This wasn't the first time this soul's been reincarnated, though at least they have memories of their past life this time around.
The father-slaying dragon Alduin is slain, fallen at the hands of the Dovahkiin. However, a fatal wound had gone unnoticed, ending their time on Nirn. Thankfully, they had found themselves in a new body, awoken to new possibilities. A second chance to truly settle down, or perhaps to find a worthy hero for a greater threat?
Profanity is up there, though it's light.
Definitively blood (though I doubt it would count as gore, marking just in case) and themes of death, particularly at the start. Most of the tagged themes are pretty light.
Yes, there is an adventure and a slice of life tag. Equal parts, nice balance.
You have been forewarned.
Cover art by me. Made with aid of the Pony Creator found here.
I do apologize, but I am now rewriting the story! Will be a pseudo-sequel so folks can find it and this still.
The black dragon Alduin, the World-Eater, roared towards the air as my hands shook, holding Dragonbane firm in it's place in his heart. My face was tightened in a scowl, though I allowed my self a smirk. The great foul beast is finally slain. He slowly lowered his scaled face towards mine, his crimson-bloodied glare met with my own fire-colored stare. All he could manage was a defiant growl before collapsing, narrowly missing me falling to my left. All just as well, I doubt I would have had the energy to step to the side, let alone roll out of the way. Then his body burned as his soul was ripped from his bones and absorbed into my own.
It was over.
I won.
Now what?
As I contemplated that, Dragonbane fell through to the snowy ground. Sparing a look, the arena we claimed on the Throat of the World had been stamped down, patches of snow melted by spell and dragon breath, even scorched in the center due to the intensity. I took one of my hands off of my blade and brushed my dark hair from my face, matted from blood, sweat, and snow. However, the simple action forced me to stagger back a step. When I couldn't recover, I kept stepping back five paces until I fell, Dragonbane still by Alduin's corpse. Everything was starting to grow heavy, though I couldn't recall why. My ashen hands moved towards my stomach, trying to catch my breath as it mysteriously eluded me. Then I noticed my hand was damp, yet warm. Withdrawing, I noticed it glisten a dark red. A deeper crimson than normal.
Shit. That can't be good.
I've only seen this dark of blood whenever I had struck a vital point on another creature or being, such as inside the thigh, the side of the throat, near the armpits or is a particular spot in the-.
The stomach.
By the Nine. That wound was about a minute old and I had no more potions to heal myself with to staunch the flow. How had I not noticed? My vision swam and clouded over, my head growing lighter. The snow, normally bitterly cold, slowly grew warm and inviting. Unable to sit up any longer, I felt gravity take me, hardly registering when I hit the ground. It almost felt like I was still falling. My breath was slowing, but I couldn't find the strength to keep it up, keep awake.
As I faded from Mundus, a small light made itself known. Did- did I know it? It was inviting, wanting me to follow. Another- another chance?
Yes.
Another chance to live. Like a civilian, truly. No more prophecy where I was going to have to risk my life. No prophecy that pointed obviously to myself. One where I could jump in if needed, or be the right one to find the hero and point them in the right direction. Don't know if I'll keep living for all eternity.
Maybe this time around, there's a chance to pass on to the Twilight to Azura through old age.
Just a thought.
And then, darkness overtook my mind and weightlessness my soul.
Slowly, feeling returned to me. It was exceptionally gradual, as though my mind were wading through the bogs in Blackmarsh dragging my body behind itself. It took what felt like several minutes for me to register that I was laying on my side, and several more to register that it was my right side. Never before now have I ever experienced this to this degree. The only thing that came close was when I was shot in the chest with an arrow laced in paralytic poison. I made the mistake of getting up sharply then. Recalling that part of my past made me appreciate now that I was taking my time in coming to my senses.
More time passed and the air around me was sweet, crisp, and clean. Wherever I was, no one had found me yet. Though I can't be on the Throat of the World anymore. Far too warm. Temperate even. Was I somehow back in Cyrodill? It's been years. Decades even. I finally recognized the feel of plush grass beneath myself. A light breeze wafted over myself, brushing my hair around my face. Weakly, I attempted to move my arm. I only succeeded in making it twitch. Damn it. I attempted to open my eyes, though when they cracked open the light was too harsh and forced them to close again. How long was I out? Through my glimpse at the sky, I thought I saw the light dimming. Twilight. A holy hour. Feels right to come to my senses now.
Although now I wish I hadn't.
Everything was stiff and ached. I barely had the energy to twitch or crack open an eye again, let alone get up and relive this body-wide ache. So with little other choice, I laid there on the plush grass, waiting to test my limbs again.
About the time just before the sun passed below the horizon -- I could feel the heat of day retreat to the cool of night -- I then heard soft wing beats. They sounded like a songbird's, though the size of a hawk. Despite my confusion, I couldn't muster the strength to look.
"Oh my!"
The soft effeminate voice took me a bit off guard. What could fly around on wings with such a soft-spoken voice?
"Sir? Sir! Can you hear me? Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" I attempted to speak, though all that I managed to squeeze out was a grunt. Even that hurt.
"Oh my, oh dear. Hang on! I can't carry you myself. Let me get a friend and we'll get you to a hospital!" Hospital? Judging by the word doctor, seems that shrines aren't the only place to get treatment for wounds or ailments here. The wing beats picked up and hurried away. I could only then lie in wait for the woman's friend to come back with her to aid me. This simply gave me time to acclimate to being back in the waking world. I attempted to open my eyes at least twenty times by the time she returned. There were two sets of wing beats this time, one slightly stronger than the other.
"Oh my goodness! Thank you for telling me, Fluttershy, now let's get him to Ponyville General." The new voice belonged to a more out-spoken woman, far more sure of herself. However I couldn't get the thought of Ponyville out of my mind. Who on Oblivion comes up with that as a name for a building or town? Perhaps town, though I can't be sure. If I could just open my eyes--.
Suddenly, an energy enveloped me. Every muscle tensed. Though it seemed I was anticipating something different as all that really happened was my body being lifted up and drifting into an unknown direction, most likely to the nearest doctor. The pace was equivalent to a brisk walk, perhaps to not agitate any potential wounds. The whole while, the soft-spoken woman, I presume is Fluttershy, was speaking calmly to me, though I could hear the light tones of worry in her words.
"Don't worry, we'll get you a doctor and then you'll be back on your hooves in no time!"
Hooves? Last I checked I had feet.
What happened to me?
A few twists and turns told me we must be inside a city limits by now. Must not be any gates at its entrance like Riverwood or Balmora. As we passed in the city, I heard hoof steps everywhere. Some stopped and concerned voices picked up, most likely at my limp form being magically held in the air. I stopped trying to open my eyes long ago, though the urge to try to look around picked up again. However, I was going to wait for when we stopped moving. When we did, I heard a set of double doors opening. Odd, there are hoof steps in here as well. I filed that information away for later as a conversation struck up between my rescuers and what was presumed to be a doctor.
"Nurse Redheart, we found this stallion passed out by the Everfree Forest! He doesn't look injured though he can't seem to get up!" Her voice was laced with concern. Not injured? I should at least have open points in my armor and clothes that indicate fresh wounds. Wheels squeaked into earshot and I was placed onto a large cot so I could remain on my side.
"Thank you, Princess, we'll take it from here."
Princess?! Well, at least a monarchy around here would actually do something for their denizens. Directly is something different. Where am I? Am I even on Nirn? My thoughts continued in the same direction as my cot was moved away on those same squeaky wheels by Nurse Redheart, away from the Princess and Fluttershy. Finally, my cot came to a rest when two new voices began taking readings of some sort that only they would know. After about fifteen minutes, I felt a Sleep Spell being cast upon me. At first I though of resisting, but then my body convinced me to accept the spell. I decided it would be a good idea to stop needlessly wracking my mind when I couldn't actually investigate. Within seconds, I was back asleep.
~(☼~
Images flashed through my mind's eye. Broken, choppy. There were images of meadows, bright forests, and the sounds of mirthful laughter. Towards then end, however, the tone shifted. Shadows grew, laughter replaced with cries of worry, fight, or woe. The most prominent image at the end was a shadow silhouette of a head with ram's horns. A cowbell rang and the horns lit with a shadowy magic, the eyes opening to reveal horizontally-slit amber eyes glaring.
~(☼~
My eyes snapped open. Wincing, I decided to slam them shut again. Why is it so bright in here? Did they ever put out the lights? How did they get them so bright? Ever so slowly, attempting to acclimate my eyesight to the brightness of the room, I finally got a glimpse of where I was.
The walls and floors were tiled in bright, mostly neutral colors, white being the most dominant color. The ceiling was one solid piece of some material painted white. An orb of light was set in the ceiling, brightening up everything to an ungodly brightness. Reminded me of Dwemer technology if the lights were set to blinding. I was on a large bed with rails on the sides by my torso to aid in sitting up or prevent one from falling off to a degree. A green curtain was open showing the rest of the room. More tile of the same, a bed similar to my own, made and unoccupied, and a door out closed. Everything seemed angled and crisp. I wasn't sure how any of this was made to be so sharp and clean. It felt off. I shifted and rolled to my back and attempted to sit upright with difficulty. As I did so, everything spun and bile attempted to rise into my throat. Forcing that down, I rubbed the back of my head and rubbed my eyes with the backs of my-.
Are those hooves?
Slowly, I moved the appendages away from my face to get a better look at them. They were definitely that of a equine creature's hooves and the fur and skin color retained my original skin tone of an ashen blue. What caught me slightly off guard was the lack of arms, armor, and clothes. Even my small clothes were missing. Though considering I was now a four-legged hoofed creature, I presumed clothes are not in the norm. Sighing, I attempted to make for the edge of my bed when my door opened and a pony with white fur and light pink mane trotted in from the door.
"Oh, good heavens, your awake!" I remained silent and waited. I noticed her mane was pulled back into a bun save for some bangs where as her tail hung free. Upon her head sat a paper hat with a red cross and small pink hearts in the inset corners. Closer examination revealed that she had a mark upon both sides of her flank reflecting the same. She made for the foot of the bed and using her forelock she lifted a board with a metal clip on it which held papers and what looked to be a chart. After examining the chart, she looked back up and met my eyes.
"Are you okay, sir? Your eyes look...." She waved her hoof around lightly as her face scrunched in concentration.
"They aren't bloodshot, I assure you," I replied, "They're just like that."
"Oh. Um, okay," She took out a quill from the holder at the foot of the bed and jotted down more notes. "Anyhow, are you feeling better? Stiffness? Headaches both mundane or magical? Exhaustion?" As she prepared to write this down I realized she was perched precariously on her hind legs, though her legs weren't shaking. Shaking my own head, considered how to reply.
"Mostly stiff, though I believe that has something to do with not moving for about a day or more." I wasn't sure how to bring up that I wasn't an equine prior to waking up.
"That makes sense," she stated as she jotted the notes down, "Now, I want you to be honest with me on this next one, as it will help determine what treatment we can do to improve your recovery," I shifted around in the bed. "Now, don't worry, you won't get in trouble, but we need to know how to best treat you so you can recover properly. How did you end up outside of town passed out like you were?" she inquired, her face falling to worry. Seeing that look on her face reminded me of when the head priestess of Kynareth in Whiterun would speak to the local children when they got themselves hurt trying to climb to the roofs of buildings for bird eggs.
Biting my lower lip, "Honestly, I don't know how I got here," the mare simply waited for any potential continuation. I backed a bit, though unable to actually move, "I just recall being on the top of the tallest mountain in Skyrim. I had just finished fighting a dragon that wished to end all mortal life as we know it." Pausing, wondering how or if I should continue, I looked at the mare that needed to make the proper medical notes. She wasn't moving. Her eyes seemed to be a bit far off, though she returned to her senses after a while with a shake of her own head.
"Uh, Skyrim? Where is that?"
My expression softened and my head lowered to look at my new hooves. Quietly, I responded, "It's-- it's in Tamriel."
"I'm sorry, I've never heard of Tamriel. Is it far?" My heart felt as though the ground had given out to a small pit. I mumbled out a small affirmation. Never heard of Tamriel? That continent held the largest empire and was going through the largest civil strife I've ever witnessed in my few centuries on this mortal plane. "It may as well be on another planet if you've never heard of it."
Her brow furrowed as she wrote another line or two on the papers. Concluding, she put the quill down and started to trot on three legs out the door when she turned and spoke again, "I'll be giving these to your doctor as he reviews this. If you need me, just holler," Just as she was about to leave again, "Oh! I never gave you my name! I'm sorry, I'm Nurse Redheart."
"Pleasure, I am Shade."
Her brow furrowed once again, "No surname?"
"Afraid not. Never knew it nor my family."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
I waved my hoof dismissively at the notion. I grew weary of explaining. She spoke a soft thanks for answering her questions before trotting out the door.
Once I was sure she had left, I decided I needed to do a self-examination. After seeing her, I had reason to believe that her and the doctor would be examining me as though I was originally of whatever race I currently am. Although, my examination would only be to see exactly what I had become. Twisting around a bit and examining what I could see without a mirror, I could tell that my ears, hooves, and now tail were all indeed equine and most likely pony in nature, due to my slightly stockier than normal build. My mane and tail were the same dark, ashen color as my hair was. My ears were slightly pointed -- or more so -- for a pony due to my being a dark elf prior to waking up. What intrigued me the most were two new additions, and a subtraction.
First: I had a horn on my head, indicating that I was a unicorn. A squat unicorn pony. Perhaps that was why she inquired about the magic-induced headaches.
Second: I had a mark on my flank as well, depicting they common holy symbol of Azura, Daedric Prince of Dawn and Dusk. I have no idea where it had come from, though it appeared to show itself in my fur and faintly on my skin upon closer examination. The dark gold colors contrasting on my ashen fur.
Lastly: My scars were all missing. I know I had multitude of scars littering my body, mostly on my torso, spreading out thinner and thinner as the scars got further and further from my chest. I traced where one heavy slash across my stomach would have scarred from the Throat of the World, and older to a point in the center of my chest where I was hit with a paralytic arrow and a slash across my neck at my attempted murder, despite me not able to see there. Another point I simply stopped half-way through tracing in a semi-circular motion. My hoof began shaking and I had to look away and take a few deep breaths. I don't need to relive that. Placing my hooves in front of me, I couldn't help but stare, though anything to take my mind away from that part of my past.
How would I be able to hold anything? Would it be more efficient way of walking around on all fours? Could I even still cast magic? Now that I'm an equine, would my diet have to change? My body should be able to handle it now. At that last thought my stomach tightened and growled. That's right, it's been a while since I've eaten anything. I should wait for Nurse Redheart to return. Perhaps I could get a meal.
Almost on queue, the door I was expecting someone to walk through was covered in a light cyan magicka and gently swung open of its own accord. A yellow-furred unicorn stallion with brunette mane and tail strode in. He wore a white collared coat and a long instrument that hung from his neck that had a metal disc on one end and forked on the other. Upon his muzzle were a pair of small round spectacles. The glow from his horn matched that of the door which then faded as it closed behind Nurse Redheart as she trailed behind him. The glow then enveloped the board in Redheart's hooves as she handed it over to him. Is that how magic is done here? Must be a unicorn to grasp magic? The stallion cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Hello, Mr. Shade, I am Doctor Horse, your physician," he only paused a moment when I arched a brow at his name, "and I just want to do a couple of tests and then we can get you out of here." What followed was some simple exams compromising of him both physically and magically manipulating my limbs. There was some tertiary soreness, though it was slowly being relieved due to the movement. Finally, the last test.
"Okay, Mr. Shade, go ahead and levitate this quill and you'll be good to get out of here." Doctor Horse held up a quill in his left hoof and the board still in his magical field. Here goes nothing.
Focusing like I would with the spell Telekinesis, I felt my magicka charge and naturally head for my horn. I attempted to will the focus and cast the spell. A weak aura of magicka, a dark gold, attempted to envelop the quill. However it faded, and my vision blurred for a couple of seconds. "Are you okay? Don't try to force it, just yet," Doctor Horse insisted and began lowering the quill.
"No, one more try. Might still be a bit out of it," and with a new idea, I tried to imagine as though I were simply moving an arm and picking it up with a hand.
This time around, the tactic brought fruition, though if shakily. The quill, now fully enveloped, shook lightly as I focused and lifted it up at least a finger's length before I decided I aught to shakily lower it back into Doctor's hoof. He then smirked and wrote a few more notes. "Alright then, I believe we are all set here. Follow Nurse Redheart to the counter and she'll help you get signed out," As he turned about I shadily, though firmly got to the floor on all four hooves. All the way I couldn't help but contemplate how I got here.
Perhaps this princess I've heard might know where I could start.
I trotted out of the doors to Ponyville Hospital and into the town proper. As I suspected with the staff and visitors, there were nothing but technicolor ponies as far as my sight would allow. A small few looked my way, and a few of them looked relieved-- they may have seen me a while back being carried by the princess. Once reminded of her, I felt the need to give my thanks, though I wasn't twenty paces from where I started when a pink mare with darker pink, cloud-like mane approached my general vicinity.
"GAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
And as though she had teleported, she shot off faster than an arrow in flight to further in town. I peeled my ears from my skull and relaxed my widened eyes. To my astonishment, the ponies around me only looked in her direction with mild interest and then went about their day. Must be a normal occurrence for them. Resuming my movement, I searched the skyline for anything that would resemble a castle. After about a minute or two of wandering, I dare say I managed to find it.
A crystalline tree is certainly a unique design choice.
I strode up to the large doors that were inset to the large "trunk" of the building and I was about to knock when they lit up in a violet glow. Swinging inward, I caught the remnants of a conversation as a unicorn matching the magic she emitted was about the walk out of the doors.
"Now don't forget we have company coming over later-- oh, hello!" Her straight purple mane had a two strips of pink and lighter purple running through it respectively off center down her mane and tail. What intrigued me was the addition of a pair of wings that were folding to her sides. I opted for inquiring about that later.
"Hello, I'm searching for the princess that had assisted me the other day," I asked, only to realize my rough voice and formal tone may set me apart from the others within the providence. Not a day to realize how out of place I feel.
The mare seemed only mildly off-put at my tone, "Ah, yes, that would be me. My name is Twilight Sparkle and I'm the Princess of Friendship! I'm glad to see you're feeling much better, and only within a night!"
A small smile played upon my features, "I thank you for the sentiment, Princess," I did my best to keep my muzzle shut with the sheer number of questions that kept jumping into my mind. "I shall be going. I don't wish to intrude upon your lands." Right as I was raising a hoof to turn, Princess Twilight interjected.
"Oh, you don't need to go, you just got here!" Stopping my movement, I faced her once again, "Where would you go? Must be quite a distance from here if you have yet to hear about me being a princess." My momentary pause appeared to be enough of an answer for her. "Why not stay in Ponyville for a while?"
"Well, for one, I don't have any belongings on me-" under my breath I muttered 'again', much to my annoyance, "-so I don't have any way to pay for a room at the local inn. Another is I don't know anyone in the country -- let alone the town -- well enough to stay the night at their place." I attempted my to be gentle in my stare. "No stranger -- sane or otherwise -- is going to allow me to stay in their home. My only option is to leave and make a living for myself."
The princess ruffled her wings, unease painted on her muzzle. "Still, that shouldn't mean you have to leave town," she stated in an off-hand-- off-hoofed way, "Why not stay here at the castle? I have plenty of room and you won't have to worry about bothering any pony." I had opened my mouth to object, however was interceded. "Really, this place is huge, I'm still getting used to it and it feels kind of empty with three of us!"
"Only three?"
"Yup."
"Guards?"
"No?"
"Attendants?"
"No."
"Assistants?"
"One, though he's kind of like a baby brother, too."
I stood rooted to the spot. Royalty usually had troubles with either local populace or outside threats. Royalty and leadership typically had guards swarming their estate and at least one by their side. I nearly blurted out my next words carelessly.
"Perhaps then I could stay here. A-after all, you did say it was feeling empty."
"That's great! That way, in case you collapse again, you won't be too far away from help."
"Though I won't be squatting here. I shall earn my keep. I always do."
"You don't have to-"
I cut her off by holding up a hoof. "I must. If I don't, that will speak poorly of me to take advantage of your kindness."
She sighed in defeat, "All right then, if you insist. SPIKE!" I was grateful she shouted over her shoulder at the mere volume of her voice. It was almost half the power of a Thu'um! "Could you come here for a bit?"
"Coming!" A young male voice chirped up and I heard small reptilian feet slap across crystalline floor, claws clicking after with every step. I couldn't help but picture a young Argonian. Well, I was right in some respect of appearance.
They were indeed bipedal and plantigrade like most beast races these days, though his scales were purple with a green crest that ran down his spine to the tip of his tail, lighter green fins on the sides of his head. His underbelly was pale and the tail ended in a triangle point. His emerald eyes were similar to that of a cat's. There was a nagging feeling that he wasn't a humanoid reptilian alone, though I couldn't feel any malevolence from them in any sense. "What'cha need, Twi'?"
"Seems we have somepony staying with us for a bit while they get on their hooves! Could you give them a tour while I run those errands?"
"Sure thing!" Twilight's wings then opened and she took off, though for the life of me, I couldn't understand why she winged over to the forest. My musings were interrupted by the young hatchling. "So, my name's Spike, although Twilight hollering it probably clued you in," he chuckled lightly, "and you are?"
"I am known as Shade. Pleasure to meet you," I almost winced internally. Maybe I should consider changing my speaking habits? However, Spike didn't seem all that phased.
"Come on, then! I'll show you around the castle!" He turned to the side and let me in.
"A question, however," I asked as I walked in then motioned for him to lead the way.
"Shoot."
"Why make it look like a tree?"
Spike stumbled for a bit almost like wanted to stop or just realized something. "Oh, well, we didn't 'build' it, per say. Rather, the castle, uh, grew?" The statement-turned-question made me wonder if he didn't know how it was built, or simply didn't know how to explain. I can't blame him, even after aiding in building a Telvanni tower myself, I still don't have a clue how they are grown.
"No need to go into specifics," I consoled, "after all, there were some wizard towers in the region where I was from that were grown from giant mushrooms."
"HAH! Mushrooms! Oh the irony!"
Spike's outburst was a little out of the blue, until I thought about it for another half second. Mush-rooms. Oh Divines, were those wizards aware of the stupid pun or just oblivious to irony or humor? Recalling a prior Arch Wizard, the latter wasn't too far off. "Anyway, I should be telling you about these rooms!" Spike then returned to his original role as the guide and explained the rooms as we encountered them, number, and types in general.
This castle was bigger inside than it looked.
I can understand why the Princess would like more folks to be in here.
One tour later, I had rested my haunches inside one of the multiple libraries. This particular one pertained to overarching studies of magic. Seems they have different groupings here than the Collages I'm accustomed to. Though I faced the A Composite Guide to Magic I had picked out earlier for review, I couldn't help but lift my eyes and stare into the crystal wall in front of me. In the many facets of the wall, I could make out a distorted image of a bright and light-blue furred mare with wings to rival that of a hawk's and a prismatic mane and tail. I couldn't make out the mark on her flank due to the distortion, though I could easily tell by the wind from her wings and her breath that she was literally hovering over my shoulder, though for the reason alone to stare into the side of my head.
I know not what her intentions are, though if it were to distract me from reading on this realm's magic and annoy me to the furthest reaches of Oblivion, she had succeeded. It must have been a strange sight, however: The mare staring at me, whereas I faced my book, though stared at the wall to a reflection of her. The repetitive sound of her wings keeping her airborne began to cause me to reach my limit. She had been staring for hours, it seemed.
I swung my face to be directly in front of her's, if only to be a hair's width away as I stared into her magenta eyes, "What could you possibly want of me?" She visibly flinched and retreated a half-pace before steeling herself.
"Uh, suspicious pony? Appear in the middle of nowhere? Tries to find my best friend? Hangs out in her house while she's gone? Any of that seem suspicious to you?" Won't deny, that does seem strange, however she wasn't done just yet. "You're up to something, and I won't stop until I figure out what!"
"Oh, and, pray-tell, what do you suspect I may be?" Though I hadn't used it in ages, I did my best to lay the sarcasm on as thick as possible.
"I- I-, uh, I don't know, something!" Her final word was nearly shouted, frustration clearly written on her features. My eyes remained half-lidded as I starred back at here, still un-amused. A good and loyal ally to the princess, however she doesn't seem all that bright.
"Oh, so perhaps I'm an Illusionist bent on enslaving your princess's mind?"
My statement seemed to shock her. She attempted to speak though I wouldn't let her.
"Or perhaps a Conjurer that plans on using her as a sacrifice for a ritual? Perhaps an Elementalist wishing to test their spells upon her and test her durability? Or even a Necromancer wishing to use her power for my own end? Truly, if I were any of those things, I first off A) wouldn't tell you, B) wouldn't plan on exhausting myself to try to get close, as foolish an idea that is, C) would know exactly whom she was prior to arriving in town." During my rant, she had slowly lowered herself to the floor, curling into herself. "Honestly, I'm not sure how you even came to the conclusion that I'm 'up to something'." She had finally landed and thoroughly chastised. Perhaps she shouldn't jump to conclusions. "I know how it looks, it is strange. Though perhaps rather than jumping to your own conclusions, perhaps inquire the involved parties and get a larger picture to paint a clearer image for yourself." I turned back in attempt to resume the page, having lost my place almost an hour ago.
"I'm sorry."
Against my will, my right brow arched and a slight frown pulled at my face as I turned in my seat and faced her proper.
"You're right, I should have asked for your side, or asked Twilight for more information rather than racing here to keep an eye on ya," she stated as her head hung low. "I didn't even introduce myself, I just raced through the castle to find you and stare holes into your skull and annoyingly hover over you when you're clearly trying to, uh, what are you reading?" She blushed, looking all the more sheepish and far less hostile than earlier.
"Already you've apologized?"
"Wha- what's so surprising about that? I wasn't being very nice, so I apologized?" Genuine confusion etched in her features simple reflected my own.
I did my best to relax, "I believe it is my turn now: I'm sorry about the confusion. Where I'm from, folks don't work out differences so quickly."
"What, really?"
I couldn't help a light chuckle escape my throat, "Truly. Instead, the latest place I was, the locals had arguments that were prone to come to blows." The mare's eye went wide.
"No way! That's hard core! Uh, I guess that's why you're trying to tell me to 'beat it' in a way," she spoke a little more softly, which amounted to normal speaking volume.
"Not so much now, though I would like to make sure I don't look a fool when I attempt even a simple spell."
"Eh," she waved her hoof, "don't worry about it. Twilight could teach ya a thing or two if you need to brush up on anything! Just, be prepared for a pop quiz or tests and such." She was about to leave when she exclaimed and turned back. "Oh, sorry, I totally didn't introduce myself, still!"
"It's all right. You were preoccupied." She managed a weak laugh.
"Name's Rainbow Dash! Fastest flier in Equestria!" Her proclamation was quite far-fetched, though it may have some merit for how fast she had flown in earlier from the door to half-way across the library.
"Shade. A pleasure."
"Shade...." She waved her hoof expecting more.
"Yes, just Shade."
"Huh, yeah, why?"
"It's a long story and I'd rather not get into that detail-"
"Oh! Sorry, too personal, huh?"
"Quite alright, though, I do have a question."
"Shoot." Her wings shifted on her back and her chest puffed out. Just how confident was she of everything.
"She's clearly royalty, though you only call the princess by her name rather than including her title. Any reason for that?"
Confusion returned. "Really? That's all you wanna know?" I nodded. "Well, we've been friends for years. She wasn't always a princess. In fact, she doesn't really care if other ponies call her princess, either." My brow arched again. "In fact," she began with mirth in her voice, "She got all embarrassed when anypony called her Princess Twilight! Ha! It was hilarious!"
A light smirk found it's way on my mouth, "I'm sure she thought otherwise."
"Eh, she's probably over it mostly," she waved her hoof dismissively, "After all, we are friends." She turns to leave. "Sorry for interrupting your reading!"
I waved goodbye as she left in a bit more tame manner than her entrance -which still was exceptionally brisk- before resuming the book. As I turned to face it I had a realization.
"Oh, great. Not only did I lose my spot on the page, but I also don't know where that page went off to!"
~(☼~
The sun had lowered considerably by the time I had wrapped up reading. The composite guide was a great leaping off point and even pointed me in the direction of other works. It seemed a bit generalized in grouping basing off what the spells did, rather than their potential or power. The passive magic possessed by normal ponies -earth ponies- that is more in tune with the earth itself as well as weather and sky related magic for the flying ponies -pegasi- due to their nature of flight. Then of course us unicorn ponies with our ability to use magic in a plethora of manners. Magic that made things grow -size, age, or even literal growth of plants, hair, or similar-, transformed from one to another, summoning, earth, transformation, searching, light, various levitation magic and more. A fourth, and rarer, race were the alicorns. Winged unicorns that held the strength, skill, and magical capacity of the prior three races. The least information I found were on combat and dark magic, surprisingly. Setting the stack of books and tomes I had collected whilst in the library aside for later, I decided to ponder this whilst clearing my mind with a walk outside.
After a few wrong turns and a farewell to Spike, I began my walk around the town I came to know as Ponyville. I kept an eye around me to prevent from walking into any of the townsfolk as my mind wandered to the previous subject.
Why was there so little information on the Dark and Combat branches of magic? Seems the most viable there was were a beam of pure energy for combat magic, and base theories on dark. I had a few theories.
1) The local leaders restricted knowledge of combat magic and spells to the public for various reasons. 2) There was an actual lack of need for the common folk to know combat magic. 3) The more delicate or complicated spells were actually lost to time due to disuse with an increase of peace with how quickly disputes can be resolved prior to a potential fight breaking out. 4) Dark magic was equivalent in corruption as Necromancy or some of the darker conjuration rituals. 5) There is simply a lack of need for dark magic due to the more utilitarian use of light magic, it's counterpart. 6) These branches of magic were secluded to a group of casters that did not share their knowledge for any reason and thus reduced the capability and knowledge of these branches of magic and respective spells.
I would have continued were it not for a brief interruption from a very pink mare suddenly in front of my face, abruptly ruining my concentration.
"Hiya! Sorry I ran off like that earlier! I was just super excited to see you then I had a super idea so I needed to head home real fast then grab pretty much every pony in Ponyville and your the last one and will you come to Sugar Cube Corner pretty pretty pretty please!" Each word was said faster than the last as she leaned ever slowly in. Her light-blue eyes stared as deeply into me as they possibly could. Never had I met a mortal being such as her that could get a particular emotion from me. I'm not even sure what it is supposed to be due to my lack of familiarity with it. Not fear, gods no. Concern, I'd recognize, though this wasn't it.
I suddenly realized my haunches were on the ground and my ears stuck to the sides of my head. My eyes were beginning to strain with how wide they had gotten in my initial shock of her appearance. The most I could muster was a shaky affirmation prior to being dragged by the surprisingly strong mare. "Great! I promise, you'll have lots of fun! By the way, my name's Pinkie Pie! What's yours?"
"...Shade," still unsure how to respond to a woman -mare- like this. Only time I met someone this perky was when they had a penchant for swinging between docile and homicidal on top of being an immortal Daedric Prince.
"I like it! It fits you! You look like you could disappear into the shade of a tree without magic! That would be so cool to see! Do you think you actually could? Oh! What if you do have magic that does turn you invisible! Ah! That'd be so neat! Think you'll like it here in Ponyville? I think you'll love it and make lots and lots of friends! So many you wouldn't even know! I bet you have a few now! Here we are! Sugar Cube Corner! Go in! Go in!"
I attempted to make out most of what she was saying the whole trip though much I couldn't discern, prior to noticing the lights being out in the shop. I tried to speak up, thinking they were closed when she gave me a casual shove, nearly launching me into the middle of the shop floor. Were all earth ponies this strong? The moment I gathered my bearings and got onto my hooves, many things happened at once that I could only process once I found myself on my back on the floor again.
1) The lights were suddenly turned on to full brightness. 2) Every color that existed was on every equine that was in this store which had to have been most of the town. 3) Every one of them yelled "Surprise!" 4) I had been startled and attempted to get into a battle stance.
I ran number four through my mind again. I attempted a battle stance.
That I used to use prior to this world.
I fell on my back because I attempted to reach for a blade or bow that wasn't there.
Every pony that was there went quiet. Though I couldn't read minds, I could tell they were trying to process what had happened. Pinkie Pie either didn't care or was oblivious to it all, simply standing near me. "Welcome to Ponyville, Shade!" She pulled a conical hat with a string and attached it to her head and pulled out an instrument and blew into it. It sounded like a damaged horn. "You were super surprised, weren't you? I just knew you were!" I couldn't manage a retort, rather I laid there before I found the energy and will to get up.
~(☼~
Time had passed and at least twenty ponies I didn't know came up and introduced themselves. Each and every one of them had their own particular quirks, whether they be physical, psychological, or even magical. There were sweets of every kind I knew and thousands more I didn't know existed. There were party games, all of which I didn't recognize nor know the rules of. Everyone mingled and I did so in obligation when approached. Otherwise, I stayed to a corner, practicing the basic levitation which seemed to be inherent to every unicorn I've met thus far. However, as time passed, though the sun was setting, the colors seemed to get brighter, movement faster, and sound louder. All of it growing and growing into a roaring crescendo. It was proving to be a bit much. I finished my glass of water and placed the empty glass onto a random table and made for the exit. I took care not to make much sound or movement. I couldn't tell, though it seemed that I may have been able to walk out without anyone noticing.
I made my way outside and immediately I felt better. The twilight hour it currently was strengthened me. I couldn't help though wish that dawn and dusk lasted longer than just an hour. I sat on the step leading in off to the side so as not to trip anyone that wished to exit. It was a more familiar stance: on my hindquarters with my hooves in front of me, fore-hooves resting on what I could only presume what would be my knees. I stared at the sky, watching the stars emerge from their hiding as for a few minutes, both the sun and moon could be seen at once.
Moon to the left. Sun to the right.
Though I had to turn my head to see this better. The exit evidently faced south and both celestial bodies were behind me, though I did not want to turn around. If I were to.... Well, not sure where that thought was going, but I feel as though it might have been ridiculous. Though probably not to the level of ridiculousness that is Pinkie Pie or that of Ponyville itself. Everyone was so social. Even a few mares that appeared shy to some degree socialized with one another and a few outside their circle.
Perhaps retirement from adventuring was going to be harder than I thought.
"This spot taken?"
I was snapped out of my thoughts by a familiar voice as the speaker sat next to me. "Your Highness. I didn't know you stepped out."
Princess Twilight had a brief look that crossed her face. I wasn't able to examine it properly in the brief existence it had before a kind smile took over. "Any reason your out here? This is a Pinkie-Pie-Welcome-to-Ponyville-Party for you, you know?"
I couldn't help the sigh that escaped, "I figured as much, I just didn't expect the party nor the sheer numbers to attend at such short notice."
"Yeah," she chuckled, "I think nearly everypony in town is here!"
"Oh gods, I hope not," I stated, returning the mirth, "after all, there seems to be hardly enough room to house twenty ponies, let alone a couple hundred!"
"You'd be surprised at what extension charms are capable of." The arch in her brow made me suspect something. I decided to voice my theory.
"Now, Princess, don't tell me you had a hand -hoof- in planning this?" I pray she overlooks the slip.
Another chuckle, "Yeah, not really, I was just asked to refresh the spell -did you say hand?" Oh, damn it all.
I face-palmed. Then realized why I shouldn't really do that. "Ow." All the while, the princess was muttering at high speed. I didn't bother listening in, as she must have been processing everything. Then she swept a critical eye over my sitting position before jumping to all four hooves, flaring her wings, and letting out a loud gasp, "Were you a human?!"
"Wait, what?" Were there humans in this world? If so, why was I turned into this form upon arrival instead? What plausible theory had run through her mind? Before I could inquire further, her magic enveloped me as she bolted towards the castle, making sure I followed behind.
~(☼~
"A mirror. You dragged me here to see a mirror? Is there something you are trying to tell me, your Highness?"
After convincing her to at least get a message to the party planner, I found myself in a different library. This one for sciences, including the science and mystery behind magic. The prominent feature, however was a large, full-length mirror. The frame was purple and horseshoe-shaped with gemstones lining around the edges. There was a decoration on the top of it of a pony rearing within an upright horseshoe, and the pedestal also had horseshoe motifs all along the base. What I could tell was not of the original mirror was what surrounded it: boxes upon boxes of machinery, all connected with either some form of tubing or lines. Just above the rearing pony was a rest for a tome, which was a bit too high up and obscured by said machinery and the glow of magic as it was activated for me to get a good look at the cover. Her Highness was already in front of the mirror. "I just want to test a theory! Come on, this way!" She approached to step through it as though it were a doorway before pausing, "Oh, and it may be jarring at first so, don't freak out." With that, she turned back to the mirror and as though the surface were water, it rippled as she entered the glass before disappearing.
I did not have a dignified look. My mouth was drawn tight with the corners in a frown and my eye held a light glare. I had to now retrieve here. With the glowing glass still active, I threw all caution to the wind and plunged through as though it were a portal to Oblivion itself.
I then found myself rocketing towards an unknown destination and at such a speed, I though I was being stretched. I won't deny, my eyes widened at the sensation, though I didn't have time to cry out in alarm or worry for myself. She may know what's on the other side in general, though she won't know whom. On top of that, I doubt she would go back through the portal expecting me to be following her at any moment.
The stop was jarring. I lurched forward as most of my momentum halted before falling to the ground. "Oh! That didn't look pleasant, are you okay?" I lifted my torso up and attempted to gather myself. Gradually, a woman came into focus. Once I could get detail, it appeared to be Princess Twilight as if she were given a human body, though her skin and hair retained her fur and mane colors respectively. She was kneeling down and lowering a hand to aid me up. Accepting, we got me to my feet.
I wavered only for a few moments, mostly to shake off the effects of the sudden transportation. I had noticed that during the transport, we had also -thankfully- been given clothes. Mine were a set of simple commoner's clothes, a brown and green set of belted tunic and pants with buckled shoes. Her's, however was bright. A skirt that was a darker purple than her fur with her mark upon it, tall matching boots, a white shirt with puffed, short sleeves. Looking around, I noticed that we were at a building with the lettering Canterlot High, though I could not ascertain it's purpose. Behind me must be the return portal: a shining surface of marble which was a base to a pegasus rearing, wings open and ready to take flight. I turned back to the princess, her eyes wide with excitement and expecting my reaction.
"Where in Oblivion are we?"
She almost deflated literally, "The human world, I thought you might have seen something familiar to some degree here. I mean, to think, another potential portal?" I decided to cut her off before she could rant again.
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, though I recognize none of the structures or similarities in architecture, and I've been all over Tamriel," I walked forward and motioned to the large building, "I don't even know the purpose of this structure!" I sighed, and ran a hand over the side of my head for a two-fold reason. 1) I truly needed to calm myself as this was getting to be a bit much in one day and 2) I needed to see if my ears were pointed and I was back to myself.
They were not. They were rounded like a human's. I restrained a sigh.
"I'm sorry." Again, I could not help though appear surprised. I looked up and faced the princess. "I kind of get gun-ho with my theories and trying to either prove or disprove them in one manner or another. Guess I got carried away again. Can you forgive me?"
Sighing, "Of course I can, you only did what you thought was right." This was getting a bit strange, though speaking with both Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash did help me confirm that ponies were quick to make up and resolve problems as opposed to hold a grudge or start a fist-fight. Well, I guess hoof-fight?
She chuckled, "Okay, let's go back then. Didn't have much of a reason to come here rather than show you the other side of the portal. I'd like to be able to use my magic," and she started for the portal.
"One moment," I turned around for another look, "I'd now like to test a theory." Her Highness did so, stopping in front of the portal and facing me. After a brief inspection, I found a suitable target. A small border stone for a flower bed. I raised my left hand, and in a practiced motion cast Telekinesis. Though I didn't have a unicorn's horn and it's strange finesse, the feel of the spell was familiar and not unpracticed, though feels as though it was now closer to the accuracy of the foreign appendage. Even the spell reflected the glow from my horn. The rock I was focusing on shakily rose within the field and with a flick, raced back to my stretched palm. I couldn't help a confident smirk knowing that anywhere, I could still use magic. Princess Twilight, however, was quite comical with her expression. Her eyes and mouth were wide with shock as she slumped over, barely standing on both legs. "Your Highness? Are you alright?"
"What? How?! When? Why? Where!?" Soon, nonsense began to spill from her mouth as she incoherently babbled, attempting to grasp the situation. It appears that magic -unlike Equestria- was not practiced here. Now I have to calm her down before we can get through the portal. Then I myself owe an apology to Pinkie Pie for leaving the party she took time to throw.
It took a while, combining time for me to hoist a semi-coherent woman over my shoulder and through the portal and peel the two of us off the nearby wall, though I finally got the royal mare to calm enough for her to ask a question that didn't get muddled in gibberish.
"How?! How in Equestria -no- in all of Equus, did you use magic without a horn?!"
I reflected on her reason for her panic.
If, as a human, I could just wave my arm and flick my wrist in practiced motions to get an effect equivalent to a unicorn's horn, could that mean any pony could learn practical magic to some degree? I hummed at the thought.
"Hrm? Why hrm? Oh, Celestia, please don't tell me you don't know and just guessed!" Her mane was fraying about and sticking out every which way in a manner that made her seem comical, were it not somewhat depressing that all my work in calming her was quickly doing an about face.
"Now, your Highness-"
"Don't 'your Highness' me! You just broke every rule about using magic to start with when you did that stunt over in the human world!" Orc panic attacks barely phase me, Nord panic attacks I can remain impassive about, and most Altmer-originated ones are down right hilarious to me. The sight of an alicorn princess in the midst of one -regardless of her coat and mane colors- certainly put me on edge. There was something about her that made me feel that way.
"Perhaps breathing would clear the mind?" I felt as though my original expression of alarm when Pinkie Pie made a repeat appearance.
She let out a weak, humorless laugh, "Sorry, I got carried away again. I haven't done that since I tried to figure out how Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense worked!" I opted to inquire about that later should I get to it. "If you don't have an accurate explanation, that's okay. I was just caught off-guard that you could do that!"
A long sigh escaped my mouth, "I do apologize, though I think what I may have to say about that might be a bit much and long winded for the night. If I guess right, I believe it's well past time for rest." As I say, I turn around and find a window, seeing that the entire sky was darkened for the hour and a light glow of a solitary moon hung in the sky. Turning back to the Princess, she was mid-blush.
"Right, right. Sorry. I'll bother you with that in the morning, though I would love some answers then. Did Spike show you which room you'd be staying in?" A simple nod appeared to allay any potential worries she may have had. "Good. Well, I think I aught to head to bed, as well. Goodnight!" I waved a hoof back and watched her go before returning my attention to the mirror itself. Such a powerful artifact, and yet useless save for transporting one's self to a "distorted" mirror realm. I then turned away and attempted to find my room. I managed to find it after walking into a broom closet about twice and a latrine once.
~(☼~
I awoke lightly disoriented, forgetting the world I awoke to for only a few minutes before returning to this strange reality. The only thing that annoyed me for now was this strange headache that seemed to move about within the forefront of my skull. Dismissing it the best I can, I ambled about in a poor attempt at searching for the kitchen. My mental map seemed detailed enough, if only my surroundings weren't quite so similar. It took about thirty minutes for me to locate it. It took about another thirty to locate ingredients and change recipes due to the vegetarian nature of this new realm. I ended up settling for apple cabbage stew. It was one of the few that I knew and apples were in abundance, where as the cabbages appeared to be on their last legs. I was adding some spices to the pot as a flash of golden light appeared behind me with a strange springing sound. The voice was like a madgod's that I know, though smoother and lacking any accent. I did not accidentally add too much spices.
...The surprise made me drop the whole container in.
"Whoops! Sorry about that. Just wanted to visit the new tenant! Where are you from, anyhow?"
My eyes half-lidded again as I turned around to face the person -pony- that teleported in.
There was no one there. Not by the door, at the table, nor the hallway. Just a tea set-
-that wasn't there when I got in.
It was something that a particular daedric prince would own: everything mismatched. A typical-styled ceramic teapot decorated to look like a goat's head with red irises and yellow sclerae and the mouth twisting into the spout, blue knotted horn and deer antlers twisted together to form a handle with a short, dark mane as decoration, ears forming the cover for the pot. A yellow lion's paw and eagle's talon made up two of the cups. The other two were a green reptilian leg and a sable goat's hoof. The creamer pot was brown with a maroon-scaled tail with silver tuft at the end forming it's handle. A sugar pot was made with intertwined blue bird's wing and purple bat's wing. The silver tuft was also found as a goatee and eyebrows on the main pot.
"What? Not your cup of tea?"
Another spring sound following a snap barely registered in my mind as yellow light engulfed the set for a second and was replaced by a being made of all of those things. Even the irises remained two different sizes now that I saw him look at me. The ache in my right forehead was back, though a new one was starting up in my left.
A lion's paw waved in front of my face. "Hello? Anypony there?" Normal snapping from the lion's paw. "You're stew's on fire." A frown appeared on his muzzle. A snap of light materialized a black and white wooden board with a small black and white stripped ruler on it hinged so it will close. A strange hat adorned his head as he spoke, "Okay, reaction on the strange new unicorn, act two! And~ action!" With a clack, the ruler fell in front of my face. It was loud enough I needed to shake my head. I looked up and down the strange being, his paw and talon now on his sides, as if they were on his hips were his body not so elongated.
"Honestly, you process nearly as quickly as the writer types out this story!" A mocking smirk appeared on his face as he made eye contact with a section of the wall.
"That's it. It's official." Again. "I've gone mad."
Now it was the creature's turn to arch his brow. "I beg your-"
"Okay, Sheogorath, you win! Where are you. Let's get this over with so I can go home." I began looking around in unconventional areas: under the table, the counters, in the cupboards, inside the items in the cupboards, underneath the stove, in the flaming pot-
"Oh gods above!" I instinctively slammed a hoof on a lid and slammed it over the pot. I then looked at the lid then back at my hoof before dismissing it to mania. Smoke billowed from the lid's rim and began to form in the creature's shape again.
"Oh, no need to get so burned up about it. Also, you know Sheo? No pony here had ever heard of him before? How'd you meet?" Smoky arms formed and he rested upon his "hands" with his elbows upon empty air in rapt attention, "I simply must know."
I just sent a glare his way and using my magic, lifted the pot lid and aired the smoke away, dispersing it. "Won't air your grievances, then?" He reformed wearing a strange white outfit with a glass dome over his head. "Well, that's fine, when I met him first he was as much a space cadet as he is now. A lot had changed." Another flash of light as the outfit disappeared and he was an animated statue, "However, over a thousand years stuck in stone will do that to a pony. Or in my case-" another snap and his stony form dispersed and he was his "normal" self again, "-draconequus."
I stopped looking around. "Draconequus? What on Oblivion is that supposed to mean? I know it's what you are, by what you've stated, though-"
"Oh, just a dragon-pony hybrid with a whole lot of other neat things thrown in and a penchant for Chaos Magic," the draconequus flourished, pulling up balls of swirling colors that changes every half second with no determinable pattern before vanishing them. "Name's Discord, former element of Disharmony and ever-current Bringer of Chaos, and you are?"
A few beats passed before I stated, "Done," and surprising myself, blacked out.
~(☼~
I awoke gasping and sputtering after a torrential downpour of freezing cold water drenched me. Discord was above me with a large, orange barrel with the word 'Gatorade' written in large, white letters. I sent a glare and I growled at him, "Don't. Do. That. Again."
Unamused, the draconequus rolled his miss-matched eyes and tossed the barrel as it made an odd clatter and vanishing in the distance, "Oh puh-leese. Like that's scary." He looked directly at me then closed his eyes. "Seems you need to talk with a professional."
"A professional, what?" I was nearly interrupted when he snapped his eagle claw and suddenly I was dry and reclining on the strangest long chair-bench combo and he was in an over-stuffed, high-backed chair wearing a pair of half-mooned spectacles and the strangest three-piece suit I've yet seen in my life, and that wasn't even taking the ever-changing pattern as I looked at it each time. In his paw and talon were a pad of paper and a long, sharpened piece of wood set at the pad, ready to write. "Now, tell me how you feel?"
"That this is ridiculous, what are you even doing?"
He adjusted his glasses, "Well, trying something different, but seems I need to be a better friend first before you'll open up." A snap of his talon returned everything to their original position. Even the stew was back to smelling like it had been, only with the right amount of spice. "I suggest talking to some pony that's earned your trust and won't freak out like you just did." He shrugged, "Ah well, better without anyone else watching, right? Anyhow, I'd best be off. Chaos to spread with the best of intentions, and all that. Tootles!" With a wiggle of his claws on his paw, he suddenly spiraled in on a point and disappeared with a pop.
"Yeah, I don't think there's any amount of liquor that will help with that encounter."
~(☼~
After eating my fill and finding where I could store the left-overs (enchanted ice-box, why didn't we think of that?) I walked around, exploring the castle, only mildly disappointed in the lack of alcohol. After about an hour exploring, I found myself in the main hall. To my right were the main doors to the outside, to my left however was quite the sight to behold.
A large crystalline table was surrounded by six large chairs and a seventh smaller chair directly next to the one with the same mark that adorned Twilight's flank. Upon closer inspection, they all had marks upon them, save for the smaller chair. One had three red apples, another had three pink butterflies, another with three blue diamonds, one had a white cloud with a tri-colored lightning bolt of primary colors, and final one with three balloons with one yellow and two bright blue. Above the table was a large set of tree roots, acting as the base of a chandelier, crystals that shimmered when light hit them. If I squinted, I thought I saw images of ponies in them, most with smiles on their faces. I made my way up to the table and it seemed to hum with magic. I backed away from it. I was already overwhelmed when Discord decided to show me Chaos Magic. Not sure what was in this table, but I didn't want to find out and be overwhelmed again. I turned and was about to walk away when a light pinging was heard from the table. I couldn't help an audible groan escape my throat. Was my self-control slipping that badly? Was I under that much stress? Such a thing hasn't happened in ages. I debated with looking back when the front doors were knocked open roughly and two mares walked in. Princess Twilight and a cream yellow pegasus with soft pink mane so long I wondered how she didn't trip on it. The mark on her flank matched one of the chairs. Three pink butterflies.
"Okay, let's see where the map needs us today!" The princess's voice caused me to turn about. On the surface of the table was now indeed a map. Princess Twilight's and the other mare's marks floated above a certain point. I stepped closer for another look.
It was directly over this castle.
"Huh." I looked at the surrounding areas. A large mountain with a castle and buildings to the north with a waterfall, to the west of Ponyville was a small, arid town. Further west were basically badlands. To the far north was a crystal castle and buildings in a circular formation like the Imperial City, to the west were multitudes of large towns on the coast, one on top of clouds. To the east were towns similar, though the north-eastern one had a statue of a pony on it's hind legs holding aloft a torch in it's right hoof and a small tablet held in the crook of it's left leg. The whole thing was green and had a spiked crown of sorts. All in all, I wondered about the names of these cities.
"Really? Somepony at the castle? That's different." Princess Twilight's outspoken thoughts jarred me out of mine. She had looked to her friend.
"Maybe it's Starlight struggling on a friendship lesson? Or Spike needs some help?" Her voice was soft and familiar. I kept a mental note on that.
"Or," the princess pauses lightly as she turned towards myself, "maybe it's somepony new?"
“What?” Seems most days my expression is deadpan and my tone is hovering between that and annoyance. The two mares looked towards each other then back to me.
“So,” the princess drew out the word before continuing, “any troubles lately of the friendship variety?” Her face was then dominated by a massive forced smile.
If it was possible to deadpan further, I have elevated beyond that. “Know where I can train offensive magic?”
“Everfree Forest just south west, but anyway-” She never finished her sentenced as I closed the palace doors behind me.
I really need to clear my head. Everything was swirling and I wanted to cast in the way that was natural for me. I walked briskly to the gnarled forest line in the direction her Highness stated and started scanning the brush for clearings, rocky areas, and dead plant life. I saw a tree carved into a hut across a patch of blue flowers. I nudged the flowers with a good before deciding that waltzing all the way through them may not be the best idea. Who knows if they have thorns. After an hour of searching, I found a perfect spot. A large dead trunk in a rocky clearing just off center yet away from the tree line. I did one final sweep of the area to see if any animals were nearby. My assessment complete and satisfactory, I stood in the clearing furthest from the tree and attempted to stand on my hind legs.
Off balance is definitely expected and falling only twice was surprising on its own. Next was the motions to move the magicka from myself to pool into my hands-now-hooves. The Firebolt spell I was attempting started out as anticipated. A few more to charge it. The flame grew. I thrust put my hoof and expected the bolt to fly off.
Nothing.
“Oh, come on!” I flung my hoof to the ground as quickly and repetitively as I could though it would not launch. Arching my right brow and discovering the source of my headaches I looked directly at the spell. Upon being acknowledged it hit me square in the face.
Hurt about as bad as it used to. At least that’s still the same as well.
“Grrrrrr-aaaaaaaahhhhh!!”
Right strike, left blow, two right kicks, a slash at throat-night, a stomp, three slams-
I stopped my flurry and rested my front hooves against the tree. I took note that they could be useful for something. I rested my head on the tree as best I could as a sigh escaped my muzzle. Around that time, some bushes rustled and a small squeak was emitted. “It's all right. I won't hurt you.” I never bothered to lift my head off the tree until I turned to the figure that was now emerged from the brush.
Backwards.
Facing a large wolf made of still-green wood and bark.
“Get down!” After bellowing the order and seeing the cream yellow figure drop to their belly I channeled a stronger fire spell through my horn and launched it.
It blasted with success.
My horn hummed with magicka and heat of the fire spell before I snapped my attention to the wooden wolf as it lunged for me.
My mind nearly went blank as we wrestled upon the ground and I found it wasn’t just made of bits of wood, but also held together my magic which animated it. Such lack of purchase my hind glove had on its belly brought me back to the present between it's growls and barks. My front hooves were keeping its jaws at bay. Seems they need to be solid to bite down. “Why-” I kicked out my hind legs. “-do you-” Another buck attempt “-even need to-” Another attempt. “eat?!” The final word was punctuated with a head-butt. Though my horn ached, I’m sure they didn’t like their head impaled. A right hook briefly scattered it’s face long enough for me to get out of the pin it had me under. Using Telekinesis, I attempted to fling as much of it as far as I could.
As luck would have it, I could only throw the whole beast about five yards.
Eh, good enough.
I ran over to what I finally recognized as one of Princess Twilight’s friends. Rather than search for a name, I do my best to lift her up with my remaining limited magicka.
“Hurry! We have to leave! I didn’t do much to the beast!” The urgency in my voice must have made the winged mare understand the urgency of “must not be here” and shot up so fast her head nearly collided with my jaw had I not pulled back. We ran through the forest at a break-neck pace. I nudged her with my shoulder and ran along side her so as to make sure she was just so ahead of me that I should shove her out of range of an attack-.
That was looming over us now.
I checked her hard and she was thrown out of the vile hound’s leaping bite where I threw myself into it. I ended up activating a recent bloodline ability with a yell that most dark elves my age recall, as my coat was lit ablaze with a flame that did not harm me.
That did not stop the flames from charring the wooden flesh of the wolf.
It whined out a loud howl and let go of my shoulder, making a perfect replica of an old wound….
A deep growling brought me to the present followed by a small, sharp gasp. I did not wish to reveal this power, though it’s the latest I have to aid us.
The first words of power I fully learned.
I growled out the words like a true dragon. “Fus, ro DAH!” The force of the shout not only launched the wooden hound away, but also scattered the pieces it was made of in a cone out in front of me as far as thirty meters! Or perhaps that had already been there? I shoved that thought aside when I recalled there was a pegasus mare nearby that may have been frightened by that display of power. “Miss?! Are you-?” I was interrupted by her blank stare as she looked at where the wolf was. I shakily got back to my hooves and limped over to here. “Miss, it’s not safe here, it could have had a pack nearby and I just drew the attention of the entire forest with that Shout. We have to-”
“That was amazing,” she softly spoke in a small voice. Now that I hear her better, she does sound familiar. I shook the thought from my mind.
“Yes, it was, though I can only do that so often before ripping up my throat. We have to get back to town, now!”
“Right! Of course, sorry! Um, we should definitely go now!” And with that, we moved as quickly as I could and ran back to town.
~(☼~
The Princess of Friendship was very upset -not that I had run off so quickly to the forest- but that I had nearly gotten eaten by a Timberwolf.
Really? That’s what they’re called?
I sat upon the now inactive map in the main room, Princess Twilight hovering over me as I sat like a pony rather than my preferred method as I was attempting to be decent in front of two nice mares and anyone lacking actual clothing. My crack at it “failing miserably even if it had succeeded” was met with a thwack to the side of my head with a purple hoof. Fifteen minutes later and a roll of linen wraps ensured that my shoulder was going to heal just fine.
“You know, I could get Dr. Horse over here to look at that and heal it for you-”
“No.”
She stared at me blankly.
“What?”
“I said ‘no’,” I stated for her. “I used to have a scar there before. It was a reminder, “don’t freeze when you see those beasts”. Well, now I have it back, and I’d rather not loose it lest I forget.” Fallible logic, sure. However, it seems to work for me. A heavy scar wasn’t forgotten and a grave mistake never repeated. Obviously, Princess Twilight didn’t buy it.
“Yeah, no. You don’t need a scar for that.”
“I would prefer it. After all, it’s worked before.”
“Wait, what have you been fighting?”
I took a moment of thought. “You don’t really want to know.”
“Yes, I do.”
Oh, no.
Oh gods, don’t let her be like Jasper.
“And I won’t let it rest until you tell me!”
She is.
Upon being reminded of my old magic student-turned-archmage, a rare smirk that was becoming less so appeared and I brought up a subject from before, “Alright, however, information for information.” I resisted wincing. That sounded too close to Hermaeus Mora for my tastes.
“Okay, let’s start with where you’re from.”
“I’d like to hear this, too, Twilight.”
Oh, right. She’s still here.
Fluttershy -having relearned her name when Her Majesty spoke to her- seemed like such a nice mare. Kind and gentle. I did not want her to hear of Tamriel and how war-torn it can be, even in just a short thirty-year time span from the Great War between the Aldmeri Dominion and the rest of Tamriel. “Are you sure? What I have to tell may not be for the faint of heart.”
I saw a determination in her eye as she straightened the best she could, “I’m sure I can handle it. I faced a lot when I was helping to save Equestria with Twilight and all my other friends!” She nearly deflated completely next, “I mean, I couldn’t have done it without them, really. So, if Twilight’s going to learn, then, I guess I can, too! Um, if that’s okay with you?”
My expression was between what I could only assume as amusement and concern. “Alright then. What do you wish to learn first?”
“Okay,” the Princess started, “How about you tell us about this Tamriel, and we’ll tell you what we know about Equestria?”
I slowly looked between the two. “A good place as any to start.”
After what seemed ages, Princess Twilight, Fluttershy, and I myself had finally gotten though learning the basics of our respective worlds. Her world had one moon and sun controlled by princesses of the night and day where as mine had two moons and we speculate move across the void of space due to gravity or will of the gods. And we still aren’t sure which, I though grumpily. Everyone having marks on their flanks was a cutie mark and was a sort of right of passage for growing girls (fillies) and boys (colts) to find their special talent and place in life. Mine we had no such luck in interpreting it. I honestly don’t know why a mark of Azura’s would appear on my flank. Magic was interesting to talk about with the princess. Turns out, her talent is magic, and right now she was levitating a scroll and quill to write down the information provided. So far, she had a scroll on each college of magic, including mysticism, two on animals, and one on a brief synopsis on various conflicts. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was in tears with how she had heard of the multitude of vicious animals prone to hunting sapient beings. We also compared our respective knowledges of magic. We ended up on recent events down that line of thought.
“So, that recent rumble, that held a lot of magic in it, though I couldn’t tell what it was before it disappeared. What was that?”
“That would be what is known as the Thu'um, or Shout, in common tongue,” I calmly explained, “and it's used either by masters after decades of training, or mortals with immortal souls. These are called Dovahkiin.”
“Dovahkin?” Fluttershy chirped up as she so rarely did save for a query on animal and plant life in Tamriel. “That sounds scary.”
“They are, for the dragons of Tamriel.”
“Oh! Oh! Another scroll!” And with that, the princess tossed her current scroll from her magic and plucked up another blank one in its place. The eager look on her face for knowledge was mildly off-putting. I did not let it show.
“Dragons, in Tamriel, are large reptilian beasts. Sentient and with their own language, they had once ruled over mortals with an iron talon,” I slipped into a lecture/story mode, “though it wasn’t always to be this way. You see, dragons are immortal as after they die a physical death, their souls don't leave their bodies.” Princess Twilight's eyes widened and Fluttershy gasped. “Instead, the soul sits waiting for another dragon to come by and use it's Thu'um to bring them back. To be honest, with flesh on their bones, it would probably look like they were waking up.” I took a brief pause before continuing, “It was because of this, dragons there thought that they were destined to always rule after mortals. However, there were some mortals that were then born with a soul of a dragon. They are called Dragonborn, or Dovahkin.”
“So, that rumble, was that because of training under a Dovahkin or Thu'um master?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“Pardon?”
I took a deep breath, “Yes, I trained under masters, but also no, because that was a completed Shout. Also, I am a Dovahkin,” and I braced impassively for a response.
“Oh, okay- wait, what?!”
“I'm not sure how Dovahkin come to be, though, I can shout without decades of training.”
“That's what you did, then,” Fluttershy spoke up. “You shouted that Timberwolf apart!” Though “spoke up” was still just below normal speaking volume for this mare.
“Yes. It is also possible to do other things with this power, though those that don’t have the soul of a dragon cannot learn as quickly as I did. It takes years to even grasp the concept of the first word of a shout for most.”
“That’s, impressive,” the princess stated, almost numbly. Not sure if she was mildly disappointed that I may not be able to properly teach her or if she was trying to process it all. “Wait! I have an idea!” Perhaps not. “You could teach Spike!”
“What?”
“Teach who what now?”
All of us turning to my left saw said young dragon, a look of confusion about his scaly features. He then pointed to me and inquired, “And why are you on the table?” It seems myself and the princess both had forgotten about my wounds whilst exchanging what we knew. Thankfully, I was all wrapped up and I jumped down -taking care to land on three hooves instead of all four- and addressed the problem.
“I don’t know if I can teach him to Shout.”
“But he’s a dragon,” the princess explained, “surely-”
“Ah, true, but a different kind of dragon. I’m not sure if he can learn to do as I do.”
“Well, there’s no harm in trying, right?”
“Wait, why do I need training in yelling? I can do it just fine!” To prove his point, he puffed up with a deep breath of air, only to have his scaly muzzle wrapped in a magenta aura muffling his cry.
“Not that kind of shouting, Spike. The magic kind.”
“Oh, okay.” A few beats passed before he flinched and exclaimed, “Wait, what?! You mean I could learn magic?!”
“Maybe,” I stressed, “though first off, that should be delayed for a while. I am injured, and it takes energy and time to train as it does to heal from wounds.”
“Aw…”
Favoring my left foreleg, I hobbled around and began to head for the door. “Wait, where are you going?” Fluttershy questioned.
“Out to find a quiet place to meditate,” I replied, “I can't just sit around and do nothing. Also, I don’t feel as though the castle's a good place for meditation.”
“Uh, why?” Princess Twilight sounded almost hurt at that.
“I mean no disrespect, your Highness, though an out of the way place is better than an easily accessed one.” I turned to the dragonling. “I may be able to give you a head start if you come with me, Spike.” Eager claws on crystal clicked after my hoofsteps as I began my search for a meditative place.
~(☼~
It took a while, though I finally found a place that was perfect. It was close to a cottage that looked as though a druid resided in it, so I wasn’t too far from someone in case someone became injured again, as the Everfree Forest was still close by. I learned Fluttershy lived there upon seeing her walk to the front door and wave shyly to me before entering. The quiet mare shouldn't cause any disturbance. I sit on the ground cross-legged, straighten by spine, and place what I believe my wrists to now be on my knees. A little tricky as a pony, but not impossible. I kept my eyes open and waited for Spike to mirror my movements. Once he did, his claws automatically had his index claw and thumb closed together.
“Now, first this is first. You must know the word and meaning of a Shout,” I began, “as failure to do so will fail in properly Shouting.” An eager nod. “Alright, then. Let's start with Yol. Fire.” Spike then groaned audibly.
“Come on, I know about fire. I’m a dragon!” He waved his scaled arms in protest.
I glared back at him, “Then perhaps you’d care to tell Twilight how you injured yourself Shouting or how you didn’t learn anything to tell her about it.” I was met with a tangible silence and his eyes slammed shut. “Very well.”
“Breath. That’s the main key to it. Fire requires breath. Air. Where I am from, the wind is called Kyne’s Breath. The breathing of a goddess. In. And out,” I stated as I began to follow my own instruction and too, closed my eyes. “Fire. It burns all it touches, reducing most to cinders, others liquid rock or metal. Other time, simply providing light as a torch, or even a simple candle or a spark. Meditate on this meaning, within and without. Understand the nature and relationship is has with you, especially as a dragon. Heat-resistant scales. Fire-breathing. Let your natural breath improve the flame within.” The flame within me grew warm, and I sensed a light warmth coming from Spike as well. “Now picture yourself within the source of fire. The heart of the flames. Within a campfire. Now a furnace, a wildfire. You are within it, and it, within you. Both unharmed by either. The fire large, yet stagnant in size.” The heat from Spike was starting to grow at an alarming rate. “Now what is... going… on….” I couldn’t form the words proper as a small emerald inferno surrounded the dragon, only lightly scorching the ground underneath himself.
“What? Should I open my eyes? Am I doing it?” The moment his focus ended, so did the flames. His eyes opened, and his disappointment was palpable. “Aww, man. I thought I had it. What are you looking at like that?”
Just realizing my jaw was slack, I corrected with an unintentional clack. “Perhaps you did better than you thought." I pointed a hoof to the scorch marks surrounding him. “The flames were controlled, yet intense. Perhaps I may be able to teach you to Shout.”
“Wahoo!”
“Once I’m healed, hatchling!” I stated, laughing.
“Oh! Right.” Though sheepish, the young dragon was still excited. A training plan began forming. Princess Twilight would be eager to learn this.
Spike’s stunning progress stunned me. Even Spike’s normal fire breath improved due to his training, increasing considerably in size. He alternated between practicing the flame and speaking with me.
“Really, I could probably take on a manticore now!” He puffed out a brief emerald fireball the size of a troll’s head.
“Now take care not to burn anything around you. Dragon fires are a bit more dangerous than normal flame.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Twilight’s been telling me, only, my whole life.” Another fireball.
Chuckling, I hobbled myself alongside him as he tested his flames. Then my ears perked up as I heard something odd from the forest. I swiveled them trying to pinpoint the sound.
Thump-thump, thump, thump.
It repeated steadily and reminded me of my wounded self. Was this pony walking on the injured leg? “Spike, hold.”
“So, then I- What?”
“Wait here,” I said sternly. I charged my horn with a fire spell and slowly made my way to the sound. It increased in noise steadily. Whatever it is was indeed headed this way. Parting some brush, I entered the forest we were near. I need not go much farther, as only twenty paces away was indeed a wounded pony.
So injured, they should have stayed in their grave.
I heard a gasp beside me. I turned and noticed Spike with his jaw slack and eyes wide. I rolled my own and cleared my throat. He jumped a little. “I thought I told you to stay.”
“You told me to hold. There’s nothing to hold over there.”
I resisted the urge to facepalm -no, it was a facehoof, now- as I turned back to the undead pony. It was either barely mindful of its surroundings, or there was good magic piloting it, as it had noticed our presence and had opened its muzzle in a groaning moan. It shambled even faster. My spell had winked out being distracted by Spike’s appearance reignited on my horn before I lobbed it at the zombie. It was joined by a fair-sized emerald fireball as both crashed into the creature, burning a hole into the core of the zombie, forcing it to fall apart. I then heard retching. Poor Spike must have never seen nor heard of such a being. At least he didn’t regurgitate lava.
“Oh man, what the heck was that!?”
“That, Spike, was a zombie. Typically created when there’s a necromancer: a wizard or other spell caster that dabbles in the magic of undeath and the control of it.”
“What?! How’s that possible? There’s never been any record of necromancers! Just stories!” Spike was aghast. Truly, were there no necromancers to be heard of around?
“Then you are both lucky and unlucky. It means you haven’t dealt with the potential depravity of someone desecrating any family graves as well as the fear of fighting undead hordes.”
“We have to tell Twilight! But how is she going to believe us?” In response, my horn lit up in its golden glow, the same tell-tale magic surrounding the fallen corpse. “Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no. Twilight’s not gonna like this.”
~(☼~
“What the hay!”
The Princess’s cry of outrage rang throughout the castle as I dropped the invisibility spell on the corpse I was holding in my telekinesis. Which was hard work, considering the magicka it takes to hold anything magically aloft. Losing energy, I lowered the remnants of the fallen pony to the crystal floor. “I doubt you would believe me if I told you this was animated a few minutes ago.”
Her brow furrowed and she looked over to the stairs before returning her gaze to the corpse. Luckily, Fluttershy was already seen leaving and didn’t have to deal with it. Twilight seized the body in her own aura and headed upstairs, saying to us, “Stay down there for now and if Starlight comes back after shopping, don’t let her come up to the first library. I need to figure out where this came from.” Spike and I watched her retreat upstairs before a door was heard opening and closing. I looked back at Spike. The poor young drake spoke nary a word since our hauling of the zombie.
“Okay, I’m going to my room and read comics to get that whole image out of my head. You stay here and watch for Starlight,” Spike suddenly announced, snapping out of his trance. He then marched stiffly up the stairs, picking up pace past the library and dipping out of sight.
“Well then, I guess I’m Guard for the Night.” Right as I said that, the front doors opened revealing a light violet mare with wavy mane and tail a lighter purple than Princess Twilight’s mane and with a teal strip instead of pink. Her mark was that of a five-pointed star-topped wand with teal magicka trailing. Her eyes reflected the self-same color. She walked in relaxed as though her home. Must be the third occupant and perhaps this Starlight I’ve been hearing about.
The mare trotted up with confusion on her face, “Hey, so, you wouldn’t happen to be the stallion that Twilight and Fluttershy found, would you?”
“I am indeed. I am Shade. Is it safe to presume you are Starlight?”
She nodded, “I am. Starlight Glimmer, Princess Twilight’s student.” Starlight then held out a hoof in greeting, which I shook. “I’m learning about the magic of friendship since I’ve mastered just about every other thing there is in magic.”
“So, magic here can take on power dependent on a feeling or concept for a boost, or is it attached to certain spells?”
“Oh, well, it’s pretty much its own kind of magic. Like how two different species can get along, or how absolute opposites can be friends or even get someone like me to be a friend to anypony.” She trailed off.
“I won’t divulge if you aren’t willing to speak with someone you just met about it yet,” Starlight appeared grateful, “However I must warn you that the first library is occupied, and I don’t recommend entry until Princess Twilight has expressed otherwise.”
“Are you a guard from Canterlot?” Her question seemed sudden to me and took me aback.
“No, I’ve never done any sort of guard duty. Why do you ask?”
“Sorry, it’s just the way you were talking reminded me of some of those stuffy stallions. Well, more like stiff, but I think you get the point.”
“Well, I have been a member of a branch of my empire’s military, and my age may have something to do with me being old-fashioned,” I paused, “though there’s still the matter of the library. There is something that is being examined and I was requested to keep visitors or residents out until either approved by Her Highness or the subject of study has been removed.”
“That bad, huh? Well, I guess I’ll knock before anything else because I need to get in there for a certain book that’s on one of the shelves.”
“Of course, though do brace yourself if you are given entry. I’ve seen many like it before, though I doubt you have seen even one in person,” I warned.
She smiles wryly, “Uh huh, sure.”
We both walked up the stairs though Starlight stopped at the first library door and I headed towards my room for some rest to heal. A brief knock and light argument sounded muffled as I put distance between myself and the library. The door opened and I heard a “THE FAUST IS THAT!?” from Starlight.
I did warn her.
Luckily the rest of the evening was uneventful.
~(☼~
My hooves raced across the ground, pounding the packed and hardened earth beneath me as I fled. Sweat scattered upon my brow, wicked away by my mane. A howling echoed through the air. In the forest around me, green eyes and growls followed my every movement. Some of the pairs winked out or moved around, as though anticipating my erratic movements as I wove around the trees. As I turned, I noticed three pairs of eyes, two green, one yellow.
The yellow pair much higher up than the green.
“These hounds may not be mine, but soon you shall be.”
I backpedaled and ran back whence I came, only for more green eyes behind me. I had to remind myself that these were only timberwolves, hounds made of wood and trees. As I calmed, however, the eyes began to shift in color, slowly changing from green to yellow. The growls deepening as though the owners increased in bulk. One hound stepped out as a werewolf. Then another. And another.
Then behind me, I heard footsteps from the speaker I assumed, as they spoke, only closer. “No one escapes the Wild Hunt.” The moon turned a blood red at His declaration, his hounds circling closer.
“Get back, back!” I cried in vain as they closed in. I then threw spell after spell at them. They took the hit and rubbed their faces in the dirt to extinguish flames, lower raised fur, or brush off icicles, but others simply walked around those and filled the gap. More and more and more. They were then in their arm’s length of me. “Get away!” My voice caught. Too many fangs, too many claws. My fate to be hunted forever.
“Begone, foul nightmares! Plague this dream no more!” A voice I have not heard before cried out and a lance of magicka pierced the werewolf closest to me, forcing it to cry out and fall into dust. More lances of magic shot out and the same result was found for nearly every werewolf. I turned and saw Him. Hircine. Humanoid with a deer’s skull for a mask. Multiple shots hit him. Twice in each shoulder and once in the forehead. I felt myself relax and regain my senses. I then charged my strongest lightning spell. The bolt hit one hound and then jumped from wolf to wolf. I repeated, brimming with renewed determination until the hounds were gone.
“Finally, they are gone. Truly, such fearsome beasts the minds of ponies can conjure these days. Art thou all right?”
My speaker was not just an alicorn princess, rather the alicorn princess of the night. The guardian of dreams. I looked around and noticed a lack of viscera. “So, I am certainly dreaming. Unless your spell vaporizes dreams rather than actual harm due to the lack of blood.” I quickly sniffed the air and smelled burning flesh from the hounds I slew. “Or perhaps this is a very vivid dream, I pray.”
“This is very much a dream, my little pony,” the midnight mare assured me, “though we are also very much here. We have not met you before, stallion. We are Princess Luna, diarch of the night, sister to Princess Celestia.”
I bowed before her, “Pleasure, Princess. I am Shade. I have many titles, though I prefer none.”
“None? Interesting. Perhaps you shall tell us thy story as to why someday. For now, we have other ponies we need to assist, most less in a less direct manner than yours.”
“Why assist me so boldly, then, Your Highness?” I inquired. “Surely you may have had other methods.”
She smirk was a wry one, “Thoust think that we would turn down an opportunity to fight against such strange creatures? Also, this was a serious one. Some of the more serious nightmares require direct assistance.” She looked around. “Though we notice that thy dream seems to shift on its own.”
I also looked around and noticed this dream was like one I had shortly after waking up in this world. Only the rapid images were just slightly slower. I recognized a part of Ponyville park and some of the Everfree forest, though there were other places that I did not recognize. A ruined castle, a hut in the woods, then the looming, shrouded face over the town of Ponyville and the ringing of a cattle bell. Upon closer inspection, the head resembled a ram. Confusion swept through me as I looked upon what I was seeing, I asked the Princess, “Your Highness, do you know what I am looking at?”
She shook her head, “Regretfully, we do not, we though thyself did?”
I shook my own head in return, “No, your Highness. There are times where I receive visions in my dreams from my patron, Azura. She watches over me as I worship her by granting me dreams of that which I must solve, but act upon once I know the riddle. The ending is a warning that someone is coming, and we must prepare.”
“Quite,” she responded sharply. “Normally we would prepare quickly, though without knowing the threat, we cannot prepare properly.”
I bowed, “I thank you for your aid. Perhaps with this knowledge, I can sort out what is occurring.” A thought then occurred to me. “Also, you should know that a zombie was found just outside Ponyville. Twilight was examining it last I saw and hopefully, she’ll have some answers to this puzzle.”
“A zombie? We have heard tales of zomponies before, but they were that: tales.”
“I’m afraid you have a necromancer in Equestria, then, your Highness. The best I can do is prepare Twilight and her friends for the inevitability that once this necromancer has gathered enough corpses, they may mount an attack if my dream is anything to go by.”
Her face was then fierce and determined, “Indeed. We know what to prepare for and We shall alert our sister. She will know when to notify the populous and of what. Fare thee well, Shade.” With that, she spread her wings and vanished as her mane swirled around her and she disappeared into the nebulous stars within.
