Ill-Fated

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Chapter 1

“Please! I didn’t see anything!”

“Sorry, buddy, not a lot of options.”

“But I won’t say anything! I swear!”

“That’s what they all say.”

“I’m begging you! Don’t do this! This isn’t right!”

“See, that’s the thing about life. Doesn’t matter whether it’s right or wrong.”

Click

“You were just fated to die tonight.”

BANG!

I gasped and clutched my chest after waking up from a terrifying nightmare. My forehead was drenched in sweat as I hyperventilated and struggled to catch my breath. There was a ringing in my ears that made my vision a little blurry, which also made me feel like I was gonna vomit.

“O-One…t-t-two…three…f-four…” I silently counted to myself, and the ringing in my ear managed to die down.

As the ringing faded away and my vision started clearing up, I was able to gather my surroundings again to see that I was sitting in the back of a large bus, and I was the only one on board. The driver didn’t seem to notice I was awake as he kept driving along. I looked down to see my backpack in my lap and my suitcase was underneath the seats in front of me. I continued to count to myself and looked out the window to see the sun had just risen over the horizon. I was on the highway, and I could see a city in the distance as cars drove alongside the bus. The signs that we drove passed said that we would be arriving at the next city in a few miles. As I kept counting, I opened my backpack to make sure I still had all of my personal belongings with me. My laptop, tablet, notebooks, headphones, and glasses case were still inside, which eased my current anxious state.

“Ninety-six…ninety-seven…ninety-eight…ninety-nine…one hundred…” I said, finishing my counting and took a deep breath of relief. “Damnit…I hate that shitty dream…” I took out my phone from my pocket and tapped my contacts to call someone. I waited as the call tried to connect until someone managed to pick up.

“Hello, Dr. Grey’s office, this is Lemon Aid speaking,” I heard the receptionist say.

“Um…hello, Ms. Aid, it’s Roddy. Er…I mean, Rodney Dvorchack,” I told her.

“Oh! Hello, Mr. Dvorchack!” The woman said in a chipper tone. “You’re just in time! I was about to call you as soon as we opened our office this morning! How are you feeling? What can I do for you?”

“Well…not so good, at the moment,” I confessed. “Is Doc Grey there? I need to speak to him.”

“Oh, of course! I’ll patch you through right now, hon,” Ms. Aid said and put me on hold. I waited for about a minute before someone picked up the line again.

“Roddy? Are you there?” A man’s voice said.

“Hey, doc…” I said, unable to hide my sadness.

“Oh dear…I know that tone. You had the dream again, didn’t you?” The doctor asked.

“Yeah…first time in over a year,” I said.

“Are you having another episode?” The doc asked.

“Not really, no, just a minor anxiety attack,” I explained. “I used the old method to help calm me down but I’m still a little shaken up. I figured calling you was the best option.”

“And you did indeed do the right thing by calling me,” Doc Grey said. “Judging by what time it is, you should almost be there, right?”

“Just a few miles away,” I confirmed. “Although, I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Roddy, we’ve talked about this in our sessions,” Grey reminded me. “A change of scenery will help you overcome your trauma. Staying in your hometown was too big of a risk for your mental and psychological health. Your parents agreed to it and so did your school.”

“But what if this doesn’t work either, doc?” I asked. “I mean, moving away for a whole year far from home? To a place where I don’t know anybody, and I know nothing about?”

“That is not entirely true, Roddy, you’re going to live with your older brother who lives there,” Doc said.

“…even though I haven’t talked to my brother in years,” I said in a distant tone. “Not since the wedding. I don’t blame him since last I heard he has a kid now.”

“It was the only option we and your parents could come up with,” Doc said. “You’re only sixteen, after all, too young to live on your own. And besides, I recall overhearing your brother happily accepting the task of taking you in.”

“But it’ll be so awkward…” I complained. “Last I heard from my brother was when he got married and went to live with his new wife. It’ll be so fricken weird of me just showing up out of the blue.”

“Another topic we’ve covered, Roddy, is not always seeing the negatives in opportunities,” Doc said. “Look, it’s only for a year, and, as your therapist, I truly believe this will help you. Don’t you trust my judgment?”

“Of course I do,” I affirmed. “I wouldn’t be where I am now if not for you.”

“And I am glad to hear it,” Doc said. “I must go now. Call me again if you are having any trouble. I won’t hesitate to talk to you.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “We’ll talk soon.”

“Remember, Rodney, you, and only you, have the power to change,” Doc said, and the line hung up.

I put my phone away and sighed. Dr. Grey had been my therapist for a couple of years now, and he’s helped me in more ways than I care to admit. To be honest, moving away from home was the last thing I wanted but at the same time I knew he was also right about me not getting any better if I stayed. My friends back at my old school sure didn’t take the news about me moving well since we’d known each other since elementary school. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my lucky rubik’s cube to play with. I started flipping the sides in different directions to mix up the colors as much as I could before flipping them back to all complete sides. Playing with this cube always did help ease my nerves since it kept my mind focused on the many combos I could come up with to solve it. I played with my rubik’s cube for about another half hour before the bus made a lane change to drive towards an exit off the freeway.

“Next stop! Canterlot City!” The bus driver called out just as I finished solving the cube for the fifth time.

I put the cube away and looked out of the window again. We had been driving through the city for a few minutes now and the buildings towered over me. I gulped as the bus made a wide turn into the bus station where other buses were parked. Standing by the main building was a man who looked like he was in his late twenties wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. He had brown curly hair, and his skin was a bit pasty. He was talking on the phone, but I immediately recognized him as my older brother, Lance Dvorchack. When he saw my bus pull up, he hung up the phone and put on a big, excited smile. I sighed again and gathered my bags as the side door opened up. As soon as I stepped off the bus, I was met with a sudden bear hug from the man waiting for me.

“Oof!” I grunted. “H-Hey, Lance…”

“That’s it, hey Lance? C’mon man, it’s been years!” Lance exclaimed, squeezing me harder. “How you been, what’s been happening, and is this hug doing anything to make you happy to see me?”

“I’m happy to see you too, Lance,” I said as I gave him as best of a hug as I could. He released me and I got a good look at his face. He had bags under his eyes and a scruffy beard. “You look...good? Never seen you look so…so…”

“Messy, I know, I’m a mess, busy with work and a little one and all that, but hey, that don’t matter right now. What does matter is whether you’ve eaten or not,” Lance said, patting my arm before popping his neck with a small groan. “‘Cause if not, same here, the wife’ll make something real quick if we ask her.”

“It’s been five years since the wedding, hasn’t it?” I said as we walked towards his car. He helped put my suitcase in the trunk of the car after he opened it for me.

“Yes sir, on the dot, and two years since that little guy of mine popped up in our lives,” Lance said, pulling out one more bag before closing the trunk. “Been taking more shifts at work to take care of them, but I’m happy to do it if it means it’ll keep them happy.”

“Sounds nice,” I said. Lance looked me up and down before snorting softly and patted my arm again.

“Let’s go meet you nephew,” he said as he got into the driver’s side and me the passenger’s side. Lance started up his car and he pulled out of the parking lot.

“So, Canterlot City,” I said as we drove along the road, and I looked out the window. “I’ve only seen postcards about this place. What made you want to move all the way out here away from the east coast anyway?”

“Better school, cheaper houses, better opportunity for jobs, plus we wanted to be around other parents who are our age and also have kids so, it was the right choice,” Lance said.

“I see,” I said while nodding. “How’s…uh, how’s…?” Lance laughed a little when he could tell I was trying to remember his wife’s name.

“Berry Punch?” Lance said for me.

“Oh, right, Berry Punch,” I said, after remembering her name. “She was your college girlfriend, right?”

“She’s good, almost killed me when she was giving birth, but she’s a natural at parenting. The minute that little guy came home she became…just like Mom. It was kinda spooky,” Lance joked, chuckling to himself. “Y’know, Berry actually fed the baby, cleaned the house and got all her work done before it was even lunchtime! Insane! Haha!”

“Sounds like she’s a really great woman,” I said.

“The best, you’ll love her…again, heh,” he said happily. “Enough about me, man, what about you, kid? What’s been goin’ on?”

“Well…” I tried to say when we stopped at a red light. “You know why I’m really here, don’t you?”

Lance stayed silent a bit before sighing. “I do…but I wanted to hear it from you and not some ass on the phone,” he said, looking at me with concern.

“It’s just…been hard,” I admitted as I placed a hand on my arm. “I still have…episodes but my therapist has helped me keep them in check.”

“Is…he still in prison?” Lance boldly asked.

“They threw away the key,” I said with a hint of anger.

“Good, means we won’t see him again…and don’t worry, when you’re with me, you ain’t gotta be scared anymore,” Lance said reassuringly. “We’ll get you through this Plus, you’re going to a new school, gonna start fresh, meet some girls~,” he said with a smug grin, nudging me.

“Hey, come on, that ain’t funny,” I said sternly. “I don’t know a soul in this city. To them, I’ll be just a random kid from the suburbs. Speaking of which, what school will I be enrolling in?”

“Canterlot High School, best school around, and hey you never know. You might also meet your special somebody just like me and Berry did. Trust me, you’ll make friends, you’ll meet people, and you’ll meet a girl who could maybe help you loosen up a bit,” he said. “Heard the girls there are smart, and you know what they say about smart girls.”

“Yeah, yeah…” I rolled my eyes as the light turned green and we continued on, and I pulled out my phone.

I scrolled through my apps but then caught sight of a weird-looking app that I had never seen before. It was red and had some creepy eye in the middle and didn't even have a name under it.

“The hell did this come from…?” I wondered quietly. Not bothering to open it up, I quickly pressed down on it to delete it from my phone.

“Here we are!” Lance said as we turned another corner and arrived at a one-story house with a small open front lawn. “So, what do you think? “Not too bad, huh?” He continued as he pulled up and parked in the driveway.

“Yeah, not bad at all” I agreed, unbuckling myself.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, a woman walked out of the house. She wore an apron over her blue sundress and had her dark magenta hair tied up in a ponytail, and her eyes were light purple. In her arms, she carried a two-year-old toddler that wore a set of red overalls and a blue shirt underneath. His hair was curly like Lance’s and a mix of brown and dark purple, and his eyes were as brown as my brother’s.

“Hey babe!” The woman said in a cheerful tone. “Look, Freddy, daddy’s home!”

“There’s my little man, come say hello to your uncle!” Lance exclaimed happily, taking his son from Berry and handing him to me. “Ain’t that cute, holding him like a natural. This is your nephew, Roddy, Frederick Dvorchack.”

“Whoa, hey now, uuuhhh... hey, little guy,” I said, holding my nephew in my arms. The little boy just looked at me then lightly slapped his hand on my face out of curiosity.

“Aww, he likes you,” Berry said, giggling, seeing her son gently grab my hair and face.

“Ah, yeah, I guess he does…” I said, smiling a little. “It’s good to see you again, Berry. How’s married life been with my brother?”

“Aside from that bread, great,” Berry said, getting a gasp from Lance.

“But…you said you loved my beard,” Lance said but Berry rolled her eyes.

“Not when I kiss you, it makes my face itch, so shave it, or I’ll do it while you sleep,” Berry threatened with a smile before taking Freddy back in her arms. "So, Rodney, hungry?"

“Starving,” I nodded, and we headed inside the house.

“And then, Freddy pulled down his overalls and peed in the punch bowl!” Lance laughed out loud as we sat at the table eating brunch. “We were never invited to another BBQ party in the neighborhood ever since. At least until little Freddy is older.”

“I don’t know why you let him drink all that juice, or how you even got it past me is beyond me,” Berry said, feeding Freddy. “But at least he knew what to pee in, just not the right bowl.”

“Funniest day of my life,” Lance said, still laughing.

“Hard to believe this little guy can cause so much trouble,” I chuckled as I ate my sandwich.

“Momma! Potty!” Freddy said.

“Oop, alright, let me go take care of this. You boys talk amongst yourselves while I deal with this,” Berry said, grabbing Freddy and heading off.

“She’s a good mom,” I said. “And you’re right, she does act like Mom.”

“Told ya, I got a good one,” Lance said, eating a little more. “How do you like the food, kid?”

“It’s great,” I said. “She certainly knows how to cook too.”

“She picked up that skill from watching a bunch of online cooking videos,” Lance said. “Hey, soon as you’re done, we’ll go get you situated in your room. Hope you don’t mind, we set you up in the basement.”

“Basement?” I spoke.

“Yeah, sorry, Rod, there’s only so many rooms in the house but we made sure to clean it as best we could. We even built a cot for your bed,” Lance said.

After we finished our meal, Lance led me as I carried my bags with me towards a door that led to a downstairs level. The basement was the size of an average bedroom and a half. The cot they built for me sat in the corner, a nightstand right next to it, and there was a little window that could view the outside. On the other side of the basement was a three-decker shelf that sat on its own.

“Alright, home sweet home. Again, hope you don’t mind the basement,” Lance said, walking further into the room. “It’s not the comfiest bed but it’ll work.”

“Eh, reminds me of my old room,” I shrugged as we set my bags down. “I prefer my privacy anyway.”

“Well, that’s good. Oh yeah, you’re right below mine and Berry’s room so sorry for the noise,” Lance said with a shit-eating grin.

“Ugh! Lance!” I groaned and shoved him away as he laughed back at me.

“Okay, okay, I’m just kidding,” Lance said, still laughing. “One more thing. Hate to eat and run but we gotta get back on the road.’

“What for?” I asked.

“School starts next week, so we gotta make sure you’re enrolled,” Lance said. “I already called ahead before you arrived. The principal is expecting us today.”

“I see…” I said, sounding skeptical about already going to see my new school. “But really? That fast?” I asked.

“Well, me and Berry have known the principal for years so she was excited to meet you as soon as possible, you should remember her from the picture’s I’ve posted on my Instagram,” Lance said, pulling out his phone and showing me a photo of him, Berry, and a taller lady with bright colored hair. “The lady next to Berry is your new principal.”

Something I noticed about the principle was that her hair was also light green and shades of blue in it. She wore a yellow blazer with a sun pin attached, purple work pants, and yellow work shoes. She smiled at the camera with a warm-looking smile which made me feel oddly at ease the more I gazed at the photo.

“What’s her name?” I asked.

“Celestia,” Lance answered and swiped his phone to show him and Berry standing next to another woman with dark blue hair with light purple highlights. She wore a light purple collared shirt with a crescent moon pin attached on the collar, black jeans, and light purple work shoes.

“Who’s that lady?” I wondered.

“Luna, she’s her younger sister, and the vice-principal. Both very sweet people, you’ll be meeting both today,” Lance said, putting the phone away.

I nodded and followed Lance back up the stairs and towards the front door.

“Hey babe! Roddy and I will be right back! We’re going to CHS to enroll him!” Lance called out. “Might go to the store on the way back. Need anything?”

“Bring back some wine…and tell Celestia she still owes me for all those shots!” Berry yelled back; Lance chuckled.

“Shots?” I asked.

“Hey, we’re all human, even the nice ones,” Lance said before both walked out the house. “Ready to meet your school?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I shrugged.

The drive to the school only took about ten minutes as we pulled into the parking lot. I took one look at the building and found myself unable to look away at the extravagant-looking school.

“Has anyone ever mentioned how this place looks like a freaking castle?” I asked aloud.

“Every time. You should see the other school. It’s their only competition,” Lance said as the two began walking toward the building. “Excited, kid?”

“A little. Mainly overwhelmed by the sheer size of this place,” I admitted.

“Ah, you’ll be fine, trust me,” Lance reassured. “And it’s like I said, this place is super friendly, so you’ll definitely meet someone great.”

After Lance parked his car, we both made our way towards the school, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. I pulled out my phone to play on one of my apps but noticed the same weird red application from before.

“Didn’t I delete this?” I said to myself and deleted it again. “Weird…must be a glitch.”

“Deleted what?” Lance asked.

“Oh, nothing, just an app I didn’t want anymore,” I said, while it was a lie, it was also true.

We entered the building and I saw a few hallways leading to different parts of the school with rows and rows of lockers. There wasn’t a soul in sight as we made our way to the end of the main hall and Lance knocked on the door that had the words Principal’s Office etched on the glass window.

“Come in!” A woman called out from the other side Lance opened the door and revealed both Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna standing side by side with welcoming smiles.

“Ah, Lance and who I believe is Rodney,” the taller woman said.

“Sure is. Meet my baby brother,” Lance said and nudged me forward towards the two women.

I gulped nervously as they smiled at me, and Celestia stepped forward to greet me. She had this warm vibe about her that made that calming sensation come back when I saw her photo.

“Um…nice to meet you ma’am,” I said, holding out my hand awkwardly for a shake.

“It is nice to meet you as well, Rodney, we are very excited to have you join our school,” Celestia said, taking my hand and shaking it.

“I’m also excited to attend,” I said, trying to sound glad.

“So, Rodney, tell us about yourself and how you feel about our school,” Celestia said as she let go of my hand and I shook Luna’s next.

“Well, to be honest, it’s a little too fancy-looking,” I admitted. “But Lance said it’s one of the best schools in the city, so I’ll take his word for it.”

“We’re glad you think so,” Celestia said with a giggle. “So, you’ll be enrolling for your junior year here at CHS, correct?”

“That’s the plan,” I nodded.

“There’s something else we wish to discuss with you, Mr. Dvorchack,” Luna said and walked past me to shut the door behind us. “We’re aware of why you transferred to our school, and about your…incident from over a year ago.”

I blinked in surprise before turning to Lance with a dirty look.

“I’m obligated to tell them as your legal guardian,” Lance said.

“Rodney,” Celestia said to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Words cannot describe how sorry I am for you going through something so traumatic. But know that since you’re going to be a student at this school, I as principal will do everything in my power to ensure your time here is both memorable and pleasant.”

“The same applies to me,” Luna said. “You can always come to us if you feel the need to discuss something that you wish to be accommodated for. It’s our duty as principal and vice-principal of CHS.”

“Sigh…Thank you,” I said, letting the anger fade, and turned back to the two. “I’m sure I’ll be fine being treated like any other student.”

“That can definitely be arranged,” Celestia assured me. “And again, we are excited to have you with us at Canterlot High, you will most definitely love this school.”

“Here’s hoping,” I nodded with a small smile.

Principal Celestia, Vice-Principal Luna, and I then sat down with Lance as we went over the paperwork for my enrollment at the school. They went over my grades, what classes I’ll be taking, what my schedule will be, and even gave me a t-shirt with the school’s logo on it as a welcome gift. After all the proper arrangements were made, vice principal Luna handed me my official school ID with my name on it.

“You are now a Canterlot High Wonderbolt, Rodney,” Principal Celestia said proudly.

“We look forward to your first day,” Luna said with a warm smile. I looked at my school ID and awkwardly smiled at it.

“Can’t have cold feet now, kid, I am not signing any more papers today, thank you very much. Oh yeah, Berry says you still owe her for those shots the other night,” Lance said, making Celestia almost have a heart attack.

“Lance, we are at my job and in front of a student, you cannot just spout out what I do in my personal time out of work!” Celestia scolded the man, who grinned sheepishly. “But…tell Berry I’ll pay for her next time.”

“I have several questions, but I’ll choose not to dwell on it,” I shook my head.

I picked up my papers and we left the office after saying our goodbyes. As we walked towards the entrance, I heard some kind of commotion at the end of the hall. There was a guy wearing this dumb bowtie, gray collared button up shirt, blue slacks, and brown loafers. He had dirty blonde hair that reached past his shoulders, and his eyes were light blue. Behind him were two other boys, one kinda pudgy wearing a black shirt with a pair of scissors on it and jeans, and another lanky kid wearing a green long-sleeve with a picture of a snail on it and tan pants. In front of them was a guy with spiky blue hair wearing a black jacket, white t-shirt, blue jeans with the cuffs curled up, and black and white sneakers. As we walked closer, it sounded like they were having some kind of argument.

“Would you back the hell off, Blueblood? I’m just here to pick up my schedule,” the guy in the jacket grumbled.

“And why should you, peasant? I was here first so you should get behind me. That’s all you’re good for anyways,” the guy called Blueblood said with an eye roll and a dismissive hand.

“There you go again with that peasant bullshit!” The guy in the jacket snarled. “Who do you think you are?! You’re not as hot shit as you make yourself out to be!”

“Please, as if a peon like you can truly understand the level I’m at,” Blueblood said, boredom crossing his face. “I could always tell auntie to deal with you if you try anything. So, take this little kindness I will bestow upon your lowly ears. Don’t,” he said.

“Tch! You’re nothing but a wannabe king of a castle,” the guy in the jacket said bitterly as we passed them by.

“Sheesh…” I said and looked at Lance. “Are all kids like them?”

“Eh, not all of them, I think just him,” Lance said. “C’mon, let’s get home.”

I nodded and followed my brother out of the school. I glanced behind me to see those guys still arguing and I wondered if things were going to be alright during my stay here. I guess only time will tell, and I had a whole year of it.

“So, what’d you think of the school and the principals?” Lance asked.

“Well, it seems like a nice place,” I said as we got back in the car. “And those ladies are good people.” Lance could tell I was still a little skeptical about the whole new environment. He smiled at me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Hey man, it’s gonna be fine, trust me you’ll feel better here than you did back home, guarantee,” Lance assured me.

“Yeah…thanks,” I said to my brother as we drove home.

After what seemed like the longest day of my life, the sun had finally set, and I was ready to get some much-needed shuteye. Berry had made a wonderful pasta dinner, and I helped clean the dishes with Lance while she changed Freddy’s diaper. Once the dishes were cleaned, I excused myself to turn in early for the night and I was in the middle of slipping into the realm of dreams. The cot was surprisingly way more comfortable than I had anticipated as I had managed to fall asleep a lot sooner. As I awaited whatever weird dream manifested in my head, I suddenly heard a loud chime that sounded like it came from a grandfather clock. When I opened my eyes, I was met with an unfamiliar sight. I was surrounded by extremely large bookcases that had hundreds or thousands of books that seemingly kept stretching on and on with more books stacked on each row. I blinked once and looked down to see I wasn’t laying in my cot but a large velvet sofa.

“Finally awake, are we? Well, no matter, let us go,” a woman’s voice said,

I looked toward the voice and saw a woman that was standing by me. She was wearing a librarian’s uniform, had pale white skin with long smooth blonde hair and reading glasses hanging from her neck.

“You deaf, boy? There is someone who wants to talk with you, and it is rude to keep them waiting,” she scolded.

I couldn’t speak as I got up from the sofa and followed her. I’m not sure why I was following her, and it felt like my body was moving on its own.

“Um…” I tried speaking, my voice sounding like an echo. “Who…are you?”

“My name is Jacqueline, but you may refer to me as miss or ma’am. Understand?” Jacqueline instructed to which I nodded. “Keep up, we’re almost there,” she said as we continued walking.

It was as if I couldn’t ignore her demands as I followed close behind. The rows of books were seemingly endless, and I noticed there weren’t any titles on the spines. The woman, Jacqueline, kept her steadfast pace and didn’t bother to look behind her. It was as if she was more focused on getting to wherever we needed to go. After about a few more minutes of walking, I saw a light at the end of the rows of books. We eventually arrived at an open circular clearing surrounded by multiple rows of books leading in different directions. Hanging in midair was a lamp that illuminated the clearing, and I noticed it shined down the letter V in some very fancy font. In the middle of the clearing was a short long-nosed man wearing a black suit and gloves. He grinned widely at me as Jacqueline walked over to him and stood next to his desk.

“What the…?” I said subtly.

“Welcome, dear guest, to the Velvet Room!” The man said in an eerie yet welcoming tone. “My name is Igor.”

“Uh, hey... I’m Rodney,” I said, not sure if this guy was real or not. “What is the Velvet room?”

“I already know who you are, Rodney Dvorchack,” Igor said to me. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance. To answer your question, this place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a contract may enter.”

“Contract?” I repeated. “But…I never signed anything.”

“Do not interrupt the master as he speaks,” Jacqueline snapped at me.

“But what fricken contract is he talking about? I didn’t sign anything!” I exclaimed. Igor chuckled then whipped his finger up, taking my phone out of my pocket with some magical force.

“Oh, but you did. Do you see this icon on your device? That itself is the contract,” Igor explained. I grabbed my phone and saw the weird app icon from before.

“But I deleted this. Why’s it back?” I asked.

“All shall be explained in due time, young one,” Igor told me as I tucked my phone back in my pocket. “For now, we have more pressing matters to discuss. You, Mr. Dvorchack, are still coping with a tragedy that befell you in days gone by. A tragedy that still weighs heavily on your state-of-mind.”

“What do you know about that?” I asked, becoming more skeptical.

“Hmm, you know, this is quite interesting,” Igor said, completely ignoring me, as he looked around at the rows of books that surrounded us. “The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart. Since it has taken the form of a library, I assume there is a book depicting your very life. By that logic, each and every one of these books represents a person’s life as well.”

“Shall I search for it master?” Jacqueline asked.

“Hmm, no, we shall let Mr. Dvorchack search for the book. He will be able to find it much faster,” Igor said with a grin.

“You want me to search for a book?” I said with a groan, still unable to process what was happening. “But there’s hundreds, if not thousands, of books here. How am I supposed to find one specific book?” I asked, gesturing to the infinite number of books in this library.

“You will know when you see it,” Igor told me. “If you have to, you may look through every book here. Trust me…you will have plenty of time to search upon your stay here,” Igor said and gestured to me to start looking.

Before I could say anything more, I heard what sounded like a bell ringing and the world around me began to fade away.

“It would seem our time has come to an end,” Igor said. “But fret not, young one, for we shall meet again in the foreseeable future.”

One Week Later

My eyelids flutter open, my heart racing as I snap out of the depths of sleep. My hair is plastered to my forehead with sweat, and I slowly push myself up from my tangled sheets. The remnants of the dream I had last week clung to my mind like cobwebs, refusing to let go. Ever since having the dream, I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep. Even during the days after, I sometimes thought I was going crazy because of odd events happening around me. Whenever I went shopping with Lance, it felt like time came to a complete stop, and I could see some kind of monster in the distance on fire. When I tried to tell Lance, he just gave me a weird look, and everything started moving again. Not only that but I also have been suffering from headaches from time to time. I tried drinking massive amounts of water, took meds, and even tried attempting that meditation shit but nothing worked.

With a sigh, I trudged upstairs to begin my day despite feeling another headache come on. “Damn dream…this week has sucked ass,” I muttered to myself, trying to shake off the lingering unease. “But it felt so vivid and real.”

My footsteps echoed on the wooden stairs as I made my way towards the kitchen, still unable to shake the strange images that had danced in my subconscious over the past week.

“Morning, sleepy head,” Lance said to me as he fed Freddy and Berry was making me scrambled eggs. “Ready for your first day of school?”

“Yeah, sure,” I said, forcing a smile.

I sat down at the table, grabbed a fork and began eating my eggs, trying to keep my thoughts in check. After all, school was supposed to be a fresh start, and I couldn’t let that dream get to me. As the morning progressed, I began to forget the details of the dream, telling myself that it was just another strange dream, like so many others.

“Hi, Woddy!” Freddy said to me with a mouth covered in applesauce. I smiled at him and leaned over to tussle my nephew’s curly hair with my hand.

I couldn’t help but feel unnerved as I continued eating my breakfast, my thoughts lingering on the strange yet vivid dream I had about an otherworldly library and the enigmatic figure of Igor.

“Hey man, what’s up?” Lance asked. “You’ve been quiet all morning. Something on your mind?”

I shrugged, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that still clung to me. “Just a weird dream I had last week. That’s all,” I replied, taking another bite of my eggs. “Been bugging me ever since.”

“Must be the new kid syndrome,” Berry said as she sat with us. “All new kids get nervous on their first day of school. I know I was when I first moved here from up north.”

“Maybe,” I said, finishing up my breakfast.

“Hey, Roddy, listen to me,” Lance said, patting my shoulder. “Everything’s gonna be okay. It’s a fresh start at a new school, and you’ll make tons of friends. Now, you should get a move on. The bus will be here soon to pick you up.”

I nodded, a small smile forming on my lips. Lance was right, it was a new start. I took one last sip of my tea and stood up, readying myself for the day ahead.

After a quick shower and throwing on some clothes that made me look presentable, I grabbed my backpack and walked towards the door.

“See ya later, guys!” I said.

“Have fun, little bro! I look forward to hearing all about your first day!” Lance said.

“Bye-bye, Woddy!” I heard Freddy yell.

I stepped out of the front door, a sense of anticipation and uncertainty danced within me. Today marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, yet remnants of a vivid dream lingered in the back of my mind, leaving behind an unsettling feeling. Was I truly prepared for this fresh start, or was there something more to it that I couldn’t quite grasp?

The sound of the approaching bus jolted me out of my thoughts as it pulled up in front of me. The driver opened the door for me and I climbed aboard. The bus driver smiled at me and even tipped his hat.

“Mornin’, new kid,” the bus driver greeted.

“How’d you-?” I wondered.

“Ain’t seen you before, so I already knew you’re new around here,” he said with a smirk. “Go on and take a seat.”

I nodded and took a seat by the window towards the middle of the bus. The familiar rumble of the engine filled my ears as we set off towards the new school. Outside, the world zipped by in a blur of colorful houses and bustling streets. Laughter and chatter echoed through the bus from the other kids but I sat in silence, watching the scenery pass by with a mix of excitement and trepidation.

I pulled out my phone to play some games in order to clear my head when I once again saw the same weird app on my phone.

“Oh, for the love of-!” I grumbled to myself. “I gotta get this thing fixed if this weird-ass app keeps popping up.”

That itself is a contract, Igor’s voice echoed in my head.

“No it’s fuckin’ not…” I grumbled as I once again deleted the app.

The bus then came to another stop as more students piled in. I glanced up to see one of the kids walk up to me with a bored expression.

“This seat taken?” He asked.

“Oh, uh, no. Go ahead,” I nodded and scooted towards the window, and he sat next to me.

“Are you new here?” he asked, making casual conversation.

I glanced at him, trying to gauge his intentions. But something about his easy demeanor put me at ease. “Yeah, just moved here a week ago,” I replied.

His eyebrows raised in surprise. “Oh wow, that’s cool. What brought you here?”

“Personal reasons…” I answered shyly.

“Fair enough,” the guy said. “But I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.” He tapped his chin in thought before it hit him. “Oh, I remember. I saw you talking with the principal and vice-principal last week.

“Yep, that’s me,” I nodded. “My name’s Rodney, or Roddy for short.”

‘Nice to meet you,” the kid said with a grin. “The name’s Flash…I’m Canterlot High’s cool guy.”

“Cool guy, huh?” I laughed a little. “Then you must be pretty popular.’

“Well, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I’m pretty well-known at CHS,” Flash said.

“Could’ve fooled me, considering how I saw you arguing with that guy before my brother and I left the school,” I said while scrolling through my phone. “Who was he anyway?” That question seemed to sour his mood, making him cross his arms.

A guttural grunt escaped Flash’s lips as he let out a groan of frustration. “His name is Blueblood,” he spat, his tone laced with disdain. “And that arrogant jerk thinks he’s the king of his own castle.” His fists clenched at his sides, ready to defend himself against any further insults from the entitled prick.

“Man, you must really hate him for being so mad,” I commented, and he shook his head.

“You should know that I’m not the only one who hates that bastard’s guts," Flash said to me. “The whole school can’t stand him. But we can’t do anything about it because he’s Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna’s nephew.”

“Wow, that’s…” I trailed off, not knowing what to say. “I guess that does make things a little complicated.”

Flash gave me a half-smile. ‘Yeah, but don’t worry about it. Just remember to stay on his good side, or you’ll be the one who’ll be dealing with his wrath.”

As the bus continued on the route to pick up more students, I was having a fun time making small talk with Flash. He was fun to talk with in his own way, and I felt at ease in his presence. Although, I worried about this Blueblood guy he was on about. If what he said was true, then I needed to remind myself to stay clear of him. Our bus ride eventually made it to the school, and my talk with Flash allowed me to flush any lingering worries away. However, just as I was about to stand up, Flash gently grabbed my shoulder as he was glaring out of the window.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Crap…” Flash growled as I followed his gaze spotting the very person they were talking about. “Blueblood and his cronies are waiting at the entrance.”

“Oh no…” I gulped nervously. “What should we do?”

As we both looked out the window at Blueblood and his group of friends, I could feel the tension in the air. Flash took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before turning to me with a determined look.

“Listen, Roddy,” he said. “I know we just met but I don’t want any trouble for you on your first day. Let’s just stick together, keep our heads down, and make our way to class. It’s not worth getting mixed up with him.”

I nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. “Got it,” I replied. “I’ll follow your lead, Flash.”

As we stepped off the bus, Blueblood shot us a smug glance, his entourage snickering behind him. Flash kept his gaze forward, avoiding any unnecessary interaction. As we approached the school entrance, Blueblood made a comment loud enough for us to hear.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Canterlot High’s newest loser hanging out with the troublemaker,’ he smirked, his cronies laughing along with him.

“Hey Blueblood,” Flash said when he stopped in his tracks.

“What do you want, los-”

WHACK!

I blinked in complete shock when Flash reeled his fist back and slugged Blueblood square in the face. The last thing I ever expected him to do was give Blueblood a fresh one right in front of me. Blueblood yelled in pain as he fell on his ass on the ground before Flash grabbed my arm and pulled me away.

“Come on! Let’s get outta here!” Flash laughed.

“Gah! You ingrate! Get him!” Blueblood ordered his cronies.

I ran with Flash, still completely shocked at what had happened as his cronies ran after us. Flash led me around the school towards what looked like a football field and we ran under the bleachers. I had to catch my breath as I wheezed heavily, and I saw the two cronies run the other way.

“What…the hell was that?!” I yelled. “Your first instinct was to slug him?!”

Flash leaned against the metal framework, his expression a mix of adrenaline and a hint of triumph.

“Sorry about that but I couldn’t just stand there and let that guy talk to you like that,” Flash panted, a fiery determination burning in his eyes. “Trust me, Blueblood’s a complete prick who’s got this messed up idea that Canterlot High is his own personal castle, and he treats everyone else like they're just there to serve him.”

“Result Found!” a computerized voice sounded from my pocket. “Your destination has a hit. Beginning navigation.”

“Huh? What was that?” Flash said.

“Ugh, it’s my stupid phone,” I grumbled, pulling it out and saw the app I had just deleted not even a minute ago. “I got this weird app on it that just appeared out of nowhere. The weirdest part is that no matter how many times I try to delete it, it just keeps reappearing on my phone. I think it’s some kind of bug.”

“You have arrived at your destination,” my phone said which confused me.

“Weird. Well, let’s get back to the building before…ugh,” Flash suddenly groaned when he held his head. Just then, my own head began to hurt a bit and I had to rub my eyes.

“The hell…?” I said. “Must’ve run too fast.”

“Hey, let’s get back to the school,” Flash told me and shook his head. “The bell’s probably about to ring.”

I nodded and followed Flash from under the bleachers.

A sense of urgency pulsed through my veins as we made our way back to the school, and I couldn’t help but notice that the sky had darkened overhead. The air also became a little thick, making me take deeper breaths. Suddenly, Flash came to a halt in front of me, his eyes widening in shock.

“What the hell?!” he exclaimed, causing me to look up and take in my surroundings.

Following his gaze, my own eyes widened as I took in the sight before us. A majestic golden castle stood tall, its towers reaching towards the sky and glinting in the fading sunlight. The walls stretched on for what seemed like miles, a gleaming barrier of protection. The intricate details of the architecture were mesmerizing, with grand arches and sweeping curves.

The castle is like something out of a fairytale, golden in all its glory. The setting sun glints off its towers, giving it an ethereal glow. Its walls, stretching on for what seems like eternity, are adorned with intricate carvings and designs. The air shimmers with an otherworldly energy, adding to the magical aura of the castle.

“What…is that?” I stammered, my voice barely audible over the sound of my pounding heart.

“I…I don’t know,” Flash whispered, his voice equally shaken. “But whatever it is, it doesn’t seem like it belongs here. We need to get back to the school.”

I looked around then saw something that made my heart almost stop.

“F-Flash?” I said, raising a shaky hand and pointing my finger.

Flash looked at me and followed where I was pointing to see a sign that read, Canterlot High School.

As we continued to stare in disbelief, it slowly dawned on me that this was no ordinary high school. Somehow, it had transformed into this towering structure that seemed to defy all logic and reason. For a moment, I couldn’t help but question if I was dreaming or if some kind of magic was at play.

But with a deep breath and a determined look exchanged between Flash and myself, we silently agreed that we must investigate this phenomenon further. Stepping forward cautiously, I couldn't help but notice that the surroundings seemed somewhat distorted, as if the very fabric of reality had been altered. This only added to the mystery of this strange transformation, and I knew we were in for an adventure unlike any other.

I Am Thou

View Online

Chapter 2

“Just what the hell is this place?!” I said, sounding panicked as Flash and I walked through the extravagant golden halls of this strange castle. “This golden sheen is making my eyes hurt… Good thing I’m wearing my contacts.”

The walls are adorned with intricate golden filigree, casting a warm, radiant glow throughout the vast halls and chambers. Self-portraits of regal figures line the walls, each one capturing the essence of their subjects with a lifelike precision. The golden busts of revered leaders and legendary figures stand on marble pedestals, their gleaming surfaces reflecting the ambient light, creating an aura of timeless splendor. Luxurious tapestries, rich velvet draperies, and ornate furnishings complement the lavish décor, while the air is filled with a hint of exotic incense, adding to the ambiance of magnificence.

“Hey, doesn’t that look like that guy you just slugged?” I asked, spotting a resemblance between the portraits and the teen we were hiding from.

Flash looked at the portraits to see that it looked a lot like that Blueblood guy he sucker punched.

“What the hell?” Flash muttered. “When did that jackass get this put up? And why?”

“I know I’m new here, but is this really the school?” I asked, looking around. “This isn’t like any school I’ve ever been to.”

“This school has experienced its fair share of bizarre events,” Flash said before gesturing around him. “But nothing like this has ever happened.”

“Bizarre events?” I asked, confused.

Before Flash could explain, we found ourselves in some sort of main hall that had a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. In almost every corner was a bust of this Blueblood guy’s head and a portrait of him in some fancy getup.

“This is…just so weird,” I said, looking around. “It wasn’t like this at all when my brother brought me here to register.”

Suddenly, the area around us faded away for a brief moment and showed an image that looked like the actual school before reverting back.

“What the hell was that?!” I yelped.

Flash and I exchanged wary glances, both of us silently acknowledging that there was something deeply wrong with this place. The air seemed to hum with a strange energy, almost like a living entity pulsing through the castle.

“Maybe…maybe this is some kind of illusion,” Flash suggested, his voice barely above a whisper as he examined one of the portraits lining the walls. “But then how do we explain the physical changes? And that momentary glimpse of reality…”

“Who are you?!”

We both jumped and turned around to see yet another bizarre phenomenon. A fully armored medieval-looking knight marched up to us with a large shield and sword in hand. On his face was some kind of creepy mask that made it feel like he was staring holes into us.

“Geez you really freaked me out,” Flash said, calming down. “Who and what are you? One of Blueblood’s lackeys?” The teen asked. “Despite being an ass, that costume looks impressive.”

However, the knight said nothing.

“It’s a costume?” I spoke. “But it’s not even Halloween.”

BAM!

I was at a loss for words when the knight raised his shield and suddenly bashed Flash in his chest. I watched in complete disbelief as Flash buckled over and fell to his knees.

“Know your place, worm!” The knight barked.

“Holy shit! Flash!” I cried and knelt beside him.

The knight towered over Flash and me, his powerful frame radiating a palpable sense of danger. I frantically scanned the surroundings for any signs of escape or defense against this unexpected attacker. Yet all I could see were more knights emerging from the shadows, their weapons glinting in the moonlight and their faces obscured by intimidating masks. The air crackled with tension as they formed a tight circle around us, effectively trapping us in their midst.

My heart hammered in my chest as I braced myself for whatever horrors these knights had in store for us.

“Why are you doing this?! What do you want from us?!” I demanded, my voice trembling with fear.

But the knights remained silent, their stoic expressions giving no hint of their intentions. My mind raced with questions - who were these mysterious assailants? How had we stumbled upon them? And most importantly, how could we possibly survive this deadly encounter?

Before I could grasp onto any semblance of a plan, one of the knights stepped forward and delivered a brutal blow to my head with the butt of his sword. As darkness enveloped me, I knew that our fate was now in the hands of these merciless knights.

My head was pounding so hard, it felt like it was going to burst open. Stars filled my vision as a loud ringing filled my ears to the point where it just made my headache worse. From the ringing, I could hear the faint voice of someone calling out for me.

“Hey Rodney, wake up.”

The familiar face of Flash Sentry stood in front of me, his expression filled with concern. I tried to sit up, but my body was shaking and weak.

“Easy there, bro,” Flash said as he carefully helped me sit up. “You took quite the blow to the head.”

“Ugh…I can’t even think straight,” I groaned as my vision finally became clear.

I looked around to see we were in some cell. The cell looked like one of those cliché dungeon cells with a barred door and a wooden plank hanging from chains.

“I was really hoping what had happened was a dream,” I said, still processing everything. “Guess not.”

Flash looked at me with a grim expression, his usual cocky demeanor replaced with a sense of urgency. “We need to find a way out of here, Rodney. These knights…they’re not messing around.” His eyes darted to the barred door, assessing our chances of escape.

As I struggled to my feet, the memories of our encounter with the knights flooded back - their silent intimidation, the ruthless attacks, and the overwhelming sense of danger that had surrounded us. The oppressive atmosphere of the cell only served to heighten my anxiety, making it clear that our situation was dire.

“Yeah, we definitely can’t stay here,” I said, trying to push through the fog of pain in my head. “We need to come up with a plan before those knights come back.”

Flash nodded in agreement, his mind already racing with possibilities. “There must be a way out of here. We just need to keep our wits about us and stay one step ahead of these lunatics.”

Despite our new sense of urgency, we were quick to realize that our options were slim. There was nothing of use to us in this cell, and the bars looked impossibly thick to try to break down with sheer force. We both paced around the cell to see if we could find the slightest opening or even a tool to use but nothing of the sort was ever discovered.

“This can’t be happening…” I said as I held my head. “This just can’t be happening! It was just supposed to be a normal day at school! How the fuck did we get into this crazy-ass situation?!”

“Bro, chill out,” Flash said, tugging on the bars. “We’ll figure a way out of here.”

Flash’s attempt to reassure me did little to quell the rising panic within me. I was trapped in a mysterious castle dungeon with no clear means of escape, surrounded by enigmatic knights who seemed more like otherworldly beings than mere men in armor. The weight of the situation pressed down on me, threatening to crush my already fragile state of mind.

Just as I thought things couldn’t get any worse, a couple of guards appeared and stood in front of the cage.

“Oh shit…” I muttered fearfully.

“Hey! Let us out! We didn’t do nothing to nobody!” Flash yelled. “We have our rights! On what grounds are we even arrested for?!”

“My my, why must dogs like you bark so irritably loud?”

The voice sent chills up my spine as someone came up from behind the knights. We were both completely at a loss for words when the two knights in front of us stepped aside to reveal someone I only half expected to see. It was none other than that guy Blueblood dressed in a ridiculously shiny golden tuxedo with a diamond encrusted bow tie. He had his hair slicked back so far that his hair even glimmered from the amount of hair gel he probably caked on it. Sitting on his head was a golden crown with a variety of gems and diamonds encrusted on it. Draped over his shoulders was a white cape that fluttered behind him. What really got my attention, however, was the sinister yellow glow in his eyes as he looked down condescendingly at us.

“Okay…now I’ve officially lost it,” I said to myself. Meanwhile, Flash gazed at Blueblood with both anger and confusion.

“Blueblood!” Flash shouted at the blonde. “What the hell is going on here! and why are you dressed like that?!”

“How dare you speak to King Blueblood like that?!” One of the knights snarled, poking his sword through the bars and almost stabbed Flash had he not jumped out of the way.

“Ah…Flash Sentry,” Blueblood hummed. His voice sounded distorted in a creepy way. “And the new student. So, you’re the ones trespassing in my castle? Only my loyal subjects are allowed to freely roam my halls to bask in my glory.”

I stood frozen, trying to process the fact that we were apparently dealing with none other than Blueblood, the self-proclaimed king of this strange and foreboding castle. His regal appearance clashed starkly with the ominous atmosphere, sending shivers down my spine as I struggled to find my voice. Before I could gather my thoughts, Flash stepped forward boldly, his usual defiance shining through despite the dire circumstances.

“Listen here, Blueblood,” Flash began, his voice filled with a mix of anger and defiance. “We didn’t mean to trespass – we have no idea how we even ended up here! Just let us go, and we won’t cause any trouble.”

Blueblood chuckled darkly, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “Oh, but you see, it’s not quite that simple, dear Flash. You’ve stumbled into my domain, and now you must play by my rules.”

“Rules?! What fucking rules?!” Flash barked.

Blueblood scowled at Flash and nodded his head at one of the knights. The knight obeyed his silent order and unlocked the door so they could step inside. However, as soon as the knight walked in, he bashed Flash in his chest with his shield, knocking him back on the floor.

“F-Flash!” I yelled but two more knights stopped me by pinning me to the other side of the cell with their swords.

“You stay put, worm,” Blueblood said. “I’ll deal with you as soon as I put this mutt in his place.”

Blueblood turned his attention back to Flash, who was struggling to his feet after the blow he received. The self-proclaimed king’s eyes glinted with malice as he circled around Flash, a sadistic smile playing on his lips.

“You dare to challenge me, a royal bloodline that goes back centuries?” Blueblood sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You are nothing but a mere peasant in my kingdom, and you shall learn your place.”

“Gah…!” Flash grunted as he glared up at Blueblood. “I may not know what the hell is going on with this crazy castle but at least I always knew you were an asshole…”

Flash’s defiance seemed to strike a nerve with Blueblood, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. In a sudden motion, he drew a gleaming sword from his side and pointed it menacingly at Flash, the blade glinting in the dim light of the dungeon.

“You insolent fool!” Blueblood spat; his voice laced with venom. “You will regret those words before this day is through!”

“I haven’t regretted anything since the day you ruined my fucking reputation!” Flash spat, only to start getting beaten mercilessly by the knights.

“No…” I said, unable to do anything as Flash was getting kicked and bashed in the head. “Please…please stop…!” Memories from an incident from years ago began to resurface as I started to hyperventilate. “Why…why now…?! Why again…?!”

How pathetic! A voice echoed in my head. Are you simply going to do nothing?

“What…?” I muttered under my breath.

Here, in his final moments, you would remain the coward and forsake him? The voice continued to speak within my mind. Nothing awaits the two of you but death unless you shed your fear and do something.

“But…I can’t do anything!” I tried to say.

Just like how you could not do a thing back then? I paused when the voice mentioned what happened that night. You just stood there and watched. And when you were next to stare death in the face, you once again stood by and did nothing! And now, you are in the midst of repeating this cycle! Are you going to remain the coward in your final moments?!

The memories of that night flooded into my head like a title wave. The image of staring into the barrel made me hyperventilate again as sweat dripped from my face. However, Flash’s screams of anguish returned my attention to him. He was being beaten mercilessly and was about to die if nothing was done. And once again, I’m just standing by, letting these knights hold me back.

“No…” I mumbled, gritting my teeth. “I should’ve done something then, and I should do something now.” I glared at Blueblood and clenched my fists. “I’m done being a coward!” I shouted as I struggled against the knight's grip. “Hey! Leave him alone, asshole!”

Blueblood turned to me with a cold glare. “What did you say?”

“You heard me! I don’t give two shits if you’re a fucking king! You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies! Period!” I shouted.

Very well…I have seen your resolve.

BA-BUMP!

Now…vow to me! The voice shouted as my head began to hurt like hell.

My body convulsed and writhed as the pain in my head intensified with each passing moment. Blueblood, growing impatient with my screams, turned his cold gaze towards me.

“Silence that worm!” he bellowed at his knights.

I fought against their strong grip, my screams echoing through the dark chamber. But the pain was becoming too much for me to bear, and I could feel myself weakening.

Suddenly, a strange mask appeared over my face, seemingly materializing out of thin air. I frantically clawed at it, trying to remove it from my skin.

To move forward from your cowardice you must cast off your fear, the voice echoed in my mind. Fear brings nothing but pain, pain that shall drag you into the shadows. You must become something more than what you are now, or you will continue to be a shadow of what you once were. A weak, pathetic, fearful little flea who will be controlled by the trauma of his past.

But the more I pulled, the tighter it seemed to hold on, inflicting even more agony upon me. With one final tug, the mask tore off pieces of my flesh, blood gushing from the wounds. The mask itself was a stark white color with fiery orange accents, covering most of my face except for a small portion that would have covered my mouth.

In shock and disbelief, I dropped the mask to the ground where it burst into bright blue flames. To my horror, these flames quickly engulfed my entire body.

I am Thou, Thou art I!! the voice laughed in my head. Thou who would stare death in the face for the sake of his comrades!! Call upon my name and claim your power!! Reveal the strength of thy will to fight, stand against the powerful on thy own, and never feel fear again!!

“COME!!” I suddenly shouted with unknown vigor. “HERCULE POIROT!!”

As if responding to my call, a being manifested beside me that stood many feet taller than I. It took the form of a man with bright skin, wearing a sharp black tuxedo and large bow tie. His jacket had long coattails that fluttered in the wind that whipped up and he wore sharp black dress shoes that pointed straight up on the toes. He wore white dress gloves and in his right hand was a cane with a big blue sapphire gem on the head of the cane. Finishing the being’s appearance was a very tall top hat that sat on his head, a very curly imperial style mustache that was made of black hairs, and a big monocle on his left eye. On his back, however, was a pair of large pure white angel wings that had unfurled to at least 6ft in width.

When the blue flames died down, I was suddenly wearing different clothing. I wore a grey trench coat, black slacks, white dress shirt, and a black tie that was tied around my neck but hung a bit loosely on my chest. I wore similar white dress gloves, and my shoes looked like black dress boots with some heel to them, and a buckle on top.

“What…is happening…?” Flash wondered in pure shock as I looked at him with an unintentional confident smile.

“I…I don’t know,” I said, looking over my body. “But I feel…stronger.”

“Quit gawking and kill them!” Blueblood shouted before shoving his last two knights toward me.

“If you wish to use my power, then just say so,” the being I summoned, Hurcule Poirot, said. “With my strength, you shall be unstoppable.”

I watched as the knights twitched violently before turning into slugs and reappearing as these creepy-looking floating jack-o-lanterns. They both glared at me and giggled menacingly as they flew right at me.

“O-Okay! Lend me your power! I want to keep us safe!” I said.

The jack-o-lanterns hurtled towards me with the force of a speeding train, their maniacal laughter piercing through the eerie darkness of the chamber. Hercule Poirot brandished his cane like a weapon, slicing through the pumpkins with ease as they dissolved into shadows beneath our feet. Blueblood's cocky demeanor quickly evaporated, replaced by raw fear as he stumbled backwards towards Flash.

“H-How is this happening…?” I managed to say as Hercule twirled his cane. “I feel…strange.”

“It is courage!” Hurcule said prominently. “You have managed to cast aside your cowardly self and have been reborn anew!”

More of those weird jack-o-lantern things appeared and powered up balls of flames to fire at me.

“But you must now learn to appropriately defend yourself with this newfound strength of yours,” Hercule said.

“How do I do that?” I asked.

Hercule snapped his fingers and a cane suddenly appeared in front of me. The cane then detached itself and became a sword.

“Everything you need to defend yourself is within you!” Hercule exclaimed, his voice echoing through the dungeon.

I took the sword in my hands, feeling its weight and balance. The sword seemed to shimmer with a holy glow, and I could hear the whispers of power within it.

The creatures lunged at me with their fiery balls, but I swung the sword with a newfound confidence and agility. The blade sliced through the shadows with ease, leaving behind chunks of darkness that dissipated into the air.

Blueblood and Flash, witnessing this display of power, were both struck by fear and awe. They couldn't believe their eyes as the jack-o-lanterns were obliterated one by one, leaving behind a puddle of shadow.

“Impossible!” Blueblood yelled.

I looked up at Hercule as he faded away and seemed to smile down at me before disappearing. That’s when Flash suddenly tackled Blueblood into the wall. He and I both ran out of the cell and Flash managed to slam the door shut with Blueblood in it.

“There! Have a taste of your own medicine!” Flash boasted.

“You insolent worm!” Blueblood barked as he grabbed the bars. “Guards! Come to me now! Free me and execute these cretins!”

“Shit, that’s our cue,” Flash said. “We gotta go!”

I nodded and we both made a break for it.

“I’LL HAVE BOTH YOUR HEADS! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU’LL BOTH BE SORRY!” Blueblood roared.

After running a fair distance away from the cell, Flash and I managed to stop so we could catch our breath.

“Holy…shit!” Flash wheezed. “That was nuts! What the hell were those pumpkin head monsters?! And you!” Flash looked at me. “That was incredible! How did you do that?! And why are your clothes different?!”

I took a deep breath, still processing the strange events myself. “I…don’t know exactly how, but I think…Hercule Poirot, the thing I summoned, has given me his strength and power. The sword…it feels like it’s a part of me. And as for the clothes, I don’t know either, but I feel…stronger, better.”

Flash looked at me, then back at the cell. “Alright, we need to make our move,” he said. “Let’s go back and get out of here.”

I was about to follow when my clothes returned to normal and the cane in my hand disappeared. I then felt very fatigued and staggered a bit before catching myself on the wall.

“Ugh…I suddenly feel so wiped,” I said.

“What happened?!” Flash asked, concern etched on his face. “Did you use all of your new power?”

“Maybe,” I replied, still trying to catch my breath. “I don’t know, but I need a moment to recover.”

Flash came to my side, ready to help if needed. We leaned against the wall, catching our breath together.

“We need to be careful,” Flash said, looking back at the cell. “We don’t know what we might encounter next."

“Agreed,” I nodded, still trying to shake off the fatigue.

We both continued walking the other way and started looking around the prison cells. The dungeon had rows of cells, and we could hear screams of agony and torcher in the distance. The interior of the dungeon looked like everything was made of bronze, and there was even a current of rushing water that split between our side of cells and the other.

“This place gives me the creeps…” I spoke. “And I’m still not convinced that we’re not dreaming.”

“Hey, look over there!” Flash said, pointing at something hanging over the rushing water.

I looked to see some people hanging in a cage looking like they’ve been beaten within an inch of their lives.

“Those poor souls,” I whispered, feeling a pang of sympathy for them. “What have they done to deserve this?”

Flash looked at me, concern in his eyes. “We can’t just leave them here. We need to do something.”

“Hey! Hey you two!”

A voice suddenly caught our attention that came from one of the cells at the end of the path.

“Yeah, you two! C’mere! Please!”

We both looked at each other and hesitantly approached the end of the hall. Upon arrival of the cell, we were not prepared for what was inside. The thing looked like some kind of mutant bipedal lizard with purple scales, emerald-green slitted eyes, and a light green underbelly. On its head were lime green spines that went down behind its head. It wore what looked to be described as black bandit robes and had a red neckerchief tied around its neck, and a simple black mask on its face.

“Uh…what the hell is this thing?” I wondered.

“Hey this thing has a name!” the lizard shouted. “And this thing would like to get out!”

“Woah…this is trippy!” Flash said. “A talking lizard kid!”

“I’m a dragon! not a Lizard!” I don’t do that tongue thing!” the Dragon shouted as he stuck his tongue at us.

“Heh, this kid’s funny,” Flash chuckled.

“Would you just get me outta here already?! The guards will be here any minute!” The dragon kid said.

“Coming from the alleged talking dragon, how do we know you won’t pull a fast one on us and jump us the minute we do?” Flash said. “For all we know, you could be one of them.”

“What choice do you have?” the dragon retorted back. “Besides I know how to get out of this palace, The two of you won’t last five minutes without my help.”

“Says who?” Flash retorted.

Suddenly, we heard the sounds of heavy footsteps marching our way followed by creepy growls and monstrous noises.

“Says them! Now let me out of here! The Shadows are coming!” The dragon said.

“Flash,” I said. “I say we listen to him.”

“You’re taking the talking dragon’s side, dude?” Flash asked me.

“Look, we don’t really have a lot of options at the moment,” I said. “If he knows how to get out of here, then I’m not one to argue.”

“Ugh…damnit, fine,” Flash groaned and pulled out the cell key. “You better not make us regret this.”

Flash unlocked the cell and the little dragon walked out with a triumphant smile.

“Finally! I’m free!” He chirped.

“Woohoo for you. Now, how do we get out of here, lizard boy?!” Flash barked.

“Are you always this obnoxious?” The dragon sighed. “And stop calling me a lizard! I have a name, you know. It’s Spike!”

Just then, a group of guards showed up and surrounded us. Before I knew it, the clothes I had on from before reappeared on me along with the strange mask on my face.

“Ah, so you’re a Persona user too?” Spike said to me.

“Persona? What the heck’s that?” I asked.

“And you’re a total rookie,” Spike added. “Fine. Just leave it to me.” Spike walked forward and pulled out something that looked like a card from his robes. “Pay close attention, rookie! This is how it’s done!” Spike tossed the card in the air before using his tail to hit it, making it shatter to pieces.

“Let’s go!! Harlequin!!” Spike shouted.

Out of nowhere, a dazzling burst of dancing lights illuminated the darkness, revealing the presence of a beguiling man dressed in a vibrant harlequin outfit. His playful appearance belied the power and energy radiating from within him. The guards halted in their tracks, stunned as their human forms exploded into black shadows and transformed into three fearsome jack-o-lanterns and two seductive incubi.

“Burn them to ash, Harlequin!” Spike commanded, his voice filled with both fear and excitement.

With a sly grin on its face, the Persona threw its dagger high into the air before expertly catching it by the blade. With a swift flick of its wrist, Harlequin multiplied the single blade into three, each one glinting dangerously in the dim light. With precise aim, the Persona threw all three daggers at once, striking each pumpkin head with lethal accuracy. As they exploded into shadow and dissipated, another dagger materialized in Harlequin's hand, this one adorned with an emerald-green flame that seemed to dance and flicker with a life of its own.

“Maragi!” Spike shouted.

Harlequin held the flaming dagger up to its mouth, inhaling deeply before unleashing a powerful torrent of green fire towards the remaining incubi. The flames consumed them instantly, leaving nothing but charred remains in their wake. With a triumphant grin, Harlequin twirled its dagger playfully before resuming its position beside Spike.

“Holy shit!” I yelled.

“Well, what’re you waiting for?!” Spike said as more guards came charging at us. “Call your Persona and give me a hand!”

“But how can I-?!” I was about to ask when I saw a dim light from the inside pocket of my coat. I reached in and pulled out a card like Spike’s that had the image of Hercule Poirot on it.

“Hurry! They’re almost on us!” Spike said as he pulled out a set of daggers from his robes. “I can’t fight all these guys on my own!”

With no other choice, I obliged by doing the only thing I could think of by tossing the card in the air and unsheathed my new sword from the cane.

“Hercule Poirot! I need you!” I called out and stabbed the card with my sword. The card shattered to pieces as Hercule manifested beside me once again. “It worked? Holy shit! It worked!”

“You ready?” Spike asked.

“Guess we’ll find out!” I said and readied my sword. “Watch my back, Hurcule!”

Spike and I stood side by side as the guards closed in on us. With a quick nod, we both charged forward, ready to take on whatever lay ahead.

The knights disintegrated into goop before materializing into the pumpkin heads from before and a couple of new creatures that looked like scrawny imps that had some weird, curved horn coming out of their crotches.

I was amazed at Spike’s fighting skills as he dodged and weaved out of the way from their attacks and slashed at them with his daggers. He even jumped in the air while doing a front flip before slicing one of the pumpkin heads in two.

“Your combat skills are not the only defense in this duel,” Hercule said. “You have the power of your soul! Use my power to pierce the darkest shadows with light!”

Even though I didn’t understand a word Hercule said, it somehow made sense to me. I pointed my vain sword at the little imps and focused as much as I could.

“Kouha!” I shouted.

Suddenly, a small spark of light erupted from Hurcule's hand, shooting straight towards one of the imps. The light pierced through it, making it scream in pain before it disintegrated into nothingness.

“Woah! How’d I do that?! What did I just say?!” I yelled and narrowly dodged a swipe from one of the remaining imps.

“Focus!” Spike lectured. “You’re literally fighting for your life right now! One wrong move, and it’s game over! You need to use your persona more effectively!”

“How?” I asked the dragon.

Spike sighed, "Listen, kid. We don’t have a lot of time, so I’ll explain it as fast as I can.” The little dragon said as he used his persona to dispatch a few of the shadow guards. “You see, your Persona is like an extension of your soul, and it can manifest its power in various ways. It’s not just about how strong or fast you can be; it’s about understanding your abilities and using them to your advantage. You need to learn to control your power, not just wield it.”

I contemplated his words as more monsters came at me. I jumped out of the way and raised my sword to slash at them. The pumpkin head screeched in pain as I jammed my sword right through its head and it disintegrated into dust. An imp held up its hand at me and fired a sinister-looking ball of magic. I barely had time to dodge, and the ball grazed my arm.

“Argh!” I cringed. “That hurt! I actually felt that!”

“Of course it hurt, rookie!” Spike said as he plunged his daggers in one of the imps and it disintegrated in a puff of black smoke. “You have to learn to protect yourself. You need to use your Persona’s powers to your advantage, not just your sword."

I looked up at Hurcule and quickly realized that this was for real. If I want to make it out of here alive with Flash, I need to learn how to adapt to this strange new power. Steeling my resolve, I gripped my sword and cane tightly and ran at the monsters with Hercule close behind me. He and I worked in tandem as I swung my sword and cane while my Persona moved gracefully as he struck our enemies with his cane and used the magic from before to erase them.

“You’re doing well, kid,” Spike said. “But you need to know your limits. Don’t underestimate your enemies or yourself. We’re getting closer to our goal, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”

Spike and I worked in tandem as we fought more pumpkin heads and imps. I was starting to reach my limit but thankfully Spike managed to finish off the rest of the monsters with his daggers and Persona. Once the last monster disintegrated into dust, Flash came out from his binding spot from behind a crate.

“Is it over?” Flash asked.

“Yeah…” I wheezed as Hercule disappeared. “I think so…” I stumbled a bit as my clothes returned to normal and I was suddenly breathing very heavily.

“Are you okay, rookie?" Spike asked, concern in his voice. “You looked like you were about to collapse.”

I managed a nod and took a few deep breaths. “I’m fine, just a bit…shaken, I guess. I never expected this to be so intense.” My voice still shook a little as I spoke, my entire body still trembling from the adrenaline of the battle. “That was the first fight I’ve ever been in. And it was with monsters, no less!”

“That was so fucking awesome, man!” Flash cheered. “You were like an entirely different person! I hardly recognized you, and we barely know each other!”

“Would you quit shouting like a dumbass?!” Spike spat. “We just got done fighting a whole squad of guards, do you want us to fight again so soon when your friend looks like he just ran ten miles? And on top of that, he’s not even in full control of his Persona!”

“Spike, was it?” I said to the little dragon kid. “What exactly is a persona? I imagine it’s those beings who show up beside you and I, right?”

“A Persona is a manifestation of one’s shadow” Spike began to explain.

“You lost me,” I said.

“Basically, it’s the rebel within you broken free,” Spike said. “You reject the ruler of this place, so you’ve awakened your true self.”

“My true self, huh?” I spoke.

“Uh, guys? Hate to break it to you, but we should get a move on. I hear more of those knights headed our way!” Flash warned.

“You’re right,” Spike nodded in agreement and quickly scanned the area, making sure we were indeed alone. “Let’s go.”

We ran through the corridors of the dungeon while avoiding any more guards along the way. As we passed by each cell, I saw kids about my age in miserable conditions, and I could hear their mumblings.

“Please…spare me.”

“I should’ve never crossed king Blueblood.”

“I swear I’ll be good! Don’t leave me in here!”

“The fuck is up with this place?” I said to myself, feeling a sense of pity for these people with a hint of anger towards Blueblood for making them suffer.

“Just ignore them,” Spike said nonchalantly, as if their suffering meant nothing to him.

But I couldn’t turn a blind eye when I saw Flash approaching one of the cells, calling out to two figures inside.

“Val! Sandal!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the damp walls.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed Flash and peered into the cell. Two teens sat huddled in the corner, one with green dreads and one with orange hair that obscured his eyes.

“Do you know them?” I asked Flash, trying to understand why he was so concerned about these strangers.

“My friends Valhallen and Sandalwood,” he replied, glancing back at the prisoners with a mix of sadness and hope. “We hang out and play music together.”

I watched as Flash desperately tried to elicit a response from his friends, but they remained silent, their spirits broken by their imprisonment. My heart ached for them, and my anger towards Blueblood only grew stronger. These were just innocent kids caught up in his twisted games.

“I’ll do it…” the kid called Val whimpered. “Just take the credit. I don’t want to be expelled.”

“I’m sorry…!” Sandal cried. “Please don’t tell the principal! They’ll tell my parents, and they’ll take away my strings!”

“It’s pointless trying to talk to them, it’s better if you just ignore them,” Spike chastised, causing Flash to grow angrier.

“I won’t ignore my friends!” Flash said, trying to pry the bars open while also trying to jam the cell key in the lock but it didn’t fit.

“You can’t help them because those aren’t your friends,” Spike said.

“What do you mean? They’re right there, aren’t they?” I asked.

“Those are just cognitive beings. They’re not real people and are just fakes that represent the real ones in the real world,” Spike said. “We can’t do anything for them now. If you really wanna help them, we need to keep moving!”

“But…” Flash stated but stopped when I placed a hand on his shoulder.

“We can worry about them later Flash” I say to Flash. “Let’s focus on getting out of here first.”

I could tell Flash didn't want to leave his friends behind. This crazy place was a goddamn clusterfuck of madness, and it somehow had something to do with that prick Blueblood. With a heavy sigh, Flash nodded, and we continued running through the corridors. After sneaking and avoiding any guards we could, we eventually made it to a large staircase that led to an upper level.

“This is it,” Spike said. “We can make it to the entrance of the castle!”

Flash and I nodded and followed Spike up the steps. I glanced behind me and couldn’t help but worry about the prisoners we were leaving behind. However, I had to remind myself that we had to get out of this crazy-ass place as soon as possible. We ran up the stairs until we reached a larger area that looked like some kind of foyer with large marble columns and chandeliers. We ran across towards another room on the other side, and Flash shut the door behind us as soon as we all entered.

“Finally! We made it!” Spike sighed with relief.

“Made it?! Made it where?!” Flash snapped. “This is nothing but a freaking closet!”

“You really are a novice.” Spike shook his as he casually moved towards a bookshelf before pushing it to the side revealing a hole in the wall. “No self-respecting thief uses the front door.”

“And I would guess that it’s less obvious,” I said.

“You’re sharp,” Spike nodded at me. “This is where we go our separate ways. I still need to do something here.”

“Thank you for helping us, Spike, we’d be goners if not for you,” I said.

“You’re right about that,” Spike quipped. “Now get outta here before more guards turn up.”

I nodded as Flash and I crawled through the hole. We squirmed our way through until reaching the outside. We found ourselves in the same place as we were before with the large drawbridge still down. Not wasting any time, we both booked it across the bridge and away from the castle. As we ran, the area around us started becoming a little warped as the sky became bright blue again and the sun appeared while shining its light down on us again. When I looked back, I noticed that the castle had turned back into the school, and we were now standing in front of the statue that sat in the courtyard.

“Is…is it over?” I asked. “Are we finally out?”

Flash nodded; his eyes wide with disbelief. “I think it’s over, man. We did it! We escaped that nightmare!”

Just as we were about to celebrate escaping that fever dream, a bell from the school rang. Flash visibly flinched as he frantically pulled back his left sleeve to look at the time on his wristwatch.

“Oh shit!” Flash yelped.

“What? What is it?” I asked.

“We missed half a day of class!” Flash cried. “Lunch just ended!”

“…shit,” I gulped.

Lessons and Dreams

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Chapter 3

Flash and I stood in front of Principal Celestia as she stared back at us with her arms crossed. The lunch bell had rung about five minutes ago, and we were immediately caught by Celestia when we foolishly tried to sneak into the school to try and act like we were already there. I twiddled my thumbs while sweating bullets while Flash just stood next to me with his hands in his pockets and looked bored.

“I’m still waiting,” Celestia said, sounding a little impatient. “I expected this little stunt from Flash but not from you, Roddy. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t call your brother about this.”

“Well…uh,” I tried to say. “I-It’s not our fault!” I blurted out. “It was that prick Blueblood! He started harassing us and tried to pick a fight!”

“Blueblood is our top student,” Celestia scoffed. “I highly doubt he would waste his time picking a fight with you two troublemakers.” She arched an eyebrow, clearly not buying my excuse.

“Hey, I was the one who started it,” Flash spoke up. “Roddy was just caught in the middle of it.”

“Is that why my nephew has a bloody nose?” Celestia accused.

“Blueblood may be the top student, Principal Celestia, but he’s also a top-class jerk,” Flash retorted. “He’s been bullying the students here since freshman year, and today I just couldn’t take it anymore. That’s why things got physical.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes, clearly displeased by this revelation. “Regardless of the circumstances, violence is never the answer,” Celestia stated firmly. “I will have to address this issue with both Blueblood and your parents.”

“Whatever. Not like they haven’t heard it before,” Flash shrugged.

“And as for you, Rodney,” Celestia turned to me. “Since you were just a bystander caught in this, you will only be considered warned from here out.”

“Yes ma’am…” I said glumly.

“Now, you two should get going to what’s left of class. No doubt Ms. Cheerilee is still expecting to introduce you as her new student,” Celestia said.

Flash and I nodded, grateful for the leniency Principal Celestia had shown. As we made our way to Ms. Cheerilee’s classroom, Flash clapped me on the back. “Looks like we dodged a bullet there, buddy,” he said with a grin.

“Yeah, no kidding,” I replied, feeling a weight lifted off my shoulders. But as we entered the classroom, the atmosphere changed. The students all turned to stare at us, their whispers filling the room. The teacher wore a feminine white collared dress shirt under her formal chocolate brown sweater vest, a green dress skirt that went down past her knees with sunflowers sewn everywhere, and a pair of brown work boots that some heel to them.

“Late again, Flash,” Ms. Cheerilee scolded in an annoyed tone. I swore I could see her cherry-pink hair puff up to match her irritated attitude. “Take your seat immediately.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Flash said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he lazily walked to his seat. I could tell some of the students were giving him a dirty look while others looked at me curiously.

“You must be the new student,” the teacher said to me as she stood up from her desk and walked up to me.

“Yeah, that’s me,” I said sheepishly. “Sorry I’m so late.”

“Normally, I would hold it against you but since Mr. Sentry was the cause I’ll let it slide.” Flash snorted in annoyance at that. “Since you’re finally here, why don’t you introduce yourself?”

I nodded and faced the students before clearing my throat.

“Um…hello, everyone,” I said plainly. “It’s nice to meet you all. My name’s Rodney, Rodney Dvorchack, but you can call me Roddy for short.”

“Roddy here is from the suburbs up north,” Ms. Cheerilee added. “He’s not used to being in the city, so be sure to treat him with respect and welcome him as a fellow Wonderbolt.”

The low hum of whispers and murmurs in the classroom grew more intense as I finished introducing myself. I could feel a few pairs of eyes darting over me, some sizing me up while others seemed completely apathetic towards my presence. With hesitant steps, I made my way to the only vacant seat beside a girl who possessed a shock of red and orange hair that rivaled flickering flames. As I settled in, I couldn’t help but notice the distinct divide in the room between those who were intrigued by my presence and those who couldn't care less about me or my existence.

I glanced at the girl while she stared put the window. Her hair was what drew me in the most, making me wonder what kind of hair products she must use to make it look like that. She wore a black leather vest with metal spikes going up her collar, a mellow-orange shirt underneath, a dark purple skirt with a zipper going up the side, and a pair of heeled leather boots that also had metal pins adorning the sides of each boot. In my trance, I failed to notice her looking back at me, which made me flinch.

“Oh…uh, hi,” I said awkwardly. “I’m Rodney.”

“Sunset,” the fiery haired teen said with a heavy annoyed sigh.

Her tone was enough for me not to pry as I turned back to the teacher. However, not even a minute later did I find myself looking back at the girl. However, I noticed a little accessory on the bracelet she was wearing that I recognized.

“Say…are you a heavy metal fan?” I asked. “I recognize that charm. It’s from Mötley Crüe.”

Sunset glanced at me, surprised by my observation. Her eyes softened slightly as she nodded. “Yeah, I am. Not many people pick up on that. Are you a fan too?” she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

I grinned, feeling a connection forming between us. “Definitely! My older brother introduced me to their music years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since,” I replied enthusiastically.

Sunset’s lips curved into a small smile. “That’s cool. It’s always nice to meet someone who appreciates good music,” she said, tucking a strand of fiery hair behind her ear.

“Hey, wanna see something cool?” I spoke.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I scrolled through my photo album until I found the one I was looking for.

“Feast your eyes,” I said as I showed her a pic of younger me standing next to the great James Hetfield, lead singer of Metallica.

Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise as she took in the photo, a mixture of awe and admiration crossing her features. “No way, you met James Hetfield?!” she exclaimed, leaning in for a closer look. “That’s incredible!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction. “Yeah, me and my dad ran into him after a concert a few years ago. He was super cool, and meeting him was a dream come true,” I explained, a hint of nostalgia in my voice.

“Excuse me!” The shrill voice of Ms. Cheerilee filled my ears as I slowly turned to see her glaring at me. “I don’t recall giving permission to use phones, Rodney!”

“Oh crap…” I gulped.

Cheerilee reeled back and threw a piece of chalk at me. Before I could react, the chalk hit me square in the forehead.

A few students gasped, while others snickered at my misfortune. As I rubbed my forehead, feeling the sting of the impact, Ms. Cheerilee’s stern expression softened slightly. “I don’t want to see that phone out during my class again, young man,” she warned before returning to her desk.

Sunset leaned closer to me, a knowing look in her eyes. “Tough break, Rodney. But hey, at least you got a cool story out of it,” she whispered with a small smile.

I couldn't help but chuckle again at her attempt to lighten the mood. “Thanks, Sunset. And hey, if you ever want to share some music recommendations or talk about bands, just let me know,” I replied gratefully.

“Sounds good,” Sunset agreed as she turned her attention back to the front of the classroom, where Ms. Cheerilee was beginning her lesson.

“Let us start off with some American history,” Cheerilee said. “Who here can tell me about the Stamp Act?” No one raised their hands, me included, until Cheerilee locked eyes with me and she smirked. “Rodney? Do you know what the Stamp Act was?”

I flinched and gulped since she just put me on the spot. I tried my best to recall my classes back at my old school to give an answer.

“Uh…it was a law passed by Parliament in 1765 to raise revenue in America by requiring taxed, stamped paper for legal documents, publications and playing cards,” I answered.

Cheerilee raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by my response. “Well done, Rodney. Looks like we have a history buff in our midst,” she said with a hint of approval. The classroom let out a low murmur of surprise at my unexpected knowledge, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride wash over me.

“How did you know that?” Sunset whispered to me.

“I may not look like it, but I actually take my studies kinda seriously,” I shrugged. “You can thank my Mom for that during my time in middle school, and at my old high school.”

“Let’s move on, shall we?” Cheerilee said. “Sunset?”

“Y-Yes?” Sunset stammered.

“Can you tell me when the Townshend Act was passed?” Cheerilee asked.

“Uh…well…” Sunset struggled.

“cough 1767…” I fake coughed in my hand.

Sunset shot me a grateful look, clearly relieved by my subtle hint. She straightened up in her seat and confidently answered, “1767, Ms. Cheerilee."

Cheerilee nodded approvingly at Sunset's response. “Correct. It seems we have two history buffs among us today,” she remarked with a smile before continuing with the lesson.

RRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGG!

“And that concludes today’s lesson,” Cheerilee said. “Make sure you read the first chapter of your textbooks. Rodney, you may pick all of your textbooks for each subject you will be learning about this year at the library.”

“Okay, thank you, Ms. Cheerilee,” I said to her as we all stood up to leave the classroom. Before I made my leave, Sunset tapped me on the shoulder, and she was smiling gratefully at me.

“Hey, thanks for the help back there,” Sunset said. “I definitely owe you one.”

I grinned back at her. “No problem at all,” I replied.

“Look…I’m sorry for the attitude I gave you earlier,” Sunset apologized with a sheepish look on her face.

“Hey, I get it. You were just having a bad day,” I waved my hand. “Trust me, I’ve had plenty of those.”

“Psst! Roddy!” I heard someone call my name and saw Flash hang by the door and beckoned me.

“Well, I gotta go pick up my textbooks. I’ll see you later,” I said with a smile.

“Yeah, you too, Rodney,” Sunset smiled back at me.

I waved the girl goodbye and made my way out the door. Flash was standing outside, and we walked down the hall together.

“We gotta talk,” Flash said to me.

“Now?” I asked.

“Yes now! It’s important,” Flash said.

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Just let me get my textbooks.

After I had picked up my textbooks from the library, Flash led me outside the school and back to the bleachers where we were before to escape from Blueblood’s cronies.

“So,” Flash said, leaning on a metal pole and crossing his arms. “Are we gonna talk about that crazy shit that happened, or are we gonna act like it didn’t happen?”

Squinting in thought, I considered Flash’s question. The events from earlier that day were like a vivid dream, still swimming around in my mind. A castle that appeared out of nowhere, replacing the familiar school. Blueblood’s odd features and the strange beings that roamed the halls. And then there was me, suddenly possessing powers I couldn’t explain and a dragon that could not only walk but talk.

My gut churned with unease as I spoke, my voice barely above a whisper. “I think we do need to address what happened,” I finally said. “It’s all too strange to just brush off and ignore.”

“Right?” Flash said. “It’s impossible to just brush it off as a dream.”

“First thing’s first,” I said. “You seem to know what’s been going on around here, and it has to do with that Blueblood guy. What’s his deal?”

Flash scowled and looked away. “Blueblood is the biggest jackass at school. Always has been since freshman year, maybe even before, back in middle school. He always uses family ties with Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna to get everything he wants.”

“And I take it that’s not the only thing he’s done” I ask.

“You’d be right about that,” Flash scoffed. “There’re these rumors that the only reason why he’s an honor student is because he forced other students to give him their homework or forced them to copy their test answers. Not to mention, there’s even more shady rumors that he sabotages student athletes, so they don’t get more popular than him. As if he ever was but still.”

“Wow, that’s messed up,” I remarked, feeling a surge of anger rising within me at the injustice of it all. Blueblood’s actions were despicable, and I couldn’t believe someone could be so selfish and cruel. “No wonder everyone hates him. You especially, since you were willing to actually slug the guy right in the kisser.”

Flash nodded grimly; his jaw clenched in frustration. “Yeah, he’s a real piece of work, that’s for sure. But what’s even more concerning is what happened today. That wasn’t just some elaborate prank; there was something strange going on with that castle and those creatures.”

“Not to mention those prisoners,” I added. “I recall a couple of them were your buddies.”

Flash’s expression darkened at the mention of his friends being held captive. “Yeah, Val and Sandal…”

“Did you check in with them?” I asked.

“How could I? I couldn’t just tell them what happened to us and see what they say. They’d think I’m nuts,” Flash said.

“That’s fair, I think anyone would find our story crazy,” I agreed.

“Ugh…this is confusing the hell outta me,” Flash grumbled. “Let’s just go home. I can’t think straight with all these questions. The bus should be here any minute.”

I nodded in agreement as we both walked away from the bleachers and towards the school bus pickup. I glanced over my shoulder at the school once more before turning back and continuing on my way.

After a long and absolutely batshit crazy day, I finally managed to make it home at my brother’s house. Berry was already in the process of making dinner, and I was helping Lance watch over Freddy in the living room. I sat on the floor with Freddy while he played with his little toys and Lance read a book.

“Hey, Roddy?” Lance said to me.

“What’s up, bro?” I spoke.

“Were you late to school?” Lance asked out of the blue.

Shit, I guess Celestia did call my brother after all, I thought. “Yeah,” I admitted, glancing at the clock on the wall that read that it was almost dinnertime. “It was a weird day.”

“Something happen?” Lance prodded further; his gaze serious yet concerned.

I hesitated, unsure of how much I should reveal about the events of the day.

“I…had an altercation with a bully,” I confessed, not wanting to lie to my brother. “He tried hassling me right before class, so a new friend of mine and I hid from him and his cronies. We didn’t realize how much time had already passed.”

Lanc’'s brows furrowed in concern as he set his book aside, clearly intrigued by my response. He knew me well enough to realize when there was more to a story than what meets the eye.

“Roddy, you can talk to me. I’m your brother,” Lance said gently, his voice soft and reassuring. “I may not be in school with you anymore, but I can still offer advice or help if you need it.”

“I appreciate that, Lance, I really do,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry. I have everything under control. It won’t happen again.”

Lance scrutinized me for a moment before nodding, seemingly satisfied with my response. He knew when to press further and when to let things be, a skill that made him an excellent older brother.

“Alright, just remember that I’m here for you if you need anything,” Lance said, ruffling Freddy's hair affectionately as the little boy giggled.

As the evening progressed and we sat down for dinner, the events of the day continued to whirl in my mind. The strange occurrences at school, Blueblood'’ menacing presence, the mysterious castle… It was all too much to process in one day.

Later That Night

The dream realm once again beckoned me as I laid in my bed after a delicious chicken soup meal made by Berry. I figured that I’d turn in early after today’s crazy events since I still felt a little drained. As I fell asleep, there was a familiar chime of a grandfather clock bell. When I opened my eyes, I was in the same endless library that I had dreamed about before.

“Oh no…” I groaned as I sat up. “Not this again.”

This time, instead of my sofa being in the middle of the strange endless library, I was relocated right in the middle where the long-nosed man, Igor, sat at his desk with his attendant, Jacqueline, standing right beside him.

“Igor…” I spoke.

“So, how was your first experience within the Metaverse?” Igor asked with a wide grin.

“The Metaverse?” I repeated. “That place with the crazy castle?”

“Indeed,” Igor nodded. “And it would seem you were able to awaken to your true self and summon the rebel dwelling in your heart.”

“Can you please stop talking in riddles and just tell me what you’re talking about?” I demanded, getting annoyed.

“Watch how you talk to my master, boy,” Jaqueline said irritably.

“No, no, Mr. Dvorchack is now awakened, and is owed an explanation,” Igor corrected her. “A Persona, in other words, a mask - is an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters. You were able to reject and overcome your weak and feeble-minded self. Thus, taking your first step as the Trickster.”

“Trickster?” I said.

“There is no need to worry, Mr. Dvorchack,” Igor reassured me. “You will learn more as you progress. By the by…have you come to appreciate the Metaverse Navigator?”

“You mean that app that keeps appearing on my phone?” I ask

“Yes, indeed,” Igor confirmed, his voice resonating throughout the vast library. “The Metaverse Navigator is a tool that will guide you in your journey as the Trickster. It will allow you to traverse between the realms, unlocking paths that were once hidden to you.”

“I…still don’t understand what the hell you’re talking about,” I said with a shake of my head.

“You should be more grateful that my master has bestowed upon you this gift,” Jacqueline said. “There has only been one other who possessed such a precious tool like this.”

Igor waved a hand, silencing Jacqueline before turning his attention back to me. “The Metaverse Navigator is a key to unlocking the power within you, Mr. Dvorchack. It will aid you in your quest to uncover the truth behind the mysteries that surround you.”

“Since you’re here, you may as well start looking for your book,” Jacqueline said.

I sighed and stood up from the sofa. I looked around at the endless rows of books and started my search for this mystery book. I wanted to ask Igor and Jacqueline more questions but I figured they wouldn’t be very talkative right now. All they did was watch as I aimlessly checked book by book, un-shelving and re-shelving each one.

The Next Morning

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The sound of my phone’s alarm woke me up, making me groan in annoyance as I reached over on my nightstand to turn it off. I shakily sat myself up from my bed and sat on the edge before rubbing my eyes.

“God, it felt like I was searching for hours…” I grumbled. “How the hell does that old man expect me to find a book in that endless library?”

I stood up from my bed and walked to the steps leading upstairs. Once I reached the top, I saw Freddy laughing and running away from his mother wearing only a diaper while she chased after him with his overalls.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Berry greeted me with a smile as I entered the kitchen. Lance was already seated at the table, sipping on a cup of coffee while flipping through a newspaper.

“Morning, everyone,” I mumbled, still lost in my thoughts from the dream world encounter last night.

“Freddy! Come back here!” Berry yelped as she tried to catch her son.

“Is this the norm around here?” I asked as I sat down.

“Yes, Freddy’s a little ball of energy in the mornings,” Lance chuckled, folding his newspaper and setting it down on the table. “I hope you slept well, Roddy. You seemed pretty tired last night.”

I nodded absentmindedly, pouring myself a glass of orange juice as I tried to shake off the lingering unease from my encounter in the dream library. The mention of the Metaverse Navigator and being labeled as a Trickster still rang in my mind, creating more questions than answers.

“Woddy!” Freddy ran up to me and held up his little arms. “Up! Me up!”

“Uh…come again?” I said, looking down at my nephew.

“Up!” Freddy repeated, his eyes wide and pleading as he looked up at me.

I hesitated for a moment, not entirely sure what he meant. But then I realized he wanted me to pick him up. Smiling, I scooped him up in my arms, eliciting a squeal of delight from the little boy.

“Well, would you look at that?” Berry cooed as Freddy giggled in my arms.

“He sure warmed up to his uncle really quick,” Lance said.

“Since you have him, can you also feed him?” Berry asked as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a plate of sliced fruit. “Just do the classic choo-choo train bit with him. He loves that.”

“You gave her that idea from Mom, didn’t you?” I asked Lance.

Lance just grinned in response, taking a sip of his coffee. I chuckled and began making silly train noises as I fed Freddy the fruit, his laughter filling the kitchen.

“You better hurry up and eat your own breakfast and get ready for school, Roddy. The bus will be here soon,” Berry said.

“Of course,” I said as I fed Freddy more fruit.

After feeding Freddy his breakfast and eating the scrambled eggs and bacon Berry made for me, I went and took a shower, got dressed, and grabbed my backpack and a granola bar from the pantry before heading out the door. I waited by the curb for the bus until it finally came around to pick me up.

“Well, good morning, new kid,” the driver greeted. “Second day, and you’re still standing.”

“If you say so,” I chuckled a little as I entered the bus and took my seat.

The bus rattled and hummed along its usual route towards school, the scenery outside a blur of colors and shapes as I stared out the window lost in thought. The events of the previous night played on repeat in my mind like a broken record, each detail etched into my memory with startling clarity. Igor’s cryptic words about the Metaverse Navigator and being dubbed the Trickster continued to puzzle me. What did they mean? And how was I supposed to navigate this newfound role thrust upon me?

My thoughts were interrupted by the bus making a few stops, and as I pulled my gaze from the window, I noticed a first-year student standing at one of the stops. She wore a sleek white jacket over a bright pink shirt, paired with a red plaid skirt and a pair of vibrant pink sneakers. Her outfit stood out against the dull morning backdrop, making her seem like a pop of color in an otherwise mundane world.

“Is this seat taken?” the girl asked me.

I looked at her and noticed she had light cyan colored eyes and had hair consisting of mainly pink hair with purple ends and a streak or two of light blue.

“Oh, uh…no, go ahead,” I said.

“Thank you!” She chirped happily and sat next to me. “My name is Flurry, Flurry Heart. What’s yours?”

“Rodney,” I answered with a kind smile. “Rodney Dvorchack. I’m a junior.”

“Nice to meet you, Rodney,” Flurry said with a cheerful grin as sat down next to me. “I’m a freshman.” She continued to gaze at me as if she was trying to get a read on my appearance. “Are you new?” Flurry asked. “I feel like I haven’t seen you around here.”

“You’d be right about that,” I said. “Just moved here last week. This is my second day. I’m from the suburbs up north.”

“Well, welcome to our little town then!” Flurry beamed, her eyes sparkling with genuine excitement. “I hope you’re settling in okay so far. It can be a bit overwhelming being the new kid and all.”

“Yeah, it’s been… interesting,” I replied, offering her a small smile.

“Interesting is good!” Flurry said. “You should always savor the most entertaining experiences at school. At least that’s what I think.”

“That right?” I said. “You must be pretty excited to be in high school then.”

Flurry nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, absolutely! High school is a whole new adventure, don’t you think? New people to meet, new things to learn. I can’t wait to dive into it all. What about you, Rodney? What are you looking forward to the most now that you're here?”

I leaned back in my seat, contemplating her question. The truth was, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this new chapter of my life. But Flurry’s infectious enthusiasm was starting to rub off on me.

“I guess I’m looking forward to…exploring new opportunities?” I finally said, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Meeting different people, trying out new things. I think it could be pretty exciting.”

Flurry’s eyes lit up at my answer. “That’s the spirit! High school is all about taking chances and discovering who you really are.”

“Heh, you make some good points, Flurry,” I said with a smile. It was then I realized that we had already arrived at school as the bus pulled up to the curb. “Wow, how long were we talking? We’re already here.”

Flurry giggled, her pink and purple hair bouncing with her movements. “Time flies when you’re having fun, right?” she said as she grabbed her bright yellow backpack and hopped out of her seat. “Well, Rodney, it was great talking to you! Hope we can chat some more later. See you around!”

“Yeah, definitely! See you around, Flurry!” I called out, watching her dash off the bus with an infectious energy that left a smile on my face.

As soon as I stepped off the bus, I saw Flash walk up to me with a serious look on his face.

“Yo,” Flash said.

“Morning, Flash, what’s up?” I asked.

“I haven’t been able to get it out of my head, no matter how much I try,” Flash said out of the blue. “That place wasn’t a dream, and I think it’s somehow connected to that prick Blueblood.”

“Okay…?” I said, sounding suspicious. “Where are you going with this?”

“Isn’t it obvious, dude? We gotta go back to that weird world,” Flash said. I gave him a look like he had a second head and a few screws loose.

“No way, Flash,” I replied, shaking my head. “That place was unreal. I mean, literally unreal. It was like something out of a video game or a sci-fi movie. Besides, what makes you think Blueblood has anything to do with it?”

Flash ran a hand through his hair, a look of frustration crossing his face. “I can’t shake the feeling that he’s involved somehow.”

“But what would going back to that death trap prove?” I questioned. “If anything, we’d probably end up risking our lives again.”

“Well, we can’t just go and confront Blueblood, can we?” Flash said. “And besides, we’re already under watch for being late yesterday.”

“Not to mention you giving Blueblood a bloody nose,” I added.

“I still don’t regret that,” Flash said. “He deserved it after what he did to me…”

“What’s that mean?” I wondered.

Flash tucked his hands in his pockets and exhaled. “I can’t really get into it, since it’s a bit personal, but he and I have history. He did some things that set me up in a bad way, and I have no way of proving it.” Flash shook his head as to try to dismiss the subject. “That’s beside the point. Please, man, you’re the only one I can trust with this. You saved my life back there with that awesome power of yours.”

“It honestly felt like I was in the heat of the moment,” I shrugged. “I just heard this weird voice in my head that somehow gave me powers. Not mention, I’ve been feeling…different ever since.”

“Different how?” Flash wondered but I shook my head.

“I can’t explain. All I know is it was like an out of body experience for me,” I tried to say.

“Call it what you want. But my question still stands,” Flash said. “Are you in or out?”

I hesitated, mulling over Flash’s proposal. The idea of venturing back into that mysterious world both intrigued and frightened me. But as I looked into Flash’s eyes, seeing the determination and urgency in them, I knew that he was serious about this. And perhaps he was right. Maybe there was more to discover about the Metaverse Navigator, about Blueblood, and about my own new and strange abilities.

Taking a deep breath, I finally nodded at Flash. “Alright, let’s do this. But we have to be careful. No reckless moves this time, and we’ll have to do this after school.”

A grin spread across Flash’s face, his eyes alight with excitement. “That’s the spirit! We’ll figure this out together, Rodney.”

“Here’s hoping, Flash,” I said, trying to sound confident.

We both walked together towards the school, both of us now anticipating our return to the strange world known as the Metaverse.

The Outlaw

View Online

Chapter 4

I wish I could say that it was a normal day at school. I wish I could say that I was looking forward to the rest of the year without a problem at all. But ever since the other day, I get the feeling that all my hopes of any normalcy have officially been thrown out the window. It was now lunch time, after half a day of math and English classes, and the other students and I were just leaving our science class. The teachers were pretty nice, and they actually gave me some slack when they heard I was absent yesterday because I was a new student. Flash and I had planned to meet in the cafeteria for lunch to discuss our plan for when we go back to that other world.

As I entered the bustling cafeteria, my eyes scanned the room for Flash. I spotted him at a table in the corner, I moved over before sitting down across from him.

“Hey,” I said.

“Sup,” Flash said.

“You eat alone all the time?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’m used to it,” Flash shrugged.

As I pulled out my packed lunch, I noticed some of the other students were staring at me. More noticeably, they were also staring at Flash, and some gave him dirty looks.

“Hey…why are they looking at you like that?” I asked Flash.

“Me?” Flash said and looked around. “Take a picture! It’ll last longer!”

That got them to shy away and return to their lunches.

“Hmph, if they got a problem, they could just say it to my face,” Flash scoffed.

I was about to question him again when I noticed Sunset walk in with a group of girls. She was chatting along with them until she noticed me and gave me a wave.

My focus immediately shifted to the two individuals standing beside her. One sported a striking, deep purple hairstyle that was fashioned into one enormous curl cascading down her back like a majestic waterfall. She wore a crisp white blouse that contrasted against her midnight navy skirt, which flowed around her legs like an enchanting mist. Her feet were adorned with heeled boots that stopped just below her knees, adding an extra touch of refinement to her appearance. Beside her stood a woman with vibrant violet hair, streaked with hints of pink and purple. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that swayed with every step she took. The glimmer of her black glasses added an intellectual flair to her overall look. She wore a pink sweater vest over a white collared shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a cute pink bow tied at the collar. Her outfit was completed with a purple knee-length skirt adorned with a pink star, knee-high socks, and black shoes.

“Who’re they?” I asked Flash, gesturing to the six girls who walked in with Sunset.

“That’s Rarity and Twilight” Flash said, taking a bite of his lunch. “Remember how I told you this school has had its fair share of bizarre events?”

“Yeah?” I nodded.

“Well, all three of them were usually found right in the middle of them,” Flash said.

“Really?” I whispered; my curiosity piqued by the sight of the pair.

“Not just them,” Flash said as four more girls entered the cafeteria to join them. There was a pink-haired girl, a blonde girl wearing a stetson, a rainbow-haired girl, and a pink-haired girl.

“And here comes, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy,” Flash said. “If you wanna talk about people with a reputation, they’ve got the biggest rep in school. One might even say they’re somewhat celebrities.”

“Just what kind of bizarre events are you talking about?” I wondered as I ate my sandwich.

“You wouldn’t believe me,” Flash shrugged.

“Try me,” I insisted.

“Well, there was the time when Sunset was the worst of the worst and turned into a giant she-demon and tried to take over the school,” Flash said so easily. “Even managed to take control of everyone in the school.”

I had to take a moment to process what he just said. The fact that the girl I just bonded with over good music the other day was once a hated individual and even turned into a demon because of it, baffled me to no end. I glanced at Sunset while she sat with her friends at a table and back at Flash.

“I don’t really know why but after recent events that you and I have gone through, I somehow believe you…” I said, feeling my eye twitch a little.

“That’s only the start of what’s been happening around here, dude,” Flash chuckled.

“I’ll take your word for it,” I said.

Suddenly, the doors swung open again to reveal the entitled ass, Blueblood, and his two cronies waltz in like they owned the whole cafeteria. Flash and I both scowled as we watched him cut in front of a few students to take his lunch order.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the seven misfits of CHS,” Blueblood mocked. “What sort of crazy magical catastrophe are you planning to inflict on us now? Turn the whole student body into animals? Perhaps flip the entire building upside down? Oh! Perhaps you will teleport all of us to random locations around the planet?”

“Piss off, Blueblood” Sunset barked out not even meeting the pricks gaze.

“You shouldn’t talk to Blueblood like that, you know,” Snips snickered.

“And what’re you gonna do about it?” The girl with the stetson glared.

“Wanna get your ass best again?” The rainbow-haired girl added while cracking her knuckles. “I’d be happy to give you a shiner to match that bandaid on your nose.”

“Shut your mouth, cumt lickers!'“ Blueblood snarled at the pair. “In case you forgot, I’m Principal Celestia’s nephew, if I say so she’ll expel you if you so much as look at me wrong.”

Rainbow moved to attack Blueblood; however, she was stopped by her friend in the stetson hat.

“You really like running your mouth, don’t you?” Sunset said back.

“Just leave us alone…” the pink-haired girl tried to say. Blueblood turned his attention to Rarity and smiled smugly.

“I must say, Rarity, you’re looking quite… exquisite as always,” Blueblood drawled, his gaze lingering on her attire. “A shame you waste your talents mingling with this lot of misfits.”

Rarity fixed him with a steely glare, her elegant facade slipping for a moment to reveal a flash of irritation. “I would rather be amongst friends than in the company of someone as insufferable as you, Blueblood.”

“Why Rarity, you wound me,” Blueblood said dramatically. “Still sore after last year’s fall formal?”

“You left me to dance with other girls!” Rarity snapped.

“An honest mistake, my dear.” I watched him lean in almost too close for comfort. “Even you can agree that I have high standards.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned back, a disdainful smirk curling her lips. “Oh, I wholeheartedly disagree, Blueblood,” she said sweetly, the saccharine tone dripping with venom. “And it’s abundantly clear that your standards are as low as your IQ if you believe for one moment that an ounce of flattery could mask your odious personality.”

Blueblood’s face flushed with anger, and he took a step back, clearly unaccustomed to being spoken to in such a manner. His cronies shifted uncomfortably beside him, sensing the rising tension in the air.

“You will regret those words, Rarity, mark my words!” Blueblood said as he raised his hand.

I don’t know what exactly came over me but seeing Blueblood’s inexcusable behavior set me off in ways I had not felt before. I stood up from my table, with Flash in tow, and marched up behind Blueblood.

“Hey.” Blueblood paused and turned around to face me. “Are you too stupid to see that the girl’s not interested?”

Blueblood’s eyes widened in surprise at my bold confrontation, clearly not used to being challenged in such a direct manner. His cronies exchanged nervous glances, uncertain of how to react to this unexpected turn of events. I could sense the tension in the air, the cafeteria falling into an uneasy silence as all eyes turned towards our confrontation. Blueblood cleared his throat as he gave me another one of his smug smiles.

“Ah, the new kid comes and tries to save the day?” Blueblood mocked. “Stay out of this, you’re being a nuisance.”

“Not so much to save the day, more like trying to keep the peace,” I said. “You’re clearly making her uncomfortable with your prattling, and everyone’s trying to enjoy their lunch. So, tell me. Who here’s the real nuisance?”

Blueblood's face contorted with rage; his entitlement shaken by my defiance. He took a step closer to me, his eyes flashing with a dangerous gleam. "You have no idea who you're dealing with, kid," he spat, trying to intimidate me with his imposing stature. But I stood my ground, unflinching in the face of his aggression.

“Does it matter?” I retorted, meeting his gaze head-on. “Just do us all a favor and leave them alone. Can’t you see they want nothing to do with you?”

The cafeteria had fallen into a tense hush, the students watching the confrontation unfold with bated breath. Blueblood’s cronies shifted uncomfortably beside him, unsure of how to react to their leader being challenged.

Blueblood soon noticed that he was causing a scene and ultimately backed off. “You’d better watch your back from now on, new kid.”

Blueblood stormed off with his cronies quickly following behind. I sighed as I looked back at Flash who was smiling approvingly at me. I just gave him a small nod, and then turned my attention to the girls sitting at the table.

“Hey there,” I said with a small wave. “Apologies for the late introduction no thanks to Mr. Entitled. Name’s Rodney. Rodney Dvorchack.”

The girls looked at each other, sharing a silent moment of understanding before giving me warm smiles. Rarity was the first to speak, her voice soft but filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Rodney. Your intervention was most chivalrous.”

Applejack nodded in agreement. “Sure thing, Rodney. We sure do appreciate it. Ah’m Applejack, and these here are my friends - Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and Sunset Shimmer.”

Fluttershy gave me a shy smile from behind her long hair. “Um, thank you for standing up for us. I-I’m Fluttershy.”

Pinkie Pie bounced in her seat with excitement. “Hiya Rodney! I’m Pinkie Pie, but you can call me Pinkie or Party Planner Extraordinaire! Whichever you prefer!”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” I said. “I’m sure you all know Flash.”

“Hey girls,” Flash said absentmindedly.

“Oh, hello Flash,” Sunset said. “How’ve you been?”

“Managing,” Flash shrugged.

“Are ya sure, partner?” Applejack asked.

“I’m fine,” Flash affirmed. “Really. Nothing I can’t handle for another two years anyway.”

Sunset’s gaze softened as she looked at Flash, a flicker of concern crossing her features before she masked it with a small smile. “Well, just remember we're all here for you, okay?” She said gently.

“Would you two care to sit down with us?” Rarity offered.

“Sure, we-,” I was about to say but Flash cut me off.

“Sorry, we’re busy with other stuff,” Flash said and grabbed me to pull me away.

I gave Sunset and her friends a goodbye wave before we made it back to our table and sat back down.

“What was that about, Flash? They were just offering to let us sit with them,” I questioned my friend.

“It’s best not to get involved,” Flash dismissed. “Not when we have more important things to talk about. Like how we’re going about the castle this time around. You think you’ll still have those cool powers of yours?”

“It’s possible” I say. “But at the same time, I can’t say for certain.”

“What about those guards?” Flash asked. “I think you can take them again?”

“That also I can’t say for certain,” I said. “It felt like I was an entirely different person in that world. I was just swinging that sword and cane without any coordination.”

“So, I guess that means we’re gonna have to sneak around, huh?” Flash said.

“It’s preferred, if possible,” I nodded.

Flash shoved his hands in his pockets as he began to think. “We need a plan. Sneaking around can only get us so far. We have to figure out a way to get to the castle without getting caught.”

“There is that hole that Spike showed us,” I reminded Flash.

“Oh yeah, Spike!" Flash perked up. “You think we’ll run into him again?”

“I’d hope so,” I said. “He seemed pretty capable in a fight since he too has a persona.”

Flash grinned. “That’s true. Hopefully, he can lend us a hand if things get messy.”

As we finished discussing our plans, the bell signaling the end of lunch period rang, prompting us to gather our things and head to our next class. As we walked through the bustling halls of Canterlot High, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that trouble was brewing beneath the surface.

After a long day of classes and lectures, the ending bell rang, and I was making my way to the bleachers so I could meet with Flash. The unwavering feeling during classes still lurked in the back of my mind. Willingly returning to the world beyond our own was the last thing I’d expect to be doing today, especially since Flash was so eager to go as well. I made my way out of the school building through the front doors and proceeded towards the track field. There were many students I passed by each going about their ways, either staying on campus for a while or waiting to be picked up from school. To be honest, I somewhat wished I could head home too. I eventually made it to the bleachers where Flash was already waiting for me.

“Hey, Rodney,” Flash greeted me with a nod, his expression serious. “You ready to get this show on the road?”

“Sure, as I’ll ever be,” I shrugged as I set my pack down.

“So, how do we even get there?” Flash asked, already aware that I was the reason we were able to enter the Metaverse in the first place.

“I think it was this weird app I’ve been trying to get rid of,” I said, pulling out my phone and showing it to Flash.

“An App?” Flash said, swiping my phone from my hands.

“Interesting,” Flash muttered as he examined the app on my phone. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. You sure this is how we got to that castle place?”

“I’m positive,” I confirmed. “Every time I try to delete it, it just reappears.”

“Then it’s probably a key!” Flash said.

“A key? Really?” I spoke.

“Why not? It makes sense,” Flash shrugged. “I wonder what happens if I tap it?”

“Flash, hang on-!” I tried to say but he tapped the app already.

In an instant, it felt like the world around us became distorted. Looking towards the school, I saw the towering spires of the golden castle in its place.

I turned to Flash, who stood beside me, his jaw hanging open in awe. “We’re back,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Warn me next time!” I said, taking my phone back. “Startled me there…”

“Woah!” Flash shouted startling me. “Dude, your clothes.”

I arched a brow and looked down to see that I was wearing the same clothes that appeared on me. I also noticed that the cane sword I used to fight was clipped to my fancy belt, and I was wearing the mask I had torn off when I was back in the cell.

“Damn, don’t think I’ll get used to this automatic wardrobe change,” I said, looking behind me.

“Kinda wish I had a cool costume like yours” Flash said with a pang of jealousy.

“Maybe you’ll get one eventually,” I teased, nudging him playfully. “But for now, let’s focus on the task at hand.”

“Wait, hang on a second” Flash reached behind him before pulling out what looked like a Desert Eagle pistol. “Here, it might prove useful.”

“They hell?! Where’d you get that?!” I yelped.

“Relax, it’s just a model,” Flash said as he handed it to me. “Friend of mine has a hobby of collecting model guns and he let me have one for my birthday last year. It’s only been on display in my bedroom, so I figured it might come in handy over here.”

I took the model gun from Flash, inspecting it closely. It was intricately detailed, with a weight that felt surprisingly real in my hand.

“Thanks, Flash,” I said, securing it in my belt next to my sword. “I was worried for a moment that you had brought a gun to school to kill Blueblood.”

“Damn, dude, that’s cold,” Flash said with a chuckle as we headed towards the opening on the side. “I mean, I hate the guy but not that much.”

A small chuckle escaped my lips as we made our way around the towering castle, its dark stone walls looming above us. Spike had shown us a hidden hole that led inside, and we carefully maneuvered towards it. Flash’s voice echoed off the cold walls as he whispered.

“Remind me again why we couldn’t have just walked through the front gates like normal people?” Flash sighed.

I glanced back at him and rolled my eyes, trying to keep my nerves in check. “Because normal people don’t have to worry about getting caught by palace guards,” I replied.

As we crept deeper into the shadowy tunnel, I kept my eyes peeled for any sign of danger. Suddenly, a flash of purple caught my attention, and I froze in place. Peering ahead, I saw a pair of eyes staring right at me.

“You two?” I backed out of the tunnel and out came the little dragon, Spike. He looked up at both of us and crossed his arms. “No wonder the shadows are more active. And I certainly didn’t expect to see you two here again.”

“We came willingly,” I said.

“That’s twice in a row, I’ve been surprised,” Spike said, arching a brow. “Care to explain why?”

“We’re here to get dirt on that bastard, Blueblood,” Flash answered.

“We know he’s up to no good, and we want to put a stop to it,” I added, meeting Spike’s gaze.

Spike studied us for a moment before nodding slowly. “Alright, follow me. But stay close and keep quiet,” he whispered, leading us to the castle.

Flash and I followed Spike back through the hole until we came out in the small storage room from before.

“Okay, if we’re gonna do this, there are some things you need to know,” Spike said.

“You got that right,” Flash said. “What exactly is this place?”

“Can’t you tell from the big sign outside that read Canterlot High School?" Spike questioned.

“That’s what I don't get though!” Flash said. “This is obviously a golden castle!”

“Keep it down!” Spike barked. “This is the school because it’s how the castle’s ruler sees it through his distorted desires.”

“That makes even less sense!” Flash groaned.

“Are you as dense as you are loud?” Spike teased.

“Wanna say that again, lizard!?” Flash said irritated by the dragon.

“I am not a lizard!” Spike shouted.

I stifled a laugh at the banter between Flash and Spike, but then cleared my throat to refocus their attention.

“Guys, come on, we’re here for a reason, remember?“ I interjected, trying to keep them on track. Spike and Flash both quieted down and turned to me, waiting for instructions.

“Good. So, what do we need to know, Spike?” I asked, eager to get the mission underway.

Before Spike could answer, the sounds of screams of anguish and pain echoed throughout the halls of the castle's interior.

“The hell was that?!” Flash yelped.

“Most likely the prisoners,” Spike answered. “It’s round the clock torture for those people, by Blueblood’s command. Not to mention, he’s still in a bad mood for allowing you two to escape.”

“Bastard…!” Flash cursed, clenching his fists. Even I was ticked off after hearing what Blueblood was doing to those poor kids.

“What’s with your friend?” Spike asked. “He must really hate this guy.”

“It's a long story,” I said. “Something he’s yet to disclose but only on his terms.”

“Fair enough,” Spike said.

“We gotta help those people!” Flash proclaimed.

“I agree, even I can’t ignore this,” I said with a nod.

“Well…if you’re both bent on going through with this, I suppose I can help guide you,” Spike said, scratching his chin.

“For real?! That’s great!” Flash grinned before turning to me with a grateful smile. “And thanks for agreeing with me.”

I nodded at Flash, a sense of determination washing over me. “We have to do what’s right, no matter the risk,” I replied, looking at Spike. “Lead the way.”

Spike nodded and began guiding us through the winding corridors of the castle. The air was thick with tension and the distant cries of the tortured prisoners only fueled our resolve.

As we navigated the labyrinthine halls, Spike suddenly held up a claw, signaling us to stop. He pointed towards a group of guards patrolling ahead, their armor glinting in the dim torchlight.

We waited for them to pass until he nodded at us and led the way. We eventually made it to a familiar staircase that led to a lower level where the dungeon was. The screams of anguish and despair rang out louder than before.

Spike moved stealthily, his claws tapping softly on the cold stone steps, leading us towards the source of the agonized cries. The torches flickered ominously, casting dancing shadows on the damp walls. As we reached the bottom of the staircase, we found ourselves in a long corridor lined with heavy iron doors.

“Hey, look,” I said, pointing above the cells. “There’s plaques with writing on them.” As we passed by each cell, each plaque had titles on them that made my gut churn.

“Mathematics Slaves, Biology Slaves, English Slaves?!” Flash said, sounding disgusted. “The fuck is this shit?!”

“Sounds like he has certain students who are good at specific subjects under his thumb so he can copy their work,” I said bitterly.

“We need to put a stop to this,” I said, my voice full of determination. Flash and Spike both nodded in agreement, their expressions mirroring my resolve. We approached one of the iron doors labeled English Slaves and peered inside.

The sight that greeted us was harrowing. A group of students were huddled together on the cold, damp floor, surrounded by stacks of papers and textbooks. They looked up at us with hollow eyes, clearly exhausted and defeated.

“I can’t take this anymore!” One of the students said.

“Quiet! Do you want king Blueblood to hear you?! We have to finish this report by tonight!”

“My hand is bleeding. I can’t write anymore…!”

I felt a surge of anger and sympathy wash over me as I watched the students struggle under the oppressive weight of their assignments. Without hesitation, I turned to Spike and Flash, determination burning in my eyes.

“We have to help them,” Flash said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.

“Help them? You can’t,” Spike shook his head.

“Why the hell not?!” Flash barked.

“Because they’re not real,” Spike explained. “They are just cognitions of how Blueblood sees them. Think of them as fake copies of the people in real life. In this world, and similar to the real world, Blueblood sees them only as slaves for his own gain.”

“What the hell does that even mean?!” Flash asked angrily.

“It means that there’s no point in helping these people because they’re not real,” Spike groaned.

“Then we’ll help them another way. Flash, take a picture with your phone,” I said to Flash.

Flash quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the students trapped in the cell, their tired faces a stark reminder of the tyranny they faced. But when he tried to show me the photo, his screen was blank.

“No good, Rod,” Flash grumbled, frustration evident on his face. “My camera doesn’t freaking work for some reason. Looks like we can only use the nav app while we’re in here.”

“Shit!” I cursed.

“Now hold on a sec, we can still help them even if they’re not real,” Flash said and peered into the cell. “If what Spike said is true, that they represent the real ones in the real world, then we’ll just have to memorize their faces.”

I wished it could’ve been simpler with just taking a photo, but our cameras were useless in this world. I sighed and nodded in agreement as I stood next to Flash and analyzed the three poor souls being forced into this situation.

The first individual was the thinnest of the trio, with short brown hair and matching brown eyes. He wore a tattered white shirt and loose-fitting jeans that appeared to be two sizes too big for him. His hands trembled as he wrote on a crumpled sheet of paper, his expression reflecting a mixture of fear and exhaustion.

The second one had a more muscular build than the first, with apple green hair and eyes. Like the first, his clothes were torn and worn, but this person opted for a red flannel shirt and cargo pants.

The last person seemed significantly older compared to the others. They wore thick-framed glasses with a noticeable crack in one lens, along with a white dress shirt underneath a beige sweater and black tie. Their choice of attire also included a pair of brown slacks.

“We won’t forget your faces,” I whispered to them. “We’ll find a way to release you from this torment.”

They ignored me as we moved onto the next row of cells. These students were sitting in chairs that had them locked in place. Their hands and feet were chained down, their heads strapped against the back of the chair, and their eyes were forced open. In front of them was a projection screen that played a bunch of math equations and formulas at high speed.

“Stop! Stop! It’s too much! I can’t memorize it all!”

“Please…my eyes hurt! I need rest! My head feels like it’ll explode!”

“Have…to…remember! Don’t…want to…die! Must…let him…copy!”

“Looks like Blueblood is forcing kids to memorize double the material than usual so they can just give Blueblood the answers during tests,” Flash growled.

My heart hammered against my chest as I took in the grotesque scene before us. The pained cries of the students echoed off the stone walls, their voices laced with desperation and sorrow. It was torture, plain and simple, a twisted means to an end that only benefited the cruel king.

“I think we’ve seen enough,” I said through gritted teeth, my fists clenching at my sides. “Have you memorized their faces yet, Flash?”

“Yes, got them locked in here,” Flash said confidently, tapping the side of his head with a grim determination.

“Let’s get outta here then!” Spike said and we ran back the way we came.

As we did, I noticed some more cells that looked like adults inside. They were all sitting at old-fashioned computers and were fervently typing away with their eyes glued to the screen.

“If I give him a passing grade, I won’t get fired.”

“He’ll complain to the principal again if I don’t do this…”

“Please don’t dock my pay! Please! It’s tough enough as it is being a teacher!”

“What the…?” I spoke. “Is Blueblood also manipulating the teachers?”

“Looks like it,” Spike said as they neared the dungeon’s exit. “Looks like every aspect of this school is under his thumb, from the students to the teachers.”

“That’s just all kinds of fucked up,” Flash said as they neared the front hall of the castle. “And if you noticed there was a single girl in there, I’d hate to see what he thinks of the chicks of this school.”

Just as we were about to make our exit, a platoon of guards was waiting for us in the main hall. Right in the middle was none other than Blueblood himself.

“Blueblood!” Flash spat.

“I knew If we waited long enough the roaches would scurry back into my gilded castle” Blueblood laughed as the platoon of guards surrounded us.

With their armor gleaming under the flickering torchlight, the guards formed a tight circle, trapping us in the center of the hall. Blueblood stepped forward, his sneer a grotesque slash across his smug face.

“Did you enjoy your little tour of my kingdom?” he drawled with a mocking tone, eyeing each of us with disdain. “See something you like? Or perhaps you’ve seen too much?”

“You’re one twisted dude, Blueblood,” I said as I gripped my cane. “Forcing others to do the work, claiming it to be your own, even pressuring the staff to give you good grades. You’re the epitome of fraud.”

Blueblood’s laughter rang out, echoing off the stone walls, full of self-assured mockery. “Fraud? Oh, but you see, in this domain, I am the law. What I say goes, and what I want, I take. And right now.” He paused, his eyes narrowing, “I want to teach you a lesson about meddling in affairs that are none of your business.”

The guards inched closer, the sound of their armor clinking a steady cadence as Blueblood continued to gloat. “You think you’re heroes? You’re nothing but insects to me.” His hand waved dismissively at us before flicking toward his men. “Dispose of them.”

“Let’s do this, newbie!” Spike said. “Harlequin!”

“Right!” I nodded and unsheathed my cane sword and made my mask disappear in blue soul-like flames. “Hercule Poirot!”

Both mine and Spike’s Personas manifested behind us, the guards turned into shadows turned them into what looked like horses with two curved horns on its head.

“Bicorns!” Spike shouted as his Persona threw a few of its daggers

Hercule and I worked in tandem as we slashed our blades together and Hurcule snapped his fingers to cast Kouha on them.

At first, we were winning, until several joined together to form a new monster. He looked like one of the guards but wore red armor atop of a black horse grasping a large spear in its hand, it charged at us with a thunderous clatter.

“Watch out, newbie!” Spike cried as he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp point of the spear.

I tightened my grip on my cane sword, aware that our small victory against the Bicorns had been but a prelude to this true test of our strength. Spike’s Persona whirled through the air, launching another barrage of knives, but this time they glanced off the knight’s armor, barely leaving a scratch.

I tried charging at the knight and slashed at him as he thrusted his spear my way. The force was like being tackled by a football player as I was shoved back. I then tried making Hurcule cast Kouha on him again but failed to stop a counterattack from behind.

Spike tried to aid me but was quickly engaged by two more of the same monstrous knights that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

Even as we fought desperately, more shadows seemed to pour into the hall like a dark tide, solidifying into menacing forms ready to tear us apart. Blueblood watched, his contemptuous smile never wavering as our situation grew dire.

“This is bad,” Spike grunted, dispatching one knight but staggering back as another landed a heavy blow. “We’re not gonna make it at this rate!”

“Come on…come on…!” I grunted as I blocked a bicorn’s thrust but was suddenly struck in my back again. I cried out in pain and fell to my knees as they started to surround us. “There’s too many! Hercule! Help us!”

Unfortunately, my Persona was run through by the knight’s spear, Hercule vanished in blue flames as my mask returned to my face. Before I could react, a heavy boot connected with my side, flipping me onto my back. I gasped for air, the wind knocked out of me as the shadows loomed over both Spike and me.

“Guys!” Flash yelped as I coughed painfully.

“Flash! Get out of here!” I yelled.

“Are you nuts! There’s no way I’m gonna leave you here!” Flash argued.

“Why not, Flash?” Blueblood mocked. “After all, you’re no stranger to abandoning your friends when it matters.”

“I…I didn’t abandon anyone” Flash stammered out as the knights grabbed hold of his arms. “Hey! Let go!”

“Don’t delude yourself, worm,” Shadow Blueblood laughed. “You are nothing but the fallen star of the basketball team.”

“Fallen Star?” I repeated.

“Oh? He didn’t tell you?” Blueblood asked with a wide grin on his face. “Flash Sentry was once the star player of Canterlot High’s basketball team, until a certain…mishap during the most crucial game of his career. Isn’t that right, Flash?”

“N-No that’s not true…” Flash whimpered. “I’d never do something like that to my team!”

Blueblood’s grin only widened, relishing in Flash’s distress. “Ah, but the records say otherwise,” he taunted, waving a dismissive hand. “You choked when it mattered most. Missed a three-point shot just as the buzzer sounded. You let them down. And now, what are you? A has-been. A nobody. Pathetic. But I’ll let you in on a little secret.” Blueblood grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I was the one who slipped a little something into your drink that day. Just a tiny amount of a certain substance to ensure you wouldn’t perform at your best. After all, I couldn’t have someone else stealing the spotlight at my school, could I?”

“You…” Flash slumped in defeat, his eyes reflecting the crushing weight of realization. "You sabotaged me…?”

I watched him fall to his knees as the realization hit him. Blueblood was laughing like a madman which infuriated me more than I anticipated. However, most of my anger was directed at Flash. I knew he was stronger willed than this.

“Are you just gonna take that?!” I snapped, making Flash slowly look at me. “When the hell are you gonna man the fuck up, dude?! This ass hat fucked you over, and you’re just gonna let him get away with it?! What happened to doing what’s right?! What happened to always having my back?! Don’t let this pompous fraud define who you are, Flash!”

Flash 1st POV

My mind roiled with a tumult of emotions—anger, shame, betrayal—but at the new guy’s words, something within me crystallized. A fire I thought long extinguished ignited once more. I couldn’t let this be my end—not here, not like this, under the heel of this pompous fraud.

“You turned everyone against me…” I growled. “My team, my friends, the whole damn school…because you couldn’t stand to see anyone else succeed.” My voice hardened with each word spoken. I looked up at Blueblood, my hands clenched into fists. “But you know what? I don’t need their approval. I don’t need the glory of being a star player. What I need is to stand up for myself and my friends!” I glared at Blueblood with unbridled rage.

“SO, STOP LOOKING DOWN AT ME WITH THAT STUPID-ASS SMILE ON YOUR FACE, YOU FUCKING SHIT-HEEL!” I screamed.

I felt something stir inside me, a deep well of power that had been dormant, suppressed by doubts and humiliation

I reckon you’ve made me wait long enough. A disembodied voice rang within my head. Soon a huge pain flared through my head, causing me to thrash and scream.

Ya wish to be powerful, kid? Then how’s about we make a deal? You’ve already been given a raw deal, Sentry, the voice continued, with a drawl that seemed to echo from a bygone era. I can give ya the means to set things straight. To fight back against those who’d do ya wrong. Your name has already been dragged through the mud, it’s time ya cast away with the law and take all that you want, partner. The voice coaxed with the allure of untamed freedom. It’s high time ya stop playin’ by their rules and become the Outlaw that your inner self desires. I Am Thou, Thou Art I. The voice declared with the authority of an old west outlaw laying down the law. There is no turning back now. From this day forward, you shall aim for justice and claim what is rightly yours!

Then, an ineffable force surged within me, as if every cell in my body was awakening to its true potential. The pain that once wracked my skull now transformed into a searing focus. My breath quickened, and my heart pounded like the hooves of a galloping stallion. A spectral mask formed over my face - not one of fear or submission, but of defiance and strength.

“Quit wasting time and finish them off!” Blueblood’s voice boomed with anger.

Driven by a surge of adrenaline, I reached up to remove the mask from my face, no matter how agonizing it was. The searing pain reached its climax, and with a blinding flash of blue flames, the mask shattered into pieces. A shockwave rippled through the air, knocking back the shadows and knights that surrounded my friends. In that moment, all the pent-up resentment and betrayal within me burst forth like a raging inferno.

Rodney 1st POV

I had to cover my arm from the blinding light of the flames that suddenly enveloped Flash. When the flames finally subsided, I lowered my arm to see a spectacle that made my eyes almost bug out of my head.

Standing tall was Flash, clad in a long dark blue coat with bandoliers of bullets strapped across his chest. He had pulled up the collar to conceal his identity. A red bandana was tied around his neck, representing his loyalty to his own code of justice. A black hat with a wide brim rested on top of his head, casting a shadow over his masked face and adding an air of enigma to his appearance. His attire was simple but sturdy: dark pants and a black shirt. Spurs jingled on his boots with every step as he carried a six-shooter in his holster and what appeared to be a tomahawk at his hip.

His Persona stood behind him, its armored body shining with a metallic sheen that seemed to radiate rebellion. Its white spiky hair contrasted against the black mask that concealed its face, leaving only two glowing green eyes visible. The intense stare fixed on Blueblood with a silent threat. Adorned in a red jacket with the word KID emblazoned on the sleeve, and black pants held up by a studded belt attached to a chain, the Persona’s boots were a blend of red, black, and white. In its grasp were two black revolvers, ready for action.

“No way” I heard Spike shout. “He’s got a Persona too?”

“Flash?” I said in awe.

“Woah…” Flash marveled at the power he had received. “So, this is my Persona…? Heh…now we’re talking!” Flash pointed his finger at Blueblood’s men. “Let’s show them what you got! Billy the Kid!”

In a flash, Flash’s Persona took aim before firing two shots which ricocheted off the walls with an uncanny precision, striking down the shadowy figures that had been keeping me and Spike down. The bullets seemed to carry a force beyond mere lead — they were like bolts of justice, unerring and true.

The shadows recoiled in agony as each bullet found its mark, their forms dissipating like smoke in the wind. The remaining figures hesitated, fear creeping into their eyes as they witnessed the newfound power that Flash wielded with such effortless command.

“Roddy, Spike,” Flash called out, his voice carrying a newfound strength as he turned to face us with a smirk. “You guys all right?”

“Yeah, we’ll manage,” I said as I picked my sword back up. “I knew you had it in you, bro.”

“Certainly caught me off guard,” Spike said. “But now the tables have turned in our favor!”

Blueblood, sensing the shift in dynamics, grasped for control. His eyes narrowed as he observed Flash’s transformation from a distance, his arrogance now tinged with a trace of concern. “This changes nothing,” he sneered with forced confidence. “You think this little trick will save you? You’re still nothing but a traitor and an outcast.”

“If I have to live in a world where you live like a king…” Flash said as his hand inched towards his gun. “I’d rather be an outlaw!”

“Let’s go!” I said and we all charged at the red knight.

Flash reached into his coat and pulled out dual hatches that he spun around before gripping tightly. He jumped in the air, with an air boost from his Persona, and came down on the knight while swinging his weapons. Despite the difference in size, Flash made up for it in dexterity as he managed to push the knight back a bit with sheer strength. The knight staggered under the relentless assault, their once formidable stance crumbling as Flash's presence loomed over them. The sounds of battle echoed through the air, punctuated by the sharp ring of metal against metal.

“Show ‘em what we’re made of, kid!” Flash’s Persona whispered with a voice that seemed to blend with the wind. With an imperceptible nod from its charge, the spectral figure raised its arms high, revolvers at the ready, and unleashed a barrage of ethereal bullets that danced through the air. Each shot was a proclamation of Flash’s determination and might.

As I swung my sword with renewed vigor, inspired by Flash’s transformation, I could feel the tide of battle shifting in our favor. Spike fought with a ferocity that matched his name, his own abilities magnified by the surge of energy filling the room. Blueblood retreated step by step, his face contorted into a snarl.

“Finish them off!” Blueblood shouted as he turned and fled. “That is an order from your king!”

“All together now!” I shouted as I held out my hand, and Hurcule Poirot did the same.

Spike aimed his daggers as Flash held out his hands too.

“Kouha!”

“Maragi!”

“Garu!”

The combined might of our Personas erupted in a display of elemental fury. Light, fire, and wind converged upon the retreating shadows, weaving into a whirlwind of color and devastation. The very air seemed to crackle with the power we unleashed. Blueblood’s minions stood no chance; they were swept away as if they were mere dust caught in a tempest.

The dust settled, and the once-mighty knights of shadow lay defeated, their forms evaporating into the ether from whence they came. The ominous chamber that had been filled with the clamor of steel and the cries of battle now echoed with an eerie silence.

Flash holstered his hatchets and stepped forward, his boots thumping solidly on the stone floor. “Blueblood won’t get far,” he said, his voice cool and resolute. “I’ll make sure of it.” However, Flash soon lost his footing as a wave of exhaustion hit him causing him to drop to his knee.

“Woah, hey man,” I said as I stood by his side. “You really pushed yourself back there.”

“Quite unexpected,” Spike said while gazing at Flash. “To think, you had the potential as well.”

“By the way, nice digs, dude,” I said as I helped him stand back up.

“My digs?” Flash looked at his body before realizing his clothing changed. “What the hell?! I look like I belong in an old western movie!”

“You look like Clint Eastwood, dude,” I joked.

“Is that good or bad?” Flash asked as I helped him to his feet.

“If you two are done, we need to make our exit,” Spike said.

“Now? But we just kicked serious ass!” Flash said.

“After narrowly escaping death!” Spike barked. “This isn’t a game, you know! Our lives are constantly on the line in this world!”

“He’s got a point, man, we probably wouldn’t have survived had you not awakened,” I said.

“Speaking of which, you seem more calm than usual after that encounter,” Spike said to me.

His statement made me pause and think for a moment. “I suppose you're right,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders in agreement.

Suddenly, we heard the unmistakable sound of metal footsteps rapidly approaching us.

“We should probably make a run for it,” Spike suggested, as Flash and I followed suit and quickly exited the castle to return to reality.

We had all managed to make it out of the castle from the way we came and were now taking a slight breather.

“Man, talk about a series of crazy-ass events,” I said. “You doing alright, Flash?”

“I will be” Flash breathed out as he rested his hands on his knees. “Once I get some food and a nap.”

“Hey, I just thought of something,” I said. “Wouldn’t we be kinda screwed now that Blueblood knows that we’re onto him?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Spike said. “This Blueblood, and the Blueblood in reality, are two sides of the same coin. However, this Blueblood is the reality of the real Blueblood’s manifestation of his innermost desires.”

“So, what’s that mean?” Flash asked.

“Did the Blueblood in reality remember anything from the events in the cells?” Spike asked.

“No, he didn’t,” I said, recalling the odd detachment of the real-world Blueblood from his shadow self. “It was like they were completely separate entities. He had no idea what was happening here.”

‘Exactly,” Spike continued, his eyes intense with the knowledge he’d gleaned from our experiences. “The shadows hold the darkest parts of a person’s psyche, their hidden feelings and desires.”

“Then I guess we got nothing to worry about,” I nodded. “But we should still get going.”

“You mean back to your world?” Spike asked. “Y’know, I’ve always wondered what your world is like.”

“But can you even come to our world?” Flash asked the small dragon.

“I…I’m not sure,” Spike said, sounding like he was thinking about something. “It doesn’t matter. You guys should get going. If you find out anything else in the real world, feel free to come back now that both of you are Persona users.”

“Will do, Spike.” I knelt down and raised my fist at him. “Thanks for everything. You’ve been a big help.”

Spike bumped his own tiny fist against mine, a smile of camaraderie lighting up his reptilian features. “Just be careful, both of you. This is only the beginning.”

Nodding in agreement, Flash and I turned toward the rift that would take us back to our world. As we stepped closer to the shimmering tear in reality, I felt an odd sensation, as if gravity itself was warping around us. In one smooth motion, we leapt through the portal.

The transition was always disorienting, a rush of colors and sensations that defied explanation. When our feet finally hit solid ground again, we were back in the abandoned alley where our adventure had started. The mundane sounds of the city filled my ears, a stark contrast to the fierce battles and otherworldly experiences we’d just left behind.

‘Well,” Flash said, checking his attire which had reverted back to his casual clothes that seemed so normal now compared to his western garb from moments ago. “That sure was trippy.”

“Whew! We made it!” I said, then I noticed Flash looking at his hands. His expression was completely different compared to before he awakened his persona. “You okay?”

Flash turned his gaze up from his hands and met my eyes, a flicker of newfound determination shining through the weariness. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he affirmed. “Just processing it all, you know? It’s not every day you discover you've got some…some supernatural alter-ego ready to fight the demons in your heart.”

I chuckled softly. “You can say that again. But now we’ve got this power, and there’s no turning back.” I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders alongside the relief of survival. “We’ve got to use it wisely.”

Flash nodded solemnly and pushed himself up from his resting position against the bleacher’s grimy pole. “Right,” he said, brushing off the mud from his pants. “For now, though, let’s grab something to eat. I feel like I could eat a horse.”

I nodded as we both picked up our bags and headed back to the main building. I had no idea what was to come from here on out, but I knew one thing for sure. This school was under the thumb of an egotistical fraud. And if no one was gonna have the guts to stand up to him, then Flash and I were the only ones capable of doing so.

Phantoms of The Soul

by WurkyWilk358 0w0

Ill-Fated

Chapter 1

I Am Thou

Chapter 2

Lessons and Dreams

Chapter 3

The Outlaw

Chapter 4