrote more on it. Why are you here?

"Oh. Yeah. I was literally just doin' some parkour. Needed to get somewhere in the rafters of an old, large building or something. I need to change, and I don't do it in public. I'm also wanted right now, people are hunting for me. Was cool bumping into you on a rooftop, though. Great to see great minds think alike.", she smiled.

He shook his head.

"Whatever, I know you're not a thief, and uh...you actually did do something very illegal."

He scribbled something quick. I don't care.

"Really? Uhhh, how about we showcase what our haul is. Adventurer, as it seems you are, versus a good thief. I have...", Night reached into the bag secured to her side. She pulled out a metal object. "Luna's tiara."

Waltz stared at the object in awe for a moment. Then spun around, grabbed something, then held that metal collar to Night. She looked at it with a smirk. "You can't compare something like that to this!"

He tapped the gem in it's center, which he popped out very easily. Then point to the tiara. Night inspected the object in her hands, and then noticed the gems faceted into it. "Ohhhhhhhh!"

He held his slab up. Trade?

She squinted her eyes at him. "For what?"

He looked at the table beside him, looked across the room, then sat down to stare ahead in thought.

Night simply observed the tiara a bit more, drew one of her knives, and then edged the tip into the facet, popping the gem out. "Here. Just take it.", she held the gem out to him. Whom snatched it from her hands greedily, fit it into the socket easily with a smile, then popped it back out, reaching into the crate beside the table to pull out a stone pillar. It had a similar facet. Slotting the gem into place made it shift and transform into a tool of sorts. Different tips for different uses, looked like it could be a hammer, screwdriver, cork screw, pliers, the list continued. He then used it to fiddle with the collar for a moment. Sparks began flying as he altered it.

"Wellllll...", Night sighed. "That's cool. And you don't actually have to trade me anything for it."

Waltz grabbed the old gem that fit into the collar, and held it to her. She took it, fit it into the facet on Luna's Tiara, then nodded her head.

"Thanks. No difference whatsoever."

"Because you are beautiful."

Night turned her gaze to him, but didn't budge a single muscle. The collar on Waltz's neck shifted for a good moment, collapsing itself, making itself smaller and more compact without actually losing it's worth and effectiveness.

"You ask why, that is reason number one. And those are the first words I have ever spoken.", he smiled.

Night blushed, thinking of the very way she looked, and it brought her to look away. "So, uh...I didn't really...think too highly of my looks, and...You got a mirror?"

"To your left."

Night turned to her side, and stared at her reflection. Just a small mirror hanging on a stacked crate. Her mane had seen better days, but otherwise, it's held together finely, her wavy locks aren't exactly perfect or the best they could be, but they framed her face nicely, and her face was rather cute, now that she actually paid attention.

"Well...thanks for the compliment, hero..."

"Anything for a damsel in distress."

"Wow.", she laughed breathily. "You're the full package, huh? Hero and a flatterer.", she swallowed, clearing her throat. "So...That's cool and all, but this might be where we part ways. I'm not staying here, hero. Especially after I stole Luna's Tiara. I'm going to find a hiding spot, change, and then walk onto a luxury transport ship to just get the hell out. I didn't intend to stay from the beginning, hero. Sorry to bust your bubble."

Waltz nodded. "It's fine. Was worth a shot. Don't exactly get to rescue a damsel, such as yourself, every day. Definitely worth the reward.", he held the knife she gave him up, then embedded the tip into the table beside him. Another trophy.

Silence passed between the two as Night looked away in thought. She rubbed her arm, then shrugged, "I guess it is a big city, could stay a while."

"Well that sounds like wonderful news to me. Maybe I'll get to actually, I dunno, buy you a drink some time. Or lunch. Or dinner."

"Heh. I think I'd like that. Not too many people ever really give me the time of day. Or...have a chance to. Plus, there is no way this could be some kind of ruse to trick me into turning me in! You live in a clock tower! which...", she looked the clockwork in the center of the room up and down. "Does it work? I'd figure you would fix it."

"Can't. Don't have the right parts. Unfortunately."

"I'll tell you what's up. I'm...kind of flattered, and I've not reallllly had the chance to get close to someone, outside of putting on a slutty ruse to steal from a rich stallions pocket. So, this may be genuine as it gets. And you apparently have interest in me, so...can we give it a shot?"

Waltz chuckled, "Never had a love interest before?"

"No. Not really."

"Well, then we're in the same boat. Pitch. I like the idea of a hero and a thief getting together for a little one on one. But we do this like a hero and a thief. You've got things to steal, I've got people to save."

"There isn't much to steal here. It's a very small sky island."

"There aren't much people to save here. It's a very small sky island."

"So what are you getting at, then, since we're both in agreement that this sky island is too small?"

Waltz look around his room of trophies, taking a deep breath and letting loose a sigh. "We both move. To somewhere else. How about the sky islands of the East? Their cities are beautiful, and there is plenty for both of us to do. But. Hear me out. We keep this charade going and see how far it takes us."

"You're planning for long term.", she chuckled once. "Expecting a lot, aren't you?"

"Well, I do know from my own sources that there are plenty of things to steal in Gaochang City. And plenty of people to save. And plenty of criminals to mingle with or fight."

"Sounds like a great place to go."

"I also know that there is a ship headed that way and I booked myself a room."

"Too fast, hero. I'm not even sharing a room with you until we've had our first date."

"You don't have to. The room right beside mine is staying empty. Of passengers. Rich folk are using it to store their belongings. I would say have a field day rummaging through their belongings, but there will be a bed. And air vents."

"Now you're talking. So. Hero. How did you come up with this idea?"

"Off the top of my head.", Waltz leaned back in his chair. He fiddled with his collar. "This thing is irritating. Now. We both have an opportunity to take a leap into something that could be perfect, the greatest thing to happen to the both of us. The only thing we have left to discuss in this conversation is whether or not you'll take the bait."

"Well, hook, line, and sinker. You really gonna stick around with me in this world, hero?"

"I won't help you. But I also won't stop you."

"Oh, I feel privileged. So we just take a ship to Gaochang city and play the roles of thief and hero and go from there?"

"Tis the plan."

"You do know how sappy this sounds, right?"

"I always wanted a storybook romance."

"Well, I'm definitely interested. But I'm headed to that ship now."

"South docks. The eastern ship. Can't miss it."

"Got it.", Night skipped to the doorway. Windowsill. "And before I go...", she held her hand up, holding a white metal knife. Waltz double checked his table where he had mounted the knife, finding it amiss. "Yup. I'm taking this back. You want it back, then steal it back.", she chuckled. "And...I've lived a life of running and thieving. This is as low as my guard is going to get, hero. Next time we meet, don't expect me to be so open. See ya round, hero.", she waved him off as she skipped through the window.

Quinn smiled. Then yanked off the collar, scratching his neck. He shook his head, tossed it onto the table, then overlooked his home, enjoying the sights of where he lived before he would finally leave to someplace new. Not the first time out, not the last time here, he hoped.

A leap to the wind...

Waltz grabbed only a single bag from beside the one table, fitted his irritating collar back on, and then grabbed the last item of his ensemble. His sword. Big and mighty in it's own right, the very claymore he has won countless battles with. From there, he simply gave his home a single lookover, then parted ways. Another adventure, one that he hopes brings another trophy home.
> The Sorceress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waltz didn't care to walk. He soared to the passenger ship and made it there in record time. Eldritch was there. Ready to see him off. The old faded purple stallion puffed on his pipe, leaning over the railing of the passenger ship as if he owned the damn thing. As if he'd done it countless times before. The sight suited him greatly. He even had the sailor outfit and beard and hat to boot.

"Eldritch.", Waltz backwinged onto the gangway.

"Ah, there ya are lad.", the old stallion perked up. He lifted his eye patch to get a good look at Waltz with both his unscarred eye, and his magical replacement, flipping it back down. "Ye're geared up fer a fight?", he asked.

"Gearing up or many fights."

"So ye decided to take up that idea o' yours and go ta Gaochang?"

"Yes."

"Well, power to ya lad. An' remember. Find that brothel, tell Annabelle her old friend Eldritch said Arrrrrrrr!"

"I'm not gonna do that."

"If'n ye knew her, and why I asked ye to do that fer me, ye'd do it in a heart beat."

"I'm not going to a brothel. Forget it."

"Believe me, lad, if it be adventure yer lookin' fer, goin' ta that brothel could lead ya in the right direction. Thar be more'n jus' sex at a brothel. If'n ye know the owner of said brothel by her name. Which she ne'er told anyone but a stranger she once fell in love with.", he winked.

Waltz searched the ground with a parted smile, "Alright, you have my attention. If I just so happen to stumble upon the Jade Saddle, I might check it out. Keep in mind, you're trying to get me to go to a brothel. I'm not one for carnal pleasure."

"Neither was I. I was an adventure like you. That's how I met 'er in the first place, lad! Hah! Get aboard this vessel, lad. She be departin' soon."

The very ship they were standing aboard sounded a loud steam whistle.

"And that would be me cue. Lad.", Eldritch held his hand out. Waltz took it, and they shared a hearty handshake. And then they locked eyes as Waltz noticed the weight of an object pressed to his palm. Eldritch gave him a serious look, then parted without a word. Waltz looked at the object in his hand. A circular, heavy, metallic object. Many lines and indentations, very decorative, made of red and gold. He flipped it over, and it had a small piece of paper attached to it.

Good luck!

Waltz chuckled once. Eldritch has done this a couple of times, but it's a rarity on it's own. This object most definitely will come in handy in the near future. Waltz pocketed it and headed aboard the ship. He had a trip ahead of him.

It also wasn't until he had passed the threshold of the first doorway that he realized...Eldritch spoke to him as if he'd never been a mute before. Waltz checked his neck, he still had the collar on, and removing it from his neck further confirmed his suspicions.





Waltz threw his bag onto the floor as he entered the door to his room, and immediately threw himself onto the single bed, opening his journal of lines to thumb through for a moment before sighing and taking the collar off. He then clamped it around the book, and set them on the nightstand.

From there, he got up to grab his bag and plopped back down onto the bed, pulling free a book. A really old, dusty book. The cover still had a few stray layers of dust, even after having shoved it in his bag. Cracking it open, some unknown magic assaulted him immediately, shining a deep purple through the small crack. Opening it wide, the light dimmed, lit still only by the words on the page. The symbols shifted and changed.

Ye who reads this book shall inherit the magic of a mage

The book flipped three pages forward, lines of text still glowing. And then he read it. These foreign, unknown, ancient symbols were easily read like the equestrian language to him, and it taught him the very basics of fire magic. It took an incredibly long time. He could feel the minutes passing by as he made through just the first parse of text. First paragraph, second paragraph, he paused at the end of the page, and looked at the time. Three hours had passed. Shocked by the sudden passage of time, he closed the book, grabbed his collar, and hurried to the door. He could feel it as he got up, his stomach was empty.

Fire danced between his fingers on a whim, easy like breathing, but not quite as involuntary. He paused with a ball of flame in his hand, now made so easy by simply reading a book. Granted, an ancient book, but still so easy! Time passed unevenly for him. It passed so quickly, either a perception made by reading the book, or because he had something entertaining to make himself to forget time itself, which was his newfound magic, and he found himself in a massive dining hall. Linen covered tables, all of which had to be hand sewn by master seamstresses, decorative in the very art each of them had, none of them the same, highly detailed. And that's just the table cloths! The carpet was one massive mural of artistic lines, from one corner of the room to the opposite, gold and red, the tables were red, the candles yellow, the pillars that were there, four only, and purely decorative, as Waltz would assume, were smooth, not a single hint of wear or mistakes int he wood. Beyond the carpet of the dining hall, was the marble of the kitchen itself, or the remainder of the food court. Waltz found himself there, then to a table, seated alone, grabbing what had to be a mouthful of food, he shoveled it in, then cracked the book open immediately. One word. More food. He repeated the process till his meal were gone, racked up about twenty minutes total having spent reading and eating, then he pushed his plate away. Four more words in, someone tapped his shoulder. A waiter. In fact, a gryphon waiter. Female and very curvy, the very sense of a voluptuous avian, if there ever were. She were clad in a red and gold themed geisha, same as the remainder of the ship's dining hall, and her feathers expertly done up into a bun.

"Excuse me. Someone bought this entire bottle of our oldest and most expensive wine.", she set down a bottle that were covered in a thick layer of dust, just in front of Waltz, past his book. It read, "Dragon's Blood Brew Wine", dated back three hundred and eighty seven years. She set down a vial just beside it, of which the liquid inside barely stirred. It measured a quarter the size of the wine bottle. "Exercise caution in using the bottle of complimentary shock. This batch is dated back above three hundred years by a long shot, the bottle of shock is magically enhance to be eight times as powerful, as the original recipe demands."

Waltz turned his attention to the decorative bottle, and wiped more of the dust off. "This must be, bare minimum, thirty seven hundred bits."

"I'm surprised you know how much this bottle is worth."

"I've had this before. But not one over three centuries old, no. Best drink I ever had was a Dragon's Blood Brew Wine, dated back two and a half centuries. This...it dates back over another century with room to spare. I also gave it a blind guess. Was it really thirty seven hundred?"

"Oh, I apologize, I misheard you. No, this bottle is worth thirty seven thousand bits."

Waltz's jaw dropped. "Who bought this?"

"That mare over there in the big hat.", she point across the dining hall towards a rather buxom mare, more generous than the avian herself, and she were dressed up entirely, head to toe, like a namesake witch. Pointy hat to boot. The Silvery mare twiddled her fingers at Waltz in equal greeting, then crossed her legs underneath the table. She then ran her thumb over her top lip, marking herself with a solid midnight blue, pursed them, then smacked her lips at Waltz, giggling.

"Well, thank you for bringing this to me, and you let that mare know that I thank her for this expensive drink. I have business to attend to, you have a good day.", he stood up, grabbed the two bottles, and left the dining hall, heading back to his own room. Just as he had stowed the mage's tome in the nightstand drawer, a knock came from his door. He was most definitely expecting just this response.

As he opened the door, it flung open by the silver mare's magical might, and standing less than a foot in front of Waltz was a pissed off magic user, practically wafting magic off of her form. She cleared her throat. "I'm not ok with being blown off like that!"

"Well, before you decide to be generous to someone, size them up. Armored, armed with an enchanted sword, the air of an adventurer about him. I know you saw every one of those features. Everyone does. I'd be shocked if you didn't."

"Alright, let's just cut to the chase then. Give me the book, and you walk off of this ship alive."

"You would kill me over a book?"

"A book of the most ancient arcane magics? Yes!! Oh, I wouldn't hesitate! If it means limitless potential and magic, then so be it, one life is something I don't mind paying!", she clenched her fists, both hands bursting into solid purple flames. Waltz pulled his own fist back, coating in simple orange flames, and right before he slammed that strike on home, she brought her fists up, and blocked his punch. Didn't exactly stop the magic he put into it from taking effect, though, and the resulting explosion threw her through the railing of the open hallway and off the ship completely, even skipping in the hot sands far below when she hit the ground. She only came to a stop when she hit a sand dune tall enough to stop her, and that weren't until a good distance away from the ship itself.

Waltz spread his wings on the edge of the now-open hallway, and took flight.

The silvery mare stood up, digging herself out of the sand as she did so, and took a breath, exuding a rush of magic from her own form. She cleared every grain of sand from every thread and hair on her body, then clapped her hands together, conjuring a set of ethereal wings and a solid weapon made of black metal. A scythe. Waltz were on top of her immediately, coming down hard, and with his first strike, cleaved her weapon in two, kicking up sand as his blade hit the ground. Before the mare could get back up off of the ground, Waltz straddled her there, pinning her hands as far away from one another as he could.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Waltz swung his hands out, then tapped a total of eight key points throughout her shoulders and chest. Her wings shivered behind her, then dissipated into swirls of dark magic. Finally getting off of the mare, Waltz stood up to take a few steps back and watch.

The silvery mare stood up angrily, then assumed the same stance as before, attempting to clean herself of the sand, same as before, but nothing happened. She threw her hands out, nothing. Taking a few ragged breaths, she took a deep one, then with a succession of multiple hand signs and archaic movements, threw both hands out one more time. Nothing. She grew pale as a ghost, or rather, paler than she already was. The fear was evident in her eyes, the way she stood practically screamed fear.

"Wh-what did you do to me?"

"I took your magic away."

"No...No, please, no! Not my magic! I will give you anything! My fortune, my body, but please, don't take my magic!", she visibly shook.

"No, I'm sure you wouldn't like to be stranded in the middle of the desert, and I'm not a bad person, so I will offer to help you get back on the ship we just left."

"No!! I want my magic back!! Give it back!", she grabbed the bladed half of her weapon, charging forward.

Waltz didn't even have to try too hard. She went for that first strike, and he basically parried her attack with his own gauntlet, grabbing and shattering the blade in his grip. Her expression turned to one even graver than before. Defeated, she fell to her knees, clutching what remained of her weapon tightly.

"If you don't want back on the ship, then I won't force you to go back to the ship.", Waltz turned to leave.

"Wait, no! Please, I don't want to be stranded out here!"

Waltz spread his wings and opened his arms to her. "Then come on, lets go."

Her expression turned to anger. "Not until you help me pick up my scythe, you asshole! It's not made of magic, it's real, and you broke it!"

"You really should not have threatened me. Or raised a weapon to me, for that matter.", he folded his wings.

The silvery mare began swiftly recovering what was left of her weapon, finding every shard of metal, even retrieving the bottom half of the handle. "Take me back.", she hung her head. Waltz nodded, wrapped his arms around her tightly, and then took off, carrying them both back to the ship. He landed her in the open hallway, same spot they'd departed from, and found quite a crowd having accumulated at his open door.

"What happened to my ship?", one rather well-dressed stallion stepped through everyone. He did not look happy.

"I apologize for the damage done to your ship, it is the results of me defending myself from this defeated mare. She can no longer use her magic, and her weapon is shattered. The only damage done to your ship would be this railing, and I can fix that by my own hand. I work with metals and airships."

"For your sake, you better have that railing fixed by tomorrow!"

"I can have it fixed within the hour."

"Good!! Now fix it!"

"Let me first retrieve the missing segment of railing.", Waltz leapt off the open edge, back tracking to retrieve the missing chunk of artfully crafted metal.

Fixing the railing proved as easy as Waltz thought, it took him practically no time at all. The only problem he had to address was bending it back into place. Having fixed the damage so quickly, he brought the subject back up with the ship's owner (mayhaps captain?) not but half an hour later, and he offered him a job. Waltz kindly refused, then returned to his cabin. The rest of the day was simply him reading through the arcane magics of Lightning, secondhand fire.
> Gaochang City
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waltz came out of his cabin with a sigh. The ever-ready flow of magic coursing through his body was actually overwhelming at this point. Six entire subjects of magic have been crammed into his skull, six webs of infinite magic weaved over his body, he practically felt like hair-thin wire were wrapping his body all over. For a book full of infinite magic, it sure does not explain any precautions or warnings.  A glance at his own armored arms showed that he were wafting steam off of his form in the cold night air. Tonight, he will put away the book until he can speak to a seasoned magic user. A short thought of the mare he fought before glanced his mind, but he simply sighed and shook it off before double checking his bag of belongings.

"Looks like you're stressing your mana pool."

Waltz recognized who it was, and remembered their fight like it was the day before. Thanks to the passage of time sent askew, it really did feel like the day prior.

"It's been weeks. I can't even conjure up so much as a spark."

"Uh-huh. I put eight seals on your magic. One for every school of magic."

She hung her head, clenching her jaw.

"You want them back? You help me and I will let you earn them back."

"I would...do almost anything to get my magic back. So a maid to do your chores, if that is what you wish..."

"No need. I don't have a house. I don't live in Gaochang. Although...I do plan to stay here for some time. Look. I'm not a bad person. I'm actually the hero. My job is to save peoples' lives and help people. Fight the bad guys, etcetera. Sometimes I even bounty hunt."

"Bounty hunting?"

"Not just bounty hunting. Being the hero. Ya know, saving peoples lives, like I just said. I guess the best way to say it would to say, think of a story book hero."

"You can't tell me you're not here because of me.", Night stepped past Waltz.

"Hey, Night. Nightmares and Sweet Dreams, meet...Uh....", Waltz paused.

"Silver Lilac.", the mage-ette sighed.

"Oh hello, I watched you get blasted off of the side of this ship the first day I was on board! Who'd you piss off enough to get a cannon to the face? Oh wait, don't tell me, because he's standing beside me. This guy, the hero. So, I would guess that you're the bad guy. Which...doesn't make a whole lot of sense, considering you two are talking about who's maid is who."

"He took my magic, you flying rodent!"

"Waltz, I'mma stab yo maid."

"Don't stab my maid. She's not even my maid. She's going to be helping me be a hero. Whenever I fight, you fight. Whenever I go somewhere to save someone's life, you better be helping me save one person's life, or saving another person's life. Got it?", Waltz cleared with the silver mare.

"Crystal. I'm still not really sure of this, oh wait, that's right, I am offenseless. Not defenseless! I have basic armor, thank you. This isn't just some sexy get up, it actually functions as armor should!", she scoffed. "I have no magic. My skill is in magic. No magic, no conflict. If you're going to make me fight without magic, then no, you can forget it, I don't need to help you, I will figure out how to get my magic back, and now that I know that it's seals, I can do a whole lot about that."

"No you can't. I sealed your magic. Only I can break those seals."

"Try me. Force enough magic flow through something and it makes the lines of the magic bleed into unstable cacophony. It will hurt, but they will be gone."

"Or be the hero.", Waltz countered. "You want the book of the mages, then you can earn it. By proving to me that I should ever let someone like you grace the sight of it's pages. I protected it's contents with no hesitation, without holding back. If I so decided to, I could have simply killed you in the doorway, but I saw something of an opportunity, such as an ally. What better an ally than another hero?"

Silver stared on in awe. "Wow....I feel....uncomfortably inspired. This is new."

"Heh. If you don't want to, you don't have to. But the quickest way to get your magic back is to earn it back, or do me one good deed to earn it all back."

"Reeeeeeeeally?", Silver ask with a clever stare. She bent forward, tugging on her top. As she took a breath, Waltz interrupted.

"No."

Silver hmphed.

"Wow, you must be desperate.", Night took a breath. "Alright, well, hero, I'm headed into Gaochang. Ya didn't see me all cruise because I was too busy stealing things. I just made two fortunes. One off the dress, one off the loot. Ciao.", she waved him off. "Oh, and before I forget, if you wanna find me, just ask for a nightmare in the baddest part of town. I here that place, the Black Dragon, sounds like a fairly criminal bar."

Night disappeared around the next turn.

"Alright. What school of magic gives you those wings."

"School of wind. I know three spell of the school of wind only. Wings, wings, and wings. The third pair are better."

Waltz put a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "And now you can have them back."

Silver flinched, then took stance, bursting a pair of wings from her back, still the same ethereal pair as before. She suppressed a squee of delight. Then her expression changed immediately, "That easy, huh?"

"Nope. You just need flight to get where I'm going. I don't take refuge in the inns or hotels. No. I sleep in clock towers. the one place always vacant in big cities."

"Clock....You have got to be kidding me."

"Nope. Kid you not. Now. There are, oddly enough, three big clock towers here in Gaochang. One sits above a brothel on the north side, which is...terrible in my eyes, we're going there."

"The brothel clock tower?"

"I've got business, and finding someone who knows Gaochang, we can find a blacksmith the fastest. That way we can get your scythe reforged."

"My...I had forgotten about my scythe."

"How good are you with that scythe?"

"I used to be called the Shadow Thief. Steal your soul, shadow, whatever. I barely understood where they got it from, but it was a village I frequented which had very terrible basic english-equestrian.", she shrugged. "I've killed very many things with it."

"Good."

"But I'm not settling for any blacksmith, and it's my weapon, so I get to choose where it is reforged."

"Only the best for the best. If you have skill in something, use only the best equipment. Now. We need to get going. Gearing you up comes first. Take flight, we don't go by foot, can't risk being seen."

Waltz bolted off the side of the ship, taking wing to the night.

"You're the boss...", Silver leapt over the side as well, tailing behind.

And then they flew for an entire two and a half hours. Not crossing the city, no, Waltz simply flew for two and a half hours. Not Lilac though, she didn't stick around. He even made Lilac lose sight of him many times as he dipped in and out of narrow alleys, dove through narrow gaps, the whole badass thing with the closing wings part, yeah, Lilac couldn't do any of that. She ended up breaking off and flying to the north of Gaochang only thirty minutes after they had began flying, and just waited on the clock tower face until Waltz came around. He backwinged onto the face as well, dodging the second hand.

"Oh man, it's great to be in Gaochang!"

"Yeah, don't wanna be seen, huh? This clock face is a big light and we're two silhouettes."

"Yeah, well no one can make out details on a shadow. Gaochang city is full of winding streets and narrow alleyways. If I need to lsoe someone, it will be easy, but if you need to lose someone, you need a trump card. Mine is my wings."

"And what happens if someone cuts your wings off?"

Silence followed. T'was a grim statement, made Waltz think.

"Uh-huh. Yeah, didn't really think of that, did you. Keep in mind, criminals like to take away things that you like, and that seems to be one of them."

"I have pride in my wings.", Waltz sighed. "We need to get inside. Tonight, we do nothing. We just got into Gaochang, a beautiful place, I'm not gonna make you work just yet."

"Yippee, a day off before actually doing a job I didn't want."

"Hey. Should not have threatened me. Judgment on sight, first impressions mean everything."

"You're right. So, what now? Inside the clock tower? Oh wait, it's impossible. I tried, it's sealed off."

Waltz looked at the yellow light of the clock face and nodded. "Alright, tower two, then. If none of them, I'll find a place for us to stay."

"I'm rich! I own a fortune everywhere in this world! I'm an alchemist! I could just pay for a place for us to stay. Well, I don't know about letting you in."

"Be bitter. And stupid. You stay somewhere a criminal can easily find you, and you get assassins in the midst of the night."

"I take it you're talking from experience."

"Had that problem once. Oh right, business. Brothel below. I have to say hello to an old friend of the legendary sniper.", Waltz fished the small bauble from his pocket. Still no idea to what it is or what it could be used for. But it looked like it fit inside of Gaochang city itself. He pocketed it. "Lets make this quick, I don't like whore houses.", Waltz stepped off the ledge. He backwinged onto the alley below, almost stepping into the direct line of fire as someone were, very forcefully, thrown out of the brothel. His clothes were thrown at him.

"Come back again, and I will stab you!!", one mare shouted before slamming the doors.

"Hah.", Waltz stepped in through those same doors.

"I thought I said- Oh, hello, welcome to the Jade Saddle!", the same mare whom stepped out cleared her act up quick, adopting a homely smile.

"I'm here to talk to the owner and only the owner. Alone."

"No. You can turn around and leave. If that's all you want, you're most definitely NOT getting it."

"And what if I said, Arrrrrrrr?", Waltz played the perfect rumble of the old salty dog whom asked him to do the same thing.

"Elizabeth, you get your ass in here, NOW little missy!!!"

The young mare glanced guiltily at something out of sight, chuckled nervously to the two, then bolted. Not but a moment later, she returned. "I apologize greatly for what I have said, please take your shoes off at the door, this is a Gaochang household, my mother- I-I mean mistress will be expecting you in her...personal room.", she stood properly.

Waltz smiled, then obeyed, removing his grieves. Lilac removed her slippers. As The young mare, Elizabeth, lead them away from the door, the air began to take on a heavy...slightly musky but also very very perfumy scent. It brought an uncomfortable feeling to Waltz's lungs. Lilac on the other hand changed pace, walking rather shamefully close to Waltz. As they rounded the first bend which lead to this 'personal room', the mare inside, clad in nothing but a blanket wrapped about her, poured a small cup of liquid into a steamer, and colorful puffs of smoke wafted upwards before dispersing through the air magically. Very Powerful and heady fumes hit both Waltz and Lilac. Waltz felt an unnatural warmth in his chest, mayhaps his lungs freaking out over the foreign chemicals. Lilac, same as before, acted completely different, even taking a moment to immediately sit down on the sofa just outside of the owner's room.

Waltz stepped in right after Elizabeth, and the mare situated on the bed simply turned slowly, and uncovered her upper body as she laid down seductively in her luscious, silk covered bed. Then she gave him a look that didn't scream, 'bend me over' as she came to simply not recognize the stallion that had entered her personal room.

"You're not Eldritch.", she covered her chest. "Who the hell are you?"

"Well, I guess I did play that hello pretty well. The name is Cloud Waltz, and I am the adoptive son of none other than the legendary sniper of the far skies...Eldritch Stone."

She mouthed a short swear. "I guess the appeal doesn't fall far from the tree, even if you're not really his son."

"Pardon?"

"You're cut like a diamond. Just like he is...", she swooned, sighing. "Oh, I overdid it with the perfume."

"Let me help you with that.", Waltz held his hands open, then motioned for the rushing wind to filter throughout the entire brothel, airing the whole building out.

"Whoa. Getting hotter every second. So why are you here, and Eldritch is not?", she responded.

"I know your name."

"Hooooot! Er...Than before. Keep going, you just might make it."

"Not here to make it anywhere. I came here to do a favor for Eldritch and say hello. Well, really it was the burly yarr. But that was wasted on entry. Kind of lost it's touch."

"Not to me. Every time I hear that voice of his curl up in that single syllable, I practically m-melt. Oh!", she took a breath. "Damn, I used way to much of that stuff. Ugh. Is hello all he wanted you to say? Not uhm...something...more personal?"

"Nope. Sorry to say."

"Well, if not he himself, then you and I should chat...sometime outside of tonight. Right now really wouldn't be a good time to...talk to the son of...oh by the night's stars you don't have to be him."

"I assume that this unnatural heat inside my chest is from the perfume, which I would also assume is laced with aphrodisiacs, so I'll throw this out on a limb and so No, Stop, and Don't."

"Oh, fuck you you little errand boy. Fuck me. Look. I just might lose myself in a moment, I was hoping to have lost myself already, so, if you could just go, please..."

"Two questions. Where's a good blacksmith, and when can we meet next?"

"South side, Stallion by the name of Black Steel, and tomorrow, just not toniiiiiight. Oh please stay."

"I'm not one for debauchery, it simply rubs me the wrong way.", Waltz turned away. "You have a good night, Lilac lets go."

She meeped, standing up and briskly walking out. She were stiff as a board.

"You ok?", Waltz asked as he exited the brothel.

"Yes! Peachy! Just uhm...please don't look at me."

"Ok, I won't. I'm headed south to see if that blacksmith is still working."

"Here, take my scythe, too!!!", she pushed her bag of metal shards into Waltz's chest. "Take some money, too, jsut don't look for me!!", she dropped a bag of bits on top and began pushing him down the street.

"Wait, I still need my grieves, mare!"

She scoffed, hurriedly retrieved his metal boots, then bolted into the nearest alleyway.

"Alright, you do you, just...oh wow, you are defenseless. In a city of criminals." Waltz hung his head, dropping the items so to put his grieves back on. "Please be safe.", he picked both bags of metal back up, and took flight. He had a place to be.
> Daybreak (Intervention)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver Lilac lost herself in carnal pleasure. That's what happened. The perfume were like a metaphorical poison to her. The moment she bolted into that alley, she calmed herself for but a short moment until Waltz flew off, then headed right into the brothel, and practically threw her money at the first mare she saw, which were Elizabeth. It was one hell of a night she did not sleep through. Morning came, she had exhausted a large portion of money, and it came time to call it quits. Only after four more hours of aphrodisiac fueled debauchery. It took a request and money to be given to the head mistress of the brothel to have them simply stopping filling the air with perfume for her to be able to leave without an insatiable lust running her a fever.

Silver straightened her outfit best she could, despite her raggedy looking state, and stepped out of the doors, followed slowly by none other than the mistress herself.

"Hey, before you go, tell Waltz he can come anytime he likes. The brothel stays closed for the next twelve hours, and I got a good nights rest after my round with you. Meow~!", she winked.

"Just...don't talk about it. I'll let him know."

"Oh that just won't do.", Annabelle pulled the mare back inside. Not by hand, by magic. "A short word before you leave."

"I don't like being handled, I don't like being handled with magic, and reminding me that I had my magic locked away is pissing me off."

"Sounds like you really needed last night, then, blow off a lot of steam.", the cream mare swayed her hips. "Look. I don't want you going through the walk of shame. So here is somethign to chew on. You're an equestrian, and recently evolved. You are still running on instinct, and fifty percent of that instinct exactly is the desire and utmost need to breed. Getting horny is normal, having sex is normal."

"I slept with every single one of you. Multiple times."

"Then you enjoyed the hell out of yourself, it sounds. How many stopped askign for money?"

"All of them."

"You can come by any time you want. Free of charge. Ta ta. Waltz is looking for you."

"How do you know?"

"Mistress's intuition."

Not even but a few steps out of the brothel, Waltz dropped down from above, holding a complete and very detailed, beautiful black metal scythe. Lilac felt she could burst from the excitement coursing through her, and as he held it to her, almost shook visibly as she reached out to grab it. "It's back in one piece. I never thought losing it would make such an impact on me..."

"Took him the entire night. And for working with such fine metal and craftsmanship, he offered a fifty percent discount. Here's your money.", he held the bag to her.

"Thank you.", she took said bag.

"All in a...night's work.", he winked.

"Oh shut up."

"Now. I can see those bags under your eyes, and fitting two and two together, I'll just assume that you have no energy left. South side, there is a clock tower and a bed with your name on it."

"No work today, either? Heh. Lucky me. I was just...gonna pull my weight for another eight or so hours."

"Nonsense. I'm a hero, not a slave driver."

A pause set between the two as Lilac stared up at Waltz. She furrowed her brow. "Who the hell are you?"

"Cloud waltz."

"No, I know your name, I'm asking who you are."

"Well, like I said, I'm the adoptive son of a legendary pirate, it just had some positive results."

"Not good enough! No one is that perfect! You don't have a single scratch on you, your jaw line and face is perfectly sculpted, you wear armor like it's nothing, your wings are insane, and you're personality? People like you don't exist. People like you can't exist! Everyone in this world is corrupt to some degree, even Celestia herself! You? You just preach and preach about being the good guy, saving lives, being the hero, well no one wants to be that person for a reason! You shouldn't even be alive if half the things I've heard from you are true! Assassins exist for a reason, assassins are not that easy to evade or kill! That book you have, I know where you got it, and you had to fight four guardian centurions!! All in a small enclosed room! I've been there before, I've given it my shot and escaped with my life! Who. Are. You."

"Now that you point that out, that is a good question."

The air sung with the whirl of her blade as she put the blade to his neck. "Stop screwing with me."

"I sure haven't, but I'm sure someone in the brothel did. If you don't recall what happened last time, then allow me to refresh your memory, this blade ended up in pieces."

"Well, I could care less! I want answers, and I want them now!"

Waltz took a deep breath and sighed, gripping the blade of her scythe. "I'll spare your blade this time.", he jerked the weapon from her grip. "And I'll make this blunt. I am a hero. I am your story book hero. Everything I have fought has lost to me, and me alone. I am a walking one stud army, I am cut like a diamond, and I really don't know why. All I know is that I simply am.", he threw her weapon at her. "Go get some rest. You can sleep until tomorrow, but no longer than that. You will suffer the repercussions of your consequences and will be a heroine."

Lilac huffed. "Fuck you.", she took off.
> Thief of Gaochang
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night wasted no time at all getting into the most valuable places, the best places to loot. Especially the very home of the emperor of Gaochang. Long story short, the treasure there was enchanted. No one wants to fight a golem made out of gold coins. That's the equivalent to getting slugged by a lead rock golem. Nah, it's not as bad, gold isn't as heavy, but the difference is just about the same as the width of a hair, so, still, Night isn't even gonna bother with the richest person in the city.

Next stop, though, bad end of Gaochang. Oh, the things she could steal. Hell, the first thing she did when she got into the criminal district was steal someone's bit bag! A hefty bag of coin, that bag. Stashing said money in her own pocket, Night practically weaved through the thick collection of residents until she came to a halt...Her person seemed a tad lighter...In fact, she knew exactly how much lighter. The money was gone! She turned around. All about her, people were right next to her, but not just standing around, no. Moving. Shuffling. The crowd were thick and it would be impossible to find a thief in this commotion. Hell, that's why she was already picking valuables off of people. So, she quickly stashed each of her own valuables in places only she could get to, held her rapier in hand, and began scanning the small gaps in people.

Off a short distance, she watched as another thief swiped coin off of another person, and she bolted at that opportunity, passed through about six people, then came to that exact spot, being put in...a small oasis of room. People shuffled around her. Another gap, same thief, and she followed again. this time, the crowd intentionally moved away from her.

Taking that as a sign, Night laid her hand on the grip of her rapier, slowly pacing to the edge of the small clearing. And came face to face with a very large stallion. Very. Very large. Twice her size, quite literally, four times as big. He looked down at her with a permanent scowl.

"You look lost."

"It's my job to get lost so no one can find me.", she drew her weapon, holding the tip to him. "What do you want?"

He crossed his arms, and Night twirled around, parried one individual, then ran him through, stabbing him straight through his shoulder. She spun around the newer character and grabbed the handle of her rapier with both hands, ripping it straight through his side, right underneath his arm, severed quite a bit of tendons, had to have cut through a few bones, and the stallion didn't scream, least not at first, but he definitely let out a sound of agony and fell to the ground.

Night took this moment of pause to put herself in the center of the clearing of people, and flung her rapier outwards, flinging most of the blood off her white blade.

"Looks like we got a fighter.", the large stallion spoke up, picking up the injured second. He threw the smaller stallion into the crowd and advanced on Night, drawing a sword of his own, along with six others. "Don't struggle, it'll make it worse."

"Worse? Heh. That's my cue to exit, then.", she chuckled, taking off at a run towards the burly stallion. He swung at her with his first strike, and Night deftly slid his blade away from herself, hopped over a second blade, grabbed the bag of money at the stallion's side, and then darted past him, vaulting over the ring of people surrounding them, cutting a few front flips as she did so. The first thing she landed on wasn't the ground, it was another person, and she bounced off of their shoulders, using the extra leverage to put herself above the crowd, giving her the perfect opportunity to exit the scene all whilst pissing off as many people as she could.

First building Night grappled, she climbed immediately, flinging herself over the edge of the roof in a hand stand and landing on her feet stably. Night didn't hesitate to take off again, using the rooftops as her advantage to leave the area.

When Night finally came to a halt, she were just outside a much more docile and less trafficked area, devoid of almost anyone. She were out of breath, panting heavily, and sweat soaked part of her nighttime thieving outfit. As she rested against the brick wall of...wherever she was, she watched both sides of the dark alley, making sure to keep her hand on her rapier.

Night looked left. Then right, narrowly dodging a fatal strike. It was a throwing knife. And the odd pungent smell it gave off, even at her feet screamed poison. If she weren't wielding the rapier of Celestia herself she would have been dead if it touched her. Three more flew out of the shadows, and she knocked them aside deftly, bolting the opposite direction. Right into a group of city guards.

Dressed up and calm as they were, their first response was to aim their weapons at Night.

Night put herself on the nearest wall to her side, keeping herself out of the alley and out of range of whomever were trying to kill her.

"Halt! don't move! Lest you want to be arrested!", one of the four guards announced. He raised his spear from Night to reach into his coat and pull out a ball of light which he tossed up. It illuminated the immediate area with sunlight.

"Look, I'll be blunt, someone just tried to kill me. Twice now. So, if you wanna say something, say it quickly, cause I don't wanna be here any more than you do."

The head of the group grew wide-eyed, then took a knee, bowing to her. "Forgive me! I had not known that I was in the presence of an envoy of the goddess of the day!", he said breathily.

Night stood stock still as confusion wracked her brain for a solid moment. She glanced down at her rapier as the other three bowed before her, then swiftly cleaned the blood from her blade with a loose piece of cloth she had on her outfit. "So, uh...Yeah, I'm totally a thief and I stole this rapier, bye!!", she bolted.

"What?!", the head of the group of guards snapped his attention upwards, then clambered to his feet. "Oh, that flying rat, get that little witch!!!", he bolted after her.

"I looooove Gaochang city!", Night laughed aloud. She then climbed up makeshift steps made of stacked crates, grabbed an overhanging lantern hook, flung herself upwards even higher, and with one hand, grabbed the ledge of an open window. She quickly climbed inside, and put herself, yet again, against a wall to catch her breath. She panned her ears forward and froze stock still as she locked awkward gazes with the other two people in the room. The mare covered herself up, the stallion sat up, they were both out of breath...you could tell what it was they were up to.

Laughing nervously, Night rounded the windowsill out of sight, bringing herself back out into the open night air. The moment she did, a spear embedded itself into the stone wall right beside her head.

"There she is!"

Turning around on the narrow ledge, she quickly clambered to the rooftops yet again, weakly rolling onto her back as she crested the edge, and gasped for air. She's light, she's fit, but tons of running and parkour takes a lot out of you, no matter how prepared you are. The night air was chilly and delightful, the night sky was beautiful, but from where Night was, beauty isn't in the eye of the beholder. Only slight tranquility. And tranquility doesn't help you get to safety. She rolled onto her hands and knees, slowly standing up. As she began to pick up a jogging pace, her body began to protest, slowing her down. Now she were fatigued and definitely needed a rest.

A very noticeable sound at the opposite end of the roof brought Night to turn on a dime, drawing rapier and all, pitting her face to face with...

"No...no, I escaped the Dutchman once, already! You agreed to let me go!!", she shook visibly. It wasn't a chill, it wasn't fear, it was exhaustion.

The...disfigured individual, shrouded in darkness, only advanced further. Several more began climbing over the edge of the roof, and Night took off. Impossible. Impossible that the whole crew of the flying Dutchman would find her here, on a rooftop, leagues away from where she last met them! On a night like this, too! She took two steps. And fell flat. The many disfigured crew of the Dutchman advanced upon her. Gyros clicking and clacking, steam hissing from mechanical body parts, pistons moving on their own. As she turned over to fight against them, they blocked the whole night sky out, and as they reached down to grab her, her world sunk into a pit of pure darkness as those red eyes and shadowy figures disappeared.

Night shot up in her bed, covered in a layer of sweat, dampening and matting her coat all over. She threw the covers off immediately, gasping for air.

"Whoa, calm down."

She would recognize that voice anywhere, especially in her panicked state. "Waltz!", she turned sharply to the pegasus.

"None other.", he grinned. He looked like a radiator, exuding heat and steam visibly.

"What's with the get up, hero? You jump into a volcano or something?", Night asked.

"Heh! You're one to speak. But no. I'm stressing my mana pool, as Lilac had said. All of this infinite magical might bound under my own hide, it's not good for my body. Thusly, I exude heat like a radiator."

"That's exactly the term I linked that to."

"Great minds think alike.", he laughed. "But seriously, though, we need to get to business immediately.", he deadpanned.

Night quickly scanned the room. A clock tower, but not the same one as from before. A newer one. As she looked around, even grasping for the side of the bed, she felt something. Or rather didn't. Her gaze shot towards her right arm and she froze, heart sinking with pure fear as she looked upon her, now, artificial limb. "W-what...what happened to me?", she stuttered.

"I rescued you. Again. Lilac helped, and you wouldn't have been alive if she hadn't intervened. You were poisoned. With Nightmare Venom from a shade snake. Lilac already had an antidote brewed."

"H-how did you find me?", she asked.

"You screamed. I imagine it was when you got impaled."

Night grabbed her stomach, immediately feeling pain shoot straight through her abdomen. Dead center. "Goddesses...."

"Here's your equipment.", Waltz set the outfit on the bed.

"What happened to me?!", night demanded.

"The Flying Dutchman happened. I've saved this damsel in distress twice. One from royalty, one from cursed pirates of the skies. The Dutchman herself coasted into Gaochang, neglected to dock anywhere, and stopped in one specific location. I spotted her from a distance, decided to check it out. Needless to say, they all dropped onto a rooftop, then hurried to the next over. I devised that they found their...prey, so to speak. They converged, and then you screamed."

"Then you came to my rescue..."

"Immediately. I grabbed four elements at once physically, then pulled them down with me, unleashing a fury of flurry of the elements on your attackers, drove them away, but...They already took your arm. You were unconscious by then, and one still had you in his clutches. Took seconds for him to grab your missing limb, eat it, then start weaving a mechanical replacement over the cut bone."

Night shivered, holding her artificial limb.

"You didn't have an arm. That would be my work. Lilac offered the money, I offered the connection, got you a black market artificial limb replacement. Had to sever more of your arm to remove the cursed brass of the Dutchman."

Night shivered even harder, clutching her arm tightly. Her face contorted into that of sorrow, and she turned away.

"Night, you're lucky."

"Lucky does not say enough! I wasn't lucky! Far from it! It's an insane impossibility that I narrowly escaped the clutches of the Dutchman a second time!!", Night barked. Her voice cracked, wavered. She were on the verge of tears.

"Listen.", Lilac spoke up. "We saved your life, the least you could do-"

"Not now Lilac. Have a heart, mare. You don't know what she just went through."

Soft sobs never came out of Night's throat, but she still huddled herself close and shed tears. When Waltz put a hand on her shoulder, she jumped, turning sharply, eyes red and tears streaking her matted cheeks.

"I have nothing else to say, but take your time to-"

"Don't leave my side. Never again. She came for me once, and I bargained my way out. Such is the rules of Davy Jones himself. She came a second time, and I was stolen from her clutches! I would have died, even if she took me in...And then risen from the dead, same as every one of her crew on board...maybe it was a blessing...The Dutchman would have saved my life if you had not...If you leave...She will come for me again..."

Waltz lifted the rapier, scabbard and all, and held it in her view. "This sword belonged to Princess Celestia herself before she married and became Queen of the Day. She used this very sword for three hundred years, never let it leave her side. If anyone ever threatens you, this blade is your life link. They must perform in the art of sword play far better than Celestia herself, all three hundred years and more which she held this blade. The Dutchman can't take you if you fight back."

"They can and will. The Dutchman calls to people. In their dreams. She sailed out to me once. I had the most hellish nightmare I'd ever dreamed, and woke up to find none other than Davy Jones himself in my doorway. Complimentary lightning made it that much more terrifying. Nightmare made reality, it's one of the most terrifying things you could ever go through..."

Lilac approached, grabbed Night by her surviving hand. She pulled her up forcefully, put them toe to toe as Night stood up, staring at her wide-eyed. Night covered her chest, finding wrappings adorned. As she locked gaze with the mare, magical symbols danced in the mage mare's eyes. Then they leapt from her gaze, growing infinitely bigger in Night's own.

Waltz watched as Lilac traded...something with Night. Magic danced between their locked gazes. After a moment of magical transfer, Lilac broke the stare first, tossed Night back down, then voiced her agony, pressing her hands to her sockets. She grabbed something that glowed a dark, deep hue, and pulled it from her open eyes, as if pulling the skin off of her eye balls. She let out a fairly terrible scream of agony as it finally tore loose, and then looked away, blinking.

"Ugh! In my hand I hold a curse!!", she held her clenched fist up. "The curse oft he Dutchman! And this is one hellish magic!", she opened both her hands, holding the blob of erratic magic suspended before her. "This will keep the Dutchman from hunting you down, but it won't stop them for looking for this curse!", she contained it in an orb of white magic. "We need someone to be victim to this curse, and need to make that happen immediately.", she approached the one open window to the clock tower, held the ball of light with both hands, picked one leg up, straightened it, pulled her arm back, then threw that curse out the window, flinging it outwards as hard as she could into the crowd below. She close the window.

"You witch!", Night retorted. "You have no idea what you've just done!"

"I have every idea of what I've just done. I've dealt with the flying Dutchman before, and I've escaped her clutches before!"

Night fell into shocked silence.

"Yeah! News flash. You're not the only one! But I didn't lose a limb."

"Alright, the both of you.", Waltz stood between them. "Lilac, calm down. Night...turn your attention elsewhere."

"I just did you a favor.", Lilac sighed, crossing her arms. "I don't want a thanks, and I don't want anything in return. I did it because I know exactly who and what the Dutchman and Jones are..."

"Thank you...", Night curled back into a ball.

"Once and twice you've saved her life. Thank you for both. Maybe having a magic user in the group is a great idea.", Waltz smiled.

"And I wouldn't be here if you hadn't sealed my magic!"

"You wouldn't have had another school back if you hadn't helped her in the first place. Debt well paid."

"Thank you.", Lilac hmphed, turning away.

"Night.", Waltz turned to the curled up, scared mare.

"Thank you for saving me. I am eternally in your debt. If I didn't admit it before, it was because you didn't save me from the Dutchman..."

"You owe me nothing.", he knelt before her. "I saved you out of the kindness of my own heart I also hadn't expected to see you so soon, so two positives as apposed to one."

"Well, I'm not satisfied until I have done enough to pay you back."

"And Lilac isn't getting another school of magic until she grows your arm back."

"Oh screw you, my white magic is shit!!", Lilac snapped. "I'm going outside!!", she stormed through the closed window.

"You are too nice to me.", Night looked down. "I don't deserve this."

"I beg to differ. You are my friend, I care about you, and I still have hopes that we can be something together.", he held his hand to her as he stood up.

Night looked up at him with a pout. "This is so wrong, but I'm gonna take it anyway.", she grabbed his hand. He helped her stand.

"Time to get serious, Night. You've been in Gaochang for about a day, now. You've lost an arm."

Night didn't respond, instead looking at her own artificial limb grimly.

"Are you going to be ok?"

Night sat back down in the bed. Then covered up, and laid back down. "No."

Waltz pursed his lips, then nodded. A gesture he knew she didn't see. "This tower is enchanted. Thanks to your savior, Lilac. No one will be able to find you with magic while you are here. Take as much time as you need."

No response.

"Lilac!", Waltz turned on his heels, leaving the tower.

Night shook once, then curled up tightly where she was. She didn't need to think, she didn't need to sleep. She needed to relax, needed to try to forget, despite the constant reminder that is her own hand. Night clenched her eyes shut and thought of blank darkness.





"Lilac.", Waltz rounded the clock tower to it's north face.

"Yeah?"

"I'm liking the idea of working with a group."

"Uh-huh."

"Magic user, sneak-thief, and me, which I don't really know what role I play. Aside from swordsman."

"Hero."

"Yeah, I guess that's the best title I could be given."

"Hero."

"Yes?"

"Look."

Waltz turned his attention to the ground before them, same as where Lilac was watching, and a single stallion amongst a crowd were just...killing people!

"Does it infuriate you?", she asked.

The ring of Waltz drawing his blade was enough indicator. He dragged his hand along his blade, coating it in blue plasma, then leapt from the tower hard enough to make it rock slightly. When he landed, he cracked the masoned stone below him, diffusing the scene before him by simply grabbing everyone's attention. Including the murderer he were after.

This stallion were about Waltz's height, same physique, large wings (but not as big as Waltz's), and a solid green coat. He wore heavy armor and carried a longsword, well decorated.

"Oh? A look-alike?", the stallion turned to Waltz completely.

"You got some real nerve attacking people in broad day-"

It wasn't even a split second, there were no blur. No, this stallion had his blade pressed against Waltz's throat in the next instant.

"Who are you and what do you want? And don't say you're a hero, because you're defending the wrong people. These people are murderers. Hence why there is no chaos or people screaming. Or guards."

Waltz were silent.

"Uh-huh. Figures."

Next instant, he had his blade embedded in the dead center of another unarmed stallion's back. He twisted it, then pulled it free.

Waltz coated himself in ever burning white flames. "And if I disagree with what you are doing, regardless?"

"Then you are a fool for defending murderers and rapists, and an idiot for challenging me. I've already spared your life, don't make me take it. And no matter what element you where as a cloak, nothing can stop me from killing you right now."

A wall of translucent purple light erected between the two. Then wrapped around Waltz.

"Yeah, well, it's two on one.", Waltz smirked.

The armored stallion sliced clean through the barrier, putting himself face to face with Waltz. He grabbed Waltz, yanked him out of said barrier, and threw him to the ground, sending him tumbling. Waltz lost grip on his blade, it were sent scattering across the ground. Next moment, Waltz cam to a skidding halt, commanding fire, ice, lightning, and pure darkness to strike the individual before him. And all of it. A stream easily big enough and powerful enough to level a building, were funneled into a single point...in the guard of his blade.

"You done?", the stallion asked.

Waltz stood his ground. Literally. He stood up. "Who are you?"

"Same thing as you, kid. Your every day hero. Except I gave up heroics a long time ago. You are a hero, right?"

"You don't look like a hero."

"That's because I found out what it is to be a hero and to have the most powerful villains in the world put you on the top of their shit list! Keep playing hero, kid!! You WILL find out first hand what it's like to be a hero, and here's a hint, you're going to regret ever calling yourself a hero!"

Waltz silently began walking to retrieve his blade, and the armored stallion sheathed his. Waltz picked up his claymore.

"They say heroes get remembered, but legends never die. So I gave up on heroism and decided to live the lonely life of a legend."

"Give me one reason why-"

"Get it through your thick skull right now that you cannot kill me! I am LITERALLY a damned GOD!! Now, does that confuse you in any way?"

As much as Waltz would hate to put his blade down, he really had no choice. Fighting a god? He's never even met one. Let alone, knew there were more than two!

"Why do you play the hero? Huh?", the stallion approached. "Is it for fame and fortune? To be remembered? Or is it on someone else's whim? What's your reason, kid?"

"To be a hero, protect people, save lives-"

"Shut up, I've heard enough.", he stood in front of Waltz. "Have you ever lost anyone?"

"No."

"Someone close? Anyone?"

"I've lived with my adoptive father for most of my life. I've not really known very many people as friends or family. I tend to work alone. Until as of recent."

"Oh yeah. That magic user. Kid. I'll do you a favor. Make a choice immediately. Choice A. Send them home, tell them to never talk to you again, continue being a hero. Choice B. Give up heroism and keep your new friends. Because the moment you piss off the wrong person, they are dead. You're going to come back home one day, and they will be dead, probably slaughtered, probably taken and tortured to death, or raped until dead, the list is long, and there are no exceptions for any way to kill them. These are criminals and villains we are talking about. They only car about themselves, and most of them are ruthless. No remorse for anyone. So. If you care about the people you hold close, you will put your sword down permanently. I've already paid the price for pissing off the wrong people. I lost an entire family. Two sons, a daughter, a wife."

"Whats your name?"

"Latin-Equestrian. Smaragdos Frangoventus. Translated to Emerald Shatterwind."

Waltz nodded.

"Who are you?"

"Cloud Waltz."

The stallion nodded. "Hmm. I didn't expect to ever meet you, son. I'm impressed that your wings are bigger than mine. Don't say anything, don't ask questions. Too many dangerous people are after me. Just take this letter and go. It's from your mother.", he reached into his armor, pulling a crumpled letter from it's contents. "Waltz. I am your father. Don't follow me. Don't do what I do. Even if the urge to do so is incredibly overwhelming. I have to go collect my bounties. I will never speak to you again, even if you find me. Good luck, son. This world is dangerous.", Smaragdos drew his blade, drove it into the ground, and then disappeared in a short flash of white light.

Waltz, doubling over the scene which played out before him, blinked a few times to drag himself back to reality, and double checked the object in his hand. The letter. It's real. So that stallion was real. And...apparently his father. While silence crept in around him, Lilac appeared beside him.

"Hey! Hero! what the hell? you let him go!", she fussed.

"That was my father."

"Your saying that your dad showed up and killed a bunch of random people?"

"Showed up, slaughtered murderers and rapists, then gave his son a letter from his mother.", Waltz turned his attention, and both hands to the letter, tearing it open. He paused before beginning at the top.

Dear Waltz,

The handwriting were ragged.

I'm in jail. In the heart of sky pirate territory. I pissed off a lot of people, killed the pirate king. Now I'm set to be hanged sometime within the month. I hope this gets to you in hopes that I could, at the very least, see my own son before I bite the dust.

Waltz paused, then kept reading.

I am in the Great Eastern Rift. They have me under heavy lock and key. I'm sending this letter to your father in hopes that he would find you, but he said the chances of him even thinking about you were nonexistent. Something about being a hero. There is a ship. A beautiful treasure I stole a long time ago from a king. The pirate king. Her name is the Brass Beauty.
Find her roaming the high sky seas. She is forever enchanted to fly amongst the sea of clouds until her captain returns. Heh. It just means you need to steer her out of the clouds. On a night of overcast, coast above the clouds. Moonlight will glimmer off of her hull, and you can spot her for miles. Once you find her. Please. Come find me. I don't care if it's just to see your mother once more.

Signed, Your loving mother,

White Rose.

Ragged but legible.

"So, whats it say, hero?"

"It says I'm going to save my mother if I have that chance."

"Wow. Mother and father come out of nowhere. Like a storybook, hero. Wouldn't this put a smile on your face or something?"

"Short version, no. My dad just left because he found his son. He never wanted to see me. Apparently being a hero puts the people the hero loves, in danger. Fair enough, dad. My mother, on the other hand, is locked up in the Great Eastern Rift. She killed the pirate king and is set to hang sometime soon. I just hope it hasn't been a month since my dad got this letter, elsewise..."

"She's dead already."

"And then I will take my vengeance out on the entire Easter Rift."

"Whoa whoa, hero. Starting to sound like a villain with a vendetta."

"That's my mother. The mare who brought me into this world, and I've not even seen her once. Ever. I will murder people without hesitation whom would take that liberty from me. Wouldn't you?"

"Uhm...well, kinda, I don't know. I've seen my mother countless time. She taught me magic."

"I've never met either of my birth parents until today."

Lilac sighed. "Alright. I'll help you. Even if you wanted me to, blah blah, I don't care if this gets me more magic, I'll do this out of the kindness of my own heart."

"Thank you. Return to the tower. Stay with Night while I book it back to the Mid-islands. I need to find Eldritch, find the brass Beauty, then head to the Rift. I'm not going to stay by Night's side.", Waltz spread his wings. "My father is a god. That feels pretty great.", he beat his wings once, launching himself into the air. He took off from there, flying faster and faster, gaining speed as fast as he could, then gripped the element of fire, using it to give himself a major speed boost. He were screaming across the sky at sonic speeds in seconds. Gone.

Lilac shook her head. "Good luck, hero. Hope you're victorious.", Lilac spread her ethereal wings, returning to the tower. When she arrived, Night were still in bed, same position. "Night. Got some news. Waltz left. He bolted back to the Mid-islands. He just met his father, got a letter from his mother, now he's saving her from certain death. His father is a god, and his mother is under lock and key in the Great Eastern Rift."

"Why are you telling me this?", Night asked.

"Yeah. Be bitter you flying rodent. You care for him, don't you? At least that's what I gathered."

Night's grip on the blanket tightened.

"He's already probably a quarter of the way there."

Night threw the covers off of herself immediately, putting them on the floor, got up hurriedly, ripped her wrapping off her chest, then dropped all clothes she wore.

"Well, whats gotten into you to strip like a child?"

"I'm gonna help him."

"Why. He left."

"I owe him. Screw luck. Screw being a thief. Screw working with you.", she pointed at Lilac, picking up a bundle of clothes and tossing them on the floor, pulling a select few out. She put them on, then adjusted them accordingly. Ripping them, tying them, making them fit rather comfortably for her small form. Then she retrieved her own leather outfit, pulling pieces off. She looked like a leather clad female captain meant to fly an airship. Gripping her metal hand, she froze to stare at the new limb before turning to Lilac. "I need a spell. Something that will bind someone so they can't move."

Lilac held her hand up, conjured a blue ball, then red bled into it, turning it purple. She tossed it to Night. "Just throw it at someone."

"Thank you. Seen the Dutchman?"

"The- Night, what the hell are you thinking?"

"Davy Jones was clear. You should know this already. If you're picked out of the crowd, and you give someone else to them in return, you walk free. And. If you give them someone extra, you get one free ticket aboard the Dutchman. No catches, no imprisonment. One free ride to a location of choice for giving them two new crew mates."

"That...I did not know."

"Uh-huh. How short was your interaction with the Dutchman?"

"Met Davy Jones, he came for me, I handed off my servant as payment, he left."

"Uh-huh. Witch."

"Flying rat."

"Thanks for the spell. Do whatever you want. It's Gaochang. I'm not gonna be here by nightfall."

"Same thing as I told Waltz, Good luck."

"I don't want your luck, but I'll take it any way."

"So, before you leave, just a shot in the dark, you think I'm hot? Cause I think you're hot."

Night paused. "Never thought I'd like the idea of looking at another mare that way. I gotta go. Business before pleasure. And my hero needs my help.", Night stood in the open windowsill.

"Wait. One moment.", Lilac approached her, grabbed the joints of her wings, and began rubbing her thumbs along the center of her back. Night immediately convulsed, arching her back to try to get her to let go, but no, it did nothing. Then Lilac put her boot to Night's back and, oh so painfully, tore her wings off. Before Night could scream in pain, a new pair grew back immediately, practically snapping erect out of her back.

"The hell?", Night looked back at her wings. She gave them an experimental flap, then smiled. "Whoa! You did this?"

"Yeah. It's...my last attempt. I'm gay. And I like you. If it doesn't work, then hell, I helped a girl out.", Lilac sat on the bed.

Night bounced back inside, planted a quick kiss on the mare's lips, then bounded back out, taking her new wings for a spin. It was almost disastrous. First few flaps were uncoordinated, then she fanned her wings before hitting the ground, breaking her fall. She practiced then. Beat her wings in time, then kicked up into the air as Guards began approaching. She took off, taking flight. Cool. In the air, so she can practice better. Next was climbing above the city. She needed to located the Dutchman. And she knew exactly what she looked like.
> The Dutchman
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night were...Emotionless right now. Standing on a ledge, overlooking the Dutchman as it were being tethered to simple stalagmites in a cave. All she really could do was stare. Twice, the Dutchman came for her. Twice she's seen it, now.

"So, seeing as you haven't hurt me, I'll just cooperate so long as I'm tied, just to make this go by faster. I wanna get home so I can eat, I'm getting hungry."

"Do you know what my name is?"

"Pfft, no."

"It is Nightmares and Sweet Dreams. Do you know what a nightmare is?"

"Yeah. Just a bad dream you can wake up from."

"No. This is a nightmare. The moment I tied you up with magic, you're life became a very real nightmare. You're not going home."

"I will struggle and fight back any chance that I get, then. Any chance to get away."

"Look at me.", Night knelt before the young bat stallion. "I am a simple bat mare. With a not so simple hand.", she held her artificial limb to see. "I'm missing a limb."

"Doesn't seem like that to me. What're you gonna do? Cut my arm off, replace yours, then kill me? If so, make it quick, because I'm growing impatient."

"You're not gonna die. Ever. See, this metal hand is going to help make my point. You ever heard of the Dutchman?"

"No."

"That's absolutely terrible. Because this is going to be the worst day of your life. Something soon will bite into you. Eating you alive while you scream in agony and pain, terror and panic. You will feel every metal tooth sink into your body. And it won't be sharpened, it won't be a saw, and they may very well have no edge what so ever. Because pretty soon, machines will eat you. Or rather, part of you. See that ship?", she pointed to the Dutchman. "That is the legendary ghost ship, the flying Dutchman. I'm trading you as payment to her captain to get to the Great Eastern Rift as quickly as possible. You will be welcomed aboard, held down, and one of her crew will start eating you like some crazy cannibal. And that isn't even the most terrifying part."

"Cool story. Does it have an end?", the stallion remarked smartly.

"Yeah. Soon. It ends with me and you parting ways. The most terrifying part of this story isn't even the fact that every single one of the dutchman's crew is made of abominations of living people and mix matched machinery. No. The most terrifying part is that every bit of this nightmare is real. You're not going to wake up in your bed with blankets damp from sweat, you're not going to see all of this terror and agony washed away in one fell swoop."

"You're really trying to make this sound very real..."

Night turned on her heel, cupped her hands around her mouth, and screamed out at the top of her lungs...

"Davy Jones!!"

No answer came, but it echoed off of the large cave's walls. The Dutchman, in all of her terrifying glory, stirred for a moment before lighting up a wicked green on her deck. Jones himself appeared by a bright green flash just a few paces away...

"Ye called, lass...?", the ancient captain asked.

Night knelt before the young stallion again, holding up her artificial limb one more time. "See this hand? Imagine it being a chunk of random machinery from an engine. Or random machine. You're not going to be so lucky. You might have a piston through your chest. A gearbox for a shoulder. Half your head may very well be a simple hydraulic for a doorway. The worst part is...you're not going to die. Ever. That's the curse of the flying Dutchman.", she stood up. "Payment. One way trip to the Great Eastern Rift. One able bodied new crew member."

Davy chuckled lowly. Sinister and evil. Then snapped the bony fingers of his real hand, turned to actual skeletal bones from centuries of age. Two more of his crew appeared, brutes with arms made of pistons and machinery, both in green flashes. And they quickly grabbed a hold of the stallion, disappearing again.

"How satisfied ye be ta make a stallion like that fear the 'process' ten times more?", Jones asked.

"Rather satisfying. But I did it for purposes I'm not entirely sure about.", she turned her emotionless gaze to Jones. "I had a scare recently too. You came for me. Took my arm. I thought it actually was a nightmare, because I had been poisoned. Passed out right as that...'process' began, it would seem..."

"Someone stopped me crew...Someone saved ye."

"And his name is Cloud Waltz. The very definition of a hero. This previous event is emotionally scarring. Enough so that a mare who actually tends to her coiled emotions would not be doing what I'm doing, should she have gone through what I did. but I'm now facing my fears, staring the worst of them all down. Eye to eye..."

Jones burst into hearty laughter, that which you would expect from a pirate. "Eye to eye be right! I lost me other centuries ago ta time!", he continued laughing. "Arrrrr, it be some time since I laughed genuinely so. Tell ya what, lass. Since ye gave me three crew members, and got me ta smile, ye're now on me good side. Not so much to say for anyone else existin' in this 'ere world. So. One not-so-free trip ta the rift, and a friendship with the Dutchman. Whaddaya say, lass?", he offered his metal hand. Impulse almost made her take it.

Night narrowed her gaze on him. "I don't trust that this would be a simple handshake or a simple friendship."

"That's because this be nay a simple handshake. Or friendship.", Jones turned his open hand upwards. He simply allowed the text of the magic that were involved to show, and lines of ancient magic trailed around his hand en masse. Like watching a swarm of random characters make up countless spells. "This be magic that be ancient. Found in an ancient temple. Made by the ancient. Fer the ancient.", he closed his hand, whisking away the text. "If'n ye want to know, I'll tell ye exactly what this does. Ye would ferever belong ta the Dutchman. Ye would ferever be cursed! but ye would be cursed like me. Ye can never die. But ye can grow old. And, seein' as you have artificial limbs already, ye d'nay have ta go through anythin' gruesome, or be given some cursed piece o' metal."

"Sounds like nothing more than reason after reason to not take the offer."

"Any time ye call fer help from the Dutchman, she be there. Any time ye need somethin' done. she be there. Any time ye need someone taken care of. She be there. The Dutchman's curse, fer her captain, and anyone he calls quartermaster, gives them all the advantages of the Dutchman. I even made a pamphlet!", Jones pulled a very old and degraded piece of paper from his withering coat's pocket. It ripped, and part fell away, he just laughed as he balled it up and tossed it. "That was a joke worth makin'. That offer be open ferever. If'n ye ever want ta be a quartermaster o' the Dutchman, simply shake me hand."

"Not worth it. Something is happening in the Rift, and I need to be there as soon as that ship can get me there. I am in no way to make demands, but I myself would say that the assassin of the pirate king needs to be alive when I get there."

"Hmmmm? Someone killed Jolly Roger? Hahahahhhhh!", he laughed. "This I didn't know. And what business d'ye have with his killer?"

"She's a friend, and while I don't care for her, someone I know does, and I have a promise to myself to uphold."

"Fair enough. If'n she be dyin' in the rift, they be hangin' her. The old fashioned way. And if she be the murderer o' Roger 'imself, then they nay be hesitatin' ta move her date o' execution up. Take me arm, grab me wrist. If'n ye grab me hand, ye will seal the deal. Quickest way to me ship is through magic...", he held his hand out limply. Night grabbed his wrist, and he twisted his own, grabbing hers in turn. the next moment, pure green light filled her vision, shortly replaced by the sight of the Dutchman's deck.

"All hands on deck!!!", Jones commanded. "Haul in the lines, we be leavin' immediately!!"

And just like that, the lines, rather than being untied and pulled in, were cut, the engines kicked to life, and the Dutchman departed....
> Captain White Rose
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The dream itself were a break from reality. The slow movements, the aimless moving, the incomprehensible images, events, and actions take place. In all honesty, Rose would rather incomprehensible nonsense at this point...

Cold water were thrown on her, shocking her awake as shivers ran up and down her body. She gasped, breathing heaviyl as her heart kicked up it's pace, startling her completely awake.

"Hahah! Whore. Today is the day, you slut! Today, you hang!"

As the stallion continued laughing, Rose looked up at him with a grimace, then hung her head in defeat. It is the last day of her life, and she is spending it in a cell until they take her out by force. Her lover god didn't help her, her son she'd never met never came, her crew...never made it into port. Every card she could play was used already, her magic was onyl as strong as her condition, and she hasn't had a moment to meditate, or food, or water, for weeks now. She's week and can't fight back anymore. Nothing she could do.

So she slept. With nothing else left, what could she do?"

The door opened again loudly. A terrible noise she grew to hate maliciously. If she had the chance, she would destroy this entire cell she were being held in. This hell in a bucket. Several stallions walked in, all dressed as deckhands, but they filed into the room in suit, marchign to their places and standing at attention as their captain stepped in. He was a tall stallion, not so burly, bore really great looking clothes for any kind of captain, heavily decorated in his outfit, and in one hand...a whip.

Rose didn't look at it. She knew it was there. She knew he was going to use it. She just hoped that if she didn't look at it, it would make the passage that much less painful. Yet, her hopes were shattered as he letall but the handle go, dropping the coil to the ground. He drew his arm back expertly, and lashed that whip out with precision, wrapping it around her neck and jerking her to the ground, bringing her to his feet.

"We're going to be extra ruthless. Just for you. We will whip you. Burn you. And then. Then we will hang you. Every bit of your death is going to be torture.", he gingerly unwrapped the whip from around her neck, then walked out. One stallion picked her up, carrying her fraila nd weak body out of the cell.

The dungeon were small, but it were still a dungeon. Dark, musty, unclean. As Rose stepped into the sunlight filtering into the cavernous rift, she cringed. It burned her eyes more than her coat. She didn't know sunligth coudl be so painful and so beautiful at the same time.

The sight before her were grim and terrible. No matter what she saw, her hopes were diminished. The green grass was as beautiful as it had ever been. the dull red of the Rift were an awe-striking sight. And then the gallows. Her heart sank that much lower as she laid eyes on them.

Not but a few minutes passed, and she were brought onto the deck of the gallows itself. Her cuffs were tied to a rop that was slung over the gallows beam, and she was forced to stand up straight. The sight before her now was a sea of people. Every pirate who got word that the murderer of the pirate king, Jolly Roger hismelf, were being executed on this day, they flocked here like mad. Pirates of different kinds. Assassins, Easterners, Gryphons, Sphinxes, even machines.

That first crack of the whip struck her back without warning, and she cried out in pain, clamping her mouth shut as the second struck her back. The captain her executioner...he didn't waste time. Twenty lashings, all dealt within a amtter of but maybe a few minutes. She made only one noise of agony adn pain. That first scream, and bore the pain like the pirate captain she were.

A barrel of red hot coals were brought to her. In it weren't a brand, but instead a chain. One mare with a coat pattern of glyphs and amgic rings grabbed the chain with her bare hands while it still glowed hot, grabbed all of it, and turned to Rose. She took a leap back, swung the chain in one hand, then threw it, wrapped it around Rose's neck and shoulder, then, as they lfited her up, coiled it around her body. The sizzle of searing flesh was very much so audible. She didn't scream, btu she struggled. Slowly, the chains fell away, and the only thing she let out was a single tear.

The rope holding her up relented, and she fell to her knees.

"I've got to hand it to you.", the executioner sighed. "I'm impressed."

No sooner had he said that did his skull split into a gorey paste, sending his body to the ground, punctuated by a loud crack of a rifle. Rose immediately looked up from where she were, spotting a very familiar glare. That of the scope of a rifle. A sniper rifle. And ti sat on the edge of the Rift.

"Sniper...", sh emuttered. The next moment, she stood up, then yanked her chains apart, magic exploding from her form as she used what she had left to give herself but onyl a few boosts. Stamina, healing, and strength. The guards to her sides immediately attacked her, but the first met her fist, lost his spear, and she impaled the second one. the first guard met his end directly after byty eh pistol fot he second, and rose took that moment to vault off the gallows backwards.

She failed. She didn't fail miserably, but she couldn't get back up after she landed. She hurt so much that ti killed what strength she had left, and she simply fell. Immediately any and every pirate watching converged on her, only to be met with chain gun fire, dropping them all like flies. Out of any ballistic weapon that ever existed, Rose knew the sound of her own chain gusn the most, and that gave her the extra will to stand. slowly. She hurt herself getting off the gallows. but the next moment were tons easier. She dropped the weapons she had and took off running opposite the gallows, headed for the edge of the cliff they sat atop. A longboat leveled itself with the edge, and she picked up pace, making it halfway before gunfire began cracking the air aroudn them, different from the already constant hell and rain of her ship's chain guns. She ducked after the first shot, then continued on ehr way, taking a bullet straigth through the left of her chest as she was jsut about to leap for the longboat.

The three stallions on board each left the longboat, one deployed a magical shield, and the other two helped her into the boat.

"We got rose!", the unicorn of th egroup announced.

"Book it here ASAP!", came a response from the Longboat's coms equipment.

"Roger, Captain Cloud!!"

Rose picked up her head at the name. cloud? Her hopes were now not for survival, or relief from the pain. No, it were hopes that her son had really come to save her.

Once the third stallion boarded the Longboat, he dropped that first spell which kept them protected, and the Longboat vaulted upwards and away from danger, just as he put his hands on her bleeding chest, pulsing healing magic through her body from the most devastating injury. The bullet wound closed, her ribs snapped back into place properl, her aches and pains ebbed away, and lastly, the burns faded, replaced with relief and warmth.

"Finally...", Rose whispered before passing out...





The dreams she had were a lot more docile. impler, no pain, no suffering, nothing engative. Not much positivity, but hell, dreams are nto specific. This one seemed devoid of everything. She woke up from it without any recollection of what happened, or a care to remember. She were in a bed. She didn't car eabout anything other than pullign the covers closer and curling into a ball in the comfortable confines of...her own quarters. Oh how she missed this magnificent bed.

A stirring just in front of her brought her to open her eyes, laying eyes on a grey pegasus stallion, bearing the biggest wings she'd seen in quite some time. He didn't budge too much, and didn't speak, only watched closely.

Rose hmphed, smiling a small smile. "Hey son...What're you doing in my bedroom?", she closed ehr eyes again.

No response. She opened one eye, then both. the sight before her was the most relaxed anyone could ever look. Completely devoid of any look of strife or stress.

"Waltz, I know it's you. You've got your father's wings. I would figure you would have something to say. Whether it be angry or happy. I don't care, I jsut want to hear my son's voice..."

"And ye can't."

Rose sat halfway up, turning her gaze to Eldritch, whom were standing in the corner of the room. "Sniper...", she whispered.

"Indeed that glare was me, lass."

Rose laid back down with a smile. "I see you've made some friends."

"I be his adoptive father.", Eldritch admitted. "And yer son be a mute."

"That's...", Rose sighed. She then checked under the covers to find that her outfit was indeed modest, and crawled further upt he bed to rest her back against the head board. "Well, to whom do I owe the pleasure? All I know you as is the Legendary Sniper of the Far Skies."

"Eldritch Stone. Call me whatever ye like."

"Thank you, Waltz. For saving me.", she smiled.

"He would nay 'ave saved ye if'n it weren't fer me. This young stallion d'nay know how ta cpatain a ship, much less recruit a crew. Seems like ye're old crew knew where ye ship be the moment we docked, though, so luck would ahve it, a crew were waitin'."

Rose nodded. "I...almost died."

"Ye did!", Eldritch chuckled. "Had ta zap ya back ta life. Anyways. Here, Waltz. Say somethin' ta yer mother...", Eldritch tossed the collar to Waltz. He hesitated before clamping it around his neck, sighing as he did so.

"But he can't. Does that collar speak for him?"

"It gives me speech.", Waltz spoke. It sounded like a beautiful melody to Rose. Eldritch left the quarters, leaving the two alone.

"That's amazing. A mute son. that explained why you didn't cry when you were born. I hope my son is doing well.", she hinted.

"I've got my own triumphs to speak of, but they mean more to me than anyone else. Simply fights I won with a sword, none of them mentionable."

"Personal goals achieved."

"Yeah. Aside from that, I met my father day before yesterday, found out I was a god, and found out you were in danger. I was desperately hoping that you were still alive, and hated my father so much for not saving you himself."

"Thanks for rescuing me, son. I cannot ever pay you back for what you've done for me."

"Well, you can stick around with me. At least for a while."

"I would hope so. I finally get to meet my son. And you've already met your father."

"My wings are bigger."

"Really?!"

"Yeah."

"Are you good at flying?"

"Heh...Not as good as fighting.", he smiled. "Best kill yet is a machino golem. Solo. Used a claymore to fight it."

"that's impressive. What kind? Dragon? Centurion? Gryphon? Man. If you can fight back against those things, then we migth be able to survived an attack."

"Uhm...there is more than one kind?"

"I take it you haven't seen more than those you've fought, then."

"I've seen three."

"I've seen countless. In fact, I've seen an entire flock of flying tank birds, well over fifty. It's astounding you ahve yet to see something other than, what, a centurion?"

"Well, this is news to me."

"Heh. Real world problems for this planet right now. Get this. Somewhere int eh sands, one of Celestia's flying machino factories gained magical sentiency, dropped itself out of the sky. Narrowed it down to a hit or miss location, but there are so many golems swarming the place, it's dangerous. Can't even get above them. They have golems that will always be above you, and always be below you. Even in the sands."

"Sounds like an adventure for another time."

"Yeah.", Rose smiled. "You see a sweet mare now, but that's because I'm in a bed, and weak. Waltz, as your mother, and having finally found you, I want you to know what I am. I am ruthless. Heartless. I am Captain White rose. Ruthless Rose. I care for no one but my crew and me. I've stolen, plundered, killed, murdered, but never raped anyone, like some pirates."

Waltz hummed in thought.

"Although, thanks to your father, I'm immortal now, and it's taught me quite a lesson. Especially since I was locked up in the rift."

"You killed the pirate king, I here."

"Jolly Roger lies dead by my hand. Blew his brains out with a revolver. Satisfaction in a single shell."

"Did he wrong you?"

"He raped me."

"Good riddance, no argument."

"Mhmm. First person who ever held me down more than five seconds. Oh, it was so great to put that bullet in his skull. Watched the entire bulb of his head shatter. All was left was the front of his skull, and his bottom jaw. The entire wall behind him were coated in bloody, visceral grey matter."

"Calm down, mother."

"It's great to finally hear someone call me mother. Mom or mommy would have sufficed.", she chuckled. "Even if we met on better terms, and you decided to make a laugh out of it...I wouldn't be mad. So. Let's talk about you. Where are you in this world, right now?"

"Back home. Small sky island int he sands, really nice restaurant high above it. I live in a clock tower. Clock doesn't work. Eldritch owns the inn beneath."

"Interesting. You should show me sometime."

"My trophy room? It's but a short fligth away. We're docked at the very sky island I call home."

Rose nodded. "If only your father were here, right now."

"I last saw him in Gaochang. Slaughtered a group of criminals, left right after. Bolted to the rift once I read that letter. Which...reminds me. I have no idea where Night is..."

"Where? Or who?", Rose asked.

"Her name is Nightmares and Sweet Dreams. Young little bat mare, she's a thief. We met, hit the friendship off real easily. There could be something there, but I'm patiently waiting."

"I don't like flying rats."

"Mother.", Waltz gave her the "seriously?" look.

"Nope. I don't want to hear it. I hate all thestrals, and those undead horses can eat dirt for all I give a care."

Waltz pursed his lips with a sigh.

"I don't care if you work with her, or be friends, but I will disown you if you marry her."

Waltz looked to his left as Night herself crossed her arms in the doorway. She kicked one boot up on it's heel and rested against the door frame.

"I take it you're Sweet Dreams."

"Don't call me Sweet Dreams.", Night responded emotionlessly.

"I will call you whatever I damnw ell please, rat."

Night stared rose down for a moment before turnign to Waltz. "I tried to ge there in time to help you, but the Flying Dutchman wasn't fast enough."

"Of course. Leave it to a thestral to make a deal with that demon and his cursed ship."

"I hate your mother.", Night continued.

"If I had a-"

"Enough!", Waltz stood up. "Night. Out.", he shooed the bat mare away.

"Thank you, son."

Waltz only glanced at her as he stepped out as well. "Night, I'm not gonna sugar coat my mother's responses or mood, she is very racist, and I found that out probably the same time you did."

"Yes you most definitely did. I was just...hesitant to meet your mother. I know who White Rose is. I just didn't expect her to be your mother..."

"Can't be helped. Now what's this about the dutchman giving you passage to the rift? Because I don't like what I heard."

"Dutchman came for me twice already. I wanted to chase you, help you, be there for you, so I called upon the dutchman. Tied someone up, brought him to Jones as payment. I amde him smile, and brought him three crew members, so apparently Jones likes me, now. That stallion was payment for safe passage to the rift."

"I see."

"Well. Here I am, hero.", Night smiled.

Rose called otu frm her own bedroom. "Oh, that's right, I own this ship. Get her off immediately!"

Waltz took a deep breath. "Alright, lets go. Not letting this stew anymore than it has. I jsut met my mother, I don't want you ruining it."

"Hey!"

"Don't see it as a bad thing. It's not like she's going to be the end of our friendship."

Night smirked. "Alright. I'll head off, then.", she turned to make her exit.

Waltz immediately noticed her wings. Before, they were dwarfed, now, they're full size, and they only added that much more to her beautiful image. Night winked back to him as she rounded the next corner.
> James The Kid
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waltz were arming himself from the one place that only two people know exists. Him, and his mother. The location? A ducked off perch inside a rock jutting out of the desert. One way in, one way out, and if you don't know what you're looking for, you'll never find it.

He grabbed a decoratively engraved revolver from the set of four that were set on the rusty shelves, and a cutlass, strapped the revolver to his right, and the sword on his left. Then the idea popped into Waltz's mind. Gunslinger stiletto, or priate tricornne? Eh, he'll stick to what he knows. No helmet, or hat, just his head. And his armor. If he ever needed it, he knew where to get his helmet. It's still int he clock tower.

As he stepped out of the small armory, he grabbed a bandolier of four flintlocks, and set it around his chestplate, admiring the ideal sight of himself decked out in weaponry. He were set for a war, now. Thing is, he probably won't be keeping all of this weaponry with him at all times.

Locking the door behind him, he turned around, and came face to face, well, actually face to sword tip with a young stallion. He were lithe, dressed in a simple brown shirt and black pants, black boots, even wore a bandana, and his hair fell messily around said bandana. His coat were peach, and his main chocolate brown. And. He looked pissed, wore a scowl like a beard. Which he didn't have.

"Where. Is Rose?", he demanded, digging the tip into Waltz's neck. Waltz were quick, swatted the blade away with one hand, and drew both revolver and cutlass of his own, aiming both at the newcomer.

"An enemy of my mother is an enemy to me.", he announced.

"Yer mother? Then I take it...", he fell silent, eyes drifting to Waltz's side.

"That I am as ruthless as her? Well, I could learn a lot from her on ruthlessness, but ruthless is not one of my feats. Deadly, however, most definitely is. And if I can square off against three machino core golems, and win, then you will be absolutely nothing but a ladybug beneath my boot.", he traded hands for each weapon. Cutlass in right, revolver in left, and he let his cutlass swing low to his side.

With a breath, the young stallion sighed, sheathing his weapon. "I forfeit and surrender."

"Oh no no!", Waltz chuckled. "Heft your blade, or I'll make it worse. You know this place exists, and I cannot break my promise to my mother. No witnesses!"

"Yer not gonna kill me."

"Like hell I won't! What makes you think I should show you mercy? You're the first pirate to ever raise a sword to me, I'd be damned if I shouldn't cut you down like a weak dog!"

"Check yer pocket."

Waltz opened his mouth to speak, but paused before he did. "Which one?"

"Right.", he answered without breaking eye contact.

Waltz fished the bauble out of his pocket, that which Eldritch had pressed into his palm without a word but a good while back. And light were glinting out from the cracks in it's shell. Waltz opened it, and it illuminated the whole cave around them in golden light, all shed from the single symbol inside. If he didn't know the nature of ancient artifacts, he'd say it were heart shaped.

"What do you know about this?", Waltz asked.

"That it means ye won't kill me."

"And how are you so sure of that?"

"Because by having that object in yer possession, ye be forcin' yerself ta follow a destiny that ya didn't make. In other words, someone made some decisions for you, and now ye must follow them."

"Who?"

"You yerself."

"Stop being cryptic!", Waltz pulled the hammer back on his revolver, and took a step forward, pressing it to the young stallion's temple, even pressing him into the cave wall as he observed the object in full detail.

"Look. I will ask fer ye trust.", the young stallion began. "Give me the object, and I will leave, even ferget me hatred fer Rose. In turn, I will return sometime in the near future, and explain everythin'."

Waltz turned his gaze back to the young stallion. His voice were rather high, he must be relatively young. Mulling over the pitched plan, he pulled his gun away, then holstered it, gently setting the hammer flush against it's chassis. "Alright.", Waltz took a step back, closed the object, then pocketed it again. "I'll humor you a little bit. Give me a reason why I should trust you."

"Like I said, by simply havin' possession of that object, ye've sealed yer fate. Not necessarily yer death, which people confuse the term with, but ye've given yerself a destiny ye must follow. Thing is, you could give me that object, I could leave, and sometime soon, we will meet again. Destiny will make it happen. I could be runnin' from ya, hopin' to never be seen again, and I will fail."

"A rather lengthy explanation for an interesting object."

"Someone immortal gave ya that, did they not?"

"No.", he lied.

"Then ye had to 'ave found it, either by pure chance in a market, someone's pcoket, or ye looted it from ancient ruins!", the young stallion spoke more agressively.

"I got it from someone. They gave it to me. But they were not immortal.", he lied, "What significance does this have?"

"It's a favorite of people eternally livin' in this here world. Gods and immortals alike. 'Tis of not as much use to a mortal as it would be to someone who'd live ferever. This object doesn't just predict, but sets yer destiny in stone until it's purpose is finished, and it will 'appen soon. Believe me."

"What will happen?"

"It involves the two of us. And an event that will 'appen soon. How soon is beyond me. But it couldn't be any more than a month away. Give me the item, let me leave peacefully, let me come to terms with the fate that is intwined with me own, and I will return. Ya have me word."

"I'd be taking a massive leap into the dark. I'd be letting a young colt trick me into giving up an item that could be of great value."

"Give me the item. Then go to the person who gave it to ya. And ask them what it is. Tell them it was glowing, and very brightly."

Waltz pulled the object from his pocket, then hefted it in his hand twice before tossing it to the young stallion. "Name. Now."

"James the Kid."

"Alright James. I'll find out what this is once I get back to my ship. If it is of great value, I will resort to magic tracking, will hunt you down like an animal, and take it back with deadly force. If it is simply an artifact...with interesting properties...I'll let it slide until you return. When you do, if my source does not tell me all that I need to know, you better have the information ready. Elsewise, I will not be a merciful person, such as I am right now. Leave. And do so swiftly and discreetly. I don't want anyone to find out that someone else was here.", Waltz cut free the young stallion's cutlass and took it with him as he passed by.

Waltz tossed it into the sands on his way out, and took wing, flying away from the marooned rock.





As Waltz backwinged onto the Brass Maiden, his mother met him on the deck, looking him over with a proud, content smile. The sight before her made her happy to no end. To see her own son taking after her.

"Your pride is showing.", Waltz teased.

She laughed happily, "Good!", she took a deep breath. "You don't know how happy it makes me to see you take after me."

"I don't take after you. I am a merciful god, and I aim for benevolence. But no one said I couldn't live my life the way I wanted to. So whats wrong with a little piracy fun every now and then?", he smirked.

Rose continued watching him with a warm smile.

"Seen Eldritch?"

"In the mess hall, making us our evening meal."

"I'm gonna go see what h'es brewing together."

He left his mother on the deck, and took the steps leading down to below deck. Eldritch heard him as he stepped down and closer, and gave the captain himself a piratey Arrrrr.

"Ahoy, cap'n! Welcome back aboard the Maiden!"

"Smells wonderful.", Waltz took a big whiff. "Heavily seasoned, so I assume it's not-so-great materials."

"Eh, aye. Unfortunately so."

"Well, I know you can cook, and I know you can cook well, so I assume it will taste just as great as always."

Eldritch laughed heartily. "Ye know me well enough!"

"What item did you give me?"

Eldritch paused. The question were odd. Out of the blue. then he began recalling what all items he'd given this stallion in the past. There were but one in the recent past. After a long moment of silent thinking, Eldritch smiled. "Ye met someone, didn't ye?", he paused, his smile fading. "It was glowin'?"

"Aye. Apparently this has somethign to do with meeting someone. Why does this object glow, and what triggers it's effect?"

Eldritch hummed. "Lad, ye didn't kill this person ye met, did ye?"

"No. I let him take the object, on promise that he would return soon, and explain everything."

Eldritch began stroking his beard. Then turned his attention to the pots beside him, stirring their contents and giving each a big whiff and a taste. "Needs more....everything. Could be better, but anymore seasonin' would make it worse.", he sighed, set the spoon down, then wiped his hands on his apron.

"Eldritch. You are a good friend, but you are wearing my patience thin. How valuable is that small object? Does it hold significance as, say, a key to an ancient treasure?"

"Nothin' like that, lad. It be nothin' more 'n the value it has int he eye o' the beholder. It is priceless. It is worthless. Depends on who possesses it."

"He said something about simply possessing it seals my fate. Mayhaps not as far as how I die, but what happens int he near future is unavoidable."

"That's because 'tis.", Eldritch pointed out. "Ye hold an ancient artifact. Hld. Ye gave it to this person, no?"

"Yes."

"Describe 'im."

"Young, dressed like a pirate, held a cutlass like he'd trained with it. Spoke like a pirate. Called himself James the Kid."

Eldritch were stroking his beard once more. He sighed. "Lad, this now be beyond me. Ye will jus' have to wait fer that young lad ta return with the artifact."

"Do you, or do you not, know what that item does?"

"Aye. Right down ta the letter."

"Then tell me!"

"No. Ye need to find all o' this out on yer own."

"I let someone who would readily murder my own mother, even admitted to it, get away because of this item and what he told me, I demand to know what it is, and what it does!", Waltz shouted.

"Patience, lad. Believe me when I say, all yer worries will be abated when ye find this person again. Because they will all be replaced with something entirely different to keep your mind busy."

Waltz splayed his hands, then clenched them. He marched out swiftly, passing his mother on the way.

"What was that about, Eldritch? My son was raising his voice, and to the person who raised him, I would appreciate you telling me what you won't tell him."

"If I told ye, ye'd tell 'im. It would be best if he found out on his own. Now, come in, take a seat! I got somethin' ye might like.", he grinned as he approached and pulled a very large barrel into teh opening. Rose slowly approached and took a seat at teh nearest table, and watched as Eldritch opened the front of the massive barrel like a door. He stuck his hand in, and fished out a very dusty bottle. He thumbed some of the dust off, and ksised it before grabbing it like any drunk would. By the neck. He closed the barrel, turning his attention to Rose.

"Rum? Oh, it's a pirate's life for me.", Rose said hushedly.

Eldritch chuckled heartily. "Ya see, I be a few centuries old, but this here...be far older than me. This be a silent killer! Don't drink it so fast, ye'll regret it. And it nay be rum. It be wine. Passion wine."

"Passion wine? From the pleasure gardens that the gods took from thsi world thousands of years ago?", Rose raised a brow to that.

"Aye! Meant ta be shared between only two who share interests. Ideas....maybe even a bed."

Rose chuckled lowly, "Eldritch, it's going to take a lot more than an ancient wine to get in bed with me."

"that nay be what this be for, lass! I be shocked ye wouldn't think of me as a gentleman! I be the legendary sniper 'imself! I romanced mares with but a burly ARRRRR, I took down leagues o' enemies with but one rifle!", he took a sharp breath. "But ye nay came here ta listen ta me boast. I would like ta share this fine wine with a fine mare such as yerself."

Rose rested her cheek on her knuckles as she isten silently. "Go on."

So.", he fished two very beautiful glass chalices from the cupboard, and set them beside one another. He grabbed a corkswcrew, digging it into the wine bottle's mouth. "About a good...oh, century and a half ago, I came across this merchant. He had many wares, all very old, nothing which could be any less than half a millennium.", He pulled the cork out as gently as he could, didn't spill a drop. He took a whiff. With a long satisfied sigh, he began pouring them each a glass. "He said to me. Come one, come all! Anceint aritfacts and ancient treasures for sale! Hah! I looked about me. No one were there but me. The market were rather empty. Soes, I asked, why d'ye nay have much business, friend?", he set the bottle down, and picked his glass up. Rose did the same, and they toasted with a beautifully harmonious ring. Then took a long swig of the drink.

It were deliciously sweet. Like taking grapes fresh off a vine coated in morning dew. Succulent and sweet, just like the fruit it were made from.

Eldritch relaxed in his seat, setting his chalice down. He hummed in delight. "He told me.", he closed his eyes as a smile graced his lips. "None o' these items be cheap. An' fer good reason. These be powerful artifacts, as old as they are strong. Soes, I grab one, and he grabs me hand. That be an artifact of the immortal twins, inseparable, yet blind. It tells them when they are near one another, and they can see it glow, even though they have no eyes. Then I ask, how much, and he told me, an object of equal or greater value. god old fashioned trade and barter!", he laughed. Eldritch then looked at the mare sitting contently across the table from him. "I offered him one o' these bottles."

Rose smirked at that.

"Well, he hands me the item. And he tells me what it does, and how it works. Not in his cryptic verse, which he first told me, but in as much detail possible. I thank him for the sale, and be on me way. With a new toy that I never let leave me side. Until one day.", he took a breath, "Ohhh, it were...over four decades ago. Had to be.", he took another swig from his chalice. "I were...where was I, and...what was I doin'?", he paused to stroke his beard. "Had just fixed up an old ferner of me own, were traveling a short distance ta sell her and buy me docks. Passed by a small family travelin', and they were stopped at the docks I was on. Had to moor fer the night. I pass by, and notice a light comin' from round me neck. It were dim, but it were still there. Then it grew dark. I paused, grabbed the artifact around me neck, and watched it as I back pedaled, and found that family. A mare, her husband, and their foal. Oh, it was a sight ta behold. Majestic, even.", he took another, and final swig of his drink, finishing it. "He were dressed fer business, she were dressed like a housewife, and that foal...ye coudl take a picture, and it would be art...", he paused as he reminesced. "I brought meself ta greet htem. We spoke. And then in the midst of our conversation, that foal reaches over and grabs me necklace, where I had me artifact danglin'. Little filly may have seen something shiny, and it caught her attention. Then it glowed brighter. I were speechless fer a moment until that mare pulled her filly away with an apology. Well, I left shortly after, but nay afore inquirin' when she were born. She were jus' three weeks old. And as adorable as any foal could be. I bid me farewells, and engraved that date on me six shooter."

"Now why would you do that? What significance does this artifact have? Is it the same one you gave my son?"

"Hold, lass. I be gettin' there. Needless ta say, I ne'er fergot that date. I memorized it down ta every number. And with them numbers, I memorized exactly what she looked like. Today, that filly were born. About forty three years ago, if me math be right. Piercing sapphire eyes. White coat. White mane. Do you know what her name was?"

Rose smirked.

"White Rose."

"Now why did you engrave my birthday in the side of your revolver?"

"It were me favorite piece. So I'd never, ever ferget. Happy birthday, Rose."

"Why thank you. But that still doesn't answer my question."

"I had done it becuse of why the artifact glowed. It be the artifact o' the immortal lovers.", he poured himself another glass, and Rose one as well. he didn't know she'd even finished hers until he glanced at her chalice. "It glows when ye be near that one person ye fall the deepest inta love with in yer life. And it glows the brightest when ye be nearin' the time ye fall deep in love."

Rose's jaw dropped, "You mean-"

"Aye, yer son be meetin' that person soon. And it will be happenin' soon."

"But I thought he said that it glowed when a young stallion were nearby!", Rose smiled wide.

"Heheh! Love knows no bounds. I d'nay know what yer son looks for in a lover, but ye c'nay escape that old magic."

"Same as you and I can't, huh?"

Eldritch smirked. "Nay."

Rose took a whiff of her drink. "It's not as if I'm complaining.", she took a swallow from her chalice. "You do look rather...gentleman-like, for a centuries old stallion."

"Heh. Ye look rather young fer a forty three year old mare."

"Why thank you. I use a special medicine called immortality."

"I ne'er found out when we would. And neither do I want to know. If it be twenty years from now, or two hundred, I can wait for the deepest love I've ever felt in me life. If it can top the love I had fer me wife, may Celestia rest her soul, then it be somethin' I'd be lookin' forward to."

Rose took a deep breath and sighed. "So. Does that ean you're going to romance me?"

"Only if ye give me a chance."

"Maybe.", she took another sip of her wine.

Eldritch chuckled, taking another sip from his own. "I been holdin' that story fer a long time. Waitin' ta find ya again."

"Didn't you help rescue me?"

"Aye! I did!"

"Then you knew I wasn't gonna die!"

"Indeed I did."

Rose grinned. Then hid behind the silence of another sip of her fine drink. "Eldritch. I am honored that you fought to save me."

"Ehhh, it was mostly because I wouldn't let an object decide me fate. If ye were gonna survive, no matter what happened, if we were destined to fall in love, by damned, I would have a hand in yer rescue, even if it wounded me."

"Awe, how sweet."

"Anythin' fer the mare I would fall deepest in love with in me lifetime.", he and Rose toasted again, downing the rest of their drinks.
> Night's Mother
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night were standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the vast sands of the endless desert that stretched over teh whole world. It's been a few centuries since the planet were baked dry, and water became a scarce resource. Yet, demand and supply of said water still hasn't ceased to be as large as it has always been. With everything taking to the skies, demand for water skyrocketed. Then magic imbued steam came into play, and it relieved some stress from the demand of the precious resource.

Befor Night flew four large birds. Made of metal. It glinted brightly, flashing many times in her direction. And they circled one object. Endlessly. Like vultures.

Night held her hands open to herself, and she conjured flames like it was nothing. She read Waltz's book. Only for the fire element, though, nothing more. The easiest to master. But she didn't just do it for control over fire. Dissipating the flames in her hands, she focused, held her hands before her, palms turned up, and stayed silent, taking a deep breath.

"Say the name of the item you want to conjure.", Silver explained.

"Sword."

In her hands, a broadsword were conjured, made of metal coated in furious red flame.

"Refine it. Drop the object over the cliff, and try again. Do you want a random weapon every time?"

"No, I want a longsword. With an extended blade."

"Then imagine a longsword with a longer blade, and call for a longsword.", Lilac continued in her lesson.

Night focused again, cleared her mind, held her arms out. "Longsword." In a flash, a blade with a very long edge conjured in her palms, coated in mad red flames. "But what about the color of the flames?", she asked. The flames died, as if they were shy themselves, fizzled out, and the blade slowly burned away into ashes.

"That would be the next part of this lesson. You have to make sure that the first color flame you would see when you think 'fire', is whatever color you desire it to be. Meditate on it.", Silver sat besides the mare. "Rapier." In the mare's open hand, a rapier coated in white flames materialized in a flash, and the flame itself burned bright and fiercely.

Night sat down, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes, sitting up straight. She rested the back of her hands on each of her knees, and took a deep breath. What color does she want to see when she sees fire? What color does she see? Obviously, red. the color she desires is a midnight blue. The darkness of the night is accentuated most heavenly by the color blue. And so she focused on that. "Longsword.", she spoke. In her hands, a long blade coated in ethereal blue flames were conjured. And unlike the fire she just held, and unlike Silver Lilac's own, it licked at the blade softly and slowly. Very calm.

"Good. Now. You told me you desired to wield two. Let it fall. Then stand up." Night did just that. "Hold your hands out to your sides, as if you would wield two swords." Night locked her arms straight, palms up, furthest away from her body. "Now grip those unseen pommels."

Nigth closed her grip on teh blades that weren't there. "Longsword." In each hand, a long blade coated in blue flames were conjured. She held each at the ready for a strike.

"And the final lesson. How hot does your flame burn? It as hot as your will, no more. If you can't see this fire burning metal, it will not."

"Oh, this fire will melt whatever it strikes. Metal, stone, wood, anything."

"A most deadly heat will encompass your weapons at all times. The heat needed to burn straight through metal with such ease is so intense, that if you had your weapon at teh ready, or a flame in hand, anything nearby that can burn can and will catch fire."

"Good! I am as dangerous as the flame I hold! I am as deadly as the heat of my fire! If I desire to cut down birds of metal and armor, I will cut through them like it is nothing!", she leapt forward, wings fanned wide.

"Wait!", Silver called out. "You can't seriously be thinking to fight those golems!"

Night were already soring towards those metal birds at high speed, and the trail of blue flame left behind by her blades spanned a long distance behind her. Those golems noticed her very swiftly, and turned their aimless circling towards Night. It took seconds for them to be upon her, and she met that first golem with a barrel roll, slicing clean through it's right wing right at the joint, and it fell helplessly into the sands. Gunfire cracked the air as the other three shot at her, and they missed, aiming at the spot she were at but a moment before.

The next to meet Night backwinged to a halt, and she slammed into it's chest, digging her blades straight into it's armor'ed breast. With a loud screech, it began to fall, gears clicking and grinding against one another, stopped by her blades and melting as new metal touched them. The other two stopped above her, and circled with guns focusing on ehr from above. Night kicked off the second golem as automatic fire cut into and tore that golem to pieces, flashing behind her as she leveled herself with the remaining two, and with a scream of fury, hto blue flames burst from her body, melting the two golems into inoperable states. As if they were made of wax held next to lava.

As the remaining two golems dropped to the sands on top the second, the first stood up from a distance, and were met with a rain of magical arrows that pierced straight through it's body, pricking pinholes in it from head to clawed foot, right up until it's core detonated, creating a glass crater int eh sands, scattering twisted and bent metal around it's rim.

Night hovered in midair, gently beating her wings until she decided to drop down to the metal corpses below. She threw her flaming weapons to the sky, and they dissipated as the two melted golems slowly got up, bending their metal bodies by force. Night drew her rapier, grabbed it's grip with both hands, and quickly worked her blade under the loose breastplate of the golem beneath her, bending it open on it's melted hinges, then forced it completely open, exposing the still active core of the golem itself. Nothing could move, she melted any gear connected to it, and thusly, the core were defenseless now. With a sharp plunged of her blade dead center of it's shell, the core's gyroscope ceased movement, and powerful magic locked her in place, wouldn't let her move. Night panicked. It was about to detonate, and she were locked in place!

Yet it didn't explode. Light peered through the cracks around her blade, tearing open the core slowly. As that light broke forth from teh core's shell, the golden light of the magic singularity within bathed her in a powerful healing spell, followed by a pillar of red light, dropping on her from an immeasurable distance above. The magic flooded her senses, even tore her mana pool open, and magic began billowing from her form in the form of the pure embodiment of darkness. Her mane changed to that of a nebula from a system far away, stars detonated to life in her mane as they were created, and her coat glazed over with shadows, eating through her outfit to leave her whole form coated in a skin-tight representation of pure darkness. Last to change was her eyes, and she felt her previous conscience replaced with a new one. If temporarily. She felt...as if she were one with the princess of Night herself. The flood of power was harsh and hard for her to handle, yet it ebbed away, leaving her with a new coat, new mane, and her wings were dripping liquid shadows. the pillar were gone, her blade were tained with a glowing purple edge, and her grip, made of moonlight silver.

Pulling the glowing blade free, she took her stance atop the corpse of the golem beneath her, and turned to teh two golems still left. They both let out a metallic screech, probably from grinding metal vocal cords, and as the first one dove forward for that first strike, Nigth warped forward, dragging her blade alogn it's side, and passed it. In the next moment, the golem were cleaved in twain from the corner of it's mouth tot he tip of it's aerodynamic tail. The core detonated, shining another red beacon to teh sky. The last one, emotionless and unthinking, still tried to kill Night, utilizing every bit of it's arsenal from it's wing mounted chain guns to it's maw's rail cannon, aiming all five of them at her. Nigth conjured a wall of shadows, even in the midst of the day, and it swallowed every round it unleashed, eating everything that came her way until it's chain guns were empty, and it's core were nearly depleted from rail gun overclocking.

Droppign that wall, she leapt forward, and dug her purple blade into the top iof it's snout, dragging it from tip to tail, same as teh previous. It were cleaved in twain, just teh same, and as the core detonated, another pillar of red light shot from the sky, marking it's death.

"Night, are you ok?!", Lilac backwinged before the bat mare. Her jaw hung slack in awe as she feasted her eyes on the bare body of this mare, coated in shadows like a skin tight unitard, her mane flowing like a nebula in the deepest reaches of space, and her wings dripping molten shadow like melting black wax.

"I feel...fine.", Night observed one wing, then wrapped them both around herself, changing them both into a flowing open trenchcoat, regalia shirt and pants, and even boots. All colored int eh purples and blues of nigth, accentuated with glowing moonlight silver metal. Her rapier, which were previously made of celestial steel, were a deep glowing purple, and teh blade a glowing white, same as the accents on her outfit. She sheathed her weapon, and it's glowing edge were hidden.

"What happened to you?", Lilac asked.

"I...don't know. I thought I made a mistake by impaling that golem's core, but...I think I absorbed every bit of the magic that was left in it."

"Thats...and insane amount of magic to absorb.", Silver closed her eyes, took a breath, and when she opened her eyes, they were a pure black, rimmed with glyphs of ancient text. "Oh. Oh my. You look like...an endlessly overflowing well of magic!"

"A what?"

"I'magine a geyser. The size of a volcano. But instead of water or lava, it's pure magic! You look like Luna, herself!"

"I...felt like I was her. If for a moment. It felt...wrong."

"Oh...Oh my.", she blinked, shucking away the magic in her eyes. "If this is just somethign that happens when a machino core detonates near someone...then I can do this too!"

"No, only gods can do this!", Nigth snapped. It wasn't her own voice. "That...that wasn't me speaking...", she admitted warily.

The shadows that adorned her form stretched away from her body, then divided into a pitch black featureless form. It stood taller than them both, had two pure white eyes, and it's mane...flowed like a nebula, complete with the endless expanse of stars.

"L-Luna?!", Lilac gasped.

"In the...shadows.", she hmphed. "Nightmares and Sweet Dreams. My daughter...", her eyes half lidded, as if she were burdened with a minor annoyance.

".......Daughter...??", Night's eyes grew wide. Her voice were shallow.

"That was not a very good idea, little one. That was a terrile idea. You almsot fused us together!!", Luna's ethereal form snapped at her. Then the shadows dissipated by the unseen winds, and Luna herself were standing before them. "Alright. Lets enter this damned derelict...", she deadpanned, waving her hand about the air. They flashed onto the deck, and then slid into the cabin of the derelict have sunken in sand. It was the object which those golems were circling.

Inside were a small myriad of very decorative and very expensive furniture, made of red velvets, and trimmed in golden metals. The windows were all shattered, and sand were still littering the floor and any surface inside. With but simple godly magic, Luna pulled every grain from every surface, funneled it out, restored each window to kill teh wind, and even conjured a tray and several fine china pieces.

"Ugh...I didn't expect to be woken up in the midst of the day.", Luna yawned deeply, pulling the contents of the tray to herself with magic, and lounging in the one decorative chair that sat inside. With yet more fo her magical prowess, she skid the whole chair across the floor, and rearranged everything back to where it all ocne was. It made the cabin a nice living pace. With the last of her spelling, she lit each of the lanterns in the room, casting light upon them. "You may take a seat, or stay standing."

Both Lilac and Night looked at one another, then took their seats silently.

Then, as Luna began fixing herself tea...or cofee...one of the two, silence settled into the cabin. A comfortable silence. Killed only by the tiny spoon ringing against the china cup she were using.

"Uhm...", Night broke the silence. "Sooooo......", she looked around. "Where do we start?"

"I just woke up...give me a moment.", Luna took a big whiff of the drink before her, basking in it's aroma before taking a large swallow.

"Uhm. Sorry to wake you, princess. I hadn't known what I was doing. And...what's this about daughters?", Night raised a brow.

Luna took another sip of her drink. "It's never been done before. The magic inside each core is pure form essence funneled out of the wellspring of the unvierse. The sun and moon are the faucets, my sister and I are the funnels...", Luna yawned. "This was a most unexpected event. And almost killed me in my sleep."

Night flinched. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

Luna held a hand up. "No worries. I'm a princess who has seen several wars and many fights, I've jumped up with sword in hand from the dead of sleep before. If I had not had that experience, I wouldn't be talking to you now, and you would have inherited every drop of power I have, and would have been forced to inherit the very responsibility of the night as a whole.", she took another sip of her drink.

"Then...should I apologize?", Night asked.

"How about you apologize for shaming your mother with such uncouth conduct. You can be a warrior if you so desire, but to so brazenly and stupidly attack a golem core with your blade...", Luna sighed.

"Mother.", Nigth said.

"Yes?", Luna responded, taking yet another swallow of her drink.

"You'rr....you're-you're....my...", Night's jaw hung slack. Luna nodded. Near immediately, her expression turned to pure ecstatic excitement. Night suppressed a screech, and instead let out a tiny squeal.

Luna smiled with a small laugh, "I haven't seen you do that since you were but a month old."

"I don't knwo you were my mother!!", she burst. "Oh my goddess, I'm so excited to have finally foudn my mommy!! And it's Luna no less! that means I'm a goddess, right?!", Night asked.

"Yes, it does. Another goddess of the night."

"Eeeeeeeee!", Night screeched.

"Calm down, little one!", Luna giggled. Then her expression changed to one of seriousness. If still happy. "I've missed you so much."

"How come you never-", Night paused. "Where have you been?", her expression changed, near to panic. "How come I've never seen you before?"

"Law."

"Law?!", Night quipped.

"Oh yes. Even we gods and goddesses have laws we must follow. I would say this would be a valid exception to that law. You're fully grown, you should know that you have birth rights. And so forth."

"That means I'm royalty!", Night realized.

"Yes, yes, and all that jazz. But royalty means nothing. 'Tis but a title.", Luna downed teh rest of her drink, then pouered more hot water into her cup. She traded her bag of herb grounds for a fresh one. "Night, I'll explain everything in detail. Each Golem core powering these mechanical monstrosities is made by me and Celestia both. It is either made by the sun, or the moon. Never both. There is one that exists made with both, and it is absolutely massive. It powers our Pleasure Gardens, and keeps it afloat a near infinite distance into the sky realm, and it's armored heart's width is teh same as that of the full wingspan of one of those golems you so effortlessly tore to pieces but moments prior."

Night tried to imagine such a large golem core. It had to be massive, with a giant gyroscope attached to it, slowly pulsing with life and spinning without end.

"S-so, uhm...", Lilac piped. "Are my parents gods, too?"

"Have you met them both?", Luna asked.

"Yes."

"Then no. By law, one, or both of your parents, if they are gods, must leave you before three months time."

Silence settled into teh room. If for only a moment. Night broke it with a question. "Why?", she asked.

"Because. It is our law. Mine and my sister's. Enforced by us for millennia. It is to keep gods from being mass produced. See, we had a quarrel with someone like this once. By magical law, which my sister and I do not keep or enforce, any god or goddess born into this world has a lock placed on their power. They are your average mare or stallion, sometimes exceptionally strong in their magical might. When they discover that they are gods, their might is unlocked and they are no longer bound by this old magic. One time, a stallion of ill repute found out he was a god. And then he abused that privilege. He locked up a mare. Raped her. Constantly. Forced her to bare many children. He was stronger than them, being a god of pure magical might. And he created a force of twenty gods and goddesses. He began an empire then, attempted to claim the world as his, copied his process fifty fold on a harem of mares that he chose. My sister and I stepped in. It was quick. Under the guise of a solar eclipse, we bore down on his castle. Where he and every one of his offspring lived. We left a lake of ever-burning magic there. Two days later, it dissipated. Needless to say, allowing this to get out of hand...we fear a repeat will happen. And we cannot have that."

"I respect this law. My children will enver know of me.", Night declared.

Luna didn't smile. "That makes me proud. But it is still a terrible law. Most godly offspring are homeless. Mortal mothers sometimes die at birth. Mortal fathers are sometimes forced to fight in a war that is not theirs. Assassins and theives, anything that can take that second parent from their offspring, can end with a god or goddess being lost to time. We are eternal, we are immortal, but we cannot escape death."

Night sighed, then began observing herself. "So. I''m a goddess. Of the night. What is this stuff, anyway?", Night rubbed her black-covered arms.

"Shadows. You can wear them like clothes."

"And I noticed that I can turn my wings into a cloak."

"Or whatever you so desire."

"Cool! I can wear a dress made of my wings! But...I'm not so keen about them being a liquid dripping mass of pure darkness."

"Your wings can be whatever you desire. Your form is bound by nothing. You even have my mane!"

Nigth felt her mane, which had...an odd texture to it. Then she willed it back to the way it was, and it changed to that exactly. "Thats better."

"Awe. I was hoping you would take after me."

Night smiled. Then stood up, fanned her coat back into wings, and closed them around her form once more, giving herself regalia similar to Luna's own.

"You look like royalty."

"I can be nice to my mom. You do have good tastes in clothes. And although I'm no fan of a rolling mass of nebula being my mane and tail, I could keep something akin to you."

"Thank you. You make me happy."

"Princess Luna.", Lilac piped.

"Yes?"

"Would you please remove these magical locks on me?"

"If another god has put magical locks on you, then you deserved it."

Lilac's heart sunk. "I...I don't...This is torture...I have no magic! I can't...I can't even defend myself...The onyl thing I have is the attunement of flame I got from the Book of the Mages..."

"Which is a magic on it's own. Oh, and I should say something before I forget. Silver Lilac. Night only survived teh onrush of magic released by the detonation of a machino core by pure chance. She is a goddess, but she did not know prior to this conversation.", Luna set her drink down. "Her well of magic could have ruptured, and she herself would have experienced a temporary magical might, then would turn to ashes from the inside out. I want you to know that if a mortal were to do as she did but minutes ago, that mortal will experience that exact fate."

Silver nodded. "I'll remember that."

"Although, as a goddess, you can split as many cores as you desire, Sweetie.", Luna informed.

"It's...not gonna be something I'll do constantly. That was a rush! It felt amazing! but this seems sketchy and not so much a good idea."

Luna focused on Night's lap. Moreso, her artificial limb. She could see he magics and curse gripping the metal. "I see you've had a run-in with Davy Jones."

Night stayed silent.

"And your silence tells me a bit more. Perhaps under ill-repute."

Nigth closed her overcoat over herself.

"Lilac, you and my daughter seem to be workign together. Do you have knowledge of this?"

"We've both had our encounters. We've both done some terrible things."

"I see. You didn't shake his hand, did you?", Luna asked.

"No.", they both responded simultaneously.

"Good. Never shake his hand. His version of immortality overwrites that of the immortality gods have. As a god, you will never age...as one of the dutchman's crew...you will age until you rot into nothing but bones..."

Now, Night were glad she didn't take his offer.

"I was in the dead of sleep before your...overflow woke me up, and bound my soul and body to yours. Keep in mind, that if you do this again, the same thing will happen. I will be jerked into your body. This is the Reclaimer's doing. If you flood yourself with enough of my magical might, I will effectively fuse with you. Thing is, the younger of us has dominant control over the results. If you decide to split a core once more, pay attention to it's casing. Each core is one of two kinds. Silver, or gold. And I'm sure you can tell which is which from that info. You can line up fifty golden cores, impale and rupture each, and gain magical might five hundred times stronger than Celestia and I combined. It will hurt very much so, but it is possible. Yet, split just one more core, and we will go through that separation again."

"I'm sorry, mom..."

"No worries, Sweetie. I am unharmed."

"What if another god does the same thing?"

"Nothign will happen. They must be the offspring of either me or my sister for there to be a chance of this happening. And Celestia has no children. Even to today."

"Whaaaaaat!", Lilac grew slack jawed.

"Oh yes. Gossip amognst fillies!", Luna leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper, "She's stilla virgin!"

Night's jaw fell slack, then a smiled curled on her lips. "Oh, it's so great to finally meet my mom!", Night screeched again cheerily.

"Now, I'm awake. I won't be for long, but I am.", Luna set her drink down on the tray, relaxing on the chair she sat.

"This is so sudden. I came out here to hone my magical skill, enjoy a fight, even loot this derelict. Metal vultures were circling it endlessly, there's gotta be something of value here."

"Hmm. Depends on what ship this is. I don't know the interior of every old ship dropped into the sands, but there are a few by name I recall.", Luna held her hand out to the wall opposite the other two, and the metal loudly peeled away, then whisked to her, flipping over to display a name. She set it back in a flash, sealing the hole back. "This is the derelict Sand Mistress.", she smiled. "An armory holding my person weapon, the Cresca Tra Lurae. I once adopted the visage of a reaper. That was the weapon I chose to use."

"A scythe?", Lilac asked. "M-may I?"

"If you can find it, it is yours. That is, if it's still here. But my daughter has first choice, not you."

"She can have it if we find it.", Night glanced at Silver. "Her favorite weapon is a scythe."

"Oh yes!", Lilac held her hands out, conjuring the weapon in question. The blade were pitch black, and the handle, made of deep blue lunar metal.

Luna furrowed her brow. "Thats it! Odd. How coincidental."

Lilac looked at the object in her hand. "You mean to tell me that this is the Cresca Tra Lurae?!", she asked.

"Thats her name. And she can be one bitchy weapon if she doesn't like you. We fought for a whole decade."

"It...she...talks?!?!", Lilac grew slackjawed once more.

"You mean to tell me that all this time that you've wielded this weapon, you've never once heard her say a word?", Luna raised a brow, a grin spreading on her features. "Oh, I do wanna know what she has to say now. Either someone put a silencing spell on her, or she just doesn't like you.", Luna held her hand out. The weapon jerked from Silver's grasp, and ended up in the princess's own. With that, she pulsed her own magic through the weapon.

"YOU UGLY WITCH!!! HOW COULD YOU LET ME BE SHATTERED LIKE A COMMON PIECE OF GLASS?!?!?!"

"Oh, this is going to be entertaining.", Luna levitated the weapon back to Lilac.

As she gripped the blade, the ruccus began anew. With a scoff. "You woudl let this harlot still wield me, even knowing that she let me be shattered like glass?! They had to reforge me! I was reforged! How could you let her keep possession of me after that?!", the blade complained. "I went through a reforging process! The heat was unbearable! It is an absolutely horrid, terrible, and painful experience to reach temperatures of twentt nine thousand degrees!! Luna, do something!"

"I entrust this weapon to you formally. If you had her before finding this derelict, you are extremely lucky to have found her."

Lilac smiled. "You complain so much, yet I broke down to my knees because you were shattered. What do you say to that?", she quipped.

"I...I!!", the weapon replied, shocked.

"Lurae~!", Luna sang. "Is this true?"

"...Yes...", the weapon replied sheepishly.

"Then I am impressed that you would have such a heart for a weapon. I would say that no better person exists in thsi world, aside from me, to wield this weapon. May your friendship end only the day that you fall for the final time."

"I trained endlessly for weeks with this weapon so to be a force to be reckoned with. Knowing that you were alive all of this time, I can say we've already created a bond. And you can't tell me that you didn't enjoy those polishings."

"Oh she dost love being polished. Like stroking a mare or stallion in the most perfect sexual way~", Luna giggled.

"Shut it, Luna!", the weapon barked.

"Cresca Tra Lurae.", Silver Lilac repeated. Then held the weapon closer. "Well. Now, I'll keep this weapon closer than I once did."

"So, does the flood of power feel as wondrous as it looks?", Luna asked.

Night nodded. "I will use this power to my advantage. And spread the idea of this new practice to my lover."

"Oh?", Luna raised a brow. "And who would that be?"

"His name is Cloud Waltz. God of the wind."

"Son of Smaragdos Frangoventus. You do know that the simple fact that you are both gods may mean that the love you have for one another could be fake...right?", Luna asked.

"W....what...?", Night stuttered.

"Oh. Poor baby.", Luna sighed. "There is an ancient magic that plagues any and all gods and goddesses. And yes, it affects who you fall in love with. The more anceint gods before me and Celestia hated the idea of intermingling with mortals. So they cast a spell on all gods. A powerful one still felt to today. Gods and goddesses are naturally drawn to one another. It could be a glance from afar, meeting eye to eye on a dance floor, even getting drunk and finding that other gender in the same bar. Gods fall in love with one another very easily. So, be wary of that, daughter of mine. Love isn't fickle for gods. It is influenced. Keep that in mind, and spread the word."

Night stood up without  a word, and left the cabin, leaving the door open. She didn't stop on the deck, either. She walked. Past the stairs to below deck, allt eh way to the bow.

"They have been together for a short while, but have shared a few trades of affection.", Silver piped. "Even if the love they have for one another is fake, or influenced, would it be wrong to separate them?"

"Yes and no. Love is something that can happen any way shape or form, any time, place, between any two species, even with an object. Lurae is no exception. She loved me and had no bounds. In my young days, we did pleasure one another."

"Luuunaaaaaa!!", Cresca whined.

"It was...an odd relationship to say the least, but love knows no bounds, and I know this down to the letter. Oh, and by the way, she is not enchanted with that famous spell, which's name I forget. Something something, whatever. My experience with this weapon is eight hundred years strong. But none of my skill will be inherited by anyone who wields this blade."

"The Denizen Yesterday, Hero Today spell. I know it well."

"There you go, that one. Anyways. If you can tell it's the godly influence taking hold of their hearts, I advise taking action. They deserve love. But they do not deserve to be forced to love one another."

"I...I like her...", Silver admitted, her grip tightening on the scythe's handle.

"You do? Hmm. Silver Lilac, if you have the desire to romance my daughter, I will tell you only one thing. Do not manipulate her, do not take advantage of her influenced love for this other god. If you want my blessing to fall in love with her, then you ahve it. But if we meet again, and you are in a relationship with my Sweet Dreams, then I will search your mind. Any wrong doing that you have done to push her away from this god, I will know about. And it will result in you continuing to have my blessing, or having your emotion of love being taken from you by force. I will not lock it away with magic, I will not suppress it with an enchantment. I will grab your heart with my bare hand, and wrench the emotion of love straight from your chest. You will never be able to love anything ever again. This threat is very real. Do not wrong my daughter. If you wrong my daughter, you do wrong by me as well, her mother. Am I clear?"

"Crystal...", Silver answered.

"Good. This tea is really going to help me sleep, and I can feel it.", Luna held her hand to teh front of the ship, and pulled Night back to the cabin.

"Mother, let me be in peace!", Nigth snapped.

"I'm leaving.", Luna announced, standing. Then held her arms open. Night hesitated for a moment, but ultimately embraced her, hugging her tightly and pressing her face into her stomach. She shook. "It's ok."

"It's not.", NNight parted. "For all I know all fo this affection I feel for him...it could be fake."

"I did not say that the affection between gods is forced. I simply said that it is influenced. But what you may be feeling may not actually be real. You can never be sure. However.", Luna knelt before her, bringing herself to eye level. "If you want to love him, don't let this misguide you. You can if you want to. Even if it is influenced by something else, it's still you. Every bit of it."

Night looked down. "No. It's fine, mom. I'm just gonna...break this off when we meet again. Thats my choice."

Luna nodded. "Do you want this ship? I can restore it to mint condition, if you'd like."

"Actually...Do me a favor. Change someone's mind for me. Her name is White Rose. She's a racist bitch, and the mother of the most heroic stallion I've ever met. The world would be ebtter if she weren't."

"Is that all?", Luna asked.

"..........Yes."

"Here.", Luna held her hand to Night, and a small orb were conjured in her palm. It swirled with shadows on the inside, like a sea of roiling clouds. "Throw this at her. That racism you speak of will be gone instantly." It were no bigger than a small ball.

Night took it gingerly. "Thanks mom."

"Don't mention it, Sweetie. I just wish I didn't drop the ball so hard on you like that."

"No. It's fine. Better sooner rather than later."

"Now. Would you like a quick teleport back to your ship?"

"How'd you know I have a ship?"

"You jsut told me. Plus, most people fairing the sands nowadays have ships."

Nigth sighed. "Yes...And thank you. Can I visit sometime?"

"Anytime you'd like. I'll still be in the capital. But I sleep during the day."

Night smiled a small smile, yet it faded away almost instantly. "I will visit. Frequently."

"I look forward to having dinner with my daughter. Next you see me, I'll have a feast ready."

"Love you.", Nigth hugged her again.

"Love you too, Sweetie.", Luna snapped her fingers. Next moment, Lilac and Nigth were on the Brass Beauty.

Rose immediately noticed her as she climbed the steps out of the ktichen. "The hell are you doing back on my ship?! I said no flying rats allowed!!", she shouted angrily.

Night tossed the small ball of amgic in her face. "Whatever. Waltz!"

"Here! Hey Night. What brings you aboard the Beauty?", He calle from teh railing above the cabin.

Night fanned her wings, changing her regalia into appendages, and flew to his side. "Got some good news and bad news. And some info you might like."

"Lay it one me. Also, nice outfit. Cool wing thing you're doing."

"Yeah, we're about to talk about that. So. I found out my mother is Luna herself. And I also found out that the love we feel for one another is fake. Old magic, she says. Gods will always be attracted to one another. It was never real from the beginning."

Waltz's smile faded. "You would believe something you were told?"

"From Princess Luna, no less."

"We could have had a future together."

"It wasn't meant to be. Better to break it off sooner than later."

Waltz were speechless.

Night folded her wings about herself, adopting her regalia outfit once more. "And , I just fought four machino golems. They were birds, don't know what kind. Had four chainguns, each mounted on their wings. And a cannon in their mouth. They ech fell in but seconds."

"Did you destroy the core?"

"If I didn't, they would get right back up. Thing is, I pierced one with my sword. It was a mistake. Long story short, it flooded my mana pool.", she drew her rapier, displaying it's glowing purple blade and silver white grip. "My sword looks different. And I gained the power of a goddess before it was bestowed upon me. You know you're mana pool isn't being stressed anymore, right?"

Waltz thought on this info. Indeed, he didn't feel like a radiator anymore. "True."

"Yeah. Because you found out you're a god, you inherited the power that is rightfully yours. Next chance you get, split a machino golem core. Hell, split as many as you like.", Night sheathed her sword.

"Night-"

"If it's about us, there is no more us. I'm sorry Waltz.", she interrupted.

Waltz shut his mouth.

"Now, I'm gonna go ahead and ask you to at least give Silver one of her schools of magic back. She taught me what I needed to know to be able to fell those golems. I would appreciate it if you would do this for me."

Waltz sighed. "Send her to me. I will.", he responded silently.

"Hey, Lilac!!", Night shouted tot eh amre on deck giggling to her scythe. "Waltz has a present for you!", she parted from the stallion.

Sivler Lilac took wing and flew to Waltz's side. "Whatcha got, captain?"

"Magic.", he taped her chest center. "A favor for Night.", he walked off solemnly.

Lilac gasped, then squealed.

"Oof, seems that the break up was a little rough on him.", Lurae spoke.

"Well, Night didn't take it well, either, by the looks of it.", Lilac sighed  satisfied, then held her hand out, conjuring a familiar dragon. It hovered before her, flapping madly until it perched on her left houlder, nuzzling into her cheek. "Awwwwwe! Didja miss me, little gy! I missed you!", she nuzzled the dragon back, even gave it a tiny kiss on it's snout. It cooed happily.
> Going Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

needs proofread

Waltz leaned over the railing of the Beuty once more, drowning himself in thought, just as he was doing but moments prior. Then it flooded his mind like a tsunami, primariyl every bit of the few things him and Night have done. If they were done together. Damn. They didn't even get to share a single memory. It's so soon, though. They haven't really had this relationship yet. Nothing is certain.

"Night.", Waltz dropped down on deck over the railing. He landed beside the bat mare deftly.

"Yes?", she turned to him.

"Night, I can't let this go, and you know I can't."

"Listen Waltz. I don't want there to be an influence that makes me fall in love. I want to amke a friend. Then fall in love that way. I'm rather pissed that someone would try to pair us up before I even had a chance to meet you. My fate will not be decided for me."

"Well, it isn't."

"Aye, but yours be, lad.", Eldritch piped.

Waltz's mind paused, if for a moment, then kept the conversation rolling. "I-"

"No.", Eldritch interrupted, approaching Waltz so that he were standing face to face with the young stallion. "Listen. An' listen close. Ye hld that object in yer hand once. Ye witnessed aglow with bright golden light. Waltz, as much as I'd hate ta be the one ta drop the truth on ye, this be nay anythin' ye could fight. Yer fate be decided fer ye already."

"Well, I refuse to accept what my fate is.", Waltz countered. "I make my own destiny."

"Yeah? Well, this be a destiny ye c'nay change.", a new voice echoed overhead.

From above, James himself dropped onto the deck, rolling forward to a standing stop as his transport screamed across the skies, headed the exact opposite direction the Brass Beauty were headed.

"Methinks this be that lad ye were talkin' of but a few moments ago.", Eldritch scratched his chin.

"Aye. Er. At least I would assume. The name is...James the Kid.", he held a hand up, waving once to the crew.

"Ahhh....", Eldritch smiled. He chuckled. "I can see it, now."

"I be young, I be nay even a stallion yet! But, I'll run ye through as if I were. I'v killed plenty o' people already. Heartlessly. No remorse, not from the prince o' the pirates."

"Who knew that Waltz's best friend would be Jolly Roger's own son? 'is mother killed yer father.", Eldritch crossed his arms.

"And...I will readily forgive him.", James sighed, as if annoyed mroe than defeated.

"If it because it was glowing? Why would you accept something someone told you? Or much less. A chunk of metal."

James took a breath. "Because. Neither o' us have any control over how our lives will turn out, until we accept that we c'nay do anythin' apart and fight in this world together. Give ye me word, I'll be the most trustworthy ally ye will ever 'ave 'ad. More so'n yer father."

"My dad abandoned me as a newborn, and he didn't even care to find me. Or to say hello. Or even tell me he was alive. He didn't care to deliver that letter my mother gave him, in hopes that I, or he, would save her life."

"Aye. I know. Well, I know one half o' that story. Got the debriefin' from one o' yer captured shipmates, and me own second mate. Ye killed me first mate."

"Well, now that we are on the same page. Let's begin with this.", Waltz cleared his throat. "I'm a mute.", he pulled his collar off. It clung to his neck by a few thin strands of electricity for but a moment. Collapsing the objet, he dropped it in one of his hip pouches.

"And I be...", James paused fer a moment. "Jolly Roger's son."

"Not really that interestin'.", Eldritch added.

Waltz left but the next moment after, entering the cabin.

"Oi! I killed me own gunslinger trainer! Faster'n me own teacher! Bet ya yer life over me own, I could clear leather and blow yer head off faster'n ye could!", he challenged the old stallion.

Eldritch chuckled. "Sorry, but if I accepted that challenge, then I'd be decidin' Waltz's fate. An' he already expressed how much he wasn't in agreement with that particular subject, lad."

Waltz stepped out of the cabin, fanned his wings, and took flight. He was gone and tearing through the skies in but th every next second.

"W-wha...buggers!", James scoffed. "Where is 'e going?"

"He d'nay said anythin' 'bout 'is destination, so home."

"And where be 'is home?"

"Well, I d'nay know about whether or not he'd be happy with the fact that I told you afore he did. Where he sleeps means somethin' ta him. It be his sanctuary, tower o' solace. And the very place where he keeps a trophy of every dungeon he's spelunked, every treasure chest he's looted, every powerful enemy he has felled, all by his own hand and 'im alone."

"Where?", James asked.

"I will not tell ye. Least not where. But. I will tell ye where ta look."

James smirked.

"Thing is, what d'ye plan ta do? Looks like yer transport d'nay even gave the Beauty but a second's glance and should be out o' sight right now."

"D'nay worry 'bout that, old salt."

"Take a trip to the solo floating island irectly below the Sky-Marble restaurant. If'n ye know where that be, then ye know where ta find 'im. But that be as much s I tell ye."

"Ye basically told me where he is!"

"I did not. You need ta figure that out on yer own."

James hesitated for a moment, then pulled a flare gun from his side, and shot it off the side of the Beauty. It glowed a bright red. "Then I nay be hesitatin' ta pair up with me future husband."

"Remember, lad. Ye may never be married. The artifact pairs ye with whom ye would love the most, and the deepest."

"Every time I hear somethin' bout this bauble, I learn a little more.", James chuckled. "Now, if'n ye would excuse this young lad afore ye, I have ta romance a god who c'nay feel love."

"Ye knew?"

"Every god o' the wind that has ever lived has been known ta fly alone. Not this one."

"If'n ye change that, jus' remember, it wasn't you alone, but that artifact. Ye still have it, aye?"

James fished it from his pocket, tossing it to Eldritch. The old stallion caught it deftly, and it glowed a rather furious gold once Rose stepped closer to the aged stallion.

"Feh. I d'nay want this bugger anymore.", Eldritch back to James. "Give it ta someone else. Immortal kin, preferably."

"Will do!", James waved him off before taking off towards the same edge of the ship he fired a flare over. Vaulting over her railing, he came to a rolling stop in a skimmer that skipped past the Beauty going three times her speed, and it took a hard left, shining a bright repeating glare on the Beauty.

Eldritch nodded. "Good luck..."

"Eldritch, I...I can't wrap my head around..."

"Yer son jus' met the love o' 'is life, and 'e pushed 'er away."

"What? Waltz met the love of his life? Well, I sure hope I have a grandchild before I'm fifty. If it's any sign, his father was not sexually active. In the slightest. I'm talking about my head! I can't...I'm having troubles thinking properly...It's hard to hear my own thoughts..."

"Hmm. Letts see what we can do about that, lass.", Eldritch moved her into the cabin with an arm around her back.





Traveling at incredible magic speeds is...one of the greatest things Waltz has ever felt. The onslaught of harsh winds, watching teh land pass by like a blur below, tearing over mountaintops like their but small hills. Plowing through clouds is absolutely amazing when traveling faster than sound. The clouds don't stay together, they disperse, and when they do, there's a trail dragging behind him every cloud he passes through. It took but maybe a few minutes, but Waltz was most definitely home. the unmistakably familiar sky island floating over those shifting sand dunes...he almost sighed.

One backwards wingbeat was all it took, and he stopped right on the ledge of his clocktower, taking th enext couple steps slowly. It was so odd, traveling so fast, then coming to an abrupt stop. He could feel the rush receding, but it's still there. And will be for a short while. He began peeling off his armor. It's time to maintain his equipment and take a nice, scalding hot shower.

The first to come off was his grieves. They collapsed into linked flat metal rings once he undid them both, and pulling them off his feet was like a wonderful feeling he couldn't not savor. Rotating both ankles, curling his tows, it was a great feeling. Next were the upper part of the grieves, being plate metal. They unclasped and unfolded from his thighs, and he tossed them both aside, immediately beginning to undo his chest piece. That large chunk of metal was the largest piece of the armor, and thus the heaviest. It were as thick as two fingers beside one another, and made up of two pieces of metal sitting atop a plate metal abdomin piece. Covered his upper back and chest alone. The abdomin piece simply unclasped and fell to the ground.

As Waltz took off his metal gauntlets, he turned his hands to the last pieces of armor on his body. Both sleeves came off as easily as they usually did. Not so much to say about putting them on.

Just as he did, he wringed his wrists, then stretched hard. Each stretch he drew out long, and every bend, he took slowly. Then sat down on his bed to enjoy a moment of resting silence. The mirror across from him showed him exactly who he was. Your average, fit, young stallion. Grey coat, charcoal grey mane. He weren't nude, but he were close. The only thing he wears beneath his armor is a shirt and shorts.





James arrived at the island about that time. His small crew killed the afterburners, and then coasted on the efficiency jets, gliding around the island as he scanned everything. There were many places he would need to check. If Waltz were even here. But it was a single lead, and probably the only one he had. If he doesn't find Waltz, then it's a short trip back to the Beauty.

There were many places he could be. The active market place, jam packed. The docks, stealing a ship. Robbing a bank.

James's mind wandered through all of the possibilities. Then spotted something different from everything else. A building. With not a single glow coming from inside. And an old restored clock tower on top of it. The new wood was discernable from the old. Something told her he was there. Like a beacon in her mind shouting to her that that is where she should go. So she pointed to that singular building, and her skimmer plotted a new course, quickly coming to a slow stop in the street below.

"Off you go. I've got two more flares. Return to the ship."

"Aye, cap'n!", th esmall crew saluted her, then bolted, taking off.

The inn weren't locked. There weren't a single light inside. And and all places where candles sat, where they should be burning, sat instead cups of wax with not even a hint of a charred wick. The bar was only half-stocked, even with modern drinks, there wasn't even dust on a single surface, yet.

"Waltz, even if you run away, we'll find one another again.", James sighed, approaching and then climbing the steps to the seconds floor...and then discovering that there is no way to get into the clock tower above throught he main building. "Sharp. Keep your front door away from yer house. And when people come lookin fer ya...nice little inn under yer feet ta give ya some nice cover.", James devised.

He descended the steps quickly, then left, back stepping as she looked up at the clock tower. And then rounded the inn into it's dark alley. Nothing here can be climbed. Then again, he's a pegasus. He could just fly. So James looked further up. As he rounded the back, he found that there were a window that weren't boarded shut. Next...was just a small moment's time of figuring out what he would have to climb to get up there.





Waltz heard the sound of whirring jet engines just outside, yet, as he got up and looked out of one of the cracks between the boards of one window, it had already passed. No sign of anyone, and if someone passed by and dropped a person or people off, there is a dark, empty inn below. They won't find anything. He still drew his claymore from it's scabbard on his armor, and set it beside his bed, just before pulling his shirt off. he began undressing.





James stepped onto one crate, stacked an empty one on top a full one, then on top of that one, and quickly surveyed her surroundings to see if she could make any of this any easier. Nope. Nothing but the small, repetitive click of a magic fire-starter. Fire erupted right next to her, startling her before she realized that it was a magic-fueled water heater. Industrial. And having seen a recent absence of use until just now.

James let a well of excitement pass her by, then grabbed the ledge above her, pulling herself onto the edge of the roof. From there, she closed the gap from her and that open window, then stopped right outside of it. She turned her her head around that corner slowly, watching for anyone that could be there. She saw every bit of exactly what Eldritch told her. Trophies. Trophies. Trophies. Even a still-pulsing machino core just lying on a table. Then she spotted something pretty. A long time ago, her own father had her eyes removed and then replaced with magic copies. The result? A lot of pain and suffering. And the ability to see any hidden magic. What she saw was a long gleaming blade with a whole two enchatnments that made it look like a weapon worth wielding, and gave it a beautiful visage. Green large characters were emblazoned into the blade, glowing a poisonous shade. The second wrapped around the hilt, grip, and pommel portraying a deep shade of purple. If she couldn't see anything set before her, it would look like a dull claymore.

Waltz stepped into view, completely oblivious of his visitor, and grabbed a few clothes from his chest set at the foot of his bed. James blushed furiously, then looked away.

"Keep it together, not like last time!", she whispered to herself. then took a breath. Next instant, she heard metal glide across wood, and Waltz spoke.

"I don't know who you are, but I know you're there. Thieves are dealt with mercilessly!"

James poked his head around the window frame's edge, and put on a faux smile, "Heeyyyy!! I uh....it's just me. Alone. No one else."

"Well, you're literally the biggest liar in the world, so I don't believe you. To top it off, I know how valuable each and every one of the objects in this room is. You may not enter! If you do, I both can and will hurt you. Death is not guaranteed, but its very likely."

James sighed, looking away, then stepped into the windowsill itself, turning th eexact opposite direction of Waltz. Then pulled his bandana free, allowing his unkempt mane to fall around his shoulders. He tossed that curly mess back, then grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it up and over his head.

Waltz took that moment to toss a nice little bauble at th ewindowsill. It's magic stopped it dead center of the frame, and then filled it in with a wall of glowing white.

"That little object couldn't stop me if you overcharged it.", James pulled his belt free.

"I don't know why you're stripping, but I'm not ok with whats happening. You're not allowed in. Conversation over.", Waltz embedded the tip of his claymore in the wooden floors, then began towads the shower.

"Wait.", James smirked.

"I neither have the patience for carnal pleasure nor the patience for you. I'm not into stallions."

"Oh really? What about this young stallion?"

"Definitely not interested.", Waltz pulled th eshower curtain open.

"How about now?"

The voice was right behind him, now. Not directly behind him, but as far as the windowsill.

"James. If I looke back, and I don't like what I see, I'm going to throw you through that freshly boarded window, naked, into the busy streets.", he pointed to the windowsill which had sunlight filtering in through it. Opposite the only one that was open.

"Then I have no worries."

Waltz's interests no wpeaked, he turned sharply, and his expression tuned into one of pure surprise.

Before him weren't a nude stallion, but a nude mare. "James, I getting really uncomfortable with whats going on here!"

"It's not James, and it's not magic. My name is Jasmine. And has always been Jasmine. James the kid was never born, he was made. By me.", she posed for him. "And now, you are the only person in this world who knows I'm a mare. My dad would have made you the second, but your mother murdered him. Not really something we should be talking about, but now you know.", she slowly raised her arms up, then crossed them behind her head, winking and blowing a kiss Waltz's way.

Waltz turned around, and took a breath. He didn't even get to make it past the exhale before Jasmine strode up behind him, wrapping her lithe arms around his sides to feel every ripple of muscle on his front from bottom ab to the top of his pectorals. You can't see them, they'r enot pronounced. But Jasmine sure as hell felt them.

"There's a hot shower right in front of us.", she whispered in his ear. "Celestia knows I'm just as dirty as you are. And fifty times naughtier.", she bit her lip, pressing her small chest into his back.

"I-I-", he stuttered.

"Have never been with a mare before? Then I'll take lead.", she shoved im into the shower. "First. on your knees..."
> Jasmine, Not James
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

needs proofread

After Waltz had finished washing his mane, he opened is eyes to Jasmine wringing her hair really well, then dragging shampoo-covered fingers through her scalp.

"Jasmine...is it just Jasmine?"

"Jasmine and Jade, actually. Well, uh...Ok, so, I have tow names. Jasmine. And Jade. I'm either or, not both."

"Oh. So...How did we end up in this shower together?"

"Well, I was snooping. Trying to find you, but not be seen just yet caaaaaaause...", she giggled. "I was gonna strip regardless of what was going on. What better way to break that news than to do it in the nude. Oh by the way, wanted to let you know that I'm not a stallion."

Waltz chuckled. "Caught that instantly. Thing is...I'm sure I've felt sexual excitement before just...not like this."

"Yeah, well, when you're a god, love is a bit trickier than usual.", she brushed past Waltz and pressed her back to his to share the warmth and rush of water. She hummed in delight.

"I don't know if I have another round in me.", Waltz began lathering his arms.

"Mhmm.", Jasmined ran her fingers through her mane, washing out the shampoo. "I would expect it. You are...or rather were...a virgin."

"Am I...good in the sack?"

"As good as a virgin gets. Don't worry about how good you are. On account of how sexually active you are, you shouldn't need worry about that. Eh, lover?", she smacked his ass.

"I'm still not gonna let an object no bigger than a food bowl tell me what my fate is."

"Awe. Alright. I'll just romance you, then. If you won't romance me, I'll meet you halfway."

"And if I don't want you?", he continued lathering himself. Jasmine paused.

"I know you don't love me yet. But could you at least give it a chance?"

"I...suppose. I'm a lonely stallion with no one to love but a few countable on one hand. That accounts for one person. Eldritch. He raised me."

"Your mother didn't raise you?"

"Neither did my father. Eldritch took me in and raised me. He taught me to sling a gun, fight, swing a sword, cook, captain a ship, maintain any and all steam engine pieces and constructs. No exceptions."

"Oh. A mechanic, huh?", she bumped her hip into his as she rounded to his front, then pressed her chest against his, looking up into his eyes as he looked down at her. She traced her hands down his chest, to his sides, then wrapped her arms around Waltz.

They kissed. It was a small kiss.

"Well, I know that once we're out of this shower, I can't seduce you again at least for another day. So, I want you to know. I love cuddles. I love hugging. Kissing. Being together in very close proximity, you get the gist. If at the end of the day, you just take the time to hold me. I could fall in love again. Every time."

Once they stepped out of the shower, Waltz was first out. He grabbed a couple of towels from the stack he had set beside the shower, and tossed one to Jasmine. As they dried down, Jasmine got close. Really close. Waltz finished drying shortly after she did, and once he tossed the towel aside, she shoved him onto his bed. He landed with a muted thud, and she was on top of him immediately. Then she rolled onto his side, getting comfortable next to him. 

"Do gods sleep?"

"Yeah."

"Were you headed to bed?"

"No. Day is still young."

"Wellll....would you mind staying right here for me? I know it's a little early, but I haven't slept in four days."

"Are you in your right mind, right now?"

"No, I've been hih for four days straight."

"Sp you're not thinking straight."

"Oh, I am! Believe me. I wouldn't be doing this if I were sober, though. I'm not as confident when I'm not high."

"High off what?"

"Some of the greatest speed a pirate could get ahold of! Liquid magic mixed with Celadon Dust and crystallized. Break it down and snort a nice, thick line, you won't sleep for at least two days."

"Uh-huh. I've never even heard of Celadon Dust."

Jasmine picked her head up. "You're kidding me."

"Nope. Never been high, either."

"Wanna try it?"

"No."

"Oh."

"And I'm not sure if I'm ok with that particular crowd. I'm not  apirate. I don't steal. I don't hurt innocent people.", he sat up in bed. Jasmine stayed lying down. "I'm a hero. I help people. Save people. Jasmine, I don't think this could have ever worked."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because. You're the daughter of Jolly Roger. You're literally the princess of the pirates. I've saved literally just as many peoples' lives as you've taken. And I know you will never discuss that number with me, but I know it's pretty far up there."

"Waltz."

"Yeah?"

"I wasn't truthful with you."

"I kind of expected that."

"I wasn't truthful about the artifact you gave me."

"Yeah? It doesn't decide my fate, does it?"

"It does. But I didn't tell you what it does.", Jasmine stretched out on Waltz's bed. He laid back down beside her, and she immediately snuggled up against him, laying her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beat. By the heavens, she could close her eyes and fall asleep her. Probably will if she does for more than five seconds.

"What does it do? Does it pair us up to fuck like we just did? does it have a fertility spell added onto it, and you're going to get inevitably pregnant?"

"Whoa now, mustang. Don't go putting good ideas in my head.", she teased. "It's the artifact that the immortal lovers had. Something about being blind, and being able to see the light it puts off when their lover is close."

"So...we're lovers? That doesn't make sense."

Jasmine sighed. Then clsoed her eyes. "When you touch it for the first time, it decides your fate. It goes through every reality that ever could be, with every person that you have met or will meet. And finds that one person who you can fall the deepest in love with, the person you will love the most, and sets that future in and locks it. You will fall in love with me. I will fall in love with you. It could be a century from now, it could be ten days from now. We will never know. But it will happen."

"I didn't even know your name until almost an hour ago."

"And you've already given me twelve climaxes."

"When you put it that way...."

"It sounds better?"

"It makes things more complicated. There is a lot of conflict in my head. I left the Beauty because Night took the first path that would divide us. I was in piracy because of her. So I left. To come back to this life. Continue being a hero. Continue to write my legend in history. Now you show up, fuck each other's brains out, and now we're...in the pillow talk stage...", he sighed. "Jasmine, I'm just not sure about any of this. It so new, it's so terrifying.", he looked at her silent form. "You're asleep, aren't you?" She gave no response. Waltz checked the clock beside him, an ironic timepiece, considering the fact that it's sitting in a broken clock tower.

It said:

10:22 am

With a sigh, he pulled his arm from Jasmine's grip, rolled forward and began dressing himself.





When Jasmine woke up, she awoke with a start, and immediately shot upright, sitting in the unfamiliar bed. She were naked. Trying to recall her recent memories, she vaguely remembered a shower. Nothing else really fit in place.

Then she turned aroubd, spotting the shower she did remember. Alright. Close enough proximity, safe to say that she ended up in this place...somehow. there were valuable objects left and right, all stacked on display like trophies. She could have a field day picking these items up.

Until she actually saw the art of how the room was built. Trophies were everywhere. Hanging from something, leaning against a crate. Whomever lives here is very mindful of their trophies. Because everything seems to center around the bed.

A heavy thud resounded just a couple paces away, and Jasmine gasped, hands covering her bare body.

"Slept well enough? It's only been about four hours.", Waltz pulled his collar off, tossing it aside.

"Four hours? This is your home? Did I sleep with you?!"

Waltz turned to her with a wide-eyed expression, then sighed, nodding.

Jasmine huffed, then began hurriedly gathering her clothes. "Who are you?"

Waltz popped the old gem out of his collar, then snapped a new one in, clasping it arubd his neck once more.

"The name be Cloud Waltz, lass.", he smirked.

"Ok, and...", she paused, then sighed a long sigh. "Alright. How much do you know about me?"

"You're the daughter of Jolly Roger, adopt the name of James the Kid under the guise of a young stallion. Do you...do this normally?"

Jasmine began clothing herself, "Yeah. It's the legend I'm starting and ending in my early years. Something I've been...working on."

"I'd say it's a small success. Any...words you might have to say about recent events? Questions?"

"I remember a shower and nothing else after...picking the lock on ye old gold chest. Three hundred gold bars. Did you see any of that?", she pulled her shirt over her head.

"No, we met when you decided to take a high speed dive off your ship onto mine. Is that normal for you?"

"Oh yeah, I live life in the fast lane", jasmine looked at herself in the mirror, then began running her fingers through her mane.

"How fast?"

"Ever take a swan dive off the bow of a capital ship going max speed?"

"Ooooo, how fast?"

"Enough that the suit of metal weight I was wearing were almost blown away with me. I slammed through the bulkhead of another capital ship the next moment."

"I fought a dragon."

"I killed a broodmother, took her eggs, and raised them myself."

"How's that working for you?"

"They my babies! All of them! Especially Marak'Tai! They're as big as ((horses)) and will eat your face if I tell them to.", Jasmine chuckled as she pulled her hair up, then paused as she realized: she did not have her bandana. "No....noooo....every time it gets harder.", Jasmine let her hair down, then straightened the mess out. She turned to Waltz. "Business. Daddy didn't raise no bitch. But he got offed by one...", she crossed her arms.

"So, do you recall the fact that my motger killed your father?"

"Well, eitger way, you just told me. Thats so bumpkiss. I didn't even touch some...what are you? Are you immortal?"

"Yes. But I age."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Are you a god?"

"By what I have been told, yes. My father is a god."

"Ah. I know this story. Alright. Did we do it in that shower? Because I feel...especially feminine! And very satisfied and content..."

"So, I shared my first kiss with Night a short few days ago. This morning, you got in the shower with me, and I gave you the D for a solid thirty minutes."

"I really...really wish I could remember that. But I was absolutely drugged out of my mind. See, I'm a fiend. I'm evil. I steal, i pillage, and yes, I do rape. Thing is, you may very well be a victim of rape. Do you realize that? You ok with that? Cause thats what it's sounding like."

"Are you upset that you had sex with a stranger?"

"Kinda! I'm supposed to be a fourteen year old colt! If I drop my panties at the soght of- oh now I remember what got my motor running. I like athletic stallions, if that simplifies things."

"I'm athletic in its own sense. I wear armor almost every waking moment of the day, and I swing a claymore around like it's a rapier.", Waltz chuckled once, smirking to himself.

"Careful. The sin of pride has gotten many a stallion killed."

"Pride?", Waltz raised a brow. For but a moment. "Look. We obviously need to meet halfway. I'm a god. God of wind."

"More like a god of luck. Do you actively fight machino golems?"

"Sometimes."

"Alone?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"I do my honework. Gods of the wind are known for their magical luck, high speed, and invredible difficulty in bed. You don't know how lucky I am to have slept with you."

Hmm. Never thought I would ever hear that. Then again it's not something you expect to be told."

"In a short moment, I'm gonna fire a flare, bolt back to my ship. I...", Jasmine sighed. "I didnt touch the damn artifact first, you did, so you're dominant partner of the relationship. We're gonna fall in love, so pick a time and place where we meet up, I'm a busy mare."

"How about this...", Waltz held a hand up in gesture. "You. Go find, or pick a place. Ruins, a temple, the fountain of youth, davy jobes locker, a treasure vault, anything where you or I could acquire personal gain. And I'll meet you halfway.", he smiled.

"And I'm an immortal mare who stole another god's immortality. I'm the pirate princess."

"Any skills?"

"Swashbuckling, gunslinging, and cooking."

"Cooking? Well, if we're finally accepting that a chunk of metal is going to decide whether or not we fall in love, then I'm happy you can cook."

"Yeah, well, have a few goood swamp friends. They taught me well."

"Next step?"

"We part ways. I slept with you, and therefore want to stab you. Multiple times. Move.", Jasmine brushed past Waltz towards the open windowsill, then paused to scan the area about her for her bandana.

Waltz snatched it off his bed, and handed it to her. As she wrapped it around her head expertly, Waltz began dropping equipment off on his bed. "I'll keep an open mind. The only thing I hope for...is to feel something every time I look at you. I'm going spelunking for the next few days. You need me, go asking in the darker part of town. People know me there."

"Fer a while, I thought ye'd be a goody two shoes.", James remarked.

"They know because I've kicked their asses. Twice, each."