Artemis's life has been consumed by one question, how should you respond when someone wrongs you? With everyone suggesting something different, Artemis goes on a journey to answer the question and maybe find out what he wants long the way.
The world is complex, much more so than Artemis would like. Over the years it has changed, but after learning what happened to the wolves Artemis isn't sure how much he has changed. Caught between what he should do, what others want him to do, and unsure of what he wants to do; Artemis sets off on a journey to learn about himself and the world. During his journey he encounters various friends and adversaries that will influence his thinking and ultimately decide the fate of the Griffons who destroyed his country and subjects.
Equestria 3:00am, 2nd of Alzeri, 2 Months after the reveal of Artemis, Octavia's Roof
An unscheduled late winter shower had coated everything in a blanket of white, and the unexpected cold gave the air a frigid bite. Cold nights were a personal favorite of his, perfect for thinking alone or sharing warmth with another. As he heard the familiar whirring gears of the rooftop ladder descending, Artemis was keenly aware that he would be alone no longer. As of late he had become a frequent visitor to Octavia and Vinyl’s rooftop deck, anytime he and Luna had an argument he could be found in the Valley, the Apple Family barn, or the roof depending on how alone he felt like being. It was then that a white mare came into view, pushing the glass hatch open.
“I told you he was up here,” called down Vinyl as she tightened her scarf. “Yeah I know it’s late, just grab your coat and get up here.”
Though he hadn’t really been waiting for her to show up, he had been expecting her. Vinyl would always stop whatever she was doing to try to help whenever he and Luna fought. Her selflessness at times was one of the things he admired about her, though it sometimes contrasted with Octavia’s usually blatant selfishness.
“Another bad one huh?’
“Aren’t all fights with your lover ‘bad ones’?”
“Not always, I mean she’d never admit it but Octy sometimes starts fights just for the awesome make-up sex” snickered Vinyl as her grey partner climbed onto the deck.
“Like I would ever do such a thing, it’s more like you screw up intentionally to start the arguments.”
“Hey I’ve never denied doing that, but that also doesn’t not make you an accomplice.”
"What does that even mean?"
Artemis couldn’t help but smile at their playful bantering, their playful innocence was a refreshing injection of hope into a relatively bleak outlook on the future. He longed for a day to come when he could be as carefree, and while his reprieve of leadership duties was his opportunity, it was far from carefree or happy.
“If you haven’t noticed its freezing out here, focus. Artemis why have you and Luna been fighting so much lately? It wasn’t like this before, was it? Because if it was, this hardly seems like the perfect love you described.”
“Octy come on! Rude much?”
“She's right though, we are at a bit of an impasse. Luna has dug in, and I don’t see an acceptable alternative. Yet again I can’t even be angry with her because the fact that she is so adamant on the subject is part of why I love her and why I’m here today,” Artemis sighed. Things were so much simpler before he involved himself with the others. Back when he only cared for the welfare of the wolves and no one else. What happened to the rest of the world wasn’t even an afterthought.
“Dude can you stop with the vague allusions, and just tell us what you are fighting about? Sometimes you just need a fresh perspective to help smooth things along.”
“Woah Vinyl, allusions? That’s a new one, where’d you hear it?” smirked Octavia much to the annoyance of Vinyl. “She does have a point though, and you will keep having these fights until you come up with a solution. As much as I love talking with you outside in the middle of the night during a coldsnap, the sooner I can get back to warmth of my bed the better.”
“Nothing would be gained from telling you, I’m sorry to say,” sighed Artemis. “While I appreciate your offer and entirely selfless desire to help, it would only place an unnecessary burden on you.”
“Come on, you can trust us Artemis. We’re your friends, we aren’t here to tell you that you’re always right. True friends will tell you when you’re wrong, and knock you back onto the right path when you stray too far,” smiled Vinyl cheerfully.
“Luna and I have lived for countless millennia, do you honestly believe you can think of a solution we cannot?”
“Not really, but that doesn’t mean it can’t help.”
“Also doesn’t mean it won’t hurt either.”
“ARTEMIS! I’m freezing my flank off out here, let us help you or I’m going to bed!”
As he was going to tell her to go to bed, he remembered his own words and the urging of Twilight. “Nothing survives in this world on its own” and “Trust your friends”. Last time he had done that, he lost damn near everything that ever mattered to him. Before he could begin his sentence, another thought came to mind. “What more do I have to lose?”
“What should happen to the griffons?” whispered Artemis in the silence. “What should happen to the ones who slaughtered my subjects and sought to wipe them from this world? That is what we have been arguing over.”
Both Vinyl and Octavia froze for a moment, neither of them had even considered that as a potential source of conflict. Both of them figured it had something to do with his relationship with Celestia. Helping mend a broken friendship was something they could do, but deciding the political consequences for attempted genocide was beyond them.
“Should I go rip them limb from limb, stain the earth in their blood, burn everything they’ve touched, and salt the land? Reduce the territory known as the Griffon Kingdom to a smoldering blight on this world, scarring it in such a way that it would never heal as warning to all of the consequences of crossing me? Does that sound a little extreme? I’m not sure because the baser side of me feels like it’s a perfectly reasonable response!”
Vinyl and Octavia wanted to respond, but they could tell this was only the tip of the iceberg. The damn had burst and it wasn’t going to stop until it was empty.
“And Luna, bless her heart, is adamantly against it. Saying that the world will not stand by while I butcher the Griffons, and that I would be forcing her to stand against me. While she may be right, it is no less aggravating on too many levels. WHERE WAS THE WORLD WHEN THEY CUT DOWN MY WOLVES? She knows I wouldn’t want to put her in that situation, but what are the alternatives? She suggests sanctions. Sanctions? Sanctions! Flimsy restrictions on trade and diplomatic allies to isolate them economically and politically? That might work on some countries, but if the Griffon Kingdom hasn’t changed, which they likely haven’t, they will do nothing. The ones who will suffer will be the poor subjects while the king sits on his throne fat and happy, and even worse it doesn’t teach them the all too important lesson. To complicate things further, the ones who were actually responsible are long dead and buried. Death is surprisingly kind, but she wouldn’t let me resurrect and torment the ones who caused all of this. Am I expected to just let it go? I don’t know! I don’t even know what I want!”
For a time the only thing that could be heard was the howl of the wind, the questions in the angry rant lingering in the air far longer than anyone would’ve liked. However it wasn’t too long before Octavia found her voice.
“Well, you were right about one thing. Neither Vinyl nor I can tell you how to respond to the griffins.”
“I knew you wouldn’t.”
“However I can tell you that no one can decide this for you. Instead of distracting yourself with us whenever you have an argument, you NEED to think about this. I understand it is a difficult subject, but you need to face the reality of what happened and figure out how to deal with it. Right and wrong are irrelevant to your feelings, figure out what you want. Then after you know what you want, figure out the right thing to do. Anger and rage is normal, it’s a miracle every day I go without strangling some insufferable clown. As long as I don’t actually do it, I won’t end up in prison. Same principle here, just on a bigger scale.”
“Don’t you think I have tried to think abo-“
“No, you haven’t. That’s why you’re here and this hasn’t been settled yet. You’re probably using anything possible to distract yourself. Just because you don’t always come here after an argument doesn’t mean you aren’t with someone or something else. You need to get away from it: the city, Luna, us, everything. Just go somewhere and think.”
Octavia had been annoyingly right, he hadn’t been doing everything he could to think of a solution. He had been distracting himself with anything that was available, and avoiding the problem wasn’t going to make it magically go away.
“You’re right,” sighed Artemis as a shudder went through his body. A realization struck him, freedom. Now as he was, he had no obligations that required constant attention or presence. He was free to do what he wanted. As he stood there looking off into the distance he got the urge to do what he used to do before he took on the responsibilities of running a country, and he made a decision. “You’re right, and I’m going to do something about it.”
“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?”
“I’m going to do what you said, I’m going to go and think. Not sure where, but I think I’m just going to wander until I figure something out.”
“Uhh not really what I had in mind, but if you think it will help Vinyl and I will support you. Are you just going to wander around the city or did you have some place in mind?”
“I was thinking of going back to wandering the world, before I unified the wolves it was all I did. In fact it was because I wandered that I realized how scattered and endangered the wolves were when compared to other more organized and unified countries. I traveled the world just thinking and gaining experiences. I think it will do me some good to try it again.”
Vinyl who had been strangely quiet seemed to react to her name being mentioned. Normally she was the one comforting Artemis, but she was glad that Octavia had taken the lead this time. She wasn’t sure what to make of any of this, and part of her felt like they should try harder to keep him away from destroying everything.
“Hey Artemis, it’s your decision but just remember what I told you before when I was talking about revenge. It’s never as satisfying when the time comes and it won’t ever make up for the pain you feel now.”
“Luna tells me that often, she is terrified by the idea of me being consumed by the same darkness that claimed her. Her genuine fear pains me every time I see it, but even still I can make no promises as to what I will do. I will keep it in mind though.”
“Good enough, so same deal as last time? Promise us you won’t do anything you’ll regret.”
“It’s a deal.”
“Sweet, but when are you leaving though? We got time to party?”
Artemis thought about it briefly. Ideally he would leave now, but he had to tell everyone and the only one awake besides Vinyl and Octavia was Luna. He stopped himself before he could continue his thought, he was making excuses again. This was something he needed to do sooner rather than later; he would not put it off any longer. He knew he should probably have a longer discussion with Luna about it, but he knew neither of them was really ready to speak to each other so soon. Both he and Luna subscribed to idea that it was easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. They would know the other was safe and alive, and that would have to do for now.
“Sorry Vinyl I think I’m going to leave right now actually, not sure how long I’ll be gone though. Knowing me though, it’ll probably be a while. Will you two be able to manage without me?” Artemis said with a smirk.
Vinyl and Octavia had the least problems of the ponies he kept track of that ever called him. Fluttershy called him the most which he didn’t mind it all, her kindness made her company always welcome sometimes to the dismay of Discord. Neither Rarity nor Rainbow Dash had ever called for him which he didn’t mind at all either, his strange tension with Rarity had only ballooned into open dislike in his time trying to get to know her. While Rainbow Dash never called him, he had on more than one occasion stopped her from hitting the ground or a cliff at Mach one. Pinkie Pie only called him as a taste tester for her various kitchen experiments, but he noticed she only seemed to call him during those times he was alone during the day and not asleep. Though it happened very rarely, he appreciated the sweetness behind her intentions. He had the utmost confidence in Applejack and Twilight to be able take care of any problem they faced without him. Applejack was stubborn but she’d find a solution in her own way, and Twilight would rely on her friends for help if there was a problem she couldn’t solve with an enormous amount of magic.
“Oh no, however will we manage without our big fuzzy security blanket?” Vinyl smirked as she gave Artemis a hug. “We’ll be fine, just take care of yourself big guy.”
“Yeah be careful out there, I’d hate to have to gallivant across the world with Luna and Vinyl to get revenge on your killer,” smiled Octavia as she playfully punched his leg. “Seriously though don’t go causing any international incidents, remember what I said about not strangling ponies. Take your time, and be safe.”
Artemis scooped both the mares into warm hug before answering with a soft, “I will”.
"We'll do the party when you come back, make sure we have something to celebrate."
Artemis set the mares down, before bolting off into the night. He hadn’t really checked any maps since he had been free, he had meant to but never got around to really studying the new country borders. As he sprinted on all fours he was glad he hadn’t done his homework, he preferred not knowing where he would end up. He naturally knew he was headed north, but he figured at some point he would change directions on a whim. Once he was out of Canterlot, it would just be him and nature as he traveled across the land. It would be hard not seeing physically seeing Luna, but he needed to take care of this for their and the world’s sake. For once taking care of his needs was all that really mattered.
Unknown, 10:00am, 4th of Drigh, One Month into Artemis’s Journey, Somewhere North of Equestria
In the frozen north the snow seemed never ending. Vast landscapes of white reduced visibility to a minimum, and the cold had driven much of the wildlife back into a corner with occasional pockets of life being sensed. A particularly bitter wind blew driving a chill up his spine, and rousing his mind from his numb march.
“I can go anywhere I want with anyone I can tolerate, and my dumb ass chooses the arctic first and alone. Brilliant”
The long largely silent, besides the occasional vocal criticisms of himself, had already become a bit of a regret. It had been Octavia’s suggestion that he travel alone to try to figure out himself and the world, and he thought it was a great idea at the time as he was enraptured by the idea of being free to travel. Unfortunately it didn’t occur to him until it was too late that while on a journey to figure out what he wanted; he should do it the way he wanted. He spent 1000 years in a dimly lit prison with nothing but his thoughts for company; he didn’t want to be alone anymore. He could think and reflect upon himself and world with someone to keep him company; however this didn’t strike him until after he had turned down everypony’s offers to join him. Fluttershy, the entire Apple family, Spike, Twilight, and Pinkie had all offered to go with him for one reason or another, and he turned them down citing reasons like he needed to be alone or he didn’t want to be slowed down. Now he was trudging through waist high snow with no one to laugh with, and his pride wouldn’t let him admit to them he had been wrong.
“At least I had the forethought to make sure they wouldn’t be able to feel my emotions through our link, that way they won’t know how wrong I realized I was.”
His repetitive slough through the frozen slush had him pushing forward in mindless rhythm, barely aware of his surroundings beyond the occasional sparks of hidden life. It wasn’t until a sudden lack of resistance threw off his rhythm as he nearly tripped that his mind snapped back to reality.
“Buck me not again!” cursed Artemis as he reflexively tried to twist grab at the imagined cliff behind him only to grasp air.
After a recovering from his stumble, he realized he hadn’t walked himself off another cliff. The lack of resistance just came from a sudden area without snow, there was an obvious cut off where the snow just stopped. The grass was green and the air had warmth to it, it was a welcome but jarring transition.
“This change has to be artificial, the break is too clean” he thought as he examined the edge of the snow.
Sensing a powerful magic at work, he turned to the direction of the source only to see a monumental tower glistening in the morning sunlight. There were far smaller buildings surrounding it, and without the howl of the winds he could hear the engines of trains going in that direction. He had found civilization again, and he wasn’t sure whether he was happy about it or not. After reminding himself not everywhere was like Canterlot, he resumed his trek towards tower and the city around it.
Opting to walk instead of catch a ride on one of the trains heading in, he arrived at the city within a couple of hours. As he approached the buildings he realized they were made of crystal, and seeing has how they weren’t underground he figured he had hit the Crystal Empire. A revelation that was more exciting than he expected, he actually had never visited the small territory before. They had never really been a large military threat nor were they border neighbors with Lupinia, so he never really had a reason to interact with them at all. Last he heard before his imprisonment was that Luna and Celestia personally helped put an end to a coup, but he wasn’t needed or asked to help.
The crystalline buildings were beautiful, but not so opaque that they could be seen though. He was unsure of the natural landscape, but he couldn’t imagine that the crystal structures were natural formations despite his brief inspections that hinted otherwise. Even more surprising than the crystalline buildings were the crystal ponies. He had heard rumors of such ponies, but he had discounted them as exaggerations. As much as he wanted to do a closer inspection, he was keenly aware of the mixed reactions his appearance had garnered. There was a healthy mixture of fear and awe with a few apathetic ones thrown in every now and then. The real question was whether they saw the reveal and knew who he was or if it just seemed like a monster was walking through their home. He had seen a few run off looking distressed, but that didn’t really answer his question.
“Halt right there!”
“This tower though, its extraordinary” whistled Artemis absentmindedly as he pressed forward. “The magic that carved this must’ve been something else; raising and shaping gemstones is no easy feat.” The magical crystal tower had fully enraptured Artemis as he noticed a large heart shape crystal underneath it.
“Sir, I ORDERED YOU TO HALT!”
“Sir? That was a rare one, most of the time it was monster or dumb-struck stammering,” thought Artemis as he actually noticed the guards. “Figures an incredibly magical structure like this is probably claimed by someone who has no idea of its power or significance.”
“My apologies, I was too busy admiring the handiwork. Is there something you need from me?”
Under normal circumstances he would’ve just ignored them and kept going, but the multiple promises he made not to cause an international incident held him back. Worst they would do is turn him away, and in that case he would use magic to sneak past them and be done with it.
“Oh, wait really?” said the guard clearly expecting a different response. Only after taking a moment to cough and regain his composure was he able to reply properly, “Do you have an appointment sir?”
Artemis was at a loss for words. An appointment? Did he look like the type to have an appointment? He had to admit though that he rather appreciated that they gave him a chance instead of just assuming he didn’t. It wasn’t a big deal though; in fact it made things easier for him. It would be a simple matter to force his way into their minds and add his name to the list.
“He doesn’t, but he is always welcome here. Guards stand down,” ordered a feminine voice completely interrupting Artemis as he prepared his spell.
He turned to one of the most attractive females he had seen in his lifetime, a rather short list including a couple wolves, one of the cat-folk, a few regular mares, a shapely dragon, and now two Alicorns formerly three. Surprised as he was, he couldn’t help but stare. She wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar sight, but she was an unexpected pleasure.
“As you wish, Princess”
“Descending from above with orders for your guards to stand down,” whistled Artemis as he smirked at the mare. “You certainly know how to make an entrance.”
“I try,” she giggled. “First impressions are important; I thought I would go with something dramatic and striking.”
“You hardly needed to put in the effort to be striking, you’ve already made a lasting impression,” laughed Artemis. “I know I’ve seen you before, but I don’t recall being introduced. Now I’m certain I would’ve remembered the name of such beautiful mare.”
Artemis knew exactly where he had seen her before; she was at the press conference where Luna and Celestia revealed him to the world. She had caught his eye then, but unfortunately he left before had the opportunity to talk to her. He was fairly certain he knew her name because of Celestia’s announcement, but he had no intention of assuming and being wrong. Few things caused young males more problems than calling a female by the wrong name, and he had no intention of making the same mistake.
“I don’t like formality, just call me Cadance,” she said with a knowing smile, dismissing his comments.
“Ah Princess Cadance, I wouldn’t be out of place to ask of your domain would I?” Artemis’s smile gave away a bit of his intentions, but he was fine with that.
“I’m the princess of love, but I get the feeling you knew that already didn’t you?”
“Guilty,” chuckled Artemis as he returned her knowing smile. “As princess of love, you can sense my feelings towards you right?”
“Of course, I know exactly what you feel towards me,” said Cadence her smile giving way to a sultry gaze.
“Sweet full moon,” laughed Artemis as pulled at an imaginary collar. “I’m glad, wouldn’t want there to be any confusion.”
There was a brief moment of silence before they both broke into a fit laughter, both of them surprised at how their initial meeting went. Despite their best efforts to look otherwise, the guards next to them were uncomfortable and nervous. Everyone knew Cadance was married, but few were sure as to the nature of their relationship. Whatever the case, no one wanted to be witness to it being tested.
“Glad to see you two getting along, but I would really appreciate it if you didn’t flirt with my wife,” gruffed Shining Armor as he approached from the direction of the heart.
The tone in his voice immediately struck a nerve with Artemis, more so than he expected. It was obvious that the stallion was the jealous type, and that was never something that sat well with Artemis. Usually jealousy came from some sick idiotic sense of possession of one’s partner or a sad sort of insecurity. Insecurity was understandable, especially when one is worrying about one’s actual better. Possession he was far less accepting of, those relationships rarely ended well.
“How can you expect me to not flirt with the Princess of Love? Though I’ve got to admit you’ve got yourself quite the catch there, almost as good as my own.” While he was being cordial, he wasn’t sure whether this was someone worth respecting, prince or otherwise.
“Woah woah woah, I heard that. Cadance is way better than Luna, maybe not as powerful but definitely way cuter.”
*AHEM*
“This is my husband and Twilight’s older brother, Shining Armor,” interjected Cadance seeing where this was likely going.
“Cuter? I might be willing to give that one to you, Cadance being younger helps. But when it comes to raw sex appeal, Luna has her beat.”
“Are you joking? Love includes Lust, you think Luna compares to the Love Goddess herself?
“Not this again,” sighed Cadance.
“Luna drew the love and affection of an entire race.”
“So did Cadance, when she wasn’t even trying. Cadance is a cool sexy glass of water, to EVERYTHING dying of thirst. The changelings were perfect proof, you think can Luna top that?”
Artemis smiled to himself knowing that he was going to enjoy the rest of the day. A lot of fun was going to be had at the expense of Shining Armor, a poor stallion left out of a bit of an inside joke between his wife and coarse stranger.
“I’m not sure that’s a great example considering changelings literally need love to survive, but you were right about one thing. Cadance is most definitely the ‘cool sexy glass of water’ you say she is, but I can’t help wonder if being near someone as hot as myself will make her dripping wet too?” flexed Artemis as he gave Cadance a taste of the cheesiest eye brow wiggle he could manage.
“Oh no don’t worry, it’s the Rainbow Falls back there,” snickered Cadance as she burst into laughter.
“Cadance!” shouted Shining Armor flustered. “What did I say about flirting with her?”
“I don’t remember your exact words, but honestly I’d be lying if I said I cared,” responded Artemis his tone switching to one of boredom. “You look pretty angry, but Cadance seems to be enjoying it. I don’t know how you do things, but the only thing that really matters to me is that the lady is genuinely smiling.”
“Back off,” growled Shining Armor.
Both Artemis and Cadance heard the shift in his tone, the underlying threat hung in the air. As if the trigger had been pulled, Artemis’s eyes narrowed, his hair bristled, and his muscles tensed. His air of apathetic boredom replaced with seething anger.
“Or you’ll do what?” glowered Artemis. “You’re 10,000 years too young to be threatening me, whelp. I’m not Celestia or Luna, I’m not as forgiving of foolish mortals who forget their place.”
“Alright both of you calm down,” sighed Cadance as she stepped between them. “No need to do anything rash.”
“This can’t be happening, Cadence you can’t actually be defending him! Are you actually interested in him?” paled Shining Armor.
“I mean why wouldn’t she be? An exotic King who is stronger and more powerful than you, and I can make her laugh while flirting at the same time. Ultimate package right here,” snarked Artemis as his rage returned to the same boredom as before.
“SHUT UP ARTEMIS!” yelled Cadance. “Shiny you know I only have eyes for you, I wasn’t even taking him seriously.”
“Yeah that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve getting his flank handed to him.”
“Awww you think you stand a chance, how precious,” mocked Artemis before his voice became more threatening. “You’re out of your league, whelp.”
“Alright what is your game here?” sighed Cadance exasperated. “You and I both know you don’t really have anything more than a passing interest in me, so why are you here?”
Artemis knew he was close to exhausting his welcome, and he didn’t really want to cause Cadance anymore trouble that he had. “It was fun while it lasted, but jealousy ruins the fun yet again” he thought.
“Luna hasn’t told you? I’m just exploring the world, taking some time to figure myself out. I saw this crystal tower, it looked interesting so I came to study it. I didn’t even know either of you were here, so I was just going to examine the crystals. You interrupted me, and I got a pretty laid back and fun sense from you. So we had a little harmless fun, at least until your husband took things too seriously. No diabolical plan, just a celestial vagabond trying to have fun,” explained Artemis mildly annoyed that he needed to explain himself at all.
“Yeah and I let it go on, because I could feel how lonely you had been.”
“Not the way I would frame it, but you aren’t incorrect I suppose. You’d be lying if you denied enjoying it.”
“That’s why I never did.”
“So wait, so you endured his advances, out of pity?” snickered Shining Armor before bursting out into laughter. “The great and exotic King getting pity flirts, oh sweet Celestia my sides.”
“Endured isn’t really the right word considering I was doing it to make her laugh,” said Artemis flatly. “But by all means if this helps pull the stick out your flank, laugh away.”
Artemis didn’t care enough to stop Shining Armor’s laughing, he figured it made it easier on Cadance it was fine. Immortality had a way of robbing the importance from the opinions of mortals, it made it far easier genuinely not care about what they thought about you. The opinions of immortals however held a bit more value as he noticed Cadance about to speak to him.
“To answer you before, Luna did tell me about your journey. Your love for her radiates of you even now, I know she misses you.”
“I know, and I miss her too. But until the problem is resolved we’re just going to keep fighting, and I don’t want that and neither does she.”
Artemis had spent most of his nights gazing at the moon, longing to be next to Luna . Her comforting warmth and gentle touch made most of his problems fade away, but it was only a temporary reprieve as he would have to deal with them sooner or later. If he didn’t do this now they would only push it off, and in doing so create the opening to taint their relationship and each other in the long run.
“Are you any closer to an answer?”
“No, my loneliness has been more distracting than I would normally admit. You can feel more than my love, right? You know what I’m feeling, so why ask?”
There was a moment of silence as he let her feel out his emotions, hoping it would give the information that would be lost in words. Everything from the loneliness of his journey, his growing contempt for her laughing husband, to his despair over the wolves was laid bare in the hopes that he didn’t need to explain himself.
“What would you do in my situation?” whispered Artemis as his gaze fell upon the crystalline heart in the distance.
“Me?” asked Cadance taken aback slightly. “I-I don’t know for sure, honestly. I think as Princess of Love I would have to embrace it and them.”
Her words immediately grabbed his attention, he was unsure if she was serious or just trying to give an answer that wasn’t retaliatory. A small part of him was aware that Shining Armor had stopped laughing and was listening in.
“I don’t mean embrace it in a happy way, I mean accept it. It’d be different if it happened right before my eyes, but I couldn’t be angry at them for the actions of their ancient ancestors,” said Cadance somberly. “What good does it do to hate the current griffons who may not agree with their ancestors actions? Accept and embrace them, but make sure it never happens again. The time for vengeance has passed, now is the time for compassion and healing. ”
“You’re far more merciful and forgiving than I am. Probably a good thing, all things considered.”
“Artemis, what happened to the wolves wasn’t your fault. That was the failing of the world; enemy, ally, or indifferent genocide is not a crime they should’ve stood around watching.”
“I am the King, their fate is ultimately my responsibility. My attention shifted from the tribe, I was so focused on Luna and Nightmare moon that I was blind to everything else.”
“Well that’s hardly your-“
“No, he is right,” interrupted Shining Armor as he approached looking Artemis in the eye. “As their King, it was Artemis’s job to protect and prepare them. “
Artemis felt the growing heat in his chest, and he bit his tongue. While Shining Armor wasn’t saying anything Artemis didn’t already believe, he didn’t need to hear it from him.
“You love Luna, right?”
“More than you can possibly imagine.”
“Would you have been willing to die for her?”
“Without hesitation.”
“Then what would have happened to the wolves? Whether you like it or not you made your decision consciously or subconsciously, Luna was more important to you than your kingdom,” asserted Shining Armor. “Luna is alive, and you didn’t have to give your life for it. Be happy about that.”
Artemis was stunned by Shining Armor’s words; he had always thought they were equally as important to him. For a moment it seemed like he had only been fooling himself, and he had no doubt that he would’ve given his life for hers. However there was something that tugged at him, something that he wasn’t able to ignore.
“I would have gladly given my life for hers, but not even I could have predicted the entirety what happened without me,” said Artemis somberly as his gaze turned to the ground. “However I wouldn’t have traded all of their lives for Luna’s, I couldn’t. Especially knowing that’s not something she would’ve wanted.”
“Sometimes you get screwed, and you don’t get what you want. The wolves aren’t entirely gone, and you still have obligations to those that died and the ones that are still alive. They need to be addressed, and it needs to be a priority.”
“That doesn’t really do anything help, I’m trying to think of a way to address it. There are numerous ways to do so, violent or otherwise.”
“True enough, but because the wolves are a priority doesn’t mean they are your top priority. Indirectly, your wolves were part of the cost of saving Luna. Don’t you dare disrespect that by doing something that would cause you to lose her. That should considerably narrow your options, and THAT should help.”
Artemis’s eyes met Shining Armor’s, and he was surprised that he didn’t see pity or anger only an unmistakable fire. For reasons unknown to him, Shining Armor felt strongly about helping him.
“That might actually help a lot, but why do you care?”
“Look I don’t like you hitting on Cadance even jokingly, but she is a good judge of character. You're important to people I love, and they want to help you. Now that I know why you two were so chummy, I’ll say no harm no foul.”
Artemis figured there was more to it, but he wouldn’t press. His reasons weren’t as important as long as his advice was solid; he doubted there was some deeper ulterior motive that would bite him later. As if on cue, there was a sudden special distortion in front of him. Reacting before he knew he had realized what was going on, Artemis found a baby sitting in his palm.
“FLURRY!” cried both Cadance and Shining Armor though the former stopped the later from advancing.
Artemis was genuinely confused at the young foal that had just appeared his palm. His first thought was who would teleport a young foal to him, but the answer became clear to him when he noticed her wings and horn.
“She’s an Alicorn?” he whispered incredulously as he looked at Cadance and Shining Armor.
He figured she was their child by the way they reacted, but he was still stunned. A baby Alicorn was unheard of to him, but it opened his mind to various possibilities he had long since given up on.
“Luna and I always wanted a child,” Artemis said somberly as he cradled the young foal. “Not just adopted students we could love, but an actual child from the both of us. However it wasn’t meant to be.”
“Being a parent is … an experience,” chuckled Shining Armor as he remembered the numerous sleepless nights passed and many more that were coming. “Even so I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”
Artemis noticed a sudden glimmer in Cadance’s eyes at his words, but before he could ask about it he felt magic building up in his arms. With a quick but gentle tap on her nose, he cast a spell. Flurry blinked out of existence briefly only to reappear in his arms as quickly as she left.
“You really should have a dimensional anchor on her crib so she can’t teleport out,” suggested Artemis as his claw was being tugged on by the giggling baby.
“Wouldn’t help,” sighed both parents at the same time.
“What? Why not? Is she that powerful?”
It was then that Flurry leapt out of his arms and began to fly into the sky, but a quick spell from Cadance prevented her from getting far as a bubble appeared over the area.
“See?” smiled Cadance suddenly looking more tired. “Come to mommy Flurry.”
As he watched the young foal hurry down to snuggle with her parents, Artemis couldn’t help but feel envious. Cadance and Shining Armor with the young alicorn filly he had always wanted for himself and Luna roused the expected feelings, but the more confusing ones were of Lupa, his own adopted mother. It had been a while since thoughts of her had crossed his mind, at least in the sense of longing
“I wish you three the best, but I think I should keep moving,” said Artemis hoping Cadance wasn’t paying attention to what he was feeling.
“Really? But you just got here, and you didn’t even get to examine the crystals or go on a tour of the city,” questioned Cadance as she looked at him confused.
“Yeah, but I’ve got a lot to think about and I was up all night.”
“Hmm well if you change your mind, we’ve got plenty of extra rooms. I’m sure Shiny wouldn’t mind too much if you joined us for one night, we both know you don’t need sleep,” winked Cadance.
“I’ll keep that in mind, might take you up on that offer when this is all done and I can invite Luna. You know, if that wouldn’t be too weird for you,” said Artemis with a smirk.
“Things tend to get weird when family is involved, but Luna isn’t my blood aunt so I think we could manage. Just don’t invite Twilight though”
“ALRIGHT, TOO MUCH! Knock it off, both of you.” interrupted a flustered Shining Armor. “I’ll let the guards know not to hassle you too much if you decide to stay for a bit.”
Artemis couldn’t help but stifle a smirk at Shining Armor’s discomfort, but it wasn’t as malicious as earlier. He was pleasantly surprised that he had found a bit of respect for Shining Armor, his advice had actually given him something to think about. Though part of him felt like he shouldn’t have been so surprised that Twilight’s brother wasn’t an ordinary stallion, her bloodline was prone to greatness. That left one question unresolved.
“We cool?” asked Artemis as he put out a closed fist.
“Yeah, we cool,” responded Shining Armor with a hoofbump.
“Good, I’ll be in the forest if you need me. Haven’t really been hiding so I shouldn’t be hard to track,” said Artemis casually as he began to walk away. He wanted some time to digest what had happened, and for the first time since he left he wanted a little alone time.
Crystal Empire, 5:00pm, 11th of Drigh, One Month into Artemis’s Journey, Frozen Wasteland
Artemis and snow had a love hate relationship, but as of late the relationship had become more hate than anything else. He loved the cold, and fresh snow was always welcome in Lupinia. Travelling through snow however was another story entirely. Despite being extraordinarily resistant to the elements, even Artemis had to admit to discomfort when walking through freezing temperatures while soaking wet and facing bitter wind chill. The arctic had many unique aspects that when taken as a whole made it one of the few climates that were dangerous to him without magic, making this portion of his journey into his personal Tartarus. The harsh winds alone hindered his hearing and sense of smell, and when combined with the bright white snow navigation by sight was all but impossible. What the wind didn’t hinder were rendered useless by the numbing cold, the only saving grace was that he had no destination in mind so it didn’t matter where he went so long as he kept moving. The most he had going for him was being able to feel the life energy of nearby hibernating animals, that meant he wasn’t so far north that he was beyond sustainable life.
“Never before have I been so grateful for Celestia’s choice in prison, I’d take a warm molten cave over frigid winds every time,” grunted Artemis aloud as he blindly waded through the snow.
He could only complain so much though knowing he was suffering due to his own choices by refusing to use magic. Most immortals opted to use magic as little as possible when doing tasks that didn’t require it, and that was because more often than not magic was used as an expedient convenience. Magic was a faster and sometimes easier way to perform an action, but when you didn't have a time limit what the point of rushing through everything? This was why many of them had strange tedious or meticulous hobbies that many times would be far simpler to finish with magic. In the past Celestia crafted the finest chainmail the world had ever seen by putting a painstaking amount of energy into perfecting every individual ring and taking a couple centuries to craft a full set of armor. Luna was the more artistic spending her time on a craft she invented involving blending vivid colors into water, freezing them, and sculpting them to make realistic statues and landscapes. Artemis attempted to learn the alternative and sometimes extraneous ways living creatures communicated, and this included things communicated through body language to things communicated through mortal combat. All three tasks could be easily and quickly accomplished with magic, but using magic as a shortcut robbed the task of the benefits of involved with the undertaking. As such Artemis was resolved to make the journey using as little magic as possible without killing himself.
“That’s not good,” thought Artemis as he felt large but incredibly weak life force come into the periphery of his senses. “Who was stupid enough be out here in this type of weather?”
He opened his eyes to try to see who or what was dying near him, but he was still unable to see through the blinding white storm. Undeterred he decided he was just going to be surprised by who or what he found as he picked up his pace to meet the creature. Though as he got closer his sense of them grew more defined, but it only left him more confused.
“They have wings and magic?” he thought as he began to worry. “Cadance? I don’t know, I didn’t mark her and I wasn’t exposed to her magic. Did something happen?”
Artemis’s wade shifted into a sprint on all fours, suddenly worried that something might’ve happened since he had left. He hadn’t left all that long ago, he thought he would’ve gotten some sense of something being wrong if there was a problem. However that didn’t change the fact that as he got closer, the figure seemed more and more Alicorn shaped.
“No, no, no, no, NO!” growled Artemis as he skidded to a stop.
“Ar-Artemis?” questioned a weak but unmistakable voice.
There was a brief moment of panic as he opened his eyes to see Luna in front of him looking battered and on the verge of death. A fear colder than any he had ever known washed over him as she stumbled towards him. Thoughts of if she could be saved and what he would do to the perpetrator flooded his mind as he began to step toward her. But before he could take a second step he checked his link, though he had distanced himself he should’ve known if Luna were injured. Surprisingly she was coming up perfectly fine, and Celestia wasn’t duly distressed either. These revelations left very few other possibilities for what was going on, and all of them angered him
“Artemis!” shouted the Luna relieved as she leapt as if to jump into his arms only to be caught by the neck.
“You know who I am? You must not value your life if you took that form in front of me,” growled Artemis as his claws tightened around her neck.
“Please, you’re hurting me! Ar-Artemis. W-why?” gasped Luna as she weakly grabbed at his claws.
“You’re deception has failed. REVEAL YOURSELF!” roared Artemis his claws continuing to tighten.
“Pl-please”
His anger froze as an even greater fear crept into the back of his mind, what if he was wrong? A few tears a reached his claw, burning him like acid. He wasn’t sure if it was the cold or his own imagination playing tricks on him, but this was one of the types of magic he detested with a passion. His grip hadn’t tightened as he stood there worried that he might be hurting the one he loved most, but while he was pretty sure it was a fake that nagging fear refused to be stifled. In a decision he would’ve never predicted from himself, he abruptly released his grip.
“Leave, and never appear before me again,” said Artemis grimly as he turned his back to walk away. Before he got too far, he noticed she wasn’t moving. A moment of concern passed through him, as he went back to check her body.
“She still breathing, weakly, but she’s still alive,” sighed Artemis as he watched her revert back to what he assumed was her original form.
While he had expected it to be a changeling, he had hardly expected a changeling queen. He had never felt or seen a changeling queen so weak before, though he had a feeling of this queen’s identity. Part of him wanted to leave her to die of starvation or exposure, but yet another part of him didn’t want to leave someone in need to die, no matter how much they might’ve deserved it.
“I have dreams about butchering millions of griffons including innocent females and children, but I can’t even leave an evil queen, who has attempted to harm people I actually like multiple times, to die alone,” groaned Artemis as he hoisted her unconscious body onto his back. “What is wrong with me?”
Crystal Empire, 10:00pm, 11th of Drigh, One Month into Artemis’s Journey, Igloo in a Frozen Wasteland
Warmth and comfort, it had been far longer than she would’ve liked since she had last felt either of them. She hadn’t been able to rest since the blizzard hit, but she hadn’t been comfortable since the downturn of her hive. The warmth did nothing to end the gnawing hunger that was steadily eating away at her, but it was a brief welcome respite from frigid winds she had endured.
“Wait, warmth? What happened? Where am I?” thought Chrysalis as she panicked forcing her eyes open.
The first she noticed was that she in some sort of furry make shift hammock, and while she wasn’t high off the ground she hadn’t been on the ice. She looked around and quickly realized she was in an igloo of some sort, and the warmth she felt was a combination of a lively fire and the pelt that had been given to her. Despite the comparative warmth her body froze when she spotted Artemis cross legged with eyes closed on the opposite wall, though she wasn’t sure if he had noticed she was awake. Seeing the wolf king sitting so casually brought the memories back vividly, he had nearly killed her when her body took Luna’s form. She was far too weak from hunger to fight him, but maybe if he was asleep she could siphon enough love to give her the strength to flee.
Though as she started to think of ways she could trick her way into getting love, she saw a familiar green flame burning its way up her hooves. She stared in horror as in its wake it left her with a midnight blue coat, she knew what was happening. Her body was taking Luna’s form instinctively, she knew she had to feed or flee before she was noticed. However when looked up, it was too late. She could see his scowl despite the dimly lit shelter, and as he shifted to move she panicked.
“PLEASE! I can’t control it!” she shrieked as she looked at him in fear.
“Explain,” he growled. A single word, he offered her a single opportunity to save herself.
“I’m starving to death, my body is instinctively changing to the form that might get me any love. Whether I it want to or not until I feed, my body will just change into the closest living thing’s loved ones,” she explained quickly though her hopes of surviving were falling just was fast. She had lost control of her body, and she was now at someone else's mercy.
The ensuing silence was brief, but it felt like an eternity. Her heart stopped as she watched him stand and walk towards her side of the shelter. She wanted to move, to scream, to run, to do anything, but she was frozen by fear and exhaustion. He stood over her for a time, his expression unreadable as he stared intently at her. She could see him judging her, watching as her body slowly shifted into Luna’s. It was humiliating to be so vulnerable and exposed, and every second of it made her hate him, Starlight, Twilight, Thorax, herself, everything all that much more. She was immensely thankful and surprised when his gaze abruptly shifted as he sighed and shook his head, before dropping to a squatting position.
“My apologies then, I didn’t realize you were that weak,” Artemis said bluntly.
“I AM NOT WE-“started Chrysalis angrily before being cut off.
“Here, you can feed off of me,” he said as his tone and attitude shifted to as if he were handling an injured animal. “I’m sorry for earlier, let me help you.”
“I don’t need your pity,” hissed Chrysalis as she weakly slapped away his claw though her body begged for her to listen to him.
“Your pride will be death of you if you don’t, it’s honestly a miracle that you’ve survived this long AND that you blindly came across my path. There’s nothing else you can feed off of anywhere nearby, its me or nothing. But who am I to force you to live if you want to die?”
“I’m no fool! Why would you save me? What do you get out of it?”
“Clearly you are a no fool; even a fool does not wander around the arctic without food or friends. Listen to yourself! You woke up in a shelter, next to a fire, and covered in makeshift blankets after passing out in a blizzard. If I wanted to harm you, I would’ve already done so.”
“That doesn’t answer either of my questions,” hissed Chrysalis as her eyes narrowed. “I would die before opening myself up to being exploited ever again.” He hadn’t said anything she hadn’t already realized, but she wasn’t going to take the risk of feeding and extending her life only to be trapped in some other Tartarus like torture. Changelings weren't difficult to enslave once they were isolated, an unfortunate fact that tended to keep dissenters from leaving the group.
“Is everyone nowadays so bucking paranoid?” groaned Artemis as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, I saved you because I’ve developed this annoying little voice in my head that screams at me not to leave mares alone and exposed to danger. So it was save you or listen to that for the next couples of months, happy now?”
“And I’m supposed to believe that?” laughed Chrysalis. “After I tried to take over Equestria not once but twice, and I replaced everyone important that you care about with changelings? You expect me to believe that the Wild King, Nature’s Fury, the Savage Beast who decimated all who even mildly bothered him would show me such mercy?”
“No you shouldn’t believe that because I am not the same as I once was. If I was the same wolf who held those titles, Equestria would be a crater, the griffons would've been eradicated already, and I would’ve tortured you for the crime of stealing Luna’s form in my presence.”
“Oh yeah after being gone for 1000 years, returning and within 2 years broadcasting a worldwide threat of genocide shows just how much you have changed,” retorted Chrysalis with eye roll.
“Th-that’s different!” spat Artemis defensively.
“Oh yeah the Griffons attempted to wipe out your kingdom and species. I merely kidnapped your friends and lover to be used as a food source for the rest of their lives, slight difference.”
“You don’t know anything about me, and I don’t have to explain or justify myself to you or anyone else,” said Artemis softly more to himself than to her. “Last time I offer, feed or die. I don’t care which,” he snarled as he used cruder magic than Cadance’s to separate a fraction of his love into a sphere and dropped it before the weakened changeling queen. It was less than he would’ve given her before she had questioned him, it likely wasn’t even enough to even slightly dampen her hunger, but it was enough to keep her from starving. He wasn’t sure how much she had considered her current situation, but he could see few benefits in angering your only chance of survival.
“Make sure you think long and hard about what it means for you to choose to survive from this point on. I’m leaving at dawn, prepare yourself because I will not be slowed,” said Artemis coldly as he return to his side of the shelter.
Chrysalis sat in quiet silence torn, she was relieved that she was no longer being analyzed but worried that she might have condemned herself regardless of her choice. She stared at the small orb of love in front of her unable to tell if it was her salvation or condemnation. She understood the meaning behind his words, she realized the situation she was in but wasn’t sure whether she should press forward.
She had lost her kingdom, her strength, her health, and now her freedom. Her options were clear: choose to die or continue to live at his whim. There was no one to feed on for miles, and she would surely die alone long before she reached anyone capable of sustaining her. Condemned to starve or beg for food, once again her life was no longer her own. As she laid back down in her makeshift hammock, the only sounds were occasional pops of a lively fire and the constant moans of deadly winds. She was keenly aware that regardless of which one she faced at dawn, once again she would lose her life. Before she knew it, tears streamed down her face. She wept quietly for all that she had lost, and for what she was about to give up.
Dragonlands? 10:00am, 8th of Hearthfire, Two Month’s into Artemis’s Journey, No Specifics
It had been a month since he had rescued Chrysalis from the arctic, and he could’ve counted the number of words they had spoken to each other since on his claws. It was actually a little disappointing; he had been looking forward to the company even if it was just bickering. Though he was pleasantly surprised and mildly concerned, she kept pace with him without complaint and seemed to extraordinarily accustom to being submissive despite the immense pride he saw before. Such a jarring contrast to her default personality meant that she was either used to not being in the position of power, unusual for a Queen of any species, or she was just an incredible actor. Seeing as she was a changeling, the latter was more likely than the former. Whether she liked it or not, she needed Artemis until they came across a region with some loving locals she could deceive. He was careful to very gradually increase her power, giving her slightly more than she needed to stave off hunger and never any amount that would fatigue him. He didn’t want to risk weakening himself in case she had some trick that he had overlooked or was unaware of. He had no doubt that she was completely aware of his caution, and she might even have been growing resentful of it but that wasn’t particularly high on his list of concerns.
“Where are we?”
“Three more words, I guess that’s progress,” thought Artemis as he turned to look at her. “Dragonlands I think, only place I know of that reeks of Brimstone.”
Artemis almost felt bad when he saw the disappointment in her face, he didn’t think he had treated her poorly but she seemed to be taking the situation far worse than he had expected. Dragons weren’t known for their loving nature, and changelings had difficulty maintaining transformations into larger creatures. Combine that with the fact that most dragons generally held changelings in contempt, and that meant that changelings rarely if ever visited the dragon homeland. However Artemis wasn’t unduly worried about the situation, he could easily handle most dragons that might’ve bothered them. Singular dragons that could threaten him were few and far between, and the age and strength required for a group to be dangerous was unlikely due to their solitary nature. The most likely trouble he would run into would be a group of arrogant young dragons that sorely underestimated him, hardly worth being called anything more than a nuisance.
The Dragonlands referred to a relatively small territory claimed for the dragon’s political uses, for the dragons rarely acted in unity on anything voluntarily. The volcanic region is more a symbol of draconic will than an actual home, since dragons tend to go where they please with little to no regard to country borders. Few dragons actually used the area as their home; the teens that leave their parents but are too young to go entirely solo, those that were at the age where they wanted to attempt to pass their wisdom to the next generation, and typically the Dragon Lord.
They travelled a few more hours in silence much to Artemis’s annoyance, but he refused to beg or give the appearance of begging for interaction. He had saved her, despite knowing exactly who she was, but he still had hoped she would be a decent travelling companion. While she had kept up with his pace with no complaints, she was far from friendly. Calling her cordial was a bit of a stretch, but he could hardly blame her. She was travelling through hostile regions largely against her will, and while she had caused the events that put her in this situation and chose to live, he doubted she would take responsibility for her role in how her life had unfolded.
“It’s not my fault she is stuck with me, and if it were that bad she could’ve just as easily taken a chan-“thought Artemis as his attention was pulled elsewhere. He had heard a screech in the distance, that was piercing and familiar enough to make him grit his teeth and bring him to an abrupt halt.
“What?” questioned Chrysalis slightly worried about what would make him suddenly stop.
Artemis responded by touching his claw to his lips and closing his eyes. The same shriek punctuated the silence, echoing through the shedding trees.
Without a moment of hesitation he bolted towards the sound, which he now recognized as the all too rare screech of a phoenix. Few things were arrogant enough to disturb phoenixes, and that was why he had always hated that they tended to roost in the same territory as dragons. His gut reaction was to say something about natural selection, but the true death of a phoenix was a thankfully rare tragedy. Despite their pseudo-immortality, phoenixes only lay eggs once every century keeping their numbers consistently low.
“Pass it here!”
“I’m open!”
“Throw it to Garble!”
Artemis paled in horror as he saw a group of teenage dragons happily playing keep away with a phoenix mother and her eggs. He tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but he couldn’t think of a single reason for their apparent cruelty. Though they hadn’t noticed his arrival, the sheer confusion had frozen in him place.
“Smash it before the other comes back!”
The words snapped Artemis out of his stupor, as he decided he needed to make his presence known. Those who would kill should be prepared to be killed, it was a lesson all warriors should know. It was obvious that these youth didn’t, and fate had given them a cruel teacher.
“Yeah yeah, and SMA-“ the red teenage dragon brought his arm down to smash the egg on the ground but was confused when his arm wouldn’t move. “Hey what’s the bi-“ the words dying in his throat has he saw the hateful glare of a predator baring down on him.
“What do you think you are doing?” asked Artemis making sure his words didn’t betray his underlying rage.
“Hey, l-let him g-go!’
“That doesn’t answer my question,” growled Artemis. “It looks to me like you were tormenting a phoenix family and were about to smash the egg, extinguishing a life. I sincerely hope that wasn’t the case, so I’m graciously giving you the chance to explain yourselves.”
“We were just having fun,” snarled the captive as he frantically tugged at his arm. “But you must have a death wish messing with us dragons on our turf. GET HIM BOYS!”
“Uhhhh Garble, he moved around all of us without anyone noticing and he stopped you despite all of us being here. Y-you sure we should do that?”
“Oh one of you is smarter than he appears, look you all have a right to refuse his order. Before you decide ask yourselves two questions. What separates predators from prey? And are you willing to die to save this, Garbage was it? I want you to know that if you try, I will kill you.” Artemis punctuated his statement delivering the most fearsome glare he could manage.
“What are you? Ponies or Dragons? There are like eight of you, TAKE HIM DOWN!” shouted Garble as he frantically tried to wrench his arm free.
Garble’s struggle stopped when he noticed, none of his friends were moving to help him. They didn’t want to abandon him, but the decision was clear. None of them were willing to risk dying to follow his orders and help him.
“None of you are willing to die for him? Can’t say I’m surprised, but you shouldn’t follow a leader you wouldn’t die for. Lesson One, if you aren’t able to face your own death you have no business killing. You probably never even considered what if the phoenixes actually decided to kill you for attacking their nest did you? Were you willing to die to pull this stupid stunt?” roared Artemis as he watched the teenagers shrink back.
“Lesson Two, what separates predator from prey?” he asked as he lifted the phoenix egg into the air for the mother who gratefully grabbed it and left after a brief nuzzle. “The answer is fe-“ his words were cut off as he dodged a claw swipe aimed for his throat. He looked down and saw it was eye to eye with Garble, but what he saw surprised him.
“Maybe I was wrong, maybe he could have what it takes,” thought Artemis as he noted the look in the young dragon’s eyes was resolved. He had been prepared to kill or be killed.
“Fear,” finished Artemis not addressing the strike yet. “Predators sense it, take advantage of it, and they respect when they can’t. Your friend over there was smart to listen to his instincts; he recognized that I was not afraid of you and I am not one to be trifled with.”
“Kill us or let me go! I don’t need to be lectured by some freak of nature!”
“Oh how right you are, some lessons can’t be taught with words, they have to be experienced,” said Artemis calmly with a sinister grin on his face. “Listen up whelps! Go fetch the Dragon Lord and bring them here. I suggest you move quickly, every moment I wait will be another moment of agony for your fearless leader. I’ll start small, but eventually it’ll get worse,” he explained as he adjusted his grip pinching one of the dragon’s fingers.
Before he had finished the dragon who had spoken out had already taken off, but the others stood around still paralyzed by fear. Artemis counted the seconds to give them a fair shot, but he was waiting for them all to leave before he continued with his lesson.
“One,” he said with a heavy sigh which was followed with a sickening snap.
Garble’s scream snapped them out of whatever stupor had gripped them, and they all left chasing the first. They had realized how serious he was, and that if they didn’t hurry their leader would pay for it.
“Now for you, I have some supplementary lessons,” chuckled Artemis as he adjusted his grip to another finger. “You see that? How easily they were stopped? That’s what happens when you try to control others with fear, they’ll obey only until something bigger and scarier comes along. If you want to lead, you have to build loyalty through respect. Most creatures are willing to die for what they believe in, you should make sure they believe in you.”
“PISS OFF! WHO ASKED YOU?” roared Garble as he tried to clutch his broken finger.
“By now you really should have realized that you can’t overpower me and antagonizing me is not in your best interest. Two by the way,” smiled Artemis as he snapped another finger. “Instead of being an arrogant brat, open your ears for a moment. Someone far stronger and wiser is giving you advice on how better yourself and keep this from happening again. Accepting the possibility of death isn’t the same as rushing towards it.”
“BITE ME!”
“Ferocity and cruelty can only get you so far, I figured after such a crushing defeat you would want to better yourself. That is unless you want to be humiliated over and over again of course, because I have no doubt its happened before and will happen again.”
Artemis noticed the fires of hatred in his eyes, but the young dragon had grit his teeth and wasn’t saying anything. He had clearly touched a nerve and it seemed to have gotten his attention.
“Three,” he casually announced as Garble let out a roar that he tried bite down on. “You need to get stronger, and you need a motivation that isn’t revenge or something selfish. Pursue your own beliefs, right or wrong those around you will respect that.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” grunted Garble as he clutched his claw.
“Is there something you feel like the dragons should be doing but aren’t?”
“Right now the Dragon Lord is trying to get us to be more like those pansy ponies and its lame. We’re dragons! We don’t make friends and share. We take what we want and burn what we don’t!”
“Then do that, get stronger so that you can lead the dragons in the direction you think is best. It’s not that complicated,” sighed Artemis as he heard someone approaching.
“Just take off with no explanation and leave alone to catch up in the Dragonlands,” seethed Chrysalis as she stepped into the clearing and saw the scene in front of her. “Uh what are you doing?”
“Sorry I had to save a life, but you’re just in time to hear the final lesson I was going to teach this young dragon,” said Artemis kindly as he gave a sinister smile. “I’m certain I will leave a lasting impression, four.
The sudden snap and scream caused Chrysalis to flinch back, she hadn’t seen that look on his face before. He looked more feral and savage than she had thought him possible. She wasn’t sure what she had walked into but she was certain she wanted no part in it.
“Uhh, I see you’re busy, I’ll just go back to where we were before on the path.”
“No stay, I’m glad you’re talking more, but I think you should hear this too,” Artemis said as his smile melted and he turned to Garble. “I’d be a hypocrite if I told you never to be cruel, but what you will learn is cruelty comes at a cost. If you must do it, do it with purpose. Tormenting an innocent phoenix family does what? Get you a few laughs? Disgusting and pathetic. Cruelty should be your last resort, as it will ALWAYS have a price, and you must be ready to pay it when the time comes. I used cruelty to protect my subjects, and as soon as I was gone it cost me dearly. You’ve got to be willing to pay the cost or fight to hold on to it as long as you can. Unfortunately now’s the time for you to pay up, and first time is always the worst.”
Chrysalis and Garble looked on in horror as Artemis’s free claw began to emanate a haunting black flame. With a fluid motion he swept the teen’s legs from under him and pinned him to the ground with his body.
“You will learn this lesson whelp, I’m going to carve it into your bones. Five.”
Dragonlands 10:35am, 8th of Hearthfire, Two Month’s into Artemis’s Journey, The Crucible
“Look, I get what you’re trying to do, but it isn’t going well. Just order them to change, they cannot disobey a Dragon Lord’s Decree,” groaned Torch exasperated. This wasn’t the first time he had tried to help her with the transition, but his daughter insisted on doing things the hard way.
“No dad, that was your way. Not mine. There is no point if I force it on them, they have to see the value for themselves,” explained Ember equally tired of having this same conversation. “Look it’s not easy bu-“
“DRAGON LORD EMBER!”
“Oh great, just what I needed,” groaned Ember as she put on her best look of confident leader. “What is it, uhh Thorn right? You're one of Garble’s?”
“Yes m’am. Dragon Lord Ember you have to come quick. Some giant wolf thing is torturing Garble until he gets to see you, PLEASE COME SAVE HIM,” pleaded Thorn the first to leave and first to arrive.
“Oh no, Garble is in trouble. Guess I better go save him, as fast as I can,” responded Ember sarcastically as she looked skeptically at the dragon in front of her. “You sure this isn’t another obvious attempt to get the scepter from me? I swear if it is I’m going to ki-”.
“Wolf monster? Is he standing on two legs? Bright green eyes?” asked Torch suspiciously.
“YES! He just appeared out of nowhere and threatened to kill us for doing a raid.”
“Didn’t I tell you to stop with those stupi-“
“Where?” growled Torch in a tone neither of them had heard before.
“N-near the northern volcano, a few miles from the base.”
Before he had finished Torch had already taken off, he had heard all he needed. Despite his size, he was going fast enough to be certain that Ember and Thorn wouldn’t be able to catch up. He had business to take care of with the Wolf King.
“What the? Don’t just sit there gawking, take me to him!” ordered Ember.
“B-but”
“NOW!”
Dragonlands 11:00am, 8th of Hearthfire, Two Month’s into Artemis’s Journey, Volcano Base
Chrysalis watched in horror, as the teenage dragon writhed on the ground in agony. While she was no stranger to using violence or threats of it, but even she thought this was excessive. The screams started the moment his claw made contact with his scales, and they hadn’t stopped since Artemis had drawn the intricate rune between the dragon’s wings.
“That’s the worst place to put it,” chuckled Artemis. “You can’t reach it yourself and it’s not a section of your body you can readily lose. There are two ways to stop the agony for good, either I die or you do. But you’re a strong one yo-“
“You laugh after that?” paled Chrysalis. “I’ve done awful things for my hive, but it was just that, for my hive.”
“Of course, strong leaders do what they must for their followers. What’s your point?”
“I, no WE fed on love only because we had to, and I acted with the best interests of my hive. What you just did was, it was everything you told him not to do. Cruelty for the sake of cruelty, you’re a monster.”
“Am I? Was it? What do you know of dragons? Or myself for that matter? Why would I,” trailed Artemis as he heard tremendous wing beats approaching quickly.
He squinted towards the sun and could see a small black outline growing larger every second. Even in the distance he could tell it was a larger dragon, but it wasn’t anything he wasn’t expecting. His body shuddered in anticipation as he prepared himself for a fight, he was a little rusty but this would help get some of the kinks out.
“BUCK YEAH, I’VE GOT IT!”
“VINYL!? Is everything ok?”
“Oh uhhh, yeeaaah. Nope, no problems here. I just had a stroke of genius and figured out what my next album was going to be about.”
“Thank Luna, you’re alright. You caught me off guard, but I’ll talk to you when I return. I’m about to fight the Dragon Lord.”
“Yeah sorry about th- WAIT WHAT?! NO INTERNATIONAL INCID-”
Artemis had already blocked Vinyl out, he would need to focus all his attention on the Dragon Lord. As he turned his attention back towards the rapidly approaching dragon, a horrible realization struck him. He wasn’t slowing down as he approached the ground, he was speeding up.
“Buck me!” grunted Artemis as he realized the danger of the incoming impact. With one motion he grabbed Chrysalis and Garble, and he threw them into the away from the area. He hoped she would at the very least use her wings to cushion their impact, but it was better than the alternative he thought as he braced for impact.
There was a thunderous crash, and the world went white. For the briefest of moments he felt nothing, oblivion. Unburdened by the weight of responsibility and guilt, he felt at peace. He wasn’t naïve enough to hope for/question his own death, but he did wonder if he would ever reach this state again. His peace was interrupted when he began hearing a muted ringing, it was the only warning he got when a wave of pain washed over him returning color to the world.
“Good. Glad you’re alive,” grunted Torch. “For a moment I was worried I had killed you, and I wasn’t finished with you yet.”
“As if I could be killed so easily,” chuckled Artemis grimly as he lay flat on his back in the crater. He regenerated from most wounds at an astonishing speed, but the impact had actually fractured or broken more bones than he had expected. He wasn’t too worried, they would mend even stronger. Unfortunately that would take a bit of time, likely more time than Torch was going to give him.
“No, I suppose not. You always were a tough bastard,” grunted Torch as he towered over Artemis. “Shame really, death was your best way out!” He roared as be brought his foot down, intended to crush Artemis before he could repair himself.
Artemis steeled himself for the impact as he focused his regeneration on his legs. It would delay his other injuries, but he needed to be able to dodge to avoid taking any more damage.
Without the same momentum, this impact wasn’t comparable to the first. However a few broken ribs forced him to regulate his breathing otherwise he risked injuring something important. His bones creaked in protest, he could feel the cracks in his arms branching out beneath the pressure. Just as quickly as the pressure had come down, it disappeared as he Torch lift his foot preparing to stomp down again.
Artemis used that moment to kip up and roll towards Torch’s heel. Artemis had fought dragons long before Torch, and typically they had some of the same flaws, typically arrogance. The larger elder dragons are typically used to fighting things smaller than them, but very few of them are accustomed to fighting things just as strong or stronger. Few dragons were willing to admit something could be smaller than them and stronger; long ago Torch was one of those in denial. Artemis knew that Torch wouldn’t be able see him roll out from beneath his foot, and he was going to use it to his advantage.
Artemis used the cover of Torch’s own leg to hide as he gathered strength in his legs. With one push he shot himself towards the back of the dragon’s knee, knowing a solid blow to a tense joint could fell most creatures. He lashed out with as much strength has he could muster, delivering a brutal blow to the joint. To his surprise, the impact towards Torch’s knee didn’t cause him to buckle enough to collapse. He could tell Torch was off balance, but he wasn’t falling. He was confused for only a brief moment as a great rush of wind answered his question and sent him hurtling towards the ground.
Torch’s reflexes allowed him to use his wings to compensate for the sudden loss of balance. It was almost funny, how different things were now from before, and it only took hundreds of years of experience and a bit of humility. After acknowledging and respecting the strength of his opponent, he could see a broader range of possibilities for counter attacks and defensive options. Knowing and having fought Artemis in the past helped immensely, but he found it strange that though it had been so long Artemis’s fighting style had barely changed. Before he remembered having to attempt understand an entirely new style every encounter.
“No time to worry about that,” thought Torch. “If he wanted me to fall to the ground, all he had to do was ask.”
Artemis watched as Torch tucked his wings in and began to fall. Still mid-air from the kick, his maneuverability was limited and Torch was falling fast.
“Oh well, buck me”
Dragonlands 11:20am, 8th of Hearthfire, Two Month’s into Artemis’s Journey, The Volcano Base
Ember made little attempts to hide her frustration with Thorn. She would’ve arrived far sooner if he hadn’t been slowing her down. She had never seen her father take off so quickly, and she couldn’t help but question why? The most likely answer was more chilling than she was willing to admit, not many creatures had the audacity to attack the dragons in their homeland much less challenge the Dragon Lord. Part of her feared this was because word that her father had stepped down was spreading.
“THERE!” shouted Thorn out of breath. "THEY! ARE!"
“SUBMIT!”
“I’m Dragon Lord, I’ve got this,” whispered Ember to herself as she descended leaving Thorn behind.
She couldn’t see who her father was talking to, but she was surprised to see him lounging in the middle of a large crater. It was strange; it had been a long time since she had seen such a smug grin on his face.
“How much longer can you go with so little air?”
“Dad what are you doing?”
“Ember? You got here faster than I expected.”
“Where is the wolf monster?”
“Don’t worry I got this one, sweetie. Now please leave before you get hu-“ yelped Torch as he arched his back with wince. “YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO HIT HARDER THAN THAT!”
As Torch rammed his back into the ground, he was surprised at the lack of resistance. He was even more surprised when he felt himself being dragged by the tail, but before he could lash it out he was thrown backwards towards the forest. Instinctively he curled up to protect his core, knowing Artemis wouldn’t let up the pressure. Just as he expected Artemis had moved quickly to follow the chase, but before a blow could be struck a blue blur sped between them.
“ENOUGH!” roared Ember as she stared down Artemis’s stopped first.
“Out of the way girl, this is between me and the Dragon Lord.”
“Good, you’re looking at her. What do you want?”
“This girl? Dragon Lord?” thought Artemis dumbstruck. “Torch! Explain!”
“YOU DON’T GET TO SAY THAT! YOU’RE THE ONE WHO HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!” roared Torch as he sat back up. “YOU MISSED MY GREAT TRIUMPH, YOU MISSED MY CORONATION, YOU MISSED THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, YOU MISSED THE BIRTH OF MY DAUGHTER, YOU MISSED THE DEATH OF MY LOVE, AND YOU MISSED HER CORONATION,” Torch finished with a motion towards Ember before sighing. “You missed everything mate. Where in Tartarus have you been?”
Artemis was stunned as guilt and anger crept into him. Luna had been locked away for his absence, and Celestia too guilt-ridden/boring to do anything. While he and Torch never had to proclaim themselves best friends, they were rivals, and fought often enough to trust and treat each other like brothers. It never even occurred to him what he might’ve missed anything more than Torch being “crowned”. Yet another thing he had missed".
“Tartarus.”
“I’m sorry, my hearing must not be so good anymore,” chuckled Torch confused. “What was that?”
“Tartarus, Torch. I was imprisoned in Tartarus this entire time.”
“How?!”
“You were right, Celestia betrayed me. You warned me, and I didn’t think it possible.”
“I-I’m actually really sorry to hear that mate, what about Luna?”
“She’s fine now, she didn’t know about it either. She returned from banishment shortly before I broke out.”
“Banishment?! WRY’KIN! When did all this happen?”
“This is why we need to be involved with the world Dad,” groaned Ember ignoring her father’s ancient swear. “Also who is this?”
“Aye, you might be right about that,” grunted Torch with a frown. “This is Artemis, King of the Wolves, Ruler of Lupinia, and basically your Uncle. I didn’t think he was dead, just an ass for disappearing.”
“Ruler of Lupinia? Uhhh Dad, hate to break it to you but,”
“Lupinia is no more; I am a King without subjects. The wolves are all but extinct.”
A roar unlike any either of them had heard recently erupted from Torch as he threw his head back unleashing a massive jet of flame. Though they all recognized it for what it was, a war cry. Artemis saw Ember retreat back a step, Dragon Lord or not Torch was still one of strongest dragons and his fury was not something be taken lightly. Though he couldn't help but appreciate that Torch mirrored his own rage.
“Who?” growled Torch with fire in his eyes. “Who did it, Artemis? The full fury of the dragons will destroy them, the skies will rain fire the likes of which they cannot imagine.”
“No, they won’t,” responded Ember quickly sternly before Artemis could respond. “I am Dragon Lord, and the dragons are not going to war.”
“Bagh like I need them, we’re more than enough to raze them to the ground.”
“No, you are the former Dragon Lord. Your actions reflect on our race almost as much as mine.”
“Are you ordering me not to Ember?” growled Torch in a dangerous tone.
“No, because of all Dragons I would hope you wouldn’t try to undermine my authority as Dragon Lord. But I will do whatever it takes to ensure the safety and survival of the dragons, including forbidding you from acting without my consent if it comes to that. If you want to go start a war, you’re going to have to pry the scepter from me.” Ember was calm but resolved even in the face of her enraged father.
“It’s alright Torch, It’s enough to see you just as enraged as I was,” sighed Artemis trying to prevent Torch from making the wrong decision.
“No, it’s not. Whoever did this needs to be made an example of, teach the whole world a lesson about crossing us,” grunted Torch as he looked at his daughter. “If it were me I would make my power known so that no one would forget it, but she has other ideas about friendship.”
“Yeah I do, you both did things your way and look where it got you. The building resentment meant that as soon as they were sure he was gone, the Griffons took their revenge, while we were so isolated and aloof your best friend’s country was wiped out and you didn’t even notice!” snapped Ember as she looked between the two. “I’m not saying your way was bad, but both had some pretty bad consequences.”
“So what would you do?”
“Something different at the very least, it’s never too late to try a different approach. Just because you’ve done something one way for centuries, doesn’t mean it is the right or best way.” explained Ember. “Look at me, up until now it was always the biggest and strongest dragon that was Dragon Lord. That’s not a bad thing, but neither is change.”
“Wouldn’t you want revenge?”
“Of course, but instead of stomping in and turning the land into a burning hellscape I might try something more subtle. Turnabout is fair play so why not try to plant the seeds of rebellion among their poor oppressed lower class and use the ensuing chaos to conquer them and retake your land. Or you could try the friendship route, its up to you.”
Both Artemis and Torch were stunned. It wasn’t a plan they hadn’t heard before, it just wasn’t what they were expecting from her. Though Artemis did notice that Chrysalis had been listening the entire time, but hopefully she didn’t take that suggestion too seriously.
“What? I said try something different, not give up on your revenge. Just because I think that the dragons should make more friends and take some lessons from the other races, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten that we’re dragons.”
“THAT’S MY GIRL!” bellowed Torch as he snatched Ember into a warm embrace. “This is but the first of many trials as Dragon Lord. You stood up to me, and showed you are strong in your convictions. I’m so proud of you!”
“She’s going to be a great leader, Torch. I know she didn’t get her brains from you though, her mother must’ve been something else,” chuckled Artemis sadly. “I’m sorry missed so much.”
“Don’t worry about it Artemis,”
A roar of pain broke the silence as Garble tumbled into the crater, writhing in pain. Artemis watched him and looked towards Ember with high expectations; the competition would do them both a world of good.
“Oh, right. Garble,” sighed Ember flatly. “I was called out here because I was told you were torturing Garble. That true? Why? I mean he probably deserved it, but I feel I should ask as Dragon Lord.”
“I needed his lackies to get Torch in a hurry, and I saw potential in him despite his idiocy,” explained Artemis as he pointed teenage dragon. “He has the potential to be a great leader as well; he just needed a kick in the right direction. Torture is a strong word, but somewhat accurate. I broke a few bones to brace him for the pain he is feeling now, but they will mend stronger and he will be better for the experience.”
“What did you carve into him?” questioned Chrysalis as she slid down the crater walls landing next to Artemis.
“Ugh a changeling,” grimaced Torch.
“Ugh a dumbass,” countered Chrysalis
“This,” said Artemis plainly as he ignored them, turning his back and flexing to reveal a rune of scar tissue in-between his shoulder blades. “This rune teaches one the cost of cruelty; it makes the bearer experience all the pain they’ve caused others. So right now the agony he is feeling is all the pain and suffering he has inflicted on every living creature. The first time is the worst because it’s going to have to catch-up to present time, then it will stop.”
“Why?” asked Ember confused and slightly disturbed.
“He could be a ruler, and the harsher rulers especially need to know consequences of their actions. He will awake from this and be a kinder leader or he will endure and be far stronger for it. Either way he will be better for the experience, and if he does go the cruel route it will likely drive him to seek me out someday. In which case I could end him if need be, but until then the competition will be good for you.”
“Wait, how long have you had that? You felt everything you inflicted on others? EVERYTHING?!” asked Torch incredulously.
“Not in that moment, I activate mine every few years, but I felt it eventually. I got it shortly after met Luna and attempted to mellow out. That’s why my kills became more quick and painless. That first one, that was something else,” chuckled Artemis.
“Metal” said Ember impressed.
“Well what are you doing now? You staying? Dragons rarely throw feasts but this might be a special occasion.”
“Save the feast for later, we’ll do it when I return. Right now I’m a wanderer in search of himself, and when I find him I’ll return both home and here.”
“And you’re traveling with her because? I’m sure you could have better company, like Luna. Bring her around next time.”
“I don’t often leave creatures to die on their own, and despite what she has done I thought we might get along. I’m a monster though, so probably not. And Luna? Luna is why I’m on this journey.”
“Ah kicked out? I understand entirely, one time Bris kicked me out f-,”
“I wasn’t kicked out, we couldn’t agree on what to do about the Griffons. So I left to figure out what I wanted.”
“Oh never mind then, well whatever you do you have my support,” beamed Torch nudged his daughter forward.
“Whatever it is, I hope to be able to put the full support of the dragons behind you, that’s not a promise. Whatever you do make sure your friends and allies can back you up on it and feel good about it,” smiled Ember.
“I’ll keep it in mind, but before we go,” smiled Artemis as he concentrated some magic into a small ball above his claw. “You are the daughter of my rival and dear friend, he would give his life for you without hesitation. As such I would do the same, he is family and so are you. Would you accept my blessing?”
“Are you serious Artemis?” questioned Torch surprised and a little touched. “You would offer that to her?”
“What is it?”
“It’s a pledge. If you accept, it’s a promise that he will do everything in his power to protect you. I’ve seen him rip armies apart, intervene in conflicts between other countries, consequences be damned to save someone he had marked. It’s not something he offers often, I would accept it.”
Artemis wasn’t sure what she was thinking, he just watched as she turned from Torch to the ball of magic, and back out to the countryside. She spared Garble a look at one point before she settled on an answer.
“Thank you for the offer, but I have to say no.”
“B-but are you sure?” questioned Torch. “It would make su-“
“Yes, I’m sure. I appreciate the offer, but I can’t have you and my dad as a safety net in case I mess up. I have to be accountable for my actions; it will make me a stronger and better leader.”
“Hmm she already recognizes Garble as a threat and is seeking to better herself, she is nothing like Torch was. But maybe that’s for the best,” thought Artemis. “Very well, I can respect that. Good luck Dragon Lord”
Closing his fist, he turned to walk away not waiting for Chrysalis. She had stayed quiet since his comment about being a monster, but this time he was ok with that. He had hoped in her listening to their conversation she had learned a bit more about him, and maybe eventually she would open up more. Until then he would be content, both Ember and Torch had given him plenty to think about. He had no idea where he was going next, but it didn't matter until he heard a deep voice echo through his mind.
"I stir, but I will awaken in six of your months. Summit then, Sine Fine Tempus."
